Visions of the Lamb of God. Andrew Scott Brake

spread out her arms to her boys, Jesus is knocking and hoping we will answer, and get out of the danger into his safe arms. The church must answer the door!

143. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 122.

144. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 249.

145. See also Isaiah 43:10–12. Isaiah 65:16 and Revelation 3:14 are the only two passages where “Amen” is a name. See Beale, The Book of Revelation, 299.

146. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 65.

147. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 301. Osborne (Osborne, Revelation, 205) also believes that arche should be understood here as “source” or “origin.”

148. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 298.

149. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 123.

150. Luke 5:31.

151. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 126.

152. See also Proverbs 27:21, Malachi 3:2–3, and Zechariah13:9.

153. Cf. Johnson, Hebrews through Revelation, 459, who believes that the invitation of Jesus is more evangelistic than admonitory because the Laodiceans were not really Christians. After all, Jesus was going to spit them from his mouth. I think, however, that Jesus is speaking to the church in general, as a church body, rather than to individuals in the church. Certainly, there were some who truly believed in him.

154. Osborne, Revelation, 213.

155. Chapell, Holiness by Grace: Delighting in the Joy that is our Strength, 107.

      Revelation 4:1–11

      The Vision of the Throne of God

      Introduction