Background

Numerous prophets have been privileged to see panoramic visions that sweep through time, but to John was given the privilege of recording the comprehensive vision of the earth from its beginning to its end. Joseph Smith on one occasion stated that John “saw the same things concerning the last days, which Enoch saw” (TPJS, 84). This statement may allude to the vision of Enoch recorded in Moses 7:41-67, which says in part, “The Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy” (verse 67).

The brother of Jared in the Book of Mormon saw, like John, the entire history of the world (see Ether 3:25-27). The sacred revelation given to the brother of Jared was not to be shared with a faithless world. The Lord gave him explicit instructions:

Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man. And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up. . .

When the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth. . . And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men (Ether 3:21-22, 25, 27).

Moroni’s translation of the vision of the brother of Jared was preserved as the sealed portion of the plates of Mormon. Joseph Smith was expressly forbidden to translate this sealed portion: “Touch them not in order that ye may translate; for that thing is forbidden you, except by and by it shall be wisdom in God” (Ether 5:1). That vision has remained sealed ever since. However, another saw and recorded the same vision. The sealed portion of the Book of Mormon “contains the same revelation which was given to John upon the isle of Patmos,” albeit Jared’s brother apparently wrote with a great deal more detail.

The unique feature about John’s revelation is that the prophet was commanded not to seal it up. Indeed, John seems to be the only prophet commissioned to publish the vision up to this time. Daniel and Nephi also saw and wrote these things, but, like Jared’s brother, they were commanded to seal them up that they might later come forth in their purity (see Daniel 12:4, 9; 1 Nephi 14:25-26). Nephi was expressly forbidden to write what he saw (1 Nephi 14:28).

Someday, the Lord has promised, the revelation recorded by the brother of Jared will be revealed. This will be in conjunction with the restoration of the gospel. Until then John’s record will have to fill the gap. Fortunately, this is far from being a burden. Unto Moroni the Lord stated, “And then [when Israel comes to accept the Savior] shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people.

Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed” (Ether 4:16). Reading and understanding Revelation can result in a sensitivity to the latter-day events as they unfold.

The Revelation of St. John the Divine or the book of Revelation, as we commonly call it, portrays in a dramatic way the historical struggle between the forces of good (Jesus Christ and his adherents) and the forces of evil (Satan, the anti-Christ).

John’s vision is often called the Apocalypse. This title is derived from the ancient Greek word apokalupt, which means to make bare, unveil, disclose, or uncover. In a religious sense, it carries the idea of disclosing divine secrets and making known holy mysteries. Some have felt, because of the difficult literary style of the book that much of what is written in the book seems to cover rather than uncover its meaning. Ancient Greek-speaking Jews and early Christians used the word to signify a vision with its interpretation, as opposed to a revelation or prophecy (see Romans 16:25; 2 Corinthians 12:1; Galatians 1:12). Thus, “The Apocalypse” is an appropriate title for John’s revelation.

There are at least four schools of thought regarding the way in which the book ought to be interpreted:

1. Preterit ─ Everything in the book is in the past, that is, it took place before the book was written.

2. Allegorical ─ Everything in the book is simply symbolic – nothing is historical or literal or real.

3. Futuristic ─ Everything in the book still lies in the future and has not yet happened. 4. Historical ─ Contained in the book is past history, present history (at the time of John), and predictions of future historical events.

It would appear that approaching the interpretation of the book from a combination of all four of these viewpoints is most appropriate.

The book is probably the finest example of a special literary form called “apocalyptic literature.” Broadly speaking, this type of literature includes accounts of visions of the heavenly world and deals chiefly with the coming Millennium. It is the only example of this type of literature in the New Testament, though there are other examples in the Old Testament including the books of Daniel, Joel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. Even the Book of Mormon gets into the act with 1 Nephi 8, 11-14.

Let us explore some of the characteristics of this special type of literature. It is composed of three elements. First, it is nearly always eschatological (literally, the study of last things). That is, it focuses on a period of time yet future when God will disrupt the flow of history to bring about the end of wickedness and institute a new order of righteousness and peace. It is God’s breaking into the flow of history and altering it that distinguishes the apocalyptic panorama from its counterpart, prophecy. Apocalyptic literature ignores, and in this way, denies, man’s capacity to create a peaceful future by overcoming wickedness.

