THE BOOK OF REVELATION

INTRODUCTION - The last time we were in the book of Revelation, we noted several important principles to follow if we are going to correctly identify the man and the kingdom behind the figure of the Beast in Revelation 13. We saw that the Beast is definitely a man whose character is evil and idolatrous. He is a great ruler, given much power and authority from the devil. At the same time, the Beast also represents the kingdom which this man rules. We also saw that the Beast was well known by the early church for John expected his readers to be able to figure out clearly who he was writing about. The Beast must also appear in the first century for John has been telling us that the events of Revelation would happen shortly, the time was near, and Revelation was soon to be fulfilled. There is an objection raised to the early fulfillment of Revelation which we want to consider before we reveal the identity and character of the Beast. This objection is brought from Scripture and so needs to be carefully considered.

1) A SCRIPTURAL OBJECTION TO THE FULFILLMENT OF REVELATION IN THE FIRST CENTURY - In Revelation 22 there are several statements made about the "quick coming of Christ" (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20) and typically these statements have been interpreted as referring to the imminent second coming of the Lord at the end of time. If this is true, then there is a problem in the wording, for Christ is saying in these passages that He is "coming quickly," when in reality, hundreds of years have passed since He made this statement. Certainly, if these verses refer to the second coming, they were not fulfilled in the first century. The assumption is that if Christ could say His coming was going to be "quick," but in fact it would not happen for hundreds of years from the writing of this book, why can’t John be saying the same thing about the events of Revelation, events which would happen "soon", but were in fact not going to happen for centuries? Why can't we presume that even though John uses the words of impending action, he could actually be referring to events hundreds of years from the writing of Revelation? This would be true and plausible if, in fact, Christ was referring to His second coming in Revelation 22. Yet we have to be careful in jumping to conclusions when passages speak about the "quick coming" of Christ. There are other passages in Revelation which speak of this coming, but they have no reference whatsoever to the final return of Christ to this world. Instead, these passages refer to -

A) CHRIST'S COMING QUICKLY TO THE CHURCH IN ORDER TO DISCIPLINE AND JUDGE HER - Christ tells the church at Ephesus, Pergamos, and Philadelphia that He is coming quickly to them, but this coming has no reference to the second coming at the end of time (Revelation 2:5, 16; 3:11). Instead, the phrase "I will come to you quickly" refers to either Christ's judgment or blessing upon a church that He will visit. Ephesus and Pergamos needed discipline. Ephesus had lost its love while Pergamos was becoming immoral and heretical. Christ warns them both that He was coming quickly to judge them. Philadelphia had been a faithful congregation, but a trial was coming to the Christian church and Christ would come quickly to protect them from it. These references have nothing to do with the second coming. They actually stand as a warning to Christ's church throughout the ages. If we become cold and loveless, immoral or heretical, Christ will come to us quickly with judgment. If we have been faithful and are endeavoring to stand for the faith while the world persecutes us, Christ will come quickly to our defense. This was Christ's message to the early church when He told them "I am coming quickly." It is not difficult to transfer this meaning to the final verses of Revelation and this is certainly what the early church would do in their interpretation. In Revelation 22, Christ speaks of blessing His faithful church, rewarding those who have been loyal and steadfast. He promises that He will come quickly to carry out these blessings upon the congregations. It has no reference to the second coming, but in the context of Revelation, it has everything to do with Christ blessing and judging His church.

B) OTHER WAYS IN WHICH THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF CHRIST'S COMING - Certainly the Word of God teaches the return of Christ at the end of time to resurrect His people to eternal life (I Thessalonians 4:16,17), yet we also know that the ascended Christ comes to His church through the work of the Holy Spirit, and that Christ comes when the church gathers together (Matthew 18:20). He comes when a believer dies (John 14:3), and He comes to the Father at His ascension to receive His kingdom (Daniel 7:13; Mark 14:62). Revelation 1:7 refers to a first century "coming" of Christ which guides the entire book of Revelation as its theme (see sermon notes on Matthew 24 for a detailed study of the meaning of "Christ coming in the clouds"). In the first century Christ would come in 70 AD in His ascended power and might to destroy the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. This "quick coming" would establish the Church, the New Covenant, and the New Temple of the Lord. The apostate Jews would reap the curses which Christ promised and the faithful Christians would know that Christ had ascended to the seat of all power and authority when they saw Jerusalem fall. Thus, the "quick coming" of Jesus Christ spoken of in the book of Revelation is not just in reference to His judgment and discipline of the churches, but also has reference to His coming in 70 AD to bring the Old Testament dispensation to a close with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. "I am coming quickly" is both a promise and a warning to the early church. They were warned that if they were unfaithful, Christ would come quickly to judge them. Yet they also knew that He was coming quickly to establish them as the New Jerusalem as the old one was torn down in the wrath of the Lamb.

