The message from Y’shua Jesus to the Philadelphia church is filled with great tidbits for us all. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Revelation 3:12 CEB
[12] As for those who emerge victorious, I will make them pillars in the temple of my God, and they will never leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God. I will also write on them my own new name.
Temple Pillars
Endurance carries its own reward. It comes with the confidence that we persevered, and it was not in vain. No one enjoys staying the course and losing. Just look at the various political leaders of our day. When threatened by war, they either yield or keep pressing on in the hope that whatever advantage they have is enough to overcome. These days, even when it may seem obvious that it is disadvantagous for them to press, most leaders prefer to fight, as this suggests that they didn’t retreat cowardly.
Claude McKay, Jamaican-American poet, penned a poem, published in 1919, deriding white American racism. He encouraged the African-American community with these words,
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and owned in an inglorious spot
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs…
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back
Unfortunately, that battle continues, making it proof that his words were encouraging perseverance in the face of what seems a predetermined lost battle. But Y’shua tells us press on.
Self-Check
How do we respond when the fight is put to us? Do we automatically yield when it seems that the other has the advantage, or do we press?
Application
Y’shua offers to the victorious one the opportunity to become a pillar in God’s temple. The discomfitting bit is not the pillars, but the implication of being victorious. It is essential that if the battle is spiritual in nature, then the concept of victory and defeat are defined by non-humans. We have to determine whether for God, victory relates to the one who remains alive after the battle. My understanding is that in this particular battle, victory is determined by steadfastly holding on to our faith. This comes both from the preceding verses in the wider text as well as from Jesus’ teachings.
It refers therefore to endurance. That becomes the main criterion for being established as a temple pillar. In those days when John wrote, temple pillars were decorative essential columns that provided stability for the entire structure. Scholars suggest that the biblical city of Philadelphia (not the USA state) was prone to earthquakes. Temple pillars would serve as a buffer against earthquakes, as do modern buildings in California.
Overcoming … enduring … staying the course, is foundational to the faith, and keeps others grounded. We who endure become columns to hold others up in their own struggle. Our faith under fire helps them to endure. Can we be such pillars for the next generation of believers?
Point to Ponder
Who are the modern pillars of our own faith? Have we been able to thank them personally for their endurance? If they’re still alive, might we pray a special blessing over their lives?
May all we seek be found in Christ
