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The Message to the Church in Philadelphia

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.

This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
    the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
    and what he closes, no one can open:[a]

“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.

10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. 11 I am coming soon.[b] Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:7 Isa 22:22.
  2. 3:11 Or suddenly, or quickly.

The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia

“To the messenger[a] of the church in Philadelphia, write:

‘The one who is holy, who is true,
    who has the key of David,
who opens a door that[b] no one can shut,
    and who shuts a door that[c] no one can open,

‘says this:

‘I know what you’ve been doing. Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have only a little strength, but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who belong to the synagogue of Satan—those who claim to be Jews and aren’t, but are lying—come and bow down at your feet. Then they will realize that I have loved you. 10 Because you have obeyed my command to endure,[d] I will keep you from the hour of testing that is coming to the whole world to test those living on the earth. 11 I am coming soon! Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your victor’s crown. 12 I will make the one who overcomes[e] to become a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and he will never go out of it again. I will write on him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God), and my own new name.

13 ‘Let everyone[f] listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 3:7 Or angel
  2. Revelation 3:7 Lit. who opens and
  3. Revelation 3:7 Lit. who shuts and
  4. Revelation 3:10 Lit. my word of endurance
  5. Revelation 3:12 Or conquers
  6. Revelation 3:13 Lit. Let the one who has an ear