Outline of Session 3: Commentary
on the opening address of Revelation, Letters to the Seven Churches.
Understanding the historical context of the letters, but also seeing the
historical interpretation of the Seven Churches as representing salvation
history or Church history.
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Catholic
Commentary on the Apocalypse
Studying
the most perplexing book of the Bible with the great Catholic Scholars
Session
3 – The Seven Church of Asia, Revelation 1-3
Outline of Session 3: Commentary
on the opening address of Revelation, Letters to the Seven Churches.
Understanding the historical context of the letters, but also seeing the
historical interpretation of the Seven Churches as representing salvation
history or Church history.
I. Review of last week: St John and the History of the writing
of Revelation
A. Overview of the Book of Revelation: The book does not admit
of any clear structure or organization, however certain patterns and a general
overview are possible. Notice the recurring theme of Seven.
B. Hermeneutics of Interpretation: Preterism, Futurism, and
Historicism. Also allegorical.
St Jerome, “The Apocalypse has as many mysteries as words, or
rather mysteries in every word.”
Fr Haydock, “But it should never be forgotten, that the
connection of sublime and prophetical ideas which compose this work, has at all
times been a labyrinth, in which the greatest geniuses have lost themselves,
and a rock on which most commentators have split.”
II. Commentary on Chapter 1
1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him” –
The revelation was given to Christ in his humanity. Contrary to the heretical
Agnoetics who claimed that Jesus did not know the time of Judgment, St Gregory
the Great and the Church teach the he knew all things even as man. The Lord
shares it with John, and from the humanity of Christ we receive all knowledge
and grace and truth.
1:1 “Things which must shortly come to pass” – All time is short
compared to eternity in heaven. Further, there is no other public revelation to
be given before the End, thus we are in the last days. Or, this refers to the
persecutions of the Church under the Roman Empire.
1:7 “Every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him.” –
Sacred Heart Devotion. Calls to mind the Crucifixion account in the Gospel of
John.
1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the
Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” -- These are the words of Jesus, and clearly
express his Divinity.
1:9-10 “in the island,
which is called Patmos […] I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day” – Patmos, an
island in the Aegean Sea. The Lord’s day, meaning Sunday (perhaps after offering Mass?)
1:11 “The seven churches which are in Asia” – These are seven particular
Churches, but they stand for the whole Church. St John acts here as an Apostle
and Metropolitan Archbishop, overseeing all the Churches of the region under
his care. Notice, the hierarchy of the
Church established during the times of the Apostles.
1:20 “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” –
The angels stand for the bishops.
II. The Seven Churches and the History of Salvation
1st
Church – Ephesus – Garden of Eden, Fall, expulsion. Walking among lampstands, God walking with
Adam. Toil/work and man works in the garden.
“Remember how you have fallen”, the fall of Adam and Eve. The tree of
life, the tree of life.
2nd
Church – Smyrna – Those who are supposed to be Jews but are not, reminds us of Isaac/Ishmael
and Jacob/Esau, also reference to being thrown into prison reminds us of joseph
in prison in Egypt.
3rd
Church – Pergamum – Exodus and the wandering in the desert – Reference to Balaam
who was in the wilderness, “eat the hidden manna” reference to wilderness and
food of manna.
4th
Church – Thyatira – The kings of Israel – Reference to Jezebel who tempted the
kings to go to idolatry, “rod of iron” which reminds us of the authority of the
kings and especially of David.
5th
Church – Sardis – The prophets – Message of repentance which is the message of
the prophets, reference to the hour when Christ will come, reference to the
book of life
6th
Church – Philadelphia – The Maccabean era of the Old Testament. Especially the
struggle between those who are true Jews and those who were not. The time of
trial/temptations. The Temple.
7th
Church – Laodicea – The Early Church. A great call to conversion, to be hot or
cold and not lukewarm. “White garments”
points to Baptism, “I will eat with him” points to the Eucharist.
A typical
Protestant historicist view of the history of the Church, as follows: (Note, we reject this)
The age of
Ephesus is the apostolic age. The age of
Smyrna is the persecution of the Church through AD 313. The age of Pergamum is the compromised Church
lasting until AD 500. The age of
Thyatira is the rise of the papacy to the Reformation. The age of Sardis is the age of the
Reformation. The age of Philadelphia is
the age of evangelism. The age of Laodicea represents "present day"
context.
III. Commentary on Chapter 2-3
A. Notice the style of the letter to each
of the seven Churches follows a traditional legal argument Christ makes against
each of the Churches. Christ praises what is good in each of the Churches, then
points out the failings and calls them to conversion with both the threat of
punishment and the promise of reward/blessing.
B. The letters are written to the
“angles” which is to say the bishops of each of the Churches. Not that the
bishop himself has failed necessarily, but to indicate the call to conversion
for the community.
2:1 “Unto the angel of the church of
Ephesus” – This is likely St Timothy. Most likely, St John had lived with
Timothy before being taken to Rome and then exiled to Patmos. Further. St John
lived with Timothy for his final years in Ephesus and when he wrote the
Gospel. Timothy dies in early 100s,
martyred by pagans.
2:6 “The Nicolaites” (see also 2:15) –
The Nicolaites or Nicolatians were an early heretical sect in Asia Minor,
mentioned in reference to both Ephesus and Pergamum. Their heresy seems to have been bodily
indulgence, and perhaps sexual promiscuity. Some attribute the heresy to the
Deacon Nicholas, who was a gentile convert that was among the first seven
deacons – Not that Nicholas himself was a heretic, but that they falsely
claimed him as their authority for false their false teachings. Some say that the Nicolaites is related to
the deacons of the early Church being expected to set aside their marriage in
order to be ordained – but instead, some took this as opportunity for sexual
promiscuity.
2:8 “The Angel of the church of Smyrna” –
Perhaps St Polycarp, who was a disciple of St John from his childhood and wrote
a letter to the Philippians. Polycarp was himself the teacher of St Irenaeus
who is one of the most important theologians of the Early Church. St Ignatius
of Antioch wrote to Polycarp, and the two of them (with Irenaeus) give the
strongest witness to the Catholicity of the Early Church: The hierarchy of the
Church, the sacraments, and especially the Eucharist.
2:13 “When Antipas was slain among you” –
St Antipas was bishop of Pergamum and martyred under Nero (perhaps mid-60s). He
had been trained and ordained by St John.
3:7 “of the church of Philadelphia” –
There were several cities named “Philadelphia” in the ancient world, here is
mean that which was near Sardis. Note that these seven cities named are all in
a line across Asia Minor, St John would have followed a single path progressing
from city to city in his Apostolic visitation of the Churches.
3:14 “These things saith the Amen […] the
beginning of the creation of God” – Jesus calls himself “the Amen” which is to
say, “The Truth.” He is the “beginning”
even as revealed in John 1:1. Not that the Word was created, but all were
created through him. Further, consider the parallel with Wisdom of the Old
Testament.