Origins of Revelation
Revelation 1:1-3
August 18, 2013
INTRODUCTION
As we begin the study of this, or any book, we need to determine some basic contextual
issues, such as who wrote, to whom was it written, when was this done, what is the subject, where
are the author and readers, and why is the book being written? We’ll address all of these in a
moment.
Because, as Christians who believe that the Bible is God’s Word, we must see what
relationship exists between this particular book, and the rest of Scripture, because the Scriptures
are a unified whole. We will do that today as well.
There are some questions and controversies surrounding this book, as there are around
many other portions of the Bible. Some of these are in the scholarly realm, and we will not spend
much time on them. Some are related to particular passages, and we will look at them when we get
there. And some I will mention before we finish today.
1. “Five W’s and and H”
a. Who wrote the book? John, the apostle.
i. Some argue it is a late, pseudapigraphal work—no clear evidence
1. Critics say it is too different in language and style from Gospel of John
2. BUT, many critics don’t think John wrote his gospel, either.
3. AND, it is a different kind of book than any other in the NT
4. AND, there are many similarities in phraseology and style
a. The term “Logos” for Jesus—John and Revelation only
b. “the Lamb” as Jesus—John and Revelation only
c. Other phrases, “water of life,” “him that thirsts,” “keep…from,”
unique word for “true,” reference to “first resurrection,” Satan
“cast out,” and “overcoming” the world.
ii. Dionysius rejected millennialism, didn’t accept that John wrote it; suggested
another John—Papias has a mention that may indicate 2 different Johns in
Ephesus—Eusebius said this possible other John could have been the author,
but didn’t say so
iii. Irenaeus was a leader of the church in Lyon (now France), who was a disciple of
Polycarp, who in turn was a disciple of John the apostle. Irenaeus says John
wrote it, as do Tertullian, Justin Martyr, and all of the rest of the church
fathers of the first few centuries.
b. To whom was it written? The servants of Jesus, and specifically 7 churches in Asia
i. Specific servants given in v. 4 (the seven churches of Asia), listed in v. 11
ii. Book is directed beyond 7 churches, using them as material
c. What was the subject? What is going on, and what is going to happen up to the end.
i. The content is a “revelation” (Gk. Apokalypsis), meaning something or someone
is revealed that was not visible
ii. Its source is God, who gives it to Jesus Christ, who has it delivered to John by
an angel.
iii. John is specifically told to write about the initial vision he receives along with
the others he will receive in a book (a scroll) and send it to the seven churches.
iv. The main content is “the things that must soon take place.”
2
d. What
i.
ii.
iii.
kind of book is it? Three “kinds” apply
It is an epistle—a letter to seven churches
It is a prophecy—the only NT book that uses this description of itself
It is “apocalyptic literature”
1. The term comes from “Revelation” itself
2. The idea refers to writings among Jewish people from the second century
B.C. to the first century A.D.
a. These include The Book of Enoch, the Apocalypse of Baruch, The
Book of Jubilees, The Assumption of Moses, The Psalms of Solomon,
The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, and others
b. These, like Revelation, feature sweeping battle scenes between
good and evil, lots of symbolism and imagery, angels bearing
messages and being guides or interpreters, were written during
persecution, and feature symbolic imagery for nations and kings
c. Unlike Revelation, these are all pseudapigraphal, claiming to be
written before the facts they describe, but actually written after.
d. Revelation is different in also being an epistle, claims to be a
prophecy, and actually predicts the future.
e. When was it written?
i. The universal testimony of the first few centuries placed the book at the end of
the writing period of the NT, the last decade of the first century, during the
persecution under Emperor Domitian A.D. 94-96
ii. Irenaeus said that John wrote it in times not distant from his own (middle of
the second century). That fits this time frame.
iii. Writers in the 19th century adopted a different view, believing that Revelation
was written about events in the 60s, the persecuting Emperor was Nero (whose
name could be added up in Latin to total 666), and that as the sixth king of
Rev. 17 (five kings have been, one is, and one is to come), he fits best, and all of
the judgments refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70
1. This is the view of those who take the view that Revelation was either
written after its events, or it was prophetic and written earlier—in the
60s during Nero’s reign
2. The view has hints in the 6th century, dates to the 16th century (Luis de
Alcasar, Hugo Grotius), gained prominence in the 19th century, and has
powerful proponents today among a number of amillennial and postmillennial writers and scholars.
f. Why was it written? Comfort, Encouragement, and Hope
g. How do we interpret it? Four main views.
