Introduction to the Book of Revelation:

Genre, Historical context and Interpretation.

Presenter: John Fredrick David A

1. Introduction
This study about the last book of the New Testament, Revelation, shall begin with the
genetic questions such as who wrote the book? When and to whom it was written? Here, the
paper seeks to describe the historical context of the book. It progresses ahead to look at the
literary nature of the text concerning the genre and structure. And finally the history of
interpretation will be dealt with so as to understand the various methods of interpreting the
enigmatic text at hand.
2. Authorship
The Internal evidence of the text about authorship is anything but vague. The author is
named John (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8) and he identifies himself as a Christian prophet (1:3; 22:6, 9).
His other self-identifications are “slave” of Jesus Christ (1:1) and “brother” and partner in
suffering to the churches (1:9).1 These instances point no conclusive identification of the
author and have paved the way for centuries of disagreement among scholars. 2 However, the
text gives clues that the author was well versed with the audiences addressed to in the text.
Clues include the order of the cities in a circular fashion suggesting a route for the carrier.
And also the fine geographic and commercial details portrayed in the letters to the individual
cities as well as the details of the spiritual status of the church, admonitions or
encouragement, and a promise give a hint that the author was not alien to the churches.3
Externally, there is a multitude of attestations, with a fair degree of certainty, to the
apostolic authorship of St. John from the earliest traditions themselves. Justin Martyr,
Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen join in affirming the apostolic
authorship.4 Authorship. The testimonies of Melito and Irenaeus are of particular interest
because, the former was the bishop of Sardis and the latter was a native of Smyrna, both
cities addressed to in the text. The close correspondence between Irenaeus and Polycarp, a
disciple of John the apostle himself adds weightage to the veracity of the claim of apostolic
authorship made by Irenaeus.5
A Major opposition to the apostolic authorship was mounted by Dionysius of
Alexandria, although the concern wasn’t textual but a theological one.6 Dionysius’s
objections are appropriated by modern scholarship, even though some arguments are weak.
Dionysius, noting the absence of apostolic claim believed that another person with the same
1
Joseph L Mangina, Revelation, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker
Publishing Group, 2010) Kindle edition, ch.1, "Introduction Dating and Authorship.”
2
Grant R Osborne, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2007) Kindle edition, ch.1, Authorship.
3
Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 1st ed., The Anchor Bible Reference Library (New
York: Doubleday, 1997), 782.
4
Osborne, Revelation, ch.1 Authorship.
5
D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich:
Zondervan, 2005), 700–701.
6
The motive was not do away with the authority of Revelation in order to do away with Chiliasm which found
its basis on Revelation.
name “John” wrote Revelation. Another point of contention is the difference in vocabulary
and structure between the Johannine corpus and Revelation. The former can be questioned as
an argument from absence while the latter is can be explained as being existent due to the
difference in genre. A third major discussion regarding the theological differences between
the gospel of Love and repentance and the Apocalypse of Judgement and torment. Yet, it can
be argued that the conclusion is overdrawn as both the Gospel and Revelation can be seen to
be attesting to the majesty and the merciful natures of God.7 This false contrast can be seen as
copious in the motif of for judgment in the Gospel (John 5:22, 30; 9:39), and the motif of
repentance in Revelation (Rev 9:20–21; 14:6–7; 16:9, 11).8 A fourth objection holds as it is
the most difficult to explain: the grammatical solecisms of the Revelation. 9 One way of
explaining is that the loss of amanuensis in a exilic setting could be the reason while another
is that the solecisms are intentional.10 Yet, these explanations are unconvincing.
