What Is Revelation About?

We have discussed the fact that John's revelation would "soon take place" (Rev. 1:1), and when John wrote it he said "the time is near" (Rev. 1:3). But that still does not tell us what is the point of the Revelation.

There are two main ideas:

1. Revelation is about God's Judgment against Jerusalem.

2. Revelation is about God's Judgment against the Roman Empire.

Those who suggest it is the judgment against Jerusalem point to verses such as Rev. 7:4-8, which talks about the 144,000 from "every tribe of Israel." Rev. 10:7 says, "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets." When was the mystery of God finished? The argument is that it was when God finally judged Israel by destroying Jerusalem. There are also several references in the book of Revelation which seem to parallel some of the language in Matthew 24, in which Jesus is certainly discussing the fall of Jerusalem.

Those who suggest it is the judgment against Rome point to passages such as Rev. 2-3, which are seven letters to seven churches in Asia. Why would these churches be warned about the impending doom of Jerusalem? In fact, a couple of these churches were being oppressed by Jewish influences. Rev. 17 discusses the doom of the harlot woman who sits on the back of a scarlet beast. She is drunk with the blood of the saints, indicating she has been persecuting and killing Christians. "The woman...is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth" (Rev. 17:18). What great city reigned at the time? It was undoubtedly Rome. Rev. 18-19 talks about the fall of this city, figuratively described as "Babylon the great." The descriptions found in the chapters are much more easily ascribed to Rome than to Jerusalem.

I must confess I believe the book of Revelation is about God's judgment against the Roman Empire.

What do you think? And why?

God bless,
Nathan

Tomorrow's Reading: Revelation 19-22