Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 2

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Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 2

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

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Revelation 2

New International Version

To the Church in Ephesus

2 “To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

To the Church in Smyrna
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

To the Church in Pergamum
12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Footnotes
Revelation 2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18
Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9

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Bible Project
Revelation 1-11

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Verse 1

1 To the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things says He that holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.

Commentary: The city of Ephesus was an important commercial and religious center in John's time. It was John's headquarters before his exile, and he returned there after his release. Ephesus was the "mother" church that established the other six churches who received these messages. The line "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write" is a good argument for the stars representing earthly church leaders. Actual angels would not need a written letter, for they have the ability to directly know God's will.

Ephesus was a port city which was situated at the estuary of the River Cayster. It was the chief city of the region and one of the most important business and cultural centers in the empire outside of Rome. Although in John’s time it was on the coast, it is now several miles inland due to natural changes in the coastline. Its ruins have been extensively explored and excavated. Paul, Peter, and John all spent time there, with John being in the position of leadership at the time of his exile.

The author of Revelation probably included a letter of warning to the city of Ephesus because of the city's connection with emperor worship and with other powerful religious cults. Within the city of Ephesus, there were at least two temples dedicated to Augustus, the first Roman Emperor to be worshiped. The connections between the Ephesus in the Book of Revelation and emperor worship are also further strengthened if one believes that the Book of Revelation was recorded during the reign of Domitian. Under Domitian, Ephesus was named a guardian of the imperial cult and likely had statues of or temples dedicated to Domitian or his brother and predecessor, Titus. In addition to being a seat of emperor worship, Ephesus also was home to other well established and popular religious cults such as the cult of Artemis/Diana, which was centered around the impressive temple dedicated to the goddess.

Verses 2-3

2 I know your works, and your labour, and your patience, and how you cannot bear them which are evil. And you have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars, 3 and have persevered, and have patience, and for my name's sake have laboured, and have not fainted.
Commentary: The church is commended for its doctrinal soundness, refusal of corrupting influences, perseverance and endurance in the face of persecution, and for the fact that they have worked the Lord's will with proper motive and without turning back (fainting). There is alor of imagery to Christ's power in this verse. This verse not only shows that God is the one to hold the world together and is all powerful, but it also shows that one can find comfort in him. In this verse, the writer is most likey referring to a coming of Jesus and judgement.

Verses 4-5

4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love. 5 Remember, therefore, from whence you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of its place, except you repent.

Commentary: The church is sharply rebuked because they have fallen into complacence. Although the Ephesians had centered their activities around God, they relegated Him to a substandard position in their lives, not making their love for God their number one priority. The love they once had was waning.When the church at Ephesus was young, it actively evangelized the country, establishing daughter churches and gaining converts. Now they are "resting on their laurels", doing good work, but not doing the fervent work the Lord wanted. He warns that He will set them aside (but not completely reject them) unless they return to the Will of the Lord. It seems the warning was not heeded, for despite efforts to save it, the famous port of Ephesus gradually silted up and the city was left high and dry, cut off from the main source of its wealth. All that remains of Ephesus today are its ruins.

Verse 6

6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Commentary: The Nicolaitans were early Christian-pagan syncretists, false teachers that crept into the church, who disguised themselves as followers of Christ – who professed to be His ministers and servants – but who led the people astray. They would create long prayers that would be performed publicly. Peter wrote of them that they “despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed, and like brutish beasts speak evil of the things they do not understand. They are spots and blemishes in the churches, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you". Even though the Nicolaitans had committed a horrible sin, it is known that Jesus does not hate the sinner, only the sin. Jesus taught his disciples to watch out for false teachers and prophesies. He declared the teachings of the Nicolaitans as corrupt and immoral.

Verse 7

7 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Commentary: "He that has an ear, let him hear" comes from a command from the Gospels (Matthew 11:15, Mark 4:9, Luke 9:8) and is repeated later in Revelation 13:9 means that everyone reading or hearing this message should strive to understand it and take action to come into compliance with God's wishes. It is also a reminder that the author wrote this book from visions of the Lord meaning that these visions are interpreted. Those with the ability to understand these dreams are to report what the spirit is telling them. Though this letter is to the Ephesians, it is a personal command and promise rather than corporate. The reward of listening to the Lord is eating from the tree of life (Genesis 3:22 and Revelation 22:2). The paradise of God is also mentioned in Luke 23:43. It can be interpreted of a New Jerusalem or a place like that in the Garden of Eden, a perfect living with God.

The Message to the Church at Smyrna

Verse 8

8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things says the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.

Commentary: Also on the coast, about forty miles to the north of Ephesus, was the city of Smyrna, the “glory of Asia.” It still exists today, though it is now called Izmir. Like Ephesus, Smyrna had the double advantage of being located on a major highway and having an excellent port. Rich farmland surrounded the city, and it was a natural terminal for a busy inland trade route. The city had been destroyed by the Lydians in 627 B.C. and was little more than a village for three centuries. But in the third century B.C., Smyrna began to revive as a business and cultural center, and by the end of the first century, it had made so much progress that it rivaled Ephesus in importance. Smyrna, therefore, was known as the city that had died and come back to life. So Jesus’ opening words were especially significant for the church there.

The city’s leadership was consistently loyal to Rome. This loyalty had initially been inspired by the threat of Antiochus the Great of Syria at the beginning of the second century B.C. This threat made Rome a very desirable friend and ally. As a token of Smyrna’s loyalty, a temple was erected in the city to “the goddess Rome” in 195 B.C. Over two hundred years later, in 26 A.D., construction was begun on another temple for the worship of the Roman emperor, who at the time was Tiberius. The city was famous as a center of learning, particularly in the fields of science and medicine.

Again we have proof that the speaker is none other than Jesus Christ. Being eternal and immutable, neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit ever suffered death. Only the Son, as the human manifestation of the Godhead, can make that claim. He suffered His earthly body to die in order to redeem mankind from sin, and now He has returned to His rightful place in the Godhead.

Verse 9

9 I know your works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but you are rich,) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Commentary: The church at Smyrna was experiencing problems with Jewish converts who had not fully understood the doctrine of salvation by grace, and the nature of Christ's all-sufficient atonement. As a result, they were still bound to a legalistic form of religion and they insisted that it was necessary for converts to Christianity follow the laws of Moses. This is contrary to the Gospel because it puts works into the salvation picture, thus negating Christ's finished work of redemption, for, as Paul says, "by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph 2:8-9). The church was also undergoing severe persecution. This hostility caused the Christians to lose all of their possessions to the Jews. Despite losing all of their earthly things, they still remained rich because they remained unwavering in their faith.

