1,260 Days: the Wrath of God: A Layperson’s Perspective of Revelation

By Earl Blanchard

1,260 DAYS THE WRATH OF GOD as non fiction is intended to help the reader understand in common language the Book of Revelation. The contents have been put together with cross references and Historical data about the seven churches and the areas where they were located. Whoever reads this book will gather a better understanding about the Book of Revelation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664280267

Earl Blanchard

Earl, born in 1938 on his grandfather’s dairy farm in rural Maine to a middle-class family, is the eldest of six children, four of whom were born during World War II. In 1956 he joined the United States Air Force and served during a portion of the Vietnam War. He and his fiancée were married on September 27, 1958. Before his discharge, they’d had two children. After his discharge, four more children were born, for a total of six. Earl and his wife now have a total of eleven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. On their fiftieth anniversary, all the children gathered together to give them a huge anniversary party. They are currently nearing their sixty-fourth year of marriage. For several years, Earl worked at various jobs in Maine, until he took advantage of the veterans’ program to return to school. He became a computer programmer in 1969, programming IBM and NCR computers. For thirty-five years he worked his way up to the position of data processing manager at a small independent bank. After retiring from working with computers, at the age of sixty-seven, Earl continued to work independently as a building remodeler and at various other jobs. He eventually retired completely in June of 2021 and decided to complete the manuscript he had started in 2020. Actually, the Holy Spirit prompted him to complete this manuscript about the book of Revelation.

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Preface

First Things First

The Great Tribulation

The Apostle

Introduction To Revelation

Revealing Mysteries

Revelation Chapter One

Revelation Chapter Two

Revelation Chapter Three

Revelation Chapter Four

Revelation Chapter Five

Revelation Chapter Six

Revelation Chapter Seven

Revelation Chapter Eight

Revelation Chapter Nine

Revelation Chapter Ten

Revelation Chapter Eleven

Revelation Chapter Twelve

Revelation Chapter Thirteen

Revelation Chapter Fourteen

Revelation Chapter Fifteen

Revelation Chapter Sixteen

Revelation Chapter Seventeen

Revelation Chapter Eighteen

Revelation Chapter Nineteen

Revelation Chapter Twenty

Revelation Chapter Twenty-One

Revelation Chapter Twenty-Two

The Time Is Near

Summary Of Revelation

Things To Consider

Words And Phrases

The Day Of The Lord

The Lord’s Day

The Church At Ephesus

The Church At Smyrna

The Church At Pergamos

The Church At Thyatira

The Church At Sardis

The Church At Philadelphia

The Church At Laodicea

Creatures Around The Throne

Cities Surrounding The Seven Churches

The Evangelical Movement

Tribulation According To The Jews

Tribulation According To Christians

How To Become A Believer

More Thoughts

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my wife, Shirley, who patiently allowed me the time to create 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God. Her dedication to the Lord and her love of His Word was extremely helpful to me. She took to heart all that I have written, agreeing with me mostly, but did not hesitate to question me at any given time. Overall, we worked closely together to make the content easily understood. Many who have read the book of Revelation, including the both of us, have had a challenging time understanding all that is written. By doing much research, studying all the references to other scriptures in the Bible, and reading other commentaries, we have learned much.

To Pastor R. Clinton Compton, who graciously gave his time to read and comment on what we have written down, we thank you very much. Your input, your comprehension of the Word, and your aid in making this work possible is most appreciated. 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God would not have materialized without your comments and suggestions. Thank you for your insights concerning the Holy Scriptures. Whether you are aware of it or not, you have been a welcome influence on me in many different ways. You have my greatest thanks for all that you have done.

To Cindy Blanchard, who has graciously helped read and edit the contents 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God. Cindy is a wonderful daughter-in-law who moved from South Africa to wed my youngest son. Praise God for her wonderful diligence. Cindy, you expressed to me how much you appreciated this manuscript because by reading it, you received much insight into the book of Revelation. You said it has helped you to understand Revelation much better than before. Thank you for your input.

To Edith Smith, a faithful believer in the Word of God who graciously agreed to read and comment on this work. Your insight has been most appreciated. Your knowledge of the book of Revelation surely led to some of the most unexpected comments from a well-read follower of God’s Word. Thank you so much for your commitment to me and for being such a wonderful follower of Christ. I am sure you have touched many people with your knowledge of the Bible. You are a seed Sower for sure. Thank you for the input you have provided.

