The Revelation to John:
Introductory Notes


Who wrote Revelation?
	The author reports that his name is John (1:1, 1:4,1:9, and
22:8) and there is really no reason to doubt this.  Many books of
the age and style of Revelation are written in the character of
some famous person like Enoch, Abraham, or Isaiah, or one of the
apostles - much as we have historical novels today.  In such cases,
however, the author usually takes pains to establish the character
of the narrator by describing his life and times.  Revelation does
not do this, so it seems likely that John is writing in his own
name.
	That still leaves open the question of which John it might be.
The apostle John can't be ruled out, assuming that he lived to old
age, but neither can apostolic authorship be proven.  The author
of Revelation makes no claim to being an apostle and (in 21:14)
speaks of the twelve apostles in very much the thrid person.  Scholars
familiar with the original Greek also tell us that difference in
grammar and word choice suggest that the author os Revelation is
different from the author of the Gospel according to John.
	It is not the authorship of the book which is most important,
however, but the source of the testimony that is contains.  The
book claims to be "the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave
to him."  The experience of the church authenticates this claim.

When was it written?
	Revelation was probably written during the reign of Caesar
Domitian, about 95 A.D.  The churches of Asia Minor were obviously
established before Revelation was written and the book was known
and cited by Christian writers by 150 A.D.  The persecutions under
Domitian and the emperor worship that he insisted on seem to fit
the descriptions of persecution in Revelation.

Who was it written to?
	Revelation is addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor.  The
fact that seven churches were named is a sign that the whole church
is being addressed.  The number seven, corresponding to the number
of days when God created the universe, is a symbol of completeness.
John was concerned with the persecution faced by Christains in his 
time, but Revelation would be only another forgotten apocalypse if
its message were not also written to all Christians.

What is it?
	Revelation is many things:  It is a polemic against apostasy
and the worship of the Roman emperors.  It is an affirmation of God's
power and a promise of God's final victory.  It is a carefully 
crafted work of literature - the finest of its type in existence.  
Revelation is prophecy, in the most important sense of that word:
It communicates God's will and purposes to us.  On the other hand, 
Revelation is not simply foretelling the future, and John is not
a fortune-teller.

How is Revelation written?
	The style of Revelation is that of an apocalypse, which was a
common and familiar style at the time.  The apocalyptic style 
allowed John to make use of hundreds of familiary symbols and images.
Most of these are drawn from the Old Testament.  One scholar estimated 
that about 2/3 of the verses in Revelation contain quotations from 
or allusions to the Old Testament.  (To fully appreciate Revelation,
you need to be familiar with all of the Old Testament, especially 
the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah, but also Isaiah, Exodus,
the Psalms, Kings, and the rest.)  In addition, John draws on older
apocalypses and the liturgy of the church.
	Revelation has been compared to a symphony, an analogy which is
apt in two ways.  First, just as the notes of music begin to fade
away as shoon as they have been played, so the images in Revelation
fade and change almost as soon as they are read.  The fluid image
of Revelation, like music, evoke memories and associations which 
affect us in a way that is deeper than, and very different from, the
way that more reasoned writings do.
	At the same time, Revelation is as carefully structured as a 
symphony.  The scenes of John's visions are arranged into "movements"
(of seven scenes each).  Themes and phrases used in one place are
heard again in other settings.  A carefully constructed opening and
closing are used to tie the entire work together.  [A detailed outline
of Revelation based on this idea may be found in the introduction to 
Revelation in The Interpreter's Bible.  The main part of the work may 
be seen as seven "letters" followed by seven series of seven visions.  
Other ways of outlining the book are, of course, also possible.]
	Revelation is a classic of literature as well as of religion
and it deserves to be read for what it is, rather than be forced
into the mold of someone's preconceptions. And first of all, it 
should be experienced and enjoyed.
	As a work of literature, Revelation is brilliant, a shining
gem. John was able to maintain a sense of the unity of the work
and to provide closure, typing the whole together from beginning to 
end, while simultaneously remaining true to the openness of his
message of final victory.  Few writings of any kind sustain the
tight organization that characterizes Revelation - and none of its 
age or style come close.  Few writings will bear, or deserve, the
close analysis that Revelation almost demands of its students.  
Yet this depth of detail exists within a flowing imagery which is
as hard to pin down as a singing brook.


January, 1989
September, 1998