Introduction
by Archbishop Averky
The Significance of the Apocalypse and the Interest in It
The Apocalypse or, as it is translated from the Greeks, the Revelation of St. John the Theologian, is the only prophetic book of the New Testament. It is the natural culmination of the whole cycle of the New Testament sacred books.
In the books of the Law, of history, and of instruction the Christian draws knowledge concerning the foundation and historical growth of the life of the Church of Christ, as well as guidance for his own personal activity in life. In the Apocalypse, however, there are given to the believing mind and heart mystical prophetic indications of the future fate of the Church and of the whole world. The Apocalypse is a mystical book which gives itself to a correct understanding and interpretation only with great difficulty; as a consequence, the Church Typicon does not indicate readings from it during the time of the Divine services.
But at the same time, it is precisely this mystical character of the book that draws to it the gaze both of the believing Christians and of simply curious thinkers. Over the course of the whole New Testament history of humanity, men have striven to decipher the significance and meaning of the puzzling visions described in it. There exists an immense literature about the Apocalypse, including many absurd works which touch on the origin and content of this mystical book. One might indicate, as one of such works in recent times, the book of N.A. Morozov, The Revelation in Thunder and Storm. Proceeding from the preconceived idea that the visions described in the Apocalypse depict, with the precision of an astronomical observer, the condition of the sky with its stars at some definite moment of time. Morozov makes astronomical calculations and comes to the conclusion that such precisely was the sky with its stars on Sept. 30, 395. Replacing the persons, actions and pictures of the Apocalypse with planets, stars, and constellations, Morozov makes broad use of indefinite, vague forms in the clouds, making them take the place of the missing names of stars planets and constellations in order to depict the full picture of the sky corresponding to the facts of the Apocalypse. If even the clouds do not help him, with all the softness and the receptivity in capable hands, then Morozov redoes the text of the Apocalypse to fit the meaning which he needs. Such a free and easy attitude towards the text of Sacred Scripture Morozov justifies either by the mistakes and the ignorance of the copyists of the Apocalypse, "who did not understand the astronomical meaning of the picture," or even by the idea that the writer of the Apocalypse himself "thanks to his preconceived idea," made forced interpretations in describing the picture of the sky with its stars. By such a "scientific" method, N.A. Morozov determines that the writer of the Apocalypse was St. John Chrysosostom [347-407], Archbishop of Constantinople. To the total historical absurdity of his concolusions, Morozov pays no attention whatsoever.
In our times -- the period of the First World War and the Russian Revolution, and then the yet more frightful Second World War, when mankind has experienced so many terrible shocks and misfortunes -- the attempts to interpret the Apocalypse as applied to the events being experienced have increased yet more. Some of these attempts have been more, some less, successful.
In making such attempts there is one important and essential thing to remember: In interpreting the Apocalypse, as in general in interpreting any book in Sacred Scripture, it is essential to make use of the facts given in the other sacred books which enter into the composition of our Bible, as well as of the works and interpretations of the Holy Fathers and the teachers of the Church. Among the special Patristic works in the interpretation of the Apocalypse, especially valuable is the Commentary on the Apocalypse of St Andrew, Archbishop of Caesarea,* which gives a summary of the whole understanding of the Apocalypse in the pre-Nicean period [before the First Ecumenical Council in 325]. Likewise very valuable is the Apology on the Apocalypse by St. Hipponlytus of Rome [about 230]. *Almost nothing is known of St. Andrew apart from his authorship of the Commentary. He lived apparently in the 5th century or a little later and quotes also 4th century Fathers such as St. Gregory the Theologian.
In more recent times there have appeared so many works of commentary on the Apocalypse that there are already 90 of them by the end of the 19th century [in the Russian language]. Among the Russian works the most valuable are:
1. A. Zhdanov, The Revelation of the Lord Concerning the Seven Churches of Asia
2. Bishop Peter, Explanation of the Apocalypse of the Holy Apolstle John the Theologian
3. N.A. Nikolsky, The Apocalypse and the False Prophesy Exposed by It
4. N.Vinogradov, Concerning the Final Fate of the World and of Mankind
5. M. Barsov, Collection of Essays for the Interpretation and Edifying Reading of the Apocalypse
Concerning the Writer of the Apocalypse
The writer of the Apocalypse calls himself "John" [Apoc. 1:1, 4-9]. In the common belief of the Chruch, this was the holy Apostle John, the beloved disciple of Christ, who for the height of his teaching concerning God the Word received the distinctive title of "Theologian." To his inspired pen belongs a the fourth canonical Gospel and three catholic epistles. Thus belief of the Church is justified both by facts indicated in the Apocalypse iself, and by many inward and outward signs.
