Revelation 3:11
Revelation 3:11 - I am coming soon. Hold on
to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. –
'I am coming soon' This reference to His
Second Coming, see also Rev 3:3. As with Thyatira he imposes no further burden
on them except to hold on to what they have, Rev 2:24-25 cf. 2 John 8. The word
for crown used here is the victors crown, rather than the royal crown, so they
are to hold on to what they have so that no one will take their victory.
Revelation 3:12 - Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the
temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of
my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming
down out of heaven from my God; and I
will also write on him my new name. –
Here we have an abundance of promises to
those who overcome. Four times Jesus refers to something belonging to or coming
from ‘my God’ a rare expression in the scriptures (cf. John 20:17, Rev 3:2).
The church is the pillar of truth, the temple of my God is the church. The
144,000 in Rev 14:1 have the name of Christ and of God on their foreheads. The
New Jerusalem, is the church, coming down from heaven, see Rev 21:2, in
Ezekiel’s vision the name of the city is ‘THE LORD IS THERE’ (Ezek 48:35) cf.
Rev 21:3, 22:3. The temple of God will be the New Jerusalem because that is
where God will dwell. What is being said
here is that he who overcomes will be permanently part (i.e. a pillar) of the
New Jerusalem, he will belong to God and
to Christ, and he will be intimately known. Lang remarks that a synagogue of
Satan opposed Philadelphia, but each who stood aloof should be given a
permanent place in the temple of God. He who did not deny Christ's name on
earth shall bear His new name for ever. v12 -
and I will also write on him my new name. - New name, this is the same
as the new name written on the white stone (Rev 2:17), it indicates a special
intimacy (Rev 22:4). Just as there is a new Jerusalem, and a new heaven and new
earth so they have a new name. After the destruction of the city Philadelphia
by an earthquake in AD 17 it was given aid by the emperor Tiberias. In appreciation it changed its name to
Neoceasarea (the new city of Caesar), thus the church knew what it was to be
given a new name, only their new name will be named after their king not
Caesar. v13 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. - Note the formula: 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches', we all need to heed what is being said here.
Revelation 3:13 He that has
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
As before, this phrase means the reader is to understand and obey these prophecies.
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