THE APOCALYPSE OF ST. JOHN
At the end of the New Testament stands a remarkable document, the
Apocalypse, the secret Revelation of St. John. We have only to read
the opening words to feel the deep mystic character of this book. "The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his
servants how the necessary things are shortly going to happen; and
this is sent in signs by the angel of God unto his servant John." What
is here revealed is "sent in signs." Therefore we must not take the
literal meaning of the words as they stand, but seek for a deeper
meaning of which the words are only signs. But there are other things
also which point to a hidden meaning. St. John addresses himself to
the seven churches in Asia. Not actual, material churches are meant; the number seven is the sacred number, chosen on account of its symbolic meaning. The actual number of the Asiatic churches was different. And the manner in which St. John arrived at the revelation also points to something mysterious. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, 'What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches.'" Thus, we have to do with a revelation received by St. John in the spirit. And it is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Wrapped in a hidden meaning there appears what Christ Jesus manifested to the world. Therefore we must also look for this hidden meaning in the teachings of Christ. This revelation bears the same relation to ordinary Christianity as was borne by the revelation of the Mysteries, in pre-Christian times, to the people's religion. On this account the attempt to treat the Apocalypse as a mystery appears to be justified.