Book of Revelation

Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Four seraphim surround the throne; the twenty-four elders sit to the left and right. They are dressed in white robes, representing pureness, and have crowns of gold on their heads, denoting royalty and honor (Rev 4:4). The book of Revelation does not specifically identify who the twenty-four elders are, though they are thought to be the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve Disciples of Jesus.

The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John or Apocalypse of John, is the last canonical book of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. It is the only biblical book that is wholly composed of apocalyptic literature. Other apocalypses popular in the early Christian era did not achieve canonical status, except for the 2 Esdras (Apocalypse of Ezra), which is canonical in the Russian Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches.

Naming

The book is frequently called "Revelation"; however, the title found on some of the earliest manuscripts is "The Apocalypse/Revelation of John," and the most common title found on later manuscripts is "The Apocalypse/Revelation of the theologian"

Many people mistakenly call the book "Revelations" or "The Book of Revelations" due to the long series of apocalyptic events which unfold throughout the manuscript. The first sentence of the book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ... unto his servant John, is also sometimes used as a title.

Introduction

The book presents a dramatic account of two visions received received by the author, John, on the isle of Patmos. The first vision (1:11–3:22), is a message from "one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle," speaking with "a great voice, as of a trumpet." It is a statement addressed to the "angels" of the seven churches of Asia. The second vision, which makes up the rest of the book (4–22), begins with "a door… opened in the sky" and describes the end of the world—involving horrifying wars, famines, plagues, natural disasters, fantastic creatures, mass martyrdoms and harsh punishments by God, and the final rebellion by Satan at Armageddon, the final defeat of Satan, Second Coming of Christ, and the restoration of peace to the world.

In the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom and other bishops argued against including this book in the New Testament canon, chiefly because of the difficulties of interpreting it and the danger for abuse. Christians in Syria rejected it because of the heretical Montanists' heavy reliance on it. In the ninth century, it was included with the non-canonical Apocalypse of Peter among "disputed" books in the Stichometry of St. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople. In the end it was included in the accepted canon, although it remains the only book of the New Testament that is not read within the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Revelation is one of the most controversial and difficult books of the Bible, with many diverse interpretations of the meanings characters and events in the account. Protestant founder Martin Luther at first considered Revelation to be "neither apostolic nor prophetic" and stated that "Christ is neither taught nor known in it", and placed it in his Antilegomena. John Calvin, on the other hand, believed the book to be canonical, yet it was the only New Testament book on which he did not write a commentary.

Religious skeptics have typically been highly critical of Revelation, sometimes considering it the work of a mentally ill author. Typical in this vein is nineteenth-century agnostic Robert G. Ingersoll, who famously branded Revelation "the insanest of all books".

Scholars have also noted striking parallels with Mithraic Greek Magical Papyri literature, specifically the Mithraic Liturgy. Compare Revelation 1:13–16 to the Mythraic text:

...and a god descending, a god immensely great, having a bright appearance youthful, golden-haired, with a white tunic and a golden crown and trousers, and holding in his right hand a golden shoulder of a young bull: this is the Bear which moves and turns heaven around, moving upward and downward in accordance with the hour. Then you will see lightning-bolts leaping from his eyes and stars from his body.

Authorship

The traditional view holds that [[John the Apostle]—considered to have written the Gospel of John and Epistles of John was exiled on Patmos in the Aegean archipelago during the reign of Emperor Domitian, and wrote the Book of Revelation there. Those in favor of a single common author point to similarities between the Gospel of John and Revelation. For example, both works are soteriological (e.g. referring to Jesus as a lamb) and possess a high Christology, stressing Jesus' divine side as opposed to the human side stressed by the Synoptic Gospels. In both the Gospel of John and in Revelation, Jesus is referred to as "the Word of God" (Ő λογος του θεου). Explanations of the differences among John's supposed works include factoring in underlying motifs and purposes, authorial target audience, the author's collaboration with or utilization of different scribes and the advanced age of John the Apostle when he wrote Revelation.