2) THE IDENTITY OF THE BEAST AS A KINGDOM - The Beast is described in figurative terms in Revelation 13:1,2. Having seven heads, ten horns, ten crowns, being a mixture of leopard, bear and lion, energized by the devil, he is certainly presented as a fierce creature. What is the kingdom which the Beast represents? Which kingdom did the early church live under and which kingdom persecuted the early church? Obviously this is the Roman empire which was the great world power of the first century. In Revelation 17:9, John gives us a clue to understanding the Beast as the Roman nation. The "seven heads" of the Beast represent "seven mountains." Though this phrase might be meaningless to us, the seven mountains of Rome would clearly be known to the readers of John's day. The city of Rome, the capital of the empire, and the seat of imperial power, was built upon seven mounts. It is the one city in history distinguished with this characteristic. There was even a feast in Rome called the "Septimontium" (the seven Mounts). One of the coins of emperor Vespasian pictures the goddess Roma seated on the seven hills of Rome. Both pagan and Christian writers make reference to this fact about the city. When the first century Christians read John's reference to the seven mountains, they would know immediately what he was talking about. In AD 64, these Christians would experience a great persecution, headed up and instigated by the emperor of Rome. It would be the first time the persecution of the church became a Roman cause. This "war" with the saints should not be seen as just an evil emperor wanting to wipe out Christianity. Instead, the war goes back to Revelation 12:17, where the devil, who has been frustrated, now turns his attention to the saints of the first century. Revelation 13:2 tells us that the Beast is empowered by the devil. The kingdom of Rome becomes the tool which Satan uses to make war against the people of God. Thus, we see that the general identity of the Beast is the Roman empire. Yet we are also told that the Beast represents an actual man, a ruler during the first century. Let us now consider the identity of this man.

3) THE IDENTITY OF THE BEAST AS A MAN - A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE BEAST - The following history of the Roman emperor Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbas will provide the initial background to identifying the Beast of Revelation. In weeks ahead we will enlarge upon his history as Revelation discloses some important facts about this man.

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (whose adopted name would become Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) was born on December 15th, AD 37, and died by suicide on June 9th, AD 68. He was born with the red hair of his family, hence the family name "Ahenobarbas" meaning "red-beard". On the day of his birth, Nero's father commented that this child would prove disastrous for the people of Rome. His father died when the boy was about four years old and so Nero was brought up by his mother, Agrippina, a great grand-daughter of Caesar Augustus, and also by his wicked and depraved uncle Caligula.

Roman historians report that Nero's entire family was known for their cruelty and immorality. Nero's mother, Agrippina, poisoned her second husband in order to become the incestuous wife of her uncle Claudius, who ruled as emperor. She wanted power for herself and for her son, Nero, therefore she convinced Claudius to favor Nero above his own son Britannicus as the next emperor. She had Claudius adopt Nero as his son and then convinced Claudius to give his daughter Octavia to Nero as his wife. Having named Nero the successor to the throne, Claudius was poisoned by Agrippina. No one stood in the way of Nero who succeeded to the throne in AD 54, through his mother's corrupt acts.

One would think that with such a wicked family background and with such evil mentors at his side, young Nero would immediately begin a reign of debauchery and corruption, but this was not the case. The new emperor began his reign as a handsome young man, full of generosity and compassion, wisdom and virtue. This sensible and gracious rule was actually guided by his tutors, Seneca and Burrus, who brought at least a few years of peaceful order from the man who would later become known as the Beast. It would be during this peaceful time that the Apostle Paul would make his appeal to Nero in Rome and witness to a number of Nero's household (Acts 25:11; Philippians 4:22). Nero was a great lover of the arts and encouraged competitions in poetry, theater and athletics. He also assisted cities which had met with natural disasters and even contributed towards the welfare of the Jews. Yet things would soon change in the life of this powerful ruler.

