Amid a wicked and corrupt nation. From Ephesus he wrote the three epistles attributed to him. The serpent god was none other than Satan, whom Revelation describes as "that serpent of old, called the Devil" (Revelation 12:9 Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.American King James Version). The New Testament names James the Just, Joses, Simon, and Jude as the brothers (Greek adelphoi) of Jesus (Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55, John 7:3, Acts 1:13, 1 Corinthians 9:5). Jesus next tells those brethren, who were blind to their true spiritual condition, that the "Phrygian powder" concocted in their medical center as an eye ointment was useless. The next city on the ancient postal circuit was Smyrna, about 40 miles north of Ephesus. Another big clue that John did not have his own house, or wife, or kids, or estate is when he and James followed Jesus and asked him where he stayed. haer. John of Revelation was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. Again, this prophecy had a literal fulfillment as well as serving as a description of a future time for the Church. He states that he is there for the Gospel. A fisherman from Bethsaida Galilee and Salome, one of the Myrrhbearers mentioned in the Bible. Before the Saviour called him to discipleship and made him a fisher of men, John the Theologian was a fisher of the sea. There, in consequence, for many centuries was 'Satan's seat.'. Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? How can I check before my flight that the cloud separation requirements in VFR flight rules are met? The Book of Revelation was written sometime around 96 CE in Asia Minor. Which is the best religion in the world. But I give you my advice, as one who has been married by the Lord, that I may be credible. Whats the difference between John and John the Baptist? The author was probably a Christian from Ephesus known as " John the Elder." According to the Book, this John was on the island of Patmos, not far from the coast of Asia Minor, "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. After the death of the mother of Jesus, St. John was eventually banished to Patmos where he wrote the Apocalypse. - Catholic Encyclopedia. person must have been the apostle John, Christians began to wonder Behold, I am coming quickly! (John 5:2) Revelation is pushed a little further out to about AD 66 68. The apostle John, who wrote it under the inspiration of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1 Revelation 1:1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John:American King James Version), mentions where it was written and that it was addressed to congregations in seven cities in Asia Minor. But this history is not sure.Revelation 1:1 states that the Book of Revelation was written by a person called John, and Revelation 1:9 says that he wrote from Patmos, without at any stage saying that he had been exiled to the island.During the second century, it was decided that the author of Revelation must have been the apostle John, merely because of the coincidence of names. It appears that Revelation was written between A.D. 43-47. God works in you and gives you, according to His pleasure, both the will and the doing. Thus, we can not say that John, son of Zebedee, spent his latter years writing. It was from Thyatira that Lydia, a seller of purple and convert to Christianity, had come (Acts 16:14 Acts 16:14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul.American King James Version). 3 What are the 7 churches mentioned in Revelation? One reason it is hard to determine the answer is that people frequently had someone help them when they wrote. 6 What is the difference between John the Baptist and John the Apostle? 38 1 3 Related questions As for Johns mother, Salome, a cousin of the Mother of God, we learn from the Gospels that she served Christ. When you read Revelation, nowhere in the book does it state that John is in exile or imprisoned. John of Revelation was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. Do you just mean that it wasn't until later in the second century that we have a positive assertion of John's authorship (with no prior references to authorship); Or that there exists a record of an earlier assertion that the gospel was actually written anonymously? John was exiled to the island of Patmos under and by Emperor Domitians request. Most definitely the gospel of John was written before the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) as references are made within the book to structures existing before that siege of Jerusalem. The name Revelation comes from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: (apokalypsis), which means unveiling or revelation. However, as John Carroll says in The Existential Jesus, at page 228, most scholars assume that John did not write the gospel. How can this new ban on drag possibly be considered constitutional? Cicero [the Roman orator] called Smyrna 'one of our most faithful and most ancient allies' . The city was established by Attalus II (159138 B.C. John's living in Ephesus, if Irenaeus is correct, would have to occur AFTER the "coming of the Son of Man". What is the basis for the belief that Ignatius of Antioch knew the Apostle John? The disciple whom Jesus loved, one of the 12 disciples, and his inner three, John. Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey was named Foundress of Mary's House by the Catholic Church and was responsible for acquiring, restoring and preserving Mary's House and surrounding areas of the mountain from 1891 until her death in 1915. They learned that the four-walled, roofless ruin had been venerated for a long time by members of the mountain village of irince, 17 km distant, who were descended from the early Christians of Ephesus. We know where St. Peter's bones are, and several other apostles, but not St. John. He promises to those of Thyatira who remain faithful that they will be arrayed, not in Thyatiran purple, a cloth used mainly by Roman royalty, but at His coming with the spiritual mantle of rulership over the nations. Answer (1 of 11): Revelation chapter 17 tells us clearly that Revelation was written within a ten-year span: 69 - 79 AD, during the reign of Vespasian. John proved to be the most compassionate and obedient apostle. Although Saint Paul proposes to keep unmarried people celibate precisely so they can avoid these sufferings, he nowhere says they are useless or impossible to overcome. The Evangelist John is the first of the saints to be called Theologian. Together with his brother James, sons of Zebedee and Salome, half-sister grandsons of Jesus. If they persevere in His Word, He will give them a crown that they may rule with Him in His Kingdom. Once again, there is no reason to believe the apostle John wrote this book, and many scholars now refer to its author as 'John of Patmos' in order to avoid confusion. But membership involved attendance at guild banquets, and this in turn meant eating meat which had first been sacrificed to an idol. prisoner there. How do the descriptions of these places compare with discoveries about them from history and archaeology? It is noteworthy that Revelation 17:4-5 Revelation 17:4-5 [4] And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: John the apostle died on the island of Patmos, as he was kept a After his return from exile, Clement the Alexandrian tells us that John continued his apostolic ministry. Neither has the virgin; if they match, they have done wrong. John was the youngest and most handsome. About 25 miles southeast of Sardis lay the city of Philadelphia, newest of the seven cities. Therefore, beloved, as you have always been obedient. Further, even if their clothing were world renowned, Christ tells them their "spiritual garments" were in pitiful condition. For examples of the seven-vision approach, see Ernst Lohmeyer, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (Tiibingen, 1926); John Wick Bowman, Second, our Lord did seem to say to the apostles that there were some present who would not "taste death" before the second coming. [13] I know your works, and where you dwell, even where Satan's seat is: and you hold fast my name, and have not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells. [17] That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good works. He is then exiled to Patmos island by Emperor Domitians order. Healing the royal officials son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54. Christ exhorts this church, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God" (Revelation 3:2 Revelation 3:2Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God.American King James Version). Later, when the Roman Empire collapsed, its successor, the Holy Roman Empire, would inherit the role. After the Assumption, Saint John went with his disciple Prochor to Asia Minor, where it fell to him to preach the Word of God. When they reached the top, the place was again unguarded. Was it customary in the Roman Empire for convicts to be exiled to an island? John was blind when he wrote the Revelation Book, but guided by the Holy Spirit, he finished writing it. This despot declared himself a god and demanded the worship of his subjects with the exception of Jews. Is there a solution to add special characters from software and how to do it. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing by his side, he said to the disciple. The Apostle John spent a long time on the island of Patmos in exile. James the While on Patmos, John received a long and complicated vision from Jesus Christ (verses 1-2, 10-20) with the instructions: ". A:We know nothing about John of Patmos apart from his authorship of the Book of Revelation, but presumably he was able to see, in order to be able. (It is reasonable to have qualified that clause) For an accessible ref to Cerinthus as author, see: @bruisedreed There are thousands of blogs etc that approach this from both sides (for and against attributed authorship). Even if only allegorically, John speaks of the things he 'sees' in heaven, as if being able to see was normal and. - Regarding Marys Age. American King James Version: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The only way Church members could go about peacefully in this place was to carry a certificate showing they had offered incense to the emperor and proclaimed him lord. Another answer from our community:Because he was a