Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel Content Authorship The gospel itself is anonymous but as early as Papias in the early 2nd century a text was attributed to Mark, a cousin The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. The Epistle of St Paul the Apostle to the Romans is one of the letters of the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book in the New Testament, written by Paul the Apostle. The Epistle to the Galatians is a book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of early Christian communities in the Roman province of Described by William Barclay as the "Queen of the Epistles" the Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New The Epistle to the Philippians (or simply Philippians) is a Book included in the New Testament of the Bible. The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the First Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible The First Epistle to Timothy is one of three letters in New Testament of the Bible often grouped together as the Pastoral Epistles. The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three Pastoral Epistles, traditionally attributed to Saint Paul, and is part of the canonical New Testament The Epistle to Titus is one of the Pastoral Epistles. The Epistle to Titus is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the The Epistle to Philemon is a prison letter from Paul of Tarsus to Philemon, a leader in the Colossian church. The Epistle to the Hebrews (abbr Heb for Citations is one of the books in the New Testament. The Epistle of James is a book in the Christian New Testament. The First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. It has traditionally been held to have been written by Saint Peter the apostle during his time as Bishop The Second Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament of the Bible, traditionally ascribed to Saint Peter, but in modern times widely regarded as The First Epistle of John is a book of the New Testament, and is the fourth catholic or "general" Epistles. The Second Epistle of John (often simply called 2nd John or II John) is a book in the Christian Holy Scriptures, the authorship of The New Testament Third Epistle of John (often referred to as 3 John) written in the form of an Epistle, is the 64th book of the Bible. The brief Epistle of Jude is the penultimate book in the Christian New Testament canon. Johannine literature is the collection of New Testament works that are attached by tradition to the person of John the Evangelist. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon The First Epistle of John is a book of the New Testament, and is the fourth catholic or "general" Epistles. The Second Epistle of John (often simply called 2nd John or II John) is a book in the Christian Holy Scriptures, the authorship of The New Testament Third Epistle of John (often referred to as 3 John) written in the form of an Epistle, is the 64th book of the Bible. Scholars have debated the authorship of the Johannine works ( Gospel of John, the first, second, and third epistles of John, and the Book John the Baptist, simply called "John" in the New Testament is a distinct person thus his identity will not be discussed in this article Saint John the Apostle ( Greek Ιωάννης, see Names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. The phrase the disciple whom Jesus loved or Beloved Disciple is used several times in the Gospel of John, but in none of the other accounts For the mythical king see Prester John John the Presbyter is an obscure figure in early Christian tradition who is either distinguished Saint John the Evangelist (d ca 110 יוחנן " The LORD is merciful" Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew John of Patmos is the name given to the author of the Book of Revelation (or Book of the Apocalypse) in the New Testament. The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c The Egerton Gospel ( British Library Egerton Papyrus 2 refers to a group of fragments of a Codex of a previously unknown Gospel, found in Egypt and sold Since the 16th century some have interpreted the relationship between Jesus and John the Apostle, the Disciple whom Jesus loved as an erotic homosexual romance In Christology, the conception that the Christ is the Logos ( λóγος, the Greek for "word" "wisdom" or The Signs Gospel is a hypothetical source text for the Gospel of John, according to Source criticism (see also Q document) John of Patmos is the name given to the author of the Book of Revelation (or Book of the Apocalypse) in the New Testament. The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry or simply the Très Riches Heures ( The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry) is a very richly decorated Four seraphim surround the throne; the twenty-four elders sit to the left and right. A seraph ( Heb. שׂרף, pl שׂרפים Seraphim, lat. seraph'' pl They are dressed in white robes, representing pureness, and have crowns of gold on their heads, denoting royalty and honor (Rev 4:4). A crown is the traditional Symbolic form of Headgear worn by a Monarch or by a Deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Honor or Honour (see spelling differences) (the latter directly from the Latin word honos honoris) is the evaluation of a person's 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. See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. Jacob ( Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard   Yaʿaqov Tiberian   Yaʿăqōḇ; The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e