A number of Church Fathers express an opinion on the authorship of Revelation. Justin Martyr avows his belief in its apostolic origin. Irenaeus (178) assumes it as a conceded point. At the end of the second century, it was accepted at Antioch, by Theophilus, and in Africa by Tertullian. At the beginning of the third century, it is adopted by Clement of Alexandria and by Origen, later by Methodius, Cyprian, and Lactantius. Dionysius of Alexandria (247) rejected it, upon doctrinal rather than critical grounds. Eusebius (315) suspended his judgment, hesitating between the external and internal evidence. Some authorities, especially in the Eastern Church, rejected the book, however.

Although the traditional view still has many adherents, many modern scholars believe that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and John of Patmos refer to three separate individuals. They point to several lines of evidence suggesting that "John of Patmos" wrote only Revelation, not the Gospel of John nor the Epistles of John. For one, the author of Revelation identifies himself as "John" several times, but the author of the Gospel of John and the writer of the epistle of "John" never identifies himself by name. While both the Gospel of John and Revelation liken Jesus to a lamb, they consistently use different words for lamb when referring to him — the Gospel uses amnos, Revelation uses arnion. Lastly, the Gospel of John is written in nearly flawless Greek, but Revelation contains grammatical errors and stylistic abnormalities which indicate its author was not as familiar with the Greek language as the Gospel's author.

Dating

According to early tradition, the writing of this book took place near the very end of Domitian's reign, around 95 or 96. Others contend for an earlier date, 68 or 69, in the reign of Nero or shortly thereafter. The majority of modern scholars also use these dates.Those who are in favor of the later date appeal to the external testimony of the Christian father Irenaeus (d. 185), who stated that he had received information relative to this book from those who had seen John face to face. He says that the Apocalypse "was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian's reign" (A.H. 5.30.3). According to Eusebius Domitian had started the persecution referred to in the book. Many scholars agree that the number 666 identifying the "Beast" of Revelation refers to Nero; however those favoring a late date see the reference as an allegory, with Nero symbolizing a later tyrant, whether Domitian or a someone else. Some experts believe the work was not written all at one time, with several editors having a hand in bringing it to its present form. The dating of the work is still widely debated in the scholarly community.

Summary

Revelation is divided into seven cycles of events, with the number seven also appearing frequently as a symbol. The chapters of Revelation present a series of events, full of imagery and metaphor, which detail the chronology of God's judgment on the world.

Letter to the Seven Churches

The book identifies itself as the "revelation of Jesus Christ" given to "his servant John" and bestows a blessing on those who read, hear, and take to heart its prophecy, because "the time is near." It then takes the form of an epistle from John to the seven church of the Roman territory of Asia. John states that he was on the island of Patmos when heard a voice commanding him to deliver to the churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. The speaker is "one like the son man," a magnificent spiritual being who is described in great detail (Chapter 1)

To the church at Ephesus, the speak begins with words of praise for its hard work and perseverance. He shares the churches hatred of the heretical Nicolaitans, a group traditionally believed to have practiced sexual promiscuity in the name of Christianity. However, the speaker criticizes the church for having "forsaken your first love" and threatens to remove it from its place of honor among the churches if it does not repent. The the church at Smyrna he predicts suffering and persecution, but praises the church for its previous perseverance in the face of slander from the local Jewish community, whom her refers to as "those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." To the church at Pergamum he follows the pattern of beginning with praise for its suffering, but follows with criticism for not being stricter with those who "sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality," even allowing membership to those who hold teaching of the Nicolaitans. To the church at Thyatira, he professes his love but condemns the church for its toleration of "that woman Jezebel," a prophetess who leads people into "sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols." (chapter 2)

For the church at Sardis, the speaker has no kind words, accusing it of being spiritually dead. He admits only that "Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes," and calls the church at large to repent, less he come as "a thief" an blot their names from the book of life. In contrast, to the church at Philadelphia, he give only encouragement; it is weak but it has endured. He promises that those of the "synagogue of Satan" will bow before the Philidelphian Christians and assures them "I am coming soon." Finally he speaks to the Laodiceans, calling them "lukewarm" on account of the wealth and comforts. He threatens to "spew you from my mouth" because of the lack of zeal and urges them to repent.

