AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE APOCALYPSE (the book of
REVELATIONS), the writer, the Apostle John, now an old man--probably in
his 90s, begins his last writing.
Many things had happened in his life. By this time, the Roman--Jewish War had either killed or drastically changed the lives of most Jews, living in Israel. The Apostle John had spent most of his early life as a fisherman on Israel's large northern lake of Galilee. Jerusalem was a 3 day journey over rough country. So, except for religious obligations--attending the festivals, as the Passover, there was normally little movement or mixing of people. This was true to the point of the Galileans having their own distinctive language dialect. This made up John's early life. This life situation had changed with the appearing of John the Baptist. He began following the Baptist, but then the Baptist had introduced him to Jesus. FOR THREE YEARS OF THIS EARLY LIFE JOHN AND HIS BROTHER JAMES WALKED WITH JESUS. From that point on, this young Jew, by the name of John had started down a path far different than a Galilean fisherman. He bonded to Jesus in a different way than anything he had experienced. That had happened around 70 years ago. Then, after the 3 years, Jesus' crucifixtion had utterly crushed that first hope of a Jesus messianic kingdom. From the gospel accounts (Luke 24:10-11; Mark 16:9-11) leaving no hope for many of Jesus' followers, but, for a time, some even embittered. But then that bright light of the resurrection happened--reversing everything. He was alive. They realized He really was God--infinitely more than a mere Jewish Messiah. As we have,written, many things had happened since those days. Many encouraging--encouraging ,things. The 40 days Jesus had walked with them would have sufficiently energized this new "Way", but then the Holy Spirit, that Jesus spoke of, had really fired them up, and had continued firing them since that time. The Roman-Jewish War 67-70A.D. drastically altered Israel. He had long moved from Galilee and Jerusalem, and Israel. From the war, Jerusalem and Temple has been burned down. That happened about 20 years ago. He had made his home in Ephesus, (tradition has it that John had brought Jesus's mother Mary there during the war). At the time of writing, in one last act of persecution against the Apostle John, the Emperor Domitian had banished him to Patmos Island. Isolating him for a time, out on the Med. Sea. Here he has encountered Jesus again, but this time, a glorified Jesus Christ: Weither when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, "Don`t be afraid. I am the first and the last,
and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter; Revelations 1:17-19
Acting on the command of this glorified Messiah Jesus, John the Apostle writes seven letters to seven local contemporary churches. Some of these churches have been around for some time, started from the work of the Apostle Paul, such as Ephesus. Some had to be large, such as Ephesus, having numerous house churches
God continued His revelation:
Revelation 4 |
After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying,
"Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this."
Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne
REVELATIONS 4:1-2
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Apparently, "after this", is in reference to the Church, because Church is not refered to again.
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Apparently, "after this", is in reference to the Church, because Church is not refered to again.
