This is, however, not the only interpretation; Domitian may not have been a despot imposing an imperial cult, and there may not have been any systematic empire-wide persecution of Christians in his time. Proud member At this time, the ruling Roman emperor was Domitian. John the Baptist did not write any books that we know of -and he had his own disciples. Danna Nolan Fewell (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016), 37688, Barbara Whitlock, "Tracing out the convoluted sources of Christianity" in George D. Barnes (ed. (8:89), Fourth Trumpet: A third of the sun, the moon, and the stars are darkened creating complete darkness for a third of the day and the night. Final admonitions. (2) There is early and strong evidence in the church that John wrote it. God is greater than your circumstances. Among such offenses were the practices of magic and astrology. John was caught up in the Spirit and he was instructed to write all the things he saw. Irenaeus. According to Torrey, "The Fourth Gospel was brought to Ephesus by a Christian fugitive from Palestine soon after the middle of the first century. We can also conclude that John was imprisoned on the Island of Patmos. The author uses the number seven, for example, in a symbolic sense to signify totality or perfection. References to a thousand years (chapter 20) have led some to expect that the final victory over evil will come after the completion of some millennium (see Millennialism). (20:13), The resurrected martyrs live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. The author names himself as simply "John" in the text, but his precise identity remains a point of academic debate. Dating the Gospel of John to after AD 98: A. [citation needed]. Damvand. 1995. vol. Early-date advocates hold that Revelation was written by John prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70. The bulk of traditional sources date the book to the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (AD 8196), which evidence tends to confirm.[9][d]. Then, again, the Church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles.[10]. Revelation is the final chapter. [87] Various Christian anarchists, such as Jacques Ellul, have identified the State and political power as the Beast[88] and the events described, being their doings and results, the aforementioned 'wrath'. Rather, it deals with a contemporary crisis of faith, probably brought on by Roman persecutions. 5. This means the discrepancy in writing styles between the Gospel and the Revelation could be due to any number of factors. The obscure and extravagant imagery has led to a wide variety of Christian interpretations. The temple of God opens in heaven, where the ark of his covenant can be seen. For example, the author borrows the 'new temple' imagery of Ezekiel 4048 but uses it to describe a New Jerusalem which, quite pointedly, no longer needs a temple because it is God's dwelling. (16:89), Fifth Bowl: There is total darkness and great pain in the Beast's kingdom. What an incredible challenge. Revelation to John appears to be a collection of separate units composed by unknown authors who lived during the last quarter of the 1st century, though it purports to have been written by an individual named Johnwho calls himself "the servant" of Jesusat Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. . The temple of the tabernacle, in Heaven, is opened (15:15), beginning the "Seven Bowls" revelation. Futurists, meanwhile, believe that Revelation describes future events with the seven churches growing into the body of believers throughout the age, and a reemergence or continuous rule of a Greco-Roman system with modern capabilities described by John in ways familiar to him; and idealist or symbolic interpretations consider that Revelation does not refer to actual people or events but is an allegory of the spiritual path and the ongoing struggle between good and evil. The external evidences can only support what is internal. [8] While the dominant genre is apocalyptic, the author sees himself as a Christian prophet: Revelation uses the word in various forms 21 times, more than any other New Testament book. Under this interpretation, assertions that "the time is near" are to be taken literally by those communities. First of all [he wrote] to the Corinthians forbidding schisms and heresies; then to the Galatians [forbidding] circumcision; to the Romans he wrote at greater length about the order of the scriptures and also insisting that Christ was their primary theme. It is the final warning that the world will surely end and judgment will be certain. The stars of heaven fall to the earth and the sky recedes like a scroll being rolled up (6:1314). As part of his persecution, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. Do you want to go deeper in your walk with the Lord but cant seem to overcome the stuff that keeps getting in the way? I hold that Revelation was produced prior to the death of Nero in June, A.D. 68, and even before the formal engagement of the Jewish War by Vespasian in Spring, A.D. 67. Robert J. Karris (ed.) Traditionally, this was often believed to be the same person as John the Apostle (John, son of Zebedee), one of the apostles of Jesus, to whom the Gospel of John was also attributed. It rejects attempts to determine, before the fact, if the events of Revelation are occurring by mapping them onto present-day events, taking to heart the Scriptural warning against those who proclaim "He is here!" Who Is The Rich Man? XLII, Ante-Nicene Fathers. The interesting point is that the order is not the same. John, on this theory, rearranges Ezekiel to suit his own purposes. 3. Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150 215) confirms that John had been on the Island of Patmos. (20:1115), A "new heaven" and "new earth" replace the old heaven and old earth. The Canon of Scripture. Justin Martyr quotes Johns view that Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem. Against Heresies. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). (13:15), The Beast of the Sea blasphemes God's name (along with God's tabernacle and his kingdom and all who dwell in Heaven), wages war against the Saints, and overcomes them. [28], Dionysius (AD 248), bishop of Alexandria and disciple of Origen, wrote that the Book of Revelation could have been written by Cerinthus although he himself did not adopt the view that Cerinthus was the writer. Lawrence coined the term "Patmossers" to describe those Christians who could only be happy in paradise if they knew their enemies were suffering in hell. . This is a very personal statement and is very similar to the opening verses of 1 John 1-9. 10. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that the warning contained in Revelation 22:1819[80][non-primary source needed] does not refer to the biblical canon as a whole. [54] The following is therefore an outline of the book's contents rather than of its structure. 187, 191, 193. He saw him in his natural form as a human; he also saw him transfigured and in all his glory. [17], The predominant view is that Revelation alludes to the Old Testament, although it is difficult among scholars to agree on the exact number of allusions or the allusions themselves. The apostle John was later freed, possibly due to old age, and he returned to what is now Turkey. Winter that returns not to spring who can bear it? Remember John had a very unique perspective of Jesus. (6:911). The spiritual decline of the the seven churches (chaps. The authorities then sentenced John to slave labor in the mines of Patmos. This implies in his introduction that he is no longer on the island! After the eighth angel has devastated the earth, the seven angels introduced in verse 2 prepare to sound their trumpets (8:6). . I believe the combination of being caught up in the spirit and this encounter with Jesus gave John the confidence to write, and more importantly gives us the confidence to believe what he wrote. Trajan reigned from A.D. 98 to A.D. 117. This was part of Johns challenge, describing things thousands of years into the future with language and references of the first century AD. Revelation to John, also called Book of Revelation or Apocalypse of John, abbreviation Revelation, last biblical book of the New Testament. John then refers to himself as I once again in verse 10. Prior to him writing the book, there was a time of tremendous persecution in the church. This provides conclusive evidence that the DomitianEusebius refers to is the Domitian who reigned from A.D. 81 to A.D. 96. Subsequently, this John was banished by Nero and died on Patmos after writing Revelation. (21:18), God comes to dwell with humanity in the New Jerusalem. [8] Modern theological scholars characterize the Book of Revelation's author as "John of Patmos". He directs people to make an image of the Beast of the Sea who was wounded yet lives, breathing life into it, and forcing all people to bear ", The proclamations of three angels. In the last chapter, Revelation 22:8, John uses his name once again. ), "Collected New Essays in Comparative Religion", S Moyise p. 13 reports no work whatsoever done between 1912 and 1984, Ian Boxall The Revelation of St John London: Continuum & Peabody MA: Hendrickson (2006) p. 254, G. K. Beale John's use of the Old Testament in Revelation Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press (1998) p. 109, Brandon D. Smith, "The Trinity in the Book of Revelation: Seeing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Johns Apocalypse" (IVP Academic, 2022), Historicist interpretations of the Book of Revelation, Historicism (Christianity) Seventh-day Adventists, Apocalypse of John dated astronomically, Textual variants in the Book of Revelation, "Letter of Innocent I on the Canon of Scripture", "Tertullian: Decretum Gelasianum (English translation)", "Eccumenical Council of Florence and Council of Basel", "Church Fathers: Council of Carthage (A.D. 419)", "Pope Benedict: Read Book of Revelation as Christ's victory over evil International Catholic Online", Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States, "Seventh-day Adventist 28 Fundamental Beliefs", "The Final Consummation: American Bah's, Millerites and Biblical Time Prophecy", "Bah' Reference Library - Some Answered Questions, Pages 45-61", "Bart Ehrman Discusses the Apocalypticist", "The Book of Revelation: Plagues as Part of the Eschatological Human Condition", Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Safety of high-energy particle collision experiments, Existential risk from artificial intelligence, Self-Indication Assumption Doomsday argument rebuttal, Self-referencing doomsday argument rebuttal, List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events, List of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Book_of_Revelation&oldid=1152475333, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015, All articles containing potentially dated statements, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016, Articles incorporating a citation from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from The American Cyclopaedia, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from The American Cyclopaedia with a Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. In this interpretation the primary agenda of the book is to expose as impostors the worldly powers that seek to oppose the ways of God and God's Kingdom. The book of Revelation was written around AD 95. Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: apokalypsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". Instead, the book is seen as a warning to be spiritually and morally ready for the end times, whenever they may come ("as a thief in the night"), but they will come at the time of God's choosing, not something that can be precipitated nor trivially deduced by mortals.[64]. [69], By reasoning analogous with Millerite historicism, Bah'u'llh's doctrine of progressive revelation, a modified historicist method of interpreting prophecy, is identified in the teachings of the Bah' Faith. It was written in Aramaic." Athanasius (AD 367) in his Letter 39,[34] Augustine of Hippo (c.AD 397) in his book On Christian Doctrine (Book II, Chapter 8),[35] Tyrannius Rufinus (c.AD 400) in his Commentary on the Apostles' Creed,[36] Pope Innocent I (AD 405) in a letter to the bishop of Toulouse[37] and John of Damascus (about AD 730) in his work An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (Book IV:7)[38] listed "the Revelation of John the Evangelist" as a canonical book. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. The other enemy he styled "vulgarity"[106] and that was what he found in Revelation. Irenaeus. The longer time gap also explains the rise of the heretical sect known as the Nicolaitans (2:6, 15), who are not mentioned in Pauls letters, not even to one or more of these same churches (Ephesians). It is important to note that he says he had been persecuted for the faith partaker in the tribulation and perseverance, which are in Jesus. Then he adds because. The Greek word translated as because is dia, which means on account of, for the sake of, for this reason. That is, he had suffered for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. According to Pope Benedict XVI some of the images of Revelation should be understood in the context of the dramatic suffering and persecution of the churches of Asia in the 1st century. [104] He saw the language which Revelation used as being bleak and destructive; a 'death-product'. I, p. 416. [81] Rather, an open and ongoing dialogue between God and the modern-day Prophet and Apostles of the LDS faith constitute an open canon of scripture. Ian Boxall[119] writes that Revelation "is no montage of biblical quotations (that is not John's way) but a wealth of allusions and evocations rewoven into something new and creative." One of the greatest of these happened when they were with Jesus on the mountain and saw his transfiguration. No other author in the New Testament spoke in this manner of his personal relationship with Jesus as John did! The Revelation of Jesus Christ. [48] As of 2015,[update] Revelation remains the only New Testament book not read in the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church,[49] though Catholic and Protestant liturgies include it. Did Jesus' Second Coming occur in 70 A.D.. The expression "in the bosom of the Father" speaks of His enjoying the affection of the Father and this was ever the case with the Lord Jesus. Sorted by: 1. (13:610), Then, a Beast emerges from the Earth having two horns like a lamb, speaking like a dragon. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne . Historicist interpretations see Revelation as containing a broad view of history while preterist interpretations treat Revelation as mostly referring to the events of the Apostolic Age (1st century), or, at the latest, the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. The Book of Revelation,[a] also erroneously called the Book of Revelations,[b][4] is the final book of the New Testament (and therefore the final book of the Christian Bible). Those who claim that Nero and Domitian were interchangeable names for the same person have ignored the obvious. 1985. p. 755. The Church does not have an official stance on who the author is. Corrections? The verse that he quotes is Revelation 1:12. The book comprises two main parts, the first of which (chapters 23) contains moral admonitions (but no visions or symbolism) in individual letters addressed to the seven Christian churches of Asia Minor. Further, in the following quoteEusebius refers to Nerva as Domitians successor. The goal today is not to give you a deep dive into the entire book, even though I will give you a brief synopsis. However, sometime after the child is born, he is caught up to God's throne while the Woman flees into the wilderness into her place prepared of God that they should feed her there for 1,260 days (, A Beast (with seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns on his horns and on his heads names of blasphemy) emerges from the Sea, having one mortally wounded head that is then healed. biblical literature: The Revelation to John, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Revelation-to-John, JewishEncyclopedia.com - Book of Revelation, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Book of Revelation, PBS Frontline - Understanding The Book of Revelation, Book of Revelation - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Its the book that closes out the Bible, the one book in the Bible that many people are afraid to read. Resurrection Accounts Resurrection of Christ, Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. "A few are charged to do judgment; everyone without exception is charged to show mercy. "[85], The radical discipleship interpretation asserts that the Book of Revelation is best understood as a handbook for radical discipleship; i.e., how to remain faithful to the spirit and teachings of Jesus and avoid simply assimilating to surrounding society. A non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation. And nowhere does this happen so splendiferously than in Revelation. Because such a view presents current problems in an eschatological context, the message of Revelation also becomes relevant to future generations of Christians who, Christ forewarned, would likewise suffer persecution. The Book of Revelation was written around 68-69 AD by the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos after the Emperor Nero exiled him for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The book spans three literary genres: the epistolary, the apocalyptic, and the prophetic. 