1] The writer of the Apocalypse calls himself "John" at he very beginning, saying that to him was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ ]1:1]. Further, greeting the seven churches of Asia Minor, he again calls himself "John" ]1:4]. Later he speaks of himself, again calling himself "John" saying that he was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ [1:9]. From the history of the Apostles it is known that it is precisely St. John the Theologian who was subjected to exile on the island of Patmos. And finally, at the end of the Apocalypse, the writer again calls himself "John" [22:8]. In the second verse of the first chgapter he calls himself an eyewitness of Jesus Christ [compare I John 1:3].
The opinion that the Apocalypse was written by a certain "Presbyter John" is totally without foundation. The very existence of this "Presbyter John" as a person separate from the Apostle John is rather dubious. The only testimony which gives reason to speak about "Presbyter John" is a passage from a work of Papias which has been preserved by the historian Eusebius. It is extremely indefinite and gives opportunity only for guessing and suppositions which contradict each other. Likewise the opinion is totally without foundation that ascribes the writings of the Apocalypse to John Mark, that is the Evangelist Mark. Even more absurd is the opinion of the Roman presbyter Caius [3rd century] that the Apocalypse was written by the heretic Cerinthus.
2] The second proof that the Apocalypse beolongs to the Apostle John the Theologian is its simiolarity to the Gospel and the epistles of John, not only in spirit but also in style, and especially in several characteristic expressions. Thus, for example, the apostolic preaching is called here "testimony" or "witness" [Apoc. 1:2, 9; 20:4 compare John 1:7, 3:11, 21:24, I John 5:9-1]. The Lord Jesus Christ is called "the Word" [Apoc. 19:13; compare John 1:1-14, I John 1:1] as well as "the Lamb" [Apoc. 5:6, 17:14; compare I John 1:36]. The prophetic words of Zechariah, And they shall look on Him Whom they pierced [Zech 12:10], both in the Gospel and the Apocalypse are cited according to the Hebrew text of the Scripture [KJV; Apoc. 1:7, John 19:37].
Some have found that the language of the Apocalypse is supposedly to be distinguished from the language of the other writings of the Holy Apostle John. This difference is easily to be explained, both by the difference of content and by the conditions in which the writings of the holy Apostle had their origin. The Holy Apostle John, even though he knew well the Greek language, still, finding himself in exile far from the living conversational Greek language, naturally placed in the Apocalypse the seal of the powerful influence of the Hebrew language, being himself a native Jew. For the objective reader of the Apocalypse there is no doubt that on its whole contents there lies the seal of the great spirit of the Apostle of love and contemplation.
3] All the ancient as well as later Patristic testimonies acknowledge as the author of the Apocalypse St. John the Theologian. His disciple, Papias of Hierapolis, calls the writer of the Apocalypse "Elder John," as name which the holy Apostle gives to himself in his own epistles [II John 1, III John 1].
The testimony of St. Justin the Martyr is also important. Before his conversion to Christianity he lived for a long time in Ephesus, the city where the great Apostle himself lived for a long time and reposed.
Further, many Holy Fathers cite passages from the Apocalypse as from a Divinely inspired book belonging to St. John the Theologian. Such quotations are to be found in the works of St. Irenaeus of Lyons, the disciple ot St. Polycarp of Smyrna, who himself was the disciple of St. John the Theologian; St. Hippolytus, Pope of Rome and disciple of St. Irenaeus, who even wrote an apology on the Apocalypse; Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and Origen likewise acknowledge the holy Apostle John as the writer of the Apocalypse. In the same way Ephraim the Syrian, Epiphanius, Basil the Great, Hilary, Athanasius the Great, Gregory the Theologain, Didymus, Ambrose, Augustine and Jerome were convinced of this. The thirty-third canon of the Council of Carthage, ascribing the Apocalypse to St. John the Theologian, places it in the rank of he other canonical books. The absence of the Apocalypse in the Syrian translation [Peshito] is explained solely by the fact that this translation was made for reading at Divine services. In the 60th canon of the Council of Laodicea the Apocalypse is not mentioned, since the mystical content of the book did not allow it to be recommended to all, since it could give rise to false interpretations.
