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THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST TO HIS SERVANT JOHN
Introduction Part I

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Holy Lord,
St. Peter wrote that Your divine plan for humanity's salvation began before the foundation of the world. However, You kept Your plan hidden from those self-important and proud individuals bound up in worldly wisdom and only revealed Your plan to the humble who seek Godly wisdom. Send Your Holy Spirit, Lord, to open our hearts and minds so we will be able to discern Your message in the last book in the canon of Sacred Scripture that contains the revelation of God the Son to His servant, John. We pray in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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From this we learn that this [book] is called an Apocalypse, that is, "revelation," which manifests those secrets which are hidden and unknown to the senses, and that unless [Christ] himself reveals them, he who perceives [the revelation] will not have the strength to understand what he sees.
Bishop Apringius of Beja (6^th century AD), Commentary on the Apocalypse 1.1

The following five statements will guide us in interpreting the last book in the New Testament canon:
1. There is a link between Jesus' revelation to John and Old Testament writings and symbolism.
Although the Book of Revelation does not contain a single quote from the Old Testament books, it has many references to events, symbols, and persons in the Old Testament. One scholarly count is that there are 348 allusions traceable both by verbal and contextual connection to the Old Testament with approximately 95 repeats, making an average of more than ten references for each chapter. Bible scholar Merril Tenney breaks them down even further to 57 Scripture references from the Pentateuch, 235 from the Prophets, and 56 from the historical and poetic books of the Old Testament (Tenney, Interpreting Revelation, pages 101 and 104). Therefore, to correctly interpret St. John's visions, they must be studied in the light of the references to the Old Testament events and symbolism.

2. Jesus reveals His message to John during heavenly liturgical worship.
St. John received his visions "on the Lord's Day" (Rev 1:10) when he was "caught up" into the heavenly assembly where angels and saints worship God and the Lamb (Rev 4:1-5:14). Throughout the Book of Revelation, the reader is aware that St. John is present in the heavenly assembly witnessing divine worship, while Jesus reveals a series of visions to him.

3. Jesus' revelation to John is a covenant lawsuit against the people of Judah, prophesizing destruction for covenant abuses and violations, including the rejection of their Messiah.
The Book of Revelation is a covenant lawsuit in much the same way God's prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Jeremiah delivered covenant lawsuits against the Northern Kingdom of Israel before the Assyrian conquest in 722 BC and the Southern Kingdom of Judah before the Babylonian conquest (i.e., Is 1:1-9; 34:8; Hos 2:4, 2:2-15/13; 4:1-10; 12:3/2-3; Jer 1:14-16; 4:3-8; 11:1-17). Both invasions resulted in the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (including the Jerusalem Temple) in 587/6 BC and exile for the people. Jesus announced the lawsuit against the covenant people of Judea two days before His unjust trial and crucifixion in Matthew 23:33-36. At that time, He prophesied that God's judgment for the murder of all His righteous prophets throughout salvation history would recoil on the men and women of His generation: In truth, I tell you, it will all recoil on this generation (Mt 23:36). In the Book of Revelation, Jesus reveals the fulfillment of the events of the covenant lawsuit against Judea that He prophesized.

4. The revelation to John reveals Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church, the King of Kings, the unblemished sacrifice, and the High Priest of the heavenly Sanctuary.
Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God that He came to establish on earth (Mt 4:17; Mk 1:15), and He serves in the heavenly Sanctuary as both the sacrificial Lamb and the High Priest of the New Covenant people of God (Heb 8:1-3; Rev 5:6).

5. Jesus' revelation to John is the unveiling of the New Israel of a new and eternal covenant promised by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34; 32:39-40; 50:5).
The newly redeemed Israel is Christ's New Covenant Bride, the universal Church, whose mission is to fulfill her role in God's plan for humanity's eternal salvation (Rev 19:1-9; 21:1-2).

St. John wrote the Book of Revelation in koine (common) Greek. The Greek title is "The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ to His Servant John" or "The Revelation of Jesus Christ to His Servant John" The word "apocalypse" is a transliteration into English of the Greek word apokalypsis, which means "a revelation" or "a revealing." The title Revelation is from the Latin word revelatio, meaning "an uncovering; revelation" (John A. Hardon, S.J., Modern Catholic Dictionary). Often the term apocalypse is confused with the Greek word apocryphal, which means "hidden" and refers to books for which the claim of divine authorship false. Protestants apply the term to the seven Old Testament books dropped from the Jewish canon (the list of books approved by the Rabbis as inspired Scripture) in the early Middle Ages and the Protestant canon in the sixteenth century AD, but Catholics refer to those seven texts as Deuterocanonical, meaning "second canon."

