2025/04/28

193. Pentecost and the Book of Revelation

From the previous analyses over the past six issues, we have learned that the seven angels of the seven churches described in the Book of Revelation 2 and 3 correspond to the seven disciples who encountered the risen Jesus at the Sea of Tiberias in the Gospel of John. The starting point for these reflections was the San Damiano Crucifix, which is said to have led St. Francis of Assisi to his conversion. Its composition contained themes from the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation, and the figure of Christ at the centre can be seen to represent the Risen Jesus. So, we have examined the scenes in the Gospel of John where the risen Jesus appears to his disciples, together with the documents concerning Saint Francis. 

As a result, we focused on the fact that John the Evangelist explains the words of Jesus in response to the Apostle Peter's question in the final scene of disciples' encounter with risen Jesus in the Gospel of John with the following meaningful phrase: "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). Here, we found that the key to understanding John's intention lies in the phrase "until I come," because John stresses that "Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die." 

In the Book of Revelation, numbers hold significant meaning. When opening the Book of Revelation, keeping in mind the seven disciples who encountered the resurrected Jesus, the first phrase that catches the eye is "John to the seven churches that are in Asia" (Rev 1:4). Additionally, we have discovered that the expression "until I come" in the final words of the risen Jesus in the Gospel of John, serves as the theme in the six letters, excluding the second letter, the letter to the church in Smyrna, and that the tenses used for this theme in each letter form a chronological sequence. In the letters to the churches in Ephesus, Pergamon, Thyatira, and Sardis, the theme is a prophecy of the future; in the letter to the church in Philadelphia, its tense is the near future, with the phrase "I am coming soon" (3:11). And in the letter to the church in Laodicea, its tense is the present tense: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" (3:20). 

However, this theme is absent in the second letter, addressed to the angel of the church in Smyrna (who is thought to represent Thomas). That is likely because the author considered that Jesus had come again specifically for Thomas, who had stubbornly refused to believe in Jesus' resurrection (cf. Jn 20:24-29). In this way, the narrative of the Book of Revelation goes on using an expression method in which the contents of its descriptions and that of the Gospels associated with them exist simultaneously as if they are the two sides of a coin. It is structured in such a way that people find difficulty in intuitively grasping and understanding. 

When Jesus taught people, he used parables to convey truths that could not be understood without insight. Then, he explained the meaning of these parables to his disciples. However, regarding himself, who was fulfilling the will of the Father, the Gospel says, "But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they did not grasp what was said" (Lk 18:34). Jesus' parents had the same experience (cf. 2:50). This experience made them vividly realize the moment when the Holy Spirit descended (cf. Acts 2:2), the moment when he touched them (cf. 2:3), and the moment when they understood everything through them, through the contrast between these two experiences. They came to know the Holy Spirit. 

The reality that the Book of Revelation is structured in a way that is difficult for people to grasp intuitively and understand leads us, who practise the "training of Revelation" by reading it aloud, listening to it, and memorising it, to the blessedness of having the same experience as Jesus' disciples and his parents (cf. Rev 1:3). We who have accumulated daily experiences of "not understanding" through the "training of Revelation" will, when the Holy Spirit guides us and reminds us of the New Testament (cf. Jn 16:12–15), become able to grasp the moments when the Holy Spirit is at work and when he touches us, through the contrast between these two experiences. We will come to know the Holy Spirit. 

Maria K.M.

 2025/04/21

192. The Seven Disciples and the Seven Letters (Seventh Letter)

As discussed previously, among the seven disciples who encountered the risen Jesus while fishing on the shore of Lake Tiberias, one of the "two others of his disciples were together" (Jn 21:2) was Andrew, the brother of Peter. Next, we will examine the other disciple, who corresponds to the "angel of the church in Laodicea" in the seventh letter of the Book of Revelation. 

Those male disciples mentioned by name in the Gospel of John are Peter, Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, Thomas, Judas Iscariot, and (the other) Judas. Among these six disciples, excluding those already mentioned as the "seven disciples" by the Sea of Tiberias, we have Philip, Judas Iscariot, and (the other) Judas. Considering that John the Evangelist stresses that Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter (cf. Jn 1:44, 12:21), this disciple can be identified as Philip. 

Philip met Nathanael and immediately brought him to Jesus (cf. Jn 1:45–46). The words Philip spoke to Nathanael, "Come and see" (1:46), are equivalent to the words Jesus said when he saw Andrew and another disciple of John the Baptist following him: "Come and see" (1:39). As a fisherman, he was an intuitive person like his fellows. He must have had confidence in his intuition. However, this attitude sometimes dulls one's sense of grasping the essence of things behind the surface. Even after experiencing the sign of turning water into wine (cf. 2:1-11), the sign of healing the official's son (cf. 4:43-54), and the sign of healing the sick (cf. 5:1-9) with Jesus, and hearing Jesus' teachings accompanying these signs, Philip remained unaware of his tendency. 

