2025/04/07

190. The Seven Disciples and the Seven Letters (Fifth Letter)

As we discussed in the previous article, the "angel of the church in Thyatira," to whom the fourth letter of Revelation is addressed, was identified as James, the son of Zebedee. Therefore, the "angel of the church in Sardis" in the fifth letter is supposed to be John, also the son of Zebedee. The Acts of the Apostles records that John was actively engaged in missionary work with the Apostle Peter. However, after reporting that he had preached the good news in Samaria with Peter, it does not mention any further activity by John at all (cf. Acts 8:25). After that, while Philip was active, Paul was converted, and Peter continued with his missionary work, how was John living? He may have been helping his brother James' community. 

If so, John, who was likely to have been present when James was killed with a sword (cf. Acts 12:1-2), must have thought that this tragedy was the fulfilment of Jesus' prediction: "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized" (Mk 10:39). With the appearance of "Jezebel", James drank the cup of betrayal (cf. Rev 2:20-25). He was slaughtered in front of the people, and his community was scattered. At that time, John must have remembered the words of the risen Jesus, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" (Jn 21:22), the answer to Peter's question about John: "Lord, what about this man?" (21:21). 

The fifth letter of Revelation, which begins "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars'" (Rev 3:1), is written in a similar way to the first letter, which says, "The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands" (2:1). The angel, the addressee of the first letter, was the Apostle Peter. This fact suggests that John, the son of Zebedee, the angel who received this letter, was given a particular calling by Jesus, just like Peter. However, the content of the following letter suggests that John was shocked and devastated by the fact that his brother James had been killed with a sword and his community scattered. John must also have been seriously wounded. 

"I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God" (Rev 3:1-2). Here, it is implied that John's experience as a survivor was also the fulfilment of Jesus' words, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized", just as of his brother James, and that God had planned for John to fulfil the path of Christ in a different way to James. 

The letter encourages him to "Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent" (Rev 3:3). This passage suggests that John would write his Gospel. The words drawn forth by the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus were life to John and a light shining in the darkness (cf. Jn 1:4-5). Within those words is the worldview of Jesus Christ. No one but Apostle John, the disciple Jesus loved, can phrase it. 

It then goes on to say, "If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you" (Rev 3:3), and foretells that John will eventually be in the Spirit and hear a voice like a trumpet (cf. 1:9-10). That experience led him to write the Book of Revelation. 

And the words, "Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy" (Rev 3:4) provide an answer to John's prayer for James and those who were killed with him. The writer of the letter makes the following promise at the end: "He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels" (3:5). The themes of "white garments" and "the book of Life" become defining themes in the Book of Revelation, expressing the reality of God leading to eternal life. 

To be continued

Maria K. M.

 2025/03/31

189. The Seven Disciples and the Seven Letters (Fourth Letter)

Considering that there may be a correlation between the seven disciples who encountered the risen Jesus at the scene of the great catch by the Lake of Tiberias in the Gospel of John and the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, we have been examining its possibility by assigning the disciples to the seven churches in the order given in the Gospel of John. The gospel describes the seven disciples as "Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan'a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb'edee, and two others of his disciples were together" (Jn 21:2). In this context, the fourth and fifth letters (cf. Rev 2:18-3:6) correspond to the "sons of Zebedee". This time, we will examine the fourth letter, the letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. 

At the beginning of the letter, it describes the sender of the letter as follows: "The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze" (Rev 2:18). This description is very similar to a part of the description of the one who spoke to John, the author of the book of Revelation, filled with the Spirit on the Lord's Day: "His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace" (1:14-15). This clue indicates that the voice that spoke to the author John was that of "the Son of God", and at the same time, it suggests that the "angel of the church in Thyatira" in the fourth letter is someone similar to the author John. That is, James. 

James was one of the chosen disciples who always accompanied Jesus with Peter and John in crucial situations. So, Revelation says, "I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first" (Rev 2:19). On the other hand, Jesus gave the name "sons of thunder" (Mk 3:17) to James and his brother John. They tended to be forward-thinking and pushy, and Jesus chided them for this (cf. Mk 9:38, Lk 9:49, 54). Furthermore, they were also ambitious (cf. Mk 10:35-41). They were indeed very similar. 

In the letter, the "Son of God" points out as follows: "But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jez'ebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols" (Rev 2:20). Here, Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel who appears in the Book of Kings, is being referred to (cf. 1 King 16:31-21:25, 2 King 9:7-37). What this passage points out suggests a tragedy that will inevitably occur in a church community if a priest treats a woman who is close to him and convenient to him preferentially, as King Ahab did. 

