**But we both know that in the course of the revelation a relic was shown St. John, because he received the vision of its presence.**
1. It was a vision; with a very spiritual meaning.
2. BECAUSE: “John saw under the altar the souls of them that WERE SLAIN for the word of God.... And THEY cried with a LOUD VOICE.....”.
3. Do the bones your sect places under altars cry out with LOUD VOICES?
4. It was a vision, remember?....the Christ depicted as a lamb, with seven horns, and seven eyes. Do you have him depicted in your church’s stained glass windows, or paintings, in that fashion? If not, why?
You see, this vain tradition is no different than saying that Rev. 12:1-5 speaks of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, COMPLETELY disregarding verse 6 , where the ‘woman’ is placed in the wilderness.......and fed for a thousand two hundred and threescore days. The ‘woman’ is Israel, for that verse harmonizes with the prophets words concerning the nation.
Obscurantist? I don’t think I’m dodging any facts presented in the SCRIPTURES concerning this tradition being discussed.
**I don’t care about you.**
That’s ok, I care about you. (I’m told to care, by someone with the initials LJC) :)
Again, neither of us knows if a relic was under the altar where St. John served the liturgy, or his vision started this tradition, or his church lacked a relic due to its remote location where St. John was exiled but more soundly established churches already had relics under altars.
Catholic Christians have been granted conversations with martyrs many times in history, both in the presence of their relics and without. Besides, to see the relic crying out would not be out of line with the style of the book, as you yourself point out. Nor would seeing Virgin Mary in the wilderness and with wings, nor seeing Christ as a lamb with many eyes. Of course, Christ, Mary and the saints (both represented by their relic and in person, delivering prayers) figure in the Apocalypse.
I do not care for a personal conversation and would urge you not to interpret my posts personally. I do, of course, desire the conversion of all Protestants, including yours.