We have seen already that open language is fraught with danger. In our analysis of the polyvalent imagery contained in the “little scroll,” we noted the double-edged sword of parody, which presents a particular difficulty in the reading of an open text. Similarly, the letters to the churches could be read in such a manner as to neutralize the warnings that they issue. In the hands of the unscrupulous there is also peril of misappropriating the juxtaposed images that run through