When they refused to do this, they were tortured and even put to death. The permanent significance of Revelation lies in the author's conviction that right will ultimately triumph over evil. To the church at Pergamum he follows the pattern of beginning with praise for its suffering, but follows with criticism for not being stricter with those who "sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality," even allowing membership to those who hold to teaching of the hated Nicolaitans. The Gospel of John. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place. Look, I am coming soon! In all of these writings, events appear as though they were predicted long before they actually took place. At the end of the second century, it was accepted at Antioch, by Theophilus, and in Africa by Tertullian. A few prominent names have been associated with this position (e.g., Stuart, Schaff, Lightfoot, Foy E. Wallace Jr.), and for a brief time it was popular with certain scholars. For the church at Sardis, the speaker has no kind words, accusing it of being spiritually dead. When the members of the Christian community affirmed their belief that the crucified Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, they necessarily revised their understanding concerning the work Jesus was to do and especially the way in which his work would be completed. After 1,000 years, however, Satan will be released to deceive the people of the earth again. Justin Martyr avowed his belief in its apostolic origin. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article The messages are for the benefit of the persecuted and are usually conveyed by means of symbols that only the faithful can understand. rundgren todd were tonight gig whilst classics brother soul It would be difficult to imagine anything more appropriate for the members of Christian churches at that time. Some authorities, especially in the Eastern Church, rejected the book, however. What an incredible challenge. Before the opening of the seals is completed, another series of disasters is revealed in the appearance of seven angels, each one carrying a trumpet. The Euphrates runs dry in preparation for the coming war of, The most terrible earthquake causes "the great city" to be split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapse; hailstones weighing 100 pounds fall to earth with crushing force. The result of the conflict was that the Dragon was cast out of heaven and one third of the angels were cast out with him. When the sixth seal is opened, "the sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place." He has the power to work miracles, and it is he who influences the people to worship the first beast.
James Orr has observed, however, that recent criticism has reverted to the traditional date of near A.D. 96 (1939, 2584). It is the only biblical book that is almost wholly composed of apocalyptic literature. It is a mistake to suppose that John was predicting events that would take place in the later centuries of Christian history. At one point, John is quite specific in his identification of the one symbolized by the beast. The first is a message to the churches of seven cities in the Roman province of Asia, urging them to endure persecution and repent of their sins. John then reveals the number of those who are sealed. It was easy to circulate rumors of this kind, and along with other things, Christians were charged with plotting against the Roman government. The city's citizens will see God's face, and there will be no more curses. Christ commends those churches whose members have endured persecution and, in some instances, even death rather than declare their allegiance to Roman rulers, who proclaimed their own divinity and demanded that they should be worshipped along with the other gods of the empire. The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Another angel calls the people of God to come out of her and not to share in her sin. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. ISSN: 1559-2235. Jewish Encyclopedia on Revelation (Book of), Cultural Impact of the Book of Revelation, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Book_of_Revelation&oldid=1064562, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. This second coming, occurring at the time when all the events connected with the apocalyptic program will take place, will inaugurate the coming of the new age, as well as the final destruction of all the forces of evil. Religious skeptics have often been highly critical of Revelation, sometimes considering it the work of a mentally ill author. This is dubbed "the first resurrection." Typical in this vein is nineteenth-century agnostic Robert G. Ingersoll, who famously branded Revelation "the insanest of all books."[4]. Jackson, Wayne. It remains one of the most widely known books of the Bible because of its vivid imagery and its prophecies of both doom and hope. He refers to this in the first chapter of Revelation: I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9). The book concludes with a promise from Jesus that he is "coming soon.". Those in favor of the later date appeal to the external testimony of Irenaeus (d. 185), who stated that he had received information about the book from those who had seen John face to face. (Chapter 20), A great vision of the New Jerusalem now unfolds. Gentiles will trample the holy city for 42 months, but two "witnesses"called two olive treeswill be given divine power to testify during this time. God's temple in heaven is opened, and the Ark of the Covenant is revealed, among "flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm." During this time, the righteous will be made safe in the city of God, which is the new Jerusalem. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. John describes in detail a period of tribulation that will come upon the earth, that will be unmatched when compared to any other time in human history. I guess the many symbols and images can be overwhelming and somewhat scary. Irenaeus seems to be unaware of any other view for the date of the book of Revelation. Various other clues are given to interpreting the vision of the prostitute, the beasts, and other symbols.
