Revelation 3:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory" (1 Cor 15:41). Every reward is according to a man's merits. The promise to the Philadelphian Christians surpasses the promises given to the other Churches. The Ephesians will be given to taste of the tree of life. The Smyrnaeans will be freed from the second death. The Pergamenes will receive the hidden manna. The Thyatirans will receive authority over the nations. The Sardians will obtain white garments. But the Philadelphians will be made pillars of the heavenly temple, its unshakable and eternal support. They will be priests under the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. "He who has an ear, let him hear." Let us pray to the Holy Spirit, and He will give us such an ear.

To the Church of Philadelphia, in the province of Lydia, which had kept faithfulness to the Lord, He appears as the complete opposite of how the synagogue of Satan presented Him to believing Christians. That synagogue was the community of unbelieving Jews. The Jews blasphemed Him, but He appears as holy, as Jehovah was called in the Old Testament. The Jews mocked Christians because, according to them, Christians honored a false Messiah. But the Lord appears as the True One, who fulfilled all the prophecies concerning the Messiah. Finally, they ascribed to themselves alone the right to the kingdom of the Messiah. Yet the Lord appears with the key of David in His hands. Therefore it depends on Him whether a man is admitted to the throne of God or not.