This is Clements version of the story, which I cite here for the instruction and edification of all those who will happen to read it (Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, 3,2024).
Many other deeds were accomplished by John, which we do not mention here. The apostle died in the city of Ephesus during the reign of Emperor Trajan (see Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, 3,1; 3,23).
c. The Concept of Revelation
The Greek word for apocalypse means revelation. When the Church writers use this word, they typically mean the supernatural message through which God reveals to man some truths related to Faith and his Divine Mysteries:
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery (Col 1:2627).
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them (Rom 1:1719).
This is why John begins his Apocalypse in the following way:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw (Rev 1:12).
I John, was in the Spirit (Rev 1: 910).
In the giving of the Revelation to John, all the three Divine Persons were present: God the Son, because it says: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, God the Father, because it says: Which God game unto him, and the Holy Spirit, because it says that John saw prophetic signs in the Spirit.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one (1 Jn 5:7).
The message of the revelation that came through John, contains some of the deepest mysteries about Gods providence in relation to man. These mysteries are given in a series of symbolic visions, most of which are not explained in the book. However, the Church Fathers were able to grasp the overall message of the Revelation. Many of them wrote their own interpretations on this book or its parts.
d. The prophecy for all times
The Apocalypse is the pinnacle of all prophetic books which reveal the Divine plan concerning the final destiny of mankind. It spans a long stretch of history from the moment of Revelation to the end of the world. Thus, the prophecy of the Apocalypse applies to the entire New Testament era, unfolding gradually in its entirety. The final fulfillment of Revelation will take place at the end of time, after the Day of Judgment.
Thats why it says:
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand (Rev 1:3).
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book (Rev 22:7).
The close fulfillment of the prophecy means here three things:
In relation to God, it is a testimony of Gods time-transcending nature, for he is above and beyond time:
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Pet 3:8).
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night (Ps 90:4 [Ps 89:5 rus]).
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be (Rev 22:12).
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen (Rev 22:20).
For mankind, the near fulfillment of the prophecy means that Apocalypse is a permanent event, that is, it is being fulfilled constantly since its individual visions correspond to certain historical eras:
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand (Rev 22:10).
For an individual, the near fulfillment of the prophecy means that life is fleeting from the standpoint of eternity, and sudden death is always a possibility. This calls for constant spiritual vigilance for the sake of the soul:
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God (Rev 3:2).
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 (Rev 2:5).
Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth (Rev 2:16).
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown (Rev 3:11).
It follows that the prophecies of the Apocalypse and their careful and thorough interpretation are of vital importance.
e. The rules for interpretation
The purpose of writing the Apocalypse was to explain to Christians the significance of certain historical events in light of the Divine Providence: to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass (Rev 1:1).
The mystical representation of the future of Christs Church and of the whole world helps to prepare believers for the temptations of peacetime, and, particularly, for the hardships in the days of the Antichrist. When the Church is aware of the inevitability of persecution and the Final Judgment, in which everyone will receive according to his deeds, she is helped to go through the hardships:
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be (Rev 22:1112).
The prophetic visions of the Apocalypse are not always arranged in chronological order. However, each individual vision contains a strict chronological sequence. This sets the rules for interpretation, which help to align these visions against each other. To some extent, these rules were formulated by the Church Fathers, whose authority and opinion should undoubtedly be taken into consideration when interpreting certain visions.
The events of the last few centuries are a good enough reason to review our modern history in light of the Apocalypse so we can interpret it properly, thus filling up what was lacking in the ancient interpretations.
f. The proposed interpretation
This book offers an interpretation of Johns Apocalypse. The structure of the book is not typical for this type of literature and therefore requires some clarification. The interpretation presented does not follow the chapters of the Apocalypse. Rather, it is based on the authors intent, which aims to convey to the reader the meaning of the Revelation in a sequence that is easy to grasp.
The prophetic visions of the Apocalypse are not always arranged in chronological order. However, each individual vision contains a strict chronological sequence. This sets the rules for interpretation, which help to align these visions against each other. To some extent, these rules were formulated by the Church Fathers, whose authority and opinion should undoubtedly be taken into consideration when interpreting certain visions.
The events of the last few centuries are a good enough reason to review our modern history in light of the Apocalypse so we can interpret it properly, thus filling up what was lacking in the ancient interpretations.
f. The proposed interpretation
This book offers an interpretation of Johns Apocalypse. The structure of the book is not typical for this type of literature and therefore requires some clarification. The interpretation presented does not follow the chapters of the Apocalypse. Rather, it is based on the authors intent, which aims to convey to the reader the meaning of the Revelation in a sequence that is easy to grasp.
In general, the book stays within the framework of Orthodox Christian theology. However, since much of the text is the authors own interpretations, which are his particular theological opinion, he would be grateful for any comments and clarifications from those who are well-versed in the Orthodox theology.
g. My pilgrimage to Patmos
The island of Patmos can only be reached by sea. The most convenient way to get there is from the island of Kos, which is one of the closest airports connecting the island to the outside world. It has a regular ferry connection with Patmos. You can also get to the birthplace of the Apocalypse from the continental port of Piraeus or from one of the nearby islands.
