Author: John the Apostle  Rev. 1:1, 4, 9, 22:8; the unanimous early tradition; 1st doubts came in 3rd century; author is a Jew very familiar with Scripture, a church leader well-known to his audience in the churches of the Roman province of Asia

 

Background: Since 33 AD when Jesus was crucified...

The events chronicled in Acts happen.

The other New Testament writings are being produced, sent, copied, and distributed.

Persecution of early Christians is by the Jews, with the occasional help of local authorities. Intense persecution of Romans takes place in 64 AD after a fire destroys much of Rome and Emperor Nero blames the Christians. In 66 AD the Jews in Jerusalem revolt and declare their independence, triggering wide-spread attacks by Roman Gentiles against them. Nero dies in 68 AD and the general who has been leading the Roman army against the Jewish rebels, Vespasian, becomes the new Emperor. Eventually the Roman army re-conquers the Jewish homeland, climaxed by the destruction of much of Jerusalem including the Jewish Temple in 70 AD.

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Structure: 

 

Chapter 1- Introduction

Chapters 2 & 3-  Letters to seven Churches

Chapters 4 & 5- Visions of heaven

Chapters 6-19- a series of visions of judgment and destruction

(parallel or sequential?; they intensify; how are they to be interpreted?)

Chapter 20- Millennium and judgment

Chapter 21 & 22- Scenes of a new heaven and new earth

 

 

Interpretations:

 

Preterist (“past”)- The events being described mostly occurred in the 1st century, highlighting the end of the Old Covenant era and the dramatic revealing of the New Covenant in Jesus. A common view of Biblical scholars.

 

Futurist- The most common view, that most of the events in Revelation have not yet happened. This view often is connected to a system of Biblical study called Dispensationalism, which was  developed in the late 1800s.

 

Historicist- A common view during the Protestant Reformation, though few hold it today. This view sees Revelation prophesying the events of church history over the past 2000 years.

 

Idealist/Spiritual- Sees truths and principles being revealed in Revelation, without any particular links to historical events.

 

For a good comparative study of the book of Revelation reflecting these four views, I recommend:

• Revelation: Four Views (1996) by Steve Gregg, a parallel commentary from each of these four views, and

• Four Views on the Book of Revelation (1998) edited by Marvin Pate, which ignores the Historicist approach, and includes instead two variations on the Dispensationalist perspective.

 

I am certainly not an expert on such a complex book as the book of Revelation,, with its abundance of imagery. But, for what it is worth, I am convinced that all of Revelation, at least through chapter 19, is focusing on the events involved in the change of Covenants in the 1st century.