Under these conditions, a Christian named John wrote Revelation, addressing it to the seven churches that were in Asia Minor.

Some were even tempted to abandon their faith or at least to make concessions to Rome sufficient to enable them to save their lives. It was a critical time for the entire Christian movement, and many of its members wondered whether the persecution would ever end, while others were perplexed about the course they should follow. Some of them suffered martyrdom rather than deny their faith. When Christians refused to worship the emperor, they were accused of all sorts of crimes and subjected to the most severe penalties. Toward the end of the first century of the Christian era, emperor worship was fairly well established, not only in the city of Rome but in the outlying regions that formed a part of the empire. This second coming, occurring at the time when all the events connected with the apocalyptic program will take place, will inaugurate the coming of the new age, as well as the final destruction of all the forces of evil.Īs time passed, many Christians - especially those who were suffering persecution at the hands of the Roman government - became deeply concerned about how long it would be before these events would take place. Because they were convinced that the work of the Messiah must end in triumph and glory, they believed that this end could be accomplished only by a return of Jesus back to this earth from the heaven to which he had ascended. When the members of the Christian community affirmed their belief that the crucified Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, they necessarily revised their understanding concerning the work Jesus was to do and especially the way in which his work would be completed. The appearance of the Messiah will coincide with the coming of these events.

The struggle will eventually reach a climax, at which time God will intervene, destroy the forces of evil, and set up a new order in which the righteous will live for all time to come. As the evil powers grow stronger, they will inflict persecution and in some instances even death upon those who follow a course of righteousness. This conception of coming events is associated with the belief that prior to this future time, the struggle between the forces of good and evil will become more intense. Apocalypticism was not a new phenomenon among Christians it was a well-established belief among Jews, who held that the coming of the kingdom of God would not be brought about by a gradual transformation but by a sudden intervention, when God would end the present age and establish his kingdom in the world made new. In the Book of Revelation, the apocalyptic hopes of the early Christian community find their clearest and most complete expression.

Book of james study outline