Biblical Studies (NT)/I. INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION

From Wikiversity

---

NEW TESTAMENT

Lesson 14

---

---

REVELATION

I. Introduction to Revelation

---

---

Contents 1 A Dramatic Conclusion to the Bible Story 2 The Author 3 Date and Location 4 The Roman Empire and Religious Persecution 5 Major Characters 6 Ways of Interpreting Revelation 7 John’s Commission 8 Outline of Revelation 9 Assignment

[edit] A Dramatic Conclusion to the Bible Story

It may seem strange that this course devotes a full five lessons to Revelation, given Revelation's size relative to the rest of the New Testament. However, Revelation is uniquely difficult among the New Testament documents. With most other parts of the New Testament, only a small amount of background is needed. Beyond that, most of the text is self-explanatory to the careful reader. Such is not the case with Revelation, where a fairly comprehensive analysis is required to assist the beginning student in making sense of the book. Even then, much of what can be said is tentative, given the extensive use of symbolism and the cryptic nature of the book in general. Nevertheless, these lessons, together with their assignments, will leave the student well-informed and able to discuss the book in an intelligent and knowledgeable way.

Revelation is a fitting climax to the Bible story. We see the final and decisive confrontation of the forces of good and evil. It is a battle like none before it, and it takes place on an astonishingly grand scale. We see the final triumph of light over darkness, the redemption of the people of God, and the damnation of the wicked. We see “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” (21:1). Genesis opens the Bible story with Earth’s creation; Revelation ends it with Earth’s destruction.

Revelation, sometimes known as The Apocalypse, is the best example of a genre known as apocalyptic literature, which is a prophetic style of literature which concerns itself with future events, especially those pertaining to such things as the coming of the Messiah, divine judgement, the end of the age, or the end of the world. There are numerous examples of apocalyptic literature both in and outside of the Bible. In the Bible, good examples can be found in chapters 7-12 of Daniel and chapter 24 of Matthew. Revelation takes its name from the first word of the book, apokalypsis, which is Greek for revelation.

[edit] The Author

The document opens with these words: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants - things which must shortly take place. And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John” (1:1). Thus, in the opening sentence, we are made aware that we are about to hear a message which was given: a) from God, b) to Jesus, c) to an angel, d) to John, e) to the servants of God. Apart from a few exceptions where Jesus speaks directly to John, John is guided through the vision by the angel. Revelation, therefore, purports to be a message from God himself, though it comes by way of an angel and John.

The traditional view is that the person named as “his servant John” (1:1) is the apostle John, who was the author, not only of Revelation, but also of the gospel and the epistles which bear his name. More recently, it has been suggested that Revelation was not written by just one author, but by several, and that possibly an original Jewish apocalypse was later updated by a Christian writer. The main objection to this hypothesis is that Revelation displays a clearly-defined structure and an overall unity of form and style which make multiple authors unlikely. A further objection to the traditional view that the apostle John wrote Revelation is that there is a difference in style between the Revelation, the Gospel of John, and the epistles of John. Those who defend the traditional view have countered that the difference in style can be attributed to the fact that these works represent three different genres, and that the distinct nature and purpose of each of these works necessitates a different style of writing. Furthermore, there are elements common to all of these works, such as the unique understanding of the "Word of God," which point toward a common author.

The main arguments in support of John’s authorship are: a) the words of Revelation itself; b) the testimony of early church historians; and c) the lack of a likely alternative. In his commentary on Revelation (Westminster, 1936), Charles Erdman writes, “The author calls himself John, both in the opening and the closing verses of the book. He states that because of his Christian faith he has been banished to the isle of Patmos. He addresses the churches of Asia with a consciousness of unquestioned authority. Of no other person in the first century could these statements be made.” In addition, early church writers such as Justin Martyr (c. 100-165), Irenaeus (c. 140-203), and Tertullian (c. 150-222) gave credit to the apostle John for authorship. Justin Martyr lived within a generation of John and was acquainted with John’s disciple, Polycarp.

[edit] Date and Location

According to the second century church leader and historian, Irenaeus, John received the Revelation towards the end of Emperor Domitian’s reign, which would place it around 95 A.D. The period from the angel’s announcement of the births of John and Jesus, therefore, until the writing of Revelation is approximately (perhaps even exactly) one hundred years, spanning the whole of the first century.