Some apocryphal texts may also be apocalyptic literature, writings which focus on the eschatological future, i.e., divine judgment and the end of world history when the powers of darkness launch a final struggle against God. Some apocryphal narrative literature that is non-canonical and therefore not judged to be Holy-Spirit-inspired texts referring to events in the Old Testament include 3^rd Maccabees, the Book of Jubilees, the Books of Adam and Eve, and the Martyrdom of Isaiah. Some New Testament era apocryphal (non-canonical) texts are the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, and the Gospel of Judas (these are Gnostic documents which have always been judged by the Church as heresy). Other books considered by the Church to be non-canonical but worthy of study are the History of Joseph the Carpenter and the Protoevangelium of St. James. Books that are both apocryphal (non-canonical) and apocalyptic (focused on the final struggle in the "end times") are the Books of Enoch, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and the Assumption of Moses. Apocalyptic books of the Old Testament accepted in the canon include the books of the prophets Daniel, Zechariah, Joel (2:1-11:4:1-21), Isaiah (chapters 13 and 24-27), Ezekiel (chapters 38-39), and Zephaniah (chapter 1:14-18). The books of the prophets Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah have strong ties to Revelation. The single example of this type of literature in the New Testament is the Apocalypse of John, also known as The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John, or the Book of Revelation.

As a literary form, apocalyptic literature became popular about 200 years before the birth of Jesus and remained popular until about 200 years after His Resurrection. The revelation of future catastrophic events that mark the end of time characterizes these works. The visions associated with these revelations show the future in complicated symbolism, which is sometimes, but not always, explained. The works of non-canonical apocalyptic literature have three major theses in common:

1. a hopeless "end of the world" message
2. obscure use of symbolism
3. vivid imagery

However, St. John's Apocalypse/Revelation is unlike non-canonical apocalyptic literature:

1. John's use of symbolism and imagery is not obscure like non-canonical apocalyptic documents and are firmly rooted in Old Testament Scripture.
2. Unlike the pessimism found in other apocalyptic literature (i.e., the world will get worse and worse until it ends), John does not give up on world history but sees all human history as the scene of divine redemption and the triumph of "The Lamb."
3. John's concern is with ethical conduct as his readers take an active part in the unfolding of revealed prophecy (Rev 1:3; 16:15; 22:14).
4. Unlike the non-canonical apocalyptic texts, John's work is, above all else, revealed divine prophecy, as St. John himself testifies (Rev. 1:3; 10:11; 22:7, 10, 18-19).
5. Jewish apocalyptic literature of the first two centuries AD longs for "justice" in the destruction of the oppressive Roman Empire. However, Christians did not want to destroy Rome. Their mission was to convert Rome and to use the power of the Roman Empire to spread Christianity to the ends of the earth in fulfillment of Jesus' divine commission to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20.

Biblical scholar David Chilton sums up these differences with the statement: The apocalyptists said: The world is coming to an end: Give Up! The Biblical prophets said: The world is coming to a beginning: Get to work!" (Chilton, Days of Vengeance, page 26).

It is essential to understand that in the Book of Revelation, as in other parts of sacred Scripture, the "passing away" of heaven and earth is not necessarily the end of the world, nor is it necessarily the dissolution of the existing universe.  After the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in the Upper Room on Pentecost Sunday, St. Peter delivered a sermon to the Jewish crowd on their way to the Temple for the morning worship service of the Tamid and the Jewish Feast of Shavuot/Weeks (known as the Feast of Pentecost in the first century AD; see Acts 2:1). He quoted from Joel 3:1-5 (Acts 2:16-21), and announced that the "Last Days" have come to humanity with the apocalyptic event of Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension.  His message to the Jews on the day of the annual feast that commemorated the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai was that those of his generation were now living in the "new and final" age prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as the time of "new heavens and a new earth" (Is 65:17; 66:22).
St. John's revelation is apocalyptic literature concerned with the apocalyptic events as they unfolded in the time after Jesus' ascension to the Father when the "gate" or "door of heaven" now stood open (Rev. 4:1). Previously, the "door" of heaven remained closed since Adam's fall from grace in Eden, but now, beginning with Jesus' baptism (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:21-22) and completed through His sacrifice on the altar of the Cross, the way to Heaven was no longer blocked (Catechism of the Catholic Church 536 and 1026). In St. John's visions, God's judgment unfolds as prophesied by Jesus in the synoptic Gospels. There is a "mini-apocalyptic" prophecy in every Gospel except the Gospel of St. John, perhaps because Christ intended to reveal that prophecy in a separate book of sacred Scripture: The Revelation of Jesus Christ to His Servant John.

