Revelation 3:7-13
This is the second Church of the seven that is not given a rebuke. Jesus tells them ‘He has the key of David.’ This key represents Kingly authority and He is the one who ‘opens and closes doors’ for us to walk through.
I have had personal experience of doors being opened unto me and have learned to move forward going through each one as they are opened. Then there are times that it seems nothing is open; however those are the times to exercise patience.
In verse 8 Jesus tells this Church, ‘He has set before them an open door and no man can shut it.’ This is an example to us that no matter what the hindrance or obstructions that anyone can try to place in front of us, once we have a Word like this from God, we just need to keep moving forward and watch those obstructions come down like the Jericho Walls!
During the time of the writing of these letters by John to the Churches it was a time of extreme persecution and suffering for the Church. As a result, Jesus encourages the Church by telling them ‘they have little strength by keeping His Word and not denying His Name.’ Due to the persecution, not denying Jesus during this time was very commendable.
In verse 9 we see Jesus brings up the Jews that ‘say they are Jews but are not, they are of the synagogue of satan.’ As previously discussed in the letter to the Church at Smyrna, if these are the ‘Judaizers’, then Jesus has an obvious displeasure with them.
We recall when Jesus walked the earth He had to deal with a Pharisaical spirit that ended up crucifying Him. So He is not pleased with those who call themselves Jews which were to be the guardians of the Word of God, yet reject it concerning Him.
Judaizers were supposedly Christians yet they would not turn lose of the constraints of the Law of Moses and wanted the Church to remain in this bondage as well. They did not embrace the understanding of God’s grace and operated in a “works only” religion.
Verse 10 speaks of the patience that this Church operated in which also denotes faithfulness. We will all receive a reward for this patience if we do the same. Jesus also confirms the Rapture to Believers in this verse as He assures them they will not have to ‘endure the hour of Temptation;’ aka the Tribulation period.
In verse 11 Jesus affirms His soon coming which always causes questions of the skeptics, “saying, where is this soon coming He speaks of?” In 2nd Peter 3 this very thing is addressed when we are told, ‘with the Lord, a thousand years is as one day and one day as a thousand years.’ Obviously the Lord’s timeline differs from ours! Jesus once again concludes with the reward for the over comer. Each time He does this we should take note that we all can be one of these over comers and enjoy the promises of what is to come to us for eternity!
