Jews – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

All of us know what it is to be shut out. To be left out by others and snubbed.

I remember walking up to a bunch of guys in high school, and one guy turned to me and said, “What are you doing here? Get lost!”

That’s what the church in Philadelphia was facing. Like the church in Smyrna, they were being snubbed by the Jews living there, and couldn’t even enter the synagogue to worship.

But Jesus tells them, “I am the one who holds the key of David.” (Revelation 3:7)

In other words, “I am the one that holds the key to the everlasting kingdom God promised to David and his descendants. For I am the one who is the fulfillment of all those promises.

“And I have opened the door to you. No one, not even these Jews can shut you out. In fact, they are not true Jews at all. They are a synagogue of Satan.

“Now you are the true Jews, along with all those who have put their faith in me. And the day will come when these false Jews will admit this.” (7-9)

Then he tells them,

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. (Revelation 3:10)

I’ve mentioned before that I think we will have to face the antichrist someday. There are those, however, who look at this verse and think this means we will be taken before he comes.

I think there are two problems with this view.

First, there are many other scriptures that seem to say we will have to face him and endure the great tribulation.

Second, Jesus was talking to the church that existed in John’s day. And I don’t think anyone believes the Christians in Philadelphia were raptured away before their trials came.

What I think Jesus was saying is that in the midst of the trouble that was coming upon the world, he would protect them.

When I think of open and closed doors, I think of Noah, and I think it’s a fitting symbol here. The door to the ark was open for Noah and his family to enter, but after they did, God himself shut it. (Genesis 7:16)

And during the flood, God didn’t “rapture” Noah and his family to heaven, or whisk them away to another land untouched by the flood. Rather, in the midst of the flood, he protected them.

As we look at the rest of Revelation, I think we see that this is exactly what will happen during the time of antichrist and the great tribulation.

The thing to remember in tribulation is what Jesus says next.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (11)

I think one thing that people fear is that in the face of tribulation they will be to weak to stand. That they won’t be able to hold on and that they will lose their crown.

But look at what Jesus told this church.

I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and not denied my name. (8)

This church too saw itself as weak. Jesus himself said, “You are weak.” And yet, in the midst of trial, they stood strong.

I think that what it shows is that our own personal strength or will is not important in whether we stand or not. Rather, what’s important is the grace of God in our lives. And by his grace, we will stand.

And Jesus says,

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. (12)

In short, you will never be shut out. I have established you as a pillar in my house and I have written my name on you. You are mine and ever will be.

As I read that, I can’t help but think of that old song.

Jesus loves me, this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong.
They are weak but he is strong.

Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.

God’s faithfulness

It would be easy for the Jew to conclude from what Paul said in chapter 2 that there was no value in being a Jew or being circumcised.

Yet Paul makes clear in verses 1 and 2 that there is indeed value in both. He said,

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?

Much in every way!

First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. (Romans 3:1-2)

In other words, one of the big advantages of being a Jew was that they got direct revelation from God as to who he is and what he’s like.

While all the other nations had to settle for the general revelation of God through creation, they had much more.

Of course, as mentioned before, this is a double-edged sword. While this can be a great blessing, it can also be a curse, because the more you know, the more you’re held accountable.

And unfortunately, throughout Israel’s history, though they knew who God was and what he was like, they nevertheless walked away from him to follow after other “gods.”

It would be easy to conclude from that that God has turned his back on Israel. Some Biblical commentators argue this and say that we who are Christians are the new Israel.

To some degree, this is true. As we’ll see later in Romans, we were grafted in with those who are called God’s people.

But to say that God has completely given up on the Jews is going too far, particularly considering what Paul says in verse 3 and 4.

What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?

Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar.

As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:3-4)

In other words, though there were Jews that turned their backs on God, God has not turned his back on the Jewish nation. Their lack of faith did not nullify God’s faithfulness to his people.

God is true to his promises, though many people are not. Because of this, no one can ever accuse God of being anything but honest and fair in his judgments.

And also because of this, I do believe there will be a day when all Israel will eventually come to recognize Jesus as Messiah.

But I also believe that this passage is an encouragement for us non-Jews, because so often, we, like the Jews, are lacking in faith and in faithfulness.

We fail to trust that God desires our best and sometimes we even fail to trust that God knows what is best. And because of this, we stray from him and his Word.

Yet God never gives up on us. He keeps pursuing us and reaching out to us.

Sometimes that means discipline, but it’s a discipline in love that seeks our very best. And we never have to worry that God will simply give up on us because we’ve failed so often.

As Paul said in another place,

If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

So when we fail and when we fall, let us never forget the faithfulness of God. And let us always remember his promise to us.

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)