As the classes below demonstrate, Revelation draws heavily on and creatively adapts traditions found in Jewish and Christian apocalypses. It incorporates shared themes and imagery, such as vast bloodshed, predetermined numbers of the saved, and elements from Synoptic parables like the Watching Servants and the Thief. These traditions circulated independently. The book exhibits meticulous literary composition, with careful structure, overlapping sections, and the deliberate repetition and variation of phrases to create meaning.
Revelation offers a radical critique of the Roman Empire, identifying it as Babylon and the culmination of evil empires. A significant part of this critique focuses on Rome's economic exploitation, highlighted by a detailed list of imported luxury goods in chapter 18 and mentioning the slave trade.
Key symbols like the Beast are drawn from Old Testament imagery and linked to contemporary figures or legends like Nero, representing the empire's power and opposition to God, and its eventual fall. John uses different forms of the Nero legend to depict the empire's might and its downfall. The concept of Christian witness and martyrdom is central, framed as active participation in an eschatological conflict or spiritual warfare against the oppressive system.
Understanding Revelation requires close attention to its literary techniques, its historical context within the Roman Empire, its extensive use and interpretation of Old Testament scriptures, and its relationship to apocalyptic traditions.
The Climax of Prophecy: Introduction
Structure and Composition in Revelation
The Use of Apocalyptic Traditions in Revelation
The Synoptic Parousia Parables and the Apocalypse
The Worship of Jesus in Revelation
The Role of the Spirit in Revelation
The Lion, the Lamb, and the Dragon In Revelation
The Eschatological Earthquake in Revelation
The Apocalypse as a Christian War Scroll
The Conversion of the Nations in Revelation