“All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:12-13
As Jesus concluded the letter to the faithful church at Philadelphia, Christ promised four eternal blessings to the one “who overcomes.” The first promise is that Christ will make him “a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore.” A pillar represents stability and permanence. Pillars can also represent honor. In pagan temples they were often carved to honor a particular deity. The marvelous promise Christ makes to believers is that they will have an eternal place of honor in the temple of God.
Christ’s second promise is that He “will write on him the name of My God.” That depicts ownership, signifying that all true Christians belong to God. It also speaks of the intimate personal relationship we have with Him forever.
Third, Christ promises to write on believers “the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God.” Christians have eternal citizenship in heaven’s capital city, the New Jerusalem, described in detail in Revelation 21. That is yet another promise of security, safety, and glory.
Finally, Christ promises believers His “new name.” Christ’s name represents the fullness of His person. In heaven, believers will “see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2), and whatever we may have known of Him will not compare with the reality in which we will then see Him. The new name by which we will be privileged to call Him will reflect that glorious revelation of His Person. The exhortation “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” closes all seven letters. Believers must obey the truths found in each letter. The letter to the faithful Philadelphia church reveals that the holy, omnipotent God pours out His blessings on churches that remain loyal to Him.