Kalev Creative

 7/2/23

We’re reading through Revelation along with NT Wright’s Revelation for Everyone. These notes include discussions of topics of additional interest and attempt connections with more Old Testament material.

The letters below loosely adhere to an outline from the previous section.

Sardis

-the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars

-Jesus knows their deeds. They have a reputation of being alive but are really dead.

“Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.” (NET)           

Why is Jesus coming like a thief? This language in Revelation recalls several New Testament passages in both the Gospels and the Epistles (Matthew 24:36-43, Luke 12:35-40, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10).  In Matthew, Jesus tells us that before Noah’s flood, the people knew nothing of the coming judgment until the flood came and took them away. If we recall other stories of judgment, there appear to be similar circumstances. At Sodom, fire comes suddenly from the sky (Genesis 19:24). During the plagues on Egypt, though Moses warned the pharaoh, the angel of death goes into houses in the night (Exodus 12:29-30). Jesus warns that the final judgment will be like these.  

-a few have not stained their clothes

-“The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.” 

NT Wright points out the Roman cultural practice of the military wearing white robes in victory parades.

Moses is the first to mention the book of life in Exodus 32:31-34 following the golden calf incident:

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written.” The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me—that person I will wipe out of my book. So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.”

This again appears to be a reference to an Old Testament narrative that foreshadows events to come in Revelation. As with the Balaam, Jezebel, and Psalm 2 references in previous letters, here is an oblique reference to a story of rebellion, judgment, and the preservation of a remnant who honor God.  

-“…hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Philadelphia

-“These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, the one who has the key of David, who opens and nobody shuts, who shuts and nobody opens.”

This is a reference to Isaiah 22, in which Isaiah prophesies the judgment of Jerusalem. Afterward, Isaiah tells us, God will appoint a new ruler, “He will become a protector of the residents of Jerusalem and of the people of Judah. I will place the key to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it,” another Old Testament reference to judgment and the preservation of a remnant. Jesus identifies himself as the one who will rule following the judgment.

What door is it? It’s possible it’s the doors of the Temple leading to the holy place, where normally only priests are allowed, or the most holy place, where the high priest goes once a year. Both Solomon’s Temple and Ezekiel’s vision of a heavenly temple have them (1 Kings 6:31-35, 2 Chronicles 4:9 & 22, Ezekiel 41:23-25). These are doors leading to service and God’s presence, or it could be a metaphorical door to the new creation or a symbol of authority. Like the seven spirits, we will find more about this unexplained door as we read on.

-Jesus knows their deeds, that they have little strength but have obeyed and not denied his name.

-Jesus tells them he will deal with some who claim they are Jews but are not. They apparently have been denying that the church is serving God, but Jesus will force them to acknowledge it. Jesus reserves some of his harshest language for those claiming to be religious but not honoring God.  

-Jesus promises that because the Philadelphia church has been faithful, he will keep them from the testing that is about to come on the whole world.

- “Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away your crown. The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well.”

In Deuteronomy 6:6-9. God tells the Israelites to write the words of the covenant he makes with them, “tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates.” Even today, observant Jews wear teffilin while praying, tying boxes with verses of scripture on their arms and forehead, and place plaques called mezuzah containing selected verses on doorframes.

As God’s covenant people, the Israelites bore his name (Exodus 20:7), the high priest wore a gold plate with the saying “Holy to YHWH” on his forehead (Exodus 28:36). God writing his name on his people denotes this committed, special relationship. 

-“…hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”