Christian preaching the Gospels. The New Bible Dictionary comments: "As Philadelphus was renowned for his loyalty to his brother, so the church, the true Philadelphia, inherits and fulfills his character by its steadfast loyalty to Christ" (1982, "Philadelphia," p. 926). Therefore, this is good for the need of the hour: it is suitable for man to be so. (Matthew 16:28) It's not definitive but is definitely intriguing to wonder if John is still with us, living privately somewhere. When John the Forerunner (You may also want to access our article called Who was John the Baptist?) Patmos, a rocky, volcanic and sparsely populated isle, was an appropriate place to send captives. This was important because Polycarp was able to carry John's message to future generations. This provides the reader, for the first time, with the experience of observing how a Biblical book was written, and does this from an intimate perspective, as though they were looking over John's shoulders as he crafted it. If "Scholarly research" is equivalent to the emporer's new clothes, then any old blog can certainly trump it. This concludes our archaeological review of the last book of the Bible. Christ says to this church: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. Author: Revelation 1:1,4,9 and 22:8 specifically identify the author of the Book of Revelation as the apostle John. St. John the Apostle, on Patmos, writing the book of Revelation, detail of a 14th-century painting; in the Stdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt, Germany. John was blind when he wrote the Revelation Book, but guided by the Holy Spirit, he finished writing it. Healing the man blind from birth in John 9:1-7. This city would never reach the commercial greatness of Ephesus or Smyrna, but it was the indisputable center of religious, medical and artistic culture of the region. If John wrote about Christ's coming as future from A.D. 90-100, it is said to combat preterists, then Christ did not come back in A.D. 70 (John's writing would be pointless). - John the Apostle (Wikipedia). By the time of the early church and Paul's appearance on the scene (after his time out of the record when he was apparently studying and learning), she would have been at least in her mid 60s, if not older. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the middle of the paradise of God. John the Apostle was never married. John loved Jesus dearly and of all the apostles. Christ reminds the Thyatiran brethren they must come out of that worldly society, no matter how enticing it appeared, and not compromise with the truth. During the time of John's exile, traditionally 94-96, history records violent persecution against Christians under the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (81-96). We do not know what happened to the apostle John after the biblical account of his life ended. He was to young to be considered a threat. He did not know any books or was a sage man at the beginning, like the other Apostles, but was from a wealthy family. Have you bound yourself to a woman? Remember that years later at about 25 years old John was still in Jerusalem not Ephesus or somewhere else. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? John of the 12 disciples of Jesus wrote Revelation when he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates, Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. If the former, can you change your wording as it is currently misleading (absence of evidence is not evidence of absence); if the latter as it seems from the reference to Cerinthus, what is the source of the claim please? How John Wrote the Book of Revelation is the first book that teaches the reader how to read Revelation the way it was . If John had a different helper for the gospel and Revelation, that could explain why they sound different. [15] So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Next on the Roman mail route was Pergamos, the Roman capital of Asia Minor. John was blind when he wrote the Revelation Book, but guided by the Holy Spirit, he finished writing it. Jesus was related to John in the flesh, or instead, he was his cousin. He was visiting the surrounding area, setting up bishops, founding Christian communities, Drive-Thru, and reconciling the brethren. [17] He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it. On the one hand, Johns Gospel is written in simple and fluent Greek, whereas the We do know that someone called John wrote the Book of Revelation because he actually signed the book. And he did this because he had received the commandment from the Lord, telling them that its fulfillment was enough for their salvation. Was John blind when he wrote Revelation? So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nothing; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships. Christ says to this church: "These things says He who is holy, He who is true . Patmos. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God. 1 Which John wrote the Book of Revelation? 