Richard St John Harris as John the Revelator, Saint John of Patmos the Author

Richard St John Harris as John the Revelator, Saint John of Patmos
the Author
It is 90 A.D., and the Roman Empire is being run by the Emperor Domitian, who has declared himself to be God, and ruler over heaven and Earth. The Christians, who do not recognize his divinity, are a thorn in his side, and he is having them cruelly persecuted. The small village in Asia Minor, to which the aged apostle John has withdrawn, is also attacked by Roman soldiers. As if by a miracle, John is the only person to escape the slaughter, and he receives divine orders to write down the visions he will have, and communicate them to the Christian communities in the Roman provinces of Asia. The voice tells him that they should discover what is and what will happen thereafter. Among the Christians of Asia Minor, who believe that John is dead, everyone is deeply worried about being persecuted. Gaius, the community elder in Smyrna, is concerned that only a few believers still dare come to the ritual supper. Under these circumstances, Christianity can no longer exist. But at this point, the young Irene appears at the secret meeting. She is convinced that John, who could give the Christians back their courage, is still alive, because a certain Theophilus, who is being held captive by the Romans on the island of Patmos, is in contact with him, and had a letter sent to her. In it, John describes his vision of Heaven: And behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and one sat on the throne, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book that was sealed with seven seals. Neither Gaius, nor the other adult believers, understand what John means by this. Only a little child among them, also named John, grasps the sense of it: John realizes that the throne belongs to God, and sees the seven lamps of fire as the seven Christian communities of Asia Minor, together with the four elements and the book of seals with the mystery of faith that brings salvation. Yet the letter's mysterious origins make Gaius skeptical. He is only prepared to believe in the integrity of this vision, if John really is still alive. Old Theophilus, who in reality is John himself, has been sent to the prison island of Patmos, ruled by the corrupt Roman official Corvus, as a scribe, while the other prisoners have to do hard labor in the mines. Many of them hate Theophilus (John) because of the special treatment he is receiving, but above all, because he is a Christian. Nevertheless, he does succeed in converting some of his fellow prisoners to Christianity, such as the young scribe Demetrius, who is planning to escape along a secret tunnel. When the shaken John tells his companions about the crucifixion of the Savior, they realize that he was there at the time, and is actually John. He falls into a trance and experiences a new vision of Heaven: And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes. And he came and took the book. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Meanwhile, in Smyrna, the young Irene has taken her leave of Valerius, whom she loves with a pure heart. She does not realize that he is not a Christian at all, but a spy working for the notoriously brutal Roman general Rufus, who has been ordered by Domitian to persecute Christians in Asia Minor. Valerius is a Roman soldier, born as a slave, he has his foster-father Rufus to thank for everything he has now become. He therefore has to obey when Rufus sends him to Patmos. Disguised as a prisoner, Valerius is told to find out whether John is still alive, because there are incessant rumors that he is, and they are leading to unwelcome solidarity among the Christians. Meanwhile Irene, with the help of her brother Jonicus, who visits Patmos regularly as a trader, gains access to the prison camp there. She recognizes Valerius from a distance and gets very worried about him. She embarked on all these dangers for the sake of John. However, her greatest desire is to see the last living Apostle, and to tell everyone about him. John trusts her, and confides in her under the seal of secrecy. She receives his visions in written form and promises to circulate the text among the Christians.

It is written: 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.