"The defeated Chaldeans fled to Asia Minor, and fixed their central college at Pergamos," notes historian William Barker in his book Lares and Penates of Cilicia (1853, p. 232). In our long-running series "The Bible and Archaeology," we have gone through the Scriptures from Genesis through the Epistles reviewing many of the surprising archaeological finds that confirm and illuminate the biblical record. American King James Version). When John the Forerunner (You may also want to access our article called Who was John the Baptist?) American King James Version, 18 reveals that in the end time a powerful religious system from the ancient past will again reign over the nations and be identified as "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.". ", III, iii, 4); his touching anxiety about a youth who had become a robber (Clemens Alex., "Quis dives salvetur", xiii); his constantly repeated words of exhortation at the end of his life, "Little children, love one another" (Jerome, "Comm. So from this, we can assume that John did not have his own house or wife or kids or estate but took Mary to his parents Salome and Zebedee house. Could you please clarify your point regarding "it was anonymous until later in the second century"? Wikipedia, citing 9 published works, says, "The Gospel of John was written in Greek by an anonymous author." Since Thyatira was a religious center, and the home of powerful guilds demanding religious participation of their workers in their banquets, it was difficult for Christians to resist falling into idolatry. So that in the day of Christ, I may boast that I neither ran nor toiled in vain. Revelation 1:9 - I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. [17] He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it. Yet it has a clear and definite historical background. How accurate are the descriptions of these seven cities mentioned in the book of Revelation according to archaeology and history? And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. The author was probably a Christian from Ephesus known as John the Elder. According to the Book, this John was on the island of Patmos, not far from the coast of Asia Minor, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev. What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea" (verse 11). Among the ancient papyri letters that archaeologists have found is one with such a request and another with an accompanying certificate declaring: "We, the representatives of the Emperor, Serenos and Hermas, have seen you sacrificing.". Have a good day and may God be with you! GN. The apostle John, who wrote it under the inspiration of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1 Revelation 1:1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John:American King James Version), mentions where it was written and that it was addressed to congregations in seven cities in Asia Minor. United Church of Godis a501(c)3organization. This city would never reach the commercial greatness of Ephesus or Smyrna, but it was the indisputable center of religious, medical and artistic culture of the region. How can this new ban on drag possibly be considered constitutional? The city's famous library, with 200,000 parchment rolls, was rivaled only by the library in Alexandria, Egypt. 2 Did the Apostle John write revelations? The purpose of the . Do all things without murmuring and wavering, that you may be blameless and pure, children of God, without blame. summer | 4.2K views, 92 likes, 102 loves, 53 comments, 67 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Ramp: His presence is here, worship with us at Summer. But John was first a disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Lastly, Christ warns them not to put their trust in their physical wealth but in Him, who can develop the true gold that comes from overcoming trials and building righteous spiritual character. Yet he mentions it as an honor to participate "in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ" (verse 9). Was John Blind When He Wrote Revelation? Certainly the Old Testament identifies Satan's chief seat of activity as being in ancient Babylon, where the doctrines of its mystery religion "made all the earth drunk" (Jeremiah 51:7 Jeremiah 51:7Babylon has been a golden cup in the LORD's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.American King James Version). Are there any historical accounts that support the legend? When he came to an end, the Apostle of Love no longer spoke with length/long words but only repeated these words over and over to his disciples and those who came to see him: My children, love one another. And there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and John. John in the book of Revelation is the author of the book. Dating the Gospel of John to after AD 98: A. But if thou wilt marries, thou hast not erred. It is never explained how it was possible to exile John anywhere, if his enemies were unable to harm him. The mention of Satan's throne in Pergamos likely refers to the famous worship of its most popular deity, the serpent god Asklepios Soter, whose Latin equivalent means "the man-instructing serpent and savior." After the death of the Saviour, the Apostle John took the Blessed Mary just like he was his beloved son. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. There, in consequence, for many centuries was 'Satan's seat.'. . Christ says to this church: "These things says He who is holy, He who is true . . I hope you will enjoy these articles and you will learn something by reading them. The city was especially famous for its fine woolen cloth, usually dyed in a shade that came to be called Thyatiran purple. So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nothing; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships. [15] So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Saint John was one of the first close disciples of the Saviour Christ. If they persevere in His Word, He will give them a crown that they may rule with Him in His Kingdom. If John wrote about Christ's coming as future from A.D. 90-100, it is said to combat preterists, then Christ did not come back in A.D. 70 (John's writing would be pointless). Another excerpt from the same source: There are some similarities between John and Revelation but there are also some stylistic differences. Christian tradition says that the Apostle John was exiled to It would have been difficult to live as a Christian in the midst of such an immoral city. Next on the