Many women served in the church community from the beginning (cf. Luke 8:1-3). If the priest "tolerate" what one of them does, various thoughts of the community will be directed towards her. And if she has the appropriate abilities, a "Jezebel" will emerge between the priest and his community. She will act as an authority figure towards the congregation and teach them in her own way, with the backing of the priest as the letter says that Jezebel "calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants." The phrase "beguiling my servants to practice immorality" means that she deceives people with her attitude and abilities and makes them do what she says. And making them "to eat food sacrificed to idols" means that those who do what she says become used to her actions, which undermine the purity of their faith, and accept them without question. 

The letter continues, "I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality" (Rev 2:21). When she finds people who "do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan" (2:24), she will punish them, just like Jezebel in the Book of Kings did. Some of the believers will escape from such a community. It will take time for the priest to realise what is happening in his community. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read, "About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword" (Act 12:1-2). James, in situations like these, must have been caught off guard. 

The "Son of God" who can see through people's thoughts and judgements will give each person what their works deserve. He encourages those who "do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan" by saying, "I do not lay upon you any other burden; only hold fast what you have, until I come" (Rev 2:24-25). For believers, the genuine authority is the "morning star" (2:28) given by the "Son of God", that is, Jesus himself (cf. 22:16). 

To be continued.

Maria K. M.

 2025/03/24

188. The Seven Disciples and the Seven Letters (Third Letter)

Let's continue with our previous discussion. In the Gospel of John, we read, "Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan'a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb'edee, and two others of his disciples were together" (Jn 21:2). According to the above sequence, the "angel of the church in Per'gamum" to whom the third letter of Revelation is addressed corresponds to Nathanael of Cana in Galilee. 

Nathanael met Philip and found his vocation. Philip told him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (Jn 1:45). He responded, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (1:46). In other verses, the Gospel writes that some in the crowd who knew the Scriptures said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" (7:41-42) and that the chief priests and the Pharisees said, "Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee" (7:52). 

Nathanael's response to Philip shows that he was well-versed in the Scriptures. However, as a native of Galilee like Jesus, he could not say, "Can anything good come out of Galilee?" Nevertheless, he followed Philip, interested in his words, "Come and see" (Jn 1:46). Looking at Nathanael coming towards him, Jesus, who had known his thoughts, said, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" (1:47). At these words, Nathanael asked, "How do you know me?" (1:48). He felt that Jesus had seen into his inner being. 

Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you" (Jn 1:48). For Jews at that time, "being under a fig tree" could refer to having a private prayer or quiet time. Jesus was suggesting that Nathanael was such a person. This response from Jesus touched his heartstrings, and he confessed, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (1:49). However, Jesus' response was a little cold, as follows: "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these" (1:50). 

Even if there was some truth in Nathanael's confession, for him, who had a good knowledge of the Scriptures, this answer may have been a stock phrase he used when he met someone he thought was a rabbi (teacher) or an elder. Therefore, Jesus tried to consolidate his truth by saying, "You shall see greater things than these". Three days later, at a wedding, Jesus performs the sign of turning water into wine, revealing his glory, and Nathaniel, along with the other disciples, would witness this (cf. Jn 2:1-11). Since Nathaniel was from Cana in Galilee, this sign must have left a powerful impression on him. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, the sign of the wedding at Cana must have come vividly back to his memory. 

Later, Jesus performed the second sign again in Cana. He healed the dying official's son with only his words (cf. Jn 4:46-54). Nathanael's faith in Jesus was now solidified. The words in the third letter of Revelation, "The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword" (Rev 2:12) and "I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth" (2:16), were truth for Nathanael. And if he reads the following final words of this letter, he will understand their meaning: "To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it" (2:17). 

The "hidden manna" is the "body of Christ", suggesting the scene of the institution of the Eucharist at the last supper of Jesus. And the "body of Christ" is formed by the Word. Therefore, the words "a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it" lead us to the description of the "one sitting upon a white horse" in Revelation 19. There, we find the truth of Jesus as seen by Nathanael, the truth of the one who said, "I will give him a white stone." There, we see the image of the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus as follows: 

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations" (Rev 19:11-15). 

To be continued

Maria K. M.

 2025/03/17

187. The Seven Disciples and the Seven Letters (Letters 1 and 2)

In the previous article, we saw that the words "until I come" (Jn 21:22) in the last words of the risen Jesus in the Gospel of John are the theme of the letters addressed to the angels of six of the seven churches in the province of Asia in the Book of Revelation other than the church in Smyrna. From this, we understood that the words "until I come" meant "until the New Testament is completed" and that John, who had interpreted these words, already had foreseen the Book of Revelation. If that is the case, we may be able to find a connection between the Gospel of John and Revelation, as well as other Gospels, in this passage. 

Therefore, I thought there may be a correlation between the seven disciples who appear in the fifth episode of the Risen Jesus, the scene of the great catch at Lake Tiberias, and the letters to the angels of the seven churches in Revelation. The seven disciples are listed in order as "Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan'a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb'edee, and two others of his disciples were together" (Jn 21:2). We will apply these disciples to the angels of the seven churches in the order given above and see if they match the content of each letter. 