John's vision of the Last Days

The book now turns to a very different type of revelation, leading some scholars to believe the first three chapters constitute a distinct literary work which was later appended to the beginning of the book. The vision opens with a detailed description of the divine being who has placed an "open door" before the revelator. "Come up here," a voice declares, "and I will show you what must take place after this." God sits on a throne encircled by a rainbow, surrounded by 24 elders, seven lamps described as the "seven spirits of God," and four winged "living creatures" covered with eyes, apparently seraphim (cahpter 4)

Next to the throne of God is a scroll sealed with seven seals, which may only be opened by "the Lamb," a being with seven horns and seven eyes, who is worshiped by the elders, the "living creatures," and myriads of angels as "worthy" to open the scroll because "you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God." (Chapter 5) The Lamb opens the first four seals: they reveal the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, riding a white horse symbolizing one who conquers, a red horse symbolizing war, a black horse symbolizing famine, and a pale green horse symbolizing death. The opening of the fifth seal reveals the souls of the martyrs who had been slain "because of the word of God," who cry out that God should soon "avenge our blood." They are told to be patient, because more martyrs must join them before the day of vengeance arrives. When the sixth seal is opened, "the sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place." The wealthy rulers of the world, as well as the poor and slaves alike, all flee and seek to hid from "the wrath of the Lamb." (Chapter 6)

Terrible natural calamities are about to occur, but angels restrain them until 144,000 saints can be "sealed," 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel. The revelator is informed that these are "they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Chapter 7) Now the seventh seal is opened, and a "silence in heaven" ensues for half an hour. Seven angels appear, each with a trumpet. The sounding of the first trumpet brings "hail and fire mixed with blood," destroying one third of the earth. The second trumpet signals the death of one third of the sea creatures. The third brings the poisoning of the fresh waters, causing many people to die. The fourth trumpet results in a third of the sun, moon, and stars losing their light. The worst, however, is yet to come, as eagle flies through the air declaring: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" (Chapter 8)

The three woes

The first "woe"—proclaimed by the trumpet of the fifth angel—is a star which falls to earth and opens an abyss. Terrible smoke and fire arise, causing the sun to be darkened and allowing hordes of horse-sized locusts to escapte. These monsters have scorpion-like stings, human faces, lions' teeth, and women's hair, and they will torment the inhabitants of the earth for five months, excepting only the 144,000 who have been sealed by God. The sixth angel's trumpet signals the release of four might angels of war from the River Euphrates, with a force of 200 million mounted troops; their mission: "to kill a third of mankind." However, even this does not cause the rest of mankind to turn to God, "nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts." (Chapter 9)

At this point a new angel intervenes, descending from above and standing on both the sea and the land. He provides the revelator with a small scroll that he must eat, for: "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." (Chapter 10) The revelator is instructed to measure the Temple of Jerusalem. Gentiles will trample the holy city for 42 months, but two "witnesses"—called two olive trees—will be given divine power to testify during this time. Fire comes from their mouths to devour their opponents and there is no rain at all during their ministry. A beast will arise from the abyss and kill them and the inhabitants of the earth will rejoice because of the torments these prophets brought. However the two witnesses will revive after three and a half days. A terrible earthquake ensues as the witnesses ascend into heaven, and 7,000 people are killed. This concludes the "second woe."

Finally, the seventh trumpet is sounded, and great rejoicing is heard in heaven, as "the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ" is inaugurated. God's temple in heaven is opened, and the Ark of the Covenant is revealed for the first time in several hundred years, among "flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm." (Chapter 11)

Suddenly a princely woman appears, pursed by a dragon. She is to give birth to a child who will rule the world with an iron rod, but her child is caught up to God, and she flees to the desert, where she will remain for 1,260 days. Now the Archangel Michael and his angels make war against Satan, who is cast down to earth. This "ancient serpent" now turns to pursue the woman, but she escapes on an eagle's wings, while the dragon contents himself to make war on the saints. (Chapter 12).

