His Revelation… Again

By James E. Lyman

Patmos, a dry island stuck out in the Mediterranean. A man, beaten aboard a prison ship, struggles to maintain strength as he’s led out onto this forbidding, dusty rock as a prisoner of Rome. Little did he know that in this dark cave he calls home as a prisoner-laborer in the quarries, a mighty angel would appear to him, and prepare him for what would be the final, glorious climax in John’s service to the savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was to write down the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ for all mankind. The long, dry, brutal months ahead were made bearable by the routine visits of the angel Fidelity, whose great strength, grace, love for his Lord, and the message he was carrying made the mission for John quite bearable, for it brought with it faith, humor, grace, and love for his fellow man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669827771

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Copyright © 2022 by James E. Lyman.

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without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version

(Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic

Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

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Rev. date: 05/31/2022

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CONTENTS

Preface

His Servants

Fidelity, the Mighty Angel of Strength and Grace

Introduction

1. His Revelation: The Preamble

2. Patmos

3. God’s Seven Apocalyptic Letters

4. The Realm of Diamonds

5. Hoofbeats

6. Martyred

7. Chaos Within

8. The Doldrums and the Sealing of the Tribes

9. Trumpets

10. Woe upon Woe

11. The Tribulation’s Finale Begins

12. Time, Times, and a Half Time Again

13. Final Conflict, Final Glory

14. The Seventh Trumpet

15. Wilderness And War

16. Wilderness And Wrath

17. The Sea Spews Forth Horror

18. Twelve Twelves And The Never-Ending Good News

19. Angels Of Judgment

20. Seven Angels, Seven Bowls, Horror And Wrath

21. Apostacy-That Great Whore

22. Will The Real Babylon Please Stand

23. Masters, Merchants. And Mourners

24. Horror of Night . . . Kingdom of Light

25. Melancholy to Marriage

26. Rapture and Rejoicing

27. Armageddon The Promised War

28. The Millennium at Last

29. Falling Yet Again –Forever

30. Heaven or Hell: The Choice Is Made

31. No More Tears . . . No More Pain

32. The Beginning . . . The End... and Somewhere in Between

33. The Diamond Citadel

34. The Diamond Citadel

35. I Am Alpha and Omega

36. No Candle, No Sun, But God Alone

37. His Promise – Forever

Epilogue

PREFACE

Getting from There to Here

Before I get into this too far, you need to keep things in the perspective our Lord Jesus expects or, at least, as I think He does. I’m firmly convinced that our Lord Jesus wants to share with those He loves all the magnificent wonders that are in store for us. If He didn’t, then why has He bent over backward, trying to get us to read, listen, watch, and above all, pay attention to what He has to say? Remember what He told us, Be still and know that I am God! Do you know that our earthly fathers tell us the same thing, only it comes out as Will you please be quiet for once and listen to what I’m telling you? Yeah, that’s Dad all right! The final step in this entire process is when you’ve grasped what He said, then pray fervently so that the answers and meanings we need are brought to us by the Holy Spirit. Why? So we can understand our Father. That’s why! Sure beats a thump on the head!

So you and I are going to go places that no one else has dared to go. Why? Because they’re scared? No! I think it’s just that the Holy Spirit hasn’t told them to yet! There’s another precaution you’ve got to keep in the back of your head: Don’t think just because you’ve read this, you know it all, all of a sudden educated in the final book or episode in the Bible—the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ—because you’re not! There is an angel assigned by the Lord to your church whose duty it is to instruct you in the ways of the Lord, on how to preach and teach the Word, so don’t second guess Jesus! Listen to your pastor or minister when he guides you through the love letters of our Lord. Just one word of caution, however, if your pastor or minister does not read and instruct from the Holy Bible, then what he or, in some cases, she is saying is so much gobbledygook! You’ve always got to keep in your mind (and soul) that our Lord cautioned us about listening to those who tickle our ears. If you don’t know what that means (and they won’t tell you), then contact me. I’ll tell you!

Many of you and—before taking my studies to become a servant of our Lord—me too became confused when all the heads, horns, diadems, beasts, dragons, and a lot of what we are going to see in the Book of the Revelation attacked my brain! For instance, chapter 13 is, if you will, sort of a springboard into the extreme supernatural. When I say that, it isn’t to mean that what we’re going to see is something that is meant only to scare the becrimanies out of us. On the contrary, chapter 13 is the original, unabridged, take-it-to-the-bank book of dragons; serpents; blood; squishy, nasty things; and mayhem that Hollywood only dreams about. Their only problem is they haven’t gotten the faith and direction yet to film it. It would scare anybody senseless! Why? Because it’s true!

Now here’s the point I want to make, and please remember, these are my thoughts and ideas. If you don’t agree with them, that’s your right, and besides, this is a novel, not a history book! Here Jesus Christ is giving Apostle John a whole bunch of visions and, as He told John in the beginning, Write what you see! It is my opinion that John really didn’t know the impact of what he was seeing or writing down. Is that to say that he never did? No, but unless he ate some bad mushrooms, he hadn’t seen anything like that outside the visions of what Jesus told him to write ever! So until he had some time to sit down and converse with the Holy Spirit or his favorite mighty angel, whom you’ll be meeting in days to come, as to what this all meant, he was as astounded, confused, and frightened as we would be. Prayer was his best friend! Furthermore, we must always keep in mind that John was not able to reach up, or over there, and grab a reference book by Green, McGee, Baker, Clarke, Tyndale, Nelson, Jeremiah, Zondervan, Swindoll, or Graham, and in a few minutes of sipping tea and reading, get a total grasp of what was going on probably! It was through prayer and supplication that John received his understanding of what he saw and heard. Only by the very grace and love of Jesus were answers freely given to him. John was able to see through the eyes of our Lord. The fact that he had an elder in heaven take a liking to him didn’t hurt either!

