Reading for July 7th

 Read Revaluation 14.1-5. In 14.1-5: The Lamb and the 144,000. Now we see the Lamb's battle preparation. Mount Zion is the place from which deliverance comes (Ps 14.7; Isa 59.20). For the one hundred forty-four thousand, see 7.4; on the meaning of forehead, see 13.16. In verses 2-3:The voice evokes the opening vision (1.15); the throne scene recalls the second vision (4.2), It is a new song because it belongs the new age. In verse 4: The characterization of these warriors as those who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins is primarily a spiritual description, (contrast 2.20; 14.8). Holy war demanded ceremonial purity (Lev 15.16-32). Still, the idea shares in the ancient notion that women are corrupt and corrupting. First fruits was an offering (Lev2.14). In verse 5: Blameless is literally without blemish--the requirement for sacrificial animal (Lev 1.3). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 6th

 Read Revelation 13.11-18. The second beast has the external appearance of the lamb but the internal character of the dragon, this land beast is modeled on the ancient figure of behemoth (Job 40.15) and represents the civic side of Roman power. In verse 13: The great signs of this beast seem to be connected to the rites honoring the emperor. In verse 15: The image of the beast appeared both on countless statues and on all Roman coins. In verse 16: The right hand represents human work and activity; the forehead represents human spirit and worship (see 14.9).  The mark here is spiritual, not visible. No one can buy or sell without using the images on the coins, thus defiling their hands. In verse 18: The number six hundred sixty-six is calculated by adding up the numeric values of each letter of the person's name--in this case probably that of Nero--but its real significance is that of six. Six is incomplete and imperfect; it is the day humans were created but refuses to move on to day seven, God's day. It is the human (six) claiming to be perfect (seven) that represents the act of the beast. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 5th

 TWO BEASTS ARISE

In 12.18-13.18:We first see the dragon preparing for battle.

Read Revelation 12.18-13.10. In 13.1-10: The beast from the sea is the ancient sea monster leviathan already used as a modeled for the dragon (12.3). The first description echoes that of the dragon, but this is modified by details from Daniel's beasts (Dan 7.1-7). In verse 3: One of its heads refers to an individual ruler who is cut off, is probably referring to the killing of Julius Caesar, where death did not kill the beast of the empire. Its mortal wound refers to the wound of the beast, not to the head. In verse 5: Forty-two months is the period of evil (see 11.2). In verse 6: The blasphemies are the claims to divinity inherent in the cult of the emperors; Julius was divine and all later emperors and sons of the divine Julius. In verse 7: That the beast is to make war on the saints is expected, but it is surprising that it will conquer them (but see 11.7). In verse 9: Let anyone who has an ear, listen repeats the chorus of all seven messages to the churches (chs. 2-3). In verse 10: Both escape and armed rebellion are futile; persistence is called for. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 4th

 THE WAR OF THE COSMOS

In 12,1-22.5: The focus shifts from what God is doing to the counter view, what Satan is doing waging war on the saints.

Read 12.1-17. In 12.1-17: The attack of the dragon on the woman. These actions are shown: the birth of the son, the war in heaven, and the war on earth. In verses 1-6: The birth of the son. A portent is a token or omen or astrological sign (here perhaps Virgo). Here heaven is the sky. Twelve stars recall the zodiac and the number of God's people; Gen 37.9. The woman here is clearly the mother of the messiah, but this could be understood three ways: Maty, Israel, Eve, (see Gen 3.15), or perhaps all three at once. The story of the endangered birth also echoes myths associated with Isis, Leto, and Roma. In verse 2: The birth pangs recall both the story of Eve (Gen 3.16) and the promise of the new age (Mt 24.8). In verse 3: The dragon is God's primal enemy in ancient Near Eastern mythology, Leviathan in Jewish tradition (Isa 27.1; Ps 74.14; see also Dan 7.7); as an astrological sign, perhaps Scorpio, which follows Virgo. In verse 4: The stars probably refer to fallen angels, again echoing the Lucifer myth (see 9.1); this may also be the the same event described in 8.12. In verse 5: The messiah was the one who would rule (literally, shepherd) the nations (Ps 2).. In verse 6: The wilderness is both the place of safety after the Exodus and the place where salvation was to begin; see Isa 40.3; Mark 1. One thousand two hundred sixty days is the time of evil, see 11.2-3. In verses 7-12: The war in heaven. Michael is the prince of Israel (Dan 12.1), hence the heavenly counterpart to Israel or, in our idiom, the inner reality of Israel. Paradoxically, this war both establishes God's kingdom (v.10) and unleashes Satan's power on earth (v. 12). In verse 11: This rests on the greater paradox: Satan's defeat is by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. Testimony here is "martus" (witness), and it is close to its cognate meaning "martyr." In verses 13-17: The war on earth. The escape on the wings of the great eagle is an Exodus motif (Ex 19.4). In verse 15: The flood is appropriate to the ancient sea monster. In verse 16: The earth is feminine, thus, contrary to the expectation that the hero will come to the rescue, we see the rather remarkable picture of one woman being rescued by another. In verse 17: The rest of her children now come under attack, defined more precisely as law-observant followers of Jesus. Most of the rest of the story details this attack. Comments or Questions. 