Weighing all the arguments, it can be concluded with a little uncertainty, that
Revelation was of apostolic origin, a distinction that cannot be claimed perhaps for most New
testament books. This would explain how the author expects his readers to recognize the
author with the mere mention of the name “John” without any qualifications. 11 This would
also account for the consistent tradition from the earliest period of church history, which
otherwise would be difficult to question away.12
3. Audience
In contrast to the traditionally assumed setting of intense persecution, historical
studies have established that the aforementioned persecution was a characteristic of mainland
Italy and of the 3rd and 4th century.13 The cities of Asia, which are mentioned in Revelation,
however, were favourable places for Christianity to thrive. These cities were ethnically
diverse in demographic and enjoyed mobility and economic freedom. Blessed with the
freedom of religious diversity, the economically and politically stable provinces gave a
peaceful platform Christianity flourished.14
With the probability that the churches had the same demographics as the society it
was embedded in, it was highly possible that the Christians shared the lifestyle of the general
populace. 15 And therefore, the Christians were expected to be part of the feasts of guilds
which included food offered to idols. John, taking the view of Christ against culture, saw this
participating in civic and imperial society as fornication.16
It has to also be noted that though persecution wasn’t intense in the 1 st century, yet
persecution was a continuous reality in the Roman empire though varying in degree. And

7
Carson and Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 703.
8
Osborne, Revelation, ch.1, Authorship.
9
Osborne, Revelation, ch.1, Authorship.
10
Carson and Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 705.
11
Frederick David Mazzaferri, The Genre of the Book of Revelation from a Source-Critical Perspective, 54
(Berlin ; New York: De Gruyter, 1989), 6.
12
Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), 10.
13
Leonard L. Thompson, “Ordinary Lives: John and His First Readers,” in Reading the Book of Revelation: A
Resource for Students, ed. David L. Barr, Resources for Biblical Study no. 44 (Atlanta: Society of Biblical
Literature, 2003), 38.
14
Thompson, “Ordinary Lives: John and His First Readers,” 39.
15
Thompson, “Ordinary Lives: John and His First Readers,” 40.
16
Thompson, “Ordinary Lives: John and His First Readers,” 44.
thus, it is safe to assume a triple setting for the audience: 17 (a) Conflict with Outsiders (b)
Assimilation and Greco-Roman Religious Practices and (c) Complacency and Wealth. For
brown, the following are the problems confronting the churches: false teaching (Ephesus,
Pergamum, Thyatira); persecution (Smyrna, Philadelphia); and complacency (Sardis,
Laodicea).18
4. Date
The Nature of the text of Revelation has made it difficult to ascertain the date, and
therefore all attempts are made through discerning historical allusions in Revelation or from
references to Revelation by other Christian writers.
The earliest reference in tradition was made by Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with
Trypho. History says that this debate happened around 135 CE. If one assumes that it takes a
couple of decades to become authoritative, then in all probability, Revelation was penned
down before 120 CE. 19
Eusebius, in his attempt to dissuade Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE) from persecuting
Christian, has painted a dark and exaggerated picture of persecution during the reign of
Emperors Nero (37- 68 CE) and Domitian (81- 96 CE). This, however, has led modern
biblical scholars to identify Domitian’s reign (81- 96 CE) as the period of Revelation’s
origin.20 David Aune goes one further step to comment that there was a fist edition in around
70 CE and then John edited his own work in light of the new situation of the 90s. 21 However
recent historical studies have established that the two reigns mentioned above did not differ
much from the reigns of other Roman emperors in their attitude toward Christianity. Though
they considered Christianity a fanatical superstition and hated their members for their
“abominations” and “perversity”, their treatment of Christians was a despised tolerance with
sporadic persecution.22 Hence, it is difficult to pinpoint John’s portrayal of Rome to the reign
of one particular Emperor.
Based on internal evidence, if Rev 17:8 and 17:11 refer to the Nero Myth, then we can
conclude that Revelation was written after Nero’s death in 68 CE. And therefore, only an
estimation that Revelation was written sometime in the period between 70 and 120 CE.23
5. Purpose
Given that there is scarcely any historical evidence that Nero’s intense persecution
extended to Asia (see section 2), Collins contends that Revelation portrays merely a
perceived crisis. However, in line with the conclusions of section 2, Osborne counters the
thesis saying that this is an overstatement and that John might have seen the Neronian
persecution as the beginning of a cataclysmic eschaton.24 Theison applauds the author for the
ability to see more clearly than any New Testament author concerning the
17
Craig R. Koester, ed., Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, The Anchor Yale
Bible volume 38A (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014), 96–101.