Views on Authorship and Authenticity Through the Centuries

While the consensus over the centuries has been that the Apostle John Zebedee was the inspired writer of this book, many modern scholars disagree. The opening verses of the book identify the author as Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1), and John identifies himself as the receiver and recorder of the revelation five times (Rev 1:1; 1:4; 1:9; 21:2; and 22:8):

1. A revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him so that He could tell His servants what is now to take place very soon; He sent His angel to make it known to His servant John, and John has borne witness to the Word of God and to the witness of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw (Rev 1:1).
2. John, to the seven churches of Asia (Rev 1:4).
3. I, John, your brother and partner in hardships (Rev 1:9).
4. I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride dressed for her husband (Rev 21:2).
5. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things (Rev 22:8).

The Bible quotes in this lesson are from the New Jerusalem Bible unless otherwise identified.

The Earliest Testimonies Concerning Authorship in the Second Century AD:
St. Justin: There was a certain man named John, one of the Apostles of Christ, who prophesied by a revelation (Dialogue with Trypho, 81, 3). St. Justin's testimony is especially valuable because Justin was converted to Christianity in Ephesus in c. 135AD. Not only is Ephesus one of the seven Churches to receive the revelation (Rev 2:1), but Ephesus was by tradition and by the testimony of the Fathers of the Church the home of St. John the Apostle for many years where he served as bishop until his death. Justin testified that St. John Zebedee the Apostle was the inspired writer of the Book of Revelation only a few decades after St. John wrote down his visions.

St. Melito, Bishop of Sardis, a contemporary of St. Justin and bishop to another of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation (Rev 3:1), wrote a commentary on the Book of Revelation. Only fragments of his word have survived, but in Bishop Eusebius' 4^th century AD history of the Church, he refers to St. Melito's testimony that John the Apostle was the author (Church History, IV, 26, 2).

St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, made extensive use of the Book of Revelation in his writings, and in about AD 180 ascribed authorship of the book to "John, the Lord's disciple" (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 4.20.11). He testified that St. John was the receiver and sacred writer, having written the Book of Revelation while a prisoner on the island of Patmos. Irenaeus' testimony is significant because he was a disciple of St. Polycarp (69/70-155 AD) who was a disciple of St. John the Apostle. St. Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna, one of the seven churches to receive letters in from Jesus Christ (Rev 2:1-11) and the only church to receive no criticism but only high praise. The point is that Irenaeus' testimony is very valuable because he is a second-generation disciple with a direct connection to the traditions of St. John the Apostle.

Muratorian Fragment: This document dates to about AD 155. It contains the oldest list of canonical New Testament books and records: For John too, in the Apocalypse, though he writes to only seven churches, yet speaks to all (Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, vol. 1 page 107).

Third Century Testimonies on the Authorship of Revelation:
Biblical scholar Origen of Alexandria, head of the Alexandrian Catechetical School (c. 185-253/254 AD), testified that the author of Revelation was the man who wrote the fourth Gospel and had the good fortune to rest his head on Jesus' breast. (Origen, Commentary of the Gospel of John 1, 14; 2.45; 5.3).

Tertullian (c. 155/160 - 240/250 AD), Roman lawyer and Catholic apologist, wrote that Christ revealed paradise to St. John is his visions (The Soul, 55, 3 cited in Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, vol. 1, page 144). He identified St. John the Apostle as the witness to the visions (Against Marcion 3, 14), and he also wrote in AD 220 that it was his explicit belief that it was none other than St. John the Apostle and Evangelist who wrote down the visions he received from Christ while a prisoner on the island of Patmos (Tertullian, Against Heresies 3.24).

St. Hippolytus (c. 235 AD) wrote: the blessed John, Apostle and disciple of the Lord authored Revelation (Hippolytus, On the Antichrist 36).

A Roman priest named Caius suggested Cerinthus, a prominent proponent of the Gnostic heresy and a contemporary of St. John, was the author (Eusebius, Church History, III, 28,2).

Dionysius of Alexandria (d. 264 AD) denied the book's canonicity because the millenarianist heresy used the Apocalypse/Revelation to support its views (Dionysius of Alexandria, Ex libro de promission, 3-7). He used arguments based on the differences he believed he identified between the style and vocabulary of the Apocalypse/Revelation and the Gospel of St. John.

Other writers of the same period called alogoi, disputed St. John's authorship and the authenticity of the Apocalypse because they rejected St. John's teachings of Christ as the divine Logos (St. Epiphanius, Heresies, 51, 1-35).