Reading for July 3rd

 Read Revelation 11.14-19, In verses 14-18:The seventh trumpet. This announcement that God's kingdom has come symbolizes the final end (see 10.7). The twenty-four elders represent God's people (see 4.4), and their worship of God enacts God's rule. In verse 16: We give you thanks is the Greek word "eucharistoumen." In verse 18: This poem represents the desire for justice, rewarding your servants and destroying those who destroy the earth. In verse 19: This is pivotal, both closing the action of the throne scene and opening a new action. See the ark means John is looking into the inner sanctuary, thus the traditionally elements marking God's manifestation (see comment on 4.5). Note the similar motif of the splitting of the Temple curtain at Jesus' crucifixion (Mk 15.38 and parallel references). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 2nd

 Read Revelation 11.1-13. The temple and altar represent the inner reality of the community, which will be protected, even while the outer reality (polictical, social, and economic well-being) is at the mercy of  enemies.  In verse 2: Forty-two months is the period of evil; the same as 1,260 days or three and half years, As a half of seven, the period of evil is always incomplete, broken. In verses 3-4: The two witnessess dramatize what the temple scene symbolized. They both conquered and victorious. They represeent the people of God, characterized both as king and priest (the two olive trees; see Zech 4.12; Rev 1.6) and as the two final prophets. Moses (plagues; Ex 7) and Elijah (shutting the sky; 2 Kings 17). Their quality as two emphasizes their function as witnesses (Deut 19.15). In verse 5: The fire from their mouth is their testimony (see Sir 48.1). In verse 7: The beast is prematurely shown here but will be introduced in ch. 13. The war will become the theme of John's new prophecy (chs. 12-22; see 12.17). In verse 8: The great city is a complex symbol here it stand for Jerusalem, later it symbolizes Rome (17.18). It is prophetically called Sodom and Egypt, places of opposition to God. This is a spiritual or symbolic geography (as is all of John's geography). In verse 9: The three and half days is yet another symbol for the period of evil. In verse 11: The inward possession of breath of life (the spirit) is the final testimony. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 1st

 Read Revelation 10.1-11. In 10.1-11.13: John's angelic commission. Encompassed within the sixth trumpet (which ends at 11.14) are two seemingly unrelated scenes of John's encounter with angels; both enact divine protection and thus correlate with the sealing of the saints that was part of seal six (7.17). The cloud, rainbow, and pillars of fire all suggest divine presence (Ex 19.16; 13.21; Gen 9.13). In verse 4: The mysterious seven thunders represents additional hidden revelation, known only to John, and also evoke the promise that the seventh trumpet will bring the promise fulfillment. In verse 10: The little scroll is explicitly said to represent another prophetic announce the revelation of God's judgment and salvation. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 30th

 Read Revelation 9.13-21. In 9.13-11.4: The sixth trumpet. Like the sixth seal, this is a complicated scene with several actins. In 9.13-21: The angels from the Euphrates. The demonic attack continues. The golden altar is the incense altar (8.3). In verse 18: Plagues that do not cause the recipients to repent are both themes from the Exodus story (Ex 8.32; 10.20). In verse 20: The charge that others are worshiping demons and idols shows John's utter rejection of Greco-Roman culture. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 29th

 THE THREE BLASTS OF WOE

8.13-11.18: As the first four trumpets were introduced by a short dramatic scene (8.35), so also are the last three (8.13). Only two of these woes are later marked (9.12;11.14). The last trumpet is hardly a woe, for it contains nothing unpleasant.

