SUMMARY
The book of Revelation calls Christians to remain faithful to God and Christ and to resist the powers of evil in the conviction that God will prevail and bring salvation in the new Jerusalem. The book consists of six cycles of visions, each of which warns of the dangers arising from sin and evil. Yet each cycle concludes by showing readers the glories of worship in God’s presence, which gives reason for hope. The visions make vivid contrasts between Christ the Lamb and Satan’s agent, the beast. The visions help to alienate readers from powers of idolatry and oppression, while strengthening their faith in the salvation God provides.
SO WHAT?
Revelation shapes the way that people understand God, themselves, and their world. The book vividly portrays the powers of evil that work within the world, powers that can lead people to despair. Yet Revelation offers an even more compelling portrait of God and Christ the Lamb, who provide redemption and confident hope that God’s purposes will prevail. By warning about the power of evil and presenting the promises of life in God, the book fosters faith and perseverance.
WHERE DO I FIND IT?
Revelation is the last book in the Bible, the twenty-seventh book of the New Testament.
WHO WROTE IT?
Revelation was written by a man named John, who calls himself a brother in the faith (1:1). Early church tradition identified him with John the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles. Since the author does not claim to be an apostle or to have seen the earthly Jesus, however, many assume that he was not the apostle but an early Christian prophet.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?
Revelation was probably written between 85 and 95 C.E. Early Christian tradition says that it was written toward the end of the Roman Emperor Domitian’s reign, which concluded in 96 C.E., but it is not clear that the date can be known so precisely. The book was probably written some years after Jerusalem was destroyed by Roman forces in 70 C.E., but before the end of the first century.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Revelation calls readers to resist the forces of evil and remain faithful to God and Christ the Lamb, in the confidence that God will prevail and provide life in the new Jerusalem.
BACKGROUND OF REVELATION
Revelation is addressed to churches in seven cities in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). It presents visions that John says he received while on the island of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor. John had apparently been exiled to Patmos because of his Christian witness (1:9-11). John recounts the visions in his own words, giving the visions clear literary form. He writes in his own peculiar Greek style, often ignoring proper forms of Greek usage.
The opening chapters show that the Christians in the churches addressed by Revelation faced several types of challenges: First, those in Smyrna and Philadelphia faced threats of persecution. Some in each city apparently verbally denounced Christians, placing them in danger of imprisonment and possible death. These readers receive encouragement to remain faithful in the face of hostility (2:8-11; 3:7-13). Second, readers in Ephesus, Pergamum, and Thyatira were confronted with questions of assimilation into the wider non-Christian culture. One specific issue involved eating food that had been sacrificed to idols. Some in those communities thought it acceptable to eat such food, but they are warned that doing so means compromising their faith too far (2:1-7, 12-29). Third, readers in Sardis and Laodicea seemed successful and prosperous, yet were spiritually dead or complacent. They are called to renewed zeal for the faith (3:1-6, 14-22).
These early Christian readers lived in the Roman Empire. Worship of the emperor was part of social life, and many cities in Asia Minor had temples to the emperor as well as to other gods. People often participated in imperial worship because Rome provided new levels of prosperity and opportunities for social advancement. The visions in the latter part of Revelation challenge this benign view of the world by pointing to ways in which the ruling power fostered false worship, engaged in violence against the faithful, and was obsessed with wealth. As an alternative to the oppressive powers personified as the beast and Babylon, Revelation calls readers to remain faithful to Christ the Lamb and to the city of God, new Jerusalem.