The Book of The Book of RevelationRevelation

Background-RevelationBackground-RevelationReason for being Reason for being

writtenwritten To comfort Christians To comfort Christians

being persecuted by the being persecuted by the RomansRomans This imagery pitched This imagery pitched

them out of their them out of their terrifying realityterrifying reality

Provided strongly Provided strongly imaginative imagery of imaginative imagery of God’s ultimate God’s ultimate salvationsalvation

Jesus, the Sacrificial Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb, conquered deathLamb, conquered death

Apocalypse Apocalypse concerns the end of time Comes from a Greek

word for “unveiling” or “revealing”

Apocalypses are most often addressed to those living in times of suffering and persecution.

Revelation is widely popular for the wrong reasons, for a great number of people read it as a guide to how the world will end, assuming that the author was given by Christ detailed knowledge of the future that he communicated in coded symbols. e.g. – preachers have

identified the Beast from the Earth whose number is 666 as Hitler, the Pope, and Saddam Hussein, and have related events in Revelation to the Communist Revolution, the atom bomb, etc.

Apocalypses through the Ages

The 19th and the 20th centuries have seen many interpreters of prophecy who used calculations from Revelation to predict the exact date of the end of the world.

In every generation since the book was written, Christians have argued that its vivid description of catastrophic events would happen in their own day.

BackgroundBackground Written between 90-100 CEWritten between 90-100 CE Addressed to Addressed to

Christian churches in Asia Christian churches in Asia minorminor

““John, to the seven churches John, to the seven churches that are in Asia” (Rev. 1:4)that are in Asia” (Rev. 1:4) It means that Rev. is a It means that Rev. is a

book for its own time, book for its own time, and that it was written and that it was written to communicate with to communicate with Christian congregations Christian congregations in first-century Asia in first-century Asia Minor (modern-day Minor (modern-day Turkey)Turkey)

Approaching the book as a historical book

Those who lived in John’s time understood the message of the book by studying the language and literature of the ancient world not by watching the news

Author The seer of Revelation four

times calls himself John. who was neither John son

of Zebedee nor the writer of the

Johannine Gospel or of the Epistles.

The author of Revelation did not know how or when the world will end, and neither does anyone else.

The author directs his anger against the political institutions of his day, especially the Roman government, which was responsible for the oppression and suffering of the people of God. Christianity was an

oppressed and persecuted religion.

In his view, this government will not survive, since God was soon going to destroy it.

Why beasts?Why beasts? The Romans killed Christians The Romans killed Christians

who refused to deny Jesuswho refused to deny Jesus Often, these Christians were Often, these Christians were

made to fight wild beasts in made to fight wild beasts in the arenas throughout the the arenas throughout the EmpireEmpire

While Christians on earth While Christians on earth were fighting worldly beasts, were fighting worldly beasts, God in heaven and his angels God in heaven and his angels were fighting otherworldly were fighting otherworldly beastsbeasts

THEMES:THEMES:The 666 The 666

The woman and the The woman and the Dragon Dragon

The 7 sealsThe 7 seals

The number of the The number of the beast beast

666666

Read warm-upRead warm-up

Gematria Gematria John invites the readers John invites the readers

to “calculate the number to “calculate the number of the beast, for it is the of the beast, for it is the number of a person” number of a person” (13:18)(13:18)

The text apparently The text apparently assumes that readers assumes that readers are familiar with are familiar with gematriagematria which is the practice of which is the practice of

adding up the numerical adding up the numerical values of the letters in a values of the letters in a word/name. word/name.

In antiquity, the letters In antiquity, the letters of the alphabet had of the alphabet had numerical values numerical values ascribed to them.ascribed to them.

By explaining the 666 is By explaining the 666 is the “number of a the “number of a person,”person,” John implies that 666 is John implies that 666 is

the sum of the values of the sum of the values of the letters in a person’s the letters in a person’s name. name.

A common practice A common practice The practice of The practice of

gematria was not gematria was not uncommonuncommon

On the level of street On the level of street culture, a graffiti culture, a graffiti artist used a number artist used a number for the name of his for the name of his beloved on the wall: beloved on the wall: “I love her whose “I love her whose number is 545”number is 545”

On the level of On the level of religious writing, religious writing, Christian authors Christian authors delighted in showing delighted in showing that the name “Jesus” that the name “Jesus” in Greek letters in Greek letters added up to 888.added up to 888.

The Number of the beast 666The Number of the beast 666

Antichrist refers to Antichrist refers to someone that does someone that does not believe in God.not believe in God.

The beast is The beast is described as God’s described as God’s enemyenemy Who controls the Who controls the

world, exploits its world, exploits its people, and kills the people, and kills the saints.saints.

So, the beast may be So, the beast may be another image of the another image of the Roman Empire.Roman Empire.

If so, then the heads If so, then the heads would presumably be would presumably be the rulers of the the rulers of the empire, some of empire, some of whom demand to be whom demand to be worshiped.worshiped.