Views on the Canonicity and Authorship of Revelation in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries:
A quote in Bishop Eusebius' (d. 340 AD) fourth-century Church History muddied the waters concerning the authorship of Revelation by his interpretation of a statement by second century AD Bishop Papias of Hierapolis (d. c. 130 AD). Bishops Papias' wrote: I shall not hesitate to set down for you along with my interpretations whatever I learned well from the presbyters and recall clearly, being thoroughly confident of their truth. Unlike most people, I do not delight in those who talk a great deal, but in those who teach the truth; nor in those who relate the commandments of others, but in those who relate the commandments given by the Lord to the faith, and which are derived from Truth itself. And then too, when anyone came along who had been a follower of the presbyters, I would inquire about the presbyters' discourses: what was said by Andrew, or by Peter, or by Philip, or by Thomas or James or by John or Matthew, or by any other of the Lord's disciples; and what Aristion and the Presbyter John, the disciples of the Lord say. It did not seem to me that I could get so much profit from the contents of books as from a living and abiding voice.

Eusebius interpreted Papias' statement to suggest that there were two men named "John" in the early Church at Ephesus and that it was uncertain whether St. John Zebedee or the other John wrote the Book of Revelation. Eusebius wrote: Here it is worth noting that he twice mentions the name of John: the first in connection with Peter and James and Matthew and the rest of the Apostles, clearly referring to the evangelist; but the other John he mentions after an interval, and groups him with others outside the number of the Apostles, placing Aristion before him; and he distinctly calls him a presbyter. In this way he makes it quite evident that their statement is true, who say that there were in Asia two persons of that name; and that there are in Ephesus two tombs, each of which even to the present time is called the tomb of John. It is important to take note of this: because if anyone would not prefer the first, then probably it was the second who saw the Revelation which bears the name of John (Eusebius, Church History, Book III, ch. 39).

Eusebius' statement is far from clear. Some modern scholars interpret his comments to say that he regarded St. John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and the John mentioned in Revelation as the same John. But then he adds if anyone prefers to consider that the Apostle-Evangelist John is not the author of Revelation, then, in this view, it is probable that the author of Revelation is "Presbyter John." Other scholars point out that there is only one John: the Apostle and presbyter.

St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria (d. 373 AD), accepted the book as canonical and recognized St. John the Apostle as the author. He cited the book in his fight against Arianism (Oratio II Contra Arianos, 23).

St. Basil (d. 379 AD) accepted the authenticity of the book.

St. Gregory of Nyssa (d. 389 AD) also accepted the authenticity of the book.

The Catechetical School of Antioch denied both authenticity and canonicity.

The Eastern Church Fathers: St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem (d. AD 386), St. John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople (d. AD 407), and Theodoret, Bishop of Cyr (d. AD 466) opposed the unanimous acceptance of the Latin Church to the canonicity and authorship by John the Apostle of the Book of Revelation as well as the Epistles of John 1-3.

The regional gathering of bishops at the Council of Hippo (AD 393) and Council of Carthage (AD 397) pronounced the authenticity of St. John as the author and canonicity of the Apocalypse of St. John (Revelation). These early Church councils were not composed of the entire Magisterium of the worldwide body of the Catholic Church but were local councils which also addressed issues that concerned the universal Church.

St. Jerome, the great Biblical scholar, (d. AD 420) identified St. John the Apostle as the author of Revelation.

St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, theologian and scholar, (d. AD 430) identified St. John the Apostle as the author of Revelation.

In the fifth century AD, the churches of Syria, Cappadocia, and Palestine finally include the Book of Revelation in their canon.

Views on the Canonicity and Authorship of the Book of Revelation in the Sixth through Sixteenth Centuries:
The authenticity of the book was undisputed in these councils: Council of Toledo 633, Council of Florence 1431-39, and Council of Trent 1545-63.

Bishop Apringius of Beja, sixth century AD bishop serving the Church in Iberia (Spain) wrote a commentary on Revelation and attributed authorship to St. John as the writer of the visions. He wrote: It was during this time that he ordered John, the Apostle of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to be transported into exile, and he was taken to the island of Patmos, and while there confirmed this writing (Apringius, Commentary on the Apocalypse 1.9).

Church historian and Biblical scholar, Bede the Venerable (c. 672/673-735 AD), considered one of the most learned men of his age, identified St. John the Apostle as the author in his commentary on the Apocalypse/Revelation. The Bede wrote: History notes that John had been banished to this island by the emperor Domitian on account of the gospel, and that then he was, appropriately, allowed to penetrate the secrets of heaven while [at the same time] prohibited from leaving a small space of the earth (Bede, Explanation of the Apocalypse 1.9).

Erasmus (1466-1536) priest, Doctor of Divinity, and great Renaissance humanist expressed doubts about the canonicity of Revelation.

Martin Luther (1483-1546), excommunicated priest and leader of the Protestant Reformation, initially argued against its authenticity but later changed his view.

The Views of the Eighteenth-Century Rationalists:
These scholars rejected all prophecy outright and therefore dismissed the book of Revelation. They denied St. John's authorship and used arguments based on what they considered internal evidence (some similar to those put forth by Dionysius of Alexandria), and Bishop Papias' passage in Bishop Eusebius' Church History.

