Open Door

DEVOTION

THE REVELATION

OPEN DOOR

Rev 3:7-13

7 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars — I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 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. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

NIV

Jesus holds the key of David. This does have some symbolism which actually Jesus explains right here. David had the key of Israel, which is he could leave it to whomever he wanted to secede him. It was and is the symbol of complete authority. David had that kind of authority in Israel, and Jesus has that kind of authority in heaven. He can open the door to whomever he desires and he can shut the door to whomever he desires. No human can determine who enters the kingdom, it is solely up to Jesus. Jesus has placed that open door before us even though we are weak and frail. The point is we never deny his name. We always profess our faith in Jesus. The problem lies for us, if we are like those who are in the synagogue or church of Satan. They were those who professed to be Jews, but were not, they were liars. This would imply there has to be some who profess to be Christians but are not, they too are liars. What does a lying Christian look like? Are they people who attend a church, seeming to be “Good Christians” but in actuality are anything but good Christians. We use that term without being one. What makes us Christian? It would have to be accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, being born again. Can a person be a Christian without being born again? Certainly we know that no one can ever see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. These are the ones who Jesus has opened the door for. But for those who say they are Christian, well actually they claim their denominational affiliation, but have never been born again, Jesus is not only closing the door on them, but they also will have to fall at our feet and know that Jesus loves us. That sounds harsh, but it is what it is. We have to make sure we are not like that. We must be born again in order to have the open door into the kingdom. This, however does not make us perfect or so strong that we will never fail and commit sin. But we will endure to continue to hold to the truth of God. We will not try to change the truth to fit our own desires, so that certain behaviors are permissible. Because of this type of attitude those of us who hold to the truth, who are born again will not have to endure the hardship God is going to bring on the earth. This would be what we call the tribulation. This is just one of many truths that indicate we will be taken up, which we call the rapture before the tribulation. At least we who are born again, will be taken up. It would seem that many who call themselves Christians will not be taken up. Would this relate to those words of Jesus when he told those he never knew them, when they claimed they did all those things in his name? If we hang on to the truth, being born again, not forging our own form of religion, or denomination, we will indeed see the kingdom of God. We will be a pillar in the temple of God, never to leave it. Jesus will write on us the name of God. The Jews would not even say his name, but we will have it written upon us, as well as the name of the new city, which again we see the truth that there is going to be a new city of Jerusalem which is going to come down out of the heavens. Further in this revelation we are going to have the complete description of that city, but for now we can be content that Jesus has open the door for us, for us, the true born again believers. If we overcome all the false doctrines, all the fake Christianity, all the brands of man-made churches, but hold onto the truth, we will have that open door.