Nero was seen as the Nero was seen as the archenemy of the Christiansarchenemy of the Christians

Nero ruthlessly “made war Nero ruthlessly “made war on the saints,” condemning on the saints,” condemning some to be torn apart by some to be torn apart by wild dogs, others to be wild dogs, others to be crucified, and still others to crucified, and still others to be burned alivebe burned alive

It seems that 666 It seems that 666 corresponds to Neron Kaisarcorresponds to Neron Kaisar Which is the Hebrew form of Which is the Hebrew form of

the name Nero Caesarthe name Nero Caesar By the time Revelation was By the time Revelation was

written, Nero was dead, but written, Nero was dead, but John portrays the beast as a John portrays the beast as a Nero figure in order to Nero figure in order to underscore the threat that it underscore the threat that it poses.poses.

666666

The triple six The triple six connotes connotes imperfectionimperfection

The # 666 The # 666 implies that the implies that the beast signifies beast signifies unfulfillment unfulfillment and destruction. and destruction.

Other candidates for 666Other candidates for 666

Pope BenedictusPope Benedictus ComputerComputer Barney the Barney the

dinosaur dinosaur

The The womawoman and n and the the

dragodragonn

handouthandout

Popular culturePopular culture

John’s audience lived within a wider culture that had John’s audience lived within a wider culture that had its own heroes and image makers, its rituals, its own heroes and image makers, its rituals, stereotypes, and graffiti. stereotypes, and graffiti.

A common story of the A common story of the battle between good and battle between good and evil that circulated during evil that circulated during John’s time included a John’s time included a dragon named Python and dragon named Python and a woman named Leto.a woman named Leto.

When Leto became When Leto became pregnant by the god Zeus, pregnant by the god Zeus, the dragon pursued her in the dragon pursued her in order to kill her and her order to kill her and her child. child.

The north wind rescued The north wind rescued Leto by carrying her away. Leto by carrying her away.

She eventually found She eventually found refuge on the island of refuge on the island of Delos. Delos.

Leto vs. PythonLeto vs. Python

Apollo = Nero Apollo = Nero In Delos, Leto gave birth In Delos, Leto gave birth

to Apollo and Artemis. to Apollo and Artemis. Four days later, Apollo Four days later, Apollo

set off in pursuit of the set off in pursuit of the dragon, soon slaying the dragon, soon slaying the creature to avenge his creature to avenge his mother. mother.

Roman emperors were Roman emperors were able to put the tale to able to put the tale to good use by associating good use by associating themselves with Apollo.themselves with Apollo.

Citizens of the empire Citizens of the empire could be expected to could be expected to identify the woman in identify the woman in the story with the the story with the goddess Roma, who was goddess Roma, who was the queen of heaven.the queen of heaven.

Her son would be the Her son would be the Roman emperor.Roman emperor.

The emperor Nero liked The emperor Nero liked to present himself in the to present himself in the guise of Apollo guise of Apollo

When John tells about When John tells about a pregnant woman a pregnant woman and a dragon, the and a dragon, the seven churches seven churches understand that understand that John’s version John’s version reverses the tale. reverses the tale.

The woman in labor is The woman in labor is not a pagan goddess not a pagan goddess but the people of God but the people of God (the church); the child (the church); the child is not the emperor but is not the emperor but Christ; and the dragon Christ; and the dragon represents the forces represents the forces that oppose Christ that oppose Christ and threaten his and threaten his church.church.

7 Seals act.

The seven The seven sealsseals•6:1-176:1-17• The text is not telling The text is not telling us to expect the end us to expect the end times times •The horsemen represent The horsemen represent conquest, violence, conquest, violence, economic hardship, and economic hardship, and death. death.

•These were genuine These were genuine threats for people in threats for people in the first century and the first century and they have remained they have remained threats for people in threats for people in subsequent centuriessubsequent centuries

The The horsemen horsemen

•The four The four horsemen are horsemen are designed to designed to shatter the shatter the illusion that illusion that people can find people can find true security in true security in the borders of the borders of a nation or a nation or empire, in a empire, in a flourishing flourishing economy, or in economy, or in their own their own health. health. •

The first The first horseman with horseman with his bow his bow appears in the appears in the background of background of the picture, the picture, furthest away furthest away from the from the viewers. viewers.

This placement This placement is suggestive is suggestive because fear of because fear of conquest by a conquest by a foreign power foreign power is often is often furthest away furthest away from readers’ from readers’ mind.mind.

The first horseman was given the crown of victory, implying that his power to conquer came from God

The second horseman

The second horseman brings the threat by pointing to the violence that people perpetrate on “one another”

The rider stands for the threat of violence that can erupt within one’s own society.

The second horseman was permitted to take peace from the earth, presumably by God, and he was given a sword to accomplish the task

The third horseman brings the threat still closer by depicting economic insecurity

The rider holds a pair of scales, like those used in commerce, and issues a threat of economic hardship.

This horseman is the largest and most prominent suggesting that economic difficulties loom largest in most people’s mind.

The four horseman Represents death It is the lower foreground of the picture with the

creature that represent Hades. The realm of dead. Sheol in Hebrew

Sits on a green horse

The fourth horseman was given authority to inflict death