Over the years I've heard rumors that John of Patmos wrote the Book of Revelation while in a hallucination induced by the fungus ergot. While looking around for any historical support for this claim, I tripped across a website that claims that Revelation is heresy, since the Jesus of Revelation contradicts the Jesus portrayed in the rest of the New Testament. An excerpt:
Strangely, "Revelation's" description of Jesus and its record of Jesus' words are greatly different than what is found in the prior twenty-six books of the New Testament. Those contradictions cause the Book of Revelation to be accused of being heretical. Is the Book of Revelation heretical? What are these contradictions that cause it to be charged as being a book of heresy?
We should remember that Revelation was always doubted in Eastern Christianity and not generally accepted into the New Testament until AD 508. Some ancient Christian branches still do not include it in their Bibles. So, we know discussion and criticism of Revelation is not new and is not a disrespectful activity.
It is generally believed John of Patmos recorded his hallucination around AD 90-95. The Apostles John and Paul believed the authentic scriptures were completed during their life times. John (8:31,32; 17:20) and Paul (Eph. 3:20) wrote those opinions at least thirty years before John of Patmos wrote. Based on this alone, "Revelation" is post Apostolic literature.
http://www.revelation-101.org/
The site goes on to list point-by-point some of these contradictions, (unfortunately with some annoying font choices). An example:
Thyatira (2: 18) has love, patience, faith, service and patient endurance. But Patmos’ Jesus says that is not enough. They have a bad woman in their midst who causing immoral acts and the eating of food that has been sacrificed to Idols. Patmos’ Jesus will kill any children born from adultery with her (2: 22,23).
Will the Gospel Jesus kill innocent children because of the sins of their parents? John the Apostle's Gospel Jesus Christ is a man of love who teaches love, forgiveness, and protection of little children.
Since I am not versed in the New Testament, I'd like to ask both the believers and the historians, and those that are both:
Are the contradictions listed on the site valid? If so, how are the contradictions reconciled to provide a uniform picture of Jesus?
What is the Book of Revelation? is it the Word of God? Hallucination? Heresy?
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