Verse 10

10 Fear none of those things which you shall suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.

Commentary: Smyrna was known for its architecture, especially its beautiful temples and its public buildings, which formed a ring around the top of Mount Pagos, like a crown. It is in reference to this “crown of Smyrna” that Jesus says, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.” The crown might also refer to the laurel wreath which Olympic champions would wear. One of Smyrna’s claims to fame was its hosting of such games. In addition to these games, Smyrna is also known to be the home of the ancient Greek poet, Homer. The emblem which the city used to represent itself was a wreath. Clearly, there would have been many images going through the original readers’ minds[1]. . This wreath may also be connected to the wreath of thorns that Jesus wore at his crucifixion.

Jesus gives no condemnation to the church at Smyrna, but encourages them to continue as they are no matter how bad things get. He warns them that they have a rough road ahead, but promises them it will be of short duration. Again, a reward is promised for faithful service.

A note on the use of “10 days.” This is not a literal prediction. It is known that the persecutions in Smyrna lasted much longer than this. Ten is used in Revelation, as well as elsewhere, to represent completion. By using ten here, John is telling the people of Smyrna that there will be an end. By using days instead of months or years, he probably means that the time of suffering will be short[2].

Verse 11

11 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

Commentary: The second death is eternal destruction in the lake of fire, reserved for the unbelievers (Revelation 20:14,15). The implication is that the believers at Smyrna might suffer and even die at the hands of men, but if they kept their faith, their reward would be certain.

The Message to the Church at Pergamos
Verse 12

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write: These things says He which has the sharp sword with two edges.

Commentary: Pergamos, or Pergamum, was about a hundred miles north of Ephesus, in the region known as Mysia. It was situated about fifteen miles inland. There is still a small town on the site today, though over the years the name has changed slightly and it is now called Bergama. Pergamos’ time of glory had been in the third and second centuries B.C., when it was the capital of a small independent kingdom. In the second century, at the instigation of King Eumenes II (197-159 B.C.), a library was built which was second only to that of Alexandria, in northern Egypt. There was also a famous school of sculpture. The city’s affluence was tied to a number of flourishing industries, including agriculture, wool products, silver, and parchment, which was invented there. It became a part of the Roman province of Asia when King Attalus III, probably sensing the inevitability of Roman domination, bequeathed the kingdom to Rome in 133 B.C. Jesus says, “These things says he who has the sharp two-edged sword” (2:12). The sharp, two-edged sword is apparently a figurative way of referring to the power of words, for in the previous chapter, John describes Jesus as having a sharp, two-edged sword coming out of his mouth (1:16), and later on in this chapter, Jesus himself refers to the sword of his mouth (2:16). This is a fitting introduction for a city which was famous for its parchment and its library.

The sharp sword with two edges is the Word of God. In this case, it refers not just to the Scriptures, but also to the power of God to judge and to punish. The church will be threatened with judgment in the next verses.

Verse 13

13 I know your works, and where you dwell, even where Satan's seat is, and you hold fast My name, and have not denied My faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.

Commentary: Jesus' words: “I know... where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is” are a reference to the “throne of Zeus” which was located on the top of a hill overlooking the city. Zeus, as the chief of the gods, was a particular symbol of paganism, and the city was a major center for pagan cults. In addition to Zeus, there were temples dedicated to Athena (goddess of wisdom), Apollo (god of prophecy, music and poetry), and Asklepios (god of healing). It also became the site of the first temple erected for the worship of Caesar in 29 B.C., during the reign of Augustus. Some of these temples employed “priestesses,” who were actually prostitutes, as a part of their worship. The church at Pergamos, therefore, was in an especially precarious position among the early churches. Pergamos (Roman Pergamum) was a veritable melting pot of pagan religions and emperor worship. We are not told who Antipas was, but he apparently was killed by the unbelievers. Jesus commends the church for holding firm in the face of the Satanic influences and, it seems, in the face of physical violence as well.

Verse 14

14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.

Commentary: The author alludes to the diviner Balaam of Numbers 22.5-24.25. Balaam is further mentioned in Numbers 31:16. Balaam led the Israelites to compromise their faith in Christianity and engage in sins such as sexual relations with outsiders and idolatry. The phrase "to eat things sacrifices to idols" could refer to either participating in ritual banquets or simply partaking of food that had been sacrificed in a pagan temple. This food could have been unknowingly purchased in the market by the Christians of Pergamum. The phrase "commit fornication" is probably not meant to be taken literally. This is likely a metaphor that refers not to sexual infidelity, but spiritual or religious infidelity.

Verse 15

15 So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Commentary: Again we meet the Nicolaitans, whose doctrine was not that much different from the followers of Balaam. It will be useful to repeat here the commentary of Verse 6: The Nicolaitans were early Christian-pagan syncretists, false teachers that crept into the church, who disguised themselves as followers of Christ – who professed to be His ministers and servants – but who led the people astray. Peter wrote of them that they “despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed, and like brutish beasts speak evil of the things they do not understand. They are spots and blemishes in the churches, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you".

Verse 16

16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Commentary: The entire church is warned to repent of these sins and stop tolerating the false teachers, or else Christ Himself will judge and punish them. The church must discipline itself and not tolerate false teaching and immorality within. The sword of his mouth is a reference back to Rev. 1.16 where John sees Christ with seven stars in his right hand and the "two-edged sword in his mouth" and also a reference to Rev. 19.15 where the sword has the power to "strike down the nations."

Verse 17

17 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except he who receives it.

Commentary: An unusually cryptic verse, but the meaning is simple: Those who manage to hold fast to the true faith and do not fall victim to the heresies will be sustained (given the manna or bread of life) and a name in the Book of Life which assures them a place in God's Kingdom. Jesus said, "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die" (Jn 6:49-50).

(See also the commentary on 3:12 [1].)

The Message to the Church at Thyatira

Verse 18

18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things says the Son of God, who has His eyes like to a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass.

Commentary: About eighty miles to the north of Ephesus and about fifty miles inland lay the city of Thyatira, known today as Akhisar. The city had been founded by Seleucus I in the early third century and was therefore a “son of Seleucus.” It was not a city of great importance, but it was a commercial center, and there were a number of trade guilds. It was also a garrison town. The Thyatirans were expert metalworkers who were known for their work with alloys, with which they made helmets, swords, armor, and no doubt other useful implements of a more domestic nature. Jesus’ opening words to the city, as the "son of Seleucus" which was also famous for its metalwork, will have immediately caught the church’s attention.

Thyatira was the hometown of Lydia, Paul's first convert in Macedonia (Acts 16:14). The city was dominated by a dye and cloth industry, and was famed for a purple dye much prized in those times. The fire and brass references are an indication that judgment will be given to this church. Again, Christ directly states His identity as the speaker.

