1. introduction to revelation, part 1 - amazon web...

Lesson#1Introduc/ontoRevela/on,Part1

1Introduc+ontoRevela+on,Part1

OurtaskathandistheBookofRevela4on,thelastbookintheJohanninecanon,thefinalbookintheChris4ancanonofScriptureandtheconcludingnarra4veinthestoryofredemp4on.NootherbookintheBibleseemssocryp4casRevela4on,nootherbooksoextravagantinitssymbolismandwildvisions,andnootherbooksogiventomisreadingandmisinterpreta4on.Fromthe2ndcenturythroughthe4th,debateragedastoitsinclusioninthecanon,finallybeingacceptedattheCouncilofHippoin393andaffirmedattheCouncilofCarthagein397.Asfarbackasthe2ndcentury,SyrianChris4ansrejectedRevela4onashere4cal;inthe4thcenturytheCappadocianFather,GregoryofNazianzus,vieweditasdifficultanddangerous;Mar4nLutherhelditincontemptasbeing“neitherapostolicnorprophe4c”;anditistheonlyNewTestamentbookforwhichJohnCalvindidnotwriteacommentary.Inmodern4mesThomasJeffersonomiXedRevela4onfromhisJeffersonBible,consideringit“theravingsofamaniac;”...

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FriedrichEngelsdismisseditasnomorethan“apoli4calandan4-Roman”work;andGeorgeBernardShawthoughtit“apeculiarrecordofthevisionsofadrugaddict.”

Yet,Revela4onhasalwaysbeenands4lliswildlypopular.AlthoughwriXennearly2,000yearsago,Revela4ons4llgripsourimagina4onwithitsdrama,nightmarevisions,exo4cimagery,stunningcolors,full-4ltsound,andover-the-top,blood-soakedviolence.Yet,mostwhoreadRevela4oncomeawaybaffledandbewildered,scratchingtheirheads.Whatarewetomakeofthispuzzlingwork?

InLesson#1weintroduceRevela4on,exploringitshistoricalandculturalcontext.

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“TheWomanandtheDragon”(illumina4ononparchment,Ms71o117v.),c.1086.

ArchivesoftheBurgodeOsmaCathedral,Spain.

Yes,indeed,“Revela4on”or“TheApocalypseofSt.John”hasconsistentlyfascinatedreadersfortwomillennia,anditspopularityhasonlygrowninour4me.

In1970HalLindseypublishedTheLate,GreatPlanetEarth,whichforesawtheapocalyp4ceventsofRevela4onasunfoldinginthe1980s.Itsold28millioncopiesby1990,spawnedseveralsequels,includingSatanIsAliveandWellonPlanetEarth(1972),The1980s:CountdowntoArmageddon(1982)andamovie,TheLateGreatPlanetEarth,narratedbyOrsonWells(1979).

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5Introduc+ontoRevela+on,Part1

HalLindseyEvangelical,author&Chris4an

TVHost.

Nottobeoutdone,TimLaHayeandJerryB.JenkinspublishedtheLeKBehindseries(1995-2007),16novelsthatroughlyfollowtheRevela4onnarra4veandfeatureadventuresoftheTribula4onForceastheybaXletheGlobalCommunityanditsleader,NicholaeCarpathia—theAn4christ.TheLeKBehindseriessoldover65millioncopies,spawnedfourmoviesandthreevideogames.

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7Introduc+ontoRevela+on,Part1

TimLaHaye&JerryJenkinsEvangelicalpersonali4esandauthors.1

1Averageauthorroyal/esforhardbacksaKerselling15,000unitsis15%;paperbacksaKer150,000unitsis10%.Dothemath!

EventheacademicworldhasjumpedonthebandwagonwiththeexcellentPrincetonscholarElainePagelspublishingRevela/ons:Visions,ProphecyandPoli/csintheBookofRevela/on.ItdebutedMarch25,2012as#10ontheNYTimesHardcoverNonfic/onBestsellersList.

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9Introduc+ontoRevela+on,Part1

ElainePagelsHarvardPh.D.,McArthurFellowandHarringtonSpearPaineProfessorof

Religion,PrincetonUniversity.

Notme.

Introduc+ontoRevela+on,Part1

Ithinkhemissedtheboat!

Wow!ThisbookofRevela4on,“end4mes”businessisahuge,mul4-milliondollarindustry!WherewasDr.C.during

allofthis?