The Time and Place of the Writing of the Apocalypse
We do not have precise facts concerning the time of the writing of the Apocalypse. However, ancient tradition indicates for this the end of the first century. Thus St. Irenaeus writes, "The Apocalypse appeared not long before this and almost in our own time, at the end of the reign of Domitian" [Against Heresies, 5:30]. The church historian Eusebius states that the pagan writers contemporary to him mention also the exile of the holy Apostle John on the island of Patmos for his testimony of the Divine Word, and they refer this even to the 15th year of the reign of Domitian, 95 of 96 A.D. Clement of Alexandria, Origin and blessed Jerome affirm the same thing.
The Church writers of the first three centuries are in agreement also in indicating the place of the writing of the Apocalypse: the island of Patmos, which is referred to by the Apostle himself as the place where he received the revelations [Apoc. 1:9-10]. But after the discovery of the 6th century Syrian translation of the Apocalypse [the "Pokoke"], where, in a superscription, Nero is named in place of Domitian, many began to refer the writing of the Apocalypse to this time of Nero, that is, in the 60's of the first centry. St. Hipponlytus of Rome, likewise ascribes to Nero the exile of St. John to the island of Patmos. Such people likewise find that one cannot refer the writing of the Apocalypse to the reign of Domitian because, judging from the first two verses of the eleventh chapter of the Apocalypse, the temple of Jerusalem was not yet destroyed at that time, since in these verses they see a prophecy of the future destruction of the temple -- something which under Domitian, had already been accomplished. The indication of the Roman emperors which some people find in the 10th verse of the 17th chapter fit more than anyone else the successors of Nero. They likewise find that the number of the beast [Apoc. 13:18] can be fond in the name of Nero: Nero Caesar, 666. The very language of the Apocalypse, which is full of Hebraisms, likewise, in the opinion of certain people, indicates an earlier origin compared to the fourth Gospel and the epistles of St. John. The full name of Nero was: Clausius Nero Domitius, as a result of which one could also confuse him with the emperor Domitian, who reigned later. According to this opinion the Apocalypse was written about two years before the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, in the year 68 A.D.
Against this, however, it is objected that the condition of Christian life as it is presented in the Apocalypse speaks for a later date. Each of the seven Asia Minor churches which St. John addresses already has its own history and a direction of religious life which in one way or another has aleady been defined. Christianity in them is already not in its first stage of purity and truth; false Christianity strives to occupy a place in them side by side with true Christianity. All this presupposes that the activity of the holy Apostle Paul, who preached for a long time in Ephesus, was was something that had occurred in the distant past. This point of view, founded upon the testimony of St. Irenaeus and Eusebius, refers the time of writing of the Apocalypse to the years 95-96 A.D.
On the other hand, it is quite difficult to accept the opinion of St. Epiphanius , who says that St. John returned from Patmos under Emperor Claudius [41-54 A.D.]. Under Claudius there was no general persecution of Christians in the provinces, and there was only a banishment from of the Jews, among whose number Christians might also be included. Likewise unbelievable is the supposition that the Apocalypse was written at a yet later time, under the Emperor Trajan [98-108 A.D.], when St. John had already ended his life.
Concerning the place of the writing of the Apocalypse there is another opinion that it was written in Ephesus, after the return there of the Apostle from banishment. However, the first opinion is much more natural: that the epistle to the churches of Asia Minor which is contained in the Apocalypse was sent precise only from Patmos. It is also difficult to suppose the the holy Apostle did not immediately fulfill the command to write down what he had seen [Apoc. 1:10-11].
