The Paraphrase of King James I. upon the Revelation (1616)

A PARAPHRASE VPON THE REVELATION OF THE APOSTLE S. IOHN . James paraphrases the entire book of Revelation, verse-by-verse. For the purpose of making, "...the Discourse more short and facile," James makes John the speaker of the entire paraphrase. He wrote it in the 1580's. However, it was not published until 1616, when it was included in his collected works. The publisher of said collected works, James, Bishop of Winton, and author of the "Preface to the Reader" informs us, that "this Paraphrase...was written by his Maiestie before hee was twenty yeeres of aage " (Preface to the Reader, p. 21.) THE EPISTLE TO THE WHOLE CHVRCH MILITANT,* IN WHATSOEVER PART OF THE EARTH . * [ "The church militant is the Christian church on earth...distinguished from the church triumphant, or in heaven." (Webster's 1828 Dictionary).] In this epistle, James states his reasons for writing the Paraphrase of the Revelation: "I doubt not but it will seeme strange to many, that any of my aage4, calling, and literature, should haue medled with so obscure, Theologicall, and high a subiect: But let my earnest desire (by manifesting the Trueth,) as well as to teach my selfe as others, serve for excuse; considering also that where divers others in our aage, haue medled with the interpretation of this Booke, pressing with preoccupied opinions, onely to wrest and conforme the meaning thereof to their particular and priuate passions; I by the contrary protest, that all my trauiles tend to square and conforme my opinions to the trew and sincere meaning thereof: Which causes mooued me to undertake this worke...." THE ARGVMENT OF THIS WHOLE EPISTLE . James orients the reader by dividing the Bible into several principal parts beginning with Adam's defection in Genesis and culminating with the prophesy of the Revelation. He then divides the book of Revelation into six principal parts--each focusing on some aspect of the end-times church. A PARAPHRASE VPON THE REVELATION OF THE APOSTLE S. IOHN. IA. Winton [i.e., James, Bishop of Winton] comments, "...I will make bolde to proceed a little with his Maiesties Paraphrase upon the Reuelation....His Maiesties singular understanding in all points of good Learning is not unknowne: But yet aboue all other things, GOD hath giuen him an understanding Heart in the interpretation of that Booke, beyond the measure of other men...." ( Workes, Preface to the Reader, p. 21. London, 1616. )