Read Revelation 8.13-9.12. In 9.1-11: The fifth trumpet. The star that has fallen is an apparent reference to the myth of Lucifer (see Isa 14; Luke 10.18). The opening of the pit unleashes demonic forces for the first time in the story (it will be closed again at 20.3). In verse 3: The locusts echoes the plague on Egypt (Ex 10.12-20) and are modeled on Joel 2. In verse 4: The seal of God refers to 7.1-3. In verse 10: Five months is more than a third of of a year, the only other use of five is at 17.10. In verse 11: Abaddon is the Hebrew term for the grave or the pit; Apollyon seems to be a pun for its usual Greek translation ("apoleia," destruction), changed to suggest that the sun god Apollo. Comments or Questions...

Reading for June 28th

 Read Revelation 8.3-12. In 8.2-11.19: The sounding of the trumpets. In verse 2:The seven angels indicate the inner circle of angelic beings, the trumpets are more like bugles and were used for signaling in battle. In verses 3-5: The center of prayer. The small scene is a graphic description of how the prayers of the saints bring judgment to the earth, preparing the repeated scenes of judgment that follow. In verses 6-12: The four blasts of destruction. The destruction of a third is an increase over the earlier portrayal that affected one-quarter (6.8). The whole human sphere is contaminated earth, sea, fresh water, and heavenly bodies. In verse 11:Wormwood is a bitter herb; see Amos 5.6-7. In verse 12: The notion that both the day and the night could be diminished by one-third makes sense only poetically. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 27th

 Read Revelation 8.1-2. In 8.1: The seventh seal. The silence is both an image of primeval renewal (see 2 Esd 7.26-34) and the pause before a new action the sounding of trumpets. Comments or Questions...

Reading for June 26th

 Read Revelation 7.1-17. In 7.1-17: The sealing of the servants of God. Four is the number of the earth. Seal is the same word as the seven seals. The forehead was symbolic of human will and worship; see 13.1; Ezek 9.4. In verse 4: One hundred  forty-four thousand is a symbolic number built on 12 (God's people) and 10 (all). In verses 5-8: The regathering of the twelve tribes was expected in the end time (Isa 43), but this list is unique in substituting Joseph and Levi for Dan and Ephraim. In verse 9: The great multitudes is either a second group of gentiles or another image for the same group. On verses 9-12: The scene of Rev 4-5 is repeated and a central theme of this story, worshipping God, is emphasized. In verse 14: The great ordeal was the time of suffering that would inaugurate the messianic age; note in John's story it is already underway. Although sealed from God's wrath, they still suffer. In verses 15-17: This remarkable vision of divine protection is the antithesis of the scene in seal five. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 25th

 Read Revelation 6.9-17. In 6.9-8.1: The three seals of judgement and salvation. In 6.9-11: The fifth seal.  The altar is for sacrifice and these have been slaughtered implying that these lost lives have some significance (see 5.6; 12.11). Souls is simply "lives"; thus, the battered lives of the oppressed call for justice. In verse 10: The call to avenge their blood is hardly in the spirit of the Jesus of the gospels (Lk 23.34). However, the retribution of John imagines is based upon justice (Rev 16.5-6). There is a similar sense in 2 Esd 4.35-37. In verse 11: The judgement is differed until the number would be complete, implying both the patience of God and the correlation between the extent of evil and its judgment. In verses 12-17: The sixth seal. All the elements of the final judgement appear here, but no act of judgment is portrayed. We are shown only the anxiety of the judged. For these images see Isa 34.4.  This anticipation of universal judgment seems to raise the issue of what will happen in the righteous. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 24th

 THE UNSEALING OF THE SCROLL

In 6.1-8.1: With the removal of each seal, we glimpse an aspect of the cosmic drama of human destructiveness, divine,  justice, and eventual peace. The whole series enacts a unified action.

