The Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is believed to have been written by the apostle St. John the Evangelist around 96 AD. Since the author identifies himself only as “John”, some would say that it was written by a man named John who could have been the apostle John or some other unknown John. Further, some have said that the book itself does not make sufficient sense and should not be included in the Bible. St. Augustine refuted this argument by providing a plausible interpretation of the book in his own book entitled “The City of God” and by encouraging retention of Revelation in the Bible, since he believed that it was written by the apostle John.
One could take it on faith that St. Augustine was correct about the identity of the author John, but such a conclusion could also be reached by a little deduction. Review of the book has indicated that it was truly prophetic and therefore came from God. In addition, God would have selected an author who would be able to convey His message to the early Christians and to the world. This assertion is supported by John 21: 22-23 "Jesus saith to him: 'So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? Follow thou me.' This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. And Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; but: 'So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee?'"
The early Christians first receiving this message started with the seven churches of Asia at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. These churches were and remain witnesses to the identity of the author of Revelation. The book itself is written in a confusing manner for the most part. If it’s author was an unknown or little known “John”, the combination of the confusion of the book and the insignificance of its author would have led these churches to give it little notice and even to discard it. If either of these reactions took place, the book would not have reached the point where it would have been considered for inclusion in the Bible.
However, it did reach this point, which indicates its author was well known and respected. These churches received and recognized this book basically because they recognized its author - a unique John who was a principal leader of the church. According to tradition, the apostle John lived in Ephesus until about the year 100 AD where he wrote his gospel at the request of church elders. He was also buried in Ephesus and his burial site was subsequently marked with the construction of the Church of St. John by the emperor Justinian.
In view of this preeminence only the apostle John could logically appeal to others by using only his first name. Still, John was a prisoner on the island of Patmos for preaching his faith. As such, he could have become delirious or his persecutors could have impersonated him. These churches would then need validation of the book as to its authenticity. It needed to contain information that they recognized as valid and not readily available to these persecutors.
This information was provided at the beginning in the form of letters of admonitions to these churches for their conduct. Some of it was good, some marginal, and some unacceptable. After reading these admonitions, these churches would have believed that the book was really inspired by God, since He had access to this information and these admonitions encouraged faithfulness to Christian doctrine. Even if the persecutors had access to such information, they would not have encouraged faithfulness to Christian doctrine, but discouraged it. Thus, the book was authenticated and the balance of the book became credible although ambiguous.
The apostle John therefore wrote this book by divine direction to record a vision he had experienced, just as the prophet Daniel did several centuries before as recorded in the Bible's Book of Daniel. The Book of Revelation is really a sequel to the Book of Daniel which should be read first for a better appreciation of Revelation. Daniel's vision was experienced several centuries earlier during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews and before the rise of the Greek Empire. St. John’s vision was experienced after the fall of the Greek Empire and during the era of the Roman Empire. It confirms the prefiguration of a European empire in the end time by describing a similar beast for the future. Specific verses describing this beast are quoted below for ease of reference.
Revelation 13: 1- 4 “And I saw a beast coming up out the sea, having seven heads and ten horns: and upon his horns, ten diadems: and upon his heads, names of blasphemy: And the beast which I saw was like to a leopard: and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: And the dragon gave him his own strength and great power: And I saw one of his heads as it were slain to death: and his death’s wound was healed: And all the earth was in admiration after the beast: And they adored the dragon which gave power to the beast: And they adored the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast? And who shall be able to fight with him?”
Revelation 13: 5-8 “And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: and power was given to him to do, two and forty months. And he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And power was given him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb which was slain from the beginning of the world.”
Revelation 17: 3-6 “And he took me away in spirit into the desert. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was clothed round about with purple and scarlet, and gilt with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of the abomination and filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery: Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications and the abominations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I wondered, when I had seen her, with great admiration.”
Revelation 17: 7-11 “And the angel said to me: Why dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast which carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast which thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit and go into destruction. And the inhabitants on the earth (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) shall wonder, seeing the beast that was and is not. And here is the understanding that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman sitteth: and they are seven kings. Five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come: and when he is come, he must remain a short time. And the beast which was and is not: the same also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction.”
