Page 142 - New Testament Survey Student Textbook

same name. Regardless, the author appears to be a church leader in Asia Minor who was fluent in the
Jewish Scriptures.
Recipients and provenance

The original recipient of Revelation is seven churches in Asia (1:4, 11); “Asia” refers to the Roman
province of Asia, which was located at the western end of Asia Minor. John writes to them from Patmos,
a small island in the Aegean Sea, where he had been exiled (1:9). He wants to strengthen them in the
face of cultural pressure and outright persecution.

Date

There are two major options for dating Revelation: during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero (AD 54–
68) and during the reign of Domitian (AD 81–96), when there was intense localized persecution by the
Roman Empire. Irenaeus, a church father during the second century, connects Revelation with Domitian
(Against Heresies 5.30.3), and many modern interpreters hold this view. 185

Genre

Revelation cannot be categorized as being one style of literature. The author employs a variety
of styles and techniques in order to communicate his message, including apocalyptic, prophetic,
epistolary and liturgical styles. 186 This kind of writing often featured an angel or otherworldly being
who revealed heavenly mysteries to a human recipient. These mysteries are delivered in the form of
visions that use graphic imagery to symbolize cosmic realities. The cryptic language may have helped
Revelation be easily circulated around the Roman Empire during a time of Christian persecution—the
language, couched in Old Testament imagery, would have been difficult to understand for anyone
without such knowledge. At the same time, Revelation echoes the concern of Old Testament prophecy
for the status of God’s people in the present day. The book uses apocalyptic imagery to anticipate the
final realization of God’s reign but ultimately functions as a prophetic message for the people of God in
their current situation and trials. 187

Purpose

John wrote Revelation, as instructed by Jesus to convey the reality of evil using images that can be
disturbing and even terrifying, but that is not the book’s ultimate message. Jesus wants His Church to
know that, (1) despite opposition and persecution in the present, His purposes will prevail in the end. (2)
God reigns on the throne of the universe, and the slain Lamb, Jesus, has triumphed through His
sacrificial death and resurrection (5:6, 9). (3) No matter how much the forces of evil might appear to be
victorious, their defeat is a foregone conclusion. 188

Structure

Revelation opens with an introduction (1:1–20) that includes a vision of the Son of Man, a figure that
also appears in the Old Testament prophecy of Daniel (Dan 7:13). This figure, Jesus, then dictates to
John seven letters—one for each of the seven churches (Rev 2:1–3:22; compare Mark 2:10; 8:31). The
majority of Revelation (Rev 4:1–22:5) consists of a series of visions disclosing unseen realities concerning

185 Barry, J. D., et al.
186 Seal, D. (2016). Revelation, Book of. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W.
Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
187 Ibid
188 Ibid
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