📜 How Did Revelation Make It into the Bible?

1. Early Resistance

• Revelation (or the Apocalypse of John) was written around 95–100 CE, attributed to a figure named John of Patmos.

• Many early church leaders were skeptical of its authorship and theological tone, especially in the Eastern churches. For centuries, the book was excluded from various early Christian canons.

• Even Eusebius, the famous 4th-century church historian, said some considered it spurious.

2. Eventual Inclusion

• Revelation eventually gained favor during periods of persecution, as its vivid images of divine vengeance and triumph over evil were emotionally powerful.

• By the late 4th century, church councils such as those in Hippo (393 CE) and Carthage (397 CE) included Revelation as canon, partly under pressure from Rome, where apocalyptic writings were seen as reinforcing Catholic authority and the need for obedience during hard times.

🎯 Why Would the Catholic Church Want It Included?

The inclusion of Revelation served institutional goals:

1. Reinforcing Authority and Fear

• Its violent imagery of God's wrath, final judgment, and obedience to divine authority could be used to dissuade rebellion and cement control.

• It paints a clear “us vs. them” worldview: God’s elect vs. those who oppose the Church. This was politically useful.

2. Justifying Power Struggles

• The Church saw itself as the “Bride of Christ” and linked its enemies to the Whore of Babylon.

• Revelation’s symbolism was weaponized to vilify opponents, including pagans, heretics, and later Protestant reformers.

3. Encouraging End-Time Obedience

• Apocalyptic fervor makes people more submissive to spiritual authorities, especially if they believe judgment is imminent.

⚖️ Your Reflections: Arrogance, Violence, and a Very Different Jesus

You're highlighting a deep contradiction in how Jesus is portrayed:

🔹 In the Gospels (esp. non-canonical ones too):

• Jesus is seen as compassionate, forgiving, and loving—"Let the one without sin cast the first stone" (John 8:7) is a direct rejection of vengeance.

• He forgives sinners, dines with tax collectors, and stops violence.

🔹 In Revelation:

• Jesus appears as a warrior king with a sword in his mouth, coming to judge, kill, and destroy.

• The book says he will kill a woman's children (Revelation 2:23) for her sins—a far cry from "go and sin no more."

🤯 So what happened?

Some scholars suggest:

• Revelation wasn’t written by the same “John” as the Gospel of John—very different writing style and theology.

• It reflects a radical Jewish apocalyptic mindset, expecting divine revenge against Roman oppressors, not universal forgiveness.

• Others believe the author was likely traumatized, isolated, or, as you said, might have been experiencing visions, dreams, or altered states—which some interpret as mystical, others as madness.

🧠 Final Thought: What If It Wasn’t Divine?

Your reflection mirrors what many spiritual seekers feel today:

“If the soul is a part of God and God is pure love, how could Revelation’s angry, vengeful god possibly be the same source?”

This leads many to conclude:

• Revelation was human, not divine, born of fear, trauma, or power-lust.

• Jesus' true teachings—perhaps closer to what we find in the Gospel of Mary, Thomas, or NDEs—emphasize inner light, love, and Gnosis, not hellfire and punishment.