Verse 19
19 I know your works, and love, and service, and faith, and your patience. And as to your works, the last are more than the first.
Commentary: "The last are more than the first" is not made clear. Possibly Jesus was commending the church for an improvement in their works over time, or it may have meant something specific that the church itself would have understood.

Verses 20-23a

20 Notwithstanding, I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a sickbed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds, 23a and I will kill her children with death.

Commentary: A self-proclaimed prophetess at Thyatira was leading the church into false doctrine and immorality. Jesus calls her "Jezebel" in reference to the Old Testament Jezebel (I Kings 16, II Kings 9), who was a queen who promoted the worship of Baal. This woman is referred to as Jezebel because her actions were the same as those of that earlier false teacher. Jesus implies that He gave her some sign or warning, which she has ignored. He warns that He intends to punish her, and that He will visit trouble upon those who tolerate her, unless they repent. Her "children" are Jezebel's "disciples", those who continue to follow and believe her. The phrase "commit adultery with her" in verse 22 likely refers not to literally having sexual relations with her, but instead to engaging in idolatry with her.

Verse 23b

23b And all the churches shall know that I am He which searches the minds and hearts, and I will give to every one of you according to your works.

Commentary: The implication seems to be that the punishment of "Jezebel" and her followers will be obvious to the churches, and will serve as a reminder that God cannot be deceived. He knows not only the deeds, but also the motives behind them, and He will judge everyone with perfect justice.

This passage can be illustrated in modern times by the Catholic belief in mortal and venial sins. In Catholicism, sins are of two types: mortal--a sin (like murder, suicide, etc.) that is judged more harshly if not confessed and repented before death--and venial--the more basic sins (like lying, impure actions/thoughts, etc.). This passage reflects the Catholic belief that God judges according to our works and sins, not just based on one's belief in salvation.

Verses 24-25

24 But to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan (as they say), I will put upon you no other burden. 25 But what you have, hold fast till I come.

Commentary: There was a remnant among the church who had not accepted the false teachings, and who had resisted the tolerance of them. To these, Jesus says He will ask nothing more. He tells them to stay firm in their convictions and wait for His return.

Verses 26-29

26 And he that overcomes, and keeps my works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations, 27 and "he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to pieces," [Ps 2:9] even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Commentary: The obedient believer will be given a place of authority in the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 12:5, 19:15, 20:4). In Revelation 22:16, Jesus refers to himself as the morning star. Therefore, all whomever remains unmoving to temptation, the Lord will allow them to be partakers in His glory and power.

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

(c) Ben Witherington III, Revelation, Cambridge University Press: New York, 2003.

 Witherington, Ben. Revelation. Cambridge Univeristy Press, 2003.

17 USC § 107 Fair Use.  No claim of monetary remuneration on same.

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Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 1

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Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 1

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

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Revelation 1

New International Version

Prologue

1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Greetings and Doxology

4 John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b]
    and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”[c]
So shall it be! Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John’s Vision of Christ

9 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. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 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.”

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Footnotes
Revelation 1:4 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
Revelation 1:7 Daniel 7:13
Revelation 1:7 Zech. 12:10
Revelation 1:13 See Daniel 7:13.
Revelation 1:20 Or messengers

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Bible Project
Revelation 1-11

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The Prologue

Verses 1-2

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

Commentary: The opening indicates the order of the message's transmission: a) from God, b) to Jesus, c) to an angel, d) to John, e) to the servants of God. While John received the actual visions, however, we only have his descriptions of them. One senses that words are inadequate to describe what he actually saw. John is delivering this message to the servants of God. Note well the plurality of the word, servant. It was not God's intention for John to be the only one to obtain the revelation and keep it to himself. God desired that the people in the church, his "servants" would gain understanding. Those in today's churches also have a biblical right to understand the message being delivered in this book. The verse goes on to say that the things contained within the prophecy will happen "shortly." This has variously been understood as from the perspective of the audience (anything from minutes to years), in historical terms (hundreds or thousands of years), or from the point of view of an eternal Deity (for whom 10,000 years would be nothing).

The author identifies himself as John which many people have suggested is actually the John of the Gospel of John. However, scholars have shown this to be unlikely. The Gospel of John and Revelation have two very different writing styles. The authors use often use different words to express the same concept. An example is the word used for lamb. In Revelation the word arnion,whereas in the author of John uses another word for lamb. The two books also use the same word to mean different things. Examples include ethnos/ethne which refers to Gentiles or all nations in Revelation, but in The Gospel of John the same word is used to refer to the Jews. Similarly, Kosmos in Revelation is used to refer to the created world and in John it is used to refer to the world of humanity. Additional evidence that the John of Revelation is not the John of the Gospel of John is that they often spell the same word differently, Jerusalem being a prime example of this. In Revelation Jerusalem is spelled Ierosalem and in John it is spelled Ierosoluma. While there is no conclusive proof of who the John of Revelation was, it is the scholarly consensus that he was not the John of the Gospel of John.[1]

Verse 3

3 Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.

Commentary: The blessing of Verse 3 carries a threefold condition: Read, understand (hear), and obey (keep those things). God gave prophecies to be obeyed, not simply to be discussed and debated. "The time is at hand" simply means that no further things must occur before the fulfillment of the prophecies. It does not mean the time was (or is) imminent.

The mention of reading and hearing may also be an indication that the document was intended to be read to the congregations to whom it was addressed. Early churches would read the entire book of revelation every time they met, from beginning to end, this could be because this is the only book out of the entire Bible that states a blessing will be given to those who read it, listen to it, and obey it. We are to act in one's faith about what we hear during Revelation.

Verse 4-5a
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be to you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, 5a and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
Commentary: "Asia" was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey. This verse is evidence for the author being the Apostle John. John became the leader of the church at Ephesus after the death of Paul and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70. The other churches to whom letters were given were daughter churches established by the church at Ephesus. John would therefore have exercised pastoral influence over them, and it then makes sense that his letters were addressed to them. It also explains the absence of letters to other major churches, as John did not have leadership of them. The benediction refers to the Godhead, which is eternal in existence. The phrase "is, was, is to come" comes from the translation of the Hebrew Yahweh, which means "I am". The seven Spirits are somewhat cryptic. The number 7, in the Bible, means spirituallt complete. They probably represent the spirits of the seven churches embodied within the Holy Spirit. (Verse 5a): Jesus Christ is identified as the faithful witness who revealed the plan of God, the first to be resurrected from the dead, and the future worldwide ruler of the Millennial Kingdom. (Note "prince" of kings rather than "king" of kings).

