REVELATION 3:8 -- AN OPEN DOOR

A special problem arises when trying to interpret the Letters to the Churches in Revelation 2-3. As an example, here is Beale's rendering of Revelation 3:8 in which he notes that the intended punctuation (unfortunately not present in the Greek original) is important to our understanding:

“I know your deeds (behold, I have put before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, have kept my word, and have not denied my name.”

Many of the promises given to the churches are expressed as metaphors which only make sense if one (a) knows to what the words are being compared and (b) the property of that thing which is the basis of the comparison. Thus, for even a simple image such as “an open door,” a number of possibilities come to mind. Most of these proposals are enumerated by Morris. You will note that in each one of these a different context is invoked in an attempt to understand the picture of an open door.

1. Missionary Outreach

The majority of the commentators I consulted subscribed to this interpretation, and some referred to geographical features that fit in with this view.

As the “keeper of the gateway to the plateau” Philadelphia had been given a unique opportunity to carry the gospel to the cities of Phrygia. (Ramsay)

“This may refer to the advantageous position of Philadelphia, which was an avenue for Greek culture to the other Asian centers or to missionary work...It may also be associated with conquering the assembly of Satan (vs. 9), which is depicted in terms that recall the OT prophetic descriptions of the Gentiles; cf. Isa 45:14,49:23; 60:14.” (Ford)

“Form-criticism has shown that the expression is a technical term in the vocabulary of mission.” (Peisker and Brown)

Beale and McDonough: “In view of the heavy influence of Isa. 40-60 in 3:7-9, allusion to Isa. 45:1 can also be recognized in 3:8: Compare 'I shall open to him doors and cities shall not be closed' (Isa. 45:1) with 'I have given before you an opened door, which no one is able to shut' (Rev. 3:8). Just as Israel was weak in comparison to its opponents but would be made strong by God's restoring work through Cyrus (cf. Isa. 45:2-7), so also would God make the witness of the small church in Philadelphia effective among its opponents.”

Morris: “This may signify a door of missionary opportunity.” See Acts 14:27; I Corinthians 16:9; II Corinthians 2:12; and Colossians 4:3. Some additional scholars who feel this view is to be preferred include Mounce, Bruce, Phillips, and Ruiz.

Contra this view, Morris adds, “ It is objected that this book does not elsewhere commend missionary activity and that the context requires the thought of reward.”

2. Entrance into the Kingdom

This is another popular explanation. For example Morris says that “some suggest the open door leads into the Messianic glory or perhaps the Messianic community.” Notice that this is really two possibilities instead of one since (a) the first refers to the End Times or to one's ultimate heavenly reward while (b) the second is the promise of joining the community of the saved here on earth. The comments on this view refer more to (a) rather than (b), unless otherwise noted.

Beasley-Murray says, “This interpretation gives coherence to apparently disconnected statements and accords with the promise of v. 12. The faithfulness of this struggling community (v. 8) is to have its fitting compensation.”

Hill hesitantly endorses view #1 but actually prefers #2 in light of the contrast to the closed door of the previous verse which “carries the sense of judgment.”

Walvoord relates v. 8 back to the previous verse where opening and shutting refers to Isaiah 22:22 where Eliakim was given a key that gave him access to the king' wealth. “The reference here, however, seems to be to spiritual treasures.”

3. Mystic Vision

Among several other possibilities, Ford notes that it may refer “to entering into a mystic state.” For that view she cites Revelation 4:1 “which refers to a door in heaven, i.e. entry into the sight of the heavenly court.”

4. Christ

Since John in his Gospel account used the figure of a door to describe Christ Himself as the one who lets people enter in, it has been proposed that is the meaning of the image here also (cf. John 10:7,9).

“Moffatt says that the door represents Christ, but this is unlikely, since Christ himself is portrayed as opening the door...Some have been attracted unnecessarily to this view because of the reference to Christ as the door in Ignatius, Philad. 9:1,11.” (Beale)

5. Contrast to the Synagogue

In reality, this is not wholly a separate view since it is a subset of #2b. As Schnabel puts it, “Unless this statement refers to free entrance into the messianic kingdom (after having been excommunicated from the local synagogue, Rev 3:9), it may mean that Christ opens up a good opportunity for missionary activity (cf. I Cor 16:9) even though the church has 'little power'...The two interpretations are not mutually exclusive.” Thus, Schnabel actually comments favorably on interpretations #1,2, and 5 and points to their interrelationship.

As Mounce says, “No matter if the door to the synagogue has been closed, the door into the messianic kingdom remains open.”

6. Prayer

A minority opinion is that it is possibly referring to the door of prayer. The only weak support for this view I can think of is the mention of the prayers of the saints reaching heaven in Revelation 8:3-4.

7. Martyrdom

Kiddle has been quoted as stating that the open door is the “intermediate access to God by way of martyrdom.” This is likewise a minority view that has not been widely adopted.

8. Comfort

And finally there is the comment found in The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: “The door imagery is also used to give a word of comfort to beleaguered Christians...(Rev 3:8).” The only problem with this general statement is that it is vague enough to apply to most of the other interpretations above.

In conclusion, we can safely say that there is no conclusion. I realize that this is quite unsatisfying to those who like all their Bible interpretations pinned down like an insect specimen and affixed to a board where they can be displayed. However, similes, metaphors, parables and symbols are instead designed to be alive and flying free around our brains so that we can continue to meditate on them.