Read Revelation 6.1-8. In 6.1-8: The four seals of human destructiveness. The four living creatures creatures represent all of creation; see .6. The colors of the horses have their common meaning: white stands for victory or conquest; red is the color of blood shed in war; black is the color of dead vegetation and pale green is the yellowish-gray color of rotting flesh. In addition each rider is given an instrument appropriate to his task. The bow occurs only here in Revelation; it will never be an image of Jesus, and this the first rider is best seen as a military conqueror (in spite of the fact that Jesus will later appear on a white horse; 19.11). The appearance of such a conqueror leads inevitably to war, the second rider, and war leads inevitably to famine, the third  rider. In verse 6: The charge, do not damage the olive oil and the wine, is uncertain but may stem from the fact that these are long-term crops not needing yearly planting and thus no as susceptible to the war-induced famine. In verse 8: Hades was Zeus'' brother and ruler of the underworld and thus by metaphor holder of the dead; see 20.13. There is an escalating destruction in the Apocalypse, beginning here with a fourth, the next series will destroy one-third (8.7), the last will destroy all (16.1-12). Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 23rd

 Read revelation 5.1-14. In 5.1-14: The dilemma of the sealed scroll. Whereas the first scene centers on creation an ideal picture (ch. 4), this second scene presents a story of human failure, judgement, and restoration. The first task is to introduce the one with the power to judge and restore. In verses 1-5: The power to open the scroll. The right hand is the hand of power and favor (Ps 20.6; 44.3; 98.1). The scroll represents secret knowledge, and access to it is a revelation (see Ps 139.16). Scrolls were ordinarily written only on the inside and rarely on the back; either there is too much for the scroll to hold or there is a summary on the outside (standard for contracts and wills, which were opened only when they were put to use). The imagery derives from Ezek 2.10 and will be used again in Rev 10, The seven seals signify the perfection of the scroll's contents and may also allude to the practice of Roman will-making. The notion that the book contains God's will is intriguing. In verse 2: Worthy signifies having power or position to do the deed; 5.9 for the basis of this worth. In verse 5: Both the lion and the Root of David are messianic images (Gen 49.9; Isa 11.10; Jer 23.5). Both are images of power (Prov 30.30) and righteous violence. In verses 6-14: The adoration of the Lamb. The lamb image is the antithesis of the lion, it is th recipient of violence, not the author of it. Overwhelmingly, it is an image of sacrifice (Ex 29, Lev 14), but also an image of gentleness (Jer 11.19) and undeserved suffering (Isa 53.7). Seven means perfect here. In verse 8: The four creatures were mentioned at 4.6 and the twenty-four elders at 4.4. John makes the meaning of the incense symbol explicit: it is the prayers of the saints. That such prayers actually cause divine judgment is portrayed at 8.2. In verse 9: They sing a new song because the Lamb's work has brought a new age. The process by which that new age is brought to realty is detailed in the song. In verse 10: That the Lamb makes both a kingdom and priests retrievals dual political and religious nature  of John's vision, see also 1.9. In verses 13-14: The scene climaxes with every creature giving proper praise to God and to the Lamb. it is worth noting that this grand scene of universal redemption precedes all reference to punishment or destruction. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 22nd

 THE LITURGY=IN HEAVEN 

4.1-11.18: The action of this whole section derives from what happens in heaven. it is thus in the most obvious way a revelation; a glimpse into the hidden inner workings of the divine court.