Second, apocalyptic literature is dualistic. That is, apocalyptic reality consists of two irreducible elements or opposing principles: good and evil. The present age is subject to the powers of evil. Satan and his hosts reign. But his world will collapse into a new timeless age of perfect righteousness under the authority of ultimate goodness, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Third, a rigid determinism marks the whole. Revelation testifies that all things move in concert toward a divinely predetermined end. Everything is inevitable; nothing is left to chance. The problem of human agency or free will within the context of God’s omniscience never surfaces. But there is a tacit insistence that God’s ultimate victory is worked out within the framework of human freedom. Yet apocalyptic writers in general, and John in particular, are very pessimistic about mankind’s being able to combat evil and rise out of the present wicked world. Though individuals can and will repent, as John insists throughout his revelation, the world as a whole will not. Thus, God alone has the power to overcome the power of Satan and the wickedness that exist in it. Therefore, central to the apocalyptic framework is faith in God and in his power to control the future and turn all things to the blessing of the righteous.

The main theme of apocalyptic literature is “last things”: the end of the earth, the end stage of the age, the ultimate destruction of evil. Its tone is not “Christian” ─ “turn the other cheek” ─ but rather it is often violent and vindictive. There are “rivers of blood,” and the wicked are destroyed by graphic means such as hail, fire, poisons, vapors, and ugly beasts. The righteous exult that the wicked are being destroyed, and they even ask to help in the destruction. Apocalyptic literature is sometimes also called “crisis literature” since it is written during a major crisis among the saints. In the book of Revelation, the Christians are being severely persecuted under the Roman Emperor Domitian ─ more about this persecution later. Apocalyptic literature may also be called “detour literature.” Generally, when God’s people are on the earth, their theology has had the general theme: “We are the covenant people, and we are going to prosper and march onward and upward to our exaltation or happy end.” History has frequently come along and smashed this idealistic theology. The Assyrians or Persians or Romans or Missourians, etc., have significantly oppressed the Christians, for example. A crisis is thus created. At this time of crisis, a prophet comes on the scene and writes this type of literature and “detours” the people around the crisis. He may say, for example, something like, “We did something wrong, and God is punishing us. But be patient. All of God’s promises to us will still come to pass, but it will simply take a bit longer than we anticipated.” Apocalyptic literature may also be called “upside down literature.” Here are God’s people, and there are the enemies of God’s people ─ the tools of the devil. Whether they are Romans or Assyrians or Missourians, they are always smashing God’s people! But in the end, some day, there will be a reversal, a turning upside down. God’s people will overcome the enemy. Finally, there will be justice!

Most of the world’s Bible scholars do not believe that the book of Revelation was written by John the Apostle, especially since his other writings ─ the Gospel of John and the epistles of John are full of love and sweetness, and the book of Revelation is rather dark and vengeful in its tone. We believe, however, that the book was written by John, the beloved apostle of Jesus, probably about AD 90-95 while he served an eighteen-month sentence as a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos, off the coast of Ephesus. With Peter and James, he had served in the First Presidency of the Church, and he was the last of the ancient apostles to minister among the saints of his day. After his exile on Patmos, he ministered at Ephesus. The Gospel of John and his letters were probably written after his exile, between AD 96 and 100.

A feeling for the historical setting at the time of John is vital in order to understand the book. The Roman Empire was led by Julius Caesar between 40 and 44 BC. Following his assassination, Rome was ruled by a three-man government consisting of Anthony, Octavius, and Lepidus. Then followed the Roman Emperors, the first of which was Octavius who took the title Augustus Caesar. At the time of Christ’s birth, Rome was ruled by this Augustus Caesar who ruled from 27 BC to AD 14. At the time of John, Rome was ruled by its eighth emperor, Domitian, who ruled from AD 81 to 96. Between Augustus and Domitian there were six other emperors. It might seem unimportant to list these six emperors, but it turns out to be very important to know something about them. The second emperor of Rome was Tiberius (AD 14-37), then Caligula (AD 37-41), Claudia (AD 41-54), Nero (AD 54-68), Vespasian (AD 69-79), and Titus (AD 79-81 ─ only a two-year reign). After the suicide of Nero and before the confirmation of Vespasian, three military generals vied for control of Rome. Each ruled briefly in succession. They were Galba (6 months), Otho (4 months), and Vitellius (8 months). These military generals were never confirmed as emperors, but each wore the crown of leadership.

