Tag Archives: seven churches

The Letter to Philadelphia: God’s people vs. the earth dwellers

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lettersIn the book of Revelation, a contrast is made between God’s people and “those who live on earth.” In Letters From The Lamb I wrote:

Since the Philadelphians have been faithful, Jesus says that he is going to protect them from a time of trial that is coming on those that live on the earth. While at first glance we might think that all of us “live on the earth,” a survey of Revelation will show us that a distinction is made between those that dwell on the earth and those that dwell in heaven. The first term refers to the worldly people, those that reject God and follow the rebellious worship of the emperor. Those who dwell in heaven, on the other hand, are the citizens of heaven, even those that are still living their lives on this planet. They are in the world, but not of the world. Their passports and driver’s licenses may state an address here, but their actual citizenship is in heaven. So when Jesus brings punishment on those that live on the earth, his people are not included in that punishment.

(Letters From The Lamb, p. 138)

We are part of a kingdom that isn’t of this earth. Our loyalties lie elsewhere. We seek a heavenly city, not the country that we were born in. Living as aliens on this earth is an important part of our identity as Christians.

The letter to Philadelphia: What key does Jesus have?

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lettersIn this sixth of the seven letters to the seven churches, Jesus says that he is the holy one and the true one. He also mentions something that he is holding:

Jesus also identifies himself as the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. Again, those familiar with the Old Testament would recognize these words, this time a quote from the book of Isaiah: “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” (Isaiah 22:20-22) In the case of Eliakim, the key to the house of David would have been a large wooden key which would have been worn like a sash. It denoted authority, like carrying the signet ring of the king. The key would have been used to bar and unbar the palace doors, controlling who had access to the king and who could enter or leave the palace grounds.6 In the case of Jesus, we need to remember that each of the letters refers to chapter 1 of Revelation. In the vision that John had of Jesus, Jesus had keys in his hand, the keys to death and Hades. It seems likely that Jesus is referring to the same keys here; the reference to the key of David is made to emphasize the permanence of Jesus’ actions regarding death and Hades. Now that he has opened that door, no one can shut it again, until Jesus himself decides to do so. Christians can face death without fear, for their Lord holds the key to let them out of the realm of death. Their stay in Hades will be but a temporary one, for they know the One who holds the key. When he opens the door, no one can shut it again. When Christ spoke with Peter about having the keys of the kingdom, he also spoke about the gates of Hades, saying that they would never be able to prevail against his church. Jesus opens the door to the place where the dead are, and once he has opened it, no one can shut it.

(Letters From The Lamb, pp. 135-36)

Jesus was calling his followers to be willing to be sacrificed. He reassures them that he has the key that will free them from death and grant them access to God. It’s a promise that was made to the whole church, that the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. Jesus holds the key. Any door that he opens will remain open. And he has thrown open the door to the realm of death. It cannot hold those that Jesus sets free. (And that’s great news!)

The letter to Philadelphia: Trouble with tremors

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lettersThe part of Turkey that was once known as Asia Minor is an area that has historically been earthquake prone. Philadelphia was especially hard hit, as I note in Letters From The Lamb:

The area around Philadelphia was very active seismically, especially in the first decades after the birth of Christ. The city was hit by a violent earthquake in 17 A.D. and strong tremors continued to be felt in the city for years. The historian Strabo commented that the buildings in the city were structurally unsound; he was amazed at the persistence of the people of Philadelphia, who sought ways to counteract through construction the frequent movement of the ground. Strabo questioned the sanity of those who chose to return to the city, noting that many opted to live in the open countryside in order to avoid the dangers of falling masonry. The terror of the earthquake and the ensuing aftershocks had a lasting effect on the people of Philadelphia and undoubtedly hurt the growth of the city and its economy.

(Letters From The Lamb, pp. 120-21)

Later, Jesus is going to promise the faithful that they will be pillars in God’s temple and “Never again will he leave it.” Those words would have had special meaning to a people used to having to flee from their lives when the earth began to shake.

The letter to Sardis: The Book of Life

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lettersJesus talks to the Christians of Sardis about the Book of Life. That’s a concept that may sound a little strange to us, but it’s pretty common in the Bible. In Letters to the Lamb, I note:

These victors will never have their names blotted out of the Book of Life. Ancient cities kept a book of names, names of the inhabitants of the city. If someone’s name was not found in the book, they were not considered to be citizens of that city. If someone committed a serious crime or a treasonous act against the city, their names were removed from the book. In Exodus 32, Moses refers to God’s book, asking to be blotted out of the book if the rest of Israel was not forgiven of their rebellion. In the book of Psalms, the Psalmist says of his enemies: “May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.” (Psalms 69:28) The prophet Daniel spoke of a book of names, when he wrote: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.” (Daniel 12:1) In the New Testament, Paul refers to the Book of Life in Philippians when he writes: “Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Philippians 4:3) This is the first reference in Revelation to God’s book, but it is mentioned several other times in this prophecy. Those who are in God’s book are citizens of his holy city, destined for eternal life. The fact that he can still blot the names of Christians out of his book should be a sobering one. The possibility of losing our citizenship through a lack of vigilance is a very real one, one that should motivate us to pay careful attention to what is said to the church in Sardis.

(Letters From The Lamb, pp. 120-21)

I want to be known as a citizen of God’s city. I want my name to be found in the Book of Life, not a blotted-out smudge where my name once was. Like the people of Sardis, I need to be alert spiritually rather than sleeping in complacency. “When the roll is called up yonder,” I want my name to be found.

The Letter to Sardis: Wake up!

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lettersI find the history of Sardis absolutely fascinating. It’s quite possibly my favorite story of the seven churches of Revelation. The city was one with a glorious past and a mediocre present.

I didn’t grow up hearing the expression “rich as Croesus,” but his story particularly intrigues me. Croesus was rich and powerful and decided to attack the Persians, governed by King Cyrus. Legend says that he consulted the oracle at Delphi before attacking. As oracles often did, the oracle gave an ambiguous answer: If you take your armies across the Halys River, you will destroy a great nation. Croesus, of course, thought this meant he would destroy the Persians. He learned otherwise.

In Letters From The Lamb, I wrote:

Croesus had attacked Cyrus’ army, then had withdrawn to his mountain fortress when things did not go well. Cyrus, frustrated at his army’s inability to penetrate the citadel, offered a reward to any soldier who could discover an entry route. One of the Persian soldiers observed a Lydian that accidentally dropped his helmet, yet was able to quickly descend and retrieve it. The Persians waited until nightfall, then scaled the cliff at that very point. Thinking their position unassailable, Croesus had no guards posted on the battlements! The Persians quickly overran the city and the battle was won, not by military might but by carelessness on the part of the inhabitants of Sardis. To Sardis’ great shame, the city was taken the same way by the Athenians a short time later, then again three hundred years later when Antiochus III conquered the unguarded city.

(Letters From The Lamb, p. 116)

When Jesus addresses the church in Sardis, he tells them to wake up. Surely those words must have made them blush as they thought of their history. He then tells them, “But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Another reference to their inglorious history.

Jesus’ words apply not only to the people of Sardis, of course. We all need to be alert and watching. We don’t know when our Lord will return. We shouldn’t be caught unawares.