Revelation

About Revelation

Revelation is a vision-filled letter to seven churches in Asia Minor, written to encourage believers under pressure from a hostile empire. Through dramatic symbols of beasts, plagues, and a slain-yet-standing Lamb, it pulls back the curtain to show that Jesus, not Caesar, rules history and will set everything right. As the Bible's final book, it gathers up the whole story, from Eden's lost garden to a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with his people forever.

Written by

The book names its author as John, a prophet exiled on the island of Patmos; tradition identifies him as the apostle John, though some early Christians and many modern scholars think he was a different John.

When

Most scholars date it around AD 95, during Emperor Domitian's reign, though some argue for the late 60s under Nero.

Themes

• Jesus the reigning Lamb
• Faithfulness under persecution
• God's judgment of evil
• Worship in heaven and on earth
• New creation

Key verses

• Revelation 1:8“I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.
• Revelation 5:9-10And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
• Revelation 21:3-5And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”