10

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Withtheexcep4onofElainePagels’excellentstudy,theotherworksmen4onedabove—althoughhugelypopular—offerliXlemorethansensa4onalismandentertainment,notaserious,credibleapproachtoamajorworkof1st-centuryChris4anliterature.

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ToapproachRevela4onaseducatedreaders,it’simportanttorememberthat,likeallart,Revela4onmirrorsthe4meandculturefromwithitemerges.So,bywayoflayingafounda4onforourstudyofRevela4on,weshallexamineits:• historicalandculturalcontextwithintheRomanEmpire,c.A.D.100;• literarygenre;• structuralandstylis4cdesign;and• itsmessage,asourauthorintendeditforhisaudience,c.100A.D.

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TheBookofRevela4on’s:

• historicalandculturalcontextwithintheRomanEmpire,c.A.D.100;• literarygenre;• structuralandstylis4cdesign;and• itsmessage,asourauthorintendeditforhisaudience,c.100A.D.

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The1st-centuryRomanEmpirewasnotsimplyItalyandpartsofEurope;rather,the1st-centuryRomanEmpirewastheen/relandmasssurroundingtheMediterraneanSea:nearlyhalfofwhichisinnorthAfrica!

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1.  By the end of the 1st century A.D. the Roman Empire consisted of 5 million square kilometers, encompassing 40 different modern-day countries and as many different cultures.

2.  Its three largest cities—Rome, Alexandria and Antioch—were over twice as large as any city on earth until the modern-day 18th century industrial revolution.

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3. 50-60 million people lived in the Roman Empire.

4. Although commerce was conducted primarily by sea, the Roman empire built over 58,000 miles of roads, many of which are still evident today, over 2,000 years later!

5. To encourage efficient and effective commerce the Roman Empire had a fully-developed banking system and common coinage.

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6.  Thanks to Alexander the Great, Greek was the common language of the empire until the 4th century A.D., creating cohesion in a very geographically and culturally diverse population. Although a plethora of local languages were used, the entire New Testament was written in Greek.

7.  Unlike most other ancient cultures, the Roman Empire did not have a rigid class system but evidenced a high degree of social mobility.

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8.  The Roman Empire practiced slavery. Overall, 10-20% of the population throughout the Empire were slaves. Slaves were primarily war captives or indentured servants; slavery was not racially based. Slaves could earn their freedom or be granted their freedom by those who owned them.

9. Freeborn women were Roman citizens, kept their family name (not their husband’s), could own property independent of their husbands, could own and operate businesses, could inherit property and wealth, wrote their own wills and could travel freely throughout the Empire.

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10.  Roman law formed the basis for the entire Western legal tradition, including that of Great Britain and the United States.

11. Religion in the Roman Empire was an integral part of civic life, and it encompassed practices and beliefs the Romans considered their own. Religions of other cultures within the Empire were respected and protected: the Jews, for example, were free to practice their religion and to operate their temple in Jerusalem, but religions groups could not foment civil unrest or disturb the Pax Romana, the “peace of Rome.”

Ofcourse,likeanygreatciviliza4onRomehaditsshareofrascalsandrogues,heroesandvillains,warsandbrutali4es,scandalsandhorrors.

TheNewTestamentmirrorsabriefsliceofRome’s1,000yearhistory,a4meofgreatachievementbutalsoa4meofgreatturmoilandstrife.

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The2ndhalfofthe1stcentury—theperiodinwhichRevela4onwaswriXen—witnessedcataclysmicturmoil,especiallyasitaffectedtheJewsinPales4neandtheemergingChris4anChurchthroughouttheEmpire.

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ThestorybeginswithJuliaAgrippina(A.D.15-59),greatgranddaughterofCaesarAugustus;adop4vegranddaughteroftheEmperorTiberius;sisteroftheEmperorCaligula;wifeoftheEmperorClaudius;andmotheroftheEmperorNero.

Throughincestuousmarriages,imperialintrigueandduplicitousassassina4ons,Agrippinaengineeredherson’srisetopower.AqerpoisoningClaudius(heruncleand3rdhusband),herseventeenyear-oldsonNerobecameEmperorinA.D.54,withAgrippinacontrollingthereinsofpower.

Quickly,however,Nero’srela4onswithhismotherdeteriorated,endingbyNerohavinghermurderedinA.D.59.JuliaAgrippinawithhersonNero,

c.A.D.54-59.AphrodisiasMuseum,Turkey.

