December 29 - Revelation. John.

December 29 – Revelation: John

Revelation 1:1-2

John identifies himself in the first two verses as the one who received this revelation, but over the centuries, scholars have called the identity of John into question. Is it the man that we met in Mark 3:17 – one of the Sons of Thunder? Is this the one who calls himself the disciple that Jesus loved (John 13:23) and is it the same man that wrote the most beautiful words of love to his congregation in his letters? (1 John, 2 John, 3 John)

I believe so.

Two of the earliest church historians, Justin Martyr and Iraneus believed that John the Disciple wrote this book. Justin Martyr lived in Ephesus during the first part of the 2nd century. Ephesus is where John lived out the last part of his life. He was a bishop of the church there and just a few years after his death, Justin Martyr would have been a boy in that same church. Iraneus had known Polycarp and history tells us that Polycarp worked with John in his later years.

These two strong sources give credence to the fact that John was the same man that received the Revelation of Jesus Christ. However, some scholars believe that the writing style between the Revelation and John’s Gospel are quite different. While that may be true, it is also true that the Revelation is a very different literary style from the Gospel and John’s three letters are yet another style.

One of the greatest similarities between John’s Gospel and the Revelation, though, is in the name that is used to describe Jesus – Lamb of God.

In John 1:29, John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him and says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”

No other Gospel uses this description of Jesus. Paul uses it in 1 Corinthians 5:7 2 when he refers to Christ as the Passover Lamb. The lamb’s blood, painted on the doorsills of the Israelites homes protected them from the death of their first-born during the final plague that hit Egypt, just before the Exodus. Jesus was the sacrifice that continually protects us all and saves us from eternal death.

In the Revelation, we find several references to the Lamb of God. Revelation 5:6, 5:12, 7:14, 14:4, 15:3, 17:14, 19:9, 21:23, 21:27. It is important that as we approach the end of the world, we recognize that a great sacrifice was made on our behalf. Because of that great sacrifice, Jesus is worthy to open the seals on the scroll because He was slain … and with his blood, he purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. He made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10)

Whether or not you believe that John the Disciple is the same John who received the Revelation does not change the impact of this book. I will, however, move forward in this study confident of my belief that it is the same man.