A Translation
of the bible by Jerome. Where did he get his copies? We have no copies of the Apocalypse older than what is in the Vulgate. Jerome had to rely on others for reliable copies. We can only speculate but it must be consistent with historical records that somehow survived. History is all we have so we must rely on being led to the right stuff. Ask for directions.
A Revelation
of what must shortly come to pass. Who are his servants? Who is his servant? There are three different Johns. John the Baptist who bare record. John the Apostle who knew the seven churches. John Chrysostom who was in Ephesus at the beginning of the fifth century when Jerome was completing his Latin translation. The Vulgate.
A Reasonable Explanation
for all the issues surrounding the Apocalypse. When was it written? Who wrote it? Why was it written? John the Baptist was preparing the way for the first coming. John the Apostle was told to prophesy again to the seven churches. John Chrysostom convinced Jerome that the little book belonged in the bible. And the rest is history. Pay attention to history.
A Missing Martyr
in the Church History by Eusebius. Martyrs from Pergamus are not missing. Carpus and Papylus, and a woman named Agathonice are mentioned as martyrs in Pergamus but not Antipas. Victorinus doesn’t mention Antipas or the seven churches. Eusebius mentions six of the seven churches but never associates them with the Apocalypse. There is a reasonable explanation for this. Their copy did not have them. The first version written by John the Baptist.
A Strange Introduction
that doesn’t get enough attention. Combine this with John being told to “prophesy again” after eating the little book. Is there a record of him prophesying again? Yes but the record of John prophesying the first time is missing except for a few clues. The dog that didn’t bark. Eusebius and Victorinus did not mention Antipas or the seven churches. Were they looking at the first Apocalypse written by John the Baptist?
A Bare Record
in the first chapter of the Apocalypse. The name John is mentioned two times in the third person and once in the first person. John the Apostle knew “who bare record” and the seven churches. John the Baptist knew the Lamb and the seven spirits but not the churches or Jesus. John Chrysostom on the isle of Patmos at the beginning of the fifth century knew all of this including Jerome’s Latin translation of the bible. Nicolaus Morosow based on astronomy pointed to Chrysostom as the writer of the Apocalypse. All these dots can be connected in a reasonable way.
A Summary
of it all in one place if you have the time and interest. You may wonder why no one else has done this. Maybe their pieces don’t fit. Maybe they don’t have all the pieces. Maybe they don’t use history. It is really the only advantage we have over those who came before us. Use it.
A Dynasty
and the Roman empire had seven dynasties and Islam had ten dynasties. The seven heads and ten horns of the Apocalypse. More significant pieces of the puzzle that seem to fit. The Byzantine Empire that lasted a thousand years started with the first beast, the Roman Empire, and ended with the 10th dynasty of Islam, the second beast. Is there a fit with the four horsemen?
A Puzzle
with many pieces. To see the big picture, you need many pieces to fit each other. The pieces of your interpretation will always fit into the future. History is not so flexible. History will always limit your choices but it can actually help you with your interpretation. Use it.
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