The location of writing was the island of Patmos (now known as Patino), where John had been banished for his refusal to worship the emperor as a god. If one looks at a modern map, one finds the island in the southern Aegean, less than forty miles from the Turkish mainland. However, like most of the numerous islands in the Aegean, it is actually within the boundaries of Greece. It is about sixty miles southwest of the site of Ephesus and about a hundred and fifty miles east of Athens. It is of volcanic origin and is barren and rocky. It is about ten miles by six, but due to its irregular shape, it has a total area of only about twenty-five square miles, rising to about eight hundred feet at its highest point. Today, there are about three thousand inhabitants, who are centered around the main town of Scala. Near the town, there is a cave in which John is believed to have lived, and there is also a monastery named after him. In Roman times, Patmos was one of many isolated places throughout the empire to which criminals and other individuals who were considered a threat to society were banished.

[edit] The Roman Empire and Religious Persecution

Religious persecution had traditionally not been a practice of the Roman Empire. On the contrary, Rome had been extremely tolerant of different faiths until the time of Nero, who ruled from 54 to 68 A.D. Nero himself did not persecute Christians until 64 A.D. when, according to the Roman senator and historian Tacitus (56-117 AD), they became the scapegoat for the Great Fire of Rome (Annals 15.44). According to the Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (Westminster, 1956):

The Roman policy concerning religion was to maintain the ancestral worship of the gods of Rome and at the same time show tolerance toward the deities of other peoples in the empire. Even the Jews, who insisted on a monotheistic faith and would join in no pagan rites, found tolerance, especially from the time of Julius Caesar on, and received special privileges which protected them in the exercise of their worship.

A significant development, however, was the practice of emperor worship. The seeds were being sown as early as the time of Julius Caesar, who after his death in 44 B.C. was declared a god. In 29 B.C., the time of Augustus, a temple for the worship of the emperor was erected at Pergamos. Caligula (37-41 A.D.) sought to have his statue erected in the temple at Jerusalem. Domitian (81-96 A.D.) openly claimed to be “lord and god” and demanded that residents of the empire worship him as such. In his commentary on Revelation (Cambridge University Press, 1965), T.F. Glasson writes:

The poet Juvenal said that to talk with Domitian about the weather was to risk your life. He took much more seriously than his predecessors the issue of emperor worship. He ordered all official proclamations to begin with formulae recognizing his deity: ‘Our lord and god orders this to be done.’ To refuse to worship the emperor was treason.

The demand of Domitian to be worshiped as a god led to a second persecution of Christians. John was one of those who fell victim to the persecutors, and he was banished to the island of Patmos. In the Encyclopedia of Early Christianity (Garland, 1990), Michael McHugh writes:

Under Domitian, persecutions of Christians occurred at Rome and particularly in [the Roman province of] Asia, but there is not sufficient evidence to show that a decision was made to attack them throughout the empire as a matter of policy. The emperor's increasing suspicion and intolerance certainly played a role, and his assumption of the title "Lord and God" with the accompanying demand for divine homage was bound to bring him into conflict with the new religion (cf. Rev. 13:4; 14:9-11; 16:2). According to tradition, (Irenaeus, Haer. 5.30.3) it was in Domitian's reign that John, the writer of the Book of Revelation, was exiled to Patmos, where he received his apocalyptic visions; in the same book [i.e. Revelation], mention is made of a martyrdom in Pergamum (2:13). (273)

When the persecution broke out, John was living in Ephesus and was the overseer of the seven regional churches of "Asia" (in western Turkey today) to whom the Revelation is addressed. Tourists in Patmos today can go to see a cave where John is said to have lived during his time of exile there.

[edit] Major Characters

There are a number of players in the drama which is the Revelation, and some of these are quite dramatic in and of themselves. Of these characters, some are earthly, some are spiritual, and some are clearly symbolic and not intended to be understood as individual personalities, earthly or otherwise. The main character is Christ, represented through most of Revelation as “the Lamb.” Other noteworthy characters are the two witnesses, Satan (represented by a dragon), the archangel Michael, the antichrist and the false prophet (represented by two beasts), the woman Babylon (representing a combined political and religious system), and the angel who led John through the vision. We are told almost nothing about this angel. We only know that he considers himself a servant of God, differing from God’s earthly servants only in the place of his service. At the end of Revelation, in response to John’s inclination to worship him, he says, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” (22:9).