Another internal evidence of a late date is that this book was penned while John was banished to Patmos (1:9). God has nothing but the best planned for those who love him. (Chapter 12), A terrible beast now emerges from the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, resembling a leopard.
The second trumpet signals the death of one third of the sea creatures. Modern critical scholarship tends to view Revelation as deriving from Jewish apocalyptic literature, especially the Book of Daniel, from which it borrows freely. Although the traditional view still has many adherents, many modern scholars believe that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and John of Patmos refer to three separate individuals. What language would you use to describe that? John was confident that the great day of divine intervention would occur within a comparatively short time, but in accordance with the apocalyptic literature with which Jewish Christians were familiar, he knew that many terrifying events would take place first. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. According to early tradition, the writing of this book took place near the very end of Domitian's reign, around 95 or 96. could present where This is possible only by pursuing the most irresponsible form of exegesis. I believe that when John saw this vision of Jesus, his mind went back to that mountaintop experience. For these reasons, many people have ignored the book, feeling that any attempt to understand it is futile. In view of the foregoing evidence, a very strong case can be made for dating Revelation at about A.D. 96. In like manner, John uses a beast to represent the Roman emperor, whose image was stamped on the coins used in the empire. This was part of Johns challenge, describing things thousands of years into the future with language and references of the first century AD. They often see it, like Daniel, as having been written basically to encourage resistance to an oppressive power, in this case Rome. suspended his judgment, hesitating between the external and internal evidence. He was creating a written record of the things God was about to reveal to him. (Chapter 8), The first "woe"proclaimed by the trumpet of the fifth angelis a star which falls to earth and opens an abyss. They are told that the forces of destruction are about to be turned loose in the world, and they may have to endure even greater torment, but if they are faithful through it all, they will be among the redeemed whose names are written in the book of life.
Members of more mainline and liberal churches tend to prefer the historical-critical and aesthetic approaches. He is commanded by an angel to "Take your sickle and reap" the earth. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. These four horses and their respective riders symbolize the conflicts that will mark the beginning of the final destruction of the Roman Empire. There are several schools of thought concerned with how the contents of the Book of Revelation should be interpreted. The birds are invited to God's feast, where they will "eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men ."
The beast and his kings battle with the King of Kings and are defeated. Jesus declares that he has sent his angel to deliver his message to the churches and warns that no one must change anything written in "this book." Under these conditions, the Revelation of John was written. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here: The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia: Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed. Some of them suffered martyrdom rather than deny their faith. (Chapter 9), At this point a new angel intervenes, descending from above and standing on both the sea and the land. Additionally, Leon Morris has pointed out that Irenaeus discussed a number of possibilities for deciphering the 666, but he did not even include Nero in his list, let alone regard this as a likely conjecture (1980, 38). In the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom and certain other bishops argued against including Revelation in the New Testament canon, chiefly because of the difficulties of interpreting it and the danger for abuse. Proud member He wanted to warn his fellow Christians concerning these events and thus prepare them for the time when their faith would be put to a more severe test than anything that they had experienced thus far. John was one of the twelve disciples, but he was also part of the inner circle along with Peter and James. However, it also characterizes the approach of Rastafarians and other non-Christian or semi-Christian sects. In addition to the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, a wealth of apocalyptic writing exists in the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. In both the Gospel of John and in Revelation, Jesus is referred to as "the Word of God" ( ). Other people have taken an opposite attitude and have found in this book what they believe to be predictions of whole series of events, many of which have already occurred and the remainder of which are about to take place in the near future. This "ancient serpent" now turns to pursue the woman, but she escapes on an eagle's wings, while the dragon contents himself to make war on the saints.
