Verses 7-13: Philadelphia EV 3:7-13{in Addressing the Angel of the Assembly at Philadelphia, the Lord Doesn't Draw on the Imagery of Rev. 1 at All. Instead, He Presents Himself According to What He Is Intrinsically—That Is, Holy and True. As Such Then, It Gives Him Pleasure When He Finds Such Moral Features in His Own, Which Features Are Fruits of His Grace. (That Is His Standard for Them.)

He is also sovereign, opening and shutting as He wills and no man frustrating His will. Accordingly, He has set before the assembly in Philadelphia an opened door, and no man can shut it. Otherwise, there would be no opened door there at all. All is and must be from Him and nothing from man.
As regards strength though, the assembly at Philadelphia has but little of it. If it is strength that Christ can acknowledge however, then it is the fruit of His grace alone. He therefore commends the assembly on one hand, for having kept His Word and, on the other, for having not denied His name. In Pergamos, the danger had been not one of denying His name, but rather, one of denying His faith. On the other hand, in Sardis, the danger was one of not keeping His Word once it had been received. In Philadelphia though, the assembly has both kept His Word and not denied His name; hence, His commendation.
Now then, the Word He refers to as "My Word" is the Word of God; but in particular, it is the Word of God as it attracts the heart and attaches it to the person of Christ Himself and, especially, as Head of His body. (Cf. Col. 2:19 and 3:11, 16.) As to "His name," a man's name is all that he is whose name it is. Therefore, the name of Christ is tantamount to the person of Christ Himself. It is everything that He is. (See Matt. 18:20.)
Still, this little company is, no doubt, held in contempt by that which answers to "the synagogue of Satan," first seen morally in Smyrna. Nevertheless, He will make those of that exalted body to come and do homage before its feet and to know that He had loved it. Unlike that great ecclesiastical system, it had been willing to await with humble patience the appointed time of His reigning, rather than vainly hastening it on by reigning without Him (See 1 Cor. 4:8; Rev. 2:26-7; and 20:1-6.). Accordingly, He urges the angel of the assembly at Philadelphia to hold fast that which it has and not to let any man take its crown.
The promise to the overcomer then is exceedingly precious indeed. It bears reading in its entirety: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name" [Rev. 3:12].
How personal is the overcomers portion! The Lord gives him to know and enjoy the blessedness of the relationship He had Himself known and enjoyed with His own God. If the overcomer has had but little strength in the day of weakness, He will be a pillar in the temple of His God. If he has had to go out from the systems of men and from his beloved brethren who remain in those systems, in that day, he will go out from them no more. Instead, he will enjoy heavenly fellowship with all his brethren for all eternity. Finally, having a part in that heavenly city throughout the coming millennial day, he will have a part in it in the eternal state as well. (See ch. 21:1-2.)
Historically, Philadelphia corresponds to a work of God among His people during the first quarter of the nineteenth century and will be maintained until the assembly's rapture.
As the reformation was the fruit of the Spirit's mighty acting in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, I have no doubt but what that which answers to Philadelphia was also the fruit of the Spirit's mighty acting in the nineteenth century. In the early part of that century, the Spirit of God began a fresh work among the Lord's people. He resumed gathering souls to Christ and to His name, even as He had done at the very beginning of the assembly's history. At the same time, He began restoring to them "the whole counsel of God," much of which had long been lost or forgotten (Acts 20:27). Accordingly, there was a happy season of power, great joy, and rejoicing, as well as a remarkable increase in numbers.
Now then, there is most assuredly such a thing as what might be called "Philadelphian ground." In view of the failure that has come in in the meanwhile though, any corporate pretension to being it would be presumptuous indeed. (See the historical section under Laodicea below.) The most any company can say is that it believes it is on that ground; but it cannot claim categorically to be on it.
Similarly, an individual, even if he is on that ground, cannot claim to be "a Philadelphian." He can say only that he'd like to be one; but he cannot claim to be one. What the Lord is looking for is not merely ecclesiastical position, as important as that is, but rather, reality of heart and those moral features that answer to His own. It is a man's moral character that makes him what he is and not the ecclesiastical position he occupies. The Lord therefore is the One Who will determine who is and who is not "a Philadelphian.”