18
Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 782.
19
Thompson, “Ordinary Lives: John and His First Readers,” 27.
20
Thompson, “Ordinary Lives: John and His First Readers,” 34.
21
David E Aune, Revelation, 1-5, Word Biblical Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2017)
ch.1, "Introduction: Section 2 Date.”
22
Thompson, “Ordinary Lives: John and His First Readers,” 36.
23
Thompson, “Ordinary Lives: John and His First Readers,” 27.
24
Osborne, Revelation, ch.1, "Date".
incommensurability of a religiously glorified state and Christianity, foreseeing the great
persecutions of Christians which began only in the third and fourth centuries.25
By using deSilva’s thesis, Osborne sees the book as an honor discourse written to
exhort the audience to withstand pressures to conform, imploring the believers to standfirm,
and warning the weak against giving in 26 and to promise them that God would vindicate them
for their suffering.”27
Burkett similarly notes that the purpose of the Revelation is to correct the churches,
encourage them and exhort them.28 Guthrie, also in agreement, comments that the book is, a
book of encouragement and exhortation.
“To those who combat the great forces of evil with apparently little success, the book
brings particular inspiration. And to those who are inclined in any age to forsake their
faith because the odds against them seem to be too great, the book issues a powerful
challenge to endurance.”29
6. Genre
Through scholarly consensus of a large margin, Revelation is identified as an
apocalypse. 30 Adela Yarbro Collins defines Apocalypse as
“a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is
mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent
reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and
spatial insofar as it involves another, supernatural world.”31
Later, she added the following to the above definition:
“intended to interpret present, earthly circumstances in light of the supernatural world
and of the future, and to influence both the understanding and the behaviour of the
audience by means of divine authority”.32
Apocalyptic were borne out of the genre of prophecy. Similar to the prophets, the
apocalyptic writers too have a supernatural experience by which they entered the heavenly
court that gathers in presence of God and there the writer is introduced to the mysterious plan
of God (Amos 3:7; I Kings 22: 19-23; Isa 6). However in apocalyptic, the visions are far
more vivid with symbols such as ideal temple, liturgical settings, cosmic phenomena,
imagery of fantastic beasts, statues and also mysterious numbers. 33 Often, hope of God’s
people for a historical solution is dissolved and the final solution of all problems is given by
direct divine intervention. Apocalyptic usually have strongly dualistic metaphysics, where the
25
Gerd Theissen, The New Testament: History, Literature, Religion, trans. John Bowden (London: T & T Clark,
2004), 165.
26
David Arthur DeSilva, “Honor Discourse and the Rhetorical Strategy of the Apocalypse of John,” Journal for
the Study of the New Testament, 71.21 (1999): 79–110.
27
Osborne, Revelation, ch.1, "Purpose.”
28
Delbert Royce Burkett, An Introduction to the New Testament and the Origins of Christianity (Cambridge,
UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002). Ch 40. Conflict with roman world (2): Revelation
29
Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, 4. ed. (rev.). (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), 980.
30
Michael Gilbertson, God and History in the Book of Revelation: New Testament Studies in Dialogue with
Pannenberg and Moltmann, Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series 124 (Cambridge, UK ; New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 79.
31
Adela Yarbro Collins, The Apocalypse, New Testament Message (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press,
1979), 9.
32
Adela Yarbro Collins, “Reading the Book of Revelation in the Twentieth Century,” Interpretation 40 (1986):
229–42.
33
Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 775.
events of earth are seen as part of a struggle in the other world between God or God's angels
and Satan and his angels.34
Though the first word of Revelation (Ἀποκάλυψις) has come to name the genre for a
large body of texts as apocalypse, it doesn’t fit in identically with the rest of the texts. 35
Common traits of apocalyptic works such as opportunities for repentance in the text,
pseudonymity and vaticinia ex eventu36 are missing in Revelation. Added with the above, the
primacy of the Christ event 37 makes Revelation sue generis38. Revelation is a complex with
elements from the genres of prophecy, apocalypse, and epistle employed in a manner that
unparalleled in other literature.39 Gilbertson comments,
“The apocalyptic nature of the text brings with it a sense of the universal scope of
history and ultimate temporal and spatial perspectives, while the prophetic and
epistolary nature of the text serves to focus attention on the present situation of the
communities to which it is addressed.”40
7. Literary Structure
Along with the struggle to place Revelation in a category of Genre is the struggle to identify
the structure of the text. David Aune enumerates the manner in which the structure of
Revelation has been understood.