Each of Rome’s emperors believed that he ruled by divine right ─ that he was in fact divine and should be worshiped by the Roman populace. The emperor most adamant in commanding that all Roman subjects (except Jews whom he realized could never be forced to submit) worship him as a god, was Domitian. He allowed each Roman citizen to keep his own gods, but he had to be one of them. In order to enforce this worship of himself, Domitian strengthened and used the state Church and its imperial Roman “priesthood” vested in Rome’s priests. These same priests became, in effect, the enforcers of Domitian’s heinous religious policy. They were assigned to systematically interview Roman subjects to ensure that each paid his worshipful homage to Domitian. Upon satisfactory completion of this interview, the subject would receive a certified card which he carried on his person and which allowed him to do business ─ to buy and sell. Anyone not holding a card was not only prevented from buying provisions and selling their services or wares but also might be harassed by being arrested, killed, imprisoned, or in other ways persecuted.

Keep in mind that Domitian was emperor of Rome in John’s day. His religious policy, of course, presented a serious predicament for Christians of the day. John set the precedent for the Christian world by refusing to worship the emperor, and for his stand was imprisoned on Patmos. He also urged all Christians to do the same ─ to “overcome” or to persist in their conviction and not pay religious homage to the Emperor Domitian. In order for John to be able to encourage this open rebellion against the prevailing Roman government and emperor, and to even do it in writing ─ the book of Revelation ─ John had to disguise his references to Rome and to the Emperor Domitian lest he be found guilty of treason. In disguising these references in the book, he had to do it in such a way that Christians might understand his references and allusions. He thus refers to Rome as the “beast with seven heads” (the seven emperors excluding Domitian) and “ten crowns” (the seven emperors plus the three non-emperor military leaders).

In order to refer to Domitian himself, he used a clever ploy. To understand this ploy one must understand the legend of Nero redivivus. Following the suicide of the maniacal Emperor Nero in AD 68, a tradition grew among Roman subjects that the wicked Nero was not really dead – that he was simply hiding somewhere, and he would some day return to resume his tyrannical rule. Interestingly, we in this country did the same thing in a more modern day. At the death of Adolph Hitler, the story developed that he hadn’t really committed suicide, but rather that his suicide was faked, and he really was alive and living in South America. Apparently, we as humans have a reluctance to let infamously wicked men die. This tradition in Rome grew into a legend or myth and was promulgated in the art and literature of the day. The myth came to be known as Nero redivivus. It wasn’t really believed by intelligent, knowledgeable people, but all knew the story. An analogy in our time might be the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We all know the story though we also know it is not literally true. The legend of Nero redivivus gave John the opportunity to disguise his references to Domitian. In the book of Revelation, he refers to Domitian as the revived or “resurrected” Nero. Neither John nor any of the Christians believed the legend of Nero redivivus, but the myth gave the Christians a way of referring to Domitian without his or Rome’s knowing it.

Keep in mind that at the time of John there was no New Testament. The Christians’ scripture was the Old Testament. The Christians had an intimate knowledge of the Old Testament ─ almost every phrase. The Romans did not know the Bible. Thus, John could use the concepts in the Bible to communicate meaningfully with the Christians and still hide his meaning from the Romans. And use it he did! There are some 400 allusions to Old Testament passages in the book of Revelation. There are 258 direct quotations from the Old Testament in the book.