With that being said, I will, from time to time and within the storyline, reiterate or expound upon what I think about a certain verse or verses of any given chapter. There are so many of my great favorite books in the Bible or the beginner’s handbook or the owner’s manual, whichever you’d like to call this best friend for life! However, you all must keep in mind the one important, absolute fact in this world and in your life: the Bible is and always will be the spoken word of Him who is, who was, and always will be. Also, thank you for remembering that I am not an expert on the Bible and especially the absolutely exciting; marvelous; wonderful; and yes, spooky; and challenging Book of the Revelation. But then, other than the author, who is?

So you ask yourself, Where in the world did he get that? Well, that’s a good question, and I wish I had a concrete answer. The truth is I don’t! I’ve got to ask you, do you believe in prayer? You do? Good. Now you know where I get some of these ideas! There I was reading somewhere in the Old Testament when a bunch of names comes spurting out of Moses’s mouth or Isaiah’s or Jeremiah’s, especially in the begots! I’m toast! I need to study if that information is germane to the issue at hand. Yep, that’s me, always studying my owner’s manual for answers. However, in my simple way of thinking, the Book of the Revelation of Christ Jesus is completely and totally different. As great theological minds will tell you, in many instances, your guess is as good as theirs. I think that’s the Father getting into our heads and teaching us again. See? I think that if they don’t say that they know that, many will give up searching on their own, and that they never want to see happen.

With all of that I have expounded to you, I’m going to stop blabbering and get on with it. I’ve never attempted to write a book, and I look at others in admiration when they’ve been able to publish one, much less write it! My reason for this book, however, is for all of you to see the revelation of Jesus Christ through another set of windows. These ol’ brown eyes maybe a little cracked, somewhat covered with dust, and not perfectly glazed.

But isn’t it great that our savior, Jesus, is a carpenter by trade? The old saying goes, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well, in this case, Jesus says, It’s broke and I know it, so send it to Me and I’ll fix it! So in His love, I do this; in His love, I give it unto you; in His love, please receive it. God bless you all abundantly, and I remain yours.

Pastor James

Author’s Note: As you will see, my book contains the verses found in the Book of the Revelation, the final book in the New Testament. In writing my book, I used the World Publishing Company’s printing of the Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments, translated out of the original tongues, conformable to the edition of 1611, commonly known as the Authorized or King James Version

No spelling changes to various words used in today’s language that are spelled differently in these verses, were made to coincide with the English spelling of today.

HIS SERVANTS

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

John – son of Zebedee and Salome, younger brother of James, lived in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. He was a fisherman, a cousin to Jesus the Savior.

Presenting to you his friends and loved ones:

Barabbas – quiet at first, a loner. No one wanted to trust him. Very loud when aggravated.

Barabbus – strong, helpful, a friend to all, especially to John

Caelian – wife of Julius, Roman, from a very wealthy family. Her rather was the regent of Appius.

Cassius – senior aide to the governor, from Rome, very nice, a friendly young man.

Cronuts Bursius IV – governor of Patmos, loved by John. John was a very close friend of his. Originally from Greece, a strong believer, loved by all.

Daniel – good friend to John, loved by all the men, perished when a rock face in the quarry gave way and crushed him.

Fidelity – mighty angel of Yahweh and Jesus, selected to be John’s guardian, the most favorite angel of all to John. He resides in heaven with other mighty angels, innocent to a fault and, at first, very timid. His arrivals scare John like crazy. Messenger for Jesus; loves John very much, almost like a brother. He has fallen deeply in love with tea and honey and sweetcakes.

Jesus – newest of the prisoners, quite young, very quiet, helpful, and very smart…intellectually speaking.

James – youngest of all the men, idolizes John and looks up to him as his grandfather. An incredible cook, he was taken to live in billets and cook in the governor’s kitchen. He fell in love with Marion, the hired cook.

Johanna – wife of Persius the centurion, friend to all, has a loving heart, probably a believer.

Julius – a young legion centurion, comes from a very wealthy family in Rome; was a real hothead, very arrogant; became a very wonderful young man; loves to verbally spar with John; captain of the garrison guard; is in awe of John; is a believer

Lazarus – one of John’s oldest friends, knows and loves the writings of the ancient ones, met the apostles Luke and Paul and liked them. He is good at engineering and comes in real handy at the quarries.

Lucius Octavius – grandfather of Persius the Centurion, was a centurion that was present at the crucifixion of Jesus, was the one who admitted that Jesus was the Son of Man, has since passed on (for information only, not a figure in the book).

Madeline – comforting angel to children; a special assignment angel, normally called upon when dealing with terminally ill children; is in love with John and often refers to him as Grandpa, is John’s most loved of all time; very adorable and petite; actually has diamond crystal wings.