To Westbow Press, your comments, criticisms, and suggestions have been of the greatest help to me. Being a new and not so knowledgeable author, I thank you very much. You showed me where to find any errors so I could correct them. Again, thank you.

Praise God for all the resolute brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ whom I have the privilege of knowing. It is because of the dedication of these great people, who know who God Almighty and Jesus Christ are, that they have made an impact on, I believe, on a substantial number of individuals. Thank you all. And may God bless everyone.

To my two sons who left this world prematurely. Gordan Allen Blanchard, age three and a half, and Bruce Edward Blanchard, age two and a half, went to be with the Lord on September 18, 1963. Their deaths were a huge blow, reducing the size of our family by half. We thank God for the support of Pastor Ball, our Christian brothers and sisters, our family members, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Without this support, and without being born-again Christians, Shirley and I would not be together today. We depended on a considerable number of people, and each other, to get through this tough time. We leaned heavily on God and Jesus for help. We praise God that we had a Jesus-believing church to help us.

God is in control; He is always in control. Nothing gets by His attention. He, I believe, saw something in the future that we, as human beings, could not see. Since that time, there have been couples whom one or both of us knew who had the experience of losing a child. Because of what we went through, we were able to help console these people and to help them understand what it entails to lose a child. Whether they became Christians or it increased their faith, we will never know. God knows.

I also dedicate 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God to my beloved wife Shirley, in appreciation for her help with this manuscript. Though none of her words are in it, she endured the time it took me to write it and then correct any errors. Shirley, thank you so much for putting up with me while I spent so much time writing this manuscript. I know it has been hard for you to leave me alone while you were alone, trying to entertain yourself. Praise God.

PREFACE

The purpose of 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God is to help you understand the book of Revelation. There are many who do not understand what is written in Revelation. Most of my acquaintances have shied away from reading it. If you are aware of the Holy Spirit, then you know what I mean when I state that I have been prompted by Him. Because of this prompting, I prayed about writing in layperson’s terms about Revelation. Having no schooling in the art of writing or explaining scripture, I set out to bring Revelation to those who are eager to understand it. After researching the scriptures and other useful resources, this is what materialized.

By the prompting of the Holy Spirit, friends, relatives, and my wife, I managed to finish this document. This book is needed now. Too many of today’s Christians and non-Christians know extraordinarily little about the Great Tribulation. This is why I took on this project, to help those who wish to understand more about the end-time tribulation. By cross-referencing scripture, researching other documents, and studying expositors’ comments, I managed to write 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God. It is written in layperson’s terms. Reading 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God will help you understand clearly what has been written in the book of Revelation.

My understanding of Revelation during my research has increased many times over. Cross-referencing, studying information written down by the prophets, and reading comments by many people was beneficial. Revelation has become noticeably clear. Study of the end times is extremely important to understand what God has in store for everyone. I encourage you to carefully read 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God. You will not be disappointed with what is written.

Within these pages, you will find fact, possibility, that which is unknown, and conjecture. Much will be from scripture other than Revelation and from the Old Testament prophets. As I researched other scriptures, I found others that have relevance to the Word of God. Thus, I have included this information, which may be of interest to you.

If Revelation were composed today, what would it actually mean in modern-day language? There are many interpreters of Revelation, but there is no complete agreement on the meaning. This is why it is important that we as laypeople continually and prayerfully study God’s Word.

The apostle John wrote Revelation around AD 95 from the isle of Patmos. All scripture quotations in 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible. No scriptures taken from other versions are included in this work.

Going through the book of Revelation has been no easy task. It was, however, a worthwhile endeavor. Christians today rely on what others say about the end times. The purpose of 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God is to give guidance on the study of Revelation, a unique book that can be exceedingly difficult to follow. The book of Revelation is clear, but understanding it requires much research. This is because of the difference between the time of its writing and this current age. However, there is an abundance of information that can aid a person or a church, helping them to realize the things they are doing that are wrong in the eyes of Almighty God.

The first three chapters of Revelation set us up with much information. Few people I know have given real time to studying the book of Revelation. Get yourself ready for a history lesson about the areas around the seven churches mentioned in Revelation. They are the ones receiving the letters written by the apostle John as dictated by Jesus. Keep in mind, however, that the content of these seven letters also applies to modern-day Christian churches.

