“This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: I am the one who is holy and true, and I have the keys that belonged to David. When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I say. I know everything you have done. And I have placed before you an open door that no one can close. You were not very strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny that you are my followers. Now you will see what I will do with those people who belong to Satan’s group.
They claim to be Jews, but they are liars. I will make them come and kneel down at your feet. Then they will know that I love you. You obeyed my message and endured. So I will protect you from the time of testing that everyone in [the entire] world must go through. I am coming soon. So hold firmly to what you have, and no one will take away the crown that you will be given as your reward. Everyone who wins the victory will be made into a pillar in the temple of my God, and they will stay there forever.
I will write on each of them the name of my God and the name of his city. It is the New Jerusalem that my God will send down from heaven. I will also write on them my own new name. If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:7-13, CEV)
Philadelphia
was founded in 189 B.C. This city means brotherly
love. “Its name was given to it in honor of Attalus II, because of
his loyalty to his elder brother, Pergamum King Eumenes.
Philadelphia
is 27 miles from the city of Sardis, 105 miles east from the city of Smyrna, and
48 miles from the city of Laodicea. It is located in the Kuzucay Valley in
modern Turkey's province of Manisa. Behind the city are volcanic cliffs, which
the locals call inkwells.Philadelphia’s modern name, Ala-shehir, is considered by some to be a corruption of the Turkish words Allah-shehir, the city of God. More likely it is a name given from the reddish color of the soil.
Philadelphia was nearly destroyed with a major earthquake in 17 A.D. The Emperor Tiberius, in lieu of the damages, allowed Philadelphia to be free of taxation. The city was also referred to as 'Little Athens' because of the pagan temples and other public buildings which adorned it.
Like the church of Philadelphia, how can one maximize the opportunities the Heavenly Father has given us all? Here are a few ways. First, be sure to watch for all the open doors of opportunities that await you. Second, rely on your Heavenly Father’s strength (and not your own). Third, complete all the opportunities that are provided you.
People will try to tell you that all of the great opportunities have been snapped up. In reality, the world changes every second, blowing new opportunities in all directions, including yours.” (Ken Hakuta)
“Productivity is
less about what you do with your time. And more about how you run your mind.” (Robin S. Sharma)
“The Bible (as a revelation from God) was not designed to give us all the information we might desire, nor to solve all the questions about which the human soul is perplexed, but to impart enough to be a safe guide to the haven of eternal rest.” (Albert Barnes)[i]
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| Ruins of ancient Philadelphia |
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