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That’smyboy!

On18JulyA.D.64theGreatFireofRomeerupted,destroyingalargepor4onofthecity.AccordingtothehistorianTacitus,thefireragedforfivedays,destroyingthreeoffourteendistrictsandseverelydamagingsevenothers.BothSuetoniusandCassiusDiopointtoNeroasthearsonist,whowantedtoclearalargepartofRomesohecouldbuildanewpalacecomplex.Nero,

5thEmperoroftheRomanEmpire.CapitolineMuseum,Rome.

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HubertRobert.TheFireofRome,18July64A.D.(oiloncanvas),c.1760.MuséeMalraux,LeHavre,France.

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Todeflectblame,TacituswritesthatNeroblamedthefireonRome’sChris4ans:

Therefore,toputanendtotherumorNerocreatedadiversionandsubjectedtothemostextraordinarytorturesthosecalledChris/ans,hatedfortheirabomina/onsbythecommonpeople.Theoriginatorofthisname[was]Christ,who,duringthereignofTiberiushadbeenexecutedbysentenceoftheprocuratorPon/usPilate.Repressedforthe/mebeing,thedeadlysupers//onbrokeoutagainnotonlyinJudea,theoriginalsourceoftheevil,butalsointhecity[Rome],whereallthingshorribleorshamefulintheworldcollectandbecomepopular.Soanarrestwasmadeofallwhoconfessed;thenonthebasisoftheirinforma/on,animmensemul/tudewasconvicted,notsomuchofthecrimeofarsonasforhatredofthehumanrace.

BothPeterandPaulweremartyredinRomeduringthis4me.

Tacitus(c.A.D.56-117)AustrianParliamentBuilding,

Vienna.

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Thepersecu4onendedwithNero’sdeath.TheRomanSenatehaddeclaredhimapublicenemyoftheRomanpeopleandannouncedtheirinten4ontohavehimexecuted.Withthat,Neroturnedtosuicide,buttoocowardlytocarryitout,heenlistedhisprivatesecretary,Epaphroditos,todothedeed.Nerodiedon9JuneA.D.68,the6thanniversaryofhismurderinghisstepsisterandfirstwife,Octavia.ClaudiaOctavia,daughterofthe

EmperorClaudius,step-sisterandwifeofNero.

Na/onalMuseumofRome.27Introduc+ontoRevela+on,Part1

FollowingNero’sdeath,civilwareruptedandfouremperorsreignedinquicksuccession:Galba(8months);Otho(2months);Vitellius(8months);andVespasian(10years).Thefirstthreeemperorsweredispatchedthroughmurderorsuicidewithinayear.

Galba,A.D.68-69(8months)Assassinated

Otho,A.D.69(2months)Suicide

Vitellius,A.D.69(8months)Assassinated

Vaspasian,A.D.69-79(10years)

NaturalDeath

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Atthis4meofenormouspoli4calchaos—inA.D.66—thegreatJewishrevoltbrokeoutinPales4ne.Nerochosethebrilliantgeneral(andfutureEmperor)Vespasiantosuppressit.Fieldingmorethan50,000combattroops,Vespasianbeganopera4onsinGalilee;byA.D.68hehadcrushedopposi4oninthenorth,movedhisheadquarterstoCaesareaMari4ma,thedeep-waterportontheMediterranean,andmethodicallybeganclearingthecoast.

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Meanwhile,thedefeatedJewishleadersinGalileeescapedtoJerusalem,whereabiXercivilwaramongtheJewserupted,piwngthefana4calZealotsandSicariiagainstthemoremoderateSadduceesandPharisees.ByA.D.68theen4reJerusalemleadershipandtheirfollowersweredead,havingbeenkilledbytheirfellowJews,andtheZealotsheldthetemplecomplex,usingitasastagingareafortheirwaragainstRome.

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WithNero’sdeathinRome,Vespasian’stroopsproclaimedhimEmperor.Supportspreadquickly,andinA.D.69VespasianleqJerusalemforRometoclaimthethrone,leavinghissonTitustoconcludethewarinJerusalem.