You will be learning about the commerce generated by each city, who governed the cities, and who conquered them at various times. So, hang on as we go through this study of Revelation. The cities and towns surrounding the seven churches were noticeably influenced by the apostles. Other churches not receiving letters from John also had the pleasure of having apostles visit them. Some may have had a visit of other apostles other than John or Paul, the latter of whom was called the apostle of the Gentiles. Paul was anxious to spread the gospel to all the Gentile world. God, at times, blocked him from going to certain areas of Asia Minor. You might say Paul was champing at the bit to get to those areas.

John was the writer of the Gospel according to John. He also wrote three letters, also called epistles, to the early churches: 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. John was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. He was the last living of the original apostles. Perhaps this is why he went on to write all he saw in the last book of the Bible: Revelation.

Revelation means to uncover, reveal, and show in full view what was previously hidden, veiled, or secret. It indicates a divine exposure. Jesus is not the author but is a mediator and receives the Revelation from Almighty God: the Revelation of Jesus Christ as written by John, a disciple of Jesus Christ, about what must shortly take place. We read in Daniel 2:28, But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, which explains what is meant by a revealing of things to come, an exposure of things yet to be.

At times I may allude to other verses for purposes of comparison. This may require you the reader to have whatever Bible version you prefer available to look up these verses.

Before we start, we’ll go back to the time when Jesus was with His disciples to find out what He said of the end times in the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24:3–21. Please be aware that I will not be including the text of the Olivet Discourse here, only commenting on the scripture. Because of the research I did, my understanding of Revelation has increased substantially. I pray the reader will better understand Revelation after reading 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God, the intention of which is to pair as many of the relational verses in other portions of the Bible with verses from Revelation. Many readers of the Bible fail to cross-reference other passages that are relevant to Revelation. Therefore, I include many references herein to give the reader a better understanding of the book of Revelation. Sometimes you will encounter portions of the book where other verses are not included but are indicated so you know where to find the scripture.

John’s final book, Revelation, written to seven churches in Asia Minor, could very well be about today’s churches. The seven churches were suffering severe persecution under the Roman emperors. John wrote the letters to the churches, as given to him from Jesus Christ, encouraging them to carry on even unto death. These messages in Revelation come from Almighty God, to Jesus Christ, through His angel, to John.

This study of the book of Revelation is according to the evangelical view of Christianity. Keep in mind that not all evangelical churches are exactly alike, but they are closely related in terms of scriptural teaching. Throughout this study, you may find references to the history of the evangelical movement. These are taken from several sources to give you a proper perspective on all evangelical churches.

At the beginning of chapter 1, John explains whom Revelation is about. Jesus Christ is the prominent person in Revelation. Christ gave himself up on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. The entire Bible is about Jesus Christ. When you read the Bible from beginning to the end, you find that Jesus is everywhere. However, references to Christ in the Old Testament may, at times, be a bit obscure without cross-references. Therefore, in this study of Revelation, I include many scriptures from both the New Testament and the Old Testament.

This study of Revelation is specifically based on the New King James Version of the Bible. I have been studying Revelation, trying to clearly understand the end times as documented by the apostle John. John received the messages from Jesus Christ Himself through His angel. At the beginning of chapter 1, God told Jesus, who told His angel, who told John what to write down to the churches. John was in charge of all the apostles residing in Asia Minor. He was also heavily tied to the church in Ephesus.

I am not a pastor, reverend, evangelist, priest, teacher, professor, preacher, researcher, expositor, or rabbi. All the extensive research I did was as a layperson. As firm believers in Jesus Christ, crucified, resurrected, and now sitting at the right hand of God on His throne in heaven, we will be prayerfully exercising our faith in God and His holy Word.

As we embark on our study of Revelation, know that we will be basing it on the futurist interpretation. When Christ walked on the earth, he appeared as a man of little means. However, He gave Himself up for crucifixion on the cross for our sins. He actually took on the burden of all of humankind’s sins and served as a means of atonement for all.

As I am only a lay born-again Christian, I will be using everyday language to interpret passages. At times I did not understand the language or certain words, so I tried to find the answers. My basic plan is to make Revelation easier to understand for non-Christians who believe in God and for saved Christians, so they know both the reason for the tribulation and the promises of God.

