A Recapitulation
A vision not in chronological order. In chapter 9 and 11 we have the beast coming out of the “bottomless pit” and in chapter 20 the beast is being cast into it. Victorinus was the first to suggest this theory of recapitulation. The bottomless pit is also consistent with the beast that was, is not, and yet is. The two beasts are really the same.
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A Dog That Didn’t Bark
A commentary by Victorinus on the Apocalypse. He mentions the seven churches that Paul wrote to but not the ones John wrote to. Eusebius has the same problem. He mentions six of the seven churches of the Apocalypse but never associates any of them with the Apocalypse.
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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 History Of Interpretation
A hijack of the Apocalypse. How does a commentator become a prophet? Simply by interpreting the Word of God. Historians are less likely to have an agenda which makes them more trustworthy and possibly inspired by God. History can be used to interpret prophecy but only after it has been fulfilled.
A Problem with the Churches
A strange commentary by Victorinus. He mentions the churches Paul wrote to but not the ones John wrote to. This is hard to believe but it would be consistent with both Eusebius and Victorinus looking at the Apocalypse John the Baptist wrote and that would not include the seven churches.
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A City of God
A new bible translated by Jerome precedes Augustine’s commentary on the Apocalypse in The City of God. Prior to the Vulgate many believed the Apocalypse did not belong in the bible. This was settled once and for all by Jerome who had the authority to define the bible.
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A Witness
A Church History that includes six of the seven churches that John wrote to but Eusebius never associates them with the Apocalypse. Victorinus doesn’t even mention them. Is it possible there is a version of the Apocalypse that doesn’t include the seven churches? It could be a reasonable explanation for what we are looking at.
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A Witness
A view of what was. We don’t know what the Apocalypse looked like in the third century. Victorinus knew and we know what his commentary looked like. It didn’t include the seven churches John wrote to. It did include the seven churches Paul wrote to. There is a reasonable explanation for this.
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A Reasonable Explanation
A question not addressed. Why does John introduce himself three times? He was asked to “prophesy again”. That could be another John. That’s two. Why not three? Multiple writers have been suggested by multiple commentaries. Both John the Baptist and John Chrysostom have been suggested.
A Beginning Of The Fifth Century
A connection of dots: in chapter seven of Book Twenty in “City of God” by Augustine is his first commentary on the Apocalypse of John which came after Jerome put it in his Vulgate and that came after Chrysostom replaced seven corrupt bishops in Ephesus not far from Patmos.
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