Roman mail route was Pergamos, the Roman capital of Asia Minor. The fanciful tradition that the apostle John was boiled in oil then exiled to Patmos was needed in order to get him to Patmos so that he could write the book there. The Philadelphian brethren could well identify with this admonition. No one signed the gospel now known as Johns Gospel and it was not even attributed to the apostle John until later in the second century. Blessed Catherine Emmerich adds this to the end of the life of the Virgin Mary: After Christ's Ascension Mary lived for three years on Mount Sion, for three years in Bethany, and for nine years in Ephesus, whither St. John took her soon after the Jews had set Lazarus and his sisters adrift upon the sea. The remains of the shrine to Asklepios have been uncovered by archaeologists. At that time, Domitian, Emperor of Rome, raised a great persecution against the Christians, and John was slandered before him. The New Bible Dictionary comments: "As Philadelphus was renowned for his loyalty to his brother, so the church, the true Philadelphia, inherits and fulfills his character by its steadfast loyalty to Christ" (1982, "Philadelphia," p. 926). The Saviour, looking lovingly at John, commissioned him to his Mother and the Virgin Mary to his care. "There, under favor of the deified kings of Pergamos, was his favorite abode and was the worship of Asklepios, under the form of the serpent . They were disciples of John the Baptist and were converted by Aquila and Priscilla. rev2023.3.3.43278. Later, when the Roman Empire collapsed, its successor, the Holy Roman Empire, would inherit the role. Evangelist John was the youngest disciple of Christ. The apostle John is best known and honored for his Gospel, one of the most beautiful biblical writings. It contains strong docetic themes, but is not considered in modern scholarship to be gnostic. The Acts of the Apostles shows the disciple and Apostle John with Peter both in the healing and in the imprisonment of the two in the dungeon, which speaks of Johns role in the early Christian community in Jerusalem. He also writes for the Beyond Today magazine and currently serves on the UCG Council of Elders. Philadelphia means "brotherly love." But I can just spare you. biblical literature: The Revelation to John, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Revelation-to-John, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Book of Revelation, PBS Frontline - Understanding The Book of Revelation, Book of Revelation - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Before the Saviour called him to discipleship and made him a fisher of men, John the Theologian was a fisher of the sea. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box. ad. 2. The city was named after the love the king who founded the city held for his brother. 10 Is the Gospel of John written before the destruction of Jerusalem? And Jesus was convinced that he would take care of Mary and his mother, perhaps even better than this. John's traditional tomb is thought to be located at Seluk, a small town in the vicinity of Ephesus. The city was established by Attalus II (159138 B.C. But this history is not sure.Revelation 1:1 states that the Book of Revelation was written by a person called John, and Revelation 1:9 says that he wrote from Patmos, without at any stage saying that he had been exiled to the island.During the second century, it was decided that the author of Revelation must have been the apostle John, merely because of the coincidence of names. In Ephesus was much evil to avoid within and without the congregation. It is noteworthy that Revelation 17:4-5 Revelation 17:4-5 [4] And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: Therefore, beloved, as you have always been obedient, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, not only when I am present but much more now in my absence. Patients coming to the shrine believed that Asklepios would heal them. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. "From all over the world," adds William Barclay, "people flocked to Pergamos for relief of their sicknesses. 8 Is the Book of Revelation written by John? With the wealth amassed, it had also become the banking center of the region. A:We know nothing about John of Patmos apart from his authorship of the Book of Revelation, but presumably he was able to see, in order to be able. "That seat," comments Alexander Hislop, "after the death of Belshazzar [the last Babylonian king], and the expulsion of the Chaldean priesthood from Babylon by the Medo-Persian kings, was at Pergamos, where afterwards was one of the seven churches of Asia. 1.10). The Apostle John states, whoever is born of God overcomes the world; and what wins the victory over the world is our faith. I guess all of us asked at least once why Jesus called John The Beloved One and why did Jesus choose John to be one of His disciples. He serves as the pastor of the Garden Grove, CA UCG congregation and serves in the Spanish speaking areas of South America. He was persecuted for his witness to Christ both in Jerusalem and Asia. What is the origin of the story that the Apostle John taught only "love one another"? If those articles are accurate, then the attribution of authorship of "John" to Cerinthus (by the Alogi) is not only not credible (due to their totally contradictory doctrines), but is reported second hand from the 4th Century - do you have any better support for your assertion than this? Are there historical accounts of the character of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah? Please refrain from using the fallacy of argument from authority - try and engage with the actual issues. Luke 3:1-22, Matt. One day, while fishing with James at the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus told them to follow Him. Seek not to disfellowship. (John 5:2) Revelation is pushed a little further out to about AD 66 68. Cyrus could not find a way to get up to the citadel and even offered a reward to the soldier who discovered a pathway. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. American King James Version, Bible Explorer Software). While on Patmos, John received a long and complicated vision from Jesus Christ (verses 1-2, 10-20) with the instructions: ". . On the other hand the stories told in the apocryphal Acts of John, which appeared as early as the second century, are unhistorical invention. It is never explained how it was possible to exile John anywhere, if his enemies were unable to harm him.Another answer:John was exiled to Patmos as punishment for refusing to stop preaching the gospel. He tells them that "he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'as I also have received from My Father" (Revelation 2:26-27 Revelation 2:26-27 [26] And he that overcomes, and keeps my works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations: According to Tertullian (in The Prescription of Heretics) John was banished (presumably to Patmos) after being plunged into boiling oil in Rome and suffering nothing from it. In the belief that this How old was John when he wrote Revelation? Did the apostle James the Greater travel to Spain and was he martyred in Jerusalem? 3 Did John Write Revelation before the Gospel of John? Most definitely the gospel of John was written before the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) as references are made within the book to structures existing before that siege of Jerusalem. John proved to be the most compassionate and obedient apostle. John is also associated with the pseudepigraphal apocryphal text of the Acts of John, which is traditionally viewed as written by John himself or his disciple, Leucius Charinus. For examples of the seven-vision approach, see Ernst Lohmeyer, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (Tiibingen, 1926); John Wick Bowman, The Sardian brethren could readily identify with a warning to be watchful. James the "I know your works, your labor, your patience," He told them, "and that you cannot bear those who are evil" (Revelation 2:2 Revelation 2:2I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you can not bear them which are evil: and you have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars:American King James Version). How are the Gospels and revelation similar and different? This meant that once a year each head of household had to appear before authorities, burn incense to the emperor and declare, "Caesar is lord." Perhaps further to this issue, you could comment on the perspective on the matter taken here: @bruisedreed It wasn't until later in the second century that we have a positive assertion of John's authorship. Have you bound yourself to the woman? Do not seek another woman. What are the 7 churches mentioned in Revelation? So Christ encourages and reminds them that He is offering them something Caesar worship could never providethe chance to live forever. . Christ exhorts this church, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God" (Revelation 3:2 Revelation 3:2Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God.American King James Version). The Gospels states that John took Mary to "His own house" but the Gospel also give us a clue that John and his older brother James were very young by the way they behave. How did serpent worship begin in Pergamos? A messianic community existed at Ephesus before Paul's first labors there (cf. We find a definite theme of brotherly fidelity in this section. A:Simply because the Book of Revelation was signed by a person called John, it was decided late in the second century that this must have been the apostle John. With Eusebius (Church History III.13.1) and others we are obliged to place the Apostle's banishment to Patmos in the reign of the Emperor Domitian (81-96). In fact, to this day, a community of disciples of John the Baptist still exists in the Middle East. John and Andrew were the first to follow the Saviour Christ. This provides the reader, for the first time, with the experience of observing how a Biblical book was written, and does this from an intimate perspective, as though they were looking over John's shoulders as he crafted it. He promises to those of Thyatira who remain faithful that they will be arrayed, not in Thyatiran purple, a cloth used mainly by Roman royalty, but at His coming with the spiritual mantle of rulership over the nations. Jesus next tells those brethren, who were blind to their true spiritual condition, that the "Phrygian powder" concocted in their medical center as an eye ointment was useless. John the apostle died on the island of Patmos, as he was kept a He successfully commanded his brother's forces in several wars and later became the trusted ambassador to their ally, Rome. The only two times Sardis had been conquered were when its citizens had become overconfident and failed to watch. 1.10). Therefore, beloved, as you have always been obedient. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the middle of the paradise of God. With three main roads crossing it, the city was one of the richest commercial centers in the world. Originally Answered: So are John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and John the Baptist all the same person? How to Market Your Business with Webinars? The good news is that Jesus assured the members of the Church in Ephesus that they would be able to eat from the tree of life and have access to Gods heaven. Irenaeus makes the claim that John wrote the Gospel and his letters at Ephesus and the Revelation when he was on Patmos. Patmos, a rocky, volcanic and sparsely populated isle, was an appropriate place to send captives. . That doesn't mean Jesus didn't love them all, but John was a spiritual thinker which drew Jesus to him in a kindred way. He chose to live as a celibate, as a single person. God works in you and gives you, according to His pleasure, both the will and the doing. Reward to was john blind when he wrote revelation citadel and even offered a reward to the United States when he was one of coins. He also wrote three other Sovereign Epistles, addressed to the whole of Christendom, which is also included in the canon of the New Testament. What happened to the apostle John after the Biblical account of his life ends? He is thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil but manages to escape unscathed. ), who was called Philadelphus ("brother lover") in honor of his loyal affection toward his brother, King Eumenes II of Pergamos. But membership involved attendance at guild banquets, and this in turn meant eating meat which had first been sacrificed to an idol. Acidity of alcohols and basicity of amines. Since this John was not the author, we do not need the oil, nor the exile. The brethren in Smyrna knew they were special targets of the persecution under Domitian, for the city's history had shown an unwavering loyalty to Rome. He went to Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, and in Pasadena, California, graduating with degrees in theology and Spanish.