4. Moody Press. Ante-Nicene Fathers. 4.20.11. Today we want to look a little bit closer and learn more about the person who wrote Revelation. He goes on to say, John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who are in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem . The external can never override the internal truth. 1:9-10 (NASB). At this time, the ruling Roman emperor was Domitian. There is no more suffering or death. The idea of the Eucharist as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet is also explored by British Methodist Geoffrey Wainwright in his book Eucharist and Eschatology (Oxford University Press, 1980). Lake translation: "Recognized") and disputed, which has caused some confusion over what exactly Eusebius meant by doing so. John 1:29, 35-36. . An angel appears, with one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, having an opened little book in his hand. Because these references appear as allusions rather than as quotes, it is difficult to know whether the author used the Hebrew or the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures, but he was clearly often influenced by the Greek. (20:46), The Dragon is released and goes out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the Earth, The Dragon is cast into the Lake of Fire with the Beast and the False Prophet. Hendrickson. In light of this truth, the question that remains, that only you can answer, is how will you live your life? [70], Abdu'l-Bah, the son and chosen successor of Bah'u'llh, has given some interpretations about the 11th and 12th chapters of Revelation in Some Answered Questions. The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament canon. [111] Interpretation of meanings and imagery are anchored in what the historical author intended and what his contemporary audience inferred; a message to Christians not to assimilate into the Roman imperial culture was John's central message. 1995. vol. Since Revelation was at least part letter, it was meant to be read in the churches ( Colossians 4:16 ). The Dragon grants him power and authority for forty-two months. Achtemeir et al. You will find the identity of the writer in Revelation 1:4. [31] Origen seems to have accepted it in his writings. 17K views, 727 likes, 654 loves, 3.7K comments, 237 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. Basically, John was chosen because of his witness of the life of Christ. "[67] As participatory agents in the work of salvation for all humankind, "This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent. (1:19), John is instructed by the "one like a son of man" to write all that he hears and sees, from the prophetic visions, to, The appearance of the "one like a son of man" is given, and he reveals what the seven stars and seven lampstands represent. (20:10), The Last Judgment: the wicked, along with Death and Hades, are cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death. Patmos Harpers Bible Dictionary. The place where the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation is actually stated within the book itself. The people of the world wonder and follow the Beast. The Book of Revelation was written sometime around 96 CE in Asia Minor. (16:12), Second Bowl: The Sea turns to blood and everything within it dies. .[8]. Christians are consequently exhorted to remain steadfast in their faith and to hold firmly to the hope that God will ultimately be victorious over his (and their) enemies. A Zoroastrian influence is completely plausible". Paul, James, Peter, and Jude introduced themselves to their readers as the author of their letters or books at the beginning also. 2,3) also argues for the later date. 9. (16:1721), Aftermath: Vision of John given by "an angel who had the seven bowls", The great Harlot who sits on a scarlet Beast (with seven heads and ten horns and names of blasphemy all over its body) and by many waters: Babylon the Great. One of these he called "the sovereignty of the intellect"[105] which he saw in a technology-based totalitarian society. That person was John. [121] Brandon Smith has expanded on both of their proposals while proposing a "trinitarian reading" of Revelation, arguing that John uses Old Testament language and allusions from various sources to describe a multiplicity of persons in YHWH without sacrificing monotheism, which would later be codified in the trinitarian doctrine of Nicene Christianity. Knowing who wrote Revelation, the apostle John, knowing the message of Revelation that Jesus is coming soon, ask yourself now: Whats next? [c] It occupies a central place in Christian eschatology. Moody Press. In the New Testament, you just cant say John wrote the book because there were a few important people named John in that time. Consequently, the work is viewed as a warning to not conform to contemporary Greco-Roman society which John "unveils" as beastly, demonic, and subject to divine judgment.