The Twentieth and Twenty-first Century Views:
There is general disagreement among these scholars. Some Protestant scholars have expressed the opinion that the author of the Book of Revelation could not be the same man as the author of the fourth Gospel given the differences in style and language. Other scholars, mainly Catholic Biblical scholars, accept that John the Apostle is the author based on the evidence of the writings of the early Church Fathers and the strength of tradition that supports St. John the Apostle as the receiver of the visions in the Book of Revelation. Catholic scholars also point out that the differences in subject matter between the fourth Gospel and the Book of Revelation can account for the differences in the subject matter, and they also point to the similarity in imagery between the two works, like the "living water" references and other unique passages in both books.

Arguments Against Johannine Authorship:
Arguments against include language and style differences between the Gospel of John and Revelation. Possible explanations include:

1. The author's use of an amanuensis (secretary): i.e. see Romans 16:22; 1 Corinthians 16:21; Colossians 4:18; 1 Peter 5:12.
2. Differences in the subject matter (i.e., the unique style of 1^st century AD apocalyptic literature).

Arguments in Favor of Johannine Authorship:
The use of Johannine vocabulary, imagery, and theological themes are unique to the Gospel of St. John and Revelation. Note: in the Bible passages quoted from the New Jerusalem Bible, all the underlining is for emphasis:

1. Water imagery: The term "living water" used by St. John is a metaphor for God the Holy Spirit. See, for example, the Gospel of John 4:7-15 in the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus replied to her: If you only knew what God is offering and who it is that is saying to you, Give me something to drink,' you would have been the one to ask, and He would have given you living water (Jn 4:10). The woman uses the same term in reply to Jesus in John 4:11: "You have no bucket, sir," she answered, "and the well is deep: how do you get this living water?" Jesus' replied, "the water that I shall give him would become in him a spring of water, welling up for eternal life" (Jn 4:13). Also, see John 7:38-39 when Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah: "As Scripture says, From his heart shall flow streams of living water.'" He was speaking of the spirit which those who believed in Him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
   
   Compare those passages from the fourth Gospel to the use of water imagery in the Book of Revelation. See Revelation 7:17, for example: because the Lamb who is at the heart of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of living water. And in Revelation 22:1-2, where there is a reference to the Trinity, Then the angel showed me the river of life, rising from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowing crystal-clear. Also see the connection between "water" and "thirst" in Revelation and the Gospel of St. John: The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Let everyone who listens answer, "Come!" Then let all who are thirsty come: all who want it may have the water of life and have it free (Rev 22:17). Compare the similarity between that verse and Jesus' statement at the Temple in the Gospel of John: In the last day, the great day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried out: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me! Let anyone who believes in me come and drink!" (Jn 7:37).
2. "Word of God" (Logos) imagery:
   The "Word of God" imagery in the prologue of the Gospel of John and the First Letter of St. John:
   • In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God (Jn 1:1).
   • And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father (Jn 1:14).
   • Something which has existed since the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have watched and touched with our own hands, the Word of life this is our theme (1 Jn 1:1)
   Compare those passages with "Word of God" imagery in Revelation:
   • A revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him so that He could tell His servants what is now to take place very soon; He sent His angel to make it known to His servant John, and John has borne witness to the Word of God and to the witness of Jesus Christ everything that He saw (Rev 1:1-2).
   • And now I saw heaven open, and a white horse appear; its rider was called Trustworthy and True; in uprightness He judges and makes war. His eyes were flames of fire, and He was crowned with many coronets; the name written on Him was known only to Himself, his cloak was soaked in blood. He is known by the name, The Word of God (Rev 19:11-13).
   The only other use of "Word" in the Bible in this theological sense by St. Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2 ~ preach the Word [Logos]; be urgent in season, out of season; convict, warn, encourage with all long-suffering and teaching (Interlinear Bible Greek-English, vol. IV, page 578).
3. "Lamb of God" imagery:
   "Lamb of God" imagery in the Gospel of John:
   • Look, there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29).
   • Look, there is the Lamb of God (Jn 1:36).
   • This comparison with Christ does not appear in the Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, or Luke.
   Compare these passages with the use of the same imagery in a few passages found in the Book of Revelation:
   • I saw a Lamb standing that seemed to have been sacrificed (Rev 5:6).
   • The Lamb came forward to take the scroll (Rev 4:7).
   • Then in my vision, I saw the Lamb break one of the seven seals (Rev 6:1).
   • I could not see any temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the temple, and the city did not need the sun or the moon for light since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the Lamb was a lighted torch for it (Rev 21:22-23).
   "Lamb" imagery connected to Christ appears 29 times in the Book of Revelation. The Greek word for lamb expressed in an archaic Greek form as arnion appears only one time in the New Testament in John 21:15, where Jesus tells Peter to "feed my lambs," except for the Book of Revelation which makes a total of 30 times the noun arnion appears. Some scholars translate this word as "little lamb." It is a word not often used in Greek texts. Otherwise, the Greek word for lamb used in John is amnos in 1:28 and 36, and in the Gospels and other books of the New Testament, the noun for lamb is aren and probaton [probata] for sheep. Therefore, the use of the archaic Greek word arnion is another link between the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation.
4. "Light" imagery:
   In Johannine writings, "light" is a metaphor for Jesus Christ. Light imagery in the Gospel of John and 1 John:
   • What has come into being in Him was life, life that was the light of men (Jn 1:4).
   • The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone (Jn 1:9).
   • And the judgment is this: though the light has come into the world, people have preferred darkness to the light because their deeds were evil (Jn 3:19-21).
   • When Jesus spoke again to the people He said: " I AM the light of the world: anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark but will have the light of life" (Jn 8:12).
   • As long as I AM in the world I AM the light of the world (Jn 9:5).
   • Also see John 11:9-10; John 12:35, 36 and 46; 1 John 1:5, 7; 2:8-10.
   Compare the passages above with "light" imagery in Revelation:
   • I could not see any temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the temple, and the city did not need the sun or the moon for light since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the Lamb was a lighted torch for it (Rev 21:22-23).
   • The nations will come to its light, and the kings of the earth will bring it their treasures. Its gates will never be closed by day—and there will be no night there (Rev 21:24-25).
   • And night will be abolished; they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shinning on them (Rev 22:5).