The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John (pronounced [əˈpɒkəlɨps], from Greek Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου, Apokalupsis Iōannou), and Revelation of Jesus Christ is the last canonical book of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin 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 2 Esdras (Apocalypse of Ezra), which is canonical in the Russian Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c 2 Esdras is the name of this book in many English versions of the Bible, but it is called 4 Esdras in the Vulgate and the Douay-Rheims Bible See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in transliterated Amharic: Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an Oriental

Naming

The book is frequently called "Revelation"; however, the title found on some of the earliest manuscripts is "The Apocalypse of John" (Αποκάλυψις Ιωάννου), and the most common title found on later manuscripts is "The Apocalypse of the theologian" (ΑΠΟΚΑΛΥΨΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΥ). A manuscript is any Document that is Written by hand as opposed to being printed or reproduced in some other way Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective (In English, apocalypse is often rendered as revelation and the literal meaning of the Greek word is "unveiling". )^[1]

The first words of the book are effectively self-titled, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ,. . . "

Introduction

After a short introduction (ch. 1:1–10)^[2], the book presents a brief account of the author. The first vision (1:11–3:22), related by "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", is a statement addressed to the seven churches of Asia. The phrase son of man is a primarily Semitic Idiom that originated in Ancient Mesopotamia, used to denote humanity or self This article is about the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The second vision, which makes up the rest of the book (chs. 4–22)^[3], begins with "a door … opened in the sky" and describes what some might call the end of the world— or more properly, the end of the age, in which Satan's rule through Man is destroyed by the Messiah. Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions These events are foreseen: the Great Tribulation, the Campaign of Armageddon, the Second Coming of the Messiah with the restoration of peace to the world and His 1,000 year reign, the imprisonment of Satan (portrayed as a dragon) until he is 'loosed' for the final rebellion, God's final judgment over Satan, the Great White throne judgment, and the ushering in of the New Heavens and New Earth. In Christian mythology Armageddon ( Greek Αρμαγεδδων; also spelled Har-Magedon in some modern English translations also known as Peace, in the modern usage is a concept defined by the ideal state of relationship as absence of hostility at the international level that of a War. The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Alternatively, according to the Preterist theory, the events of the latter part of the Apocalypse of John are interpreted as being fulfilled by events in the 1st century. Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days or End Times

Revelation is considered by some to be one of the most controversial and difficult books of the Bible, with many diverse interpretations of the meanings of the various names 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",^[4] and placed it in his Antilegomena. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer Antilegomena (from Greek, meaning things contradicted or disputed literally spoken against) was an Epithet used by the Church Fathers to denote those John Calvin believed the book to be canonical, yet it was the only New Testament book on which he did not write a commentary. John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and ^[5]

In the 4th century, Gregory of Nazianzus, 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. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century Gregory of Nazianzus (329 – January 25 389) (also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen) was a 4th-century Archbishop A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious ^[6] Christians in Syria also reject it because of the Montanists' heavy reliance on it. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية ^[7] In the 9th century, it was included with the Apocalypse of Peter among "disputed" books in the Stichometry of St. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople. The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. "Patriarch of Constantinople" redirects here For the institutional church itself see Ecumenical Patriarchate 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. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world See Biblical canon for details. A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious

Authorship

Main article: Authorship of the Johannine works

Traditional view

The author of Revelation identifies himself several times as "John" (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8). Scholars have debated the authorship of the Johannine works ( Gospel of John, the first, second, and third epistles of John, and the Book The author also states that he was in exile on the island of Patmos when he received his first vision (1:9; 4:1–2). Patmos ( Greek, Πάτμος; Italian: Patmo) is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. As a result, the author of Revelation is referred to as John of Patmos. John of Patmos is the name given to the author of the Book of Revelation (or Book of the Apocalypse) in the New Testament. John explicitly addresses Revelation to seven churches of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (1:4, 11). This article is about the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Ephesus ( Hittite Apasa; Ancient Greek; Turkish Efes) was a city of ancient Anatolia. This article is on the Ancient Greek city of Smyrna principally in connection with the ruins remaining to this day For the Moth Genus, see Thyatira (moth. Thyateira (also Thyatira) is the ancient name of the modern Turkish Sardis, also Sardes ( Lydian: Sfard, Greek: Σάρδεις, Persian: Sparda) modern Sart in Alaşehir ( Greek: Philadélphia (Φιλαδέλφεια is a town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey Laodicea on the Lycus ( Greek:; Latin: Laodicea ad Lycum, also Transliterated as Laodiceia or Laodikeia, earlier known All of these sites are located in what is now Turkey. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches

The traditional view holds that John the Apostle—considered to have written the Gospel and epistles by the same name—was exiled on Patmos in the Aegean archipelago during the reign of Emperor Domitian, and wrote the Revelation there. Saint John the Apostle ( Greek Ιωάννης, see Names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon Three books in the New Testament, thought to have been written between 90-100 are collectively called the Epistles of John: First Epistle of John Titus Flavius Domitianus (24 October 51 &ndash 18 September 96 commonly known as Domitian, was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 14 September 81 until his death Those in favor of a single common author point to similarities between the Gospel and Revelation. For example, both works are soteriological (e. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of 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. Christology (from Christ and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with The synoptic gospels are the first three Gospels of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. In the Gospel of John and in Revelation, Jesus is referred to as "the Word of God" (Ὃ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ). grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion Explanations of the differences between John's work by proponents of the single-author view 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 natural reading of the text would reveal that John is writing literally as he sees the vision (Rev 1:11; 10:4; 14:3; 19:9; 21:5) and that he is warned by an angel not to alter the text through a subsequent edit (Rev 22:18-19), in order to maintain the textual integrity of the book. ^[8]

Early views

A number of Church Fathers weighed in on the authorship of Revelation. The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church Justin Martyr avows his belief in its apostolic origin. Saint Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher, Latin Iustinus Martyr or Flavius Irenaeus (178) assumes it as a conceded point. Saint Irenaeus (Greek Ειρηναίος (2nd century AD - c 202 was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, Roman Empire (now Lyons France Events By location Roman Empire Commodus and Marcus Aurelius travel to the Danube to engage the Marcomanni At the end of the 2nd century, we find it accepted at Antioch, by Theophilus, and in Africa by Tertullian. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Anglicised as Tertullian, (ca At the beginning of the 3rd century, it is adopted by Clement of Alexandria and by Origen, later by Methodius, Cyprian, and Lactantius. The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Saint Clement of Alexandria (born Titus Flavius Clemens) (c150 - 211/216 was the first notable member of the Church of Alexandria, and one of its most Origen ( Greek: Ōrigénēs, or Origen Adamantius, ca 185–ca Methodius may refer to Methodius of Olympus (d 311 Christian bishop church father and martyr Methodius I of Constantinople (c Dionysius of Alexandria (247) rejected it, upon doctrinal rather than critical grounds. Pope Dionysius of Alexandria, named 'the Great' was the Pope of Alexandria from 248 until his death on November 17 265 after seventeen years as a bishop Events By Place Roman Empire First of the Gothic invasions Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome by holding Eusebius (315) suspended his judgment, hesitating between the external and internal evidence; see also Antilegomena. Events By Place Roman Empire Constantine and Licinius battle the Sarmates, the Goths and the Carpians Antilegomena (from Greek, meaning things contradicted or disputed literally spoken against) was an Epithet used by the Church Fathers to denote those Some canons, especially in the Eastern Church, rejected the book, while most others included it. A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious

Modern views

Many modern scholars believe that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and John of Patmos refer to three separate individuals. Saint John the Apostle ( Greek Ιωάννης, see Names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Saint John the Evangelist (d ca 110 יוחנן " The LORD is merciful" Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew John of Patmos is the name given to the author of the Book of Revelation (or Book of the Apocalypse) in the New Testament. This can be determined via new means of inquiry such as textual criticism. Textual criticism (or lower criticism) is a branch of Literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of Transcription errors in Certain lines of evidence suggest 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 never identifies himself directly. While both works liken Jesus to a lamb, they consistently use different words for lamb when referring to him—the Gospel uses amnos, Revelation uses arnion. ^[9] Lastly, the Gospel is written in nearly flawless Greek, but Revelation contains grammatical errors and stylistic abnormalities which indicate its author may not have been as familiar with the Greek language as the Gospel's author. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly ^[10]

In the Anchor Bible volume on Revelation, J. The Anchor Bible Project consisting of the Anchor Bible Commentary Series, Anchor Bible Dictionary and Anchor Bible Reference Library is a scholarly Massynberde Ford contends that the core verses of the book, in general chapters 4 through 22, are surviving records of the prophecies of John the Baptist. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. ^[11] For example, she notes that the images of the Lamb of God are only found in Gospel sections associated with John the Baptist, and ties other hallmarks of Revelation to what is known of the Baptist. Lamb of God ( Latin: Agnus Dei) is one of the titles given to Jesus in the New Testament and consequently in the Christian

Dating

According to early tradition, the writing of this book took place near the very end of Domitian's reign, around 95 or 96. Windows 95 is listed under numbers -->Year 95 was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar Year 96 was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Others contend for an earlier date, 68 or 69, in the reign of Nero or shortly thereafter. Year 68 was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. 69 (sex position & book by Ryu Murakami are -- already linked by "" with other meanings Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called ^[12] The majority of modern scholars also use these dates. ^[13] Those who are in favor of the later date appeal to the external testimony of the Christian father Irenaeus (d. Saint Irenaeus (Greek Ειρηναίος (2nd century AD - c 202 was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, Roman Empire (now Lyons France 185), who stated that he had received information relative to this book from those who had seen John face to face. Events By place Roman Empire Pertinax quells the mutiny of the British Roman legions Perennis his family He says that "it was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian's reign" (A. H. 5. 30. 3), who according to Eusebius had started the persecution referred to in the book; however, recent scholars dispute that the book is situated in a time of ongoing persecution and have also doubted the reality of a large-scale Domitian persecution. The persecution of Christians refers to the Religious persecution of Christians both historically and in the current era ^[14]

According Epiphanius of Salamis, Revelation of John was written in time of Claudius (PG, XLI 909-910). Epiphanius (ca 310&ndash320 &ndash 403 was bishop of Salamis and metropolitan of Cyprus at the end of the 4th century AD Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Claudius I ( August 1, 10 BC &ndash October 13, AD 54 ( Tiberius Claudius Drusus from birth to

Some exegetes (Paul Touilleux, Albert Gelin, André Feuillet) distinguish two dates: publication (under Domitian) and date of the visions (under Vespasian). Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian ( November 17 9 &ndash June 23 79) was a Roman Emperor who Various editors would have a hand in the formation of the document, according to these theories. The dating of the work is still widely debated in the scholarly community.

Eschatology

Some Protestant theologians argue that the Gospel of John contains a realized eschatology. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon Realized eschatology is a Christian eschatological theory popularized by C This contradicts the futurist eschatology described at the end of the Book (e. See also Book of Revelation#Futurist view Futurism is an interpretation of the Bible in Christian eschatology placing the fulfillment of the prophecies g. , chs. 21–22). In contrast to this view, there is a third interpretation, which says that even the "realized eschatology" view is not a fully "realized eschatology," i. e. God's kingdom has been initiated but has not been entirely implemented. This view is generally called the "already but not yet" state of God's kingdom. ^[15] A differing view is held by Catholics and the Orthodox church. Both ascribe to the idea that the Church is the visible Kingdom and Government spoken of in Isaiah, which God set up entirely, until the end of time. Their joint view of the historicity of the entire prophecy of both books (John and Revelation), and also of the prophecy contained in Matthew 23, is based upon Matthew 23:36 and Revelation 11:19-12:18. Catholics believe these verses contain information passed from Christ to John about the spiritual meaning of the Virgin Mary's escape from Jerusalem and eventual Coronation in Heaven, which John originally took part in but did not understand. See also Religious significance of Jerusalem For Christians, Jerusalem's place in the life of Jesus gives it great importance in addition to its The Coronation of the Virgin or Coronation of Mary is a subject in Christian art, especially popular in Italy in the 13th to 15th centuries but continuing in popularity The narrative is considered a metaphor for the Church and its followers, showing that God will protect them.