7.1. Recapitulation Theory
This theory contends that the seven bowl plagues (15:1—16:21) are not
chronologically subsequent to the seven trumpet plagues (8:6—11:15) but are infact parallel
accounts of the same events. And therefore the plot is construed of something of the sort of a
spiral where the same events are revisited thereby additional details are furnished.
7.2. “The Series of Seven”
As the title suggests, this perspective sees the structure in a series of sevens. Therefore
the plot is to be seen progressing in the Seven Letters (2:1-3:22), Seven Seals (6:1-8:1),
Seven Trumpets (8:2- 11:19), Seven unnumbered events (12:1-14:20) Seven Plagues and
Seven Bowls (15:1-16:21). Koester identifies internal arrangements within these sets of
seven. The seal and trumpet visions are arranged in a pattern of 4 + 4 + interlude + 1 where
four short torments are followed by two longer and more intense torments and a final torment
that follows a short interlude. The only anomaly is the bowl visions where the sequence is
changed into to 5 + 2 + interlude + 1.41
7.3. “Heavenly Throne-Room Scenes”
This approach divides the book based on the seven iterations of the throne room
scenes. Thus the plot progresses from one scene to another in Scene 1: 4:1-5:14, Scene 2:
7:9–17. Scene 3: 8:1–4, Scene 4: 11:15–18, Scene 5: 14:1–5, Scene 6: 15:2–8 and the seventh
last scene in 19:1–10.

34
Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 776.
35
Gilbertson, God and History in the Book of Revelation, 73.
36
A writing style in which though the author exists after the event, the text is written as though a prophecy.
37
Gilbertson, God and History in the Book of Revelation, 79.
38
i.e one of a kind.
39
Carson and Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 715.
40
Gilbertson, God and History in the Book of Revelation, 79.
41
Koester, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, 113.
 Raymond brown suggests the following structure, which has been made in light of the
events of the book:42
1. Prologue: (1: 1-3)
2. Letters to the Seven Churches: (1:4-3:22)
2.1. Opening Formula with attached praise, promise, and divine response (1:4-8)
2.2. Inaugural Vision (1:9-20)
2.3. Seven Letters (2:1-3:22)
3. Part I of the Revelatory Experience: (4:1-11:19)
3.1. Visions of the Heavenly Court: The One Enthroned and the Lamb (4:1-5:14)
3.2. Seven Seals (6:1-8:1)
3.3. Seven Trumpets (8:2-11:19)
4. Part II of the Revelatory Experience: (12:1-22:5)
4.1. Visions of the Dragon, the Beasts, and the Lamb (12:1-14:20)
4.2. Seven Plagues and Seven Bowls (15:1-16:21)
4.3. Judgment of Babylon, the Great Harlot (17:1-19:10)
4.4. Victory of Christ and the End of History (19:11-22:5)
5. Epilogue (with Concluding Blessing): (22:6-21:21)
Joseph Mangina a broader and simpler structure as given below
1. Prologue (1:1–3)
2. Jesus appears to John on Patmos, with messages for the seven churches (1:4–3:22)
3. The slaughtered Lamb remakes creation and judges history (4:1–11:19)
4. The Messiah-King conquers the powers and brings down Babylon (12:1–20:15)
5. The church is invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (21:1–22:7)
6. Epilogue (22:8–21)
8. Major Theological Themes of Revelation
This section deals with the motifs that are found in the book of Revelation. It may be
noted that the major themes are borrowed from Mitchell G. Reddish work: Revelation.
