Revelation is the only wholly prophetic book in the New Testament (there are 17 in the Old Testament). It is without doubt a superb finish to God’s library of messages to the world He loves. The name of the book is taken from the first verse which says, "this is a revelation of Jesus Christ".
Author
The author calls himself John (Rev. 1:1, 1:4, 1:9, and 22:8), “a servant of Christ” (Rev. 1:1) and “your brother and companion in tribulation” (Rev. 1:9). Tradition says the author was John the apostle. The number of similarities between Revelation and the other books of John (for example, distinctive use of terms and phrases like. “the word,” “the lamb,” and “truth,” as well as contrasting themes like light and darkness, love, and hatred, good and evil) also support this conclusion.
Recipients
John states that he was banished to Patmos (Rev. 1:9) and he wrote before his release (Rev.1:11, 22:7, 9, 10, 18, 19). Irenaeus (a disciple of John) wrote that John was banished to Patmos in the 15th year of Domitian, who ruled from 80-95 AD, and that he was released by Nerva (96 AD). Therefore, John probably wrote Revelation around the time of his release in 95 or 96 AD. Revelation was addressed to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev. 1:4, 10, 11, 22:16). John begins with Ephesus and continues clockwise to Laodicea. At least some of these churches were suffering persecution (Rev. 1:9, 2:10, 13, 6:9, 20:4). Domitian was the first Roman Emperor to demand emperor worship while he was alive. That is what led to the persecution of Christians.
Message
The subject is the revealing of Jesus Christ as Judge. He is the Judge of the church and the world. The message is that since Jesus Christ is the Judge of the churches, as well as the world, persecuted Christians should be comforted, and complacent Christians should be challenged to endure in the knowledge they will be rewarded in the future.
Structure
The literary form is a blend of letter writing and apocalyptic literature. Apocalyptic literature uses symbols that often appear random on the surface (e.g., a beast with seven heads and ten horns). These visions often feature fearsome beasts and mysterious numbers and are mostly concerned with God's conquest of evil and deliverance of his people. God intervenes in world affairs to overthrow the wicked, give victory to the righteous, establish his kingdom, and introduce the era of the new heavens and new earth.
The literary structure is things seen, things which are, things which will take place after this. The “things seen” are the revelation of Jesus Christ as Judge. The “things which are” are seven letters to seven churches. The “things which will take place after this” include three series of judgments (the seals, trumpets, and bowls) judgements on the earth which will take place just prior to the coming of Christ, the Second Coming, the millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment and the New Heavens and the New Earth.
A precaution for readers when approaching apocalyptic and to an extent prophetic writing is not to treat the book as a collection of puzzles. It was not given to amuse Christians by giving them mysteries to work out. It was given to strengthen and guide Christians who are suffering persecution. There is little spiritual benefit in finding the meanings of symbols while ignoring their relevance to personal experience.
Christian persecutions and divine judgments on the persecutors have occurred repeatedly throughout the church's history, and they will continue to be repeated till Jesus Christ returns. From the first century to the present, Christians have triumphed over the forces of the antichrist through Christ's victory on the cross (Revelation 12:11). But the ultimate victory will be when Christ returns to banish evil, save his people and bring in the eternal age of peace and joy, as described throughout this book in (Revelation 1:5-7; Revelation 19:1316; Revelation 22:1-5; Revelation 22:12-14).
OUTLINE
1:1-20 John's introduction
2:1-3:22 Letters to the seven churches
4:1-5:14 A vision of heaven
6:1-8:5 The seven seals
8:6-11:19 The seven trumpets
12:1-14:20 Pictures of conflict and triumph
15:1-16:21 The seven bowls of wrath
17:1-19:10 Babylon the great
19:11-20:15 The triumph of God
21:1-22:5 A new heaven and a new earth
22:6-21 Conclusion
Purposes
It was a testing time for Christians. Thousands were imprisoned, tortured, killed, or put to work as slaves. Oppression increased, people in general became more antiChristian, and the government enforced Emperor worship as a regular policy. To make matters worse, false teachers created trouble within the churches by encouraging Christians to cooperate with the pagan religions of the state by joining in practices that were idolatrous and immoral
Many Christians were discouraged and confused, and some had even renounced their faith. It seemed to them that Jesus Christ, the king they had expected to return in power, was either unable or unwilling to save them from the evil forces that were working against them. The real power appeared to be not in the hands of the Almighty God, but in the hands of the Roman Emperor.
One of the purposes of Revelation is to comfort persecuted Christians. When Domitian became emperor demanded worship, which led to persecution. Some were suffering, “even to death”. It tells us this in Rev. 1:9, where he calls them, “companions in tribulation”. John wrote to comfort and to reassure believers that Christ will eventually deal with the situation, judge sin on the earth, establish His kingdom, and bring in everlasting righteousness.
Another purpose of Revelation is to challenge complacent Christians. Some believers were lax and lukewarm. The Ephesians had lost their first love (Rev. 2:4), Pergamos and Thyatira allowed things to go on that they should not have (Rev. 2:15-20), the Laodiceans were lukewarm (Rev. 3:16). John wanted to challenge them all to steadfastness and perseverance, so he writes to remind them that the Lord is returning, and He has His reward with Him (Rev. 22:12).
Summary:
The apostle John wrote to the seven churches of Asia Minor revealing Jesus Christ as Judge of the churches and the world to comfort persecuted Christians and challenge complacent Christians. The present persecution points to the more severe persecutions that are to come. Jesus Christ will judge believers as well as the world how then shall we live.
Through John, Jesus reassured his suffering people that he was still in control, though he did not give them false hopes by promising them quick relief. On the contrary he prepared them for greater endurance, by revealing both the extent of the troubles yet to come and the eternal reward that awaited those who stood firm for him. He was still the ruler of the world and he was still in control. In God's time Jesus would return to punish his enemies, save his people, and bring in an age of eternal peace and joy.