Read Revelation 4.1-11. In 4.1-11: The order of creation. This scene presents the cosmos as it was meant to be, with all creation gathered around the throne of God. the notion of access to heaven through an open door is also found in Testament of Levi 5.1 and 1 Enoch 14.8-15. The first voice is a reference to the opening vision, 1.10. Come up here expresses John's view of the universe as three-leveled with the earth in the center; see also 5.3. The phrase after this both opens and closes this sentence. The basic idea is one of correspondence between heaven and earth so that what John sees in heaven must take place on earth. In verse 2: The phrase in the spirit opened the first vision (1.10) also and probably indicates that this was at one time a separate vision. Notice that John ascends by going inward. The throne image is central to Revelation, contrasting God's throne with that of Satan (2.13) . It is a political image. Such throne visions were common feature of Jewish mysticism, deriving ultimately from Ezek 1.3: We cannot be sure what gems John intended by jasper and camelian; it is surprising that God is described as a stone. The rainbow is a sign of divine protection (Gen 9.12-13; Ezek 1.28; Rev 10.1). In verse 4: Twenty-four is a doubling of the number of God's people several explanations have been offered (the 12 tribes plus 12 apostles, the 24 orders of priests; the 24 figures associated with the zodiac). The only clear point is that these elders represent the heavenly counterpart to the earthly community. The white robes signal their victorious lives (3,5) as do the golden crowns, for they are the kind given to victors in athletic contests (1 Cor 9.25). In verse 5: The lightning, thunder, and fire signal the manifestation of the divine presence (or theophany; see Ex 20 20.18). The seven spirits represent the Holy Spirit; see 1.4-5 and Zech 4.2, 10. In verses s 6-8: Four marks the living creatures as of the earth, probably the four orders of creation; the same four appear in Ezek 1; see also Isa 6. They are full of eyes because they have full understanding, deriving from fulness of the spirit (5.6). Holy, Holy, Holy derives from Isa 6.3 and had become a traditional part of Jewish and Christian worship in John's time. In verses 9-11: Notice how the various participants work in concert, creating harmony. Such worship is proper, because the object is worthy, and this worthiness is based on the act of Creation. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 21st

 Read Revelation 3.14-22. In 3.14-22: The letter from the faithful witness to Laodicea: Eat with me. Laodicea was a prosperous trading city, originally built as a military colony to protect inland trade routes. It lacked a water supply and had to pipe in its water. The expression origin of God's creation is ambiguous and could mean that the speaker was the first to be created, the source of the creation, or the ruler of creation. A similar expression at Col 1.15 links the resurrection with the beginning of the new creation. In verses 15-18: I am rich begins a series of mercantile allusions drawn from the local economy, which included a famous black wool and eye salve. In verse 16: The lukewarm spiritual state of the Laodiceans is a taunt on these tepid water: neither hot (Hieropolis to the north) nor cold (like Colossae to the south). In verse 20: The imagery is close to the Jesus story in Luke 12.35-37. In verse 21: The throne image opens the door to the next scene, where God's throne is central. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 20th

 Read Revelation 3.7-13. In 3.7-13: The letter from the door keeper to Philadelphia: Advance. Philadelphia was the most removed and least prosperous 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 the strong hostility between the Jews of John's community and others (see also 2.9). Inverse 10:  The hour of the trial indicates an indefinite, but short period of testing, widely expected in apocalyptic writings (see the similar idea at 2.9-10). In verse 11: The crown is the victor's wreath (2.10). In verse 12: The temple image serves various purposes in Revelation, most often it is the heavenly locus 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 is reversed: Since God is there, no temple is needed. The new Jerusalem is another symbol of the new people of God, here spoken of in the present tense as already coming down from heaven (see 21,2). Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for June 19th

 Read revelation 3.1-6. In 3.1-6: The letter from the spirit possessor to Sardis: Awake. Sardis was an island city, prosperous in John's time but famous for its wealth. Its original mountaintop location was thought to be impregnable, but it was twice conquered in surprise nighttime attacks. In verse 3: The coming like a thief is a standard apocalyptic warning (Mt 25.42-43; 1 Thess 5.2), but here it is used in an individual and present sense rather than to refer to the end of the age. In verse 5: The white robes may have a sense of purity here, in contrast to the soiled clothes, but the basic meaning of white in this story is conquest, and it is in this sense that they are worthy. The book of life image is used repeatedly in Revelation (13.8; 17.8; 20.12, 15). The expression was also used by Paul (Phil4.3) and occurs in the late first century Jewish synagogue prayer: "May the Nazarenes .. be blotted out of the book of life." (Twelfth Benediction). The basic metaphor of God's keeping track of things in a book occurs in the Exodus story (Ex 32.32). Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 18th