A terrible beast now emerges from the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, resembling a leopard. For 42 months, he is given authority over the earth, uttering blasphemous words against God. He has a fatal wound, but it has been healed, and everyone except the 144,000 worship him. Now another beast emerges from the earth, this one with "two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon." He has the power to work miracles, and it is he who influences the people to worship the first beast. This beast breathes life into the first beast's image and causes all people to receive a mark on their forehead in order to buy or sell. The number of the beast and his mark is 666. (Chapter 13)

A vision now intervenes of the 144,000 saints, with three angels who predict the ultimate triumph of God. A man "like the son of man" sits on a white cloud. He is commanded by an angel to "Take your sickle and reap" the earth. An angel joins him in this work, and grapes are harvested into "the great winepress of God's wrath," reaching a height of 180 miles. (Chapter 14) Now seven more angels appear, each of them with a plague. God's heavenly temple remains closed while the angels do their work. (Chapter 15) God commands the seven angels to pour out his wrath on the earth.

• Sores break out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
• The sea turns to blood and everything in it dies.
• The rivers turn to blood, and the angel in charge declares God's judgment just.
• The sun scorches the people of the earth with fire, and the people still do not repent.
• The kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness; the people only curse God all the more
• The Euphrates runs dry in preparation for the coming war of Armageddon
• The most terrible earthquake cause "the great city" to be split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapse; hailstones weighing 100 pounds fall to earth with crushing force. (Chapter 16)

An angel shows the revelator the punishment which will be given to the "Whore of Babylon," who is responsible for the suffering of God's saints and rides on the beast with seven heads and ten horns. The heads are seven hills and also seven kings. The beast himself is also a king. The ten horns are also ten kings, who will receive their authority from the beast. Various other keys are given to interpreting the vision of the whore, the beasts, and other symbols. (Cahpter 17)

Angel declares that the Whore of Babylon is fallen; another calls the people of God to come out her and not to share in her sin. Terrible woes will be added to those who do not repent, but the apostles and prophets will rejoice in the city's suffering. (Chapter 18) A great multitude in heaven sing choruses of "Hallelujah!" as the great wedding feast of the Lamb is declared. A white horse appears, and its rider is declared faith and true. Is name is the Word of God, and he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The birds are invited to God's feast, where they will "eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." The Beast and his kings battle with the King of Kings and are defeated. The two beasts (one now called the "false prophet") are "thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur" while the other kings and their soldiers are "killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh." (Chapter 19)

Satan is now bound and cast into the abyss, where he will remain for 1,000 years. The martyred saints, meanwhile, come to life and reign with Christ. This is dubbed "the first resurrection." After 1,000 years, however, Satan will be released to deceive the people of the earth again. His forces will surround the city that God loves, but fire will come from heaven and defeat them. This time the Devil and his minions will be tormented in the lake of fire forever, with no escape. Then the final judgment takes place; the book of life is opened, and everyone whose name is not found in it will join the Devil in the lake of fire. (Chapter 20)

The New Jerusalem

A great vision of the New Jerusalem now unfolds. It is "prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband," and a voice declares: "Now the dwelling of God is with men." God declares his work finished, promising blesses to those who endure and suffering to those who do not repent of their sins. The New Jerusalem shines with God's glory. It has 12 gates, each with its own angel, for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Yet it contains now temple, for God and the Lamb are its temple. Nor does it need the sun or the moon, for God provides its light through the Lamb, who is its lamp. The nations walk by this light, and nothing impure ever enters its marvelous gates. (Chapter 21)

A river of life flows through the city from God's throne, and the Tree of Life stands on each side of it, bearing 12 kinds of fruit. Its leaves will heal the nations. The city's citizens will see God's face, and there will be no more curse.

Here the vision breaks off and Jesus himself speaks again to the churches: "Behold I am coming soon." John bears testimony that he is the one who saw these things. Jesus declares that he has sent his angel to deliver his message to the churches and warns that no one must change anything written in "this book." Again he declare "Yes, I am coming soon," to which John adds: "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Schools of thought

There are several schools of thought concerned with how the contents of the Book of Revelation should be interpreted.