The "whore of Babylon" and "666" are therefore often considered to be a type of apostolic code, pre-Christian Rome and Emperor Nero respectively, each referring to events that have already come to pass. The Whore of Babylon is one of several Christian allegorical figures of supreme Evil mentioned in the Book of Revelation in the Bible The Number of the Beast is a concept from the Book of Revelation of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called

Chronology

Main article: Chronology of Revelation

Revelation is divided into seven cycles of events. The Chronology of Revelation details a series of events which take place in the Book of Revelation, detailing (by some accounts the Final judgement of God The number seven appears frequently as a symbol within the text. In mathematics Seven is the fourth Prime number. It is not only a Mersenne prime (since 23 &minus 1 = 7 but also a 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.

Exact interpretations of the chronology of Revelation vary extensively. The work may be interpreted literally, as a chronological list of events that will occur as the time of Revelation grows near. At the same time, the imagery can be seen to contain symbolic commentaries on the world during the historical period in which Revelation was written, or "pre-commentaries" on our world today.

Schools of thought

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There are several schools of thought concerning interpretations of the Book of Revelation:

• In the Biblical prophecy school of thought, the contents of Revelation constitute a prophecy of the end times; especially when interpreted in conjunction with the Book of Daniel and other eschatological sections of the Bible. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means End time, End times, or End of days are the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios in various other The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin This school can be further subdivided into the preterist view, which interprets the book in light of 1st-century events; the futurist view, which interprets most of the events in the book (chapter 6 onwards) as prophecy concerning the end times; and the historicist view, which regards the events in the book as occurrences spanning history from the first century through the second coming. Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days or End Times The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic
• The historical-critical approach, which has become dominant among scholars of religion since the end of the 18th century, attempts to understand Revelation in its first century historical context within the genre of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system This approach considers the text as an address to seven historical communities in Asia Minor. Under this view, assertions that "the time is near" are to be taken literally by those communities. Consequently the work is viewed as a warning not to conform to contemporary Greco-Roman society which John "unveils" as beastly, demonic, and subject to divine judgement. There is further information on these topics in the entries on higher criticism and apocalyptic literature. Historical criticism or higher criticism is a branch of literary analysis that investigates the origins of a text as applied in Biblical studies it naturally
• The view of the esoteric schools is that Revelation bears multiple levels of meaning, the lowest being the literal or "dead-letter. " Those who are instructed in esoteric knowledge enter gradually into more subtle levels of understanding of the text. The Gnostic Kabbalist believes that Revelation (like Genesis) is a very profound book of Kabbalistic symbolism. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. This view is held by schools related to teachers such as H.P. Blavatsky, Eliphas Levi, Rudolf Steiner and Samael Aun Weor. Elena Petrovna Gan (Елена Петровна Ган also Hélène, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russian Empire — May 8 1891 London) better Eliphas Lévi, born Alphonse Louis Constant, ( February 8, 1810 - May 31, 1875) was a French Occult author Rudolf Steiner ( 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian philosopher literary scholar educator artist playwright Samael Aun Weor ( March 6, 1917 - December 24, 1977) was a spiritual teacher Occultist esotericist and author
• Recently, aesthetic and literary modes of interpretation have developed, which 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.
• The "Patristic Interpretation", or the view held by St. Augustine , Jerome, and other early Church Fathers, views Revelation as an attempt to describe a spiritual reality and heavenly worship and therefore compares it to the liturgy of the Christian Church. Jerome (c 347 – September 30, 420) ( Latin: Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church Although all but forgotten today, this interpretation is alluded to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and has been avidly promoted by modern theologians such as Scott Hahn ^[16]. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and the twenty-two Scott Hahn (born October 28, 1957) is a contemporary author theologian and Catholic apologist.

