A Cause
A because to answer why. The child’s first question. Why? There has to be a reason. Why the Apocalypse? Why does John identify himself three times in the first chapter? Because. A child won’t accept that answer. A reasonable explanation is just conjecture or speculation. Why?
A Desolation
A third temple has not happened and will not happen. Not one stone here will be left upon another. Daniel has three references to the abomination. The first one is Antiochus IV and he shall make it desolate. The second is the Umayyad dynasty and they shall place the Dome of the Rock which now stands in the holy place preventing the daily sacrifice.
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A Working Hypothesis
A lack of agreement about who and when forces speculation on what might be. It has been suggested that John the Baptist wrote the first version of the Apocalypse. Is it reasonable? Does it make sense? The “wise shall understand” None of the wicked shall. Be reasonable.
A Dynasty
A beast. What makes a beast? The temple. Don’t mess with the temple. Daniel’s beasts did. Babylon destroyed the first temple. Greece desecrated the second. Rome destroyed the second. Islam is preventing the third. Enter the Dome of the Rock. What is now in the holy place spoken of by Jesus?
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A commentary by Victorinus does not mention the seven churches of the Apocalypse but does mention the churches Paul wrote to. It is possible that he and Eusebius had an early version of the Apocalypse that did not contain the seven churches. History helps us understand what is possible.
A Dynasty
A hatred of the whore. Constantinople, Babylon the Great, fell to the tenth dynasty of Islam in 1453. This ended a thousand year Christian empire that started with the seven dynasties of the Roman Empire. Behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. The “ten horns” ties the fourth beast of Daniel to the second beast of John. Home 8
A Church History
A book by Eusebius does not mention Antipas but does mention Carpus and Papylus who are also martyrs from Pergamos. Six of the seven churches are mentioned but never associated with the Apocalypse. Is it possible that there was an early version that didn’t contain them?
A Great City
A mystery and likely to remain so. Constantinople can be found no more at all and the merchants of the earth shall weep over the city with many waters and seven hills. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. 1204 and 1453. No other city has all these characteristics. Babylon the Great is Constantinople.
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A Lamb Of God
A worthy Lamb. Who knows the worthy Lamb of God? Who can open the seals? John the Apostle knows John the Baptist who “bare record” and knows the Lamb of God who is worthy to open the seals. The time was near for the first coming and John the Baptist was preparing the way. He wrote the first Apocalypse.
A Greek Fire
A significant passage in the Apocalypse. In defense of Constantinople they used Greek Fire on the Sea of Marmara which was like a sheet of glass and the year was 666. A sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name. Islam.
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