Who Wrote the Book of Revelations?

[Curtis]

Who Wrote Revelations

We just started our study of the book of Revelation's @ my Church last night, and as I was listening to my Pastor she referred to whom the author could have been. She believed it was the Apostle John, which I also believe, but there are many in the “intellectual world” of Christianity that are not convinced it was the Apostle John. This kind of knowing never comes by or to logical analytic thinking persons, as all revelations are only given by God to that person by the Spirit of God. Revelations 1:1 only says it was given to his servant John. How to proof that the Apostle John was the author was the question I had in my heart to the Lord. To me, the Lord has always answered these kinds of questions I have as soon as I begin to ponder them, which is really cool, because I am not a smart person by any means. The Lord, and I are very tight in our relationship with each other!!!

What I learned from the Lord I am going to share with whoever will listen. The Book of Revelations was given differently from any other book in the Bible. All scripture is given by “inspiration” of God (2 Tim 3:16) so that always stays the same, but the method in how it was given to John was changed.

We know that no scripture is of any private interpretation, but Holy men of God “spoke” as they were being moved by the Spirit of God. (2 Peter 1:21) In the Apostle Johns case Jesus told him how to write it down. Instead of the Holy Spirit moving him to speak he was told “write down the things he saw” and then send it to the seven Churches.(Revelations 1:11, Revelations 1:19) The entire book of Revelations was given by “vision”, and John was to write down every thing Jesus would show him.

Why would John be picked as the person to give these revelations to the Churches? The word “Revelation” means to “unveil, or to show something that was once hidden from view”, so the book of Revelations is a unveiling or bringing into view of who Jesus Christ is.

I think before anyone can know why the Apostle John was given these revelations we need to understand why Jesus would give these vision to a person. This is all tied, and connected to “loving” Jesus!!! Jesus tells us how he expects us to “love” him. (this is very very important)

John 14:21.. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

We love Jesus by “keeping” his commandments which is his Word. The Greek word “keepeth”, in this scripture means “to guard, and to protect.” I know some other Bible translations say “to do his commandments...” Well, doing his commandments is “guarding and protecting” his Word in us.
Guarding His Word from what? “The cares of this world”, “the deceitfulness of riches”, and “the lusts of other things”. What do these things do? They stop (choke) the Word from producing it's intended purpose in the one who has it.

What did Jesus say he would do to the one who “loved” him, by guarding and protecting his Word in them? He said he love them back in return. How exactly does Jesus “love” us?

“…..I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. “ (John 14:21)

Jesus loves a person by revealing himself to them!!! The word “manifest” means, “to cause to be
seen something that was once unseen, To take a cover off so you can see what was once
hidden, to make appear”!!!!!

The Apostle John was known as the “one Jesus loved”

Joh_19:26.. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

Joh_21:7.. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

Joh_21:20.. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

How can I connect the Apostle John to the one whom Jesus loved?

The Apostle John was a “Word” man. He loved Jesus's words in which he spoke. He mentions, and
uses the word, “Word” in all of his writings more often than any other Apostle. The Apostle John talks
about “keeping that which you have heard from the beginning in you”

1Jn 2:24.. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

The “thing” that is to remain in you from the beginning is the Word of God. This the only way in
which we love Jesus, by keeping his Word in us by guarding and protecting it. The Apostle John fully
understood what happens to a person who does this. Jesus guarantees that he would reveal himself to
that person!!!

The Reason the Apostle John was chosen to give the most profound book in the bible was because he
(John) was a Word man. He loved Jesus by keeping his Word in him, and Jesus simply reciprocated in
loving him back by revealing himself to John in his Glorified state

Ooh happy day(s)

 

[B-A-C]

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

It says here it was John.

Rev 1:2; who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

This is the testimony from John... "all that he saw".

 

[Curtis]

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

It says here it was John.

Rev 1:2; who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

This is the testimony from John... "all that he saw".

That is true, but there were other people in scripture that were called "john" the author could have been one of several people having the common name John (JOHN THE APOSTLE; JOHN THE BELOVED DISCIPLE; JOHN THE DIVINE), or even John Mark (Acts 12:12) Most modern day scholars do not believe the Apostle John wrote Revelations.

 

[Dave M]

English Standard Version
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.


Got to love that, thanks God!!

 

[amadeus2]

That is true, but there were other people in scripture that were called "john" the author could have been one of several people having the common name John (JOHN THE APOSTLE; JOHN THE BELOVED DISCIPLE; JOHN THE DIVINE), or even John Mark (Acts 12:12) Most modern day scholars do not believe the Apostle John wrote Revelations.

