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Glite Dictionary
John the Divine

John the Divine

1 8.5
A name for the Christian leader John believed to have written the fourth Gospel, three letters, and Revelation
  • proper noun
translation icon : Juan el Divino
  • The Book of Revelation is attributed to John the Divine in several biblical traditions.
  • St. John the Divine
  • Cathedral of John the Divine
  • John the Divine, New York

Examples

  • Did John the Divine really receive visions from God?

  • Numerous tourists visit the Cathedral of John the Divine each year to admire its stunning architecture.

  • Many churches are named after John the Divine, reflecting his importance in Christian history.

  • Some scholars debate whether John the Divine and John the Apostle were the same person.

  • The church is named after John the Divine.

  • The celebrations in honor of John the Divine include special music and community gatherings.

  • On the feast day of John the Divine, many people attend services to reflect on his teachings.

Synonyms

John
vsJohn the Divine
∞ 1.0

One of Jesus's twelve followers who is said to have written the Gospel of John and other New Testament books

is the honorific title form adding a theological epithet
St. John
vsJohn the Divine
1 6.8

One of Jesus' twelve apostles who is thought to have written the fourth Gospel and Revelation

is the honorific title form adding a theological epithet
St. John the Apostle
vsJohn the Divine
8.2

One of the twelve first followers of Jesus who is said to have written parts of the New Testament

is the honorific title form adding a theological epithet
Saint John the Apostle
vsJohn the Divine
7.7

A follower of Jesus who people believe wrote the Gospel of John, three letters, and Revelation

is the honorific title form adding a theological epithet
Saint John
vsJohn the Divine
6.0

One of Jesus's disciples in the New Testament believed to have written the Gospel and Revelation

is the honorific title form adding a theological epithet
John the Evangelist
vsJohn the Divine
8.8

One of Jesus's followers long thought to have written the Gospel of John, three letters, and Revelation

is the honorific title form adding a theological epithet

Surface Forms

John the Divine main

Morphology

John + the + Divine

The phrase combines the proper name 'John' with the epithet 'the Divine', so a learner who knows the words can infer it denotes John as holy or godly — an honorific formation that is partially compositional. However, identifying it as a specific ecclesiastical title referring to the Apostle/author (with its canonical associations) requires cultural or religion-specific knowledge beyond the literal constituents, so it is not fully transparent.

Etymology

John the Divine is a title for John, one of Jesus' first followers, and the word Divine means 'inspired by God'. People gave him this name because he wrote powerful visions and spiritual books like the Book of Revelation, so the title shows he was seen as a special, God-inspired writer and is used for churches and writings about him.