Over half of the references stem from Daniel, Ezekiel, Psalms, and Isaiah, with Daniel providing the largest number in proportion to length and Ezekiel standing out as the most influential. Whitlock wrote: "Zoroastrianism, the state religion of the Roman Empire's main rival, was part of the intellectual environment in which Christianity came into being, just as were Judaism, the Greek-Roman religion, and the worship of Isis and Mithras. Second-century Christian writers such as Papias of Hierapolis, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Melito of Sardis, Clement of Alexandria, and the author of the Muratorian fragment identify John the Apostle as the "John" of Revelation. The author names himself as simply "John" in the text, but his precise identity remains a point of academic debate. Ante-Nicene Fathers. He then describes a series of prophetic visions, including figures such as the Seven-Headed Dragon, the Serpent, and the Beast, which culminate in the Second Coming of Jesus. Prophecy was viewed by the Romans as belonging to the same category, whether Pagan, Jewish, or Christian. travel symbol copy and paste Hendrickson. Revelation to John appears to be a collection of separate units composed by unknown authors who lived during the last quarter of the 1st century, though it purports to have been written by an individual named Johnwho calls himself the servant of Jesusat Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. Moody Press. (1:1420), Praised for not bearing those who are evil, testing those who say they are apostles and are not, and finding them to be liars; hating the deeds of the, Admonished to "do the first works" and to repent for having left their "first love.". When you read Revelation, nowhere in the book does it state that John is in exile or imprisoned. He noted the difference meant that the John who wrote a gospel could not be the same John who wrote Revelation. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Then, again, the Church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles.[10].