The Symbolic use of numbers in the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation:

1. The arrangement of both books is in a series of sevens. The number seven appears fifty-two times in the Book of Revelation. And the first chapter of the fourth Gospel builds to the climax of the "seventh day" using the words "the next day" and "on the third day" until the wedding at Cana in chapter two: day #2 = Jn 1:29; day #3 = Jn 1:35; day #4 = Jn 1:43; "On the third day" (Jn 2:1); four days plus three days = seven days.
2. John's Gospel begins the countdown to the Crucifixion of Christ by announcing in that it is six days to the Passover (Jn 12:1). Six is the number of humankind and symbolizes humanity in rebellion against God. Jesus was crucified the day after the Passover sacrifice, on a Friday, the sixth day of the week, but it is the seventh day from St. John's announcement in Jn 12:1.
3. In the Book of Revelation, the word "seventh" appears five times, and a phrase using the number(s) seven appears thirty-five (5x7) times. There are also multiple sevens as in the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation in Chapters 2-3. According to Hebrew tradition, every number has a symbolic significance. Three, seven, ten, and twelve are known as the "perfect" numbers. Seven is the second perfect number signifying fullness and perfection, especially spiritual perfection; it is also the number of covenant union, and it is the number of the Holy Spirit. For a list of sevens in the Book of Revelation see the chart below:

For more information on the symbolic meaning of numbers in the Bible, please see the document "The Significance of Numbers in Scripture" in the Documents Section under the subtitle "Scripture Study" and see a summary of the symbolism of numbers in the Bible in the appendix to this lesson.

Both the Gospel of St. John and the Book of Revelation are structured in terms of the Holy Days of the Jewish Liturgical Calendar and Heavenly Liturgy (sacred time and sacred space):

1. The Gospel of John revolves around the Old Covenant liturgical calendar and its feasts in which three Passovers take place during Jesus' ministry. The first Passover is in John 2:14, the second in 6:4, and the third during Jesus last visit to Jerusalem in 12:1. Other feasts mentioned in the Gospel of John are the feasts of Pentecost (not named but assumed to be this feast by most scholars) in Jn 5:1, Tabernacles in Jn 7:2, and the national feast of Hanukkah/Dedication in Jn 10:22.
2. St. John receives most of his visions in the heavenly Sanctuary during divine liturgy (beginning from the time John is taken up into heaven in Revelation 4:1).
3. During St. John's revelations, he finds himself involved in two directions of time: the time in which he was living and, through his visions, his projection forward in time to the judgment on Jerusalem, the Second Advent of Christ, the Final Judgment, and the creation of the New Jerusalem at the end of time.

Most, though not all, Christian scholars agree that letters sent to the seven churches in Asia Minor in the first three chapters of Revelation describe the problems and triumphs of the historical faith communities that flourished in the first century AD when St. John was bishop of Ephesus. The themes of those letters have remained meaningful to the Church down through the centuries and to Christians in all generations. Most scholars also agree that the last half of chapter 20 (verses 11-15) and all of chapters 21 and 22 apply to the end times: the Second Advent of Christ, Judgement Day, the consummation of all things, and the eternal life of the saints with God. However, the time frame of the middle part of the book in chapters 4:1-20:10 has been, and continues to be, in dispute. In the Introduction Part II, we will discuss the different schools of thought for interpreting the timeframe of the unfolding events recorded in the Book of Revelation.