My hope is that after you have read 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God, you will take it upon yourself to pick up your Bible (whichever translation you desire) in order to read and study the book of Revelation. Reading it yourself with all the information found herein should give you a much better understanding of it.

1,260 Days: The Wrath of God can be just read or used as a study guide, whichever purpose you prefer. I have found that many Christians get confused or lost when they try to read and understand the book of Revelation, myself included. I prayed about this and received instruction from the Holy Spirit that I should undertake this endeavor. I do not underestimate the prodding of the Holy Spirit. He gets all the credit for this work.

As I read the Holy Scriptures, I noticed numerous instances where God warns His people of forthcoming doom unless they return to Him and His covenant. God does not tolerate, indefinitely, those who turn their backs on Him. He eventually turns His prophecies against such individuals.

Revelation is a stern warning to the people and the nations of the world of impending judgment. We must be ready for the day when God will send Jesus to bring His believers home prior to the tribulation period. Those who stay after the rapture of the church will feel the wrath of God. Many will accept Jesus as their personal Savior during the tribulation. Those who resist the Antichrist to the end will be few.

Our protector, the Holy Spirit, is held back by God. The devil will be set loose to do whatever damage he can. That is when the tribulation will fall on the earth. If you genuinely believe the prophecies in Revelation, you understand why you will not want to be here when they are fulfilled. It will be the destruction of the earth as we know it.

At times I will include opinions, disagreements, and speculations about certain statements made in the Bible. Keep in mind that even expositors (specialists) who interpret scripture disagree with one another. At times it is exceedingly difficult to figure out who is right and who is wrong. Two different interpretations may both be correct. Whenever I interject with my own interpretation, I do so to get you thinking about how you may want to interpret a particular scripture. This is why studying and searching the scriptures is so important. Anyone studying scripture should do so prayerfully. In the book of Revelation, symbolic statements make the meaning difficult to grasp. These statements were certainly difficult for me, but prayerful study and perseverance helped get me through the difficult spots.

Let us pray: We praise Almighty God on high, sitting on the throne in heaven. We praise you, O God, for being in control of this world. We ask for Your divine guidance in our quest to study your end-time prophecy. We pray that You will keep Satan and his demons from interfering with us during our long journey through the book of Revelation, including cross-referencing with other Bible books, which will take considerable time to complete. We pray, Almighty God, that You will guide us through our search for Your truth and judgments. We thank You, O God for Your grace, Your mercy, Your patience, and Your holy guidance through Your Word. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, praise God, amen.

Three and a half years into the tribulation is the halfway point, which is why I chose the title 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God.

What I would like you, the reader, to understand is where I am coming from. Only those who have received Christ as their personal Savior (that is, born-again Christians) and have repented of their sins will be going to heaven. If you are not a born-again Christian or have not been regularly attending a gospel church, it may be difficult for you to follow the Revelation passages. This is the reason I chose to write as a layperson. This is not to say that those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior are incapable of sinning, only that we must continually accept the Word of God. We are trying our best to follow the teachings of Jesus and remain in good standing with Almighty God. We ask forgiveness daily for any sins we may have committed.

We read in Romans 3:23–26, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness. In His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed. This demonstrates at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

The most important thing anyone must do in order to enter the kingdom of heaven is repent. We must ask for forgiveness of our sins in Jesus’s name. Our faith is increased as we read and study the Word of God, believe all of it, and practice what is says. Anyone who tells you that some portions of the Bible are not for today’s Christians is essentially calling God a liar. Be cautious and do not fall into Satan’s snare.

When John penned the book of Revelation, he was the last of the twelve disciples still living. The rest of the disciples either had been killed or died of natural causes. John, incarcerated on the isle of Patmos by Emperor Domitian, was awaiting his fate. But this did not deter the Christian movement from going forward. God protected those who continued to spread the gospel. Down through the centuries, opponents, that is, nonbelievers, have tried to eradicate the Bible. God, throughout the centuries, has protected His Word from destruction.

