Thursday, June 13, 2024

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.. 

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