The Door

[Bible2]

Oak asked:

What is meant by the door in the New Testament?

In the New Testament, "door" is sometimes used figuratively, to refer to different things. For example, it's used to refer to Jesus himself: "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7); "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9). These references are a way of saying that Jesus is the only way for people to enter into salvation: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

So a shut door can represent people not being able to enter into salvation: "When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity" (Luke 13:25-27, cf. Matthew 25:10-13).

And an opened door can represent people being able to enter into salvation, by faith: God "opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27).

An opened door can also represent saved people being able to preach the saving gospel to the unsaved in a certain place: "I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 2:12); "a great door and effectual is opened unto me" (1 Corinthians 16:9); "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ" (Colossians 4:3); "behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name" (Revelation 3:8).

Oak asked:

Especially, when Christ says, Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice an opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)

It should be noted that in its context, Revelation 3:20 was addressing people who were already saved, who were already part of the church (Revelation 3:14, Revelation 3:22). Nonetheless, the door in Revelation 3:20 can still retain all of its different figurative meanings seen earlier in the New Testament. For example, as already-saved people, those addressed in Revelation 3:20 had already entered through the door of Jesus and into salvation (John 10:9).

But after entering into initial salvation by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5), those addressed in Revelation 3:20 had became so lukewarm in their works (Revelation 3:15-16) (which works would have included preaching the gospel to the unsaved), that they were in danger of ultimately losing their salvation (Revelation 3:16). For those who have been initially saved can ultimately lose their salvation on account of unrepentant laziness (Matthew 25:26,30, John 15:2, Romans 2:6-8, James 2:24, Philippians 2:12, 2 Corinthians 5:9, 2 Peter 1:10-11, Hebrews 6:10-12, Philippians 3:11-14, Hebrews 5:9).

Those addressed in Revelation 3:20 had also become so shamefully sinful (Revelation 3:17-18) that they were warned that they needed to repent (Revelation 3:19). For those who have been initially saved can ultimately lose their salvation on account of unrepentant sinfulness (Hebrews 10:26-29, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Matthew 24:48-51, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, 2 Peter 2:20-22, Romans 8:13, 1 John 5:16, James 5:19-20, Hebrews 5:9).

The immediate context of Revelation 3:20 also shows that initially saved people can fail to obtain ultimate salvation by failing to overcome (Revelation 3:21-22). Those who have been initially saved can ultimately have their names blotted out of the book of life if they don't overcome (Revelation 3:5). An example of not overcoming would be failing to be willing to be killed for Jesus and his gospel (Revelation 12:11), and instead committing apostasy to avoid getting killed (Mark 8:35-38, Matthew 24:9-13). Those who have been initially saved can ultimately lose their salvation on account of apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-8, John 15:6, 2 Timothy 2:12, Colossians 1:23, Hebrews 3:6,14, Matthew 13:21, Luke 8:13, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Hebrews 10:38-39, 2 Timothy 4:3-4).

So the shut door in Revelation 3:20, separating the initially-saved people from Jesus, can represent the danger those people were in of ultimately losing their salvation. Their hearing Jesus' knockings, his warnings to them (Revelation 3:19, Revelation 3:16), and getting up to open the door to him can then represent them repenting from their laziness and sinfulness and entering back into an ultimately-saving relationship with Jesus.

Oak asked:

I don't understand why does Jesus say's to, "eat with Him?" We are the one's being fed. How does Jesus eat with us?

Jesus' eating in Revelation 3:20 can represent his obedience to God the Father, his doing good works for the Father. For "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34).

The people in Revelation 3:20 eating with Jesus can then represent them having real fellowship with Jesus (and God the Father) by their obedience to Jesus: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John 14:21); "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23). "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour" (John 12:26).

These verses mean that initially saved people must keep themselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21) by continuing to obey him (Hebrews 5:9). Those who have been initially saved can ultimately lose their salvation on account of not continuing in God's goodness (Romans 11:20-22, Luke 12:45-46).

[oak]

First of all thank you, Hunterpoet, Onelight, Traveller, Fez, Uncle Abee, man, agua and Bible 2.

After hearing your wonderful replies, this has become my take on this phrase. The door is salvation and Christ's Word to us. Christ can not be knocking on himself. But certainly knocking on the salvational Word's given to us which are certainly a great part of Him Now, how do we open the door? Through our redemption faith and a belief that does His will. Further, He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. John 12:40 [isaiah]. Also, I believe all these reside in the heart. Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know the hope to which he has called you

[Openly Curious]

name='oak' timestamp='1281360249' post='1589757

What is meant by the door in the New Testament? Especially, when Christ says,--- Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice an opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)

Oak

I agree with what has been said thus far,

Revelation 3:20--Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

I am so thankful that I opened my hearts door allowing Christ to come in but opening my hearts door would not be a one time deal for there would be many more times. Everytime I hear the voice of God (the knock) I have to open that Christ can go in and out that we can have fellowship one with another supping the bread.

Some of you I'm sure have seen those pictures where Jesus is standing on the outside of a doorway knocking on the outside of a door. Well if you will notice that the door Jesus is knocking on has no "doorknobs" on the outside of the

door. This is because only we can open our hearts door for Jesus as he cannot do this for us. All that Jesus can do is knock on our door in hopes we will hear his voice and open our hearts by faith. It is Christ who gives us access to the heavenly Father.

Even today there have been times I've heard a gentle knocking at my heart's door and it reminds me to listen that Jesus can come in and out so we may have fellowship.

If memory serves me correct it was in the tent of tabernacle where they had only but one door that gave entry way to the inside being located on the eastside or gate giving the only entrance into the tent of tabernacle. Every person seeking entrance to the tent of tabernacle to recieve forgiveness had to come by way of that "ONE DOOR" for there was no other way.

Once a person passes through the door the first thing they would see was the Brazen altar where the blood of the bulls, the goats and the heifer, were slain for remission of their sins. It's only through Christ we have access to the blood covering the blood that washes white as snow. (Hebrews 9:11-28)

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life

[EricH]

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus is actually speaking to His church at Laodicea. He was being kept outside His own church because of it's self sufficiency.

[Openly Curious]

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus is actually speaking to His church at Laodicea. He was being kept outside His own church because of it's self sufficiency.

:thumbsup:

This is a heart rendering picture of Christ being kept on the outside of the Laodicea church. Christ shed his own blood for the purpose of redeeming those that are lost to add them to the church. All the Laodicea church had to do was repent of their self-sufficiency and open their hearts door allowing Jesus to come in that they may have fellowship with Jesus and Jesus with his church. It is very sad to see Jesus being kept on the outside of his church because the church has lost faith trusting in the all sufficiency of Christ instead putting it into earthly riches and goods thinking they had need of nothing and then we think we have need of nothing (verse 17) as we ourselves can vere away from Christ going astray from the truth. Earthly wealth cannot buy everlasting life for that comes only by the shed blood of Christ. Lay not up treasures in earth where moth and rust destroys but, lay it up in heaven where moth and rust aren't there. Earthly things will not last forever but those things that we lay up in heaven will last forever. We all have to watch our hearts and be sensitive to the Lord's leading in this area and keep a repentant heart (verses 18-19)

Lol let me hush my mouth

[oak]

Beautiful 3 post