Book of Revelation - Lectures by Dr. Stanley Toussaint

Intro

One big revelation to believers (Not book of REVELATIONS)

Apocalyptic literature is a genre that flourished between the 2nd century B.C. & 1st century A.D. (300 years common literature among the Jews)

The outstanding characteristic of Apocalyptic literature is symbolism. (God speaking through symbols)

Robert Thomas in his commentary on the book of Revelation says it’s not apocalyptic literature, but just a prophecy.

But the book itself is called an apocalypse (ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis). n. fem. revelation. Something that is made fully known; a full disclosure.) so that doesn’t seem to track.

SEVEN differences between John’s Revelation vs. other apocalyptic literature:

1. THE BOOK IS CALLED A PROPHECY - REV. 1:3, REV. 22:7,10,18, 19

2. REVELATION EMPHASIZES MORALITY - REV. 2:5, 16

3. APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE IS PSEUDONYMOUS (FALSE NAME) WRITTEN UNDER A FALSE NAME - WE KNOW THAT REVELATION WAS WRITTEN BY JOHN

4. IN APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE LARGE BLOCKS OF MATERIAL ARE INTERPRETED BY AN ANGEL- IN REVELATION ONLY OCCASIONAL INTERPRETATIONS GIVEN BY AN ANGEL

5. IN OTHER APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE THE MESSIAH WILL COME - IN REVELATION HE HAS COME AND WILL COME.

6. THE SEVEN LETTERS ARE UNIQUE TO REVELATION. YOU DON’T SEE THIS IN ANY OTHER APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE.

7. APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE IS PESSIMISTIC IN NATURE - REVELATION IS PESSIMISTIC AND OPTIMISTIC.

Reasons to Believe that the Apostle John is the author:

Author’s name is John - Rev. 1:1,4,9 ; Rev. 22:8

Must have been a well known man named John (no description in the letter)

Unanimous early tradition says the apostle John wrote it.

The writer was well versed in the Old Testament (Daniel and Revelation go together)

John was most likely over the churches in the province of Asia.

Largest Objection to Johannine authorship of Revelation is the style of writing.

John’s greek in other writings is good, but when you look at Revelation it has solecism (grammatical irregularities-grammatical mistakes in speech and writing).

John uses the word belief of believe many times in his other writings, but he never uses it Revelation.

Explanations for the different style:

Because it is apocalyptic literature (just a different genre)

Because John may have had an amanuensis (not sure how that works if John was exiled to Patmos)

There are also similarities between John’s writings and Revelation:

In Revelation John calls Jesus the logos - John 1:1; Rev. 19:13

John’s Writings and Revelation have similar imagery - Lamb of God, water of life, keeping the commandments, he who overcomes.

The use of Zechariah 12:10 in John 19:37 with Rev. 1:7 - Pierced (unusual use of verb)

Of the 916 words in the Greek text of Revelation- 416 are used in John’s gospel.

Background of book - Assuming date of Domitian 95AD

Social conditions - Rome was at the height of her prosperity. You can see this in Rev. 18 long list of cargo that ships are carrying. Large gap between the rich and the poor.

Political conditions - The government was totalitarian (totally in control) this is during the Flavian dynasty. (68 to 96 AD)

Religious Conditions -

Fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 forced Jews into exile. After Vespasian anti-semitism.

Romans were into idolatry. Under Domitian emperor worship was promoted.

Christianity by this time is distinct from Judaism. (Christianity in the book of Acts was under the umbrella of Judaism). Christians were accused of being atheist because they did not believe in the polytheist gods of Rome. Christians were facing persecution. We see this in Rev. 1:9, Rev. 2:13

Approaches to the book of Revelation

Preterist View (Latin for past) - The book has already been fulfilled.

Two preterist schools:

Fulfilled by and large by the time of Constantine around 312 AD. Rev. 5 through 11 look at victory over Judaism. Rev. 12 through 19 is victory over Roman paganism. The view sees the book in the first century setting. Problems with this view is an overt allegorizing of the text. Another problem is no history of the church after Constantine to Rev. 20?

Main Preterist today will say that the book was fulfilled in 70 AD (during the destruction of Jerusalem). They use the Olivet Discourse as a proof text. Rev. 4 to 20 describe the destruction of Jerusalem. They believe that Revelation was written somewhere between 64 to 67.

Extreme preterist will say that Jesus already came during the destruction of Jerusalem.

Objections to Preterist view:

Strong external evidence puts this book in the day of Domitian 95 AD.

Internal evidence - The seven churches appear to be 2nd generation churches.

Historicist View - Taken by the Reformers (Continuous Historical Interpretation)