The first letter is addressed to "the angel of the church in Ephesus" (Rev 2:1), corresponding to Simon Peter, who is listed first in the order of the seven disciples. The letter says,"[Y]ou have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first" (2:4-5). Its content corresponds to the fact that Peter, who had said, "I will lay down my life for you" (Jn 13:37) on the night of the Lord's Passion, denied three times before the cock crowed. The letter continues, "If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." In the Book of Revelation, the "lampstand" refers to the church (cf. Rev 1:20), and "your lampstand" appears only here. Therefore, this "lampstand" is thought to refer to the church that Jesus said, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" (Mt 16:18). 

At the end of the letter, it says, "To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Rev 2:7). This is in line with the words of Jesus, "And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life" (Mt 19:29), when Peter said to Jesus, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?" (Mt 19:27). "Inherit eternal life" and "I will grant to eat of the tree of life" have the same meaning. 

The addressee of the second letter, "the angel of the church in Smyrna" (Rev 2:8), corresponds to "Thomas called the Twin" in the order of the seven disciples in the Gospel of John. Thomas was not with the disciples when the risen Jesus first appeared to them. Thomas' name appears frequently in the Gospel of John, and he had conversations with Jesus at crucial moments (cf. Jn 11:16, 14:5). So, it must have been a shock for him that the risen Jesus had visited the disciples in his absence. The Gospel tells us, "So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them, 'Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe'" (20:25). 

The second letter of the Revelation begins with the words, "The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life" (Rev 2:8). The phrase "who died and came to life" is directed at Thomas, who said he would not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. And the words "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life" (2:10) correspond to what Thomas said when Jesus went to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead: "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11:16). If he lives up to his words and is given the crown of life, he "shall not be hurt by the second death" (Rev 2:11). 

As mentioned above, this second letter does not have the theme "until I come" that appears in the other six letters. It is possible that it was omitted from this letter because the risen Jesus had already come to the disciples again for the sake of Thomas alone in the episode mentioned above (cf. Jn 20:24-29). It may also be a sign for us to notice the connection between the seven disciples in the Gospel of John and the letters to the angels of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. 

To be continued.

Maria K. M.

 2025/03/10

186. The Apostle John's Witness

In the final scene of the Gospel of John, where the risen Jesus appears to the seven disciples who are fishing, John the Evangelist explains the words of Jesus in response to the question asked by the Apostle Peter as follows: "The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?'" (John 21:23). "This disciple" is "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (21:20), that is, the Apostle John. The reason why "The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die" was because Jesus had said while he was alive, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power" (Mark 9:1). 

The meaningful phrase that follows, "yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?'" suggests the Book of Revelation with the words "until I come" as a clue. The Book of Revelation was written in a scroll by the author John to send to the seven churches in Asia, describing what he had seen (cf. Rev. 1:11). The central theme of the letters to the six churches other than the church in Smyrna, is the phrase "I come". 

Paying attention to how the phrase "I come" is expressed in each letter, we will see that the wording changes over time. In the letter to the church in Ephesus, we read, "If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent" (Rev. 2:5). In the letter to the church in Pergamum, we read, "Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth" (2:16). To the church in Thyatira, it says, "[O]nly hold fast what you have, until I come" (2:25). And to the church in Sardis, "If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you" (3:3). Up to this point, the theme of "I come" is a notice for the future. 

To the church in Philadelphia, however, it becomes the near future, with the words "I am coming soon" (3:11). Finally, to the church in Laodicea, it becomes the present, with the words "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" (3:20). It then says, "[I]f any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." The person who "hears my voice and opens the door" is a sheep who can hear the voice of the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep (cf. John 10:11-14), i.e., the disciples of Jesus. The phrase "opens the door" means establishing the New Testament. The scene of the Last Supper where Jesus instituted the Eucharist is in it. Then, Revelation continues as follows. 

"He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne" (3:21). 

The words "until I come" in the last words of the risen Jesus in the Gospel of John, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" were meant to be "until the New Testament was established". And John, who interpreted those words, already had a premonition of the Book of Revelation. 

Maria K. M. 

 2025/03/03

185. The Prophesied One, Part 7

The characters from the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation reunite on the San Damiano Crucifix. At the top of the crucifix, John of Revelation is holding a scroll with seals. To the right of Jesus on the cross are his mother and the Apostle John, and to the left are Mary Magdalene and Mary, the wife of Clopas. 

In addition, some gaze intently at Jesus on the cross. On the left of Mary Magdalene and Mary, the wife of Clopas, there is the centurion, who symbolises the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity, and his serious gaze reminds us of Paul, who paved the way to Rome. The person looking up at Jesus over the centurion's shoulder is the prophecy of Francis, who would encounter this crucifix. This encounter with the crucifixion led him to take on the Gospels of John and Revelation. He came to have the eyes of the Apostle John. 