• The Biblical prophecy school of thought holds that the contents of Revelation, especially when interpreted in conjunction with the Book of Daniel and other eschatological sections of the Bible, constitute a prophecy of the end times. This school can be further subdivided into the preterist view, which sees the book concerned with 1st-century events; the futurist view, which applies most of the events in the book into the end times (namely from chapter 6 onwards); and the historicist view, which regards the book as spanning history from the first century through the second coming.
• A second Biblical Prophecy school of thought exists, believing that Revelation is a rewriting of the various prophetic books of the Old Testament and that it was originally located at the end of the Old Testament with several other, since removed, prophetic books. This school also maintains that many of these same prophetic books are merely different rewrites of each other (in the same way that Matthew, Mark, and Luke are thought to be by some scholars).^{[citation needed]}
• The historical-critical approach, which became dominant among critical scholars of religion since the end of the 18th century, attempts to understand Revelation within the genre of apocalyptic literature, which was popular in both Jewish and Christian tradition since the Babylonian diaspora, following the pattern of the Book of Daniel. There is further information on these topics in the entries on higher criticism and apocalyptic literature.
• The long-standing and highly controversial view of the esoteric schools is that Revelation, like all scriptures, bears seven levels of meaning, the lowest being the literal or "dead-letter." Those who are instructed in the esoteric knowledge enter gradually into more subtle levels of understanding. From this perspective, it can be understood that Revelation, as a very difficult scripture to grasp intellectually, is more directly concerned with guiding those who have some degree of esoteric knowledge, which requires going beyond the use of the intellect. The Gnostic Kabbalist believes that Revelation (like Genesis) is a very profound book of Kabbalistic symbolism, written by a Kabbalist, for Kabbalist disciples. With the Kabbalah in hand, the disciple can more easily grasp the simultaneous presence of multiple levels of meaning contained in one symbol or allegory. This view is held by schools related to teachers such as H.P. Blavatsky, Eliphas Levi, Rudolf Steiner and Samael Aun Weor.^{[citation needed]}
• Recently, aesthetic and literary modes of interpretation focus on Revelation as a work of art and imagination, viewing the imagery as symbolic depictions of timeless truths and the victory of good over evil.
• Neo-Ebionites and other Neo-Essenes regard Revelation as a description of the Destruction of The Temple in 70 and the subsequent Imperial Roman persecution of Jews and Christians.

• The "Patristic Interpretation," or the view held by St. Augustine^{[citation needed]} , Jerome^{[citation needed]}, and other early Church Fathers, views Revelation as an attempt to describe a spiritual reality and heavenly worship and compare it to the liturgy of the Christian Church. Although all but forgotten today, this interpretation is alluded to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church^{[citation needed]} and has been avidly promoted by modern theologians such as Scott Hahn .

These schools of thought are not mutually exclusive, and many Christians adopt a combination of these approaches in the manner they find most meaningful. However, certain tendencies may be observed. The Biblical Prophecy school of thought is popular among Protestant fundamentalists, other evangelicals (many of whom also find value in the other approaches), and amongst Rastafarians, who interpret the book very differently from fundamentalist Christians but definitely belong to the Biblical Prophecy school. (Rastafarians believe Haile Selassie I to be the Messiah and God incarnate.) Members of more mainline and liberal churches tend to prefer the historical-critical and aesthetic approaches. Moreover, Roman and Orthodox churches have delimited their own specific positions on Revelation.

Schools of interpretation

lamb

There are four major schools of interpretation.

