Wednesday, December 26, 2012

The Author of Revelation

The author introduces himself as "his (God's) servant John" (Revelation 1:1). In the epistolary greeting, he calls himself simply John (Revelation 1:4) as if the recipients of the letter would know who he was. Indeed, he continues by saying that he was their "brother and partner in the tribulation" (Revelation 1:9). Therefore, it appears that he was well-known in the churches of Asia Minor and that they would have no difficulty identifying him.

The early church was nearly unanimous in identifying the Apostle John as the author of Revelation. Justin Martyr (100-165 AD), who lived in Asia Minor shortly after the time of John the Apostle, writes, "And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him…." [1] Irenaeus (130-202 AD), who was born in Smyrna and later became a bishop in what is now Lyons, France, frequently quotes Revelation which he attributes to John.[2] Eusebius records these words of Origen (185-254 AD):
Why need we speak of him who reclined upon the bosom of Jesus, John, who has left us one Gospel, though he confessed that he might write so many that the world could not contain them? And he wrote also the Apocalypse, but was commanded to keep silence and not to write the words of the seven thunders.[3]
Most conservative Bible scholars take the Apostle John to be the author of Revelation.

[1] Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho (81).
[2] R. J. Utley, Volume 12: Hope in Hard Times - The Final Curtain: Revelation. Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2001). 11.
[3] Eusebius. Church History, Bk. VI, xxx, 9.

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