[109]. Christian tradition has considered the Book of Revelation's writer to be John the Evangelist (himself identified as John the Apostle ), purported author of the Gospel of John. When did John the Baptist write Revelation? The text includes no indication that John of Patmos and St. John the Apostle are the same person. D. H. Lawrence took an opposing, pessimistic view of Revelation in the final book he wrote, Apocalypse. This perspective (closely related to liberation theology) draws on the approach of Bible scholars such as Ched Myers, William Stringfellow, Richard Horsley, Daniel Berrigan, Wes Howard-Brook,[86] and Joerg Rieger. In recent years, theories have arisen which concentrate upon how readers and texts interact to create meaning and which are less interested in what the original author intended. .[3]. The Muratorian Fragment was written about A.D. 170 since Polycarp (A.D. 69-155) refers to the Fragment himself. [112] Critics study the conventions of apocalyptic literature and events of the 1st century to make sense of what the author may have intended. The Middle Persian sources prophesy that at the end of the world, Dahg will at last burst his bonds and ravage the world, consuming one in three humans and livestock, until the ancient hero Kirssp returns to life to kill Dahg. . (6:34), Third Seal: A black horse appears, whose rider has "a pair of balances in his hand", where a voice then says, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine." 4. John was one of the twelve disciples, but he was also part of the inner circle along with Peter and James. John describes in detail a period of tribulation that will come upon the earth, that will be unmatched when compared to any other time in human history. The arguments for rejecting the apostolic authorship stem largely from the theological climate of the third century. Persecution of Christians reached a peak during Emperor Domitians reign (A.D. 81-96). [50] While it is not extant in the Codex Vaticanus (4th century), it is extant in the other great uncial codices: the Codex Sinaiticus (4th century), the Codex Alexandrinus (5th century), and the Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (5th century). Imagine if you lived in the 1930s and you had to describe at that time the internet, smartphones or even drones. For when, on the tyrants death, he returned to Ephesus from the Isle of Patmos . After that, Lawrence thought, the book became preoccupied with the birth of the baby messiah and "flamboyant hate and simple lust for the end of the world." His specific aesthetic objections to Revelation were that its imagery was unnatural and that phrases like "the wrath of the Lamb" were "ridiculous." (21:28), Description of the New Jerusalem. Eusebius. . Similar to the early Protestants, Adventists maintain a historicist interpretation of the Bible's predictions of the apocalypse. It kills a third of the sea creatures and destroys a third of the ships at sea. [77], The Book of Mormon states that John the Apostle is the author of Revelation and that he was foreordained by God to write it. The Seven Spiritual Figures. That is the testimony of both the internal and external evidence. The message is about what is to come. The tradition of John's exile was started by Augustine about 200 years after John lived. Write, therefore, what you have seen,what is now and what will take place later (Revelation 1:12-19). Hendrickson. mourn New Babylon's destruction. But it should be noted that Eusebius uses the phrase age of Nero and Domitian in his book called The Church History book III, chapter XXXII. Second,internal and external data is provided for the location where the book was written and the date of its writing. . They are given white robes and told to rest until the martyrdom of their brothers is completed. The author of the book of Revelation calls himself John (Rev. This external evidence supports the internal evidence that the apostle wrote the book of Revelation while he was imprisoned on the Island of Patmos. In the first chapter, the risen and exalted Christ is speaking to John. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. John was persecuted because he was fulfilling his mission, preaching the gospel and making disciples. 1:9 (NASB). Three of the islands in the Sporades were places where political offenders were banished. (Pliny Natural History 4.69-70; Tacitus Annals 4.30)[7]. They say it is a recurring theme that flows throughout his entire book. Although Christ is clearly the central figure of Revelation, an understanding of the text presupposes familiarity with Old Testament language and concepts, especially those taken from the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. When was the book of Revelation written by the apostle John? [40], The Synod of Hippo (in AD 393),[41] followed by the Council of Carthage (397), the Council of Carthage (419), the Council of Florence (1442)[42] and the Council of Trent (1546)[43] classified it as a canonical book. First, lets examine what the book of Revelation says about its author. You can read about it in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9. There is both internal and external evidence that reveals that the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation while he was imprisoned on the Island of Patmos. Lets look at this encounter: I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. When this happens, "smoke [rises] from [the Abyss] like smoke from a gigantic furnace. (15:68), First Bowl: A "foul and malignant sore" afflicts the followers of the Beast.