The Chief Subject And Aim of The Writing of The Apocalypse
In the beginning of the Apocalypse, St. John himself indicates the chief subject and aim of its writing: to show things which must shortly come to pass [1:1]. Thus, the chief subject of the Apocalypse is a mystical depiction of the future fate of the Church of Christ and of the whole world. From the very beginning of its existence, the Church of Christ had to enter into fierce battle with the errors of Judaism and paganism with the aim of effecting the triumph of the Divine Truth which had been brought to earth by the incarnate Son of God, and through this to give to mankind blessedness and eternal life.
The aim of the Apocalypse is to depict this battle of the Church and its triumph over all enemies, to show clearly the perdition of the enemies of the Church and the glorification of her faithful children. This was especially important and necessary for believers in those times, when frightful and bloody persecutions had begun against Christians, so as to give them consolation and encouragement in the sorrows and difficult trials which had overtaken them. This vivid picture of the battle of the dark kingdom of satan with the Church and the final victory of the Church over the "old serpent" [Apoc. 12:9] is necessary for believers of all times for precisely the same reason: to console and strengthen them in battle for the truth of the faith of Christ, a battle which they must always wage against the servants of the dark forces of hell, who strive in their blind malice to annihilate the Church.
The Church's View of the Content of the Apocalypse
All the ancient Fathers of the Church who wrote commentaries on the sacred books of the New Testament unanimously look on the Apocalypse as a prophetic picture of the last times of the world and the events which are to be accomplished before the Second Coming of Christ on earth and at the opening of the Kingdom of Glory which is prepared for all truly believing Christians. Despite the darkness under which the mystical meaning of this book is hidden, as a consequence of which many believers have striven in every way to defame it, the deeply enlightened Fathers and Divinely wise teachers of the Church have always had great respect for it.
Thus, St. Dionysius of Alexandria writes: "The darkness of this book does not prevent one from being astonished at it. And even if I do not understand everything in it, it is only because of my incapacity. I cannot be a judge of the truths which are contained in it or measure them with the poverty of my mind; being guided more by faith than by understanding, I find them only surpassing my understanding." Blessed Jerome expresses himself concerning the Apocalypse in a similar spirit: "In it there are as many mysteries as words. But what am I saying? Every praise of this book will be beneath its worth."
Many consider that even Caius, the presbyter of Rome, did not consider the Apocalypse to be the work of the heretic Cerinthus, as some infer from his words; for Caius speaks not of the book called: "The Revelation," but of "revelations." Esuebius himself, who quotes these words of Caius, does not say a word about the fact tha Cerinthus was the author of the book of the Apocalypse. Blessed Jerome and other Fathers who knew this passage in the works of Caius and acknowledged the authenticity of the Apocalypse, would not have left this without reply if they considered the words of Caius as referring to the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian.
But at Divine services the Apocalypse was not read and is not read. One must suppose that this is because in antiquity the reading of Holy Scripture at Divine services was always accompanied by interpretation of it, and the Apocalypse is too difficult for [an ordinary] interpretation. This also explains its absence in the Syrian translation, the "Peshito," which was intended especially for use in Divine services. As has been shown by researchers, the Apocalypse was originally in the list of the "Peshitol" and was excluded from it only after the time of St. Ephraim the Syrian. We know this because St. Ephraim quoted the Apocalypse in his works as a canonical book of the New Testament and uses it widely in his own Divinely inspired writings.
Rules For the Interpretation of the Apocalypse
As a book of God's decrees concerning the world and the Church, the Apocalypse has always attracted to itself the attention of Christians, and especially in those times when outward persecutions and inward temptations have begun to disturb the faithful especially powerfully, threatening from all sides with all kinds of dangers. In such periods believers have naturally turned to this book for consolation and encouragement and have tried to use it to deciphjer the meaning and significance of the events which are occurring. However, the figurativeness and the mystical quality of the book make it extremely difficult to understand. Therefore, for careless interpreters there is always the risk of being drawn beyond the boundaries of truth, and there is the occasion for fantastic hopes and beliefs.
Thus, for example, a literalistic understanding of the images of this book has given occasion and even now continues to give occasion for the false teaching of "chiliasm" -- the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. The terrors of the persecutions which were endured by the Christians in the first century and which were interpreted in the light of the Apocalypse gave occasion for some people to believe that the last times and the Second Colming of Christ were already at hand then, in the first century.
