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Holy Book of Revelation

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Holy Scripture › Holy Book of Revelation

The question

Could you please verify whether the following outline for the Holy Book of Revelation is correct.

The Holy Book is divided into 3 sections,
  • Chapter 1 being what St. John originally saw;

  • Chapter 2 and 3 being what St. John saw concerning the present age.

  • Chapter 4 through the end of the Holy Book being the things which will occur in the future. The rapture of the Church in chapters 4 and 5.

  • Chapter 6 indicating the tribulation period in which all of the "unsaved" people will be tortured and condemned and the Church exalted with the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is the traditional interpretation of the Holy Book of Revelation?

The answer

The Holy Book of Revelation is canonical and inspired by God. It is the only Holy Book of the New Testament that was not publicly read in the Early Church services? This is due to the fact that this particular Holy Book has only gradually been accepted as canonical in many parts of Christendom.

In the second and third centuries this Holy Book was widely misconstrued and sensationalized. As a result, it was misrepresented and wrongly taught, thus becoming somewhat confusing. All of this caused the church to thoroughly and cautiously study the Holy Book of Revelation.

The Holy Book of Revelation was written for the persecuted churches of that day. It contains three types of writing: 1) apocalyptic, 2) prophetic, and 3) epistolary writing. Apocalyptic writings include Divine visions, imagery, and symbolism. Prophetic writings include speaking God's Word directly to the seven Asian churches in their tribulation (final victory of God over evil, including the Last Judgment and the Eternal Kingdom established). Epistolary writings are epistles written to specific churches according to their circumstances.

At the time the Holy Book of Revelation was written, the early Church staunchly believed that the Second Coming was near (I Corinthians 7:29 and I John 2:18). St. John's vision was a reminder to the churches not to give in to their adversaries, but remain steadfast to the Christian faith. The fierce Roman Emperor Domitian had declared himself a "god" and that all had to worship him. Christians were persecuted severely because of their refusal to worship this cruel Emperor.

The Holy Book of Revelation very ardently calls Christians to be of strong faith, hold fast and to withstand pressure from the state, false teachers within the church itself, and the corruption that results from prosperity.

The Orthodox Study Bible outlines the Holy Book of Revelation into 5 parts:
1) Prologue; 2) Warnings of the Coming Judgment; 3) The Judgment of Babylon, the beast and Satan; 4) The New Order; and 5) Conclusion.

Regarding your question about the rapture, please refer to the answer of a similar question concerning this topic.

May God bless you in your study of His Holy Word.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 371 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.