 Read Revelation 2.18-29. In 2.18-29: The letter from the Son of God to Thyatira: Hold fast. Thyatira was an inland commercial and manufacturing center with many trade guilds. It was also home of an important temple of Apollo that was famous for its prophetic oracles given through a priestess known as the Sibyl. In verse 20: Jezebel, the ancient queen who sponsored the prophets of Baal against Elijah (1 Kings 18-22), is symbolic of John's opponent here; Jezebel is not her real name, On fornication and food sacrificed to idols, see 2.14. Paul's regulations were less strict than John's; see 1 Cor 8-10. In verse 22: Adultery is probably symbolic of worshipping other gods. In verse 23: Her children are her disciples. Minds is kidneys, the seat of emotions and feelings. The heart was the center of the will. In verse 24: The address to the rest reveals is division in the community. The deep things of Satan is clearly a local phrase at whose meaning we can only guess. Laying on them no other burden might echo the teaching older than Paul demanding abstention from sacrificed meats (Acts 15.28). In verse 27: The iron rod is a reference to the powers of Israel's king (Psalm 2.9). In verse 28: The morning star is Venus, but for John it is a symbol of Christ (22.16). Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for June 17th

 Read Revelation 2.12-17. In 2.12-17: The letter from the warrior to Pergamum: Resist Evil.  Pergamum was a strongly fortified, mountaintop city that had dominated this whole region until Rome's power prevailed. Two-edged sword is Jesus' word; see 1.16. In verse 13: It is no longer possible to decide what John meant by Satan's throne, but throne points to a political context. Nothing else is known about the martyr Antipas, the only named martyr in this story. In verse 14: Balaam was an ancient prophet who failed to curse Israel but still damaged the Israelites by counseling cultural accommodation; see Num 22-25. Food sacrificed to idols would encompass nearly all meat offered for public sale in a major city, since it would be dedicated to a god when butchered. Fornication is probably spiritual. In verse 15: On the Nicolaitans see 2.6. In verse 16: I will come is another present tense; see 2.5. In verse 17: Manna was the miraculous food that preserved Israel in the wilderness after the Exodus (Ex 16), perhaps now symbolic of the Eucharist, see Jn 6. The meaning of the white stone remains obscure, though white is associated with victory in Revelation; juries voted with white and dark stones. The new name is a metaphor for the changed person (Gen 32.24-38); that no one knows it shows that the change in the person is beyond ordinary understanding, see comment on 19.12. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 16th

 Read Revelation 2.8-11. In 2.8-11: The letter from the sufferer to Smyrna. Do not fear tribulation. Smyrna was a city of great wealth that had been destroyed and rebuilt. Its riches amid poverty is contrasted with the poverty amid riches at Laodicea (3.7). In verse 9: Slander probably refers to Jewish refusal to recognize John's community as part of the Jewish community, thus exposing them to Roman suspicions as a new religious group John engages in similar slander by calling them those who say that they are Jews and are not. Synagogue of Satan is not anti-Semitic in this situation since John himself is claiming to be Jewish, but it soon becomes so in Christian tradition. In verse 10: Prison was not a punishment in the Roman world, but a place  of detention until punishment could be melted out. Ten days indicates a full and complete (ten) but relative short (days) time. For a ten-day mourning ritual connected with Smyrna, see Iliad 24.602ff. Crown of life refers to the garland given to victorious athletes. In verse 11: Second death is an idea that occurs only in Revelation (see also 20.6, 14; 21.8). It is the opposite of participating in the first resurrection and the same as the lake of fire Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 15th

 Read Revelation 2.1-7. In 2.1-7: The letter from the star holder to Ephesus: Love.  Each letter is a unified composition that follows the general pattern addressee, sender (described with traits from the vision in ch. 1), description of the present situation with statements of praise or warning, a promise to those who conquer, a refrain about hearing what the spirit says (with these last two items, reversed in the first three letters). In verse 1: Angel means messenger and could refer to the leader of the local congregation, but more likely it refers to the heavenly counterpart (or inner reality) of the church, as in 1.20. See Dan 10.20-21. Ephesus was the leading commercial city of the area. In verse 2: Endurance is a quality John shares, see 1.9. Apostles are those who claim to be sent by Jesus., this is the first that the leadership of these churches is divided. In verse 5: I will come is actually a present tense: I am coming. In verse 6: Nicolaitans ("conquer of people") are undefined in John's story, and no other ancient source gives us any reliable information about them. In verse 7: Everyone who conquers is the requirement for reward in each of the letters. To eat a sacred meal perhaps alludes to the Eucharist, sacred meals were a common aspect of ancient temples. The tree of life is a multi-dimensional symbol, referring to the tree in Eden (Gen 2). Wisdom (Prov 3.18); and the tree of Artemis, the great goddess of Ephesus whose temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It may also refer to the cross of Jesus, the true tree of life. Paradise was a name both for Eden and for the temple enclosure of Artemis, for a connection with Jesus' cross, see Luke 23.43. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 14th