BythesummerofA.D.70,TitushadbreachedthecitywallsandcapturedtheTemple.Duringthefiercefigh4ngthetemplecomplexcaughtfire,andonTishaB’Av(29/30JulyA.D.70)theTemplefell:1,000yearsofJewishtempleworshipendedinasingleday.Thefirespreadquicklytothecityitself,destroyingmostofit.Tacituswritesthatnofewerthan600,000JewsfoughttheRomansinJerusalem;thosecapturedwerecrucified,upto500perday;andhistorianses4matethat1.2millionJewsdiedduringthespanoftheJewishrevolt,A.D.66-73.ItwasthegreatestcatastropheinJewishhistoryun4ltheNaziholocaustof1939-1944.

TitusCapitolineMuseum,Rome.

31Introduc+ontoRevela+on,Part1

DavidRoberts.TheSiegeandDestruc/onofJerusalembytheRomansundertheCommandofTitus,A.D.70(oiloncanvas),1850.PrivateCollec4on.

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DuringtheJewishRevoltofA.D.66-73thousandsofJewsfledJerusalemtootherpartsoftheRomanEmpire,manytothefarwest.InPompeii,Mt.Vesuviuswashea4ngup.LocatedaliXleoverfivemileseastofmodern-dayNaples,ashortdistancefromtheMediterraneanshore,Pompeiisitsatthefootofasommavolcano,a4,203foothigh,humpbackedmountainwithasummitcalderasurroundinganewercone.Itisoneofthemostdangerousvolcanicmountainsonearth,erup4ngcountless4mesthroughouthistory.Inmodern4mesVesuviushaseruptedsix4mesinthe18thcentury,eight4mesinthe19thcenturyandthree4mesinthe20thcentury,thelastin1944.Onseveraloccasionspost-erup4onashblanketedallofsouthernEurope,andtwice—A.D.472and1631—VesuvianashfellonConstan4nople(modern-dayIstanbul),over750milestothenortheast!

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Mt.Vesuviusfromtheair.

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PhotographybyRossEllioX

Butneverhadtherebeenanerup4onlikethatofA.D.79.Onthemorningof24Augustamassiveexplosionoccurred,blas4ngacolumnofashandpumice50,000–100,000feetintotheatmosphereatarateof1.5milliontonspersecond.Recentstudiessuggestthattheenergysuppor4ngthecolumncamefromsteamsuperheatedbymagma.Thecloudcollapsedasexpandinggasseslosttheabilitytosupporttheirsolidcontents,crea4ngapyroclas4csurge,ahugeturbulentmassoffluidrockandgastravelingatnearsupersonicspeed,releasingover100,0004mesthethermalenergyoftheatomicbombatHiroshima.Sixsuchsurgesoccurredovertwodays,droppingashanddebrisattemperaturesreaching600°Fandreachingadepthupto75feet,buryingbothPompeiiandneighboringHerculaneum.16,000peoplediedinstantlyinthesurgesandthousandsmorefrompoisonousgasses,fallingdebrisandcollapsedbuildings.Nothinglikeithadeverbeenseen.

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PompeiiwithMt.Vesuviusinthebackground.

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PhotographybyAnaMariaVargas

Anentombed,ash-coveredbodyatPompeii.

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PhotographybyAnaMariaVargas

PlinytheYoungergivesustheonlyeyewitnessaccountoftheVesuviuserup4oninhistwoleXerstothehistorianTacitus.Here’sasample,wriXenbyPlinyatMisenum,about20milesacrosstheBayofNaplesfromVesuvius:

Thoughitwasnowmorning,thelightwasexceedinglyfaintanddoubeul;thebuildingsallaroundustofered...wethereforeresolvedtoquitthetown.Apanic-strickencrowdfollowedus....Beingataconvenientdistancefromthehouses,westoods/ll,inthemidstofamostdangerousanddreadfulscene.Thechariots,whichwehadorderedtobedrawnout,weresoagitatedbackwardsandforwards,thoughuponthemostlevelground,thatwecouldnotkeepthemsteady,evenbysuppor/ngthemwithlargestones.Theseaseemedtorollbackuponitself,andtobedrivenfromitsbanksbytheconvulsivemo/onoftheearth;itiscertainatleasttheshorewasconsiderablyenlarged,andseveralseaanimalswereleKuponit.

