(2) The book as a type of apocalyptic literature. —
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The writer is steeped in apocalyptic thought and language, to a greater extent tlian any other NT Avriter. To the average modern reader the book appears strange and unintelligible ; but to those familiar with Jewish apocalyptic there is scarcely a phrase altogether new or without parallel. From this, two important consequences follow, (a) The interpretation of the details should accord with tlie methods of interpretation applied to apocalyp- tic literature in general. It should be remembered, e.g., that the apocalyptists were in the habit of 'heaping up' details in their description of the Messianic woes and the last catastrophe, rather with a view to creating a vivid picture of chaos and terror than with the intention of depicting some definite event by each separate illustration. So it is probable that many of the details of the NT Apocalypse are not intended to bear a too careful analysis or interpretation. (b) If the author of the Apocalypse be identified with the author of the Fourth Gospel and the Johannine Epistles, it is clear that the primitive Christians were able to ' put aside ' their apocalyptic language and ideas at will, and to see behind the dramatic Imagery to the underlying spiritual truths thus symbolized. And, conversely, in early Christian writings which are apparently non-apocalyptic, it is likely that eschatological ideas are never far absent from the mind of the writer, and may appear incidentally at any point.
(3) The writer's hope of an immediate JReturn of the Lord. — The writer begins by claiming to reveal ' the things which shall shortly come to pass ' (Rev V), and closes with the Divine promise: 'I come quickly' (Rev 22-°). Clearly, then, the hope of the Second Coming in the near future had not yet faded from liis mind. Indeed, the main pur- pose of the book is similar to that of all apoca- lypses— viz. to encourage tlie faithful in times of trouble with the assurance that the hour of de- liverance is at hand. In particular, this may be seen in the vision of the opening of the Sealed Book (chs. 4-11). We read that the opening of the first five seals is followed by victory (6'' ^), war (vv.^-^), famine (vv.^-*'), death (w.^-^), and the cry of martyred saints (vv."-"). So far, the vision may well be taken as describing the position of the Church at the close of the 1st cent. A.D., when Rome's victories had brought famine, war, death, and persecution in their train. But when we pass to the opening of the sixth and seventh seals, we are at once confronted with cosmic convulsions and miraculous portents, which form the ' birth- pangs ' of the New Era (Gi^-i? 8. 9). If we inter- pret this vision as we interpret other apocalypses, we shall conclude that the writer was living in the times of the breaking of the fifth seal, so that the vision up to that point is an apocalyptic retrospect of history, and after that point is an apocalyptic prediction of the ' Messianic woes,' which were about to begin immediately. This leads on to the vision of the two witnesses, their destruction by the Beast, their resurrection (IP"^*; probably a picture of the last great struggle with Antichrist), and the inauguration of the Kingdom of God mi5-i9j_ jn other words, the gist of these chapters is a message of encouragement, assuring the per- secuted Christians that the time of their redemp- tion has come.
(4) The political element in the eschatology. — The Roman Empire was, to the mind of the writer, the greatest enemy of Christ — almost, indeed, the Antichrist himself. So he devotes seven chapters (12-18) to a vision of the Fall of Rome, which forms a kind of supplement to the vision of the opening of the Sealed Book, and deals with the political aspect of the Last Things. The details oflFermany difficult problems for solution ; we find
a medley of ideas, mainly from Jewish apocalyptic, blended perhaps with the popular expectation that ' Nero ' would return once more as a great world- ruler (13"'^' ; see Swete's Apocalypse, Introduction, ch. vii.). The political outlook of these chapters, with their intense hostility to the Roman Empire, is widely different from that of most NT writers [e.g. St. Paul in 2 Th 2«- or Ro IB^-^). In so far as the spirit of opposition to Christ was at that time bound up Avith the policy of the Empire, the vision is true to deep principles of Christian escha- tology ; but some of the passages have lent them- selves to political or ecclesiastical bias and party- spirit.
(5) The doctrine of the Millennium. — The vision of the Last Judgment in chs. 19 and 20 contains a doctrine of the Millennium. There is to be a first resurrection of the faithful dead, who will ' reign with Christ a thousand years,' during which time ' the rest of the dead live not till the thousand years are finished ' (20^- ^). Then follows a second resurrection, and a second judgment of all man- kind, when the assignment of final destinies is made to each soul (vv.'^"^^).
The idea of a Millennial reign of the Messiah on earth is found in Jewish apocalypses [e.g. cf. 4 Ezra vii. 28-31 ; Slav. Enoch, 33) ; but there is no authority for it in the teaching of our Lord. It seems difficult to attach to it any meaning of per- manent spiritual value ; moreover, in its material- istic forms it has been a source of weakness rather than of strength to Christian eschatology. For the later iiistory of Chiliasm, see Didache, 16 (closely based on Rev 19 and 20) ; Papias (quoted Iren. adv. Hcer. V. xxxiii.); Ap. Bar. xxxix. 5; Ep. Barnabas, 15 ; Justin, c. Tryph. 80 ; Iren. adv. Hcer. V. xxxiv. f., etc. Justin, while hold- ing strongly to a belief in the Millennium on earth, admits that the belief was not held 'ubique et ab omnibus ' in the Church.