Revelation 3:9

9 Lo! I shall give to thee of the synagogue of Satan, which say that they be Jews, and be not, but lie. Lo! I shall make them, that they come, and worship before thy feet; and they shall know, that I loved thee,

Revelation 3:9 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 3:9

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan
Which may be understood either of the Papists, the followers of the man of sin, whose coming was after the working of Satan, and whose doctrines are the doctrines of devils, many of whom will now be converted, and brought to the true church; or rather of the Jews, who had, and have, and will have till this time, their synagogues for religious worship in their way; but they are no other than synagogues of Satan; the men that assemble in them are of their father the devil, and do his works, and will do them:

which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;
they are Jews by name and nation; they are. Jews outwardly, but not inwardly and spiritually, ( Romans 2:28 Romans 2:29 ) ; they are carnal wicked men, under the influence of Satan, though they pretend to be religious men, and worshippers of God:

behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet;
the conversion of the Jews is here intended. The worship here spoken of is not either a religious or civil worship of the church, for the church is not the object of worship; only before whom, and at whose feet, this worship shall be given to God in the most humble and hearty manner: the sense is, that the convinced and converted Jews shall come to the church, and in the most lowly and contrite manner acknowledge their former blindness, furious zeal, and violent hatred of the Christians, and shall profess their faith in Christ; shall join themselves to the church, and partake of the ordinances of the Gospel with them; and shall worship God and Jesus Christ, their Lord and King, in their presence, and at their feet:

and to know that I have loved thee;
the Gentile church, and the members of it, in assuming human nature, and dying for, and redeeming them, as well as the Jews; in sending his Gospel to them, and calling them by his grace, and planting them into Gospel churches; giving them a place, and a name in his house, better than that of sons and daughters.

Revelation 3:9 In-Context

7 And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia write thou, These things saith the holy and true, that hath the key of David; which openeth, and no man closeth, he closeth, and no man openeth [+that openeth, and no man closeth, closeth, and no man openeth].
8 I know thy works, and lo! I gave before thee a door opened, which no man may close [+and lo! I have before thee a door opened, that no man may close]; for thou hast a little virtue, and hast kept my word, and deniedest not my name.
9 Lo! I shall give to thee of the synagogue of Satan, which say that they be Jews, and be not, but lie. Lo! I shall make them, that they come, and worship before thy feet; and they shall know, that I loved thee,
10 for thou keptest the word of my patience. And I shall keep thee from the hour of temptation, that is to coming [that is to come] into all the world, to tempt men that dwell in earth.
11 Lo! I come soon; hold thou that that thou hast [hold that that thou hast], that no man take thy crown.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.