i. Preterist—Revelation was written in the early 60s and nearly all took place by
A.D. 70 and refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. Earliest hint of this
thought is found in a mention from the 6th century. The Kingdom of God is
spiritual, and all that remains is the Final Return of Jesus to the Earth for
Judgment and the Eternal State—Revelation 21-22. Luis de Alcasar ( a Jesuit
trying to protect from any interpretation identifying the Pope as Antichrist) was
the first to publish a full description of this view, followed by Hugo Grotius and
3
later, Moses Stuart. It became a popular Protestant view in the 19th and 20th
centuries. Kenneth Gentry, N.T. Wright, and many others promote it today.
ii. Spiritual—also called Allegorical/Non-Literal/Symbolic. Revelation does not
have individual specific fulfillments of visions, but transcendent principles that
apply to all time. Dates from the Alexandrian church fathers of the late second
century, who introduced allegory as an interpretive principle for Scripture.
Augustine and Jerome followed this method. This is the most common
interpretive model among theologically liberal scholars.
iii. Historicist—The Revelation begins at the end of the first century, and
symbolically covers the dramatic conflict of good and evil throughout history.
Various visions refer to specific, historic events. The Great Harlot is the Roman
Catholic Church and Babylon is Rome. This was the majority view of the
Reformers (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Melanchthon) William Tyndale, John Knox,
Isaac Newton, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, George Whitefield, C. H.
Spurgeon, Albert Barnes, and others. The view has fallen out of favor today,
with the major exception of the Seventh Day Adventists. The view features the
“year for a day” interpretive principle, and the Papacy as the Antichrist.
iv. Futurist—After the letters to the seven churches, Revelation’s focus turns to the
future end of the age. All visions are yet to be fulfilled, including the return of
Christ to the earth to establish a one thousand year kingdom prior to the final
judgment and end of the age. Held by the early church fathers (Melito of
Sardis, Hippolytus, Victorinus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Papias), it
revived under J.N. Darby, C.I. Scofield, L. S. Chafer, and Charles Feinberg; and
is very widely held today by Dispensationalists like John Walvoord, Charles
Ryrie, John MacArthur, and non-dispensationalists such as G. E. Ladd, Wayne
Grudem, and Robert Gundry.
These views are often mixed together in various ways by scholars such as William Hendriksen,
Leon Morris, Herschel Hobbs, William Milligan, Robert Mounce, Leland Ryken, and G. R.
Beasley-Murray.
2. Revelation and the the OT
a. Never directly quotes the OT
b. Imagery and allusions abound
i. Counted by some: Isaiah (79), Daniel (53), Ezekiel (48), Psalms (43), Exodus
(27), Jeremiah (22), Zechariah (15), Amos (9), Joel (8)
ii. Illustrated:
1. From Exodus:
a. The evil power persecuting God’s people is called Egypt (11:8)
b. Plagues: darkness, hail, locusts, boils, frogs, water turned to blood
c. Christians “freed by the blood” of Christ (1:5)
d. Dragon persecuting the woman similar to Egypt as a dragon in
Ezekiel 29:3 and Psalm 74:13
e. Like Israel, the woman who escapes the dragon is nourished in the
wilderness (12:6, 14)
f. Israel sang the song of Moses; the redeemed in Revelation sing the
song of Moses and the Lamb (15:3)
4
g. Frequent references to the Tabernacles equipment—golden
lampstands, hidden manna, altar of incense, holy of holies, ark of
the covenant
2. From the Babylonian exile:
a. Siege of the beloved city
b. Declarations of the fall of Babylon
c. Babylon overcome after drying up of Euphrates (just as it was
destroyed in Daniel’s day)
3. From Zechariah: two witnesses of Revelation called “two olive trees” from
symbols in Zechariah 4:3, 11-14
3. Revelation and the Book of Daniel
a. In the opening phrases of Revelation—“the things that must soon take place” parallels
Daniel 2:28—“what [the things] that shall be in the latter days…” (see also Dan. 2:45,
10:14).
b. The borrowing of various images—beasts, the sea, the land, Son of Man, ten toes/ten
horns, little horn/another horn, “time, times, half a time,” seventieth week of Daniel
possibly equal to the seven years described, both divided into two equal parts, with the
second half being intensely difficult.
c. Big difference: Daniel 12:9—the book is “shut up and sealed,” vs. Rev. 22:10—“do not
seal up the words of the prophecy of this book”
d. The visionary material of Daniel is developed more fully in Revelation.
