A writer
- who – john the baptist*
- what – the apocalypse
- when – about 25 a.d.
- where – in the wilderness
- why – to make straight the way of the Lord
*later the apostle added the churches, the name Jesus, etc.(josephine massyngberde ford was the first to suggest john the baptist wrote the first version of the apocalypse)
they continue to argue the who and when but ignore the why which might be more enlightening – was there anyone greater than john? – he was preparing the way but we have no official writings by him unless we consider what has been suggested – he wrote the first apocalyse that was later redacted by the apostle – at first this idea seems outrageous but with considerable thought it leads to a reasonable explanation for all the dilemmas surrounding the apocalypse – so let’s suspend our preconceived notions and consider the why – why did john write it? – to prepare the way for the time was near – john was getting them ready for Jesus – so read the apocalypse again but this time start at chapter four and imagine a writer who talks about the Lamb because he does not yet know it is Jesus –
“We cannot conclude without mentioning the theory advanced by the German scholar Vischer. He holds the Apocalypse to have been originally a purely Jewish composition, and to have been changed into a Christian work by the insertion of those sections that deal with Christian subjects. From a doctrinal point of view, we think, it cannot be objected to. There are other instances where inspired writers have availed themselves of non-canonical literature. Intrinsically considered it is not improbable. The Apocalypse abounds in passages which bear no specific Christian character but, on the contrary, show a decidedly Jewish complexion. Yet on the whole the theory is but a conjecture.”
see three johns
apocalypse 