Marion – originally a maid of the governor then works as a cook in the kitchen, fell in love with the young James. They then work together at the mansion.

Matthias – best friend of John and most loved, solid thinker; smart and strong; his past is hard to believe; has two children; has a very large, famous vineyard on Sicily; his wife and in-laws imprisoned in Rome for a terrible crime.

Nathaniel – a wonderful friend to John, loves to help others and will step in and take charge if necessary, knows medicine and first aid very well.

Nebat – a new cook on the island but not a prisoner; extremely good at his craft, is an extraordinary baker; likes being alone; shy but very nice and polite; named after his ancestor, the father of King Jeroboam, the first king to Israel.

Nathanael – a mighty throne angel. John knew his namesake as they traveled with Jesus during His ministry; gets down to business quickly (his special arrival begins in chapter 32, a wonderful banter!).

Persius – a handsome Roman; a senior centurion; sent from Rome to command all forces on Patmos; introduced himself as a gift of Crontus Bursius, which made John cry; he and John became loving friends; became John’s confidante in matters about the island; was a strong believer.

Petraeus –a young Hebrew lad who showed up late in the story, a very opinionated young man. He consoled Thomas.

Phanuel – chief attending angel to Jesus. He just appeared one day, assumed he is an Asherite and father of Anna the Prophetess, yet no lineage, no beginning, and no end; knew Abraham and Melchizedek; very mysterious in his going and coming; is a high priest; is highly regarded by John; likes John a great deal.

Pierce – yet another mighty angel, larger than the others, lacks finesse when speaking with earthbound people, especially speaks very loudly, i0cs somewhat self-conscious.

Samuel – a young lad from Jerusalem. He stated emphatically that he hates Romans, which answered the question of why he was on Patmos; is a sweet soul. He assaulted a tax collector after he swore at Samuel’s mother.

Thomas – just seems to be an ordinary guy, is liked by all, secretive as to all that happened, loves John like a father.

Verontis – the beautiful wife of Crontus Bursius IV, governor of Patmos; liked by all; is also Greek; believes in Jesus as her savior.

FIDELITY, THE MIGHTY

ANGEL OF STRENGTH

AND GRACE

Involved in the unfailing fulfillment of one’s duties and obligations, and the keeping of one’s word and vows to his Lord and master Elohim and to Christ Jesus, our Lord, Savior of the world and you ask of me, From where do you come, and why me?

So many years…long before there was…I was. I stood far off, watching the unraveling of time and then night and day, front and back, up and down. It was all so magnificent, new, unknown to only Him who was, is, and always will be. It was His distinct personality, Jesus, the Son of God, the almighty Christ, who with His bare hands, and out of pure love notwithstanding, made the heavens and the earth.

But before all of that, I was! Yahweh took all that He had in His holy hands and formed me and millions of others, some like me, some smaller and with lesser responsibilities, others bigger and mightier, guardians of the throne. There were soldiers, commanders, those who marched everywhere, and horses to support those who were to be warriors. There was day, night, dark, light, early, late, fast, slow. Yahweh spoke, and there was joy, laughter, sorrow, compassion, and yes, tears.

INTRODUCTION

The date, somewhere between AD 81 and 96. The place, a bay that the Romans use as their deep-water port on the Isle of Patmos. The ship is a privately owned commercial transport, used to carry quarried stone from there to the romantic ports of Athens, Corinth, Sparta, and Nicopolis, all in Greece, and from there to Puteoli and Three Taverns for transportation via land to Rome. The return voyages carry soldiers, prisoners, and commercial goods used throughout Greece and Asia and, ultimately, Patmos. That day, however, someone very special is on board.

Several seamen have already departed from the vessel, preparing to unload the cargo destined for this lonely outpost. Suddenly, we see two Roman soldiers holding a man by his arms, in chains, at the top of the gangway. Upon a signal, they push the prisoner forward. The rugged plank is now occupied by an aging, battered man, scorned, studied, and ridiculed for the first time since his departure from Rome. His eyes, dim and somewhat cloudy, are still able to see the smallest detail as he looks around at his surroundings. His skin still holds the fresh, scabbed-over scars from severe burning from being boiled in oil, his initial punishment for attempting to incite unrest among the citizens of the Roman Empire. Consequently, he was then sentenced for an indefinite period of time on this forsaken island by Emperor Domitian, after his initial attempt at punishing and ending this Christian life failed terribly for him. The murderous attempt caused thousands of citizens to become followers of this man because his survival had to be a miracle granted by his God, Jesus of Nazareth.

Once down the plank and onto the heavy wood-planked pier, he was escorted by two soldiers from the centurion guard into a shed. Because of the absolute cruelty toward him, he can hardly stand, much less walk. His hair, scraggly and in some places, bald from being torn out by ruthless crowds; his face, battered, wrinkled, and worn from abuse and exposure; and his once-flowing beard, now tattered and streaked with tones of gray, barely resembles that which was once known as a strong, proud, determined man. His clothes are nothing more than layers of tattered, worn-out, filthy rags assembled in a rag-tag order that . barely cover his body. The irons around his waist and wrists cut into his frail body, a body that once housed a vibrant man. Through this entire ordeal, he holds his head high. This is the apostle John, son of Zebedee, the apple of God’s eye, the one most favored. It was this very man whom Jesus Himself, as He hung on the cross near death, turned over to John the care for His mother, Mary, when He uttered, Behold thy woman!

