The Book of Revelatio The Book of Revelation, often called the Revelation to John, the Apocalypse of John, The Revelation, or simply Revelation or Apocalypse (and often misquoted as Revelations), is a book of the New Testament that occupies a central place in Christian eschatology. Its title is derived from the first word of the text, written in Koine Greek: apokalypsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation" (before title pages and titles, books were commonly known by their first words, as is also the case of the Hebrew Five Books of Moses (Torah)). The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic document in the New Testament canon (although there are short apocalyptic passages in various places in the Gospels and the Epistles).[a]
The author names himself in the text as "John", but his precise identity remains a point of academic debate. Second-century Christian writers such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Melito the bishop of Sardis, and Clement of Alexandria and the author of the Muratorian fragment identify John the Apostle as the "John" of Revelation.[1] Modern scholarship generally takes a different view,[2] and many consider that nothing can be known about the author except that he was a Christian prophet.[3] Some modern scholars characterise Revelation's author as a putative figure whom they call "John of Patmos". The bulk of traditional sources date the book to the reign of the emperor Domitian (AD 81–96), and the evidence tends to confirm this.[4]
The book spans three literary genres: the epistolary, the apocalyptic, and the prophetic.[5] It begins with John, on the island of Patmos in the Aegean, addressing a letter to the "Seven Churches of Asia". He then describes a series of prophetic visions, including figures such as the Seven Headed Dragon, The Serpent and the Beast, culminating in the Second Coming of Jesus.
The obscure and extravagant imagery has led to a wide variety of Christian interpretations: historicist interpretations see in Revelation a broad view of history; preterist interpretations treat Revelation as mostly referring to the events of the apostolic era (1st century), or, at the latest, the fall of the Roman Empire; futurists believe that Revelation describes future events; and idealist or symbolic interpretations consider that Revelation does not refer to actual people or events, but is an allegory of the spiritual path and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
Christian Eschatology
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Christian eschatology is a major branch of study
within
Christian theology.
Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning "last" (ἔσχατος) and "study"
(-λογία), is the study of 'end things', whether the end of an individual
life, the
end of the age, the end of the
world and the nature of the
Kingdom of God. Broadly speaking, Christian eschatology is the study of
the destiny of humankind as it is revealed by the
Bible, which
is the primary source for all Christian eschatology studies.
The major issues and events in Christian eschatology are death and the afterlife, Heaven and Hell, the Second Coming of Jesus, the Resurrection of the Dead, the Rapture, the Tribulation, Millennialism, the end of the world, the Last Judgment, and the New Heaven and New Earth of the world to come. Eschatological passages are found in many places in the Bible, both in the Old and the New Testaments. There are also many extra-biblical examples of eschatological prophecy, as well as church traditions.
Armageddon
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The
Book of Revelation states: "I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white
horse. And he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and with
righteousness he judges and makes war." [Rev 19:11] We now see Christ, not
as a lamb, but as a warrior, ready to make war against the forces of evil.
There is a passage in Zechariah which is identified with this event: "I will
gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. The city will be taken,
the houses looted, and the women raped… Then the Lord will go forth and
fight against those nations… Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the
saints with you." [Zech 14:2-5] In Matthew, Jesus says, "The sign of the Son
of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will
mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory." [Mt 24:30]
The army of heaven is described in similar terms as the resurrected and raptured believers: "The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses."[Rev 19:14] Revelation continues: "I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army." [Rev 19:19] Isaiah also speaks of such a battle: "The Lord will come with fire and with his chariots, like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword the Lord will judge all flesh, and the slain of the Lord will be many." [Is. 66:15-16]
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ex Wiki
The Four Horsemen are described in the
last book of the
New Testament of the
Bible, called
the
Book of Revelation of
Jesus
Christ to
Saint John the Evangelist at
6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll'
in
God's right hand that is sealed with
seven
seals". The
Lamb
of God/Lion of Judah (Jesus
Christ) opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons forth
four beings that
ride out on white, red, black, and pale
horses.
Although some interpretations differ, the four riders are commonly seen as
symbolizing
Conquest, War,
Famine and
Death,
respectively. The
Christian
apocalyptic vision is that the four horsemen are to set a
divine
apocalypse upon the
world as
harbingers of the
Last Judgment.
