1. Revelation 3:9 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What does "bow down before your feet" mean?

Revelation 3:9 (ESV)

9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.

Devout Jews would refuse to bow down before anyone other than the Lord God, for bowing down denoted allegiance and obeisance. In this case, however, the Lord would bring these impious Jews to such repentance that they would bow before the “little power” church of Philadelphia. Their doing so would not mean that they were worshipping these Christians, but it would mean instead that they would acknowledge their own error in shunning the gospel of Jesus Christ and would confess that these Christians were correct after all in embracing the Son of God. Bowing before their feet was then an implicit bowing before the Lord who had purchased and redeemed these Christians.