Near Eastern literature, not just Hebrew, reveals a fondness for using numbers to communicate ideas. This practice is referred as “numerology.” Why certain numbers became laden with symbolic meaning is unknown. In most cases this arose in prehistoric times and is now lost to us. Interestingly there is a general consistency across cultures to the meaning of certain numbers. That is not to say that numbers are never used as numbers. However, in certain contexts they express ideas. This is the case in the book of Revelation. One should interpret numbers just as the other symbolic representations. Fortunately, they are used consistently. For example, the number “7” meant “totality,” “perfection,” or “wholeness.” God created the world in seven days, and when he finished it was complete. It took seven days to completely knock down the walls of Jericho. Seven plagues, seven woes, seven angels, seven thousand years to complete the history of the earth, etc. The number “3” was representative of government ─ three in the godhood. The number “777” thus combines the meanings of “3” and “7” ─ the ultimate in organizational perfection. The number “4” refers to things of heaven. The number “6” is “human,” “ordinary,” or “common.” The ultimate human frailty is “666.” In addition to the special meaning assigned to each number, there was a number assigned to each letter of the alphabet used at the time. Thus, a word or name could be assigned a numerical value by adding up the numbers assigned to each letter. The name “Jesus” so calculated is “888” which is even greater than the ultimate in perfection ─ “777.”

Brother Richard D. Draper has offered another possible explanation as to why the book of Revelation was recorded in code:

There was . . . a problem with recording that information. Both John and Nephi seemed to have been aware of it, but Nephi articulated it, stating that the Bible would go through the hands of the “great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also, many covenants of the Lord have they taken away” (1 Nephi 13:26). This was done in a deliberate attempt to pervert the gospel and lead men astray (see 1 Nephi 13:14-28). The problem was to get the message through the editors of the great and abominable church.

John did not choose the form of the vision; God did. The form is now called apocalyptic. It provided John with the means of being able to write in a kind of divine code. And it seems to have worked well for him. (Opening the Seven Seals: The Visions of John the Revelator, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991, 14).

To his disciples, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). One wonders if the Lord’s gaze fell upon John. Not many months later, the Savior said to him, “John, my beloved, what desirest thou? For if you shall ask what you will, it shall be granted unto you” (D&C 7:1). Standing before the Lord of life, John asked what would otherwise have been the inconceivable: “Lord, give unto me power over death, that I may live and bring souls unto thee” (D&C 7: 2). His desire was granted. “Because thou desirest this,” affirmed the Lord, “thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory, and shalt prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people” (D&C 7: 3).

John’s aspiration set on course the fulfillment of a prophecy made nearly six hundred years earlier. The American prophet Nephi, caught away in vision, saw the entire history of the world. Like others, he was forbidden to write but not without explanation:

The angel spake unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld a man, and he was dressed in a white robe. And the angel said unto me: Behold one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been. And he shall also write concerning the end of the world.

Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the

Jew; and at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men.

And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou see. But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them.

And also, others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel.

And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel (1 Nephi 14:18-27).

Thus, it fell to John to give the vision to the world. But as he did so, he also chronicled the history through which he himself would live. He knew in broad terms the entire history of the last two millennia. It is unlikely, however, that he knew of the spiritual manifestation that awaited him after a Roman ruler, probably Domitian himself, banished him for some time to a little Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

Patmos is a small, roughly butterfly-shaped volcanic island southwest of the Turkish city of Ephesus. It measures about ten by five miles. Under Rome a number of islands were used as penal settlements. In addition to Patmos, there were Pontia, off the coast of Latium, and Gyara and Seriphus in the Aegean Sea. At that time, Patmos was fertile though it relied heavily upon rain for its water supply. The prisoners were thus able to take care of themselves. Today, though no longer fertile, the island boasts a population of about 2,400 fishing families.

The revelation came while John was serving time in that penal colony. The exact nature of his punishment is unknown, but it consisted at least in part of banishment. Among the Romans there were two types of exile: deportatio and relegatio. Deportatio was permanent and consisted of the loss of rights and property. Only the emperor could impose it. Relegatio ran in length from one-half to ten years and involved no loss of rights or property. The Roman senate, a city prefect, or other officials could inflict it. John seems to have suffered the milder relegatio, probably imposed by a governor of the Roman province of Asia if not by the emperor himself. At any rate, he was later freed and able to continue his work.