A brutal and cruel spirit would soon arise in Nero, beginning with the murder of his own mother in AD 59. His two tutors would no longer be able to influence the rising young emperor, for Burrus would die and Nero would then order Seneca to commit suicide. Three years after the murder of his mother, Nero would kill his wife Octavia, for he had fallen in love with a woman name Poppaea Sabina. Three years after this marriage, Nero would kick his wife Poppaea to death while pregnant with their child. His perverted and depraved behavior would be seen in his marriage to a young boy named Sporus, whom he treated as his wife. Nero began to amuse himself with homosexuality, rape, torture and murder, as he pleased.

Immersing himself also in building projects, Nero depleted the fortunes of Rome, and then began to kill off the nobles of the city through false accusations so that he could seize their fortunes for his own use. He put to death whomever he desired in order to promote and pay for his wicked lifestyle.

On July 19, AD 64, most of the city of Rome was destroyed in a fire. Although he was not in the city at that time, blame was still put upon the emperor. People believed that Nero wanted the city destroyed to make room for his own building projects. In order to shift the blame for the fire from himself, he accused the Christians of having started the blaze. Hence, a worldwide persecution of Christianity arose. Nero's persecution would be the first Roman assault on the faith. Christians were no longer protected under the status of "legal religion" and they therefore suffered severe tortures and murder at the hands of the emperor. Both Peter and Paul would die under this tyranny. The Neronian Persecution would only end with the death of the emperor.

Messianic enthusiasm was also strong in the days of Nero as all peoples, Jews, Greeks, Syrians, Romans, Indians and Chinese, were waiting for a new god to appear. Nero began to read the writings of the cults of his day from the Zoroasters, the Judaizers, and the Gnostics, to perhaps even the writings of Scripture. The vain Nero began to see himself as a god and demanded to be worshipped.

In AD 66 the Jews in Jerusalem rejected any sacrifices given to the Temple in the name of the Roman Emperor. This was seen as a rejection of Roman authority. The same year the Jews would revolt against Rome and defeat the Romans, giving the Jews a false sense of supremacy over the empire. In retaliation against the revolt, Rome declared war on the Jews, and Nero dispatched Vespasian to lead the troops into the battle. The war with the Jews began in AD 67 under Nero and would end with the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 under emperor Vespasian.

After much aggravation from the immoral and corrupt behavior of Nero, the Roman Senate declared Galba the new emperor and put out an order that Nero should die a slave's death, on a cross and under the whip. Rather than face this humiliation, Nero, assisted by Epaphroditus his secretary, ran a sword through his throat. Thus ended the life of the Beast, and, with the death of Nero, so ended Julius Caesar's line of succession to the throne of Rome. Nero's death would plunge the Roman empire into civil war. The "Year of the Four Emperors" would take place, as different men fought for the royal position of emperor. The chaos would eventually end in December AD 69 when Vespasian succeeded to the throne.

Tacitus (AD 55-117) - Tacitus writes that Nero had a "cruel nature" and was guilty of "putting to death so many innocent men."

Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79) - Pliny called Nero "the destroyer of the human race" and "the poison of the world."

Juvenal (AD 60-140)- Concerning the rule and reign of Nero, Juvenal calls it "Nero's cruel and bloody tyranny" and the man himself "a cruel tyrant."

Apollonius of Tyanna (4 BC - AD 96)- Commenting upon the nature of Nero, Apollonius writes: "In my travels, which have been wider than ever man yet accomplished, I have seen many, many wild beasts of Arabia and India; but this beast, that is commonly called a Tyrant, I know not how many heads it has, nor if it be crooked of claw, and armed with horrible fangs…And of wild beasts you cannot say that they were ever known to eat their own mother, but Nero has gorged himself on this diet."

The Jewish Sibylline Oracles called Nero "a terrible snake, breathing out grievous war…a savage-minded mighty man, much bloodied, raving nonsense…terrible and frightful."

Clement of Rome (AD 30-100)- Clement writes of Nero's persecution which claimed "a vast multitude of the elect…through many indignities and tortures."

Tertullian (AD 160-220) - Tertullian, commenting on those who went to their death under Nero's persecution stated: "We glory in having our condemnation hallowed by the hostility of such a wretch"

Eusebius (AD 260-340) - This church historian writes that "the coarseness of the man's extraordinary madness, under the influence of which…[he] accomplished the destruction of so many myriads without any reason." Eusebius named Nero as "the first of the emperors who showed himself an enemy of the divine religion."

Lactantius (AD 240-320) - This man also gives testimony to the fact that Nero was the one "who first persecuted the servants of God…"

Sulpicius Severus (AD 360-420)- Severus called Nero "the basest of all men, and even of wild beasts…he showed himself in every way most abominable and cruel…he first attempted to abolish the name of Christian."