Let’s Talk Some About Revelation
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Revelation 1:1-The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
Recently, a sister asked me to do some of these devotionals on the Book of Revelation. To that end, I will be devoting some of these studies to that great Book of Scripture. The best place to begin seems to be with the authorship. Five times in Revelation, we are told that it is being written by John (Revelation 1:1, 4, 9; 21:2; 22:8). That the Apostle John wrote this Book is almost universally acknowledged by the early Christians. Beale and Campbell expound to us some of the evidence for John’s authorship:
“Revelation is the record of a prophetic vision given to a man called John in exile on the island of Patmos. The author identifies himself as John, a servant of God who bears witness to Jesus Christ and who is exiled for his faith (1: 1, 9). He was either the apostle John or another man of the same name. He was well known to all the churches of Asia and carried sufficient authority that he could write a letter of this nature to these churches and expect it to be heeded. He was a leader of enough prominence that he had been exiled by the authorities, who must have considered him a threat. The way in which he uses the OT and its Hebrew text demonstrates that he was originally a Jew from Palestine rather than a native Greek-speaker. Nevertheless, John also knew his Greek OT quite well and used it adeptly. It is highly unlikely that another John, originally a Jew from Palestine but otherwise unknown to us, lived and worked among the churches of Asia and carried such a level of authority. Thus, the apostle John was likely the author of this book. Added to this is the fact that many of the themes we particularly associate with John’s Gospel and letters—Jesus as the Word, the Lamb and the Shepherd, manna, living water, life and light, conquering, keeping the word and the commands of God, and others—also appear in Revelation. Revelation was preserved and circulated in the early church, was considered authoritative, and was believed from the earliest times to have been written by the apostle John. Particularly significant is the testimony of Irenaeus. Though he wrote about 180, Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp, who was martyred in 156, having been a Christian for eighty-six years, and who personally knew John. We can presume with confidence that this letter is indeed a record of a vision given to the beloved disciple, now an old man, at the very close of the New Testament period.” (G.K. Beale & David Campbell, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, 2-3 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
There were a few early writers who said that the Apostle John wasn’t the author of Revelation. They mainly argued that there are many grammatical differences between the Gospel of John and Revelation, and this suggested a two different authors of these Books. However, those grammatical differences between the Gospel of John and Revelation are easily explainable when you remember that John wrote his Gospel nearly forty or fifty years before he wrote Revelation (more on that in a later study). Any author knows that his writing style is different after that long of a time! Besides, this argument does not deal adequately with the testimony of the many early writers who identified the Apostle John as the author of Revelation.
For example:
“Only five to twenty years after the disappearance of the apostle, Justin Martyr says, “A certain man, John by name, who was one of the apostles of Christ, prophesied by a revelation that was made to him”[ 74]. A contemporary of Justin Martyr, Melito, bishop of Sardis, wrote a book The Apocalypse of John[ 75]. In a book, Against the Heresy of Hermogenes, Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, cites “the Apocalypse of John”[ 76] as authority in his arguments against the heretics. In his work Against Heresies[ 77], Irenaeus, repeatedly credits the John of the gospel with the authorship of the Apocalypse. Clement of Alexandria wrote regarding the happy future state of the righteous man and said, “He shall sit among the twenty-four thrones, judging the people, as John saith in the Apocalypse”[ 78]. A little later Tertullian, the first of the Latin fathers, repeatedly attributes the Apocalypse to the apostle John. Tertullian wrote in his book Against Marcion in the section on Rev. 1: 16 that it was the apostle John who in the Apocalypse describes the sword proceeding from the mouth of God. Bishop Hippolytus of Ostia said John the apostle wrote the Apocalypse[ 79]. He wrote in “De Antichristo,” in section 9, “Blessed John, apostle and disciple of the Lord, tell me what thou didst see and hear respecting Babylon?” and then he quotes Revelation, chapters 17 and 18 as the testimony of the apostle. Origen who was probably the most scholarly of the early fathers and who lived only seventy-eight years after the disappearance of John repeatedly attributes Revelation to the apostle. In his commentary on Matthew, he says, “John has left us one gospel. He also wrote the Apocalypse.”[ 80] In another place, Origin referenced what “John, the son of Zebedee, says in the Apocalypse.”[ 81]” (James R. Johnson, All Power to the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation, 1180-1204 (Kindle Edition): Xulon Press)
When Revelation was written, the Christians were facing intense persecution. No matter what other gens we pick up from the Book of Revelation, perhaps the most important is this: God’s people are going to be victorious against the enemies that we face in this life.
We win!
Our victory is because of what Jesus has done (and is doing) for us.
Revelation 2:10-Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 5:9-10-And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
Revelation 12:11-And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Revelation 17:14-These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Revelation 21:5-7-Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
John certainly knew what it was like to face enemies. He learned through God’s Word and through personal experience that Jesus was with him every step of the way.
If we will walk with the Lord, He also will walk with us.
Father, thank You for the Book of Revelation that comforts and encourages us through every hardship and fiery trial that we can be challenged with. Help us to always look to You for guidance and strength in this life. Amen.