Revelation 3:7-13, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
Revelation 3:7-13
Philadelphia: An Open Door for a Weak but Faithful Assembly
Philadelphia is weak, and the door is already open
The holy and true one who has the key of David opens and no one shuts, shuts and no one opens. He knows their works. He has set before them an open door, and they have a little power, have kept his word, and have not denied his name.
Those who say they are Jews and are not, but lie, who are of the synagogue of Satan, will come and bow before their feet and know that he has loved this assembly. That is local polemic around Philadelphia, not a judgment on Jewish people, not replacement theology, and not contempt for Judaism. Because they kept the word of endurance, he will keep them from the hour of testing that is coming on the whole world.
An open door is access God gives, not a career promise
The door may mean mission, vindication, or entrance to life; the text does not guarantee unrestricted success. 'Keep from' the hour of testing has been read as protection through, preservation out of, or shelter within trial. It does not settle a modern rapture timetable.
The conqueror becomes a pillar in God's temple and receives the name of God, of the new Jerusalem that comes down from God, and of Christ. Permanence is promised to a small church, not a territorial claim.
How this should shape us
Use little strength to keep the word you already have. Do not treat an open door as a promotion, and do not let this synagogue language teach you to despise Jews.
Teach it back
Explain Revelation 3:7-13 in your own words. Include its place in Revelation's visionary movement, one major interpretive uncertainty, one Old Testament or first-century control, and one use the passage does not authorize.
Your explanation stays in this browser. It is not sent or saved.
Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters differ?
Best judgment: The open door may mean access, mission, or vindication. 'Keep from' the hour of testing supports several preservation readings. The second 'synagogue of Satan' charge remains local polemic, not a judgment on Jews.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete coverage.
Revelation 3:7-13, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Supports: Greek wording and sentence relations checked independently of the KJV.
Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Revelation.txt, 3:7-13
Supports: Greek form, morphology, and lexical-range cross-check; lexical data does not decide context by itself.
STEP Bible Data official repository, TAGNT Acts–Revelation data, rows for 3:7-13
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, textual variants, imagery, cross-references, and stated alternatives.
NET Bible Revelation PDF, printed pp. 2408–2447, 3:7-13 and attached translator/textual notes
Supports: Revelation's textual transmission, KJV/TR history, local uncertainty, and limits of reconstructing an earliest text.
Hernández, 'The Greek Text of Revelation,' author preprint, sections on textual plurality, Textus Receptus, Erasmus, manuscript recovery, Hoskier, Schmid, and Text und Textwert; local implications for 3:7-13
Supports: Methodological control for verbal, thematic, structural, authorial, reader, and later intertextual claims.
Moyise, 'Intertextuality and the Use of Scripture in the Book of Revelation?' pp. 391–401; allusion-method discussion applied to 3:7-13
Supports: Authorship, date, audience, genre, cycles, Roman setting, Lamb-shaped conquest, and limits on persecution reconstructions.
Oxford Handbook authorized preview: Koester, 'Revelation in Its Historical and Theological Context,' printed pp. 1–20; Reddish, 'The Genre of the Book of Revelation,' printed pp. 21–32; applied to 3:7-13
Supports: Reader-first whole-book context, Roman Asia, symbolism, worship, judgment, endurance, and responsible reception.
Enter the Bible Revelation course, sections Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, and Bible in the World; applied to 3:7-13
Supports: Full confessional commentary, Greek observations, Old Testament links, four major interpretive approaches, millennial options, and application.
Tabb, 'Revelation,' commentary heading covering Revelation 3:7-13 plus Introduction and Theology
Supports: Social-historical control for Roman Asia, civic participation, imperial cults, local conflicts, and anti-imperial rhetoric.
Harland, 'Imperial Cults, Persecution, and the Apocalypse of John,' printed pp. 211–231, especially the seven assemblies, imperial honors, persecution cautions, and Babylon discussion applied to 3:7-13
Supports: One local-conflict reconstruction and a control against treating the phrase as a timeless condemnation of Jewish people.