Establishing a firm date for John’s imprisonment is impossible. According to his testimony, it was at a time when the Christians were being persecuted on a fairly large scale. Since some forms of harassment were going on from the mid-40s AD and continued off and on throughout the first and later centuries after the birth of the Lord, no period is totally exempt. Two times vie for the most support among scholars as the period of greatest persecution: the late-60s AD and the 90s AD. During the former, Nero launched his persecution against the

Christians at Rome. During the latter, Domitian pushed his empire-wide pogrom (an organized massacre) of all Christians.

Those who favor the Neronian era use evidence from Revelation itself. For example, they point to the head of the beast that was wounded and came alive (see Revelation 13:3) as a reference to Nero. Because this fits certain legends that sprung up shortly after the death of the emperor, they insist that John had him in mind. Those who favor Domitian’s time base their evidence on the early sources, which are quite unanimous on the subject. In this case, it is the name of Domitian whose name is hidden by the ploy of Nero redivivus. The decade of the 90s AD also best fits the evidence.

During this decade, the triangular struggle between pagans, Jews, and Christians escalated in Asia Minor. This was an area that had a tradition for religious strife often sparked by the frequent natural disasters. About AD 92 there was an anti-Christian outbreak due in part to a serious famine blamed on the saints because they refused to pay homage to pagan gods. Boycotts and trade sanctions were directed against the churches. Arrests, imprisonments, banishments, and even executions followed. The famine first affected Pisidian Antioch and later Prusa in the north of the province. Apparently, even areas outside this province were hit.

In addition, the emperor Domitian launched a wide pogrom specifically against the Christians. He had a profound hostility toward any form of religious unorthodoxy, that is, any religion he felt was antithetical to Roman belief. Prominent citizens who lapsed too blatantly into an “external religion” such as Christianity or Judaism came under his censure even to the point of banishment and death. Further, he became megalomaniacal late in his career, eventually persuading himself he was lord and god. He demanded that his court address him as such. He ordered libations to be made and incense to be offered before his statues. Those who refused, many Christians included, were punished.

Under these or similar circumstances John received a sentence of banishment to the island. There he remained probably for years. At what point he received the apocalypse is unknown, but one may rest assured that this was not the only time John enjoyed comfort from the Spirit during his long vigil “for the testimony of Jesus.” Finally, the day came for his release. According to one tradition, he retired to western Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) and there continued the work of the ministry.

What was John’s purpose in writing the book of Revelation? It was at least in part to fulfill the commandment given him directly by Jesus Christ himself (see Revelation 1:11). However, there were at least two other factors at play. Many of the saints were discouraged, even frightened. They were in the midst of the greatest crisis yet faced by the early Church. The ordeal through which they were passing had terrifying prospects. Rome, the seemingly omnipotent master of their world, had determined that holding to the Christian faith constituted a crime worthy of death. The churches in Asia already knew the effect of that brutal decision. Many undoubtedly wondered how a few powerless Christians could survive against the Latin colossus.

But more than external danger threatened the life of the fledgling Church. Indeed, a far greater threat overshadowed them than the injustice of the Rome. This was the period in which apostasy was visibly gaining the upper hand after a half century of struggle. The Savior’s apostles and prophets knew it was coming. It was one of the themes on which the Lord had dwelt during his forty-day ministry after his resurrection (see Acts 1:3). Paul warned that a “falling away” would occur because men would not endure sound doctrine (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; Acts 20:29-31). “Also of your own selves,” he told them, “shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30). As a result of this falling away the “man of sin,” a son of perdition, would be revealed “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple [i.e., the church] of God, [showing] himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

The Greek word Paul used that is translated as “falling away” is apostasia. It meant literally to stand apart in immovable opposition, and in a civil sense, “rebellion” or, better, “revolution” or “mutiny.” It carried the idea of an internal takeover by parties hostile to established authority, leadership, and constitution. Paul warned the Church for over three years that there would be such a rebellion. Once the rebellion succeeded, those leaders whom the Savior chose would be replaced by others of a perverse nature (wolves in sheep’s clothing) who would change the doctrine (constitution) of Christ to fit their own base desires. Paul’s warning shows that the Church was not in danger of totally disappearing. Rather, those antichrists, who would replace Christ’s gospel with the doctrines of men, would assume control.

