![]() The voice was that of Jesus Christ, who had been raised from the dead and who had ascended to heaven. The apocalypses were produced in times of crises, and they were written for the benefit of people who were suffering hardship and privation at the particular time when the writing was done.Īt the beginning of Revelation, John tells us that while he was on the Isle of Patmos, where he was banished because of his religious faith, he heard a loud voice telling him to write what he saw and then to send the writing to the seven churches in Asia. The revelations are usually through dreams or visions in which coming events are symbolized by strange figures, the meanings of which are sometimes disclosed by an angelic messenger who was sent for that particular purpose. In all of these writings, events appear as though they were predicted long before they actually took place. In writing Revelation, John follows the pattern that was used in older apocalyptic writings in the Old Testament (such as the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament, 1 Esdras in the Apocrypha, the Book of Enoch in the Pseudepigrapha, the Assumption of Moses), and many other well known writings, including sections of the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament and portions of the Synoptic Gospels. He wanted to warn his fellow Christians concerning these events and thus prepare them for the time when their faith would be put to a more severe test than anything that they had experienced thus far. ![]() John was confident that the great day of divine intervention would occur within a comparatively short time, but in accordance with the apocalyptic literature with which Jewish Christians were familiar, he knew that many terrifying events would take place first. The purpose of the book was to strengthen the faith of the members of these churches by giving to them the assurance that deliverance from the evil powers arrayed against them was close at hand. Under these conditions, a Christian named John wrote Revelation, addressing it to the seven churches that were in Asia Minor. Some were even tempted to abandon their faith or at least to make concessions to Rome sufficient to enable them to save their lives. It was a critical time for the entire Christian movement, and many of its members wondered whether the persecution would ever end, while others were perplexed about the course they should follow. Some of them suffered martyrdom rather than deny their faith. When Christians refused to worship the emperor, they were accused of all sorts of crimes and subjected to the most severe penalties. Toward the end of the first century of the Christian era, emperor worship was fairly well established, not only in the city of Rome but in the outlying regions that formed a part of the empire. This second coming, occurring at the time when all the events connected with the apocalyptic program will take place, will inaugurate the coming of the new age, as well as the final destruction of all the forces of evil.Īs time passed, many Christians - especially those who were suffering persecution at the hands of the Roman government - became deeply concerned about how long it would be before these events would take place. Because they were convinced that the work of the Messiah must end in triumph and glory, they believed that this end could be accomplished only by a return of Jesus back to this earth from the heaven to which he had ascended. When the members of the Christian community affirmed their belief that the crucified Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, they necessarily revised their understanding concerning the work Jesus was to do and especially the way in which his work would be completed. The appearance of the Messiah will coincide with the coming of these events. The struggle will eventually reach a climax, at which time God will intervene, destroy the forces of evil, and set up a new order in which the righteous will live for all time to come. ![]() ![]() As the evil powers grow stronger, they will inflict persecution and in some instances even death upon those who follow a course of righteousness. This conception of coming events is associated with the belief that prior to this future time, the struggle between the forces of good and evil will become more intense. Apocalypticism was not a new phenomenon among Christians it was a well-established belief among Jews, who held that the coming of the kingdom of God would not be brought about by a gradual transformation but by a sudden intervention, when God would end the present age and establish his kingdom in the world made new. In the Book of Revelation, the apocalyptic hopes of the early Christian community find their clearest and most complete expression.
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