Book of Revelation

An 1880 Baxter process colour plate illustrating Revelation 22:17 by Joseph Martin Kronheim.

The Book of Revelation, which is sometimes called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John, or Revelation of Jesus Christ is the last book of the New Testament in the Bible.

Title

The last book of the New Testament is usually called the Book of Revelation or simply Revelation. While some of the earliest manuscripts are entitled "The Revelation of John" (Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου), later manuscripts are usually entitled "The Revelation of the Theologian" (Ἀποκάλυψις τοῦ Θεολόγου). For this reason, the Authorized King James Version calls Revelation the Revelation of Saint John the Divine (divine was a seventeenth century word for theologian.)

In Greek, the word apocalypse means revealing or unveiling.

Introduction

Over the course of Revelation, which many regard as the most difficult book in the Bible, the author has two visions. There are many different ways to interpret these visions, and there has been substantial disagreement over which is right.

Authorship

The person writing Revelation, who called himself "John", claims he was on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea when he saw his first vision. But there is disagreement over whether he is the same person as the Bible's other two Johns: the author of the letters of John and the author of The Gospel of John.

Content

Revelation begins by introducing John as its author, and has letters to seven churches of that day. Some think these churches also represent periods of history. Various visions follow that are highly symbolic, allow many different interpretations, and are often thought to represent past and future events. Some believe that many of these prophecies have already been fulfilled, some believe they will be fulfilled at the end of time, and some believe they do not refer to any specific events but instead describe the victory of Christ over all enemies.

Parts of the book seem to use symbols and codes in order to hide their meaning from outsiders, including the mysterious "number of the beast," or 666. The book ends with a vision of faithful souls in the next life rejoicing around the throne of God.

Christians often discuss topics from the book of Revelation, including the Millennium, a 1000-year period when Christ will rule the earth. Revelation also describes a final war between good and evil known as the Battle of Armageddon, though the word "Armageddon" is also sometimes used to describe any large war that ends the world. Both of these events are thought to be literal by some and figurative by others. While virtually all Christians agree that there will be a Second Coming of Christ, it is the subject of conflicting accounts in Revelation and therefore much disagreement about its details.

Throughout history, Revelation has been especially important to Christians who were suffering persecution and felt parts of the book could have been referring to them. Some verses that mention the afterlife have also traditionally been used at funerals.

Book Of Revelation Media

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  Frontispiece, Book of Revelation, Bible of San Paolo fuori le Mura, 9th century

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  Very rare depiction of scenes from Revelation in an altar. Here in Kolby Church, Denmark, 1550

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  St. John receives his Revelation, Saint-Sever Beatus, 11th century

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  The Angel Appears to John, 13th-century manuscript, British Library, London

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  The angel gives John the letter to the churches of Asia, Beatus Escorial, c. 950

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  Revelation 6.2: "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." White Rider from Tolkovy Apocalyps, Moscow, 17th century

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  Apocalypse 7, the 144,000 elect. Beatus d'Osma, 11th century

Related pages

• Apocalypse
• Eschatology
• Number of the Beast
• Rapture
• The Grapes of Wrath