 Read Revelation 1.9-20. In 1.9-11: Voices on Patmos. John's choice of the title brother probably indicates a community that does not emphasize hierarchy. 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 penial colony as is often said. John's presence there could be the result of banishment (forced relocation by the government) 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 the 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 13, 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 on the 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 the beasts; see Dan 7.11). 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 commission 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 reality of the everyday world. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 13th

Revelation 1.1-11: The opening orienting the audience. This section contains the basic markers to allow the reader to place this writing: It is first of all a revelation (a message from "God"), but also a letter (a message from a known person).

 Read Revelations 1.1-8. In verses 1-3: As v. 3 indicates, the work is to be read aloud, thus the first voice one hears is that of the public reader. This voice announces that the revelation is of Jesus Christ, meaning that it both belongs to him and is about him. The revelation descends through the orders; God, Jesus, angel, John, churches. In verses 4-7: Suddenly the revelation genre is forced into the letter genre, as John speaks in his own voice. This is a standard letter opening, comparable to any of Paul's letters. In verses 4-5a: The grace has three sources: God, Jesus, and the Spirit, each described symbolically. God is described in a terse (and awkward) expression, literally: the being, the was, and the coming. One expects, but does not find, a future tense. The Spirit is symbolized as seven-fold, meaning perfect and complete. Jesus has three symbolic tags, referring respectively to his death, resurrection, and present reign. In verses 5b-6: This short doxology emphasizes two major themes of Revelation: kingdom (politic) and priest (religion); they are thoroughly intermixed in John's vision. In verse 7: This oracle announcement places Jesus' coming in the present tense, surrounded by his past suffering and future revelation, surrounded by his past suffering and future Revelation. In verse 8: The voice of the Lord speaks next; God's title here echoes the Exodus story (Ex 3.14). John carefully avoids a future tense, instead describing God as "coming," a major theme (for example, 1.7; 3.11; 16.15; 21.2; 22.1, 7, 20). Comments or Questions...

Reading for June 12th

 Read Jude 1.14-25. In verses 14-16; Enoch to the rescue. Jude cites as authoritative a prophecy from 1 Enoch about the coming judgment. This pop document, although used by Second Temple Judeans and later Christian writers, was never judged to be canonical. Jude uses it here because it contains a many parallels with gospel traditions such as Mt 24.29-31. In verses 17-21: Prediction of heretics too. Another prediction announces that scoffers will come, the fulfillment of which bolsters Jude's repetition of predictions of the coming judgment. As the opponents lack faith, love, and  especially hope, Jude encourages the church to faithfulness, love , and hope (looking forward to the mercy of our Lord). Far from abandoning the opponents, he argues the addressees to have mercy on the wavering and to save others by snatching them from a fiery judgment. In verses 24-25: Letter closing. A doxology concludes the letter, beginning with acknowledgment of both God's protection of the church and the purification of the members. This demonstrates that right theology (confession of God's will and powers) leads to right morals. Supreme honor is paid to God: glory, majesty, power, and authority, similar to the hymn of praise in Rev 4.11. In contrast, the scoffers deny the powers of our Master and Lord (v. 4). Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 11th