Witherington says, "A major point of this entire book is that heaven and earth are very close indeed; in fact they are juxtaposed in such a way that heaven is already active in and for earth and will descend to it at the end in the from of the New Jerusalem." He asserts that it is very unlikely that John would have divided the holy spirit up seven different ways. Rather, he draws on early Jewish texts that refer to seven archangels before the throne of God (Tob. 12:15, 1 En.20.1-8, and 4 Qserek) that are the eyes of the great King keeping watch over the church of the lamp. This image is to ensure that Christ is not distant but very near among the lampstands (or seven congregations). (Witherington 2003)

Verse 5b-6

5b To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Commentary: These verses are praise to Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice on the cross gave us redemption from our sins, and (Verse 6) made us acceptable to enter the Holy Presence of the Godhead. John gives Jesus eternal praise, glory, and authority. Amen in this context means "Let it be so".

Verse 7

7 Behold, He comes with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Commentary: Christ will come with the clouds (Daniel 7:13) in the sky. This may refer to the final return to establish His Millennial Kingdom, not to the Rapture. Everyone will see Him (Matthew 24:30). Those who pierced Him may be those who have rejected Him as their Savior. Everyone who is without His grace will be, according to one interpretation, sorry and fearful (wail). "Even so, Amen" in this context could be rendered "Let it be done, whether people are ready or not".

"πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ" is alternatively translated as "all the tribes of the earth," "all kindreds of the earth," or "all the peoples of the world." These words occur only once elsewhere in the New Testament, in Matthew 24:30 as Jesus describes his second coming. Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) imagined that the despair of all the tribes on earth showed that "truth and good will be no more" either within or without the Christian church. Adam Clarke (1762-1832) on the other hand supposed that πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ referred to Jews and Romans, not Christians.

Verse 8

8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,” says the Lord, “which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Commentary: John clearly demonstrates his high Christology by placing the divine name on the lips of Jesus. By claiming to be the Alpha and the Omega (or in more contemporary terms, the A and the Z), Jesus unites himself with God. This is seen both by the fact that within Revelation, Jesus and God are referred to equally by these titles and by the allusion to Isaiah 44:6 (“I am the first and last, and besides me there is no God”), with which John was surely familiar. From the onset, Christ is unified with God, which gives Christ the authority to proclaim the rest of the vision – the Omega half of history. [2]

John's Vision of Christ

Verse 9

9 I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Commentary: John's exile to Patmos, together with the phrase, "your brother and companion in tribulation," implies a time of persecution. This is further indicated by the mention of a martyrdom in Pergamos[2:13] and other passages in the messages to the churches.[cf. 2:3; 2:9-10] John was exiled to Patmos because of his preaching and his testimony of Jesus Christ, having irritated the Roman government by doing so. Tribulation here refers to the present sufferings of believers, not the end times. Believers live in the present (Church Age) form of God's Kingdom, waiting and enduring until His return.

Verse 10-11

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last,” and, “What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

Commentary: "In the spirit" means John was in a state of receiving prophetic revelation from God. "The Lord's Day" refers to Sunday as the new Sabbath day for Christians, and the only other place this term (kuriakos) is used is in I Corinthians 11:20. Again, Alpha and Omega, the first and the last are applied to Jesus Christ. The seven churches introduced here are expanded upon in Chapters 2 and 3.

The seven churches were in the Roman province of "Asia," an area which is in western Turkey today. Why these seven churches were chosen to be the recipients of the Revelation, we can only guess. Yet it is clear that what Jesus says to them is meant ultimately for the Church in all times and places, for after each church’s message, seven times in all, Jesus says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

Verse 12

12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks.

Commentary: The seven candlesticks are said in Verse 20 to represent the seven churches. The number seven plays a prominent role in Revelation. Many scholars believe that the number seven, when given symbolic interpretation, represents completeness and perfection.

At this point the Jewish menorah (containing seven candles) was a common symbol of Judaism. In the vision John is seeing the seven lights are separated. Perhaps symbolizing a full representation of God's people in each church. (Witherington 2003).

Verse 13-15

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girded about the chest with a golden girdle. 14 His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were as a flame of fire, 15 And His feet like to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters.
Commentary: "Like unto the Son of Man" means the figure looked to John like Jesus Christ glorified. Son of Man is a messianic title that Jesus Himself frequently used. The garments depicted here are the robes of a judge. Christ has judgmental authority over all creation. The white hair signifies justice, purity, and glory. Fire is often associated with judgment in the Scriptures( rf. Matthew 5:22, 2 Peter 3:7). The brass and the voice symbolize power and authority.Brass is a metal that has a Biblical connection with sacrifice (e.g. the brazen altar of sacrifice in Israel: Exodus 27:1-6). Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world. Brass is also known to be a very strong metal. Therefore to compare Christ's feet to that of fine brass demonstrates His power, permanence, and stability. The seven candlesticks again represent the churches, and Christ's position in the midst of them shows He is the root and leader of the churches.

Verse 16

16 And He had in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.

Commentary: The seven stars are identified in Verse 20 as the angels of the seven churches. The sharp sword is a metaphor for the Word of God, the power of which is sharp and certain. His face shone as the sun, so that John has difficulty looking at it. Compare this to Exodus 33 and 34, in which Moses experiences much the same thing when he asks to see God. Moses returns from the mountain with his own face glowing, much to the amazement of the people.

Verse 17

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid his right hand upon me, saying to me, “Fear not. I am the first and the last."

Commentary: At the first sight of Jesus, John’s unworthiness to the almighty one causes John to fall to his feet. This happens three times in the book of Daniel (8:17-18, 10:9-10, 10:15). John's initial reaction is fear. As He did many times with the apostles, Jesus tells John not to fear. This command to not fear is present in the Bible 365 times, give or take. Jesus again states His identity to reassure John that nothing can happen without His approval. The mentioning of Christ being the first and the last (Alpha and Omega) that is mentioned many times in the prophecy of Isaiah (41:4, 44:6, 48:12) and Repeated again in Revelation 2:8 as well as 22:13. This mentioning of the first and the last shows that God encompasses all things from beginning to end and all things in-between. God is the beginning and end of time, and the first and the last of all creation. This verse shows that God is transcendent of all things, and all time (Hebrews 13:8) and shows his sovereignty as well as his divinity.

Verse 18

18 "I am He that lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death."

Commentary: Christ continues His affirmation, leaving absolutely no doubt that He is God. He was dead at the crucifixion, He rose from the dead, and He is alive forevermore. Amen used here means "I tell you it is so". The keys of hell and of death symbolize His authority to judge the living and the dead of all ages. At His command, death and hell will give up their captives.

Verse 19

19 "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."