From what we see here, why are they commanded to pay so much attention to him? Why is he still feared by so many, and what reason could be so important that there was an immediate need to place him on this island? To sum it up in as few words a possible, Rome fears the inherent inner-strength of this man, John! Some realize that soon… oh, so very soon, the many attitudes of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, will be unleashed upon the world by his, John’s, holy words that drip from the tip of his pen, held in shaken, distorted, scared hands…words that are to impact the very soul of mankind… words that will last forever and ever! Amen.

I

His Revelation: The Preamble

The unveiling of Jesus Christ, which God gave John to show unto His bond servants, things which must shortly come to pass completely, and He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bears a record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ even as many things as he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophesy, and keep those things that are written therein: for the time is at hand (Rev. 1:1–3).

The Bible is, without a doubt, the word of God. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophesy, and keep them close to their heart. Spoken with the authority of He who encompasses time, was illuminated, and cast onto the sackcloth backdrop of the universe. He saw it and proclaimed, It is good. It is very good!

Then the garden. Before long, we were, as a race, held spellbound and amazed at the many and varied horizons that flashed before our eyes—mesmerizing, angelically woven tapestries of patriarchs; kings; common man; and yes, men of God, even the Holy Son of God Himself, Christ Jesus, lord of lords, king of kings, the carpenter’s son, the builder of tables, master assembler of man, and Creator of everlasting life, marched onto the mystic pathway known to us as human history. The dark, sinister hues and patterns of this kaleidoscopic wonder, also reveals angels and minions of another spectrum . . . their prince, one whose beauty and charisma will hold billions in ransom, suspended forever in time by nets of unforgivable pain . . . their freedom coming only through another lie and deceit. Welcome to your forever in unbearable horror.

Each dusty footprint that emerged, many caked with blood and sweat, was meticulously recorded on the sacred scroll. Shaking, aged hands of worthy servants, partnered with trustworthy scribes, bonded together with the mortar of sacred service. Their eyes, weathered and weak from years dwelling in candle-illuminated grottos, dark, damp underground rooms and rot-infested prison cells filled with tears in humble, unworthy adoration. Now… somewhere between the past and the forevermore, their suffrage meets and melds together by the grace of an angel of God. This allows them to glimpse into the realization that their humble product will be ultimately exposed, at the precise moment during a sudden secession in the constant tumbling of sands taken from the shoreline of God’s infinite memory, then cascading through His universal hourglass.

While suspended in the mighty grip of the Creator God as He sits upon His throne, this most holy of scripts, its golden-hued pages possessing His very thoughts, also possessing a complete outline of His immense love, the heart-wrenching diatribe of the human race from creation to demise, and yes, the imagination and desires of He who sits on the throne. All of this awaits whoever is able to take the scroll, break its seals, and to expose pure grace! There is an all-encompassing deep breath, as all created things which are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea from before the beginning of time until the forever and ever, direct their focus on the great scroll; its seven crimson, diamond-like encrusted seals, fully visible throughout the forever and beyond.

Then, my very mind was shaken! My heart nearly stopped mid-beat as fear gripped me like never before. I mean… here I was, sitting peacefully on this wonderful bench I was placed upon and, because no one said anything, I thought I’d write what I saw and what I felt, and well, you get the idea, sort of leading up to a…well, whatever I was brought here to do! Then in the very next moment, everything starts going on all at once!

Those four mighty beasts that surrounded the throne, their wings possessing eyes all over them. They began to sing again, Holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty, who was, who is, and is to come, and who liveth forever and ever. Immediately, the elders, all twenty-four of them, fell down, cast their crowns before the altar, and began to sing, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure, they are and were created!

Well, I do not need to emphasize why my body, every inch and gram of it, laughed and cried at the same time! There was so much excitement such as I had never before beheld, the rushing of mighty streams, its hushing, whispering sound competing with the rumblings of thunder, music so beautiful as I had never before heard. It was all-encompassing, swirling from I’m sure no less than the four corners of the universe. Then a hush, followed by a mighty, deafening roar of tremendous, greatly pressured, mind-numbing silence. Then a blinding flash of light! What followed was absolute, total, mind-crushing silence!

Suddenly, there before me stood a mighty angel, large and prepared for battle! Something about him seemed much different than the angels I’d witnessed before. This angel appeared on the steps of the throne and proclaimed in a booming voice, Who is worthy to open the book and lose the seals thereof? The sound of silence was deafening. No one spoke; nothing moved! Frantically, I began glancing around for someone worthy to appear and possess the scroll, to force the failure of the seals and divulge its precious content! Seeing no one, my remorse seemed complete and overwhelmed by sorrow. My tears began to fall unchecked to a seemingly transparent floor, shattering like diamond crystals as they hit, causing the same sound as a tiny silver bell being rung by a fanciful garden fairy.

Suddenly, a tall, eloquent, stately elder wearing a regal, startlingly white robe, bent down toward the crumpled mass that I had become and confirmed, Stop weeping and behold the lion who is from the tribe of Judah. The root of David has overcome to open the book and its seven seals!

