John and Revelation

by Valis 10 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Valis

  Hmmm...This has been covered before I'm sure, but since we have our own prophets of the Apocalypse, I thought we might have a rehash....When John wrote Revelation was he hallucinating? Had he gotten into the stash of mountain laurel leaves or what? It seems to me such a radical departure from the loving kindness espoused by the teachings of Jesus, one wonders what he was thinking. I'm certainly not a bible scholar by any means, but I was curious to get other's thoughts on the matter.

  Sincerely,

  District Overbeer
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  Satanus

  It was yellow reed canary grass

  SS
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  shotgun

  It's actually second hand information that he even wrote it.

  Most of the prophets fasted for days before having visions or dreams...coincidence that they had these revelations when in an unstable condition...or payote..I don't know.
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  slenderdog

  Was the scroll he ate a mushroom?
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  Gopher

  The author said he wrote it while exiled on the island of Patmos. Perhaps he saw beasts of various sizes fighting outside the prison window, and then was reminded of the book of Daniel.

  Revelation is really just an update of Daniel (complete with references to beasts representing world powers) with some things about the "Lamb of God" and his followers thrown in.

  And then, as if in some sort of pep talk, he throws in a reference to "new heaven and new earth that we are awaiting" in chapter 21, again a reference to the Old Testament.

  Then in chapter 22 he gave hope by saying the Lord is coming soon! Where have we heard that line before? (It's been over 1,900 years and counting.... it must be soon!)
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  peacefulpete

  Much of th book was written by an early Jewish Xtian (or possibly mystic Jew) and was reworked and expanded by a later Xtian with gnostic leanings. Additional hands are also seen as doing final touchups. Nearly nothing in the book is original in imagery or eschatological content. As Leolaia has posted in other threads these type of horrific scenes and language filled the air at the time. Drug induced altered states may have had a role in the creation of the book.
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  Narkissos

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/64462/1.ashx
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  Leolaia

  Revelation is a composite work, containing an amalgam of apocalyptic motifs and themes found throughout Jewish apocalyptic literature: the merkebah mysticism of Ezekiel, Daniel, and 1 Enoch, the visions of the abyss and falling stars from 1 Enoch, the revealing of Beliar and his false prophet myth that runs throughout the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Ascension of Isaiah, and the apocalypses of Mark, the Didache, and 2 Thessalonians, the related Nero revivivus myth of the Jewish Sibylline Oracles and pagan speculation (with its attendant destruction of Babylon, i.e. Rome), the end-times Woes on the Earth themes from Amos, 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, the Markan Apocalypse, etc., and the chiliast doctrine of the revealing of Paradise and the thousand-year reign (cf. 2 Baruch, Papias, etc.). The later editor, probably John the Presbyter of Ephesus, then added his letters to the churches of Asia -- likely in imitation of Paul's correspondence. There were some rumors in the early church that John stole his apocalypse from Cerinthus.
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  El blanko

  Conjecture - although, interesting conjecture. I used to think that the book was written whilst "under the influence", but then I used to use LSD/Weed/Shrooms etc .... so, I wanted to believe that to justify "riding the Shaman's chariot" so often.

  The book appears to provide a vivid account of future events, using rich symbolic reference to impress ideas upon the reader and fire up the imagination. A remarkable work and fascinating to study. The imagery appears carefully chosen to express profound concepts and strike fear and awe into the student.
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  willyloman

  Mankind will have made substantial progress when we are able to view Revelation as a work of art and diagram it much the way we do other works of abstract art and literature, i.e., the works of Picasso and the writings of James Joyce. Until then, unfortunately, we let all that religious stuff get in the way.