These schools of thought are not mutually exclusive, and many Christians adopt a combination of these approaches. The Biblical Prophecy school of thought is popular among Protestant fundamentalists and other evangelicals, as well as Rastafarians. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Fundamentalism refers to a "deep and totalistic commitment" to a belief in and strict adherence to a set of basic principles (often Religious in nature a reaction Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament Members of more mainline and liberal churches tend to prefer the historical-critical and aesthetic approaches. Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches have also established their own specific positions on Revelation. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world

Schools of interpretation

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. Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days or End Times ^[17] 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". History See Structural history of the Roman military The branches of the Roman military at the highest level were the Some preterists see the second half of Revelation as changing focus to Rome, its persecution of Christians, and the fall of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial 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 number of the beast mentioned in the book as his name equals 666 in Hebrew. ^[18] If using the Greek spelling of Nero's name(Neron Caesar), but using the Hebrew symbols with their assigned numeric values (an ancient method known as gematria), the total of the numeric values equals 666. Gematria or gimatria ( Rabbinic Hebrew he גימטריה) is a system of assigning numerical value to an Alphabet. 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 Latin spelling of Nero's name(Nero Caesar), so the total value of the gematria would be 616. ^[19][20] 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. All that remains for Catholic preterists is Christ's second coming.

Another view of the book of Revelation is known as Partial Preterism. Partial preterism is a form of Christian Eschatology that holds much in common with but is distinct from Full preterism (or 'consistent' or 'hyper' This view, much like modern dispensationalism, splits end-times prophecy into multiple parts. Dispensationalism is a Christian theological view of history and Biblical interpretation that became popular during the 1800s and early 1900s and is 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. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic

Futurist view

The futurist view assigns all or most of the prophecy to the future, shortly before the second coming. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic 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. The Rapture is a prophesied event in Christian eschatology, in which Christians will be gathered together at the return of Christ; even Christians who have died 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. The Tribulation (or " Great Tribulation " is an event referred to in the New Testament of the Bible at ("For then shall be great tribulation 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 up to meet Christ before the Tribulation begins. Dispensationalism is a Christian theological view of history and Biblical interpretation that became popular during the 1800s and early 1900s and is 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. Post-tribulationists believe that Christians will not be taken up into Heaven, but will be received into the Kingdom at the end of the Tribulation. In Christian eschatology, the Post Tribulation Rapture Doctrine is the belief in a combined Resurrection and Rapture (eg (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 time 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. For other uses see Antichrist (disambiguation In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist or anti-Christ means a person office 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. Harold Lee "Hal" Lindsey (born November 23 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer 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 eschatological references to the "Little Horn". The Golden Horn ( Turkish: Haliç or Altın Boynuz, Greek: Χρυσόν Κέρας – Chrysón Kéras is an inlet of the ) 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. Manuel de Lacunza (born Santiago, Chile, 1731 died Imola, Italy around June 18, 1801) was a Jesuit priest who used the 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 Rapture is a prophesied event in Christian eschatology, in which Christians will be gathered together at the return of Christ; even Christians who have died Harold Lee "Hal" Lindsey (born November 23 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer ' Left Behind' is a series of 16 best-selling Novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jerry Bruce Jenkins (born September 23, 1949 in Kalamazoo, Michigan) is an American Novelist and Timothy F LaHaye (b April 27, 1926 in Detroit Michigan) is an American evangelical Christian minister, Author

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 Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Haile Selassie I ( Ge'ez: am ኃይለ፡ ሥላሴ "Power of the Trinity " 23 July 1892 &ndash 27 August 1975 born Tafari Makonnen, was See also First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Second Italo–Abyssinian War (also referred to as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War) was a

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 in Christian eschatology is the belief that Christ will literally reign on the earth for 1000 years at his Second coming. Amillennialism ( Latin: a- "not" + mille "thousand" + annum "year" is a view in Christian eschatology In Christian eschatology, postmillennialism is an interpretation of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation which sees Christ 's Second coming

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. Papias, believed to be a disciple of the Apostle John, was a premillenialist, according to Eusebius. For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Papias (butterfly.