The Gospel states, "Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, 'How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?' This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do" (Jn 6:5–6). Philip answered, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little" (6:7). However, this answer did not lead to Jesus multiplying the bread and fish for the crowd. Thus, Philip witnessed Andrew's brilliant answer, which catalysed Jesus to perform the sign (cf. 6:9). At that moment, He must have become aware of his inclination. And we can see that he began to overcome it in the next scene. 

When Jesus went up to Jerusalem, some Greeks came and said, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus" (Jn 12:21). This meant that Jesus' reputation had reached distant places through the crowds, beyond his disciples, as it says, "The crowd that had been with him when he called Laz'arus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness" (12:17). Jesus' ministry, of which he had said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt 15:24), was coming to an end. The first to receive the request from the Greeks was Philip. However, he did not pass it on directly to Jesus. "Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus" (Jn 12:22). 

And at the Last Supper, along with Thomas and Judas (not Iscariot), he asked Jesus questions like a child and drew many words from him (cf. Jn 14:5–24). The process of Philip's growth is also ours, believers. Therefore, the sender of the seventh letter of Revelation is described as "the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation" (Rev 3:14) so that we can become more open to him, unlike previous letters. He says, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth" (3:15–16). We believers today have no words to respond to these words. That is because they are true. How does one become "lukewarm"? 

Everyone acts with a sense of "I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing" (Rev 3:17), which is essential for self-sufficiency and self-realisation. This sense simultaneously places them in a state of "not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked" (3:17). They are hiding their true selves from themselves. That is what creates a lukewarm state in them. Therefore, the sender of the letter continues: "Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see" (3:18). Then he encourages us saying, "Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent" (3:19). Where will this "buy from me" be realised? Where does the "I reprove and chasten" take place? It is where we practise the training of the Book of Revelation, which includes these seven letters. 

To be continued

Maria K. M.

 

 2025/04/14

191. The Seven Disciples and the Seven Letters (Sixth Letter)

Previously, we have examined the validity of applying the letters addressed to the angels in the seven churches in Revelation to the seven disciples who met the risen Jesus while fishing by the shores of Lake Tiberias, as described in the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John reads, "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). If we go by this order, the sixth letter would be one of the "two others of his disciples". 

The sixth letter of Revelation begins as follows: "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens" (Rev 3:7). These words are reminiscent of the words Jesus once said 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). 

The following passage, "I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name" (Rev 3:8), reminds us of the words Jesus said to Peter, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times" (Jn 13:38). From these facts, we can presume that the addressee of the sixth letter, "the angel of the church in Philadelphia", is Andrew, Peter's brother, who first introduced Peter to Jesus. He was also a fisherman. 

The letter continues, "Behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown" (Rev 3:9-11), and ends with a reward for the "conqueror". The "angel of the church in Philadelphia", along with the "angel of the church in Thyatira", who is assumed to be James, in the fourth letter, where "Jezebel" appears, is not given the stern warning given to the other angels. Both James and Andrew must have been outstanding disciples. That may be because they were disciples of John the Baptist before they met Jesus. 

According to the Gospel of John, the first to follow Jesus were two disciples of John the Baptist, and the Gospel says one of them "was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother" (Jn 1:40). Based on the reason above, the other disciple could be supposed to be James, the sons of Zebedee. That is because John the Evangelist could describe the details of the incident in his Gospel: "The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus" (1:35-37). The two had gained knowledge about Jesus from their teacher, John the Baptist, that he was "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (1:29), "he was before me" (1:30), "this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" (1:33), and "this is the Son of God" (1:34).

The actions of the two after that were remarkable. When Jesus saw them following him, he asked, "What do you seek?". In response, they asked him, "Rabbi (which means Teacher), where are you staying?" (Jn 1:38), and drew from Jesus the words, "Come and see" (1:39). Then, as invited, they followed Jesus and saw where he was staying. It was evening, so they stayed with Jesus that day. Their actions were intuitive and without hesitation. Later, Andrew went to see Peter and said, "We have found the Messiah (which means Christ)" (1:41), and took him to Jesus. He was a man of keen insight who acted with great precision. 

This trait of Andrew did not change even after he became a disciple of Jesus. When Jesus saw a multitude coming to him and said, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" (Jn 6:5), he intuitively understood what Jesus was about to do and replied, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" (6:9). He thus provided the opportunity for Jesus to perform a miracle (cf. 6:10-13). 

In this way, he was a steady disciple of Jesus, accurately following his intentions, and Jesus had great confidence in him. So, when Jesus went out with only Peter, James and John, he must have been able to entrust him with the responsibility of looking after things while he was away. Eventually, the other disciples also came to rely on him. When some Greeks in Jerusalem asked to see Jesus, Philip, the first to receive the request, spoke to Andrew before reporting it to Jesus (cf. Jn 12:20-22). 

Andrew was a person worthy of receiving the following promise: "He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name" (Rev 3:12). 

To be continued

Maria K. M.

 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.