The Προσκυνησις of the
Philadelphian Christians
Quite possibly the sole
unambiguously clear instance of προσκυνησις
directed toward mere humans in the entire NT is found in Rev 3:9. Here, the
glorified Jesus assures the Philadelphian Christians that certain Jews in their
city with whom they appear to have been in conflict will one day come and do προσκυνησις before their feet (προσκυνησουσιν ενωπιον των ποδων σου). As many commentators note, John is likely drawing upon those
passages in Isaiah where it is predicted that the Gentiles would pay homage to
a restored and vindicated Israel at the eschaton (Isa 45:14; 49:23; 60:14). Yet
in a reversal of expectations, these Philadelphian Jewish agitators will not be
receiving but rendering this obeisance to the Philadelphian Christians. While
some see in this a picture of Jewish conversion, the primary significance is
that of vindication of Christians as the true people of God. Although these
Jewish opponents saw themselves as God’s true people, in reality they belonged
to “the synagogue of Satan” (3:9). Conversely, although the Philadelphian
Christians had “little power,” which probably suggests they were socially and
economically disadvantaged, and so would have been easy targets for oppression
and slander by the Jews, they remained faithful to Christ (3:8). Despite
present circumstances, Jesus assures these Christians of a reversal of fortunes
as their Jewish persecutors would one day humbly acknowledge them as the true
people of God. (Ray M. Lozano, The Proskynesis of Jesus in the New
Testament: A Study on the Significance of Jesus as an Object of “Proskuneo” in
the New Testament Writings [Library of New Testament Studies 609; London:
T&T Clark, 2020], 150-51)