Amillennialism, the traditional view for Roman Catholicism, 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 of the 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. Caesaropapism is the idea of combining the power of secular government with or making it superior to the spiritual authority of the Christian Church; especially

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 article is about the theologian (b 1703 for other uses of Jonathan Edwards see 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. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial

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.

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. A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 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. Millenarianism (sometimes spelled millenarism or millennarism) is the belief by a religious social or political group or movement in a coming major transformation 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. An example of this view can be found in Revelation: The Road to Overcoming by Charles A. Neal, which in turn is based on the work of Charles Fillmore. Charles Fillmore ( August 22, 1854 – July 5, 1948) born in St

Interpretations

Eastern Orthodox view

Orthodox icon of the Apocalypse of St. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. John (16th century).

Eastern Orthodoxy has an interpretation that does not fit well into any of the above classifications. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world It treats the text as simultaneously describing contemporaneous events and as prophecy of events to come, for which the contemporaneous events were a form of foreshadow. It rejects attempts to determine, before the fact, if the events of Revelation are occurring by mapping them onto present-day events, taking to heart the Scriptural warning against those who proclaim "He is here!" prematurely. Instead, the book is seen as a warning to be spiritually and morally ready for the end times, whenever they may come ("as a thief in the night"), but they will come at the time of God's choosing, not something that can be precipitated nor trivially deduced by mortals. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. ^[21]

The Book of Revelation is the only book of the New Testament that is not read during services by the Eastern Orthodox Church. Except in the Coptic Orthodox Church in which the whole book of revelation is read during apocalypse night or bright Saturday (the eve of the resurrection).

Anglican view

The Anglican/Episcopal view is that this book should be seen as a book of hope and also a book of warning. It gives hope to those Christians who are being persecuted, assuring them that their suffering is not in vain. It also warns those non-Christians of the coming events and what will happen to them. Revelation is an example of typical Jewish Apocalyptic literature. It uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope to those in the midst of persecution.

Paschal Liturgical view

This view, which has found expression among both Catholic and Protestant theologians, considers the liturgical worship, particularly the Easter rites, of early Christianity as background and context for understanding the Book of Revelation's structure and significance. This perspective is explained in The Paschal Liturgy and the Apocalypse (new edition, 2004) by Massey H. Shepherd, an Episcopal scholar, and in Scott Hahn's The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, in which he states that Revelation in form, is structured after creation, fall, judgment and redemption. Scott Hahn (born October 28, 1957) is a contemporary author theologian and Catholic apologist. Those who hold this view say that the Temple’s destruction (A. D. 70) had a profound effect on the Jewish people, not only in Jerusalem but among the Greek-speaking Jews of the Mediterranean. They believe The Book of Revelation provides insight into the early Eucharist, saying that it is the new Temple worship in the New Heaven and Earth. The idea of the Eucharist as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet is also explored by British Methodist Geoffrey Wainwright in his book Eucharist and Eschatology (Oxford University Press, 1980).

