Hold on to what you have
Revelation 3:11 - Rather than some obscure and opaque eschatological message, today’s verse reminds us that Jesus can return at any time, so it is important to remain strong in our faith.
Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 3:11 NIV
Apocalyptic literature in the Bible — prophetical writing that began in the post-exile Jewish culture and was popular among the early Christians — details the visions of the author (in this case the Apostle John) of the end times as revealed either by an angel or another messenger. The books of Joel and Zechariah both contain apocalypses, as does the book of Isaiah (chapters 24-27 and 33) and the second half of the book of Daniel (chapters 7-12).
The ancient Greek word ἀποκάλυψις (apokálupsis) means “revelation” or “unveiling”, and that’s where the English title of the last book of the Bible — Revelation — takes its name. While there are apocalyptic themes found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, 2 Thessalonians 2, 1 Timothy 4, and 2 Peter 3 (mainly dealing with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ), Revelation contains the most detailed (and yet confusing) descriptions of the end times.
Revelation begins with John’s vision of Christ, in which the Apostle is instructed to write down what he hears and sees from his home in a cave on the Greek island of Patmos, then send messages to the “Seven Churches of Asia” (now Türkiye). Those seven churches were in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Each church receives praise, admonishment, and sometimes both from the Lord. Today’s verse comes from the message to Philadelphia (not the one in Pennsylvania, of course) and that message is predominantly positive.
Christ praises the church, noting that “… you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” (Revelation 3:8 NIV). The Philadelphian church is also the recipient of a unique blessing of the Lord (Revelation 3:10 NIV):
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”
And at this point, Jesus speaks the words of today’s verse. The New Testament often refers to the imminent return of Jesus Christ, and for the early church, they expected it any day. For these Christians, faith in His return in their time gave them hope and an urgency in their faith that sadly seems to be missing today.
Two thousand years later, we still await the return of Jesus Christ, so was there something wrong with John’s vision? The Greek word that is translated here as “soon” (ταχύ - tachy) has other meanings — like “quickly” and “suddenly”. Translated in that sense, He is not telling the Philadelphians to expect Him any day, but that His return will be totally unexpected.
This makes a lot of sense. In Matthew 24:44, Jesus advises readiness since He will come when He is not expected:
“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
These should still be the words that modern-day Christians live by. Rather than trying to find obscure meaning in each word of Revelation or trying to match it with current political events, believers should live their lives with the expectation that Jesus could return at any second.
The next phrase — “Hold on to what you have” — is to encourage the church in Philadelphia to continue to do what they have just been praised for: Remaining faithful and committed to the teachings of Christ. Telling the members of the church to “hold on” indicates that the Lord wishes for them to not give in to the pressures of the world (including the very real threat of persecution) and any personal doubts they may have.
Jesus is admonishing the church to remain steadfast in its faith “so that no one will take your crown.” This is not a literal crown, of course, instead being the reward of eternal life and victory in Christ. In his many epistles, the apostle Paul often used the metaphor of a crown, since the Romans and Greeks commonly awarded them to those who were victorious in athletic competitions. The reward of a crown was familiar to all of who lived in that time.
Here, the Lord implies that a person could lose his or her eternal reward through failure to remain faithful and live a life worthy of that “crown”. God wants all believers to persevere in their faith and be victorious in His name. This same imagery is seen in James 1:12:
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
Rather than some obscure and opaque eschatological message, today’s verse reminds us that Jesus can return at any time, so it is important to remain strong in our faith.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord, I thank You for the promise of Your return. I pray that You help me each day to remain focused on my faith and grateful for the many blessings You have given me. Protect me from being distracted from Your Word, and help me to remain steadfast in my daily walk with You. May I always keep my mind and my eyes on You and the heavenly reward that awaits me. AMEN.