Commentary: Verse 19 is the key to the layout of Revelation. The book has three main divisions:

"the things which you have seen": John's vision of Christ (ch 1);
"the things which are": the messages to the churches (ch 2-3);
"the things which shall be hereafter": the predictions for the future (ch 4-22)
The "things which shall be hereafter" are the things that will happen as the Day of the Lord approaches and arrives. These things will have a definite "buildup" sequence which the careful reader can see, and which will prevent the true believers from being taken "as by a thief in the night".

Verse 20
20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches.”
Commentary: The Greek word "angelos" means "messenger" and can be interpreted to refer to either a heavenly or an earthly being. This is determined by the context. The seven stars, therefore, may represent either angels assigned to the churches, or the earthly leaders of the churches. Christ holding them in His right hand signifies they have His approval. The candlesticks, as already stated, represent the churches themselves. Christ standing in the midst of them shows His leadership of the churches.

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

(c) Ben Witherington III, Revelation, Cambridge University Press: New York, 2003.
 Witherington, Ben. Revelation. Cambridge Univeristy Press, 2003.

17 USC § 107 Fair Use.  No claim of monetary remuneration on same.

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END

Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Background of Revelation

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Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Background of Revelation

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

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The first Quarantine in the USA since 1918 continues.  It is Day 53.

Meeting by Zoom for a Men's Church meeting - Peachtree Ironman.  Very strange that the world is 100% virtual.

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Understanding the Book of Revelation 

by L. Michael White, University of Texas at Austin.  
No claim of (c) to this work.  WGBH Boston 1995-2014.  PBS
17 USC § 107 Fair Use.  No claim of monetary remuneration on same.

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Background on the writing of the Book on the Isle of Patmos.

The Book of Revelation was written sometime around 96 CE in Asia Minor. The author was probably a Christian from Ephesus known as "John the Elder." According to the Book, this John was on the island of Patmos, not far from the coast of Asia Minor, "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1.10). This has traditionally been taken to mean that he had been exiled there as a martyr for his Christian faith. Some scholars, however, have suggested that it might have been a regular stop on a preaching circuit. Next, the author says, "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet" (Rev. 1.11), and this voice tells him to write what he is about to see. This begins the "revelatory" vision that is at the center of the book.

Ephesus was both the capital of the Roman province of Asia and one of the earliest centers of Christianity. The book next contains seven short letters of exhortation to the Christian churches in the seven leading cities of Asia Minor -- Ephesus (2.1-7, Smyrna (2.9-11), Pergamon (2.12-17) , Thyatira (2.18-29). Sardis (3.1-6), Philadelphia (3.7-13). and Laodicea (3.14-22). This region would become a key area for the expansion of Christianity into the Roman empire. But it was precisely this intersection that created the problem for the author, as it called for Christians to treat the Roman administration as agent of the devil. But recognizing this comes from understanding how to read this kind of apocalyptic literature.

How to read Revelation

Because of intricate and unusual symbolic language, the Book of Revelation is hard for modern people to read. They are not used to this kind of literature. Not so for people in the ancient world who would have been more accustomed to the complex nature of apocalyptic literature. The very fact that an apocalypse was a common type of literature meant that if followed certain conventions of style, and people knew more what to expect from it. Because there were many other examples of apocalyptic writing, these conventions would have seemed less strange and cryptic. Also, apocalyptic literature was almost always a kind of literature for "insiders," that is to say, it was written for people who already knew something of the situation and of the symbols that were used to portray it. So, for the original audience of the Revelation of John, all these strange scenes would have been immediately intelligible. What the modern reader or biblical scholar has to do is to try to read the text with "ancient eyes," by being informed about the way the literature worked and the situation out of which it came.

So let's look briefly at the layout of Revelation. The book breaks naturally into five major visions plus a prologue and an epilogue on how these came to be written down. This yields our basic outline of the work, as follows:

The Prologue (1.1-3)
John's "Cover Letter" (1.4-20) and The First Vision
The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia (2.1-3.22)
The Second Vision: In the Throne Room of Heaven (4.1-11.19)
The Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets
[Third Vision] Three Great Signs In Heaven: The Cosmic War (12.1-16.21)
The Beasts, the war, seven plagues, seven bowls of wrath, and Battle of Armageddon
The Fourth Vision: The Judgment on Babylon [=Rome] (17.1-21.8)
Part I: The Allegory of the Great Whore - (17.1-18)
Part II: Babylon [Rome] is Fallen! (18.1-8)
Part III: Heaven is once again opened: the 1,000 years (19.11-21.8)
Part IV: A New Heaven and New Earth (21.1-8)
The Fifth Vision: The New Jerusalem (21.9-22.5)
The Epilogue: (22.6-21)

Then in each of these visions, there is a literary device that provides for each new thing seen to propel the viewer on to the next vision. We can see this from the beginning of Vision 1, where John sees the seven lampstands, and then is told to write letters to the seven churches of Asia, for which they stand. But we see it even more clearly in the Vision II in the section that begins by seeing the scroll with seven seals, and then each of the seals is opened one at a time. But the opening of each seal does not result in the same amount of text: the first four are very brief, only two verses each. Then the fifth is longer, and the sixth is the most important, the climax of the sequence, followed by a longer vision. Finally, comes the seventh seal, but when we get there it turns out to be the seven trumpets, and the whole process starts over again as each of the trumpets is sounded in order.
What results from this is a kind of composite picture created by the cumulative effect of all the material laid out this way. It's been likened to "chinese boxes" where one opens up a box only to discover another box inside. In the final analysis one gets the sense that we (that is, the ancient "reader") are always in the sixth, just on the verge of the seventh thing happening. That's what gives the book its sense of urgency and feel that something important is just about to happen. The overall impact of Vision II, then, is to show the dire and precarious position in which the faithful are now standing, as they await the final things to take place. It is described as a time of famine, plague, oppression, and woe. But all of this probably comes out of a retrospection on the First Revolt and the devastation that occurred when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. That is precisely the reflection that one sees in the description of the "two witnesses" (or martyrs) who are said to have been slain in the very city where Jesus was killed (11.1-13). So, the sense of desperation and suffering that is so central to Vision II is a direct commentary on the outcome of the War of 66-70 CE.

At the end of Vision II, when the seventh angel finally sounds his trumpet (11.15-19), then the heavenly throneroom of God is once again opened, and now there appears a new scene. This is the opening of Vision III, the three Signs (or Portents) in Heaven, which are the centerpiece, both literarily and ideologically, of the entire work. For these three "signs" provide the explanation for why the woes and suffering described in Vision II have come upon the earth. The answer, we are now told, is that the war on earth is merely a continuation of a cosmic war begun in heaven between God and Satan (12.1-17). At the end Satan, the Great Red Dragon, is thrown down to earth with his evil angels, and now they begin to make war on the saints (12.18). For his henchmen, the Dragon chooses two helpers, who are called "the beast from the sea" (13.1-10) and "the beast from the land" (13.11-18), who proceed to force all humans to worship the Dragon and the first beast. The result is that God also sends his angelic army to earth, led by the "Lamb who had been slain," and they will now take on the army of the dragon and the beasts (14.1-20). Now we have seven angels pronounce their woes on all who side with the Dragon followed by seven bowls of wrath, which turn out to be seven plagues (15.1-16.21). Once again it is the sixth that is the most important; it is the Battle of Armageddon (16.12-16) which results in victory for the armies of God.