19952023 All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@ucg.org. Omissions? The Apostle John states. The city's famous library, with 200,000 parchment rolls, was rivaled only by the library in Alexandria, Egypt. He exhorts them: "He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (verse 11). Under these conditions, a Christian named John wrote Revelation, addressing it to the seven churches that were in Asia Minor. Further more the House of Mary which St. John had built for Mary was discovered in 1818 and modern popes have given this location many indulgences, thus implicitly favouring this tradition as being true. A:We know nothing about John of Patmos apart from his authorship of the Book of Revelation, but presumably he was able to see, in order to be able. This would make its religious successor, Pergamos, the temporary new "Satan's seat" of the Babylonian mystery religion. . Pls note I did not say that absence of evidence is evidence of absence; in fact my very next clause is "in which case he not only preached the gospel but wrote an account of the mission of Jesus." After Domitian's death the Apostle returned to Ephesus during the reign of Trajan, and at Ephesus he died about A.D. 100 at a great age. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. We conclude the series with a look at archaeological and historical evidence relating to the last book of the Bible, Revelation. The apostle Paul had founded a large church in Ephesus, and now Jesus addressed the members there with a prophetic message that applied to them and was predictive of the Church's future. Patients coming to the shrine believed that Asklepios would heal them. Knowing this, Christ gives the brethren the hope that if they persevere in the faith they will receive something that all the temple worship of Diana could never give themthe gift of eternal life. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the Roman roads that stretched from Ephesus to Laodicea. Revelation to John appears to be a collection of separate units composed by unknown authors who lived during the last quarter of the 1st century, though it purports to have been written by an individual named Johnwho calls himself "the servant" of Jesusat Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. Such was the reputation of ancient Ephesus. With three main roads crossing it, the city was one of the richest commercial centers in the world. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). This is why in his Gospel, John calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved.For this great love, God blessed John with long life, well into old age. Revelation 1:1 states that the Book of Revelation was written by a person called John, and Revelation 1:9 says that he wrote from Patmos, without at any stage saying that he had been exiled to the island. "From all over the world," adds William Barclay, "people flocked to Pergamos for relief of their sicknesses. According to Church tradition, Salome was one of the three daughters of the righteous Joseph, betrothed to the Virgin Mary from his first marriage. John was a fisherman, so he met Jesus on the sea of Galilee, where Jesus told him to follow His steps. "The teaching of Jezebel [probably a symbolic name] apparently reasoned that an idol is of no consequence, and advised Christians to eat such meals. What is the true religion of God? Do all things without murmuring and wavering, that you may be blameless and pure, children of God, without blame. Jesus had told John: "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are [at the present time], and the things which will take place after this [in the future]" (verse 19, emphasis added throughout). cit., II, xxii, 5). Nerva, the successor of Domitian, recalled him. Banishment was a terrible punishment that often involved whippings and being bound in chains before the prisoner was sent off for years of hard labor in rock quarries. "For all its wealth, the city had poor water," says The Expositor's Bible Commentary. This meant that once a year each head of household had to appear before authorities, burn incense to the emperor and declare, "Caesar is lord." Perhaps church tradition dated John's writings (particularly the Revelation) to be A.D. 90-100 in order to disprove the preterists' view. It contains strong docetic themes, but is not considered in modern scholarship to be gnostic. The only eminently prophetic book of the New Testament, the Apocalypse, is traditionally also attributed to St John the Evangelist. Such was the reverence of Smyrna for Rome that as far back as 195 B.C. Are there tables of wastage rates for different fruit and veg? He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more" (Revelation 3:7 Revelation 3:7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things said he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens;American King James Version, 11-12). John the Apostle and John the Evangelist are the same person. Mary's dwelling was on a hill to the left of the road from Jerusalem, some three and half hours from Ephesus. What is the difference between John the Baptist and John the Apostle? . He chose to live as a celibate, as a single person. He did not know any books or was a sage man at the beginning, like the other Apostles, but was from a wealthy family. Do not seek another woman. Paul says: As for virginity/celibacy, I have no commandment from the Lord. The