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AUTHOR: The apostle John, according to [Rev 1:1].
THEMATIC: The Apocalypse was written in order to show the sovereignty of God, that the Lord will not allow evil to prevail, but that the kingdom of God will be instituted on earth. One day, God's wrath for sins will be fully and completely released upon the face of the earth, but those who have not rejected Christ will escape God's chastisement of the ungrateful and disobedient. The last book of the Bible contains all of God's revelation and narrates the end of all things. In a very clear and detailed way, we find the record of the end of human history and the destiny of each person. All this is in a book closed with seven seals, which no one can open except the Lamb of God "...who was slain from the foundation of the world" [Rev 13:8]. The apostle John begins this work by exposing how he received the revelation from God [Rev. 1: 1-20]. Then he records Jesus' specific messages to the seven Churches that were in Asia [Rev 2:1-29] and [Rev 3:1-22]. Suddenly, the scene changes, and dramatic and majestic images burst before St. John's eyes. This series of visions portrays the future resurgence of evil, culminating in the manifestation of Antichrist [Rev 13:1-18]. Then, John gives a detailed account of the triumph of the King of kings [Rev 19:16], the marriage of the Lamb [Rev 19:7], the final judgment and the arrival of the New Jerusalem from heaven [Rev 21:2]. , ending with the promise of Christ's return [Rev 22:6-21]. A key to understanding the book of Revelation is the study of the book of Daniel. Revelation references the writings of Daniel more than any other book of Holy Scripture.
COMPILATION: Like the Epistle of Jude, there is no consensus regarding the date this letter was written, ranging from the days of Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD), to the days of Trajan (98-112 A.D.). However, the prevailing current is the one that prefers to think of 95 AD, at the end of Domitian's rule (81-96 AD). It consists of 22 chapters and 405 verses.
CHRONOLOGY (ESTIMATED) | |
AD 27 | Jesus summons John, son of Zebedee, to follow him |
AD 30 | John becomes leader of first-century church |
AD 67 | Peter and Paul are executed; John takes up residence in Ephesus |
70 A.D. | The Romans destroy Jerusalem and the church is scattered |
AD 90 | John writes his gospel and his letters |
AD 90 | John is exiled to the island of Patmos |
AD 90 | John writes the Apocalypse |
AD 100 | Death of John |