From AXIOS Newsletter, Volume Eight, Number Three

Reproduced by Permission

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The Cave of Revelation

by Dennis Engleman

To Christians seeking an awareness of their spiritual heritage, there

are few places more awe-inspiring than Patmos, Greece. This tiny Island in

the Aegean Sea has been holy to Christendom for 1800 years, and the scene

of many miraculous events. The reason for its fame is that here the

Apostle John lived and received from God the vision which became the

Bible's Book of Revelation.

What brought St. John to this remote spot far from Judea, where he,

along with the other disciples, had been followers and witness of Jesus

Christ? To answer this, one must remember that after our Lord's death and

Resurrection, the Roman emperors began a vicious persecution of Christians

in which many were killed or exiled. St. John's Inspired preaching of

Christ enraged emperor Domitian, who exiled him to Patmos in the year 95

AD. John was accompanied by Prochoros, one of the seven deacons appointed

by the Apostles (Acts, Chapter 6, Verse 5), who served as the Evangelist's

secretary, and recorded what John heard God saying to him.

St. John was not idle during his imprisonment. From the moment he

arrived on Patmos, he began to work miracles and demonstrate a life of

prayer and faith in God. He confronted the pagan worship prevalent on the

island, and with fatherly love he ultimately converted all the inhabitants

to Christianity.

The Christian beliefs and practices that John taught gave birth to a

Christ-Centered culture on Patmos which has persisted, essentially

unchanged, to the present day. In spite of a history of subjugation by

Moslem and Latin invaders, the people have clung tenaciously to their

precious and soul-saving Orthodox Christian heritage.

In view of Patmos' most celebrated resident, it was with keen interest

that my wife and I visited the island recently. Our journey commenced

tranquilly at Athens' Piraeus harbor, where we boarded a ferry and set off

under sunny skies. By midnight, twelve (12) hours later, the wind had

risen and the seas grown boisterous. Salt spray blowing wildly over the

deck drove the passengers inside and called to our minds one of the stories

traditionally told of the evening when St. John was brought as a prisoner

to Patmos.

On that night long ago, the seas had also grown rough and a violent

storm engulfed the boat that carried the Apostle. The passengers were

unable to escape the wrath of the waves and a young boy was swept from the

deck by the torrents. The boy's horrified father vowed sacrifices to the

gods, but (of course) in vain. In despair he then sought the help of John,

who knelt down on the deck and implored Christ to help the boy. At that

moment, a wave washed the youngster back onto the ship. The witnesses of

this miracle were deeply moved and accepted Christianity.

Our reflections were interrupted around 1 AM by the sound of the ship's

motors laboring. We emerged onto the deck and discovered that we had

reached Patmos and were approaching the harbor. What a sight lay before

us! The windy darkness was penetrated by a halo of lights shining from the

little port town of Scala. The gleaming white buildings shown with a

dream-like tranquility that contrasted oddly with the struggles of the

ship's crew, who wrestled with immense ropes to secure the ferry to the

dock in the gale.

To the cheers and applause of a small crowd that had gathered on the

shore, the ship was finally restrained but, driven by the wind, it

continued to stretch the ropes until they creaked and snapped like gunfire.

The passengers lept hurriedly to the dock and were met by the crowd. As

Deborah and I alighted, we were approached by a Greek woman who offered us

a room. We accepted, and she led us up winding lanes past sweetly fragrant

flowers blooming in the moonlight. When we reached her home, she showed us

to a charming room with a balcony above a number of pigs, goats, and

chickens (we found out about them the next morning). We threw down our

things, said a prayer and went to sleep.

The next day, having awakened to melodious lowing, squealing, crowing,

and baaing, we set out to explore. The weather had calmed and a brilliant

sun revealed a lovely but ascetic island of sparse vegetation and sparser

population. On the terraced hillsides, lambs and goats wandered freely,

announcing their location among olive trees with faintly tinkling bells.

