Unveiling the Apocalyptic
The book of Revelation, often seen as mysterious and complex, is actually introduced as an unveiling or revelation (from the Greek word apokalypsis). Its main purpose is to reveal things about Jesus Christ and things that God wants to show His servants that must soon take place Revelation 1:1 English - ESV.
Revelation 1 English - World English Bible 2013 (Drama NT)
Let's break down what this powerful book is all about:
- The Author and His Circumstances The author identifies himself simply as John Revelation 1:1 English - ESV. While the Bible doesn't explicitly state he is John the Apostle, early church tradition strongly suggests it was indeed the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. At the time of writing, John was exiled to a small, rocky island called Patmos Revelation 1:9 English - ESV. This island was often used by the Roman Empire as a place to banish criminals, forcing them into hard labor.
Leviticus 4:6 English - GNB
PATMOS. Pronunciation: PAT muhs. Definition: a small rocky island to which the apostle John was banished and where he wrote the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:9). The island, about 16 kilometers (ten miles) long and ten kilometers (six miles) wide, lies off the southwest coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Because of its desolate and barren nature, Patmos was used by the Romans as a place to banish criminals, who were forced to work at hard labor in the mines and quarries of the island. Because Christians were regarded as criminals by the Roman emperor Domitian (ruled A. D. 81-96), the apostle John probably suffered from harsh treatment during his exile on Patmos
John was there "on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus", likely due to persecution under Emperor Domitian around A.D. 95
The name of the lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and was save.