Philadelphia is the only one of the seven cities of Revelation that was not a major city in the province of Asia at the time. However, it was on the southern highway connecting Pergamum to south Asia Minor, making it strategically important. It was called the ‘gateway to the east’, which gave it some commercial importance.

Philadelphia was the youngest of the seven cities in Revelation, founded in the Second Century BC. The city took its name from the tale of two brothers, Eumenes the Greek king of Pergamum and his brother Attalus. On two occasions Attalus demonstrated complete loyalty to his brother. Once a false rumour of Eumenes’ assassination led Attalus to accept the crown, only to relinquish it when his brother returned. On another occasion the Romans encouraged Attalus to overthrow his brother and become king, which he refused to do. Attalus was nicknamed Philadelphos, meaning ‘one who loves his brother’.

Philadelphia was a missionary city, founded to promote a unity of spirit in the region, by spreading Hellenistic customs, and loyalty to Greek ideas within an Asian culture. It was probably this missionary status that Jesus was alluding to, when He talked about the open door set before the church in Philadelphia. The church was well placed to use the city’s strategic location and missionary status to spread the good news about Jesus. And He was going to help them do this, despite the opposition they faced in the city. In fact, when Islam later spread in the region, Philadelphia stood as a free Greek Christian city for hundreds of years.

The city was also famous for its agricultural produce, and especially for its grapes, due to its fertile soil. The city was said to produce the best wine in the whole region. But this came at a price. Philadelphia’s nutrient rich soil came from extinct volcano ash. It was on the edge of a great volcanic plan, called KATE – KE – KAUME, which means the ‘Burned Land’. The region was subject to frequent earthquakes, and Philadelphia was the closest city to the fault line. During the great earthquake of AD17, which levelled twelve cities in Asia overnight, Philadelphia was hit the hardest. So much so, that Emperor Tiberius gave them a five-year tax break! The aftershocks were said to last for months, leaving residents afraid to return to their homes in the city, for years afterwards. The fear of a city that could fall again lived long in the memory. So, Christ’s promise to make them pillars in the immovable temple of God, must have been a treasured promise to the Philadelphian Christians.