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Ontheotherside[ofthebay],ablackanddreadfulcloud,brokenwithrapidzigzagflashes,behinditvariouslyshapedmassesofflame;thesewerelikesheet-lightning,butmuchlarger....SoonaKerwards,thecloudbegantodescend,andcoverthesea...adensedarkmistseemedtobefollowingus,spreadingitselfoverthecountrylikeacloud....Wehadscarcelysatdownwhennightcameuponus,notsuchaswehavewhentheskyiscloudy,orwhenthereisnomoon,butthatofaroomwhenitisshutup,andallthelightsputout.Youmightheartheshrieksofwomen,thescreamsofchildren,andtheshoutsofmen...somewishingtodie,fromtheveryfearofdying;someliKingtheirhandstothegods;butthegreaterpartconvincedthattherewerenownogodsatall,andthatthefinalendlessnightofwhichwehaveheardhadcomeupontheworld.

(PlinytheYounger,“LeXer66,”toCorneliusTacitus)

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Vespasiandieson23JuneA.D.79andhissonTitussucceedshim,thefirstRomanEmperortofollowhisfathertothethrone.Sixty-twodayslaterVesuviuserupts.Titusimmediatelyorganizedamassivereliefeffort,fundedbylargedona4onsfromtheimperialtreasury.InhisRomanHistoryCassiusDioreportsthatTitusmadetwopersonalvisitstothedisasterarea,oneshortlyaqertheerup4onandthesecondayearlater(LXVI,24).DuringhissecondvisitinthespringofA.D.80,firebrokeoutagaininRome,ragingforthreedaysandthreenights,consuminglargepartsofthecity.

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AlthoughnotasdisastrousastheGreatFireofA.D.64,itneverthelessdestroyedasignificantnumberoftemples,aswellasnumerouspublicbuildings,includingtheBathsofAgrippa,thePantheon,theDiribitorium,thetheaterofBalbusandPompey’stheater.

Inthewakeofthefire,plagueravishedRome,promp4ngwidespreadbeliefthatthefireandplague—nottomen4ontheerup4onofVesuvius—werepunishmentsvisitedonRomebythegods.

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Titusthendiedon13September81,aqerabrieftwo-yearreign.Thecauseofhisdeathisuncertain.InhisRomanHistoryCassiusDioreportsthatasTituslaydyingheuXeredhislastwords:“Ihavemadebutonemistake”(LXVI,26),promp4nggreatspecula4on,ofcourse,astowhatthatmistakemayhavebeen.

BothCassiusDioandSuetoniussuggestthathismistakewasallowinghisbrotherDomi4antolive,aqerhavingdiscoveredthathisbrotherwasplowngagainsthim.InhisLifeofApolloniusofTyana,PhilostratusflatlyaccusesDomi4anofmurderinghisbrotherbypoisoninghimwiththefleshofasea-hare,aculinaryingredientfavoredbyNeroindispatchinghisenemies(VI,32).

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AlthoughuniversallyjudgedastellaremperorbytheRomanworld,Jewishwri4ngsexcoriateTitus.Heis,aqerall,thegeneralwhodestroyedJerusalemandtheTempleinA.D.70.TheBabylonianTalmud(Gijn56b)claimsthatTitushadsexwithawhoreonaTorahscrollinsidetheTemplewhileitburned,andthathisdeathwascausedbyaninsectflyinguphisnoseandgnawingathisbrainforsevenyears,growingtothesizeofabirdintheprocess!

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Oyvey!

Whateverthecasemaybe,Domi4ansucceededhisbrotherasEmperoron14SeptemberA.D.81,asthethirdandlastemperoroftheFlavianDynasty(Vespasian,TitusandDomi4an).Quicklydispensingwiththerepublicanformofgovernmentfavoredbyhisfatherandbrother,Domi4anbelievedtheRomanEmpireshouldbegovernedasadivinemonarchy,proclaiminghimselfdominusetdeus,(“LordandGod”),movingthecenterofgovernmenttotheimperialcourt,renderingtheRomanSenateimpotentandexpellingthosesenatorswhomhedeemedtroublesome.

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BustofDomi4an(marble),an4quehead,18th-centurybody.

LouvreMuseum,Paris.

Althoughtakinghisdeifica4onseriously,Domi4antoleratedforeignreligionsaslongastheydidnotinterferewithpublicorderandcouldbeassimilatedintotradi4onalRomanreligion.Forexample,Egyp4anreligionflourishedunderDomi4an,sincetheEgyp4angodsSerapisandIsiswerecloselyiden4fiedwiththeRomangodsJupiterandMinerva.

