Here he states that john was a disciple or apostle of jesus christ and that he wrote the apocalypse or the book of revelation. So, the divine author of revelation is jesus christ and the human author is the apostle john. While revelation holds mysterious and frightening images of the endtimes, the book of revelation was written to be an encouragement to christians of all times. How old was the apostle john when he wrote revelation. Patmos was a quarry mine for the roman empire, and was home to. When john was very old, his disciples carried him about. When rome had exiled john to patmos, he was the last remaining. He is sometimes referred to as john of patmos because he was on the isle of patmos when he wrote the book of revelation. Some historians and scholars claim that john died while on patmos and others say that he was freed from the island before his death.
The book of revelation by john the apostle bible probe. The book of revelation, a prophecy of warning and hope. The book of revelation starts with this is a revelation from jesus christ, which god gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. History of john the disciple of jesus jesus christ.
He was a devout jew and mystic exiled on the island of patmos, off the coast of presentday greece. From ephesus he was ordered to be sent to rome, where it is affirmed he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. No warnings to flee the destruction of jerusalem which was only 48 years away when john supposedly wrote the book before ad 70. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant john. The tradition of johns exile was started by augustine about 200 years after john lived. Then he wrote his book as a true record of his experiences. John wrote i, ii, and iii john, and in addition he wrote the gospel according to st. Like john, we find it hard to describe what we read in the book of revelation. He wrote it when he was about 92 years old, while a prisoner of rome on the remote desert penal. When you read revelation, nowhere in the book does it state that john is in exile or imprisoned. Revelation, apocalypse, john, patmos, nero, domitian.
He also wrote the gospel of john and the book of revelation. This disciple was one of the sons of zebedee who followed our lord. He wrote it when he was about 92 years old, while a prisoner of rome on the remote desert penal colony of patmos, an island in the aegean sea. Then in numerous other passages in against heresies he refers to john and quotes from the book of revelation. Is the book of john, john 1,2,3 and revelation all. How to study the book of revelation christian truth center. It is said that jesus claimed john would live to be an old man, and as an old man he would see jesus return to earth or at least john would see a glimpse of jesus second coming, a supposed reference to johns visions recorded in the book of the revelation. With the book of revelation, the reason for the identification was simple. Asked in new testament who was the only disciple of christ who died of old age.
John was known to the people as john the baptist, and on the lords day, april 20, 33 ad, john the baptist was in spirit, dead. John founded and built churches all through asia until he was old, and died the sixtyeighth year after our lords passion, peacefully in ephesus. Later, he reported those events in his gospel, in a way that was designed to meet the particular needs of his audience. This article will conclude our series titled who wrote the new testament. The apostle john was later freed, possibly due to old age, and he returned to what is now turkey. The commentary of the book supports the truths he expected to disclose apocalypse in greek to the people of the latter days. The apostle john, who wrote it under the inspiration of jesus christ revelation 1. Understanding revelation from the old testament gods writer.
The book of revelation by john the apostle 1726 words. The book of revelation is the last book he wrote around 96 ad. Revelation to john, also called book of revelation or apocalypse of john, last book of the new testament. Who wrote the book of revelation and the fourth gospel. John wrote revelation when the seemingly allpowerful roman empire with its cult of emperorworship was persecuting the followers of jesus christ. How john wrote the book of revelation is a behindthescenes look at the literary process used to create the book of revelation. We are shown the duties of all creatures and angels of heaven and the promises of the saints that will live forever with jesus in the new jerusalem. John was the youngest disciple of the twelve disciples of jesus who became an apostle of the church.
This book cracks the mystery of the elaborate, and highly formulaic procedure john used, and gives readers the opportunity to observe how the book of revelation was written, line by line, as though they were peering. For he doesnt call himself the disciple whom the lord lovedas happens often in the gospelnor does he say that he was the one who leaned on jesus breast or that he was the brother of. John and the book of revelation a bible study in easy. All of the prophecies given throughout the old testament, as well as those in the new testament converge in this one single book.
The book of revelation is the work of a specific writer, who wrote under specific circumstances, to specific recipients, and in a specific literary genre. When was the book of revelation written by the apostle john. We know very little about johns activity after acts 8 and even there he is only mentioned as a companion of peter. John wrote the book of revelation during his exile. In much the same way, john observed the visions he reported in the book of revelation. It is the only book of the new testament classified as apocalyptic literature rather than didactic or historical, indicating thereby its extensive use of visions, symbols, and allegory, especially in. The text of revelation states that john was on patmos, a greek island where, by most biblical historians, he is. Domitian afterwards banished him to the isle of patmos, where he wrote the book of revelation. During his life, john wrote the book of john and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd book of john and the. Karlo broussard gives the reasons for why the most reasonable answer to the question who wrote the book of revelation.
