He begins by saying that god sent the visions he is going to relate to his servant john rev. The author of revelation in this post i want to explain why it is almost universally thought that the same author did not write the fourth gospel and the book of revelation, and then to show why the latter author was almost certainly not john the son of zebedee, jesus close disciple. Ironically, it is the only book of the bible that says you are blessed for reading it. The author of the book of revelation christopher l. So, the divine author of revelation is jesus christ and the human author is the apostle john. Absolutely stunning visuals with breathtaking colors is what this book is all about. The name revelation comes from the first word of the book in koine greek. The author of the revelation i the revelation was written by a man called john.
He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant john. The revelation of jesus christ was given to john by god to show his servants what must soon take place. But he didnt specifically identify himself as john the apostle. The church does not have an official stance on who the author is. This book is filled with mysteries about things to come. Revelation is often described as a the revelation of john meaning the revelation to john 1. Youll grasp the meaning of each verse, youll understand every important symbol, and youll get the big picture of all that god has promised for those who believe in him. Although he never claims to be john the apostle, whose name is attached to the fourth gospel, he was so identified by several of the early church fathers, including justin. Justin martyr, irenaeus, clement of alexandria, tertullian, cyprian, and hippolytus came to that conclusion. The was the title given to the book in the latin vulgate 3.
Before starting in revelation 1 i want to give plenty of explanations for the authorship, textual design, interpretation, date, themes, and outlines for the book of revelation. The book of revelation is the only apocalyptic document in the new testament canon, though there are short apocalyptic passages in various places in the gospels and the epistles. Traditionally, both books have been identified as coming from the same person, john the son. The only other clue to the authors identity is that he states he received his visions while on the island of patmos rev. The first blessing is in the first chapter of revelation in verse 3. Justin the martyr around 100 to 165 ac, irenaeus around 140 to 220 ac and the muratori canon end of 2 nd century confirm that the apostle john is the author. The author of the book of revelation, saint john the divine, offers a transcription of seven letters and later describes strange beasts, visions of judgments, governments, demonic battles, heaven, and a new world order a prophetic. Some writers, however, have advanced the preterist from a latin word meaning that which is past view, contending that the apocalypse was penned around a. The revelation is the only book in the nt mentioning john as author. The apocalypse, or revelation to john, the last book of the bible, is one of the most difficult to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant symbolism, which at best appears unusual to the modern reader. The book of revelation starts with this is a revelation from jesus christ, which god gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. The text of revelation states that john was on patmos, a greek island where. The book of revelation was written sometime around 96 ce in asia minor.
The book of the revelation contains outlined studies of the last book of the bible. The author of the book of revelation calls himself john rev. The author also states that he was on patmos when he received his first vision. The crowned conqueror on the white horse armed with a bow, revelation 6. The book of revelation was written to warn the jews in israel and throughout the middle east what was going to happen to them during the end times age which started at the resurrection of jesus christ, and really starts ramping up in 70 ad when rome levels jerusalem, as jesus speaking about the jews foretold in matthew chapter 24. The book of revelation is the only book in the bible, that i know of, that has a blessing associated with it for those who will read itnot once but twice. The book of revelation presents its author as john. Reading the book of revelation can be challenging the storyline twists and turns and isnt strictly chronological. The author names himself as john, but modern scholars consider it unlikely that the author of revelation also wrote the gospel of john. The author was probably a christian from ephesus known as john the elder. Whoever that john was has been a subject of debate. He wrote it when he was about 92 years old, while a prisoner of rome on the remote desert penal colony of patmos, an island in the aegean sea.
He did mention that he faithfully served jesus, and that he had suffered for the kingdom of god. He was a jewish christian prophet, probably belonging to a group of such prophets, and was accepted by the. The first verse in the book of revelation does not say exactly who that particular john is, but it is. This summary of the book of revelation provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of revelation. He begins the body of his book by saying that it is from john to the seven churches in asia rev. Book of revelation is actually a christian prophecy book filled with old testamentstyle language and imagery narrating events and descriptions like the mark of the beast, the battle of armageddon, the binding of devil, the rule of the lord, the great white throne of judgment and the finally the nature of the eternal city of god. From as early as justin martyr in the second century a. This post starts a series through the book of revelation. John the beloved, he who wrote the gospel of john and the three epistles that bear his name. A number of ancient church fathers, notably irenaeus, believed that the author of revelation was also the author of the gospel of john, and the epistles of 1,2 and 3 john.