Preterist view

Preterism holds that the contents of Revelation constitute a prophecy of events that were fulfilled in the 1st century. This view depends critically on an early date of Revelation, c. 68, since any later date makes the "prophecy" postdate the events prophesied. Even accepting that date leaves a narrow margin of one to two years before the fulfillment occurs. Preterist interpretations generally identify either Jerusalem or Pagan Rome as the persecutor of the Church, "Babylon," the "Mother of Harlots," etc. They see Armageddon as God's judgment on the Jews, carried out by the Roman army, which is identified as "the beast." Some preterists see the second half of Revelation as changing focus to Rome, its persecution of Christians, and the fall of the Roman Empire. It sees the Revelation being fulfilled in 70, thereby bringing the full presence of God to dwell with all humanity. It also holds, especially in the Catholic belief, that the Emperor Nero, who blamed the Rome fire on the Christians in Rome, sparking a wave of persecution, was possibly the Antichrist mentioned in the book as his name equals 666 in Roman numerals. Also, if using the Latin spelling of Nero's name, but using the Hebrew symbols with their assigned numeric values (an ancient method known as gematria), the total of the numeric values equals 666. However, a few ancient manuscripts of the Revelation say the number is 616, fifty less than the more well known numeral. A possible method to this problem lies in early translation. In the assumption that the Revelation was meant to be distributed among the early Christians, it could very well be assumed that occasionally someone may have used the Hebrew spelling of Nero's name and not the Latin spelling, so the total value of the gematria would be 616. Catholics generally believe chapters 11:19 to 12:18 are the true story of the Journey to Ephesus (and then later to Heaven) of the Virgin Mary (who they believe is the Second ark of the Covenant), and a possible metaphor for the plight of the early church.^{[citation needed]} All that remains for Catholic preterists is Christ's second coming.^{[citation needed]}

Another view of the book of Revelation is known as Partial Preterism. This view, much like modern dispensationalism, splits end-times prophecy into multiple parts. Whereas in some of the many varieties of dispensationalism, part of the Book of Revelation is literal where as other parts are figurative, Partial-Preterism does the same and holds Matthew 24 to be partially speaking of the fall of Jerusalem in 70, where as other parts are fulfilled at the final return of Christ.^{[citation needed]}

Futurist view

The futurist view assigns all or most of the prophecy to the future, shortly before the second coming. Futurist interpretations generally predict a resurrection of the dead and a Rapture of the living, wherein all true Christians and those who have not reached an age of accountability are gathered to Christ at the time God's kingdom comes on earth. They also believe a Great Tribulation will occur - a seven year period of time when believers will experience worldwide persecution and martyrdom, and be purified and strengthened by it. Futurists differ on when believers will be raptured ("caught up"), but there are three primary views: 1) before the Tribulation; 2) near or at the midpoint of the Tribulation; or 3) at the end of the Tribulation. There is also a fourth view of multiple raptures throughout the Tribulation, but this view does not have a mainstream following.

Pretribulationists believe that all Christians then alive will be taken bodily up to meet Christ before the Tribulation begins. In doing so, Christians are "kept" from the Tribulation, much as Noah was removed before God judged the antediluvian world. Pretribulationists believe the Dispensation of Grace concludes when Christians are taken up. Midtribulationists believe that the rapture of the faithful will occur approximately halfway through the Tribulation, after it begins but before the worst part of it occurs. Some midtribulationists, particularly those holding to a "pre-wrath rapture" of the church, believe that God's wrath is poured out during a "Great Tribulation" that is limited to the last 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation, after believers have been caught up to Christ. Posttribulationists believe that Christians will not be taken up into Heaven, but will be gathered in the sky and received into the Kingdom at the end of the Tribulation. (Pretribulationist Tim LaHaye admits a post-tribulation rapture is the closest of the three views to that held by the early church.) All three views hold that Christians will return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation. Proponents of all three views also generally portray Israel as unwittingly signing a seven year peace treaty with the Antichrist, which initiates the seven year Tribulation. Many also tend to view the Antichrist as head of a revived Roman Empire, but the geographic location of this empire is unknown. Hal Lindsey suggests that this revived Roman Empire will be centered in western Europe, with Rome as its capital. Tim LaHaye promotes the belief that Babylon will be the capital of a world-wide empire. Joel Richardson and Walid Shoebat have both recently written books proposing a revived eastern Roman Empire, which will fall with the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. (Istanbul also has seven hills, was a capital of the Roman Empire and is known as the Golden Horn - notable given the escatological references to the "Little Horn".) There is also a variant Futuristic view that the Tribulation can occur in any generation, meaning Satan always has an antichrist in the wings and there is always a nation-state that can become the revived Roman Empire. This variant view is developed by Angela Hunt in her fictional work, The Immortal.