I arose with a start, wiping the tears from my face, my legs trembling and hands shaking severely, my mind yelling to Him, It’s Jesus! It’s my friend, my Savior, my King! I spun around, my mind prepared to see Him, the same Jesus I saw walk out of the tomb after being crucified… the very same one who ate with us on the shores of Galilee, the one with that great smile that caused my heart to suddenly freeze and my mind stop! My breathing became a sudden luxury. I was staring at . . . I couldn’t swallow . . . my breath now stopping mid-way in my throat! It’s…it’s the Lamb of God that was slain for the sins of the earth!

I saw seven horns and seven eyes. I collapsed to the ground, spellbound! I couldn’t have stood another millisecond before Him who took the scroll. Suddenly, I had returned! I glanced around; the four beasts and the twenty-four elders, now having harps, also possessed incredible, beautiful golden bowls full of the most magnificent incense. I found out later, that the incense was actually the prayers of the saints on earth, being presented to Him who was on the throne. The elders, their harps accompanying them, sang a truly magnificent song I had never heard, singing, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God, kings, and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.

And all the heavenly hosts began to sing and chant and fall down and worship the Lamb that was slain, together with He who sat on the throne. My body began to shake. I began to laugh uncontrollably as I spun around, trying to take it all in… sounds of the four mighty beasts, and everywhere . . . angels, not like the ones that I had seen holding the golden bowls. No, these were . . . well, they were more like . . . yes…yes… they were more like me! That’s it! They’re like me . . . they’re the saints from the earth, from all the nations and tongues and colors. There are thousands of them . . . thousands of thousands times ten thousand, all praising the Lamb and He Who is on the Throne.

Oh, and the song they were all singing, a deafening sound. I must write it down: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive glory, and riches, and wisdom and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing! Then I heard something that no man, I am sure, had ever heard or ever will hear. It was the song of every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and such that are in the sea and all that is in them, singing, Blessing and honor, and glory, and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever.

Then the mighty angel, the one I had seen earlier that came to the throne within that blinding light, came forward, walked down the steps of the throne platform and onto the landing, greeted me, and said, Fear not, John, son of Zebedee, for you and I are to become close over time as you know it. I am Fidelity, the mighty angel charged with the dictation, explanation, and guidance of your activities here and on earth during the formation and writing of the revelation of our lord and king, Jesus, God’s Christ. We are to begin at once, and you are to use your normal, established method of greeting the churches. Do you understand?

All I could say was Most certainly, your grace!

You are not to address me in that manner, John. You are to address me as Fidelity. Is that clear?

I thought to myself, Well, this is off to a smooth start! I’ve already caused this magnificent angel to be upset with me for no reason I see! Oh, there is a reason, but it is of no importance at this time, and yes, I can hear you thinking, He announced. Now, may we begin? Yes, I said in a questioning, humble tone.

Very well. Begin and I will tell you when to write. Well, begin ‘Greetings from . . . STOP! he shouted. Now, begin . . . John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace is unto you, and peace, from Him which is and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne. . .And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory forever and ever . . . Amen. Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, . I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come . . . the Almighty’ (Rev. 1:4 –8). The revelation of Christ Jesus begins.

II

Patmos

I John, who also am your brother, and companion in

tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,

was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God,

and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9)

Dominion of the Damned

The winds come primarily from the south, bypass the small outpost or village, as some call it, that has been scratched out of the basalt, then screams headlong into the head of the bay they call Skala where the ships from the mainland come to deliver stores of every kind. Oh, and yes, existing inhabitants on the island, for some reason, seem to think that it’s a glorious new way of life, and, above all, empty more of the poor souls that are condemned to serve time or life here, right along with all the other cargo.

The winds seem to gather more power and ferocity before slamming headlong into the isthmuses at the head of the bay, the one separating the rest of the island from the high plateau where the grapes for the wine, as well as the cereal grains, are raised and the other which separates the island from the quarries and the great, rocky crags, their sheer cliffs that spell death for he that falls. It is along this isthmus that we must traverse when traveling from our cave quarters to the massive and dangerous stone quarries.

I try to look after some of the criminals who have been sent here to work the quarries for Rome and Greece. My Lord works in ways that can only be described as blessed and mysterious, for He has seen to it that those of us who are here for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ have a Greek reserve officer, whose name is Crontus, assigned to watch over us. His actual rank is senior staff centurion. The senior staff portion comes from the influence his father has, who is sort of a bigshot with the Roman senate, and even Caesar. Apparently, it’s got to do with their wines. The Romans can’t seem to suck enough of it down. Crontus, bless his soul, does not flaunt the family’s influence. He has several of us to observe when not in the quarries, in addition to the several criminals from Rome and Greece assigned to his berm, a little outcropping about 20 meters wide that lies beneath the crest of the crag overlooking the inner bay and the sheer cliffs that, if one would slip and fall, would surely mean the end of life here on earth. To say that it pays one to pay attention goes a long way when living here. Now, all of us know what it’s like to live as an Ibex—straight up, straight down! One good thing is the many caves available to us, for these really protect us from the elements, offer some sort of privacy as it were, and allow us protection from the winds and the terrible heat that sometimes during the day in the summer season cannot be tolerated by anybody, soldiers, guards, or us. It’s in those times when we are able to escape to the relative calm and coolness of the caves after the harrowing trek across the isthmus from the quarries. We make it a habit of thanking Crontus for his sense of civility and understanding and tell him that we are praying to the Lord God to protect him. At this, he straightens his tunic and breastplate, lowers his voice, and in a much-practiced, strained voice while careful not to make eye contact, gruffly snorts, You are welcome. Now don’t tell anybody, and go away! Oh, and thank your God.