In the nineteen centuries which have since elapsed there have appeared a multitude of commentaries on the Apocalypse, and they have been of the most varied character. One may divide all these commentaries into four groups. Some of them refer all the visions and symbols of the Apocalypse to the "last times"-- the end of the world, the appearance of Antichrist, and the Second Coming of Christ. Others give to the Apocalypse a purely historical significance, referring all the visions to the historical events of the first century -- to the times of the persecutions raised against the Church by the pagan emperors. A third group strives to find the realization of apocalyptic prophecies in the historical events of recent times. In their opinion, for example, the Pope of Rome is Antichrist, and all the apocalyptic misfortunes are announced in particular for the Church of Rome, etc. A fourth group, finally, sees in the Apocalypse only an allegory, considering that the visions described in it have not so much prophetic as a moral meaning, and allegory is introdced only to increase the impression, with the aim of striking the imagination of readers.
The most correct commentary, however, is one that unites all these approaches, keeping in mind that, as the ancient commentators and Fathers of the Church clearly taught, the content of the Apocalypse in its sum is indeed directed to the last part of the history of the world. There can be no doubt, moreover, that in the course of the whole past history of Christianity many of the prophesies of the Apostle John concerning the future fate of the Church and the world have already been fulfilled. But great caution is required in applying the apocalyptic content to historical events, and one should not misuse this approach. One interpreter has rightly said that the content of the Apocalypse will only gradually become understandable to the degree that the events themselves appproach and the prophesies uttered in the book are fulfilled.
A correct understanding of the Apocalypse, to be sure, is hindered most of all by the departure of people from faith and true Christian life; this always makes people dull, and even leads to a complete loss of the spiritual vision which is essential for the correct understanding and spiritual evaluation of the events which occur in the world. The total devotion of contemporary man to sinful passions which deprive one of purity of heart, and consequently of spiritual vision [Matt. 5:8], serves as the cause of the fact that certain contemporary interpreters of the Apocalypse wish to see in it only an allegory and teach that even the Second Coming of Christ is to be understood allegorically. The histoical events and persons of the times we are now experiencing -- times which, in all justice, many already call "apocalyptic" -- convince us of the fact that to see in the book of the Apocalypse only an allegory only means to be spiritually blind. Everything now happening in the world does indeed remind one of the frightful images and visions of the Apocalypse.
The Content and Division of the Apocalypse
The Apocalypse contains in all twenty-two chapters. The book can be divided, according to its content, into the following sections:
1. An introductory picture of the Son of God Who appeared to John commanding him to write to the seven churches of Asia Minor. [ch.1].
2. Instructions to the seven churches of Asia Minor: The churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadeolphia, and Laodicea [chs. 2 and 3].
3. The vision of God sitting on the throne, and the Lamb [chs. 4 and 5].
4. The opening by the Lamb of the seven seals of the mystical book [chs. 6 and 7].
5. The voices of the seven trumpets of the angels declaring various misfortunes to those living on the earth at the taking away of the seventh seal [chs. 8, 9, 10, and 11].
6. The Church of Christ in the image of the woman clothed with the sun who is in the pangs of childbirth [ch. 12].
7. The beast [Antichrist] and his helper, the false prophet [ch.13].
8. Preparatory events before the general resurrection and the Last Judgement [chs. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19].
a. The hymn of praise of the 144,000 righteous ones; and the angels who declare the fate of the world [ch. 14].
b. The seven angels who have the seven last plagues [ch. 15].
c. The seven angels who pour out the seven cups of wrath of God [ch.16].
d. The judgement upon the great harlot who sits on the many waters and is seated upon the scarlet beast [ch.17].
e. The fall of Babylon, the great harlot [ch.18].
f. The battle of the Word of God with the beast and his army, and the destruction of the latter [ch 19].
9. The general resurrection and the Last Judgement [ch. 20].
10. The revelation of the new heaven and the new earth; the New Jerusalem and the blessedness of its inhabitants [chs. 21 and 22 to the 5th verse].
11. Conclusion: confirmation of the truth of everything said and the testament to preserve the commandments of God; the giving of a blessing [ch. 22:6-21].
