Revelation Study 7 Philadelphia/Laodicea
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Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Context
a look at the context comes from the text, the Jewish scriptures that John is using.
The historical and cultural context as well.
Parousia—the visiting of the emperor, especially after an earthquake when Rome gave money to rebuild
Philadelphia plagued by earthquakes like in AD 17 and was rebuilt and renamed Neocesarea, another earthquake in AD 60 and the city was then rebuilt and renamed after the Flavian dynasty but the city rejected the name. So the city returned to the name Philadelphia, so it had 3 names.
Domitian was a Flavian emperor and hated.
Lack of grain production plagued the Roman empire, the oil of their day, treaties with countries to import grain. Crippling economy, Rome was doing everything they could to produce grain.
Grain prices skyrocketed 500X normal
And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”
Philadelphia had great grapes and great wine that they exported
The Flavians ordered more than 75% of grapevines pulled up to plant grain, even though they were told this wouldn’t work.
Philadelphia was known as the door to Asia Minor, the border between Asia and Asia minor.
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
“ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
opens no one can shut, open door, Philadelphia the doorway
synagogue of satan—Jews who wouldn’t accept Gentiles, persecuting the church bc Jesus and Gentile inclusion.
I am coming soon—Parousia
name of my God, 3 times name—they had 3 name changes
john’s source material, text context
Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
“I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
Gentiles have been used by God and a part of what God is doing for His people and to bring His people back to Him.
open doors
Call you by your name, call you by your name, I name you,
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
called by a new name, My Delight is in Her
crown of beauty
In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. He made chains like a necklace and put them on the tops of the pillars, and he made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz.
Solomon names the pillars
one pillar to north and one to south, making and framing a doorway.
Laodicea
Laodicea
sat between Collasae and Hieropolis.
Hieropolis major attraction bc natural mineral hot springs, renowned for incredible healing powers
Collasae off beaten path, known for red wool, and cool fresh water spring
Major earthquake in AD60 Rome sent money to rebuild the area, Collassea wasn’t an integral city so they didn’t receive the money and eventually disappeared
Laodicea chose to reject the money and rebuild on their own, they had a major mint where they made $$.
We did it ourselves, imprinted on a local coin
Ancient arena gladiator fights
Military training station
Roman law, Angaria, soldiers demand you carry their pack, provide a meal, couldn’t say no.
Some cities complained, Laodicea didn’t, they were proud they could provide.
Exported black wool and and eye salve with medical properties.
They had a famous orator, Zenos,
Laodicea had bad water, the hot water from Hieropolis combined with the cold water from Colosea made lukewarm water at Laodicea.
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
neither cold nor hot, lukewarm, spit you out—quick reference to their bad water. This is not about being an apathetic Christian
Be either cold or hot—be useful not useful, the cold water was good, the hot was good, the combo was not.
You say I am rich—attitude of the we did ourselves on the coins
Buy from me gold—as opposed to their making their own clothes
White clothes opposed to black wool
salve for eyes—they exported salve
stand at door and knock—Angaria law, Jesus will knock but not demand, you have to invite Him in.
Textual context
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
so that he who blesses himself in the land
shall bless himself by the God of truth,
and he who takes an oath in the land
shall swear by the God of truth;
because the former troubles are forgotten
and are hidden from my eyes.
“Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
History shows that Laodicea was a major church in the ancient world, it seems they heeded the warnings.