Monday, April 4, 2022

Ray M. Lozano on Revelation 3:21

  

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)