Introduction

In this paper, I will present about the social, political and religious context where the
audience of the book of revelation suffered persecution.

History Background

The writing of Revelation has been placed either in the decade of the 60s or the 90s of
the first cencury A.D. The later date is suggested in a statement by the church father Irenaeus
that Revelation was seen at the end of the reign of the emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96).
Domination’s cruelty is well documented by Roman historians, and the church historian
Eusebius calls him a second Nero because of his persecution of the church.

The early date places, the composition of Revelation between Nero’s death in A.D 68
and the fall off Jerusalem in 70. After the fire in Rome in 64, Nero began to persecute the
church. Many Christians, including Peter and Paul, lost their lives during this time.1

Social

Many Christians no doubt were viewed as disloyal and unpatriotic for depising the
very things that most people considered to be emblems of local pride and national honor.
They also were considered to be antisocial for shunning the banquets, festivals, and public
amusements that were the stuff of ordinary people’s lives. And they were thought to be
irreligious for refusing even to acknowledge the gods whose favor was deemed essential for
continued protection and properity. Some were victims of violence, even to the point of
death. Many had to endure penalties and discrimination that led to economic hardship.2

The political levels which were created by the imperial organization were reflected in
the social levels: the senatorial aristocracy, the wealthy upper middle class, the plebs, who are
dependent upon the urban dole, the freedmen, and the slaves. These classes were constantly
changing in size and in constituency. Under Nero and Domitian the senatorial aristocracy had
been subject to proscription, confiscation of goods, exile, and even death. There had been a
rapid increase in the number of freedmen because of the progressive manumission of slaves,

1
Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. Vol-4, ( Michigan, Zondervan Grand
Rapids, 2002), 246.
2
Mark Allan Powell, Introducing the New Testament, (Singapore, Baker Acacemic, 2009), 133.
particularly at the death of their masters. Many of them were trained workers who were quite
capable of earning their own living, and when thely were freed they added to the independent
skilled workmen of the empire. From this class and from the slaves the largest number of
Christians were recruited.3

Political and Religion

In roman-occupied Asia Minor in the last decade of the first century, during the reign of the
emperor Domitian, there existed a strong motivation to accommodate. In Rome's ideological
infrastructure, religion and politics were quite intentionally mixed. Worship often mutated
into politics was often exercised through religion. Worship of Roman deities not only
demonstrated a cultic devotion and communal piety: It also signaled loyalty to the Roman
State, which was myth logically connected to and practically founded upon them. It is not
surprising, then, that the mother goddess would savor the name Roma, or that the messianic
hopes for the empire should be bound up in the person of the emperor. This blending of
politics and worship was especially evident in Asia Minor, where John and his seven
churches were located. There, particularly during the last decade of the first century, emperor
worship flourished. "Under the Flavians, especially Domitian, the Imperial cult was strongly
represented in the Roman provinces. Domitian demanded that the populace acclaim him as
'Lord and God' and participate in his worship.4

Conclusion

We can see that the belief of Christian in the book of Revelation was against from the
social, religious and political of the Roman emperor. In Myanmar, Buddhism see that
christian is colonial belief. So, the against on the Christianity is remain in some places in our
Country.

3
Merrill C. Tenney, Ph.D., Interpreting Revelation, (Michigan, Grand Rapids, 1976), 22.
4
Brian K. Blount, Revelation a Commentary,( Louisville, Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), 9.