Domitian was something of a “real estate developer” and is known for lavish spending on the building and remodeling of Rome and beyond, including the palace named after him.
The book of Revelation was likely composed near the end of his reign. A bad period of instability followed, including the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 CE.īy the end of the century, persecution of Jews and Christians was very real, including during the time of Domitian (81-96 CE), a figure who was known to think quite highly of himself. He died by suicide in 68 (likely the “fatal wound” reference in Revelation 13:3). Nero killed his own mother and first wife. Peter and Paul both were executed during his reign. He, like others, accepted divine accolades and demanded total allegiance and loyalty. Nero ruled the Roman Empire from 54-68 CE. When you transliterate the Greek name “Caesar Nero” with Hebrew letters and add up all their corresponding numbers, you get 666. For example, the letter raysh represents 200 and the letter nun 50. One aspect of Revelation that can clue us in to the book’s intent is the number 666, described in Revelation 13:18 as the “number of the beast,” also now known as “the devil’s number.” In a system known as gematria, Hebrew letters also stand for numbers. We need to understand Revelation not because it details the end of the world but because it is the Bible’s starkest warning against Christian assent to the violence of the empire.
Although there is a need to feel that current events were planned and prophesied all along, we will miss Revelation’s most important message for our day if we read it looking for that assurance. So what is Revelation about, and why do I say Christians should be studying it in these times? Here in 2020, one can’t be blamed for feeling like the world is spiraling out of control. You won’t even find any reference to hell you will only find “abyss” (Greek abusson), one of several concepts found in Revelation that are intertwined with Greek mythology.Ĭornelis Visscher, 1629-1658. You might think of words like “rapture,” but no such word appears in the entire Bible (the idea derives from a vision of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4). When you think of Revelation, you might think of figures like the “antichrist,” but this word only appears in the epistles of John in the context of refuting Gnosticism. This is largely thanks to the influence of end-times gurus like John Hagee and Jack Van Impe, or that strange but popular “Left Behind” series. You might think I’m saying that because of all the horrible things going on in the world right now, and we need to understand when and how the end is going to come, right? Many Christians have internalized the general idea that Revelation is all about how the world will end and that studying it is an exercise in decoding its symbolism to find hidden references to modern-day events. When preachers or teachers said they would be using the book of Revelation, they usually got a reaction like they were about to go whitewater rafting on Class V rapids.Ĭhristians of today need to study and understand the book of Revelation. Often on the docket were Paul’s letters, the Gospels, maybe a prophet here and there, but most everyone stayed away from Revelation. Perhaps you’re like me and remember going to Bible studies ever since you were a teenager.
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