Reading for April 13th

Read Revelation 1.9-20 In 1.9-20: Voices on Patmos. John's choice of the title brother probably indicates a community that does not emphasize heirarchy. Persecution, kingdom, endurance is a very odd triad, since in ordinary understanding the time of persecution precedes the time of the kingdom; they do not overlap. Endurance is an active, not a passive quality; some would translate it "resistance." Patmos was a sparsely settled island in John's day, not a penal-colony as is often said. John's presence there could be the result of banishment (forced relocation by the goverment) or it could be voluntary, either to carry his testimony there or to use the relative isolation of Patmos to collect and edit his visions. In verse 10: In his spirit probably indicates a trance-like state, but more importantly it is a claim that the vision is inspired. The Lord's day is prosaically. Sunday, but poetically it refers to the day of Jesus' resurrection (past) and coming (future; compare the expression"day of the Lord" in Isa 1.3; Joel 2, or Zeph 1). John's particular expression could also be understood as the imperial day, pointing to a contrast between Jesus and the emperor that will become increasingly pointed (see ch. 13). In verses 12-20: The vision of Jesus. This relies heavily onthe descriptions of heavenly realities in Dan 7-10, especially the Ancient One (Dan 7.9-10), together with elements from Zechariah (4.2), Ezekiel (43.2), and Isaiah (11.4; 49.2). The Son of Man figure is complex, with the basic meaning of human (contrasted with beasts; see Dan 7.13). The description of the robe and sash mark the figure as royal or priestly. Holding the seven stars is a sign of control over destiny. The stars above correspond to the lampstands below, as the heavenly corresponds to the earthly. The sword is not in his hand (power, coercion) but in his mouth (word, testimony). In verses 17-20: The comission from Jesus: see Dan 10.9. In verse 20: John clearly explains the meaning of many of his symbols. The worldview is dualistic, with a correspondence between what is above (stars and angels) and what is below (lamps and churches). In modern terms we might think of the inner spiritual relity of the everyday world. Comments or Questions..