The Background of Revelation

The book of Revelation is also known as the “Revelation to John” or the “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” The title comes from the first word of the original Greek text, Apokalypsis, meaning “unveiling” or “revealing.” The book unveils the things “that must soon take place” in God’s plan, bearing witness to the suffering churches of that era: all authority on earth belongs to “the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” No matter how powerful the enemy may seem or how difficult the circumstances may appear, history will unfold according to God’s plan, and “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah.” Therefore, God’s kingship and kingdom are a central theme throughout the book. Key words that appear most frequently are throne (46 times), Lamb (29 times), and angel (67 times).

The early church widely believed that the author of this book was the Apostle John, and it was written around 96 AD, at the end of the reign of the Roman tyrant Domitian. In his later years, the Apostle John served in Ephesus and was exiled to the island of Patmos, about 95 kilometers southwest of Ephesus, sometime between 94 and 96 AD. It was there that he saw and recorded the visions of Revelation.

In 63 BC, the Roman proconsul Gnaeus Pompey (106–48 BC) conquered Syria and Judea, establishing them as Roman provinces. Afterward, the Roman dictator Julius Caesar (100–44 BC) granted the Jews many concessions, allowing them to continue to observe their own laws and exempting them from military service. Before the Jewish revolt of 68-70 AD, Christians were considered a small sect of Judaism and were granted the same favorable treatment. In the time of Acts, when Christians were persecuted by the Jews, the Roman government often acted as a protector for the church (Acts 16:36-40; 18:1-17; 19:13-41; 21:30-40; 23:12-31; 25:10-11). It was only after the Great Fire of Rome in the later years of Nero’s reign (64-68 AD) that Christians experienced localized persecution, followed by several years of peace.

In 70 AD, the Jewish revolt failed, and the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed by the Roman army led by Titus. The power of Judaism waned, and the Romans came to realize that Christianity was not merely a sect of Judaism. By the time Revelation was written, due to the escalation of Caesar worship, the Roman Empire began persecuting Christians who refused to worship the emperor. When Titus’s brother, Domitian, succeeded him, Caesar worship reached its peak. The wealthy Jews of Asia were suppressed by Domitian and felt embarrassed by the Jewish-Roman war of 66-70 AD, so many Jewish Christians in Asia were expelled from the synagogues. Once separated from the synagogues, these Jewish Christians who refused to worship Caesar faced Roman persecution because they called only Jesus Christ “Lord.” By the early second century, the entire province of Asia was actively persecuting Christians.

When John wrote Revelation, the gospel had spread throughout Asia. Believers trusted that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Son of God, who had died and been resurrected, ascended to heaven, and would return to judge and establish God’s kingdom. The early church ardently hoped for Christ’s return, but 60 years had passed. The Roman Empire remained powerful, idol worship continued, and Caesar worship was rampant. Yet, the resurrected and victorious Christ had not yet returned. The church seemed to be failing. Although it was growing, it was still a small and weak group. The apostles and the disciples who had known Jesus had either died, been martyred, or were imprisoned. Faithful believers faced hardship and ostracism, with persecution from without and heresy from within. Revelation was written precisely for this small group of believers who were filled with such questions, who were persecuted, full of doubt, and living in hiding. The Holy Spirit revealed to them at that critical time that the future did not belong to the Roman Empire or any earthly power, but to Christ and the church. True authority belongs to God, who always sits on the throne as king. The true protagonists are Christ and His church, while the various supporting actors on the stage of history come and go merely to highlight the victory of the Lamb and the fulfillment of the kingdom. Revelation greatly encouraged believers, and the next two hundred years, which were the church’s most persecuted era, were also its most courageous and powerful.