Can the differences between johns gospel and revelation be reconciled. Of course, when john is almost 100 years old and wrote the gospel of john around ad 98, he likely was the last apostle alive of the and therefore the rumour became widely believed and was becoming a problem that needed fixing. She says the writer of revelation may have been called john the book is sometimes called book of the revelation of saint john the divine but he was not the disciple who accompanied jesus. The book of revelation is the last book of the bible. Based on analyses of the texts and the theology contained in them, if the apostle john wrote the book of revelation, he could not have written the gospel that now bears his name. Book of revelation the author of the book of revelation identifies himself only as john. St john the divine was exiled to the island of patmos when he wrote the book of revelation. The roman authorities had banished him there because of his faithful preaching of the gospel 1. He is also believed to be the only disciple who died of old age the others were allegedly martyred. When was the book of revelation written by the apostle. The apostle john is the author of the book of revelation. Yes, to be honest this book of revelation is full of mysteries, symbolism and within humankind or mankind we are limited to understand this divine revelation that god gave to jesus. The total objective of revelation was to reveal the future. The author of the book of revelation identifies himself only as john.
The masterful way in which john wrote the words of revelation are now revealed in the book that explains it all. When john was aged, he trained polycarp who later became bishop of. The authorities then sentenced john to slave labor in the mines of patmos. John is traditionally regarded as the author of five books of the bible. When he was released from exile, he returned to ephesus. John exiled to patmos amazing bible timeline with world. He wrote the gospel according to john, first, second and third john, and he.
Book of revelation explained scripture by scripture. If you were a religious or political prisoner because the roman emperor disagreed with you, you were released when the emperor died. It is when the book is rigidly interpreted in light of twentyfirst century conditions that revelation becomes trivialized. The author of the first epistle is termed john the evangelist, who most scholars believe is not the same as john the apostle. However, the true author of revelation is god and jesus christ is the one who have the revelation to an angel to. We conclude the series with a look at archaeological and historical evidence relating to the last book of the bible, revelation. Finally, while there is little to commend the notion that a shadowy figure named john the elder wrote the book of revelation, there is ample evidence that it was written by john the apostle. After john had arrived, he began to have visions that were written into the book of revelation of the bible. The book reiterates the fall of satan and the doom he and his angels are bound for. God talked to john in his dream and gave all the revelations he wrote in the book. On this island in the southern part of the aegean sea, john had a vision of jesus christ and wrote the prophetic book of revelation.
Here he states that john was a disciple or apostle of jesus christ and that he wrote the. I, john, your brother who share with you in jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient. He played a leading role in the early church at jerusalem. There is no scholarly consensus as to the authorship of the johannine works. Revelation has long been attributed to the author of johns gospel, in spite of the differences in style of writing. Saint john the apostle, disciple of jesus and author of several books of the new. The first epistle of john, often referred to as first john and written 1 john or i john, is the first of the johannine epistles of the new testament, and the fourth of the catholic epistles. Victorinus late third century, author of the earliest commentary on the book of revelation, wrote.
The reason for this difference in style could possibly be that, the book of revelation was revealed to john the apostle at his old age and was possibly penned with the help of someone who was not good in greek language. Was this person the same john that wrote 1, 2, and 3 john. John of patmos could be the author named as john in the book of revelation, the apocalyptic text forming the final book of the new testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of zebedee and. Patmos was a quarry mine for the roman empire, and was home to many political and religious prisoners or slaves.
How old was john in the book of revelation answers. First, we will address the question, who wrote the book of revelation. The three books of john came first, revelation was written by john as he was a prisoner on theisland of patmos. Asked in the bible, bible statistics and history, new testament how many books of. The person who wrote the gospel according to john and the book of revelation was beheaded. In fact, there is no good evidence at all that the apostle john wrot. John exiled to patmos amazing bible timeline with world history. The book should be rightfully called the revelation according to jesus christ. Now this book of revelation and its prophecy began in the old testament to the major and minor prophets of the old. Again and again, he told christians to love one another. Even though there is a good argument to be made he did ministry in samaria, little can be known with any certainty.
The book of the revelation of jesus christ was written by john probably. It was also widely expected that the dead emperor nero would come back to life to take revenge against the rome he once ruled. Apart from the book of revelation, john has written other bible books which are. He was a close follower of christ who was also called the disciple that. But, who was it that penned the word of revelation. John the apostle was one of the twelve apostles of jesus according to the new testament. The date is suggested by clues in the visions pointing to the reign of the emperor domitian. If you study that passage closely in john, however, it reads so that we know there.