The most important thing is that the inspiration of the writer came from God. What else really matters to us?

 

[Christ4Ever]

I'm with @amadeus2 on this Brother Curtis, but of cause my curiosity to know who at least some of "modern scholars" are that make the claim you stated below......

Most modern day scholars do not believe the Apostle John wrote Revelations.

It is easier to make a claim on a document of antiquity if one has historical data to support the claim. So unless they are providing new evidence to the contrary. Those closer to the origin of the document should be historically speaking as it pertains to Scripture. In a better position to make claims to who might have been the originators of such documents.

Only with the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
<><

 

[Curtis]

Following is a representative sampling of what scholars of the twentieth century have said of John:
I did not write this it is only a cut, and paste from this Website, The Biblical Apologist



“. . . from the beginning of the church’s history much speculation has been rife about him. It was the almost universal belief of the ancient church from the middle of the second century that the author was the apostle John. Justin and Hippolytus at Rome, Tertullian in North Africa, Clement and Origen of Alexandria, Irenaeus of Lyons, all spoke of this John as one of the Lord’s apostles (or disciples). Modern scholarship, however, has remained unconvinced, preferring to identify the John of Revelation rather with John Mark, John the Elder, an otherwise unknown John, or a pseudonymous writer claiming for his work the prestige attaching to the name of the apostle.” (The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, p. 60.)

“. . . it cannot be said that John the seer of Revelation has been identified with any known John in the first century of the church’s life. There must have been many Christians of this name in those early days, and there is no internal proof that the church’s tradition identifying the seer with the apostle of the same name is correct. We know the John of Revelation only as the seer or prophet and shepherd that he claims to be.” (ibid.)

“. . . the author could have been one of several people having the common name John (JOHN THE APOSTLE; JOHN THE BELOVED DISCIPLE; JOHN THE DIVINE). (The Family Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 17, p. 3216, Curtis Books, Inc., New York, 1972.)

One of the major reasons why most scholars do not believe that the Apostle John wrote Revelations, is because of the different Greek style from the Gospel of John as apposed to Revelations.

 

[Christ4Ever]

@Curtis
Thank-you for sharing this brother. In reviewing the article I would also have to side with the author and his conclusion which is as follows:

Start of quote:
So, what it comes down to is this:

1. We have modern-day Biblical scholars, who lived some two thousand years after the fact, arguing over who did and who did not write The Revelation; and
2. We have near contemporary Christian authors’ assertions that John, the beloved apostle, wrote The Revelation.

Who am I therefore to believe? Who would you believe?

Setting my own prejudices aside, I would still have to believe the near contemporaries who were closer to the situation than our modern-day scholars. One would have to believe their knowledge exceeds the knowledge of those up to two thousand years removed. At least, I am convinced.

Therefore, it is my conclusion that John, the apostle whom Jesus loved, was indeed the author of the Book of Revelation.
End of quote.

So in truth I do not believe there is anything to be gained by this discussion Brother Curtis, except to place doubt in someone of lesser faith.

Only with the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
<><

 

[B-A-C]

Just wondering what the difference between John the disciple and John the apostle is?

Also wondering why John Mark would be called "john' rather than 'Mark' as he is through most of the Bible.
Acts 12:12; Acts 12:25; Acts 15:37; Acts 15:39; Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11; Phm 1:24; 1 Pet 5:13; etc..

 

[Curtis]

@Curtis
Thank-you for sharing this brother. In reviewing the article I would also have to side with the author and his conclusion which is as follows:

Start of quote:
So, what it comes down to is this:

1. We have modern-day Biblical scholars, who lived some two thousand years after the fact, arguing over who did and who did not write The Revelation; and
2. We have near contemporary Christian authors’ assertions that John, the beloved apostle, wrote The Revelation.

Who am I therefore to believe? Who would you believe?

Setting my own prejudices aside, I would still have to believe the near contemporaries who were closer to the situation than our modern-day scholars. One would have to believe their knowledge exceeds the knowledge of those up to two thousand years removed. At least, I am convinced.

Therefore, it is my conclusion that John, the apostle whom Jesus loved, was indeed the author of the Book of Revelation.
End of quote.

So in truth I do not believe there is anything to be gained by this discussion Brother Curtis, except to place doubt in someone of lesser faith.

Only with the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
<><

As for myself I have always believed the Apostle John wrote Revelations. I have never doubted the inward witness to this fact to myself. Just out of curiosity I searched this out for myself which only confirmed what I believed was correct.