Conversely,JudaismandChris4anitywerenottolerated,asbothrejectedtheRomangodsoutrightandChris4anityproclaimedJesusofNazarethnotonlyasdivine,butas“Kingofkings”and“Lordoflords,”whowouldreturntousherinanewkingdom,theKingdomofGod—atreasonousclaimtoRomanears.Consequently,inhis4th-centuryChurchHistory,EusebiusstatesthatDomi4anseverelypersecutedChris4ansinRomeandthroughouttheEmpire:

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“Manywerethevic/msofDomi/an’sappallingcruelty.AtRomegreatnumbersofmendis/nguishedbybirthandafainmentswerefornoreasonatallbanishedfromthecountryandtheirpropertyconfiscated.Finally,heshowedhimselfthesuccessorofNeroinenmityandhos/litytoGod.Hewas,infact,thesecondtoorganizepersecu/onagainstus,thoughhisfatherVespasianhadhadnomischievousdesignsagainstus.”

(ChurchHistory,XVII)

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Eusebius.TheChurchHistory(trans.withcommentarybyPaulL.Maier),KregelPublica4ons:GrandRapids,MI,2007.

Domi4anwasmurderedon18SeptemberA.D.96inapalaceconspiracy.ImmediatelyaqerDomi4an’smurdertheRomanSenate—wholoathedhim—proclaimedMarcusNervaemperorandpasseddamna/omemoriaeonDomi4an’smemory,thefirstofonlytwoRomanEmperorsinhistorytobesoexcoriated(theotherisPubliusSep4miusGeta,A.D.189–211),mel4nghiscoinsandstatuesanderasinghisnamefromallpublicrecords.Everymajorancientsource—Juvenal,PlinytheYounger,TacitusandSuetonius—vilifiesDomi4anasacrueltyrant;onlyDomi4an’scourtpoets,Mar4alandSta4us,haveanythinggoodtosayabouthim.1

1Althoughmanymodernhistoriansmi4gatesuchharshassessmentofDomi4anandhisrule,allconcedethathewasadespot.Seeforexample,BarclayNewman,“TheFallacyoftheDomi4anHypothesis,”NTS,10(1963).133-139;F.F.Bruce,NewTestamentHistory(NewYork:Doubleday,1972);andBrianW.Jones,TheEmperorDomi/an(London:Routledge,Inc.,1992),thebestandmostconvincingofsuchmodernworks.

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Clearly,thesecondhalfofthe1stcenturywasatumultuous4meintheRomanEmpire,poli4cally,economically,culturallyandreligiously.Fiqyyearsseeeightemperors:Claudius,Nero,Galba,Otho,Vitellius,Vespasian,TitusandDomi4an—sevenofwhommetviolentdeaths.ApersecutedminoritywithintheRomanEmpire,theemergingChurchbecamethetargetoftwostate-sponsoredpersecu4ons,oneunderNeroandtheotherunderDomi4an.

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Romeburnedtwice.JerusalemandtheTempleweredestroyedinA.D.70,bringing1,000yearsofTempleworshiptoanabruptend.Vesuviuserupted.AndasthelasteyewitnessesofJesus’publicministrydiedout,agenera4onoforalteachingandpreachingcoalescedinthewriXenGospels,inwhichonereadsJesus’ownwords:

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“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again . . .

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Immediately after the distress of those days

the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”

(Matthew 24: 15-21; 29-30)

IfwewereChris4anslivinginthe2ndhalfofthe1stcenturywemightwellimaginethatwehearthesqueakingaxelsofthechariotsoffireasthefourhorsemenoftheapocalypselineupforArmageddon.

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1.   WhyisitimportanttounderstandthehistoricalandculturalcontextofRevela4on?

2.   WhataresomeoftheimportanthistoricaleventsthatcontributetothecontextofRevela4on?

3.   DoyouthinkJohnwouldhaveknownoftheMt.Vesuviuserup4on?

4.   WhydoyouthinkChris4anitywassoseldommen4onedbytheancienthistorians?

5.   WhywasChris4anitynotacceptedunderthereignofDomi4an?

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Copyright©2016byLogosEduca4onalCorpora4on

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthiscourse—audio,video,photography,maps,4melinesorothermedia—maybe reproducedor transmiXed inany formbyanymeans,electronicormechanical, includingphotocopying,recordingorbyanyinforma4onstorageorretrievaldeviceswithoutpermissioninwri4ngoralicensingagreementfromthecopyrightholder.

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