On my way to Patmos, I stopped at the island of Rhodes. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, and Patmos is one of them. From the east, Rhodes is washed by the calm waters of the Mediterranean, and from the west by the stormy Aegean sea. In the northern part of the island, there are lots of mooring piers. The one that is more known is called Mandraki Harbor, where the famous Colossus of Rhodes once stood. It was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The history behind the Colossus made me think of Daniels prophecy about the giant idol
In 305 before New Era (BNE), Antigonus, the king of Syria, sent his son, the renowned commander Demetrius Poliorket, to capture Rhodes, but after a year-long war, Demetrius abandoned the siege equipment at the fortress walls and returned home without any success. The Rhodians sold the equipment and used the money to hire Hareth, the sculptor from Lind, to erect a triumphal statue of Helios. It took him 12 years to build the statue, which was 70 cubits high (over 30 meters). Yet, the majestic Colossus did not survive for more than half a century. A powerful earthquake of 226 BNE broke off the legs of the statue, and it crashed. The Сolossus remained in ruins for centuries. Its shattered pieces were pillaged in 653 NE.
The sea ferry which took me to Patmos set off from Rhodes at 5 pm. As it slowly pulled off, a trail of propeller-foamed waters stretched far behind, gently swaying in the piercingly azure waves. The ferry set its course, and the foamy trail behind made a slight curve, stretching out in a nearly straight line, churning from inside. On the left, one could see Rhodes vanishing in the distance together with the high walls of the Old City fortress, and on the right loomed the rocks of Asia Minor. Soon they were out of view, and everything around me was one endless sea with specks of small islands scattered here and there, bare and mostly uninhabited. Just a few of them had visible signs of life the isolated abodes of solitary monks. From time to time, we saw pleasure boats, barges, sailing yachts.
At about 7:30, a larger and more populated island loomed on the horizon. The loudspeaker announced: the island of Kos. The ferry slowed down and, turning astern to the shore, began to moor. We spent considerable time loading and unloading RV trailers, the passengers coming in and out. It took us about an hour to finish up with the process. In the meantime, I could enjoy the beauties of the visible part of Kos in an unhurried manner. It was almost twilight.
By 10 pm, the ferry reached the island of Leros. By this time, the darkness was almost complete. Illuminated with hundreds of street lights and bright-lit windows of the local houses and hotels, Leros was a fabulous night scene. Again we had to wait for a while, but there was enough time to enjoy the stunning illumination of Leros.
I will also add that on the way back I hopped on a catamaran ferry, which made the stops much shorter. So, the return trip was significantly quicker.
It was around midnight when I, with a trembling heart, stepped on the shores of Patmos. In the deep darkness, the port of Scala shone brightly with its many lights, and on one side of a low mountain, the walls of the Monastery of St. John the Divine were lit with spotlights. The hotel agents met the pilgrims at the port gate. One of them gave me a ride to the hotel, which happened to be not too far away. After a long sea voyage, I could finally take a shower and get a good nights sleep.
The next morning, I left my hotel and went for a walk to explore the area. Patmos is a small rocky island, shaped like the head of a seahorse. The highest elevation of the island is Mt. Saint Elijah, 269 meters above the sea level. Between the mountain peaks, there are picturesque green valleys. The austere rocky terrain is somewhat softened by the citrus orchards, vineyards, pines, cypresses, strawberry trees, eucalyptus trees, pomegranates, olive trees, and other green patches. The largest villages on Patmos are Chora, Scala, and Kambos. The local population, for the most part, lives in one or two-story houses, usually painted white. The main architectural attraction of the island is the medieval Monastery of St. John the Divine, located at the highest point of the village Chora.
The distance from the port of Skala to the Monastery of the Cave of the Apocalypse is 2.2 kilometers following the road to Chora. There is also a stone-paved trail for pedestrians between these two locations. It is a bit shorter, but has a steeper climb and leads somewhat away from the Cave.
The entrance into the Monastery of the Cave of Apocalypse begins at the gate with metal doors. On the low masonry walls, there are two plates on each side of the gate one in Greek on the left and one in English on the right. There are only two phrases. The one above says: Holy Cave of the Apocalypse. The one below is a quotation from Revelation: I was on the island of Patmos (Apoc. chap. A.9).
Further, there is a short alley leading up to the monastery. The monastery is a whitewashed stone building set on a rock, as if over the Cave. Above the entrance to the monastery, there is a mosaic icon of John the Apostle, dictating the text of the Apocalypse to his disciple Prokhor. Prokhor was one of the seven deacons appointed by the apostles. He was exiled to Patmos just like John and later became the bishop of Nicomedia.
I went inside. Ahead of me, on the right, there was a church shop. On the opposite end, to the left, I saw an exit to the stairs leading to a lower level. After several flights of stairs, I found myself at the entrance to the Holy Cave.
The internal space of the Cave is divided into two parts. On the left, there is a Temple of St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin, erected in the 11th century by archbishop Christodul. On the right, there is the Temple of the Holy Cave of Apocalypse, separated only by the stony overhangs from the ceiling. In this Cave, John the Theologian received his Revelation.