[edit] Ways of Interpreting Revelation

Revelation can be divided into two basic sections: a) chapters 1 to 3, which contain the introduction and messages to the seven churches in the province of Asia; and b) chapters 4 to 22, which describe the “things which must take place after this” (4:1). Due to Revelation’s cryptic nature, there have been many interpretations, but generally they fit into one or more of the following categories: a) Spiritualist; b) Preterist; c) Historical; and d) Futurist.

The spiritualist method of interpretation, also known as idealist or symbolic, holds that the events described in Revelation are neither past, present, nor future. Revelation is purely symbolic, dealing with the ongoing struggle of the forces of light and darkness, and with the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Its message is purely a spiritual one, an allegory of the spiritual path, which is equally relevant in all ages and for all people. It seeks to guide and encourage believers throughout the ages.

The word preterist comes from the Latin praeteritus meaning gone by. According to this interpretation, Revelation is chiefly referring to events in its own day, in particular the struggle of Christianity to survive the persecutions of the Roman Empire. Those who hold this view usually equate the emperor and imperial Rome with the beast and Babylon of Revelation.

The historical interpretation holds that Revelation presents us with a broad view of church history from the time of Christ until the end of the world. Its proponents claim to see in Revelation the foretelling of such events as the fall of imperial Rome, the rise of the Papacy, and the Reformation. The beast has been likened to such diverse personalities as Mohammed, Napoleon, Hitler and the Pope, among others.

The futurist interpretation is the most commonly held position today. Those who hold this viewpoint believe that, while parallels may be drawn with events which occurred in John’s day and throughout history since then, Revelation is chiefly referring to events which as yet have not come to pass, but which will come to pass at the end of the age when Christ returns to establish his kingdom. It is supported by the fact that there has been no complete fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation up until this time, and many questions concerning its contents remain unanswered.

Those are the four most common approaches, but more recently, we have also seen people taking a literary approach to Revelation, where it is analyzed purely as a piece of literature. Such an approach tends to focus on the text itself and concern itself less with external factors such as history, authorship, inspiration, prophetic fulfillment, canonicity, and theological significance. Instead of these, the book is evaluated in terms of style, plot, structure, characterization, themes, unifying elements, and other literary considerations.

These approaches are by no means mutually exclusive, and most interpreters combine some or all of them in the pursuit of a better understanding of this complex and fascinating document.

[edit] John’s Commission

John writes that he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (1:10) when he heard a voice speaking to him, saying, “I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last. What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia” (1:11). John says of the speaker, “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” (1:16). John is apparently having a vision of Christ in heaven, who instructs him to write down what he sees. In the vision, Jesus describes himself in this way: “I am the first and the last. I am he who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death” (1:17:18).

[edit] Outline of Revelation

The outline is a reference tool for use while working through the lessons on Revelation. It does not interpret Revelation, but merely presents the details of the book in the manner, and in the order, that they appear. Some words (e.g. "locusts") are placed in parentheses to indicate that their description in the text does not match our normal conception of them. Each of the seven churches is listed with the opening words of the message to that church.