At the dock, fishermen cleaned and readied their nets for the day's labors.

Everywhere we walked, a sense of calm and peace prevailed, the result, no

doubt, of the centuries of prayer that have wafted to God from this blessed

place since the time of St. John.

The Apostle lived in a cave, where he occupied himself with prayer and

fasting, along with his disciple, Prochoros. It was here that he heard the

voice of the Lord, as Revelation Chapter 1, Verses 9 and 10 records:

"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. I was

in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a

trumpet."

The cave is now surrounded by the Monastery of the Apocalypse, an

unpretentious, whitewashed building. Aside from a small painting above the

door, there is no indication that this is one of the most sacred shrines in

Christendom. Within, rock-hewn stairs lead down several levels past monks'

cells to St. John's cave.

At the deepest part of the cave is a sanctuary with ikonostasis. Above

this is a triple fissure in the rock, which tradition says was created by

the power of Christ speaking to John the words which are recorded in the

books of Revelation:

"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." (Revelation,

Chapter 1, Verses 9-11)

Although the cave is now blessedly silent, far from the world's noisy

clamor, one senses that the rock is still resounding and reverberating from

the Eternal Word which was spoken there.

It is worth noting that St. John received guidance for the Seven (7)

Churches while a prisoner in exile. Perhaps this is a reminder that

Christians are always in exile while here on Earth; that they are pilgrims

far from their heavenly home.

On one side of the cave are indentations in the rock, now wreathed in

silver, where St. John rested his hands while he prayed and rested his head

while he slept. The cave itself can be seen as a sign of God's desire to

reveal Himself in lowliness and humility, unnoticed by the world. Of

course, the greatest of God's Revelations, the birth of His Son Jesus

Christ, also took place in the hiddenness of a cave.

Deborah and I prayed with thanksgiving to St. John, whose life and

witness have been so instrumental in revealing Christ to believers. We

left the Cave of Revelation feeling that something in us had been

profoundly changed by exposure to the holy place. From there we climbed

the hill that led to the imposing Monastery of St. John the Theologian,

visible from anywhere on the island.

The monastery was originally built by craftsmen from Constantinople in

the fourth (4th) century over a place where St. John was accustomed to

praying, and the monastery is still active today. Within the severe grey

battlements (constructed as a defense against pirates), all is shimmering

white. Graceful arches sustain the walls of the courtyard, and twisting

stone steps ascend to the bell tower. On the inner and outer walls of the

church are beautiful frescoes of Christ and His saints, dusty with

centuries of incensing. Within the church, the monks' stalls line the

walls, and they are worn with years of standing in prayer before the Lord.

Deborah and I lingered there, savoring the sweet atmosphere of Christian

striving and struggle that has produced so many saints and been the life

blood of the Church. What a debt the Christian world owes to those who

labored in obscurity, preserving the riches of the traditions that have

been established by the Apostles and confirmed by the Fathers!

The persecution of Christians to which St. John was subjected continued

for several hundred years until in 312 AD, Emperor Constantine witnessed

the vision of a glowing Cross in the sky and was converted to Christianity.

In the subsequent absence of physical persecution against believers,

monasticism emerged from within the Church as a new form of martyrdom.

Monasticism represented dying to the world and to the flesh, and

produced a quality essential to the life of the Church as a whole:

Otherworldliness. This quality is still nurtured by Orthodox monks, who

maintain the serenity of St. John's Monastery with ceaseless prayers. They

follow a regimen that has not changed for over a thousand years and whose

goal is the deification of man thru the crucifixion of the passions.

Around the Monastery of St. John, the village of Chora formed, composed

of dedicated lay-people. This type of inter-relationship between monastic

and lay communities was common thruout the Christian world until modern

times, as the Church was understood to be the center and ordering principal

of life.