I once saw him chuckle after he made that speech, but he refused to admit it. He had been here for at least two years that I know. One of the prisoners said that he got there about three years ago, so he isn’t that far from going back to his home, his wife, and family in Greece. We only hope and pray that God sees fit to send us someone as gentle and as understanding as this…our dear Crontus.

It was during one of these hasty crossings from the quarry, back to our humble holy holes, as I like to call them, that one of the prisoners who were yoked to another, lost his balance and began to fall. Those of us near enough to him, caught him and helped him regain his footing and balance, but just as I was letting go of him, a very strong, strangely warm gust of wind caught me at an unusual angle, causing me to stumble, lose my footing, and suddenly step off the path backward. Doing so, my left foot struck one of the sharp basalt outcroppings, sheering the straps on my sandal completely in half and brutally slashing the flesh of my foot between my big toe and the next toe, nearly severing it. To say that the wound began to bleed excessively is no exaggeration. Pain? Why Yes, thank you for asking! I am certain that had we been guarded by any of the regular Roman soldiers or the doubly impatient Praetorian guard, here for six months to learn leadership, compassion, and other skills, my fate would have been much different.

How those fellows get up and around by themselves is beyond me, Crontus once remarked. There is no way someone that stupid should be given something sharp to play with, especially when riding on a horse!

He looked at me, grinned, and shook his head. And where was I? Oh yes, I was flinging my blood all over the place! Crontus, being the gentleman that he was, ordered two of the prisoners who were banished from someplace for speaking the word of God to stay with me and help treat the wound and, after giving us what he had for dressing the gash, left with the rest of the prisoners. The company of prisoners and guards had been gone for quite some time, and my companions and I were busy trying to keep the bleeding to a minimum, not bothering to give their location or whereabouts a second thought. One of my companions, a Christian from Ephesus who was arrested outside of Rome for spreading the testimony of Jesus Christ, let go of the bandage, looked around, then exclaimed, Look, my most holy friend. The sun has dipped behind the great peak. It is now the Lord’s Day!

We glanced around together, all three of us, and seeing no one, I urged us to pray together. Almost immediately after our prayer, the entire area around us…both earth and sky, became almost unbearably bright. Suddenly, from somewhere behind us, a deafening voice that sounded like a shofar, yet louder than anything I had ever heard, shattered the silence. My two companions, frightened almost to a lighter skin tone, fell to the ground, then groping their way, finally got to their feet and ran in the direction of our caves, never looking back, a the while screaming strange words! I think they were from an area in the someplace Northeast. Get them excited, and no one can understand a word they speak. It is really fun to do!

Soon, fear and trepidation overtook me, but I told myself that I had to see what was making this hissing, snapping, humming sound. It’s a light…really bright, that sort of swirls around in a manner I’d never seen or felt before. Oh yes, I could feel a massive strength or pressure, and that sweet smell that accompanied it… I knew, I’d smelled before, but long ago…a long, long time ago. Yes! That’s it! It’s . . . Frankincense, I shouted. Nobody heard me. I slowly turned around, and as I did, I looked down at my foot; the bandages were gone, my toe was healed, and my sandal was as good as new! Then slowly, the air became heavy, and, and . . .I was in the Spirit of the Lord’s day!

Suddenly, I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea (Rev. 1:10–11).

It felt as though everything around me became smaller, fading away and then, densely cloudy, accompanied by a light aura that suddenly filled my senses. I was about to yell out in fear, when the spirit suddenly enraptured me, and upon completely turning around, my breath nearly left me. My heart leapt as if overjoyed, and my eyes found it hard to focus on anything within my sight in its proper dimension. Oh, and those clouds—no, no, not just fancy, puffy clouds, you know…like you always see in the first heaven… ones that look like they would be fun to play and sleep in. No, these were clouds that seemed dense, their edges tinted with gold that pulsated, twisted, and formed curls of gold, laced in silver, then let loose to fluff again all at the same time! There was a backdrop to the scene, but it didn’t appear to be part of this world. Oh, you could see the blue, a blue that denoted royalty of the highest order, and within its very weave, gold, the brightest strands of gold the mind of man could conjure. And before this, in the swirling of silver clouds, lampstands! Not just regular lampstands! No, No! These were seven golden, unbelievable lampstands . . . heavy, thick gold, sculptured, magnificent candle mounts. . . gleaming, tall, and ablaze with light!