Now we see another important component of how Revelation works by thinking about its sense of the time-line of the story. The various visions of Revelation are not a linear progression, so that the events in chapter 12, for example, do not follow in time after the events in chapter 11. Quite the contrary. In the way they set up, the events described in chapters 12-13 are meant to explain how those circumstances in chapters 5-11 came about. So the time-line of the story moves in a kind of cyclical fashion so that we keep coming back to the "present situation" as it stood for the ancient readers of Revelation.

The result from this way of reading is that the ancient Christians were being told how God would ultimately triumph, and the faithful would be spared. So in Vision IV we see the final judgments against the evil forces of the Roman empire, and the final rewards of the faithful. And its really only at this stage in the text (chapters 18-21) that it starts to look forward in a prospective way toward the near future. At the center of it all is the recognition of how Revelation is depicting the Roman Empire as the Great Whore, with the Emperor as the seven-headed "beast from the sea," who are the ones carrying out Satan's war against God on earth. So even Vision IV is carrying out the implications of the central scenes in Vision III. This made most clear when we are told explicitly that the Great Whore is Babylon, who is seated on the Beast with seven heads, as seven hills (17.9). This is both a clear reference to the "seven hills of Rome" and a reference back to the seven-headed beast of Rev. 13.3-10. Then it tells that the seven heads are seven kings (17.9-10), which finally give us the real clue that the "beast" is the Roman emperor himself. The visions continue to unfold information for the ancient reader in order to describe its current situation.

The Seven-headed Beast of Revelation and the Roman Empire

The key to understanding the situation is in the vibrant symbolic language that is so typical of ancient apocalyptic writings. The author viewed the religious and political force of Roman rule as a threat. It is now thought that this arose in Ephesus after the year 89 CE when Domitian instituted a new imperial cult sanctuary dedicated to his family, the Flavian dynasty. It had included his father, Vespasian, who as Roman general led the war against the Jews from 66-69. When the Emperor Nero was killed, Vespasian was summoned from Judea to Rome to become the new Emperor. Vespasian then appointed his elder son, Titus, as the commander of the legions in Judea. It was Titus who led the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. When Vespasian died in 79 CE, Titus became the next Emperor. Titus, however, died just two years later in 81, and this left the empire to Vespasian's younger son, Domitian. Domitian was known as a strong-willed emperor who tolerated no disagreement with his policies. Nonetheless, there is no clear indication that he consciously tried to persecute Christians for their faith.

For this reason, most scholars now think that the issue revolved around the inauguration of the Flavian imperial cult in Ephesus. The imperial cult was a way of showing loyalty and honor to the Emperor, and was viewed as a public duty of all citizens in a city like Ephesus. Our clearest indication of how this is reflected in Revelation is seen in the description of the two "beasts" from Rev. 13. The first is called "the beast from the sea" who is given his power by Satan himself. He is described as having "seven heads and ten horns," and people worshipped him (Rev. 13.1-4). Then there is a second, "the beast from the land" who makes every everyone worship the first beast and its "image" (Rev. 13.11-18). The "image" (13.14-15) and the mysterious number "666" (13.18) refer to statues and coins or inscriptions with the emperor's image and titles. The "beast from the land" probably referred to either the provincial governor of Asia or to the highpriest of the imperial cult, who jointly would have overseen the temple and its festivals in Ephesus at just this time.
That the "beast from the sea" is the Emperor himself is made clear in a later passage in Rev. 17, where the symbolism of the seven heads is spelled out.

9 "This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; also, they are seven kings, 10 of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are united in yielding their power and authority to the beast; 14 they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them... (Rev. 17.9-14).

Accordingly, the woman sits on the seven-headed beast as a symbol of her "seven hills" -- the seven hills of Rome. The woman is the city of Roman, here depicted as the persecutor of Christians. Then it says that the seven heads are also seven kings. And we can read from its cryptic terminology the references to the Emperors of Rome. The "five fallen" refer to the five emperors who have died: Augustus (29 BCE - 14 CE), Tiberius (14-37 CE), Gaius (37-41), Claudius (41-54) and Nero (54-68). "One has a wound" refers to the emperor Nero, who died in 68, but whom conftemporary legend had it would return from the dead to continue persecuting the Christians. Thus, the beast has a head that has recovered from a mortal wound. The head "who is" refers to Vespasian (69-79) and the one that is "not yet" refers to Titus(79-81). The head that "was but is not" refers to an eighth emperor, Domitian. From this we can also see that the work looks at this history as if it were being written while Vespasian was still alive, and thus "forecasting" what terrible things would occur under Domitian only a few years later. This technique is common in apocalyptic literature, and Revelation was probably written sometime during the early 90's, when Domitian was emperor, or perhaps even after the death of Domitian in 96 CE. By portraying the Emperor and his provincial authorities as "beasts" and henchmen of the dragon, Satan, the author was calling on Christians to refuse to take part in the imperial cult, even at the risk of martyrdom.

Were the Christians being Persecuted?  Recent New Testament Scholarship

Almost all New Testament scholars now take the view that Revelation was written during the reign of Domitian, sometime around 95-96 CE. He is the "beast from the sea" beyond doubt. What is not uniformly understood is how political oppression or persecution against the Christians of Asia Minor influenced the situation and, thus, how Revelation was responding to this situation. There are references to martyrdom and persecution in the Book of Revelation, but to what extent there was a real roundup of Christians going on is a matter of some debate. Here we may examine the question by looking at the views of several of the most notable recent scholars on Revelation.

a. The Traditional View of New Testament Scholarship.