The devotion of the people of Chora to their Christian heritage is

evidenced by the fact that in this tiny village there are 22 monasteries

and churches. One of these, the Church of Virgin Mary Deliverer, contains

a wonder-working ikon which Deborah and I were eager to venerate.

We searched Chora till we found the church, a simple and beautiful

building with a mosaic of the Virgin Mary above the door. It was locked,

but nearby was a neighbor lady sweeping her steps. I said something to her

and pointed to the church. In response, she made a pantomime which I took

to mean, "Go ring the bell and someone will come with a key." Since the

bell in question was the large church bell in the tower, I was reluctant to

start ringing it. The kind lady sensed my uncertainty; so she walked to

the bell and pointed directly at it, making yanking motions with her hand.

At this there could be no doubt, so I cautiously pulled the long rope till

the bell bonged a couple times. Sure enough, within a few minutes a

peasant lady arrived, key in hand, and opened the door.

What a blessing for us! The interior of the church was covered with

frescoes, many of which showed scenes from the life of Jesus which I had

never seen portrayed. In the isle was the wonder-working ikon of the

Theotokos (Mother of God), before which we offered our prayers.

As we walked back down the hill we were drawn to the Cave of Revelation

again. There is something so deeply stirring about it that we felt

compelled to return. And it was fortunate that we did, for an Orthodox

priest there pointed out something that had previously been invisible to

us, although it is literally engraved in stone. Upon the wall near where

St. John rested and prayed is an astounding cross which tradition says St.

John himself carved in the rock. Having seen it, I realized that its

singular shape has been reproduced thruout Patmos on posts and door

lintels.

One last time we prayed that the Word of God which came to strengthen

the ancient churches would abide in our hearts and in the hearts of all who

are struggling to be Christian in this age of apostasy. As we were leaving

we saw on a table a message, hitherto unnoticed. It read:

"Dear Visitor,

The place which you have just entered is sacred. This small cave

some two (2) thousand years ago gave shelter to the beloved

disciple of Jesus Christ, St. John the Evangelist. A continuous

tradition, extending across nineteen (19) centuries, has

preserved for us vivid traces of the Apostle's stay in this

place.

This is a holy but also an awe-inspiring place, for here -- as

once on Mount Sinai -- God came down in all His glory and

majesty, to reveal to John and thru him to the whole world 'the

things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.' We

can gain a sense of what that vision meant by looking at the

crack produced in the rock by the exceptional physical and

supranatural phenomena that accompanied the vision. This fissure

extends across the upper part of the cave from east to west,

dividing the rock into three parts and thus serving as a

continual reminder of the Trinitarian nature of God.

Your coming to this holy place is not a chance event in your

life. God, who 'wishes all men to be saved and to come to a

knowledge of the truth' (I Timothy, Chapter 2, Verse 4), who

directs all things for man's spiritual benefit, has guided you

here for you to listen, deep within yourself, to the secret echo

of the words that were spoken to St. John and to the seven (7)

Churches of Asia Minor -- whose light, alas, has been

extinguished because their faith in God grew cold -- and for you

to see with your mind's eye the heavenly vision revealed to the

Apostles.

At a time when religious faith has become weak and eternal values

have been cast aside, it is necessary for your own good that you

should call God to mind. Think of Him who is the all-powerful

Creator, Lord of the world, Alpha and Omega, as the Book of

Revelation terms Him, the beginning and end of all things, the

impartial judge, the final victor in the struggle against

antichrist and his tools.

In this cave, where the highest truths were revealed in the most

dramatic fashion, you are given the opportunity to reflect

inwardly and to ask yourself whether you are on the side of

Christ or antichrist. At this moment Christ stands at the door

of your soul and knocks on it. 'Behold, I stand at the door and

knock: if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come

in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me.' (Revelation,

Chapter 3, Verse 20). Whoever you are, do not forget that God is

the eternal father of all human-kind. What will you do, brother?

Will you open your soul to Christ or will you keep it closed,

condemning yourself to fatal isolation?"