Robertson Word Pictures - Revelation 3:7 - 3:7

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Robertson Word Pictures - Revelation 3:7 - 3:7


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

In Philadelphia (en Philadelphiāi). Some twenty-eight miles south-east of Sardis, in Lydia, subject to earthquakes, rebuilt by Tiberius after the great earthquake of a.d. 17, for a time called in coins Neo-Caesarea, in wine-growing district with Bacchus (Dionysos) as the chief deity, on fine Roman roads and of commercial importance, though not a large city, called by Ramsay (op. cit., p. 392) “the Missionary City” to promote the spread of the Graeco-Roman civilization and then of Christianity, later offering stubborn resistance to the Turks (1379-90 a.d.) and now called Ala-Sheher (reddish city, Charles, from the red hills behind it). The chief opposition to the faithful little church is from the Jews (cf. Rom 9-11). There are some 1,000 Christians there today.

The holy, he that is true (ho hagios, ho alēthinos). Separate articles (four in all) for each item in this description. “The holy, the genuine.” Asyndeton in the Greek. Latin Vulgate, Sanctus et Verus. Hosea hagios is ascribed to God in Rev 4:8; Rev 6:10 (both hagios and alēthinos as here), but to Christ in Mar 1:24; Luk 4:34; Joh 6:69; Act 4:27, Act 4:30; 1Jo 2:20, a recognized title of the Messiah as the consecrated one set apart. Swete notes that alēthinos is verus as distinguished from verax (alēthēs). So it is applied to God in Rev 6:10 and to Christ in Rev 3:14; Rev 19:11 as in Joh 1:9; Joh 6:32; Joh 15:1.

He that hath the key of David (ho echōn tēn klein Daueid). This epithet comes from Isa 22:22, where Eliakim as the chief steward of the royal household holds the keys of power. Christ as the Messiah (Rev 5:5; Rev 22:16) has exclusive power in heaven, on earth, and in Hades (Mat 16:19; Mat 28:18; Rom 14:9; Phi 2:9.; Rev 1:18). Christ has power to admit and exclude of his own will (Mat 25:10.; Eph 1:22; Rev 3:21; Rev 19:11-16; Rev 20:4; Rev 22:16).

And none shall shut (kai oudeis kleisei). Charles calls the structure Hebrew (future active indicative of kleiō), and not Greek because it does not correspond to the present articular participle just before ho anoigōn (the one opening), but it occurs often in this book as in the very next clause, “and none openeth” (kai oudeis anoigei) over against kleiōn (present active participle, opening) though here some MSS. read kleiei (present active indicative, open).