Good luck, and enjoy 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God. I hope you will learn much about the book of Revelation. After writing this, I found that I had gained a much better understanding of the book. I think you will also.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

The Lamb Is Speaking

During His Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:1–51, Jesus told His disciples to take heed of what was going to happen during the end times. He laid everything out in such a way that even a novice Bible reader would be able to understand what was to take place. If you are a studier of the Holy Scriptures, you should be able to understand what Jesus was describing to His disciples. Even if you are not a studier, you will find that His explanation is clear.

In Matthew 24:3, Jesus’s disciples came to Him and asked when the end of the age was to come, trying to find out when His Second Coming would be. From Christ’s teachings, they knew He would come at some time in the future, but they wanted to know the precise time.

In Matthew 24:4–6, Jesus told them to beware of deceivers. He said there will be deceivers, wars, and rumors of wars. Think about this: Wars have been going on throughout the centuries since the beginning of humankind. Wars have been constant in our time. Jesus spoke of this during His Olivet Discourse, which He addressed to His disciples and faithful people. We cannot calculate when Jesus will return to take His faithful followers home. We have to be watching for His return, which could happen at any moment, in the blink of an eye.

In Matthew 24:7–8, Jesus tells us what to look for in the time of His coming. Right now, much of the world’s population, according to the nightly news, is suffering from malnutrition. Think about COVID-19, a virus (pestilence) that has affected the entire world. Variances are occurring. Scientists have no clue how long this virus will be around. I am sure it will be around for years because it is a virus. Viruses are difficult to eradicate. Consider the common cold, a virus for which there is yet no cure.

In Matthew 24:9–10, Jesus explains to His disciples they will have tribulations. These tribulations, to be distinguished from the Great Tribulation described in the book of Revelation, include being mocked by the people around you, who also call you names and despise anyone who is a born-again Christian. This sort of thing is taking place in our country right now; Christians are being persecuted for their beliefs. It may not have reached you yet, but it is coming. Churches are being persecuted in our country and all around the world. There are people, among them nonbelievers and devil (Satan) worshippers, who do not believe there is a God who loves them. God sometimes allows things to happen to get their attention.

In Matthew 24:11–14, Jesus warns that there will be false prophets, that lawlessness will abound, and that love will grow cold. When the gospel has reached all corners of the world, then the end will come. We do not know when God will determine that the entire world has been preached to. There are missionaries today preaching the gospel throughout the world. Right now, there are false prophets and preachers who are decimating the laws of God by teaching false doctrines and completely ignoring what the scriptures say. This sort of thing is rampant on social media platforms. There are charlatans telling their audiences that if they send in a certain amount of money, they will come into a considerable sum of money themselves. The only ones coming into large sums of money are the charlatans. They are liars and scammers. Believe no one who tells you that he or she is Christ. Everyone will know who Christ is when He comes in the clouds.

Jesus speaks to His disciples plainly. He tells them exactly what is going to happen at the end times. Although He does not reveal what His disciples would like to hear, He gives them enough information to be ready for when He returns. The time of His coming is not known by anyone but God, who knows the hour when Jesus will return to earth to take His faithful home. Are you ready? I hope you are. God loves all of creation. He wants to see all come to Him and follow His Word. Those who do not will feel His wrath. When God created humankind, He did so, so that He would have someone to communicate with. However, because of His omniscience, he knew humankind would fail. My understanding is that the atonement of Jesus Christ was determined in the beginning. It has given all sinners a way out of God’s wrath if we so choose. We have the option to choose our destiny, either hell or heaven.

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

The Great Tribulation begins in the middle of the seven years of the tribulation. This is when the great wrath of God will actually be set into full motion, the beginning of the Great Tribulation (i.e., the last three and a half years of the time frame given in Revelation).

In Matthew 24:15–18, Jesus warns those who are faithful to Him to flee to the mountains when they see the abomination of desolation (prepared by Satan) spoken of by the prophet Daniel. Why the mountains? Because it is a good place to flee from the war. Jesus says that one should not even stop to gather one’s belongings, because one will not have the time to do so. This prophecy reveals believers fleeing for their lives. The abomination of desolation is when the Antichrist (whom I believe to be Satan) ends his covenant with Israel, places an idol in the temple of the Lord, and decrees that all people are to worship the idol. In other words, you will have to become an idol worshipper. If you do not, you will die at the hands of the Antichrist. If you do as Satan commands, you will be forever in the lake of fire.

