A Little Book
A prophecy repeated. John the Apostle to the seven churches. John the Baptist who bare record knew the Lamb of God and the Apostle knew the Baptist. John Chrysostom, a third john and a brother, was in Ephesus at the beginning of the fifth century when Jerome was finishing the Vulgate, the official bible of the Church.
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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 Remarkable Connection
A man sent from God. He knew the Lamb of God. He who bare record is connected to the Apocalypse by the Apostle John who knew the Baptist. The word “lamb” also connects John the Baptist to the Apocalypse. It was John the Apostle who was asked to prophesy again and he knew the seven churches.
A Purpose
A reason for the Apocalypse. We know where for sure. Patmos. We know John wrote it three times. We don’t know when or why. Wondering why might be more telling. The oldest existing commentary on the Apocalypse is by Victorinus. What can he tell us? He can’t tell us about the seven churches. Why?
A First Coming
A man sent from God. His name was John. A voice crying in the wilderness preparing the way for the Lamb of God. The word “lamb” found 27 times is the Apocalypse. John the Baptist who “bare record” was mentioned by John the Apostle to the seven churches. John Chrysostom is also your brother. The third John.
A Prophecy Again
A little book eaten by John the Apostle who added the seven churches. He was told to prophesy again. Followers of John the Baptist were found in Ephesus by Paul in Acts 19. This is a reasonable explanation of why John uses his name three times in the first chapter of the Apocalypse. Three different Johns.
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A Jewish Composition
A German scholar Vischer held that the Apocalypse was “originally a purely Jewish composition”. Taking away the seven churches and the 12 references to Jesus and you are left with the word “lamb” mentioned 27 times. John the Baptist prepared the way for The Lamb of God. He could have written the original Apocalypse.
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A Record of What Wasn’t
A problem with Eusebius and Victorinus. They don’t seem to be aware of the seven churches of the Apocalypse. Eusebius mentions six of the seven churches but never associates them with the Apocalypse. Victorinus mentions the seven churches that Paul wrote to but not the seven churches of the Apocalypse. Was there a version of the Apocalypse that did not have the seven churches?
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A Servant of God
A “lamb” and the “bare record” ties John the Baptist to the Apocalypse. Vischer holds the Apocalypse to have been originally a purely Jewish composition. It would not have included the seven churches that Eusebius and Victorinus failed to recognize. A reasonable explanation why they didn’t.
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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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