At a Glance
Revelation in Brief
The last book of the Bible begins with a title and a promise. The title is The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1). The promise is a blessing on the one who reads it and on those who hear it and keep what it says (Revelation 1:3). It shows Christ and His victory, and it was written to strengthen the churches, not to puzzle them.
- Author. John (Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:9), the apostle who wrote the Gospel and three letters. Early writers such as Justin Martyr, about AD 160, named the author as John, one of Christ's apostles.
- Date. About AD 95, in the last years of the emperor Domitian (who ruled AD 81 to 96). Irenaeus, writing about AD 180, said the vision was seen near the end of Domitian's reign. Some date the book earlier, under Nero.
- Written To. the seven churches which are in Asia (Revelation 1:4), in what is now western Turkey: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
- Setting. John was exiled on the island of Patmos for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:9). The churches faced slander, poverty, and pressure to worship the emperor.
- Key Verse. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter (Revelation 1:19).
- Key Word or Theme. Unveiling. The Greek word apokalypsis means an uncovering. The book unveils Jesus Christ and His coming victory.
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Further reading
For Deeper Study
- The Revelation of Jesus ChristAmazon John F. WalvoordA classic dispensational, pretribulational commentary on the whole book.
- RevelationAmazon Charles C. RyrieA short, clear dispensational commentary that is easy to follow.
- Be VictoriousAmazon Warren W. WiersbeA readable study of Revelation that keeps Christ at the center.
- Four Views on the Book of RevelationAmazon C. Marvin Pate, ed.Scholars make the case for different approaches, including two kinds of dispensationalism. We hold the classical dispensational reading.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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How the Bible Fits Together
The Bible is sixty-six books written by about forty men over some fifteen hundred years, yet it tells one story of God's redemption from creation to the new earth, and its center is Jesus Christ.
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