The living creatures in heaven give glory, honor and thanks to the Enthroned One (Revelation 4:9). But when the elders sing, they don’t offer “thanks,” but praise the worthiness of God to receive “glory, honor, and power” (4:11).This isn’t glory, honor, and power . . . . Continue Reading »
Why are the seven letters of Revelation addressed to churches in Asia Minor? Asia Minor isn’t a focus of interest at all in the Old Testament, though much of Paul’s ministry is carried out among diaspora communities and churches there. That only shifts the question: Why is Paul . . . . Continue Reading »
Jesus charges the Laodicean angel with being lukewarm, neither hot nor cold (Revelation 3). This is understandably and rightly taken as a symbol of their indecisiveness and lethargic piety.But there’s a whole lot more going on.Hot and cold match day and night (Genesis 8:22). “Heat of the . . . . Continue Reading »
Jesus has a triple title in both the letter to Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) and the one to Laodicea (3:14-22).To the Philadelphians, He is holy, true, the one-with-keys. To the Laodiceans, He is the Amen, the martyr, the beginning-of-creation.Those traids suggest the Trinity, perhaps in detail. . . . . Continue Reading »
Those who keep (tereo) Jesus’ words will be kept (tereo) from the hour that is coming (Revelation 3:10).It’s a global hour, coming on the whole oikoumene. And it will test the ones who dwell on the earth (ge). Is that simply saying the same thing twice: The hour of testing will come on . . . . Continue Reading »
Jesus promises to make the overcomers in Philadelphia “pillars in the temple of My God” (Revelation 3:12).Yahweh was the original pillar. He led Israel to Sinai in a pillar of cloud, and then His cloudy pillar filled the tabernacle. Yahweh is the pillar in His own house, the load-bearing . . . . Continue Reading »
The parable of the sower teaches that some receive the word, have life, and grow, only to wither and die. Yet in other places the NT seems to indicate that those who ultimately die were never alive to begin with. Tares were sown by the evil one from the outset.How to put those together?There . . . . Continue Reading »
Jesus evaluates and assesses the angels of the churches of Asian Minor (Revelation 2-3). On what basis? What does He know about them?Mainly, He knows their works (erga), as He repeatedly says: “I know your works” (2:2); “I know your works” (2:19); “I know your . . . . Continue Reading »
A woman clothed in the sun, standing on the moon, crowned with stars, is about to give birth (Revelation 12). The child is a male (arsen, v. 5), the shepherd who will rule the nations (v. 5).He is a new Adam, a point neatly underscored by the sixfold repetition of the tek- root: The woman is about . . . . Continue Reading »
The letter to the angel of Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) is smoothly cohesive in theme. Jesus begins with a rebuke to the angel at Sardis, charging that despite his reputation for life he is in fact dead. Death and sleep are merged in verse 2, where Jesus calls the dead to life with a “wake . . . . Continue Reading »
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