water piped in from the south had so many minerals that the Roman engineers had covers installed so they could remove the mineral deposits before the pipes clogged. I already read the Wikipedia article on Cerinthus and the one on the Alogi as well. Incredibly, several centuries later the same sequence of events occurred when a Greek general besieged the city. John the Baptist is a completely different person. What did Peter, James and John see on the Mount of Transfiguration? R.H. Charles has called Pergamos 'the Lourdes of the ancient world' . . I hope you will enjoy these articles and you will learn something by reading them. The fanciful tradition that the apostle John was boiled in oil then exiled to Patmos was needed in order to get him to Patmos so that he could write the book there. The brethren in Smyrna knew they were special targets of the persecution under Domitian, for the city's history had shown an unwavering loyalty to Rome. Mack says (ibid, page 197) at some point, the Revelation to John of Patmos was associated with the writings of the Johannine school solely because of the common name. Deleted a repeated paragraph. The apostle who leaned on Jesus chest at the Last Supper. Some historians trace it to the collapse of the Babylonian Empire, when some Chaldean priests established their religious center in Pergamos. 2. This site is dedicated to all kinds of people. He serves as the pastor of the Garden Grove, CA UCG congregation and serves in the Spanish speaking areas of South America. Tradition reports many beautiful traits of the last years of his life: that he refused to remain under the same roof with Cerinthus (Irenaeus "Ad. And Jesus was convinced that he would take care of Mary and his mother, perhaps even better than this. Before the Saviour called him to discipleship and made him a fisher of men, John the Theologian was a fisher of the sea. If scholarly research is to be trumped by blogs, this discussion belongs on the chat room. The Evangelist Mark tells us that John and Peter prepared the Last Supper before the Saviors capture. - John 19:26-27. 14:1-12. In 95 AD, he was sent to Rome. Originally Answered: Was John the Apostle the one who was responsible for writing the Book of Revelations, and how was he able to since it is said he was illiterate? The case for a late date authorship of the Book of Revelation (95-96 AD) There really is only one point that people hold onto for a late date authorship of the Book of Revelation. Domitian afterwards banished him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. He successfully commanded his brother's forces in several wars and later became the trusted ambassador to their ally, Rome. At John's advanced age it would have been a harrowing ordeal. ad. The Saviour, looking lovingly at John, commissioned him to his Mother and the Virgin Mary to his care. Luke 3:1-22, Matt. It enabled them to maintain a Christian profession while countenancing and even engaging in immoral heathen revels" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1975, p. 71). Christianity Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more. There is no historical evidence that he travelled to Ephesus where he took care of Virgin Mary or that he lived there until the end of his life. Nevertheless, after the decision to attribute Revelation to the apostle John, a tradition evolved that the apostle John was exiled to Patmos because he miraculously survived all attempts to kill him. No one signed the gospel now known as Johns Gospel and it was not even attributed to the apostle John until later in the second century. [5] And on her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. This is two stages removed from the apostle John, first by the assumption of common authorship with the Gospel in spite of very different theology and style, second by the assumption that the apostle John wrote the fourth gospel. The book comprises two main parts, the first of which (chapters 23) contains moral admonitions (but no visions or symbolism) in individual letters addressed to the seven Christian churches of Asia Minor. There he won respect and admiration from the Romans for his brotherly fidelity. So, we are here because we want to offer all the answers to all of your questions about us. First, there are no known bones or other relics of St. John. According to Tertullian (in The Prescription of Heretics) John was banished (presumably to Patmos) after being plunged into boiling oil in Rome and suffering nothing from it. Therefore, beloved, as you have always been obedient, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, not only when I am present but much more now in my absence. . With the wealth amassed, it had also become the banking center of the region. Since this John was not the author, we do not need the oil, nor the exile. Date of Writing: The Book of Revelation was likely written between A.D. 90 and 95. This event would have occurred in the late 1st century, during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, who was known for his persecution of Christians. He wrote the Gospel, the three canonical epistles, and the Apocalypse by divine inspiration.

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