8.1. The sovereignty of God
The Central theme to John’s theology in Revelation is God’s sovereignty. However,
in contrast to the idea of the sovereignty of God construed as patriarchal domination,
violence, and abuse of power, Mitchell G. Reddish finds God’s sovereignty exemplified in
the sacrificial, suffering work of the Lamb.43
8.2. Radical monotheism
Another major theme is a polemic against participation in Emperor Cult and
entanglement in the quasi-religious practices of the day. For John, Christians’ allegiance to
Governments, economic systems, occupations, and even religious organizations must always
be secondary and subservient to one’s ultimate allegiance to God.44
8.3. Exalted Christology
In Revelation, the titles of God (such as Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,
Lord) are supplied to Christ too, thereby portraying a high Christology. The work and nature

42
Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 774.
43
Mitchell Glenn Reddish, Revelation, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Macon, Ga: Smyth & Helwys Pub,
2001), 22.
44
Reddish, Revelation, 23.
of God and Christ are exchangeable in that Enthronement in heavenly throne, Worship,
Salvation, Divine judgement are attributed to both God and Christ.45
8.4. Salvation.
The Prominent image of Christ in Revelation is the Lamb that had been slain. The hymns in
chapters 7, 11, and 19 have the major the God’s saving activity. Christ is portrayed as the one
“who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood” (1:5) in order to remind the sacrificial
Atonement.46
8.5. Judgment and warning.
One of the major emphases of Revelation is the warning that the universe will under
the judgment and wrath of God. Through a symbolic non-literal lake of fire, the author
conveys the message that ultimately God doesn’t allow evil to exist in the world. The
Apocalypse serves as a powerful warning that those who would be the people of God must be
obedient to God. Though the theme of judgement is abhorrent to contemporary academia, it
can be found to be an inevitability and finality in the book of revelation, as does the Gospels
and the rest of the new testament.47
8.6. Hope.
In spite of the terrible events explained int the text, Revelation gives a message of
hope to believers. Artistically beautiful description of the rest in eschaton as given in (21:4)
“death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things
have passed away” and also the final victory of God over the evil oppressive structures
reassures the reader that the problems of the present shall be solved in the eschaton. 48 Guthrie
adds that “In the end it is the Lamb who is victorious, and this conviction has brought
immeasurable comfort in all ages to those who have seemed so helpless in a time of crisis and
persecution.”49
9. Interpretation
A contrast between interpretation50 and a “mystic and symbolic” interpretation 51 has
characterised the history of interpretation of Revelation and such a divide can be seen even
in the trends of contemporary academia.52
9.1. Classical interpretation
It is commonly assume that for the original readers, the books was about the imminent
break out of eschaton. However, Constantine’s conversion in the fourth century and the
subsequent accumulation of Christian authority in Rome demanded a revision to the mode of
interpretation, as the traditional portrayal of Rome as the evil worldly demonic oppressor was
revisited. Some symbolists began interpreting the new situation of worldly power of
Christendom as the beginning of the promised millennium of Christ’s reign.53

45
Reddish, Revelation, 24.
46
Reddish, Revelation, 24.
47
Reddish, Revelation, 25.
48
Reddish, Revelation, 26.
49
Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, 978.
50
imagining that the events described in Revelation will happen in the material world
51
imagining that the events described refer to spiritual realities
52
David L. Barr, “Introduction: Reading Revelation Today: Consensus and Innovations,” in Reading the Book
of Revelation: A Resource for Students, ed. David L. Barr, Resources for Biblical Study no. 44 (Atlanta: Society
of Biblical Literature, 2003), 2.
53
Barr, “Introduction: Reading Revelation Today: Consensus and Innovations,” 2.
 Augustine of Hippo in the 4 th century interpreted Revelation as an allegory of the
Christian life: Satan was bound every time one came to God, the New Jerusalem coming
down from heaven denotes the reception of God’s grace and the City of God is the Church,
already present on earth. This became the norm for interpretation for the next seven
centuries.54
Joachim of Fiore in the 12th century began the historist interpretation in which he
interpreted Revelation as predicting the events of history from 1 st century to the events of his
own day. Thus the various heads of the beast were identified with specific rulers. This
approach was also very useful to the Protestants n the sixteenth century in their portrayal of
the Pope as the false prophet.55
9.2. Classification of interpretations
Mazzaferri lists out the approaches that have been taken to read revelation. In addition to his
four classifications, Osborne adds the fifth.
