The letter to Philadelphia is for a church with little power that kept His word.
I know your works.
Behold,
I have set before you an open door,
which no one is able to shut.
You have but little power,
and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Hold fast what you have,
so that no one may seize your crown.
Jesus is the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. Philadelphia gets no rebuke. An open door is set before them. They have little power, and they have kept His word and not denied His name. He will make their opponents come and learn that He has loved them. Because they kept His word of patient endurance, He will keep them from the hour of trial coming on the whole world. He is coming soon. Hold fast, so no one seizes the crown.
This is one of the seven letters. The Spirit says it to the churches. Little power is not the problem. A denied name would be. They have not denied it.
Little power.
An open door.
His word kept.
His name not denied.
Hold fast.
Full text from Revelation 3, as on the chapter page.
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.
You have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world.
Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.
Little power is not a rebuke. He opened the door. They kept the word. Hold fast, so the crown is not seized.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.