John fought against these stubbornly disobedient and defiant individuals. We know the names of some of them: Diotrephes, Alexander the coppersmith, Hymenaeus, and Philetus (see 3 John 1:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:17; 4:14). These and others perverted the doctrine by setting themselves up as leaders and replacing the teachings of Christ with their own. It appears that in many areas local officers also struggled to supplant the authority and leadership of the prophets and apostles. Presbyters and bishops vied for power and claimed authority that was not theirs.

The situation was critical. A false prophetic circle arose that competed with the true prophets for ecclesiastical authority and theological acceptance. False apostles infiltrated the church at Ephesus (see Revelation 2:2); at Pergamos a faction upheld what John called the “doctrine of Balaam” (Revelation 2:14), which was probably a move to incorporate into Church practice certain elements of the pagan orgiastic religion of the Romans; while at Thyatira a false prophetess with quite a number of followers seduced many with her teachings (see Revelation 2:20). Heresy was spreading everywhere.

A better grasp of these passages is gained when one understands the nature of the prophetic office in the early Church. The Apostles were the ranking authorities (see 1 Corinthians 12:28); indeed, the very foundation of the Church consisted of apostles and prophets (see Ephesians 2:20). However, this led to a problem: certain persons arose claiming the prophetic gift and, on that basis, church authority. This happened as early as the mid-fifth decade.

Paul pointed out the necessity of discerning between the alternate voices claiming to speak by the Spirit (see 1 Timothy 6:20-21) and laid down some basic rules for distinguishing the true from the false (see 1 Corinthians 12:3). The need seems to have become even more acute a few decades later when John told his followers to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1). And this problem was still being felt a half century after that. The writer of the Didache warned his readers that a man was not a prophet who sponged off the community of believers and demanded meals or money while in purported prophetic ecstasy.

At the time, John wrote Revelation, a power struggle raged within the Christian community. John wrote his work for those who yet clung to the truth. He warned against false prophets and their source of inspiration, and emphasized that God would not allow them to continue without consequence. If the churches chose to reject God’s officers, he would come out in judgment by abandoning the churches and allowing the false leaders to take over. However, this condition would only last for a time. Eventually, the apostate church would be consumed under a blaze of truth and light.

But what of the nation that was the political seat of persecution and whose authority even the least of the Christians felt? The Revelator had an answer. God would move against Rome and the other apostate nations that would follow. His authority would prevail over even these seemingly omnipotent masters. And the powers of hell, which undergirded and supported the corrupt governments and from which they drew both their strength and inspiration, would also incur the terrible wrath of God. Driven into a war lust, they would fight against themselves until the time God would intervene and stop all fighting, rendering them eternally impotent.

Thus, the focus of Revelation ─ the core around which everything revolves ─ centers on the issue of authority. Who really overmasters the world? Is it the political institutions? the powers of evil? or God? To the faithful few, struggling against external pressure and deadly persecutions and being buffeted by alternate voices, the message of Revelation with its omnipotent, wrath-filled yet caring God, must have brought comfort and hope with the promise of final victory.

But all was not bliss. There was no promise of relief from suffering outside of death. The picture John portrayed gave no illusion of peace but of an extended period of warfare. The future, until the end of time, was to be ruled by Satan who, though mortally wounded, would fight desperately using his minions both incorporeal and mortal.

Some have viewed John’s intent as nothing more than keeping the saints in line by holding out the promise of eternal reward. But John’s aim seems far more noble. It is true that the course of history he presents stressed the ultimate, rather than the immediate triumph of goodness over evil, and yet the call was for the saints to work out their salvation in the present and to place their trust in God who was not yet ready to expose his mastery over history. Triumph was not immediately at hand. The saints had to exercise faith through a hope that made no demands upon the present. They could not escape history. The work of God would continue for a long period within its confines. Even today, an aspect of faith is a willingness to allow God to operate in his own way in the present, to take what comes, and to continue strong. God, through his saints, will achieve ultimate victory. John’s readers had to accept the agony of the present as travail necessary to bring into being a glorious future.