9.2.1. Preterist
This approach finds the book as a symbolic representation of the events of 1 st century.
Proponents of this approach are predominantly involved with identifying the historical
referents of the text in the 1st century, and thus Revelation is subjected to a historical study.56
Though exegetically helpful, this approach fails to explain the vivid descriptions of eschaton.
9.2.2. Historicist
This approach contends that the book is a blueprint for history from the 1st century till
the time of the reader. The Interpreter then looks for possible identifications for the symbolic
allusions of the text in the icons and events in history. 57 Though this approach has given rise
to creative applications, it inevitably leads to endless speculation and subjectivity.
9.2.3. Futurist
This approach places the text in the future, as a blueprint for the events of the future
eschaton. This method denies any historical situatedness of the text. 58 Though there is a
element of futurism in the text, it cannot explain those instances where the allusions seems to
be historical in nature.
9.2.4. Idealist
This kind of interpretation sees the book as Ahistorical but understands the book as a
narrative of the timeless ideals of the heavenly realm. Hence the book is a materialistic
depiction of the conflict between Good and Evil, hence the entire book is seen as allegory. 59
Gilbert names this approach as “Philosophy of history approach” 60 Objection to the futurist
approach apply here too.

9.3. Eclectic

54
Barr, “Introduction: Reading Revelation Today: Consensus and Innovations,” 2.
55
Barr, “Introduction: Reading Revelation Today: Consensus and Innovations,” 3.
56
Mazzaferri, The Genre of the Book of Revelation from a Source-Critical Perspective, 33–34.
57
Mazzaferri, The Genre of the Book of Revelation from a Source-Critical Perspective, 33–34.
58
Mazzaferri, The Genre of the Book of Revelation from a Source-Critical Perspective, 33–34.
59
Mazzaferri, The Genre of the Book of Revelation from a Source-Critical Perspective, 33–34.
60
Gilbertson, God and History in the Book of Revelation, 47.
 This approach is simply any interpretation that has characteristic elements from more
than one method. Many contemporary interpreters take up a preterist-futurist interpretation
where they see the author having taken elements from his context and the eschaton is seen to
be in direct continuance.
Kovacs has supplied a map and noted that interpretations of Revelation tend to have
degree of freedom along two axes. First, the axes of decoding and repeated actualization
where the interpretations range from decoding the actual meaning of the text to the other end
of the spectrum where meaning is sought from the context. The other axis deals with the
place of the events of the book in history. 61 Graphically, this can be represented as below.
Past
|
|
Decoding --------------- Present ------------- Repeated actualization
|
|
Future
9.4. Appraisal of interpretation
Brown allows for historical referents in the description of the text, but also finds many
symbols as polyvalent in meaning. Readings of Revelation brings out various emotions and
feelings that cannot be conceptualized through categories. And therefore, he is in opposition
to a mere historical descriptive approach to the text. 62 Gilbert agrees in saying that the book
reveals hidden dimensions of the past, present and future, within which the present must be
seen.63 Therefore, the presenter proposes an integrated approach in which the text is subjected
to not just a historical analysis but one where the meaning for the present is sought.
10. Conclusion
The present study of the book of Revelation concludes with the following findings:
The Book of revelation was most probably written by Apostle John in the last decade of the
first century to an audience that had two fold problems: persecution from outside and
complacency. In terms of genre, the text combines elements from genres of prophecy,
apocalypse, and epistle. And In terms of interpretation, it is better to have an integrated
approach where the historical elements of the book are explained with an eye for the meaning
to the present context.

61
Judith L. Kovacs, Christopher Rowland, and Rebekah Callow, Revelation: The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ,
Blackwell Bible Commentaries (Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004), 8.
62
Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 779.
63
Gilbertson, God and History in the Book of Revelation, 56.
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Helwys Pub, 2001.
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Thomas, Robert L. Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1992.
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