Is the Gospel of John John the Baptist? [19], Conventional understanding has been that the Book of Revelation was written to comfort beleaguered Christians as they underwent persecution at the hands of an emperor. . 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). John was one of the twelve disciples, but he was also part of the inner circle along with Peter and James. Although some date it during Neros reign (A.D. 54-68), their arguments are unconvincing and conflict with the view of the early church. This was part of Johns challenge, describing things thousands of years into the future with language and references of the first century AD. What language did john write revelation - HowtoSearch.com Summary of the Book of Revelation - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.org [12] He was a Jewish Christian prophet, probably belonging to a group of such prophets, and was accepted by the congregations to whom he addresses his letter. That person was John. Justin Martyr quotes Johns view that Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem. A.D. 94-96), near the end of Emperor Domitians reign (A.D. 81-96). I was in the Spirit on the Lords day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, Rev. . This list mentions it as a part of the New Testament canon. (16:47), Fourth Bowl: The Sun scorches the Earth with intense heat and even burns some people with fire. This is a story that truly ends well for those in Christ. [79][82], Christian Gnostics are unlikely to be attracted to the teaching of Revelation because the doctrine of salvation through the sacrificed Lamb, which is central to Revelation, is repugnant to Gnostics. These then belong among the accepted writings [Homologoumena]. Portuguese products available Online we mail to all lower 48 states. God is greater than your circumstances. Knowing who wrote Revelation, the apostle John, knowing the message of Revelation that Jesus is coming soon, ask yourself now: Whats next? All rights reserved. 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. (19:710), The Judgment of the two Beasts, the Dragon, and the Dead (19:1120:15), The Beast and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire. (16:89), Fifth Bowl: There is total darkness and great pain in the Beast's kingdom. [71][72] The 1,260 days spoken of in the forms: one thousand two hundred and sixty days,[73] forty-two months,[74] refers to the 1,260 years in the Islamic Calendar (AH 1260 or AD 1844). 10. 17K views, 727 likes, 654 loves, 3.7K comments, 237 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! (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. John of Patmos - Wikipedia He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. (22:621), The Lamb, with seven horns and seven eyes (, The souls of them that were slain for the word of God, Four angels holding the four winds of the Earth, The mighty angel with little book open and when he cried of seven thunders uttered their voices, The Dragon, fiery red with seven heads and ten horns (, The Beast, with seven heads and ten horns (, The angelic reapers and the grapes of wrath, Seven plague angels (Seven bowls of wrath), Angel binding Satan for one thousand years, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 13:19. Since Domitian began his reign as Caesar in A.D. 81 and died in A.D. 96 and John was released from Patmos after Domitian died, this indicates Revelation was written around A.D. 95-96. One eventually achieved official recognition, becoming a shrine in the 4th century. Here is how it happened in Johns words: On the Lords Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea (Revelation 1:10-11). The things John had already seen are recorded in chapter 1. When did John the Baptist write Revelation? mourn New Babylon's destruction. The author of the Book of Revelation identifies himself only as "John". The victory of God over Satan and his Antichrist (in this case, the perseverance of Christians in the face of Roman persecution) typifies similar victories over evil in ages still to come and Gods final victory at the end of time. (18:919), The permanence of New Babylon's destruction. Clement of Alexandria. He remained there until Trajan began his rule. [113], Much of Revelation employs ancient sources, primarily but not exclusively from the Old Testament. The presence of the threads which stubbornly refuse to be incorporated into the neat tapestry of our world-view does not usually totally undermine that view. I am the First and the Last. The sun and sky [are] darkened by the smoke from the Abyss" (9:2). Proud member (1:1420), Praised for not bearing those who are evil, testing those who say they are apostles and are not, and finding them to be liars; hating the deeds of the, Admonished to "do the first works" and to repent for having left their "first love.". Perhaps church tradition dated John's writings (particularly the Revelation) to be A.D. 90-100 in order to disprove the preterists' view. Patmos had a long history of being a Roman prison. Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150 215) confirms that John had been on the Island of Patmos. The author names himself as simply "John" in the text, but his precise identity remains a point of academic debate. He noted the difference meant that the John who wrote a gospel could not be the same John who wrote Revelation. Winter that returns not to spring who can bear it? The first commentary on the book of Revelation to be preserved, written by Victorinus, regards John the Apostle as the author. This provides conclusive evidence that the DomitianEusebius refers to is the Domitian who reigned from A.D. 81 to A.D. 96. Who is this John? 1:9-10 (NASB). Often asked: In What Year Did The Apostle John Write Revelation? Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: apokalypsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". 2003. p. 517. [104] He saw the language which Revelation used as being bleak and destructive; a 'death-product'. Historical records indicate that Nerva reigned from A.D. 96 to A.D. 98. On this island in the southern part of the Aegean Sea, John had a vision of Jesus Christ and wrote the prophetic book of Revelation. Did the same "John" write the fourth gospel and Revelation? Tradition has considered this person to be John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee. (16:12), Second Bowl: The Sea turns to blood and everything within it dies. "Silence in heaven for about half an hour" (8:1). Rather, it deals with a contemporary crisis of faith, probably brought on by Roman persecutions. (2) There is early and strong evidence in the church that John wrote it. These armies kill a third of mankind by plagues of fire, smoke, and brimstone. The only other clue to the author's identity is that he states he received his visions while on the island of Patmos (Rev. [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. But because he had, I suppose, some intelligence, he very soon ceased, and even recalled those whom he had banished. Revelation is a pastoral letter written to the church at large to real people then living (1:4, 11). [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'. [citation needed]. Revelation is the final chapter. The message is about what is to come. 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. It appears that Revelation was written between A.D. 43-47. Praised for being "rich" while impoverished and in tribulation. "Flowers preach to us if we will hear", begins her poem 'Consider the lilies of the field', "Christians should resemble fire-flies, not glow-worms; their brightness drawing eyes upward, not downward. He thought this was a point often lost sight of because most English bibles render everything in prose. [94] Other dramatic moments in Revelation, such as 6:16 where the terrified people cry out to be hidden, behave in a similar way. Surprisingly, it came by revelation (I guess naming the book wasnt very difficult). Early-date advocates hold that Revelation was written by John prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70. Omissions? Trajan reigned from A.D. 98 to A.D. 117. The evidence agrees with Revelation 1:9. . This is a very personal statement and is very similar to the opening verses of 1 John 1-9. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Apparently Jesus wanted John to write letters to the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia (Rev 1:4) that were literal churches at the time John wrote this. (i) The Revelation was written by a man called John. (22:15), Christ's reassurance that his coming is imminent. [5] The Fragment is important since it recognizes most of the books of the New Testament and mentions their authors. He sets out a comparative table listing the chapters of Revelation in sequence and linking most of them to the structurally corresponding chapter in Ezekiel. [75] The red Dragon spoken of in Revelation 12:3 "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads"[76] are interpreted as symbolic of the seven provinces dominated by the Umayyads: Damascus, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, Africa, Andalusia, and Transoxania. In Revelation 1:9 John states that he was on the Isle of Patmos, I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks . It will be worth it all in the end. When this happens, "smoke [rises] from [the Abyss] like smoke from a gigantic furnace. 3. The message of Revelation is a simple one with a lot of challenging symbolism. 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." For when, on the tyrants death, he returned to Ephesus from the Isle of Patmos . And nowhere does this happen so splendiferously than in Revelation. She quoted 1 John 3:24, "He abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us" to show that when John says, "I was in the Spirit" it is not exceptional. No mention of future destruction of Jerusalem, which for Full-Preterists is odd, since John writes the entire book of Revelation about it and the topic would be front and center on his mind that is . 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. prematurely. "[99] She dealt deftly with the vengeful aspects of John's message. The Dragon grants him power and authority for forty-two months. [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. [e] Patience is the closest to perfection the human condition allows. The temple of God opens in heaven, where the ark of his covenant can be seen. Updates? [79][non-primary source needed] Topics include: the sea of glass, the four beasts and their appearance, the 24 elders, the book with seven seals, certain angels, the sealing of the 144,000, the little book eaten by John, and the two witnesses in Chapter 11. Revelation has a wide variety of interpretations, ranging from the simple historical interpretation, to a prophetic view on what will happen in the future by way of God's will and the Woman's (traditionally believed to be the Virgin Mary) victory over Satan ("symbolic interpretation"), to different end time scenarios ("futurist interpretation"),[55][56] to the views of critics who deny any spiritual value to Revelation at all,[57] ascribing it to a human-inherited archetype. (Events leading into the Third Woe), A Woman "clothed with a white robe, with the sun at her back, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" is in pregnancy with a male child. Over half of the references stem from Daniel, Ezekiel, Psalms, and Isaiah, with Daniel providing the largest number in proportion to length and Ezekiel standing out as the most influential. There are approximately 300 Greek manuscripts of Revelation. When was the book of the Revelation written? What language would you use to describe that? Historical records indicate that Nero reigned from A.D. 54 to A.D. 68 and Domitian reigned from A.D. 81 to A.D. 96. [8] The term apocalypse means the revealing of divine mysteries;[16] John is to write down what is revealed (what he sees in his vision) and send it to the seven churches. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. [108], Modern biblical scholarship attempts to understand Revelation in its 1st-century historical context within the genre of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature. In contrast, Tina Pippin states that John writes "horror literature" and "the misogyny which underlies the narrative is extreme."[103]. The Church does not have an official stance on who the author is. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Answer. 1, p. 479, 484, 486, 493, 557, 564. I, p. 416. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. Consequently when the author speaks of Jesus as the One who loves us, it is a clue that this is the apostle John. [60], In the Coptic Orthodox Church the whole Book of Revelation is read during Apocalypse Night or Good Friday.[61]. Thomas Nelson Publishers. As for the letters of Paul, they themselves show those who wish to understand from which place and for which cause they were directed. Early in chapter 1 of the book we discover the way John wrote the book. Seven angels are each given trumpets (8:2). When you read Revelation, nowhere in the book does it state that John is in exile or imprisoned. 4.20.11. Who Is The Rich Man? XLII, Ante-Nicene Fathers. And I hold the keys of death and Hades. John F. Walvoord. Early tradition says that John was banished to Patmos by the Roman authorities. Revelation: Revelation, Apocalyptic Writing and the Old Testament (21:927), The River of Life and the Tree of Life appear for the healing of the nations and peoples. The book gives a picture of what will happen as we close the doors on human history as we know it and we look forward with anticipation to Jesus second coming. Later writers, such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Victorinus (who wrote one of the earliest commentaries on Revelation), Eusebius and Jerome affirm the Domitian date. This interpretation, which has found expression among both Catholic and Protestant theologians, considers the liturgical worship, particularly the Easter rites, of early Christianity as background and context for understanding the Book of Revelation's structure and significance. [109] Thus, the letter (written in the apocalyptic genre) is pastoral in nature (its purpose is offering hope to the downtrodden),[112] and the symbolism of Revelation is to be understood entirely within its historical, literary, and social context. 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). [11] He clearly refers to two separate individuals in the phrase. 6. The Seven Spiritual Figures. This clearly reveals that the person identified as John is the author of the book. 1985. p. 755. Did the apostle John write the book of Revelation? And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His lasting contribution has been to show how prophets, such as the scribe of Revelation, are much more meaningful when treated as poets first and foremost. Under these conditions, a Christian named John wrote Revelation, addressing it to the seven churches that were in Asia Minor. [95] The surviving Greek translation was a literal translation that aimed to comply with the warning at Revelation 22:18 that the text must not be "corrupted" in any way. . [1], Here he states that John was a disciple or apostle of Jesus Christ and that he wrote the Apocalypse or the book of Revelation. Since Revelation was at least part letter, it was meant to be read in the churches ( Colossians 4:16 ). Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. 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. "That winter which will be the death of Time has no promise of termination. [8] The entire book constitutes the letterthe letters to the seven individual churches are introductions to the rest of the book, which is addressed to all seven. The temple of the tabernacle, in Heaven, is opened (15:15), beginning the "Seven Bowls" revelation. The angel showing John the vision of the Harlot and the scarlet Beast reveals their identities and fates (17:118), The people of the Earth (the kings, merchants, sailors, etc.) (15:68), First Bowl: A "foul and malignant sore" afflicts the followers of the Beast. Ante-Nicene Fathers. He refers to this in the first chapter of Revelation: I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9). It is important to recall that he was the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7, 20). Hippolytus quotes extensively from chapters 17 and 18, attributing them to John the Apostle. 1966. p. 12. In light of this truth, the question that remains, that only you can answer, is how will you live your life? The internal evidence states that John is the author of the entire book of Revelation. There occurs a great earthquake where "the sun becomes black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon like blood" (6:12). [102] Accordingly, Revelation's meaning is partially determined by the way John goes about saying things, partially by the context in which readers receive the message and partially by its appeal to something beyond logic. Patmos was a small penal colony to which John was banished. Although the acceptance of Revelation into the canon has, from the beginning, been controversial, it has been essentially similar to the career of other texts. 