Bredin, 'The Synagogue of Satan Accusation in Revelation 2:9,' publisher abstract only; limited proposal applied to 3:7-13
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete coverage.
Exact location: Revelation 3:7-13, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and sentence relations checked independently of the KJV.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Revelation.txt, 3:7-13
Open the Revelation Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Greek form, morphology, and lexical-range cross-check; lexical data does not decide context by itself.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data official repository, TAGNT Acts–Revelation data, rows for 3:7-13
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Revelation with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, textual variants, imagery, cross-references, and stated alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible Revelation PDF, printed pp. 2408–2447, 3:7-13 and attached translator/textual notes
Open the official NET Revelation PDF ↗peer reviewed handbook chapter author preprint
The Greek Text of Revelation
Juan Hernández Jr.
The Oxford Handbook of the Book of Revelation, 2020
Supports: Revelation's textual transmission, KJV/TR history, local uncertainty, and limits of reconstructing an earliest text.
Exact location: Hernández, 'The Greek Text of Revelation,' author preprint, sections on textual plurality, Textus Receptus, Erasmus, manuscript recovery, Hoskier, Schmid, and Text und Textwert; local implications for 3:7-13
Open Hernández's author-uploaded preprint ↗peer reviewed open access article
Intertextuality and the Use of Scripture in the Book of Revelation?
Steve Moyise
Scriptura 84, 2003; online record 2013
Supports: Methodological control for verbal, thematic, structural, authorial, reader, and later intertextual claims.
Exact location: Moyise, 'Intertextuality and the Use of Scripture in the Book of Revelation?' pp. 391–401; allusion-method discussion applied to 3:7-13
Open Moyise's Scripture-use article ↗modern scholarly handbook preview
The Oxford Handbook of the Book of Revelation — publisher preview
Craig R. Koester, editor; chapters by Craig R. Koester and Mitchell G. Reddish
Oxford University Press, 2020
Supports: Authorship, date, audience, genre, cycles, Roman setting, Lamb-shaped conquest, and limits on persecution reconstructions.
Exact location: Oxford Handbook authorized preview: Koester, 'Revelation in Its Historical and Theological Context,' printed pp. 1–20; Reddish, 'The Genre of the Book of Revelation,' printed pp. 21–32; applied to 3:7-13
Open the Oxford Handbook preview ↗modern scholarly book introduction
Revelation course: summary, outline, background, introductory issues, theological themes, and Bible in the world
Craig R. Koester and Kristofer Phan Coffman
Enter the Bible, Luther Seminary, current online course inspected 2026
Supports: Reader-first whole-book context, Roman Asia, symbolism, worship, judgment, endurance, and responsible reception.
Exact location: Enter the Bible Revelation course, sections Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, and Bible in the World; applied to 3:7-13
Open the Enter the Bible Revelation course ↗modern open commentary
Revelation
Brian J. Tabb
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023 online edition
Supports: Full confessional commentary, Greek observations, Old Testament links, four major interpretive approaches, millennial options, and application.
Exact location: Tabb, 'Revelation,' commentary heading covering Revelation 3:7-13 plus Introduction and Theology
Open Tabb's Revelation commentary ↗modern social historical monograph chapter
Imperial Cults, Persecution, and the Apocalypse of John
Philip A. Harland
Second edition of Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations, 2013
Supports: Social-historical control for Roman Asia, civic participation, imperial cults, local conflicts, and anti-imperial rhetoric.
Exact location: Harland, 'Imperial Cults, Persecution, and the Apocalypse of John,' printed pp. 211–231, especially the seven assemblies, imperial honors, persecution cautions, and Babylon discussion applied to 3:7-13
Open Harland's imperial-cults chapter ↗peer reviewed article abstract only
The Synagogue of Satan Accusation in Revelation 2:9
Mark R. J. Bredin
Biblical Theology Bulletin 28.4, 1998
Supports: One local-conflict reconstruction and a control against treating the phrase as a timeless condemnation of Jewish people.
Exact location: Bredin, 'The Synagogue of Satan Accusation in Revelation 2:9,' publisher abstract only; limited proposal applied to 3:7-13
Open Bredin's article record ↗