Revelation 17: 12-14 “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom: but shall receive power as kings, one hour after the beast. These have one design: and their strength and power they shall deliver to the beast. These shall fight with the Lamb. And the Lamb shall overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with him are called and elect and faithful.”
Revelation 17: 15-18 “And he said to me: ‘The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest in the beast: These shall hate the harlot and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and shall burn her with fire. For God hath given into their hearts to do that which pleaseth him: that they give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is the great city which hath kingdom over the kings of the earth.’”
Since the beast of Revelation has heads that represent kings, it can be readily deduced that the beast itself represents a kingdom, as were the beasts of the Book of Daniel that represented kingdoms that ruled over Babylonia. In addition, this beast of Revelation incorporates the features of all four of the beasts of Daniel meaning that it will have all the characteristics represented by each. One of its cities will also have the characteristic of Babylon symbolized by the woman sitting on the beast with the name Babylon the Great, mother of harlotries and the abominations of the earth. Babylonia and the kingdoms that ruled over it were particularly noted for their idolatries that were an abomination to God. In Christian tradition the harlot or prostitute symbolizes idolatry (Ezekiel 23 and Isaiah 57: 7-8). This symbolism would then indicate that the woman sitting on the beast represents an idolatrous city that rests upon the seven hills represented by the beast’s heads.
A city resting on seven hills represented by the beast’s seven heads would in all probability be a capital as the word “capital” comes from the Latin word “capitalis” meaning “head”. Further, it would be the capital of the kingdom represented by the beast. The beast’s ten horns connote a European kingdom as envisioned in the Book of Daniel and fulfilled in the rise of the Greek kingdom of Alexander the Great. It can also be said that the capital of this kingdom is indicated to be the city of Rome. This city was built on seven hills, ruled over the kings of the earth, and was responsible for the blood of the martyrs.
The beast’s seven heads also represent seven kings. When Revelation was first written, five of these kings had already reigned, the sixth was reigning, and the seventh was yet to come; but his reign will be short. The comment that the sixth king was reigning at the time of the Revelation vision serves to further identify the beast. He would have been reigning in “the great city that has kingship over the kings of the earth.” Such was the case for the city of Rome at that time. It was also idolatrous and had such great influence that even then could be considered as “Babylon the Great”. An idolatrous Rome can then be envisioned as the woman resting on the beast in the end time as well.
The end time king will be an eighth king, having reigned before as one of the seven and the people of the world will “wonder” or be surprised at his reappearance after being dead. Part of this wonder would also be due to his living on with a head that has the appearance of a mortal wound that has been healed. There is no record of any of the previous kings living on with a mortal wound to the head, so the end time king remains the only king who would have this appearance as confirmed by Revelation 13: 12-14. The beast’s ten horns with crowns represent ten kings who had not yet risen to power. They will be appointed as kings for a brief moment to reign with the end time king as allies, and will give their power and authority to him. However, after his second reign, he too will go down to destruction.
Revelation also describes a companion to the beast called a “false prophet” with a voice like the dragon’s, who has two horns like those of a lamb, and who works miracles while in the beast’s presence. Included within these miracles is the act of making fire come down from the sky. This false prophet will tell the people of the world to make a statue of the beast to which he will give life and the ability to speak. This statue will subsequently order that it be worshipped under penalty of death. The false prophet will require everyone be marked on the right hand or on the forehead with the beast’s name or the code number of his name. No one will be able to buy or sell in any store without that mark. The name is indicated to be one in which the numerical values of its letters add up to the value six hundred and sixty-six, 666.
The beast shall dominate the whole world for three and one-half years, during which time its rule will be more brutal than any before it. It will defy the Most High God, persecute all people, and try to change all law and custom. God’s faithful will be helpless in its hands. Finally, it will gather all the armies of the world near a place called “Armageddon”, the Greek word for the Hebrew word "Har-Megiddo" which means "The Mound or Hill of Megiddo". There it will fight the forces of God and be defeated.