Surely in writing Revelation, John also wrote for the Lord’s people living in the latter days. For those who understand, the flaming fire of his testimony still lights the way to the Lord and Savior of the world.

Many who have labored to understand the book of Revelation have encountered frustration. But God gave the vision and preserved it for a purpose. He meant his saints to understand it. It is not, however, a book for the spiritual novice. John received it by the power of prophecy, and one can best understand it by that same power.

In response to the question, “Are we expected to understand the book of Revelation?” Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated:

Certainly. Why else did the Lord reveal it? The common notion that it deals with beasts and plagues and mysterious symbolisms that cannot be understood is just not true. It is so far overstated that it gives an entirely erroneous feeling about this portion of revealed truth. Most of the book ─ and it is no problem to count the verses so included ─ is clear and plain and should be understood by the Lord’s people. Certain parts are not clear and are not understood by us ─ which, however, does not mean that we could not understand them if we would grow in faith as we should. The Lord expects us to seek wisdom, to ponder his revealed truths, and to gain a knowledge of them by the power of his Spirit (Cited in Robert J. Matthews, “A Plainer Translation” ─ Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible: A History and Commentary, Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1985, 25).

Elder McConkie’s point is that Latter-day Saints are in an excellent position to understand the Apocalypse. To us the Lord has stated, “Unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man” (D&C 68:11). And again:

For thus saith the Lord ─ I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations (D&C 76:5-8).

The Lord has admonished further, “The coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and it overtaketh the world as a thief in the night ─ therefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief” (D&C 106:4-5). These scriptures show that the Lord has no intention of hiding the future from his saints. The book of Revelation proves this fact. As further evidence that God is willing to share this knowledge, we can look to Joseph Smith’s latter-day example. He saw the entire history of the earth. Of the experience, he stated: “After I got through translating the Book of Mormon, I took up the Bible to read with the Urim and Thummim. I read the first chapter of Genesis and I saw the things as they were done. I turned over the next and the next, and the whole passed before me like a grand panorama; and so on, chapter after chapter until I read the whole of it. I saw it all!” (Cited in Robert J. Matthews, “A Plainer Translation” ─ Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible: A History and Commentary, [Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1985, 25; italics added).

Most of the New Testament was written primarily for those who have ears to hear; this is not so with Revelation. It was written more for those who have eyes to see. John received the revelation through impressions and symbols. To these he added some explanations to assist his readers. A dozen times in the course of the revelation John was commanded to write. As he did so, full of the Spirit, he became an artist, a poet ─ attempting to communicate the sweep of the grand vision presented to him. It was beyond the possibilities of adequate portrayal through the normal use of words. His understanding had compassed marvelous scenes surpassing the natural man’s ability to grasp.

The reader cannot fully appreciate the message of the book of Revelation until he can see past the symbols to the vast realities for which they stand. Fortunately, John is very helpful in the task. Though he interpreted his symbols only in a few instances, he did not design them to contradict or confuse. Therefore, his use of major symbols is uniform throughout Revelation. The trumpets, seals, bowls, beasts, and so forth all have a fixed and consistent meaning. The context allows most of the meanings to be ascertained. Further, modern revelation helpfully elucidates and provides the key to understanding others. But, it needs to be understood that some images remain obscure, and their full interpretation must wait for further light. These, however, constitute but a small portion of the book.

One last note seems necessary. Not every detail described by John has deep significance. Some of the vision’s particulars reflect what John saw and round out the image, giving vividness and power to his presentation. Flaming eyes, feet burning as brass, or various colored stones are all means by which John catches and holds the mind’s eye. There, individual meaning must never be taken out of the context of which the images are a part.

Three major divisions make up the work: Chapters one through three contain the introduction and the message to the seven Asian churches; four through eleven contain a brief survey of earth history and then focus on the time just before the Second Coming of the Lord; and twelve through twenty-two begin at John’s day and again move toward and through the second coming, then on through the Millennium to the end time, but from a different perspective. The latter two divisions are full of instructive interludes, flashbacks, and flashforwards. There is little doubt that John understood perfectly what the visions meant, and he added explanatory material by way of elaboration and example. These expanded the symbols and served to allow the reader to better understand them.