In today's Christian world, dozens of groups see Revelation as being fulfilled through their ministries, ranging from fundamentalist preachers, to millennialist sects such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists, to popular writers of Christian fiction such as Tim LaHaye, and to new religious movements such as the Unification Church. All rights reserved. Jews and Romans alike resented the fact that Christians condemned so many of the things they were doing, and they especially disliked the belief on the part of Christians that their religion was superior to the older faiths that had been honored for centuries. The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John or Apocalypse of John, is the last canonical book of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. God declares his work finished, promising blessing to those who endure and threatening suffering to those who do not repent of their sins. His name is the Word of God, and he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Previous Inspirational Bible Verses and Scripture Quotes, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. It is well known that Domitian had a fondness for this type of persecution. Christians familiar with the older apocalyptic writings would understand the book's symbolism, for practically everything John said to his contemporaries was said before to people who suffered under similar circumstances. Salem Media Group. Drawing an analogy between the twelve tribes of ancient Israel and the Christian community regarded now as the new Israel, he gives the number of 144,000, or 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel. The dating of the work is still widely debated in the scholarly community. As the opposition to Christianity became more intense, the followers of the new movement were asked to prove their loyalty to the Roman government by denouncing Christ and by worshipping the statue of the emperor. His number is 666." John was caught up in the Spirit and he was instructed to write all the things he saw. The Book of Revelation has produced many interpretations and much speculation. (chapter 2). We have only to compare this vision with the parallel vision of a measuring-reed seen by Ezekiel (ch. The second vision, which makes up the rest of the book (422), begins with "a door opened in the sky" and describes the end of the worldinvolving horrifying wars, famines, plagues, natural disasters, fantastic creatures, mass martyrdoms, harsh punishments from God, and the great battle at Armageddon, the final defeat of Satan, Second Coming of Christ, and the establishment of God's kingdom of peace. The wealthy rulers of the world, as well as the poor and slaves alike, all flee and seek to hide from "the wrath of the Lamb." (Eusebius III.18; II.25). Other apocalypses popular in the early Christian era did not achieve canonical status, although 2 Esdras (The Apocalypse of Ezra) is canonical in the Russian Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches.
Indeed, nearly every age has witnessed movements which believe that the prophecies of John were coming to pass and that the Last Days were at hand. 2022 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. His Gospel and Epistles, on the other hand, were composed equally under divine influence, but an influence of a gentler, more ordinary kind, with much care, after long deliberation, after frequent recollection and recital of the facts, and deep pondering of the doctrinal truths which they involve (1064). Interesting enough, even though John was an eyewitness to this event he chose not to write about it in his own gospel.
The plagues will inflict the wicked of John's day, just as a series of plagues inflicted the ancient Egyptians prior to the time when the Israelites were delivered from their bondage. He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. [5] Lastly, the Gospel of John is written in nearly flawless Greek, but Revelation contains grammatical errors and stylistic abnormalities which indicate its author was not as familiar with the Greek language as the Gospel's author.
He saw him in his natural form as a human; he also saw him transfigured and in all his glory. Second, the contention that the literal city and temple were still standing, based upon chapter eleven, ignores the express symbolic nature of the narrative. The apocalypses were produced in times of crises, and they were written for the benefit of people who were suffering hardship and privation at the particular time when the writing was done. R. H. Charles, author of the commentary on Revelation in the International Critical Commentary series, and perhaps the greatest expert on apocalyptic literature, regarded the so-called bad grammar as deliberate, for purposes of emphasis, and consistent with the citation of numerous Old Testament passages (Gundry, 365). In answer to this argument, we cite R. H. Gundry: Archaeological discoveries and literary studies have recently demonstrated that along with Aramaic and Hebrew, Greek was commonly spoken among first century Palestinians.
of
Toward the end of the first century of the Christian era, the attitude of the Roman government toward Christianity became especially hostile. The remaining chapters present a series of events, full of imagery and metaphor, which detail the chronology of God's judgment on the world. Seven more angels then appear, each one carrying a bowl, the content of which symbolizes the wrath of God about to be poured out in the form of the seven last plagues. 
James Orr has observed, however, that recent criticism has reverted to the traditional date of near A.D. 96 (1939, 2584). It is the only biblical book that is almost wholly composed of apocalyptic literature. It is a mistake to suppose that John was predicting events that would take place in the later centuries of Christian history. At one point, John is quite specific in his identification of the one symbolized by the beast. The first is a message to the churches of seven cities in the Roman province of Asia, urging them to endure persecution and repent of their sins. John then reveals the number of those who are sealed. It was easy to circulate rumors of this kind, and along with other things, Christians were charged with plotting against the Roman government. The city's citizens will see God's face, and there will be no more curses. Christ commends those churches whose members have endured persecution and, in some instances, even death rather than declare their allegiance to Roman rulers, who proclaimed their own divinity and demanded that they should be worshipped along with the other gods of the empire. The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Another angel calls the people of God to come out of her and not to share in her sin. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. ISSN: 1559-2235. Jewish Encyclopedia on Revelation (Book of), Cultural Impact of the Book of Revelation, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Book_of_Revelation&oldid=1064562, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. This second coming, occurring at the time when all the events connected with the apocalyptic program will take place, will inaugurate the coming of the new age, as well as the final destruction of all the forces of evil. Religious skeptics have often been highly critical of Revelation, sometimes considering it the work of a mentally ill author. This is dubbed "the first resurrection." Typical in this vein is nineteenth-century agnostic Robert G. Ingersoll, who famously branded Revelation "the insanest of all books."[4]. Jackson, Wayne. It remains one of the most widely known books of the Bible because of its vivid imagery and its prophecies of both doom and hope. He refers to this in the first chapter of Revelation: I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9). The book concludes with a promise from Jesus that he is "coming soon.". Those in favor of the later date appeal to the external testimony of Irenaeus (d. 185), who stated that he had received information about the book from those who had seen John face to face. (Chapter 20), A great vision of the New Jerusalem now unfolds. Gentiles will trample the holy city for 42 months, but two "witnesses"called two olive treeswill be given divine power to testify during this time. God's temple in heaven is opened, and the Ark of the Covenant is revealed, among "flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm." During this time, the righteous will be made safe in the city of God, which is the new Jerusalem. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. John describes in detail a period of tribulation that will come upon the earth, that will be unmatched when compared to any other time in human history. I guess the many symbols and images can be overwhelming and somewhat scary. Irenaeus seems to be unaware of any other view for the date of the book of Revelation. Various other clues are given to interpreting the vision of the prostitute, the beasts, and other symbols.