The book of revelation was likely written between a. The book of revelation is traditionally said to be written by john. John mentions his name four times in the book revelation 1. The traditional view holds that john, the apostle, was the author of revelation. This revelation was given to him by god the father, and it was communicated to the apostle john by an angel 1. While many associate the word apocalypse with great disaster, the book of revelation begins and ends by saying that those who read, understand, and apply its message would be happy for doing so. Revelation with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The book of revelation lions leopards and bears oh my. The apostle john wrote the book of revelation around the year ad 95 from his exile on the island of patmos. The book of revelation, a prophecy of warning and hope. However, the true author of revelation is god and jesus christ is the one who have the revelation to an angel to give to john.
The author of the book of revelation identified himself by the relatively common name john. Book of revelation explained scripture by scripture. And no guide makes revelation more understandable than the smart guide to the bible. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it. Book of revelation overview insight for living ministries. Other church fathers such as dionysius of alexandria, eusebius. Some modern scholars characterize revelations author as a putative figure whom they call john of patmos.
This summary of the book of revelation provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of revelation. Modern religious scholarship attributes the book of revelation to john of patmos, who wrote the book of revelation around the time of the roman emperor. John was one of the 12 disciples special students of jesus, who later became the. John of patmos also called john the revelator, john the divine, john the theologian, and possibly john the apostle. However, the prophecies concerning the future are scattered throughout the books of the bible, and the book that focuses the most on future prophecy revelation was not easily understood due to the symbolism and the peculiar way in which its prophecies are presented. Speaking of the apocalypse from the previous post giving that odd video. John was a christian leader of jewish origin who was in exile on the roman prison island of patmos. On what the book of revelation says about the new world its striking that the author sees nothing of the present world surviving except the people who are dead come back to. A lot of people are scared of the book of revelation, or at least hesitant to read it. Tradition states that john the apostle served as the pastor to the churches in. Four times the author identifies himself as john 1. Todays post looks at the evidence for and against john being the author of the book of revelation. The book of revelation is gods message to all who are concerned about the future. The apostle john is the author of the book of revelation.
The preterist school, the presentist school, and the prophetic. Its meaning is positive, not fearful or terrifying to those who serve god. The reason for this difference in style could possibly be that, the book of revelation was revealed to john the apostle at his old age and was possibly penned with the help of someone who was not good in greek language. Traditionally, the book of revelation has been dated near the end of the first century, around a. The book of revelation is johns record of that vision revelation 1. Finally, while there is little to commend the notion that a shadowy figure named john the elder wrote the book of revelation, there is ample evidence that it was written by john the apostle. John of patmos could be the author named as john in the book of revelation, the apocalyptic text forming the final book of the new testament. So when the author of the book of revelation sat down to write, there was a very strong paradigm of what revelation literature should look like and sound like.
The book written within and without, and sealed with seven seals, revelation 5. Early tradition unanimously identified him as john the apostle, author of the fourth gospel and three epistles. Patmos was a quarry mine for the roman empire, and was home to. Revelation a study guide about the book of revelation. John recorded the message but is not the true author of the book. The author of the book of revelation identifies himself as john, and the book has been traditionally credited to john the apostle. The author of revelation identifies himself several times as john.
The very fact that the author of the apocalypse simply calls himself john is a dead giveaway that he was well known throughout the churches in asia minor. Revelation has long been attributed to the author of johns gospel, in spite of the differences in style of writing. Someone recently asked me if the same author could have written both the book of revelation and the gospel of john. Tradition states that john the apostle served as the pastor to the churches in ephesus. Brian chilton investigates the author of the book of revelation. The first verse in the book of revelation does not say exactly who that particular john is, but it is naturally assumed to be john the apostle since it was the apostles that were given the authority by god to write scripture. The only other clue to the authors identity is that he states he received his visions while on. The author identifies three distinct systems of interpretation of revelation. Perhaps the most famous was dionysius, a bishop of the city of alexandria egypt in the midthird century, whose remarks about the book have a surprisingly. Book of revelation read, study bible verses online. John was one of the 12 disciples special students of jesus, who later became the apostles the first. Patmos was a quarry mine for the roman empire, and was home to many political and religious prisoners or slaves. Finally, while there is little to commend the notion that a shadowy figure named john the elder wrote the book of revelation, there is ample.
84 1106 292 1530 1245 73 1364 1008 548 457 788 1104 269 731 470 650 162 378 50 504 713 360 1094 545 860 1336 1031 997 835 102 339 43 611 1341 345 712