The last book of scripture, or rather the New Testament, is called the "Revelation of John the Evangelist." But more often it is called the "Apocalypse." It is impossible to imagine a more mysterious book. And her second name inspires fear. The fact that the events of the coming end of the world are encrypted in Revelation is already clear from the name. But how do you know exactly what John the Theologian wrote about, because the apostle spoke ambiguously about his visions?
A little about the author of the Apocalypse
Among the twelve apostles who followed the Son of God everywhere, there was one to whom Jesus, already on the cross, entrusted the care of his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was John the Theologian.
The Evangelist was the son of the fisherman Zebedee and the daughter of St. Joseph (Betrothed of the Virgin Mary) Salomia. His father was a wealthy man, he had wage workers, he himself occupied a significant place in Jewish society. Mother served the Lord with her possessions. At first, the future apostle was among the disciples of John the Baptist. Later, with his younger brother Jacob, John left his father’s boat on Lake Genisaret, responding to the call of Jesus Christ. The apostle became one of the three most beloved disciples of the Savior. St. John the Theologian even began to be called a confidant - that’s how they spoke of a person who is especially close to anyone.
When and how was the Apocalypse written?
After the ascension of Jesus, in exile, the apostle wrote the Apocalypse or Revelation on the fate of the world. After returning from the island of Patmos, where he was exiled, the saint wrote his Gospel in addition to the already existing books, the authors of which were Mark, Matthew and Luke. In addition , the apostle John created three epistles, the main idea of which is that those who follow Christ need to learn to love.
The departure from the life of the holy apostle is shrouded in mystery. He, the only one of the Savior’s disciples, was not executed or killed. About 105 years was a saint when John the Evangelist himself insisted on his own burial alive. The grave was unearthed the next day, but no one was there. In this regard, the words of Christ are recalled that the apostle will not die before the second coming of the Savior. Many believers are convinced of the veracity of this statement.
The Apocalypse of John the Theologian
The very name of the book of the apostle translated from Greek means "revelation." The last part of the New Testament was written about 75–90 years after the birth of Christ.
Some Bible scholars doubt the apostle’s attitude towards the authorship of the most mysterious book, since the writing style of the Gospel of John and the Apocalypse are different. But there are reasons for the saint.
- The author calls himself John and says that he had a revelation from Jesus Christ on the island of Patmos (it was there that the saint was in exile).
- The similarity of the "Apocalypse" with the messages of the apostle and the Gospel on his behalf in spirit, syllable and some expressions.
- Ancient evidence recognizing that John the Evangelist is the author of the last book of scripture. These are the stories and apprentice of the Apostle St. Papia of Hierapolis, and St. Justin Martyr, who lived for a long time in the same city with the holy elder, and many others.
The essence of Revelation
The last book differs from the whole New Testament in style and content. The revelations from God that the apostle John the Theologian received in the form of visions tell of the appearance on earth of the Antichrist, his number (666), the repeated coming of the Savior, the end of the world, the Last Judgment. It inspires hope that the last prophecy of the book describes the victory of the Lord over the Devil after a difficult struggle and the emergence of new heavens and earths. Here will be the eternal kingdom of God and people.
Interestingly, the number of the beast - 666 - so far literally understood, when interpreting the entire book, is only the key to unraveling the literal content of the name of the Antichrist. The right time will come - and the whole world will know the name of the adversary of Christ. A person will appear who will calculate each letter in the name of Satan.
Interpretation of the Revelation of John the Theologian
You need to know and remember that the Apocalypse, like any of the scriptures, requires a special approach. It is necessary to use other parts of the Bible, the writings of St. Fathers, Teachers of the Church, to correctly understand what is written.
There are various interpretations of the Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist. Many of them are controversial. And in this light, according to one of the interpreters, Archpriest Fast Gennady, the reason for the contradiction is that each person, by his own mind, is trying to understand the meaning of the visions of the holy apostle granted by the Spirit of God. Therefore, the true decoding of the mysterious book is possible only thanks to Him. And the statement of St. Irenaeus of Lyons states that God's Spirit is where the Church is. Only Her interpretation of the Apocalypse can be correct.
The main interpretation of the "Revelation" is considered the work of the holy archbishop of Caesarea - Andrew, dated VI century. But there are books by other clergymen and theologians explaining the meaning of what was written in the Apocalypse.
Contents of the Beginning of the Apocalypse
One of the modern authors of interpretations of the last book of scripture is Father Oleg Molenko. Church of St. John the Evangelist - this is the name of the church, of which he is the head priest. His explanations to the Apocalypse reflect the past works of the Holy Fathers, but at the same time they are passed through the prism of real events and today's life.
At the very beginning, "Revelation" talks about why the "Apocalypse" was written, where and how the apostle John the Theologian received it. The importance of the predictions of the future presented to people in order to have time to prepare for the Last Judgment is emphasized.
The following is a message to the seven churches. The interpretation of John the Theologian shows that many of the warnings of the apostle given to them through revelations subsequently came true. So, the collapse of the Church of Ephesus occurred.
The number 7 is not indicated by chance. It is sacred and chosen by God himself. Here is a warning about the cancellation by the Antichrist of Christian holidays and Sunday. Instead, Saturday will be set aside for relaxation. A special place in the number 7 is indicated by much in the Bible and the Church:
- 7 Sacraments;
- 7 Ecumenical Councils in the Church;
- 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit (core);
- 7 of his manifestations;
- 7 Virtues (basic);
- 7 passions (sins to fight against);
- 7 words in Jesus prayer;
- 7 petitions of the prayer “Our Father”.
In addition, the number 7 can be observed in life:
- 7 colors;
- 7 notes;
- 7 days of the week.
About the features of the "Apocalypse"
The Church of St. John the Evangelist, whose rector is the author of the popular Interpretation, father Oleg Molenko, gathers many parishioners eager to understand the Apocalypse. It should be remembered that this book is prophetic. That is, everything she talks about will happen, possibly, in the near future.
It was difficult to read and accept prophecies in the past, but these days it seems that everything said in Revelation is written for us. And the word "soon" should be understood literally. When will it come? The events described in the predictions will remain only a prophecy until they begin to come true, and then they will develop rapidly, then there will be no time left. This will all happen, according to the interpretation of Father Oleg, who heads the Church of St. John the Evangelist, from the beginning of the Third World War, when all types of weapons existing in the world will be used. The 9th chapter of the Apocalypse tells of it. The war will begin as a local conflict between Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria, into which the whole world will be drawn. And it will last 10 months, devastating the earth by one third of the people living on it.
Can predictions be correctly understood without interpretation?
Why is the "Revelation of St. John the Evangelist" so difficult for even saints to perceive correctly? It must be understood that the apostle saw everything described in the revelations more than 2,000 years ago and spoke about this with words that were available for that time. As for the heavenly (or spiritual), it is impossible to convey in simple language, hence the symbolism in the prophecy. Riddles and encrypted predictions are for people far from God. The true meaning of everything said in the Apocalypse can be revealed only to spiritual people.
There is still much and a long way to talk about the prophecies of the holy apostle, but one article for this will not be enough. Interpretations do not always fit into an entire book. The Church of St. John the Evangelist (that is, the apostle, as Jesus directs and patronizes it), which is considered to be modern Orthodoxy, can give up to eight different interpretations of the Holy Scripture (according to the number of degrees of spiritual development). The evangelist himself belongs to the saints of the highest level. But there are only ones like him.
Believing or not predicting is everyone's business. The prophecies of the holy apostle are needed in order to reflect on your life, repent of sins and fight against them. You need to be kinder and try to resist evil, as if this is the antichrist himself. Peace in your soul!