Matthew 24:19–22 gives a warning to those who are pregnant or are nursing babies, also conveying the hope that these women will not have to endure a winter. There will be great tribulation unlike anything else ever known since the beginning of the world. The tribulation will last just seven years. This is according to God’s mercy.

In Matthew 24:23–28, Jesus says to beware of claims that Christ is here or that Christ is there. False prophets will appear, and great signs and wonders will be rampant to deceive the elect, if such a thing is possible. We must heed the warnings of Jesus. Could His warnings be any plainer? Jesus has told us beforehand what to look for, so we have no excuse for not being ready when He arrives. Keep up with your daily routine, but make sure you do not forget to keep praising God and keep His laws. He will bless you for it.

Here is a fact. Think about the number of times in the past when people have claimed to see images or when other manifestations have occurred to deceive people. Jesus warns us not to be deceived. If you know about the Shroud of Turin, then you know the image is of a man with a full beard. Jesus, I believe, had portions of His beard pulled out. Also, the shroud is one piece. When the tomb was opened, there was a facial linen separate from the body wrap. You can read about this in John 20:7. So where is the facial linen that should have been with the shroud? These are the kinds of things we must question. Everything should be based on what the Holy Scriptures say. I do not want anyone to think I am picking on anyone’s beliefs. What I am interested in is the truth. The tribulation is coming without fail. Jesus said it, I believe Him, and that is the end of it. We need to keep in mind that some people are experts at twisting the truth.

As we go through the tribulation in the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible, if you think I am wrong about anything I say, then you should start studying the book for yourself and see what you produce. May God bless you as you read 1,260 Days: The Wrath of God.

THE APOSTLE

Why is it that this person known as John was the one who was picked to write down the information from Jesus (the Revelation)? Was it because he had a greater standing with God? John had time on his hands to faithfully get the job done promptly.

Do not mistake the apostle John for John the Baptist. We read about John the Baptist in Luke 3:1–4:

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’

Isaiah 40:3–5 reads, The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth.

Now that we have that taken care of, we can continue speaking about John the apostle.

Emperor Domitian (or maybe one of the other emperors), considering John to be a criminal, had him incarcerated on the isle of Patmos for preaching the Word of God and the story of Christ’s crucifixion and His rising from the dead. To the Roman Empire, this was a taboo subject. John now had plenty of time available to patiently follow the instructions of Jesus in writing down what he saw and heard from Him or His angel. This could have been the reason why John was selected. However, one must take into consideration that John, having been one of the twelve disciples of Jesus during His ministry, was now one of the apostles of Christ. At this time, he was the only survivor among the original twelve apostles, which would have given him greater authority than the other existing apostles, as there came to be more than the original twelve.

John wrote the fourth gospel. He also wrote the epistle 1 John with no stipulation as to the recipient. The theme of this epistle was Truth and Righteousness: Fellowship with God. He wrote the epistle of 2 John, Walking in Truth: Avoid Fellowship with False Teachers, to the chosen woman and her children. I believe because of the time of the writing of the epistles, the chosen woman may have attended a particular church or all the churches nearby. John wrote the epistle of 3 John to Gaius, whom he loved, for being a loyal believer and enjoying fellowship with the brethren. In all the epistles, John showed himself to be the elder.

John was the son of Zebedee and the younger brother of James son of Zebedee. According to church information, their mother was Salome. Also, according to some, Salome was the sister of Jesus’s mother, which would make Salome Jesus’s aunt, and then John the apostle and James would be Jesus’s cousins.

John and James, John’s brother, were among the first disciples called to join Jesus. In the Gospel of Mark, John is second after James, who was the elder of the two. Salome was one of the women who ministered to the disciples. James and John were called Boanerges, or Sons of Thunder, by Jesus.

The history of John is obscure and uncertain. The bishop of Ephesus claimed that John’s tomb was at Ephesus. There is no verification that John died in Ephesus. Irenaeus said John wrote his Gospel and his letters at Ephesus, which is possible but not verifiable, and Revelation at Patmos. The fact is, John did not write the Revelation letters to the seven churches from Ephesus as he was on the isle of Patmos when the book of Revelation was composed. See Revelation 1:1.

From what I can determine, none of the following is factual but may be plausible. In the third century AD, there were two rival sites at Ephesus claiming to have the apostle’s grave. One eventually achieved official recognition, becoming a shrine in the fourth century. In the