Another internal evidence of a late date is that this book was penned while John was banished to Patmos (1:9). God has nothing but the best planned for those who love him. (Chapter 12), A terrible beast now emerges from the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, resembling a leopard.
The second trumpet signals the death of one third of the sea creatures. Modern critical scholarship tends to view Revelation as deriving from Jewish apocalyptic literature, especially the Book of Daniel, from which it borrows freely. Although the traditional view still has many adherents, many modern scholars believe that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and John of Patmos refer to three separate individuals. What language would you use to describe that? John was confident that the great day of divine intervention would occur within a comparatively short time, but in accordance with the apocalyptic literature with which Jewish Christians were familiar, he knew that many terrifying events would take place first. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. According to early tradition, the writing of this book took place near the very end of Domitian's reign, around 95 or 96. could present where This is possible only by pursuing the most irresponsible form of exegesis. I believe that when John saw this vision of Jesus, his mind went back to that mountaintop experience. For these reasons, many people have ignored the book, feeling that any attempt to understand it is futile. In view of the foregoing evidence, a very strong case can be made for dating Revelation at about A.D. 96. In like manner, John uses a beast to represent the Roman emperor, whose image was stamped on the coins used in the empire. This was part of Johns challenge, describing things thousands of years into the future with language and references of the first century AD. They often see it, like Daniel, as having been written basically to encourage resistance to an oppressive power, in this case Rome. suspended his judgment, hesitating between the external and internal evidence. He was creating a written record of the things God was about to reveal to him. (Chapter 8), The first "woe"proclaimed by the trumpet of the fifth angelis a star which falls to earth and opens an abyss. They are told that the forces of destruction are about to be turned loose in the world, and they may have to endure even greater torment, but if they are faithful through it all, they will be among the redeemed whose names are written in the book of life.
Members of more mainline and liberal churches tend to prefer the historical-critical and aesthetic approaches. He is commanded by an angel to "Take your sickle and reap" the earth. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. These four horses and their respective riders symbolize the conflicts that will mark the beginning of the final destruction of the Roman Empire. There are several schools of thought concerned with how the contents of the Book of Revelation should be interpreted. The birds are invited to God's feast, where they will "eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men ."
The beast and his kings battle with the King of Kings and are defeated. Jesus declares that he has sent his angel to deliver his message to the churches and warns that no one must change anything written in "this book." Under these conditions, the Revelation of John was written. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here: The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia: Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed. Some of them suffered martyrdom rather than deny their faith. (Chapter 9), At this point a new angel intervenes, descending from above and standing on both the sea and the land. Additionally, Leon Morris has pointed out that Irenaeus discussed a number of possibilities for deciphering the 666, but he did not even include Nero in his list, let alone regard this as a likely conjecture (1980, 38). In the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom and certain other bishops argued against including Revelation in the New Testament canon, chiefly because of the difficulties of interpreting it and the danger for abuse. Proud member He wanted to warn his fellow Christians concerning these events and thus prepare them for the time when their faith would be put to a more severe test than anything that they had experienced thus far. John was one of the twelve disciples, but he was also part of the inner circle along with Peter and James. However, it also characterizes the approach of Rastafarians and other non-Christian or semi-Christian sects. In addition to the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, a wealth of apocalyptic writing exists in the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. In both the Gospel of John and in Revelation, Jesus is referred to as "the Word of God" ( ). Other people have taken an opposite attitude and have found in this book what they believe to be predictions of whole series of events, many of which have already occurred and the remainder of which are about to take place in the near future. This "ancient serpent" now turns to pursue the woman, but she escapes on an eagle's wings, while the dragon contents himself to make war on the saints.