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]. [112], Scholar Barbara Whitlock pointed out a similarity between the consistent destruction of thirds depicted in the Book of Revelation (a third of mankind by plagues of fire, smoke, and brimstone, a third of the trees and green grass, a third of the sea creatures and a third of the ships at sea, etc.) 4, Ante-Nicene Fathers. Remember John had a very unique perspective of Jesus. What an incredible challenge. [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. Besides being prophecy and revelation, John's work is grounded in current history. "A few are charged to do judgment; everyone without exception is charged to show mercy. John was part of Jesus' "inner circle" and, along with Peter and James, John was given the privilege of witnessing Jesus' conversation with Moses and . A minority of senior clerics and scholars, such as Eusebius (d. 339/340), recognize at least one further John as a companion of Jesus, John the Presbyter. 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. Patmos Harpers Bible Dictionary. Salem Media Group. Prior to him writing the book, there was a time of tremendous persecution in the church. [96] Her The Face of the Deep is a meditation upon the Apocalypse. John Walvoord makes this statement about the authorship of Revelation. Notice that in the following quote Eusebius states that to do the same thing that the latter did refers to Nero. The stars of heaven fall to the earth and the sky recedes like a scroll being rolled up (6:1314). No other author in the New Testament spoke in this manner of his personal relationship with Jesus as John did! 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. Nevertheless, this inner circle apostle is the same John who wrote Revelation. What John also describes is what happens after that, and then ultimately the judgement of Satan and all who choose not to follow Christ. Reminded to hold fast what they have, that no one may take their crown. 4. Danna Nolan Fewell (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016), 37688, Barbara Whitlock, "Tracing out the convoluted sources of Christianity" in George D. Barnes (ed. (20:10), The Last Judgment: the wicked, along with Death and Hades, are cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death. Now the question before us is when was Revelation written and where was it written? WHEN DID JOHN WRITE REVELATION? | Postmillennial Worldview [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 vision or it's account may or may not have been symbolic imagery. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He was creating a written record of the things God was about to reveal to him. In her view, what Revelation has to teach is patience. John was persecuted because he was fulfilling his mission, preaching the gospel and making disciples. Tertullian also has mentioned Domitian in the following words: Domitian also, who possessed a share of Neros cruelty, attempted once to do the same thing that the latter did. Damvand. Then in the ninth and tenth verses, that is, Revelation 1:9-10, John refers to himself as I., I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. The verse that he quotes is Revelation 1:12. D. H. Lawrence took an opposing, pessimistic view of Revelation in the final book he wrote, Apocalypse. [citation needed], Yet, with Revelation, the problems might be judged more fundamental. Justin Martyr (A.D. 100 -166) wrote in Dialogue With Trypho chap 81 that the author of Revelation was John, an apostle of the Lord. [31] Origen seems to have accepted it in his writings. I pray that we would all labor for the cause of Christ until he comes. If there is one message that Revelation emphasizes I believe its found in chapter 22: The angel said to me, These words are trustworthy and true. and the Iranian mythology evil character Zahhak or Dahg, depicted in the Avesta, the earliest religious texts of Zoroastrianism. Outline of the book of Revelation:[according to whom?]. There is no more suffering or death. Geisler and Nix. Overview Does The Dating of revelation Matter? 2,3) also argues for the later date. Further, in the following quoteEusebius refers to Nerva as Domitians successor. Persecution of Christians reached a peak during Emperor Domitians reign (A.D. 81-96). A Zoroastrian influence is completely plausible". Lake translation: "Recognized") and disputed, which has caused some confusion over what exactly Eusebius meant by doing so. Today we want to look a little bit closer and learn more about the person who wrote Revelation. Instead, he wanted to champion a public-spirited individualism (which he identified with the historical Jesus supplemented by an ill-defined cosmic consciousness) against its two natural enemies. Where Did John Write Revelation? Dating the Gospel of John to after AD 98: A. That is the operational principle by which we discover truths about the book of Revelation. 1.10). The tradition of John's exile was started by Augustine about 200 years after John lived. Writing in the second century, Irenaeus declared that Revelation had been written toward the end of Domitians reign. 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. (6:12), Second Seal: A red horse appears, whose rider is granted a "great sword" to take peace from the earth. [98] Her book, which is largely written in prose, frequently breaks into poetry or jubilation, much like Revelation itself. In the second part (chapters 422:5), visions, allegories, and symbols (to a great extent unexplained) so pervade the text that exegetes necessarily differ in their interpretations. Which John wrote the Book of Revelation? - KnowledgeBurrow.com This confirms the internal evidence of the book of Revelation regarding the place where John wrote Revelation. Under these conditions, a Christian named John wrote Revelation, addressing it to the seven churches that were in Asia Minor. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club.