Bishop Barron on the Book of Revelation

In a talk Bishop Barron gave in Philadelphia in the 21st century (2013), he was asked to comment on our Lord’s words to Philadelphia in the 1st century (as recorded in the Book of Revelation).

This message to Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13 is the most positive of all the messages.

⁷ “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are 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:

⁸ “I know your works. Look, 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. ⁹ I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. ¹¹ I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. ¹² If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. ¹³ Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

The risen Lord identifies Himself as the “one who has the key of David,” the fulfillment of the kings role to establish God’s divine order in the created world, a king who would rule the world for Yahweh as the definitive tender of God’s garden. Jesus, born in David’s city of Bethlehem, is the warrior king, who does battle on the paradox of the cross, and conquers the enemy.

• Ask yourself… Is Jesus Christ the King of your life?

Jesus wants to reign in your life as the definitive king.

“who opens and no one will shut”

“Open door”

1. Mission: Once Jesus is king in your life, you’ll head out the door for mission to announce the lordship of Christ to the rest of the world, the One who will “Edenize” the rest of the world.
2. Mass: “the new Jerusalem…” we become properly aligned through the lordship of Christ the King when we look through the door of the liturgy.