The futurist view was first proposed by two Catholic writers, Manuel Lacunza and Ribera. Lacunza wrote under the pen name "Ben Ezra," and his work was banned by the Catholic Church. It has grown in popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries, so that today it is probably most readily recognized. Books about the "rapture" by authors like Hal Lindsey, and the more recent Left Behind novels (by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye) and movies, have done much to popularize this school of thought.

The Rastafarians hold a futurist view of the book of Revelation, relating it both to 20th-century events such as the crowning of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, and also to future events such as the second coming of Selassie on the day of judgment.

The various views on tribulation are actually a subset of theological interpretations on the Millennium, mentioned in Revelation 20. There are three main interpretations: Premillennialism, Amillennialism, and Postmillennialism.

Premillennialism believes that Christ will return to the earth, bind Satan, and reign for a literal thousand years on earth with Jerusalem as his capital. Thus Christ returns before ("pre-") the thousand years mentioned in chapter 20. There are generally two subclasses of Premillennialism: Dispensational and Historic. Some form of premillennialism is thought to be the oldest millennial view in church history.^{[citation needed]} Papias, believed to be a disciple of the Apostle John, was a premillenialist, according to Eusebius.

Amillennialism, the traditional view for Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, believes that the thousand years mentioned are not ("a-") a literal thousand years, but is figurative for what is now the church age, usually, the time between Christ's first ascension and second coming. This view is often associated with Augustine of Hippo. Amillennialists differ on the time frame of the millennium as some say it started with Pentecost, others say it started with the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy regarding the destruction temple in Jerusalem (70), and other starting points have also been proposed. Whether this eschatology is the result of caesaropapism, which may have also been the reason that premillennialism was condemned, is sharply disputed.

Postmillennialism believes that Christ will return after ("post-") a literal/figurative thousand years, in which the world will have essentially become a Christendom. This view was held by Jonathan Edwards. This view gained momentum through the nineteenth century, but World Wars I and II dealt a setback to this approach.

Historicist view

The historicist view regards the prophecy as spanning the time from the end of the first century through the second coming of Christ.

Politically, historicist interpretations apply the symbols of Revelation to the gradual division and collapse of the Roman Empire, the emergence of a divided Europe in the West and a Muslim empire in the East, and the collapse of the Eastern Empire while Europe attempts to reunite and recreate the Roman Empire.

Ecclesiastically, historicist interpretations see Revelation as teaching that the Church would expand, despite persecution, until it "conquered" the whole world—but in the process, would gradually evolve into an apostate system within which true Christians would be a persecuted minority. The apostate Church is associated with the symbols of the "Mother of Harlots" and with "Babylon." It is seen as an "Antichrist system" which exists for much of history rather than expecting a single "Antichrist" in the last days, as futurist interpretations do.

According to historicist interpretations, the second coming of Christ occurs about the time that a partly reunited Europe starts to wage war against Israel. This view is held mainly by Fundamentalist Protestant Christians. The exact constitution of this confederacy differs between interpretations: in some it is mainly composed of Eastern European countries, notably Russia; in others, Western European; some include Britain, while others suggest that Britain and former Commonwealth nations will oppose the confederacy. In all historicist interpretations, Christ defeats this confederacy, rescues Israel from certain destruction, judges apostate Christianity and vindicates the true believers, and sets up a kingdom on earth.

The earliest Christian writers adopted a historicist viewpoint, though at such an early date, the distinction between historicist and futurist views was less pronounced. Historicist interpretations tend to be millenarian, emphasizing the literal reign of Christ on earth, and as that doctrine receded in importance, so too did the historicist focus in interpretation. Today, historicist interpretations are favored in the most ardently millenarian sects.