The Magisterium, composed of the Council of Bishops and the reigning Pope, has pronounced on both the authenticity and canonicity of the Apocalypse/Revelation in the councils of Hippo (393 AD), Carthage (397 and 419 AD), Florence (1441 AD) and Trent (1545-63). At Trent the Ecumenical Council, in the decree De Canonicis Scripturis (April 8, 1546), gave a formal definition of the "Canon of the Bible" and in accepting the list approved in the previous councils, which included the last New Testament book, the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to His Servant John. However, even though the Church has dogmatically defined the Book of Revelation as canonical, it has not pronounced as strongly on who wrote it (The Navarre Bible Commentary: Revelation page 15).

An Important Key to Interpreting the Visions of John

The Old Testament books of the sixth century BC prophets Ezekiel, Daniel, and the fifth century BC post-exile prophet Zechariah provide keys to unlocking the meaning of St. John's extraordinary visions. The books of Ezekiel and Daniel resemble the Book of Revelation more than any of the other Old Testament books, and the Book of Revelation repeats seven of the eight visions in the Book of Zechariah. These Old Testament links will be one of the main themes of our study.

The Book of Revelation identifies the receiver of the visions as a man named "John," however, St. John Zebedee's identification with the book was virtually universal in the early centuries of the Church. St. Justin Martyr (AD 150) wrote: John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied by a revelation that was made to him (Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 81). If St. John Zebedee is indeed the writer of the Book of Revelation, then his life and experiences recorded in Scripture and also in the writings of the early Church Fathers are relevant to the study of this book of amazing visions.

St. John the Apostle in the New Testament
John son of Zebedee, in Hebrew Yehohanan ben Zabiyah (transliterated as "Yahweh's faithful/merciful love or son of Yahweh's gift"), was the son of the Galilean fisherman Zebedee and his wife Salome (Mk 14:40 and 16:17).

He may have been one of John the Baptists' disciples and was possibly the "other" disciple who went with St. Andrew to where Jesus was staying and spent the day in conversation with Him (Jn 1:35-42). The Gospel of John never names John the Apostle. The writer of the fourth Gospel always refers to himself as "the other disciple" and as "the one Jesus loved" (sometimes translated as "the beloved disciple"). For references to the writer of the fourth Gospel as the "other" see Jn 18:16; 20:2, 3, 4, 8, and 25. For references to "the one Jesus loved" or "the beloved disciple" see Jn 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20.

The Apostle John gave up everything to follow Jesus: He [Jesus] walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James and John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him (Mt 4:21-22). Mark 1:20 adds that they left their father and their hired men to follow Jesus.

John's name appears in all the lists of the Apostles (Mt 10:2; Mk 3:16-17; Lk 6:13; Acts 1:13). In those lists found in the Gospels, John Zebedee, the youngest of Jesus' Apostles, is always listed after Peter, Andrew, and his brother James Zebedee; however, after Jesus' crucifixion, his status changes. The list in Acts 1:13 names him immediately after Peter, and the Book of Acts consistently names him in association with Peter (Acts 3:1; 4:13; 8:14).

Scripture suggests St. John had a strong personality:

• Mark 3:17 ~ James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he [Jesus] named Boanerges, that is "Sons of Thunder (in Aramaic = ben ereges).
• Luke 9:49; 9:51-56 ~ (Jesus rebukes John) verse 49: Then John said in reply: "Master we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he was not following our company." Jesus said, "Do not prevent him for whoever is not against you is for you."
• Luke 9:54 ~ When the disciples James and John saw this they asked "Lord do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them.

Scripture suggests St. John was ambitious to serve Jesus in His Kingdom:

• Matthew 20:20-24 ~ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Him with her sons and did Him homage wishing to ask him for something. He said to her: "What do you wish?" She answered him "Command that these two sons of mine to sit one at your right and the other sit to your left in your kingdom." When the ten heard this, they became indigent.
• Mark 10:35-40 ~ They [James and John Zebedee] said to him, "Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I shall drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I shall be baptized?" They replied, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I shall drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I shall be baptized you shall be baptized, but as for seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted."