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven candlesticks And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp, two-edged sword, and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength. And when I beheld Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not I am the First and the Last . . . I am He who liveth, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, amen, and have the keys of Hell and of Death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. The mystery of the seven stars thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." (Rev. 1:12–20)

When I awoke, I had somehow been transported from that place on the Isthmus where my companions and I tended to my badly cut foot, to here! But how? I rose up, went to the front of my cave, and called out to Lazarus, my companion. Shortly, his head stuck out from his portal. He looked at me, smiled that beautiful toothless grin, and shouted, "Well, look who has graced us with his conscious appearing. Why? What have we done, Lord, to be graced by such royalty after him only getting near to a day’s sleep, and the Lord’s Day at that! Why would I think that even he ought to be ashamed! He laughed loudly and disappeared into his cave for the few remaining minutes of peace and tranquility before Crontus came to get us organized and march us to the ‘hell- field’ known as the quarry, and make up for the time we’d been resting. Yep, I thought, that’s my Lazarus the Jester!"

I seemed as though Crontus especially wanted to check on me, and when he saw that my foot was completely healed—no scar and my sandals looked brand new—he just stared at my foot for a moment, then silently said, Amen, then looked at me and said, I don’t want to seem too forceful, but do you think we might have the pleasure of your company today? He smiled, walked over to his horse, glanced back at me with a smirk on his face as we all departed for the quarry.

I thought to myself as we traveled over to the quarry, The whole day? No. That can’t be, Lord, for You, You were just here. Why I remember the candlesticks, the sound of clear, rushing water. Yes, and Lord . . . there was the shofar or . . . or a trumpet! What is it? What’s going on within my mind, Father? That strange fog that maintains its surrounding veil, keeping me from clearly seeing my memory? Am I slipping away from the bonds of reality? Oh, Lord. I beseech thee. Grasp that which I require so that I may serve you. Oh, how my mind swoons when thinking of what mighty mysteries you have shown me, your apostle, your servant. Yes, am ready to write this book you command of me. I am here, Lord!

III

God’s Seven Apocalyptic Letters

What have I done? Why has He not appeared to me as He said He would? What do I write? Has He given up on the angels of the seven Asian churches that I know so well? Has the acts of a few within the churches caused Him to abandon them forever? Has He turned His back on me, his servant? Have I been deemed too unworthy of His trust and been left to struggle… alone and apart from the one I long to see and love? May it never be… never!"

Time passed ever so slowly. The monotonous daily struggle to get moving after a night of lying on a stone slab and, if lucky, a thin grass mat, waking only to immediately walk the two miles across the isthmus, then down into the quarry, turns whatever is left to that day, into a nightmare! Ah yes, then eating what they call sustenance, which stretches the truth as well as imagination to nearly the breaking point, working several more hours until the mallet and chisel seem to weigh more than your entire arm, and never forgetting that wonderful feeling the sting of the whip departs on us, as it slashes across your bare, sweaty back, for falling when you trip on loose shale to dodge a falling stone!

Then when you know that there’s nothing of tangible value left in what’s left to your body, you march the two miles back uphill to the caves for a meal of boiled millet and roots. Then, if that’s not enough gracious living, you may be lucky to sneak in a secret prayer between Him and what’s left of you, then Aah yes… attempt to find enough comfort to fall asleep on your rock until the morrow!

The next morning, Crontus begins his shouting, coercing us to get up, and yelling clever quips like Hurry! Daylight doesn’t wait for me, and it certainly won’t for you either!

His helper comes along, banging the rock portal to our caves, which sounds like the entire face of the crag is collapsing. 0My mind screams, Will it ever end? Oh, God, deliver me now, I pray thee!

I felt near death! I alerted God that my statement earlier about deliverance several days ago was mainly a statement for impact only and not meant to be taken literally! My foot had swollen greatly and had turned a ghastly color of blue-green mixed with magenta with a splash of filth just for good measure when I tripped and fell in the quarry. The toenail was as good as gone, and what was left… I didn’t want! In addition to the pain around the toe area, something was oozing out from where the nail was supposed to be. My stomach and kidneys were a matter of great discomfort due to the never-ending pain in my foot; my back was not much better; and my neck was straining for all its worth trying to hold my head up, which, at the time, didn’t feel worth holding up anyway.

I could hear Crontus making his normal morning ruckus and heard the banging on the rocks, but it didn’t faze me at all. I didn’t care! I thought, Do what you will. I just don’t care any longer. I thought of yelling but knew it was to no avail. Your duty was to come out and be counted after a certain period that was allowed for waking and getting situated. I made up my mind that I was finished with this abuse.

It wasn’t long before I saw a shape and movement within the portal then the torch. Upon getting closer and seeing the smile, I knew it was my beloved friend, Stephen. He leaned over close to me and said, Rabbi, are you in poor health? Rabbi . . . rabbi! Then I felt his hand upon my shoulder and was about to answer him when he left and went outside. Shortly, a large figure came in, carrying a torch, with another figure behind him.

The first man was Crontus, who leaned over a little, held the torch over me, and spoke, John . . . John, speak to me . . . What is it that is causing you grief? Before I could answer, Stephen, who was behind him, held his torch over my foot and noticed the damage caused by the shale. He drew Cronus’ attention to my damaged foot and quietly exclaimed, Oh . . . this is not good . . . He cannot be walking on it . . . He will die from the poison! Crontus then motioned for Stephen to follow him and they left the cave together.