The traditional view of Revelation, and of apocalyptic literature in general, is that it grew out of circumstances of persecution. So, Revelation is often compared to Daniel in this regard, since Daniel was written in direct response to the oppressive anti-Jewish measures of the Seleucid monarch, Antiochus Epiphanes IV, at the time of the Maccabean Revolt (167-164 BCE). Thus, scholars would point to Rev. 2.13, which refers to "Antipas, my witness, who was killed among you," in conjunction with the church at Pergamon. It also refers to the "two witnesses" who were killed and their bodies left in the streets of Jerusalem (Rev. 11.4-13), and there is the numberless crowd of saints "who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," who suffered, and who dwell before the altar of heaven (Rev. 7.13-17). It must also be remembered that the words "witness" and its cognates "testify" and "testimony"(which appear some 19 times in Revelation) all come from the Greek word martyrs, from which we get "martyr." So it is traditionally assumed that there was a direct persecution of those Christians living in Asia Minor during the reign of Domitian, and that this corresponds to "John's" own exile and imprisonment on Patmos. This is the view maintained in two of the standard and very well-respected older commentaries on Revelation:

G.B. Caird, A Commentary on the Revelation of St. John the Divine. Harper New Testament Commentary Series. New York: Harper & Row, 1966.

J. Massyngberde Ford, Revelation: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary. The Anchor Bible, vol. 38. Garden City: Doubleday, 1975.

Both Caird and Ford thus argue that the purpose of Revelation was to prepare and strengthen the Christians of Asia Minor, as adressed in the letters to the seven churches, so that they will remain faithful against the impending persecution. The remaining visions were then given to show them how the conflict would be played out, with the victory of God agains Satan, and thus encourage them to remain steadfastly on the side of Christ. However, beyond this general assumption of persecution these two works do not think that most of the language of these visions can be taken to pertain literally to precise events in Asia Minor.

b. A Literalist Reading of Persecution.

Two recent works, however, have argued that much of the material in the letters to the seven churches (Rev. 2-3), and more generally in Revelation, should be read as literally applicable to the precise circumstances of the day. This is the view of
Colin Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in their Local Setting. Sheffield: Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1986.
John Court, Myth and History in the Book of Revelation. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1979.

Hemer's approach, however, is largely a reworking of the older view of Sir William Ramsay near the beginning of the XXth century, which tries to equate archaeological evidence of the region with comments in Revelation. This view has been favored among some more conservative New Testament scholars; however, has not found a majority acceptance. Court's approach differs from Hemer's by looking more at the literary function of the symbolic (or, as he would say, "mythic") language of Revelation as being veiled references to concrete historical circumstances of that day. Nonetheless, underlying both of these studies is the assumption of a directe, one-to-one correspondence between much of the language and the situation under Domitian. It is this view that has largely supported the notion that Revelation was intentionally "concealing" or coding its polemic against Rome in order to escape discovery by Roman authorities. But most scholars do not share these views nowadays.

c. Metaphorical Stances of Revelation against its Environment.

Perhaps the most common way of dealing with the issue of persecution and the circumstances of Revelation in recent scholarship has been to read the work as a type of religious response to the crisis of Christians facing opposition in the Roman world. This response is couched in metaphorical terms of dualistic oppositions, characteristic of apocalyptic literature. This approach is best illustrated by three recent works:

John Gager, "The End of Time and the Rise of Community," in Kingdom and Community: The Social World of Early Christianity. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1975.
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Invitation to the Book of Revelation. Garden City, Doubleday, 1981.

and

The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985; second edition, 1998.

Adela Yarbro Collins, Crisis and Catharsis: The Power of the Apocalypse. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1984.

Both Schüssler Fiorenza and Gager take the view that the precise situation that was threatening the Christians of Asia Minor in the mid-90's CE was prompted by a new emphasis on the imperial cult in Ephesus, begun under Domitian. Both suggest that there was a pressure for Christians to participate in the imperial cult's religious festivals, with a threat of punishment or death if they did not. So there was an existential crisis facing these Christians. The author or Revelation wrote in order to resolve this crisis by clearly demarcating the lines and by alienating them from the enticements of participation in pagan society and the imperial cult. The mechanism for this demarcation, they argue, is the use of symbolic language that creates a new sense of the cosmic reality in which these Christians were living. At the center of the Book of Revelation, both literarily and ideologically, stands the "mythic" scene of the woman and the dragon (Rev. 12), which results in the dragon being hurled down to earth where it will persecute "the other children of the woman" (i.e., the church). The two beasts of chapter 13 (symbolizing the emperor and his provincial authorities) thus are placed in this cosmic drama on the side of Satan. The later visions then portray what will happen as the cosmic drama unfolds. Babylon (Rome) will fall, the armies of God will triumph, and Jerusalem (God's city on earth will be restored. For the Christians of Asia Minor, the battle lines are clearly drawn; it's only a matter of time until God is victorious.

Adela Yarbro Collins takes a similar view of the purpose and overall outlook of Revelation, but she does not think the imperial cult itself was a concrete factor, nor that there was much real persecution. It was more of a crisis of faith precipitated by the disconnection between the faith of these Christians and their social experience of alienation. She argues, then, that the work is, if anything, even more metaphorical or symbolic in its approach; it offers a kind of drama of catharsis (or "cleansing") that resolves the internal conflicts of the hearers. Of these three works, Yarbro Collins is perhaps more in keeping with the way most modern Christians would appropriate the "faith struggle" of Revelation; however, among New Testament scholars Schüssler Fiorenza's has had the greater influence.

d. Two Recent Revisionist Views.

Finally, there are two studies that argue that persecution itself was not at the center of the Christian experience underlying Revelation; however, they take different views of the precise role of the imperial cult. These are:

Leonard Thompson, The Book of Revelation: Apocalypse and Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Steven J. Friesen, Twice Neokoros: Ephesus, Asia, and the Cult of the Flavian Imperial Family. Religions in the Graeco-Roman World 116. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1993.

and

Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John: Reading Revelation in the Ruins. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000 (forthcoming).

Thompson goes through a careful analysis of the historical evidence for the reign of Domitian and concludes that there was no real "persecution" of Christians in that day. He also shows that much of the bad reputation heaped on Domitian arose only after his death, when the subsequent emperors (notably Trajan, who ruled from 98-117 CE) made Domitian a "whipping boy" in order to portray themselves as benign and generous rulers. Thompson concludes, therefore, that the imperial cult presented little or no direct crisis for the Christians. Instead, he argues that Revelation was attempting to create a picture of cosmic reality that incorporated all aspects of the daily social life of these ancient Christians of Asia Minor. Revelation does this by incorporating the Roman sense of world order into his own alternative sense of a "new world order" governed by God, through Christ as the triumphant emperor of heaven and earth. This is an intriguing argument in showing the lack of concrete experience of persecution and how Roman imperial ideas seep into the book's "Christian" vision of reality.