Jesus selected John along with James and Peter for experiences not shared with the other Apostles:

• Jesus chose Peter, James, and John to witness the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (Mk 1:29).
• When curing the synagogue official's daughter: he [Jesus] did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John (Mk 5:37).
• At the Mt. of Transfiguration experience: Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John (Mt 17:1). After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transformed before them (Mk 9:2; also see Lk 9:28).
• Jesus assigned Peter and John the task of preparing the banquet room for the sacred meal of the Passover victim on the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (the Last Supper). The day of Unleavened Bread came round, on which the Passover had to be sacrificed, and he sent Peter and John to make preparations for Passover (Lk 22:7-8).
• John was with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: Then Jesus came with them to a plot of land called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there to pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him (Mt 26:36-37a).
• From the time Jesus assigned St. Peter and St. John to prepare the Upper Room for the Last Supper, John was paired with Peter. It was St. Peter and the "other disciple" who waited at the High Priest's palace as the Sanhedrin put Jesus on trial (Jn 18:15-18). In John 18:16, the unnamed disciple who was with St. Peter was known at the high priest's palace and was able to use his influence get Peter and himself into the courtyard.
• It is the "disciple whom Jesus loved" who was the only man to stand with the Virgin Mary and the other women at the foot of the Cross. It was to this disciple to whom Jesus entrusted the care of His mother (Jn 19:25-27).
• Mary Magdalene went to St. Peter and "the other disciple" to tell them about Jesus' resurrection, and St. Peter and the "other disciple, the "one whom Jesus loved," went together to the tomb to see that Jesus was no longer there (Jn 20:1-10).
• John was with the other Apostles (except Thomas) when Jesus came to the Upper Room on Resurrection Sunday and breathing on them gave them the power through the Holy Spirit to govern the universal Church and to bind or loose the sins of men and women (Jn 20:19-22).
• In Acts of Apostles, Sts. Peter and John were teaching at the Temple after Jesus' Ascension (Acts 3:1) when the Jewish Sanhedrin detained and questioned them (Acts 4:1, 13, 19-20). Later they were the Church's representatives who went together to Samaria to confirm the baptism of converts by laying hands upon the converts and empowering them with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).
• John was present with the other Apostles at the first universal Church council, the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:6).
• St. Paul testified in his visit to Jerusalem to confer with the Apostles that he met with St. Peter (Paul calls him Cephas from his Aramaic title "Rock"/ Kepha, given to Peter by Jesus), St. James Bishop of Jerusalem, and St. John. Paul wrote that they were recognized as "pillars" of the Church (Gal. 2:9).

Other interesting facts about John Zebedee from the writings of the Church Fathers:

• Bishop St. Irenaeus (d. c. 200) wrote that at the Last Supper St. John was the one called the "beloved disciple" who was put at the place of honor at the table, reclining with Jesus on the same couch, and who wrote the fourth Gospel while residing at the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3, 1, 1).
• Bishop Eusebius also recorded that St. John reclined with Jesus at the Last Supper (Eusebius, Church History, XXXI, 3; XXIV, 3; Jn 13:21-25).
• There is documentation that testifies St. John, Bishop of Ephesus in Asia Minor, and St. James, Bishop of Jerusalem, both wore a sacred head-plate similar to the one worn by the Jewish High Priest (Eusebius, Church History, XXXI, 3; XXIV, 3).
• Bishop St. Polycrates of Ephesus (ca. 125-196 AD) wrote in his letter to Pope St. Victor (ca. 190 AD): moreover John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and being a priest wore the sacerdotal plate (The Faith of the Early Fathers, vol. I, page 82). St. Polycrates' testimony is especially significant because he was the bishop of the same church in the Roman city of Ephesus where St. John had served as the Christian bishop for many years until his death.
• St. Clement of Alexandria (before 200 AD) wrote about John's long life as the Bishop of Ephesus and his title "father of the Eastern Church." Quoting St. Irenaeus, he wrote: (Irenaeus) writes in one place in the second of his books Against the Heresies, as follows: And all the presbyters who had been associated in Asia with John, the disciple of the Lord, bear witness to his tradition, for he remained with them until the times of Trajan.' And in the third book of the same work he makes the same statement as follows: Now the Church at Ephesus was founded by Paul, but John stayed there until the time of Trajan, and it is a true witness of the tradition of the Apostles' (Kovak, Christianity and the Roman Empire, page 42).

The Roman Emperor Trajan ruled after the death of Emperor Domitian from 98 AD until 117 AD. If John was about 20 years old when Jesus was crucified in AD 30 (he could have been younger), and if he did live until the year 100 AD or later, it is understandable why St. John says of himself at the end of his Gospel that some people believed he wouldn't die until Jesus came again. In the last chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus revealed to St. Peter the kind of death he was to suffer: Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who had leaned back close to his chest at the supper and had said to him, "Lord, who is it that will betray you?" Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, "What about him, Lord?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me." The rumor then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, "He will not die," but, "If I want him to stay behind till I come" (Jn 21:18-19). According to the history of the early Church, St. John was the only Apostle not martyred, and he was the last of the original twelve Apostles to pass from this earthly exile to join his Savior and Lord in the eternal kingdom.

Appendix:

The Symbolic Significance of Numbers in the Bible

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