Shortly, Crontus returned and said, John, you are a good man and one who is trustworthy. Therefore, I am telling you to stay here until you are well enough to walk without pain. I am leaving Stephen with you, so he can attend to you from time to time. I gave him some herbs that he is to prepare for you to put on your foot. Also, there are some to partake by mouth…boiling them in a tea-like beverage, and drinking the fluid. Stay inside and off your foot. May the gods care for you. May your God care for you. With that, he turned and left. I gave a sigh of relief, wrapped my tunic a little tighter around me, and rolled over to hopefully fall back asleep.

Later on, I began to feel better. My leg had finally ceased its romance with pain, and my back and neck felt near normal. Stephen had left some tea for me, so I sat up, leaned against my favorite rock slab, picked up the tea, and was about to enjoy a sip when a strange feeling came over me and there seemed to be a slight glow about the cave, increasing in brilliance moment by moment! Without hesitation, I put the cup down and turned slowly, hoping to witness the source behind the back of the cave to be so bright. I had assumed it was Stephen with a larger torch, returning to look in on me. Suddenly, the whole cave was as bright as the midday sun, and I was finally warm for the first time in a long while. Then there he was! He was dressed in a startlingly white robe that seemed to go almost to the floor. Around his waist was a gold sash, and his face shown bright and was framed by long white-gold hair that fell to his shoulders. Then he spoke! His voice was like a breeze passing through leaves on a tree, causing them to shake and rustle… a voice not loud, but very clear. It is I…the Son of God, who now sits at the right hand of God the Father, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, who is, who always has been, and always will be. What you see and what you are about to hear, write, and dispatch to the seven churches which are in Asia, just as you have been instructed and with whom you are personally familiar. Prepare to write, for we must begin. And I must tell you, as time progresses, I will be able to dedicate more time to our associating one to another. I look forward to us becoming closer, but now, I must begin your dictation. One more thing. You remember Fidelity, the mighty angel you heard and saw on the throne platform? Well, he has been chosen to be your mentor and guide, the one who dictates to you primarily and, as you will become to know, your close friend. Oh, also, sometimes your dictation will come from somewhere outside your vision. It is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just that your dictation needs to be finished as soon as we can, so we may use other means. Please accommodate us for a short while. Thank you so much. Now . . . let us begin. I will tell you the title of the church to send the letter to before the actual body of the letter. Is that understood? Good . . . so here we go!

A. The Loveless, Preoccupied Church

Revelation 2:1–7: Unto the angel of the church in Ephesus write; These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks: I know thy works, thy labour and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are Apostle and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches; To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."

B. The Persecuted Church

Revelation 2:8–11: And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things sayeth the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive, I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

I became caught up in the words to Smyrna as reading their letters to me, as well as my last personal visit and short stay there, was every indication that they were a solid, well-grounded church with no reason to suggest any internal tribulation. I was about to open my mouth to ask a question when the entire cave became suddenly illuminated. There it was, the door that had allowed me to glimpse into the realm of heaven when the angel of the Lord appeared. It stood open once more! I could not think, much less speak. This magnificent angel, Phanuel, who had been dictating to me, began his ascent through the door and into the great room. He suddenly turned, and in a voice that felt like a soft summer breeze, he cautioned me not to speak the words he had given me to anyone. He then told me that I would not fully understand our visit yet but that he would return to continue the transcription upon the command of the Lord. He raised his right hand and said, Peace be with you, good and faithful servant. The Lord bless you.

Before I could make an utterance, he entered through the door and vanished. Except for the oil lamp I was using to write with, I was plunged into total darkness, both inside the cave and out. Loneliness and fear struck me almost immediately. My mind raced in all directions at the same time. What was that? Am I losing my mind? Did I do something to offend my Lord? What’s going on? Somebody help me!

I heard the yell, It’s Crontus! I replied out loud, mainly for my own edification! Ah . . . my old friend, I’m . . .

Then came that beating on the portal to my cave to awaken me. Shortly thereafter, with a torch in hand, Stephen entered my cave and right behind him Crontus. How do you feel, John? Crontus bellowed.

I feel wonderful . . . Why?

Why? Stephen responded in a squeaky voice. You’ve been near death for two days! If it hadn’t been for your mumbling, we were about to throw you over the edge.

What! I yelled.

Crontus broke in, Well, old man, do you feel up to earning your keep once again, or must we continue treating you like an old widow? Both broke out in raucous laughter and began to leave the cave.

Don’t you go anywhere without me. I’m as strong as an ox. I’ll be right there! You’ll think widow! Standing took some effort. Getting my work clothes on demanded a great deal and, for a moment, walking was entirely out of the question! Balance and sense of direction had departed, and if it hadn’t been for Stephen’s assistance, I would have spent a good portion of the time wandering around inside the cave, amusing the bats!

The trek across the isthmus to the quarry, a day’s work, and the journey back to our caves, left me feeling surprisingly well. Crontus remarked that I seemed to be back in good health once more, and Stephen said he was glad to see me upright and almost human, except for my highly questionable looks, which, of course, brought laughter from the two until well out of the cave. I remarked that I didn’t understand the reason for all the special treatment but offered my thanks anyway. The remainder of the evening was uneventful. I joined several other believers, including Stephen, as they knelt around the fire, cooking millet mixed with goat meat and