Reading for April 19th

Read Revelation3.7-13. In 3.7-13: The letter from the door keeper to Philadephia: Advance. Piladelphia was the most remote and least propsperous of the cities. The key of David represents the powers of the steward; much of the imagery of this letter is drawn from Isa 22.15-25. In verse 8: The word of Jesus is both his teachings and his testimony (see also 12.11). In verse 9; The slander that others who claim to be Jews are a synagogue of Satan shows strong hostility between the Jews of John's community and others (see also 2.9). In verse 10: The hour of trail indicates an indefinite, but short, period of testing, widely expected in apocalyptic writings (see the simiiar idea at 2.9-10). In verse 11: The crown is the vistor's wreath (2.10). In verse 12: The Temple image serves various purposes in Revelation; most often it is the heavenly focus of action (11.19; 14.15; 15.5;16.1), but here it more likely refers to the people of God among whom God dwells. At 21.22 the image will be reversed: Since God is there, no Temple is needed. The new Jerusalem is another symbol for the people of God, here spoken of in the present tense as already coming down from heaven (see 21.2). Comments or Questions..