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The Book of Revelation in Historical Context PDF Print E-mail
Quotes by Famous People on the Book of Revelation

"The Book of Revelation is the insanest of all books." - Robert G. Ingersoll

"The Book of Revelation is merely the ravings of a maniac, no more worthy nor capable of explanation than the incoherences of our own nightly dreams." - Thomas Jefferson

"The Book of Revelation is not prophetic or apostolic, since Christ is neither taught nor known in it." - Martin Luther

"I have great doubts about the value of the Book of Revelation." - John Calvin

The 666 Club

Paul equals 666 in Greek numerals.
The Greek name Jesus equals 666 in Greek numerals.
The Greek word Christos which is where Christians get the word Christ equals 666 in Greek numerals.

Every generation for the last two thousand years has believed Revelation refers to them, but there is a much more logical answer. The author of Revelation believed the supernatural destruction of Rome was imminent and Jesus was going to return any minute, but who is the so-called Antichrist that the author is so concerned with? There are three possible answers to this question which we will look at below.

Caligula

In the oldest manuscripts of the Book of Revelation, the number of the Beast is not 666 but 616. This may refer to the Roman Emperor Caligula who's name equals 616 in Hebrew numerals. Caligula attempted to put a statue of himself in the Temple, and he demanded that it be worshiped. This could have angered the author to write against Caligula in the Book of Revelation.

Domitian

It has long been believed that the Book of Revelation was written towards the end of Domitian's reign as Emperor of Rome. Domitian's name equals 666 in Greek numerals, which just happens to be the language that the Book of Revelation was written in. It is also interesting to note that Domitian was nicknamed "The Beast" by his enemies, which obviously fits very well with the Book of Revelation. It is not known how severely Christians were persecuted under the reign of Domitian, but it is believed that they were persecuted far more severely twenty years earlier under the reign of Nero.

Nero

Nero's name has been associated with the Beast of Revelation for almost two thousand years. When Nero committed suicide in the year 68, many Christians believed that he was still alive or that he would rise from the dead and fight Jesus at his second coming. These kind of beliefs may have had an impact on the author while he was writing the Book of Revelation several years after Nero's suicide. (Revelation 13:3) He may have even encoded Nero's name as 666 out of fear that Nero was still alive or would rise from the dead and return to power as the Emperor of Rome.

Conclusion

We have three possibilities here, but only one of them can be right. Caligula equals 616 in Hebrew numerals, Domitian equals 666 in Greek numerals, and Nero equals 666 in Greek numerals as well as 616 in Latin numerals. It is a tough call and we will never know 100% for sure, but I believe the majority of the evidence points to Emperor Nero. It is obvious that Nero does not fulfill even half of the prophecies that are written about him, but the author had no ideal of what the future would hold. He just wanted to see the immediate supernatural destruction of Emperor Nero and the paganized Roman Empire. The Book of Revelation is an interesting piece of literature, but it is no prophetic glimpse into the future. It is just a book full of failed prophecies written about a dead man and his fallen empire.
Comments (3)Add Comment
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written by Jing, 29 August, 2009
It is why Yeshuah the Messiah commanded not to uproot the tares, because when you uproot the tares, you uproot the wheat.
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written by Lenvdb, 15 September, 2009
Ever looked at the Essene Book of Revelation? Its amazing to see how bits found its way into the Book of Revelation and was then modified and attributed to John. The Original version of the Book existed already by 500BC and was known as the Sibylline Oracles

Very noticeable is the manner in which many of the early
Christian fathers refer to these spurious oracles. Justin
Martyr cites verses of the Sibyl and treats them with as
much regard as if they were a portion of the Hebrew Script-
ures. He urges upon the Greeks that their own ancient
Sibyl taught the same great truths as the prophets, f Clem-
ent of Alexandria pursues the same method, often quoting
passages that served his purpose, and in one place {ad GroB-
cos, vi) he repeats several lines now found in the Proem of
our books, and attributes them to a "prophetess of the
Hebrews." Theophilus of Antioch quotes the words of the
Sibyl as if they were holy scriptures, and he has preserved
in his writings our only copy of the ancient Proem. Tertul-
lian says {ctd N^at tones, chap, xii) that the Sibyl was earlier
than all literature and the prophetess of truth, from whom
the priests of the demons borrowed their titles. Eusebius,
Augustine, Jerome, and other fathers still later occasionally
refer to the writings of the Sibyl as an inspired authority.
But of all the fathers Lactantius makes most frequent appeal
to the Sibyls, and his writings abound with citations of
verses from their books. To him they seemed an invaluable
weapon with which to confute the superstition and idolatry

* Methodist Quarterly Review of October, 1 864, p. 502.

http://www.archive.org/stream/sibyllineoracle00terrgoog/sibyllineoracle00terrgoog_djvu.txt


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written by Lenvdb, 15 September, 2009
And also a PDF of their oracles:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/sib/sib.pdf

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