Esoteric view

The esoterist views the Book as delivering both a series of warnings for humanity and a detailed account of internal, spiritual processes of the individual soul. The seven seals are the seven chakras and the consequence of opening them is the unleashing of the physiological forces that reside there. The seven seals is a concept of Christian eschatology, found in the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible, which states that when the world reaches Chakra ( Pali: chakka Tibetan: khorlo Malay: cakera is a Sanskrit term meaning Circle or Wheel The Second Coming is thus a personal event, the integration of your spiritual self with your animal self, resulting in a fully conscious human. ^[22]

Some scholars have noted the rider on a white horse as being similar to the Buddhist and Hindu myths of Kalki who is considered the last avatar in the cycle of ages and is also associated with the end of time. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical In Hinduism, Kalki ( Devanagari: कल्कि also rendered by some as Kalkin and Kalaki) is the tenth and final Maha Avatara (great ^[22]

The esoteric view also presents the Book as the Christian yoga (union) practices text on death and rebirth in Christ. The four horsemen are described as the four elemental forces (fire, water, air, earth) and are used in the spiritual purification of the body and mind. The characters of Revelation are considered anthropomorphized aspects of human consciousness. ^[23]

Edgar Cayce had a similar interpretation. Edgar Cayce ( March 18, 1877 &ndash January 3, 1945) (ˈkeɪsiː was an American psychic. ^[24]

Radical discipleship

The radical discipleship view asserts that the Book of Revelation is best understood as a handbook for radical discipleship; i. e. how to remain faithful to the spirit and teachings of Jesus and avoid simply assimilating to surrounding society. In this view, the primary agenda of the book is to expose the worldly powers as impostors which seek to oppose the ways of God. The chief temptation for Christians in the 1st Century, and today, is to fail to hold fast to the teachings of Jesus and instead be lured into unquestioning adoption of national or cultural values, imperialism being the most dangerous and insidious. Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude This perspective (closely related to Liberation theology) draws on the approach of radical Bible scholars such as Ched Myers, William Stringfellow, and Daniel Berrigan. Liberation theology is a school of Theology within Christianity, particularly in the Roman Catholic ^[25]

The historical-critical method

The historical-critical method treats Revelation as a text which is located in a specific historical context.

The acceptance of Revelation into the canon is itself the result of a historical process, essentially no different from the career of other texts. A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious The eventual exclusion of other contemporary apocalyptic literature from the canon may throw light on the unfolding historical processes of what was officially considered orthodox, what was heterodox, what was even heretical. Heterodoxy includes "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position" Interpretation of meanings and imagery are anchored in what the historical author intended and what his contemporary audience inferred; a message to Christians not to assimilate into the Roman Imperial Culture was John's central message. Thus, his letter (written in the apocalyptic genre) is pastoral in nature, and the symbolism of Revelation is to be understood entirely within its historical, literary and social context. Critics study the conventions of apocalyptic literature and events of the 1st century to make sense of what the author may have intended. The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar.

During a discussion about Revelation on 23 August 2006, Pope Benedict XVI remarked: "The seer of Patmos, identified with the apostle, is granted a series of visions meant to reassure the Christians of Asia amid the persecutions and trials of the end of the first century. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger "^[26]

Dismissal

Nineteenth-century agnostic Robert G. Ingersoll branded Revelation "the insanest of all books". Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the Colonel Robert Green Ingersoll ( August 11, 1833 &ndash July 21, 1899) was a Civil War veteran American political leader ^[27] Thomas Jefferson omitted it entirely from the Bible he edited, and wrote that he "considered it as merely the ravings of a maniac, no more worthy nor capable of explanation than the incoherences of our own nightly dreams". Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence ^[28] "Martin Luther found it an offensive piece of work" and "John Calvin had grave doubts about its value. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and "^[29]

Footnotes

Book references

See also

Directly related

• Laodicean Church
• Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
• Seven seals
• The Two Witnesses of Apocalypse
• Woman of the Apocalypse
• Number of the Beast
• Whore of Babylon
• Apocalypse
• Fifth Monarchy Men
• Summary of Christian eschatological differences
• Apocalypse of John - dated astronomically
• Second Coming
• The book with seven seals (oratorio)

General

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

External links

• Early Christian Writings: Apocalypse of John: text, introduction, context
• Apocalypse, Book of - Article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Jewish Encyclopedia: REVELATION (BOOK OF)
• Biblaridion magazine: Revelation: Historic and interpretive investigation