 Read Jude 1.1-13. In verses 1-2: Letter opening. Jude is servant, not a slave but a figure of very high status such as Abraham, Moses, and David. (Ex 12. 13; 1 Sam 17.23) if brother of James (Acts 12.17: 15.12), then Jude is also kin of Jesus. He addresses on geographical church, which suggests that this is a general letter that could be read in any church. In verses 3-4: Enter heretics. Jude writes because certain intruders are abroad whose false doctrine (deny our only Master and Lord)) leads to immorality (pervert the grace of God into licentiousness). He finds it necessary to exhort the addressees to contend for the faith that was delivered to the disciples in its fullness. He appeals, then to the antiquity of an immutable tradition. In verses 5-7: Refutation. Jude cites three examples of divine judgment: Although God saved a people, God latter destroyed those who proved unfaithful, Similarly, although many angels remained faithful, God imprisoned the angels who strayed. Sodom and Gomorrah illustrate divine judgement on immorality. Hence, if the intruders deny the sovereignty of God to judge, these examples rebut that error and serve as proof of the coming judgment. In verses 8-9: What could be worse? Jude claims that these intruders accept no laws concerning the body (defile the flesh) and reject all authority, even that of the angels who assist God's judgment. He cites an obscure document, the "assumption of Moses," in which Michael the archangel confirmed God's sovereignty. The Lord rebuke you. This proves useful in support of the tradition about the Day of Judgment, which the intruders deny. In verses 10-13: Precedents of punishment. Just as three biblical examples were cited in vv. 5-7, so we find here these examples of deviants brought to judgment: Cain, Balaam, and Korah. In legend Cain exemplified godlessness and envy; Balaam was will to lead Israel astray and curse it (Num 22), Korah typified ambition and rebellion (Num 16.1-35. Besides accusing the intruders of parasitical corruption, they are compared to fleeting, empty natural phenomena such as waterless clouds, uprooted trees, wild waves, and wandering stars. Their instability makes them perilous guides. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for June 10th

 
Read 2 Samuel 24.10-25. In verses 10-14: David is given a choice of these punishments. He chooses the hand of the Lord, an idiom for plague, trusting in the Lord's mercy. In verses 15-16: David's strategy works. The plague is stopped after only one day. The appointed time (v. 15) maybe the time of the evening meal. Evil (v. 16) is not moral evil but destruction. Araunah is called Ornan in 1 Chr 21. A threshing floor was a flat, high area where grain was separated from chaff. In the Bible, God often appears to people at threshing floor (Judg 6.11-12). In verse 17: The sheep are the people of Jerusalem. These verses indicate that the plague was stopped after David built his altar and made his offerings rather than by the the Lord's free will as in v. 16. The site of David's altar is the location of the later altar of burnt offering of Solomon's Temple. Fifty shekels (v. 24) was about one and quarter pounds. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 9th

 Read 2 Samuel 24.1-9. In 24.1-25: David's census. In verse 1: Again implies that this story is the sequel to an earlier one, perhaps 21.1-14. This same story is found in 1 Chr 21, where v. 1 says that Satan rather than the Lord incited David. A census provided the basis for conscription and taxation. The fact that a plague ensued suggests that some ritual taboo was broken. In verse 2: From Dan to Beersheba were the traditional northern and southern boundaries of Israel. In verse 9: The count is limited to men of military age. The Hebrew word translated thousand may refer to a much smaller military unit. Israel and Judah are numbered separately because Judah was exempt from taxation. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 8th

 Read 2 Samuel 23.8-39. In 23.8-39: David's heroes.  In verses 8-12: Nothing more is known about the  three greatest warriors in David's army besides what is reported here. In verses 13-17: The story in these verses is not about the three warriors just listed but about three anonymous members of the honor guard of the thirty.  At the beginning of the harvest (v. 13) the weather was hot and dry, which is why David became thirsty. The stronghold (v. 14) was the fortress at Adullam. Since a garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem, this must have been early in David's reign. Bethlehem was David's hometown, which accounts for his fond remembrance of the water there. In verses 16-17: Pouring out the water was a way of honoring these three men. Water was often poured out as a libation or sacrifice to God. In verse 20: Benaiah was the commander of David's bodyguard and later of the army under Solomon. In verse 24: It is strange to find Asahel in this list since he seems to be a young warrior aspiring to greatness at the time of his death. (2.18-23). Elhanan killed Goliath (21.19). In verse 30: This is a different Benaiah from the one in vv. 20-23. In verse 39: Uriah was Bathsheba's husband (ch. 11). It is uncertain how the count of thirty seven was achieved. The addition of the "Three" plus Abishai and Benaiah brings the number to thirty-five. Joab may have been counted as a member of this elite group, though his name is not specifically mentioned. The list in vv. 24-39 had  thirty names in it. But there are textual variations where an additional name may have been read. Comments or Questions..