The rooster painted smaller below the cross, to the left of Jesus' knee, also stares up at Jesus. At the Last Supper, when Peter was hot-blooded and said, "I will lay down my life for you" (Jn 13:37), Jesus foretold, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times" (13:38) and guarded his life. The gaze of the rooster depicted here expresses Peter's thoughts. 

Two other men are also depicted as small on either side of Jesus on the cross, looking at him. They are traditionally said to be the following. The person on Jesus' left is the person who offered Jesus the sponge soaked in vinegar. The Gospel of John says that Jesus accepted it (cf. Jn 19:29-30). That was a sign that the "Kingdom of God" that Jesus had mentioned in his words, "I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (Lk 22:18) had come. He was a witness to it. 

The man on Jesus' right is the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus' side with a spear. He was present at the establishment of the New Covenant and the birth of the Church and was bathed in the blood and water that flowed from Jesus' side. The Gospel of John writes, "And again another scripture says, 'They shall look on him whom they have pierced.'" (Jn 19:37). This description is found only in this passage and Revelation in the New Testament (cf. Rev 1:7). 

The fact that the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation are interrelated here overlaps with the final theme of the final episode of the scene of the Lord's resurrection in the Gospel of John, as written below. That is why the themes of the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation are depicted together in the San Damiano Crucifix. And that must have been of great significance to Saint Francis, who was called to this crucifix and became a prophesied one. We will discuss this in the next issue. 

"The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?'" (Jn 21:23). 

Maria K. M.

 2025/02/24

184. Apostle Peter

Jesus united his mother and the Apostle in a parent-child bond on the cross, thereby publicly entrusting the Apostle with the priesthood (cf. Jn 19:26-27). At the centre of the priesthood is the Body and Blood of Christ, which are born through collaboration with the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist directs believers towards the will of the Father (cf. 6:40), fulfilling Jesus' words, "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (6:56). There is a new and eternal covenant which enables people to obtain the forgiveness of sins. That is why the Son of God came down from heaven (cf. 6:38). 

God sent the angel to entrust Mary and Joseph with divine authority so that the Son of God would abide among us (cf. Mt 1:20-21; Lk 1:28-38). God asked Mary for her consent to it through the angel because, in her, who conceived the life of the Son of God, an indelible memory of having been a helper in God's work of creation would remain like all women carrying a child. 

The risen Jesus, in the unity of the Trinity, asked Peter, "Do you love me?" three times (cf. Jn 21:15-17). In the presence of the other Apostles, who had experienced the big catch through the Word together in the morning of the day (cf. 21:1-14), and in the presence of "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (19:26), to whom Jesus had entrusted the priesthood, uniting him with his mother by a parent-child bond, God asked Peter for his consent to accept to become the leader of the Apostles and the priesthood that would bring forth the Eucharist in collaboration with the Holy Spirit. That is because, just as in the case of Mary, who became the mother of Jesus, in a man who receives the priesthood, an indelible memory of having been a helper in God's work of salvation will remain. 

Peter replied, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you" (Jn 21:15). This response is equivalent to Mary's words to the angel, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38). When viewed in this way, we can see that the divine authority that the Father once revealed to Peter and that Jesus gave him corresponds to the authority entrusted to Jesus' parents, as I show below. 

Peter was given the words "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16) by the Father in heaven (cf. 16:17). On the other hand, Joseph and Mary, who were to welcome the Son of God, were given the words "You shall call his name Jesus" (Mt 1:21; Lk 1:31) by the angel of the Lord. The word "Emmanuel," the name that means "God with us," was fulfilled there. This name continues in the Eucharist, in which God dwells. 

Jesus said to Peter, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it" (Mat 16:18). These words correspond to the words that the angel said to Mary, "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Lk 1:32-33). 

Finally, Jesus' words to Peter, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mat 16:19), correspond to the words of the angel to Joseph, "for he will save his people from their sins" (1:21). To "save his people from their sins", it was necessary to give Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the "keys of the kingdom of heaven", which would protect believers from temptation and deliver them from evil. 

For Peter, who responded to the risen Jesus' threefold question, "Do you love me?" these words that Jesus had once given him took root within him, and the mission given to him through them was fixed within him. Peter's mission, which was approved before God and the Apostles, would be passed on to his successors. 

Peter, who had taken on the fate of the Church in this way, would meet his end in a place he never expected with the arrival of Paul. Paul paved the way for Christians to Rome, following Jesus' command (cf. Ac 23:11). In Rome, Peter fulfilled Jesus' words, "on this rock I will build my church". That is as Jesus had foretold: "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go" (Jn 21:18).  The second "Follow me" (21:22) we examined last time was Peter's going to Rome according to God's plan. 

Maria K. M.