He Opens and No One Shuts, Shuts and No One Opens (Revelation 3:7-13)

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’ (Revelation 3:7-13 NKJV)

Jesus who is holy and true speaks to the church in Philadelphia. This is the church which Jesus Christ whom John saw in a vision was not mentioned. It says He who is holy and true. That’s the exact character of Jesus Christ who is ever adequate, wholesome, perfect, sufficient, and real in any circumstance. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In Him, there is no fickleness, nor shadow of turning (James 1:17). He has the key of David. In the scripture, David is known as after God’s own heart and through His descendant Christ Jesus came to the earth. He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God.

He opens and no one shuts, shuts and no one opens. The ark of Noah is the picture of Christ Jesus. Noah made the door, but God shut it when the flood came and opened when the water receded. The door of salvation is solely and entirely on the mighty hand of God. Jesus speaks to the church, saying “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Open door is the opportunity for any believer in Christ to exercise the faith in the Father. Christ manifested the perfect example during His earthly ministry that He always listened to the Father in heaven and presented His body to the open door. “Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19 NKJV)

Jesus says to the church that they had a little strength and kept His word and had not denied His name. A little strength, that’s all we need to keep because we are in the Father of Christ Jesus. “So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NKJV) Faith is quality, not quantity. Why do we not need much strength and faith? It’s because we in Adam have nothing to boast of before God. Nevertheless, one thing we may boast of is our humiliation and failure through which we have been led to Christ Jesus the Lord. Apostle Paul says so exactly the same. Although he was entitled to boast of many things in human’s point of view, he put down everything, blood, race, education, fame as rubbish. But he is confident of boasting the humiliating moment at Damascus where he was lowered down in a basket and fled for life.

“If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.” (2 Corinthians 11:30-33 NKJV)

We are weak, but Jesus is strong. “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10 NKJV) That’s what we are made. We have never made to live independent from God the Creator of all. We are made in His image and His likeness as the indwelling place of the Holy One. Jesus says in His Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) When we fully and completely recognize that we are bankrupt to meet the commandments of God for which the Law is given, we find the marvelous way to obey God in heaven, that is, Christ in you, the hope of glory.

That’s the way of victory through a little strength in Christ. “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” Christ is stronger than Satan the devil, so we cannot but overcome the evil one since we are in Christ and He in us. Although the obstacles and troubles are like mountains, remember the word of Jesus that it will be gone by throwing in the sea not by might by faith in Him. Paul says the exactly the same. “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” (Revelation 3:10-12 NKJV)

This is the picture of millennium after the rapture of the saints. At least one generation of the saints will not taste the death but will be with the Lord when He comes again. There will be the hour of trial, the great tribulations. Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” This all will be soon fulfilled, because no one knows the times and seasons but the Father in heaven. It will be abrupt, surprising, and unexpected. Those who hold fast will be given His new name. That’s the infallible hope.