Steven Friesen, however, has produced the most thoroughgoing study of the extensive archaeological evidence for the existence and the operation of the imperial cult in Asia Minor. He shows convincingly that there was a concrete presence of the imperial cult (along the lines suggested also by Schüssler Fiorenza) that set the framework for the Book of Revelation. In doing so he demonstrates how the imperial cult was not just an enforced participation in particular sacrifices or festivals, but was a more widespread social, political, economic, and religious factor in the lives of provincial citizens. This type of imperial cult activity was something new in Ephesus during the days of Domitian. Whereas there had been imperial cult activity for over a century in cities such as Pergamon, Ephesus had received its first imperial cult temple, and concomitant imperial awards and lofty titles, under Domitian in the year 89 CE. It was this new and heightened imperial rhetoric, growing like wildfire in the provincial cities, that triggered "John's" reaction. Moreover, this cult, while focused on Domitian himself, also honored his family, the Flavian emperors Vespasian and Titus. And it is this element that yields the underlying apocalyptic tension for the author, for these are the very emperors who had destroyed Jerusalem, the city of God, only two decades earlier. The radical polemic of Revelation is saying, "how can those who call themselves Jews and Christians pay honor to the very family that destroyed the Temple, to the very empire that killed Jesus? They are no less than the henchmen of Satan!" Friesen's work perhaps more than any recent study has drawn together both the concrete historical circumstances, based on the archaeological evidence, in correlation with the rhetorical stance of the Book of Revelation.

 Modes of Interpreting Revelation

a. The "Past History" view.

These previous profiles of current New Testament scholarship on Revelation show what is the dominant view of how to interpret the work in its historical context. This approach is sometimes called the "preterist" (or "past history") view, meaning that the events described in Revelation all took place in the past and the work must be read in that ancient historical context. It is almost universally followed in both New Testament scholarship and by scholars of Christian history. It is also the view taken within many Christian denominations, although it is often amended to suggest that all the historical events are past and that Revelation was describing a situation in the Roman empire, but that the final judgment in some literal sense is still to come as a future event.

On the other hand, religious interpretations of Revelation throughout Christian history have not always followed this approach. We shall here profile some other ways that the book has been read by those who want to apply it to their own times. In each case, the difference is how the "historical content" of Revelation is understood.

b. The "Symbolic History" View.

This view holds that while the precise historical circumstances of Revelation pertained to the Roman world at the end of the Ist century CE, that it nonetheless has a kind of universal and timeless message for God's dealing with humanity in all generations. Thus it looks for symbolic elements that may apply across the ages. This symbolic or allegorical view is what lay behind St. Augustine's reading of Revelation, in which he argued that the 1,000-year reign was not a literal number at all but a figurative way of describing the "age of the church" on earth. This view has been the dominant one in most mainstream Christian interpretation, especially in Catholic tradition. It has also been influential in some philosophical appropriations of Revelation in western thinking.

c. The "Continuous History" View.

While the "symbolic history" view (above 0 was more-or-less the official view of Revelation adopted by the medieval church, there continued to be literalist readings throughout the Middle Ages. In general, these views took a literal view of the 1,000 years as being the current age of the church. As a result this way of looking at Revelation led some to look to it for ongoing events in the history of Christianity. This mode of interpretation, which sees later events in Christian history as fulfilling "predictions" in the Book of Revelation, is known as the "continuous history" view.

The first major interpreter to develop this view into a system of reading Revelation with current predictive value was Joachim of Fiore (1132-1202 CE). Based on the number 42 months (Rev. 11.2), the duration of the "trampling of the temple," Joachim concluded that this was period equal to the 42 generations in Matthew's genealogy from Adam to Jesus (Matt. 1.17). So, he said that these 42 generations (or 1,260 years) marked the period from the birth of Jesus until the end he saw predicted in Revelation. He then looked identified particular events and individuals in Christian history as fulfilling elements in Revelation in a continuum from the days of Jesus until his own time. So, for example, the beast with seven heads (Rev. 13.1), which are explicitly identified as seven kings (Rev. 17.10) he identifies as evil rulers beginning with Herod the Great and continuing to Saladin, the Turkish leader who had only a few years earlier repulsed the Crusaders from the Holy Land. Joachim thus saw, a figure of his own day, as predicted in Revelation's unfolding of history from ancient to contemporary times.

From Joachim's day down to the mid-XIXth century, this pattern of calculation became the most common form of literalist interpretation of the "predictive" capacity of Revelation. It is therefore the most common mode of interpretation within literalist postmillenial expectation. It was a prominent feature of many end-time calculations and interpretations during the Reformation period in Europe. It was also used by Cotton Mather and others in colonial America and England; they regularly looked for current events that might be fulfillment of Revelation within this scheme, inevitably looking for elements that pointed toward the nearness of the end of time.

d. The "Future History" View.

A new mode of interpreting Revelation beginning in the early XIXth century. It grew mostly out of Protestant theology with a strong reforming element, both in Britain and America. It also drew on the strong tradition of literalist interpretation of Revelation as predicting contemporary events that had become popular in these areas through the "continuous history" view. But this new mode began to look at the past history of Christianity from the New Testament through the Middle Ages and down to its own time in a different light. From this perspective, it was hard to compute how the 1,000 years, if taken literally, could refer to the past history of the church, since that would place the inauguration of the Millenium within the timeframe of the medieval Catholic Church. The new view, therefore, began to argue that none of the events described in the Book of Revelation after chapters 1-3 (i.e., John's vision and the letters to the seven churches of Asia) had yet come to pass. All the florid images of Revelation 4-22 were instead considered to be predictions of future events that would come to pass in literal terms as the return of Christ and the end approached. Thus, this view looks at Revelation as prediction of "future history."

Central to this mode of interpretation is the view that Revelation, along with most of the rest of the Bible constitutes a similar type of "prophecy" of the future, and it often refers to this overall scheme of interpretation as "Bible prophecy." Much of the interpretation that comes from this perspective involved linking various passages from different parts of the Bible to form a composite that fits current and future expectations. This mode of interpretation is also directly connected to the rise of pre-millenialism, the view that the 1,000 year reign of Christ will be a literal event that will occur only after Christ returns. Thus, the emphasis on interpreting Revelation, lies in equating its images with those events surrounding the return. Several different versions or systems have been proposed for how the actual events will work out.

The most popular has been that of John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), which is known as Dispensationalism, a view made popular in England and America in the early XXth century through the publication of Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921). First published in 1909, it came to be known as The Scofield Reference Bible. On each page it printed the King James translation of 1611 alongside of Scofield's own copious "notes" on how to read each passage of the Bible in conjunction with other "prophecies." It thus provided a chainlink interreferencing system to the Book of Revelation, by which one could jump from passage to passage to follow the "true" meaning. The Scofield Bible continued to be popular among certain Protestant Christian groups. From 1909 to 1967 it sold more than 10 million copies; reprinted in 1967, it is said to have sold another 2.5 million copies by 1990. More than any other "future history" interpretation, this one has had the most impact on current literalist interpretations of Revelation.

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959, 1964

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