Some Protestant writers today use this school of interpretation as the foundation for an anti-Catholic polemic, but it should be noted that such is not an inherent property of historical interpretations. Many Catholic writers in the fourth and fifth centuries applied the notion of future apostasy to their own church, in various ways. Some argued that an apostasy would arise within the church. Others argued that this had already happened, and cited one or another sect which arose over some theological dispute. What differs between interpretations is the identity of the apostasy.

Spiritual or idealist view

The Spiritual view (also called Idealist by some writers) does not see the book of Revelation as predicting specific events in history. Rather it sees the visions as expressing eternal spiritual truths that find expression throughout history. Only in the last few chapters are specifically predictive eschatological issues taken up.^{[citation needed]}

Dismissal

There are some notable critics who have dismissed The Book of Revelation as fraudulent, or otherwise fabricated. Among these is Thomas Jefferson, who wrote, "It is between fifty and sixty years since I read it [the Book of Revelation], and I then considered it merely the ravings of a maniac, no more worthy nor capable of explanation than the incoherencies of our own nightly dreams."—Thomas Jefferson, letter to General Alexander Smyth, January 17, 1825

See also

Directly related

• Number of the Beast
• Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
• Whore of Babylon
• Apocalypse
• Fifth Monarchy Men
• Laodicean Church
• Summary of Christian eschatological differences
• Apocalypse of John - dated astronomically

General

• Caesaropapism
• Christian eschatology
• Apocalyptic literature
• Apocalypticism
• Bible code
• End times
• Millennialism
• Left Behind
• The Omen
• Endtime Ministries
• New World Order (conspiracy)

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Bass, Ralph E., Jr. 2004. Back to the Future: A Study in the Book of Revelation (ISBN 0-9759547-0-9) Greenville, SC: Living Hope Press.
• Understanding Prophecy and Typology http://www.inplainsite.org/html/prophecy_and_typology.html
• Brown, Raymond E. (October 3, 1997). Introduction to the New Testament. Anchor Bible. ISBN 0-385-24767-2. 
• Gentry, Kenneth L., Jr. 1998. Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation (ISBN 0-915815-43-5) Powder Springs, GA: American Vision.
• Gentry, Kenneth L., Jr. 2002. The Beast of Revelation (ISBN 0-915815-41-9) Powder Springs, GA: American Vision.
• Samael Aun Weor [1960] (2004). The Aquarian Message: Gnostic Kabbalah and Tarot in the Apocalypse of St. John. Thelema Press. ISBN 0-9745916-5-3. 
• Hahn, Scott. "The Lamb's Supper - Mass as Heaven on Earth." Darton, Longman, Todd. 1999. ISBN 0-232-52500-5
• Shepherd, Massey H. 2004. "The Paschal Liturgy and the Apocalypse" ISBN 0-227-17005-9
• Stonehouse, Ned B., The Apocalypse in the Ancient Church. A Study in the History of the New Testament Canon, n.d. (c. 1929) Goes: Oosterbaan & Le Cointre. [Major discussion of the controversy surrounding the acceptance/rejection of Revelation into the New Testament canon.]
• Hudson, Gary W., Revelation: Awakening The Christ Within,Vesica Press,2006 ISBN 0977851729

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Revelation (KJV)

Commentaries on Revelation:

• Revelation Chart Commentary and chronological depiction.
• The Mystery of The Apocalypse
• Revelation Lectures by Prof. Siegbert Becker in .mp3 audio
• 22 Bible Studies on Revelation by Rev. Paul A. Bartz

Articles:

• Early Christian Writings: Apocalypse of John: text, introduction, context
• Apocalypse, Book of - Article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
• The End Times in Revelation - Article from Good News magazine
• Jewish Encyclopedia: REVELATION (BOOK OF)
• Biblaridion magazine: Revelation: Historic and interpretive investigation
• Cultural Impact of the Book of Revelation—September 2006 Interview

Preceded by: Jude

Books of the Bible

Succeeded by: N/A

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