4. Revelation and the New Testament
a. It expands upon much NT teaching
i. Jesus’ words on the Mt. of Olives—Matt 24 and parallels
ii. Paul’s teaching on the return of Christ—1 Thess. 4, 5; 2 Thess. 1
iii. Peter’s brief discussion of the end times—2 Peter 3
b. It is NOT primarily about helping us predict the future timing of the coming of the
Lord—Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32—“no one knows the day or the hour”
c. It does not explain the Rapture (which is not mentioned in Revelation)
d. It does not tell us that the Lord will come in our lifetime
5. Organizing Revelation
a. Paying attention to parallels—they speak to completion and intensity
i. Seven churches
ii. Seven seals (6:1-8:5), seven trumpets (8:6-11:19), seven bowls (15:1-16:21)
iii. Seven visions between the seven trumpets and seven bowls (12:1-14:20)
iv. Interruptions between #6 and #7 seal, trumpet, vision, and bowl
v. Sections that may not be chronological, but parallel
b. Focusing on its Key Figure—the Lord Jesus Christ
i. It is his “Apocalypse”—revealing one who has been hidden
1. Our vision of Jesus in his first Advent was veiled
2. He must be seen as he is in Revelation to truly understand him
3. He will be manifested to all, as Philippians 2:9-11 tell us
ii. His various descriptions in ch. 1
5
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The faithful witness
The firstborn of the dead
The ruler of kings on earth
Him who loves us
Him who has freed us from our sins by his blood
Him who has made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father
He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…
One like a son of man… (powerful description)
“I am” first and last, living one; died, alive forevermore, keys of Death and
Hades
iii. His titles in chs. 2-3—often taken from ch. 1
iv. His gifts to “overcomers” in chs 2-3—divine abilities
v. Worshiped in ch. 5 alongside the Father (in ch. 4)
vi. Judgments under his control in ch. 6
vii. Praised by the multitudes in ch. 7
viii. Brings further judgments of trumpets by opening seventh seal in ch 8-10
ix. Two witnesses point to his ministry through his death in ch. 11
x. Central figure of the visions of ch. 12
xi. Beasts deceive those not in the Lamb’s Book of Life ch. 13
xii. The Lamb encourages his own ch 14
xiii. The song of Moses and the Lamb before the bowls are poured ch. 15-16
xiv. The enemies of the Lamb fight and are defeated—chs. 17-18
xv. The marriage supper of the Lamb and the Return of the King ch. 19
xvi. The Kingdom of Jesus and the judgment of the rebels ch. 20
xvii. New Heavens, New Earth, New Jerusalem for the Lamb & His people ch. 21
xviii. His promise to return and encourage to be ready ch. 22
c. Recognizing key themes:
i. Blessing of God
ii. Sovereignty of God
iii. Worship of God
iv. Wrath of God
v. Faithfulness of God
d. Sorting symbols and literal meanings
e. A suggested outline from 1:19
i. Prologue—1:1-8
ii. “What you have seen”—Initial Vision—1:9-20
iii. “What is now”--Seven Churches—chs. 2-3
iv. “What will take place”
1. Heaven’s Worship—chs. 4-5
2. Seven Seals—6:1-8:5
3. Seven Trumpets—8:6-11:19
4. Seven Signs—12:1-14:20
5. Seven Bowls—15:1-16:21
6. God’s Triumph—17:1-21:8
7. New Jerusalem—21:9-22:9
v. Epilogue—22:10-21
6
CONCLUSION
What does Revelation do for us:
1. It reminds people in very troubling circumstances who is in control
2. It speaks to churches in various situations and reminds them what is important, what is
dangerous, and how to respond to those situations.
3. It encourages those who feel weak about their real strength
4. It rebukes the self-sufficient who think they have got it all figured out
5. It says doctrine must be protected and taught so that people don’t get led off into error that
costs them their souls.
6. It warns that doctrine without love for God and others will be the death of a church.
7. It encourages us that Jesus will not let wickedness and evil toward his people go unpunished.
8. It explains that even as God closes out history with judgment, he waits and waits and offers
opportunities to repent.
9. It manifests the ease with which God can destroy evil.
10. It asserts the ultimate justice of God right alongside the eternal love and mercy of God.
11. It assures believers of the return of Christ, even as we wait… people waited thousands of years
before he came the first time, and while we wait (as of now) 2,000 years, there is no more reason
to doubt his return than we should doubt that he came
12. It shows that the return of Jesus Christ will have very different meanings for the two distinct
divisions among people!