1. Introduction
   1. John identifies himself, his addressees, and the divine source of his visions. (1:1-8)
2. Messages to the Seven Asian Churches
   1. Description of the "Son of Man" as John sees him in his vision. (1:9-20)
   2. Ephesus: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil." (2:1-7)
   3. Smyrna: "I know your works, tribulation, and poverty – but you are rich." (2:8-11)
   4. Pergamos: "I know your works, and where you live, where Satan's throne is." (2:12-17)
   5. Thyatira: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience." (2:18-29)
   6. Sardis: "I know your works, that you have a name that your are alive, but you are dead." (3:1-6)
   7. Philadelphia: "I know your works. I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it." (3:7-13)
   8. Laodicea: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot... Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth." (3:14-22)
3. The Throne of God
   1. John comes before the throne of God. (4:1-3)
   2. John sees twenty-four elders and four "living creatures" praising God. (4:4-11)
   3. Only the "Lamb" is found worthy to take the judgment scroll from God and break the seals. (5:1-7)
   4. The creatures in heaven give praise. (5:8-14)
4. The Lamb Breaks the Seals
   1. First Seal: One who is both a king and a conqueror rides forth on a white horse. (6:1-2)
   2. Second Seal: A rider on a red horse brings war. (6:3-4)
   3. Third Seal: A rider on a black horse brings famine. (6:5-6)
   4. Fourth Seal: A rider on a pale horse brings death. (6:7-8)
   5. Fifth Seal: The martyrs in heaven cry out for vengeance. (6:9-11)
   6. Sixth Seal: There are earthquakes and natural disasters. (6:12-17)
      1. 144,000 of "all the tribes of Israel" are "sealed." (7:1-8)
      2. A great multitude is saved from the Tribulation. (7:9-17)
   7. Seventh Seal: The breaking of the seventh seal begins another series: the seven trumpets. (8:1-5)
5. The Angels Sound the Trumpets
   1. First Trumpet: Hail and fire destroy a third of the trees and grass. (8:6-7)
   2. Second Trumpet: A third of the oceans are destroyed. (8:8-9)
   3. Third Trumpet: A third of the rivers and springs are poisoned. (8:10-11)
   4. Fourth Trumpet: A third of the sky is darkened. (8:12-13)
   5. Fifth Trumpet: A plague of "locusts" terrorize the Earth for five months. (9:1-12)
   6. Sixth Trumpet: An army of 200 million kills a third of Earth's population. (9:13-21)
      1. John eats a little book which is sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach. (10:1-11)
      2. Two witnesses prophesy for 3½ years, are killed, and come back to life. (11:1-14)
   7. Seventh Trumpet: The ark of the covenant appears in the heavenly temple. (11:15-19)
      1. John sees a woman clothed with the sun, the moon, and the stars. (12:1-6)
      2. Satan is cast down to the Earth. (12:7-12)
      3. The dragon persecutes the people of God. (12:13-17)
      4. The beast from the sea makes war with the people of God. (13:1-10)
      5. The beast from the land forces people to worship the beast from the sea. (13:11-18)
      6. John sees 144,000, "having his Father's name written on their foreheads," with the Lamb on Mount Zion. (14:1-5)
      7. Three angels proclaim judgment. (14:6-13)
      8. The angels reap the harvest. (14:14-20)
6. The Angels Pour Out Their Bowls on the Earth
   1. Seven angels are given golden bowls containing of the wrath of God. (15:1-8)
   2. First Bowl: A "foul and loathsome sore" afflicts the followers of the beast. (16:1-2)
   3. Second Bowl: The sea turns to blood and everything within it dies. (16:3)
   4. Third Bowl: All fresh water turns to blood. (16:4-7)
   5. Fourth Bowl: The sun scorches the Earth with intense heat. (16:8-9)
   6. Fifth Bowl: There is total darkness and great pain. (16:10-11)
   7. Sixth Bowl: Preparations are made for the final battle between the forces of good and evil. (16:12-16)
   8. Seventh Bowl: A great earthquake: "every island fled away and the mountains were not found." (16:17-21)
7. Babylon the Great
   1. The great harlot who sits on many waters: Babylon the Great. (17:1-18)
   2. Babylon is destroyed. (18:1-8)
   3. The people of the earth mourn Babylon's destruction. (18:9-19)
   4. The permanence of Babylon's destruction. (18:20-24)
8. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
   1. A great multitude praises God. (19:1-6)
   2. The marriage supper of the Lamb. (19:7-10)
9. The Millennium
   1. The beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. (19:11-21)
   2. Satan is imprisoned in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. (20:1-3)
   3. The people of God reign with Christ for a thousand years. (20:4-6)
10. After the Thousand Years
    1. Satan is released and makes war against the people of God, but is defeated. (20:7-9)
    2. Satan is cast into the lake of fire. (20:10)
    3. The Last Judgment: the wicked, along with death and Hades, are cast into the lake of fire. (20:11-15)
11. The New Heaven and Earth
    1. The Earth is replaced with a new, heavenly world where there is no more suffering or death. (21:1-8)
    2. The people of God dwell with Christ in the New Jerusalem. (21:2-8)
    3. The New Jerusalem described. (21:9-27)
    4. The tree of life (from Eden) reappears. The curse is ended. (22:1-5)
12. Conclusion
    1. Christ's reassurance that he will come. Final admonitions. (22:6-21)

---

[edit] Assignment

---

1) Take the test below.

2) Read the first chapter of Revelation.

TEST YOURSELF

The test is on the lesson above. It is not necessary to do the reading before taking the test.