In today's Christian world, dozens of groups see Revelation as being fulfilled through their ministries, ranging from fundamentalist preachers, to millennialist sects such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists, to popular writers of Christian fiction such as Tim LaHaye, and to new religious movements such as the Unification Church. All rights reserved. Jews and Romans alike resented the fact that Christians condemned so many of the things they were doing, and they especially disliked the belief on the part of Christians that their religion was superior to the older faiths that had been honored for centuries. The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John or Apocalypse of John, is the last canonical book of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. God declares his work finished, promising blessing to those who endure and threatening suffering to those who do not repent of their sins. His name is the Word of God, and he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Previous Inspirational Bible Verses and Scripture Quotes, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. It is well known that Domitian had a fondness for this type of persecution. Christians familiar with the older apocalyptic writings would understand the book's symbolism, for practically everything John said to his contemporaries was said before to people who suffered under similar circumstances. Salem Media Group. Drawing an analogy between the twelve tribes of ancient Israel and the Christian community regarded now as the new Israel, he gives the number of 144,000, or 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel. The dating of the work is still widely debated in the scholarly community. As the opposition to Christianity became more intense, the followers of the new movement were asked to prove their loyalty to the Roman government by denouncing Christ and by worshipping the statue of the emperor. His number is 666." John was caught up in the Spirit and he was instructed to write all the things he saw. The Book of Revelation has produced many interpretations and much speculation. (chapter 2). We have only to compare this vision with the parallel vision of a measuring-reed seen by Ezekiel (ch. The second vision, which makes up the rest of the book (422), begins with "a door opened in the sky" and describes the end of the worldinvolving horrifying wars, famines, plagues, natural disasters, fantastic creatures, mass martyrdoms, harsh punishments from God, and the great battle at Armageddon, the final defeat of Satan, Second Coming of Christ, and the establishment of God's kingdom of peace. The wealthy rulers of the world, as well as the poor and slaves alike, all flee and seek to hide from "the wrath of the Lamb." (Eusebius III.18; II.25). Other apocalypses popular in the early Christian era did not achieve canonical status, although 2 Esdras (The Apocalypse of Ezra) is canonical in the Russian Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches.
Indeed, nearly every age has witnessed movements which believe that the prophecies of John were coming to pass and that the Last Days were at hand. 2022 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. His Gospel and Epistles, on the other hand, were composed equally under divine influence, but an influence of a gentler, more ordinary kind, with much care, after long deliberation, after frequent recollection and recital of the facts, and deep pondering of the doctrinal truths which they involve (1064). Interesting enough, even though John was an eyewitness to this event he chose not to write about it in his own gospel.
The plagues will inflict the wicked of John's day, just as a series of plagues inflicted the ancient Egyptians prior to the time when the Israelites were delivered from their bondage. He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. [5] Lastly, the Gospel of John is written in nearly flawless Greek, but Revelation contains grammatical errors and stylistic abnormalities which indicate its author was not as familiar with the Greek language as the Gospel's author.
He saw him in his natural form as a human; he also saw him transfigured and in all his glory. Second, the contention that the literal city and temple were still standing, based upon chapter eleven, ignores the express symbolic nature of the narrative. The apocalypses were produced in times of crises, and they were written for the benefit of people who were suffering hardship and privation at the particular time when the writing was done. R. H. Charles, author of the commentary on Revelation in the International Critical Commentary series, and perhaps the greatest expert on apocalyptic literature, regarded the so-called bad grammar as deliberate, for purposes of emphasis, and consistent with the citation of numerous Old Testament passages (Gundry, 365). In answer to this argument, we cite R. H. Gundry: Archaeological discoveries and literary studies have recently demonstrated that along with Aramaic and Hebrew, Greek was commonly spoken among first century Palestinians.
of
Toward the end of the first century of the Christian era, the attitude of the Roman government toward Christianity became especially hostile. The remaining chapters present a series of events, full of imagery and metaphor, which detail the chronology of God's judgment on the world. Seven more angels then appear, each one carrying a bowl, the content of which symbolizes the wrath of God about to be poured out in the form of the seven last plagues.