Background: Historical Context Of Revelation

A great persecution had broken out against the church. Emperor Worship was a growing threat to Christians.  Though Jews were exempt from having to worship the emperor, Christians were not.

The Roman Emperor's claimed to be gods.  Caligula seemed to actually believe it!  He went mad demanding the sun rise.

While Nero is often see as the primary enemy of the church, he focused mostly on Christians in Rome.  It is later emperors who would expand the persecution to include all of the Roman world.

1. Domitian: Demanded he be addressed as “Supreme Lord and God.”  Domitian “was called master and god by all Greeks and barbarians, but was in reality an evil demon.” (Dio Chrysostom, Greek oritor, philosopher, writer, historian)
A person refusing to worship the emperor could be denied the right to buy or sell in market. Entrance into trade unions. Exile, torture, property confiscated, death. Flogged, fed to lions in the Coliseum, beheaded, crucified.

2. Evidence of the persecution reflected in Christian writings:
1 Clement 1:1, “the sudden and repeated calamities and reverse that has befallen us.”
Ch. 7, Clement compares the earlier martyrdom's of Peter and Paul by Romans, as well as the persecution of “a vast multitude of the elect” “through many indignities and tortures” “We are in the same arena, and the same struggle is before us.” 7:1
Domitian executed the aristocrat Flavius Clemens and banished his wife Flavia Domitilla because of “atheism.”

3. At Ephesus Domitian set up a colossal statue.

4. Rome hated Christians. Christianity was unnoticed by the Romans for several decades.

Reasons for the persecution:

• Christian Missionary Zeal. Roman Government tolerated religion of the conquered provinces.  Conquered people could place an image of their deity in the Hall of God’s. So long as the religion did not try to proselyte. But Christians inspired an entire missionary movement!  Christians were seen as wild fanatics because of their enthusiasm.
• Christianity was an exclusive religion.  Christians refused: Mingle with ungodly. Go to idol temples. Have idols in homes.  Rome already upset with Jews. Christians were seen as worse than Jews.
• Christians were accused of all manner of evil.  Known to hold secret services at night. Spoke of eating flesh, drinking blood. Called atheist because they did not recognize the "gods."
• Christians refused to go to war. Two reasons according to Tertullian:  –Part of the oath and initiation of the soldiers included service to idols of the State.  –Required to wear idolatrous insignia on their uniforms.  –Christ had taken the sword from them and given them a way of peace.  (I know that's 3)
• Christians were primarily poor and outcast. They were looked down upon by the ‘respectable.”
• Christians refused to worship the emperor.  All others would have been tolerated if they had given in on this point.

5. The author is in exile on Patmos.
“I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Rev. 1:9 Suffering: thlipsis (thlip'-sis); pressure : Same word as Revelation 7:14

6. Antipas was recently martyred for the faith. (Rev. 2:13)
According to Christian tradition, John the Apostle ordained Antipas as bishop of the Pergamon during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian. Antipas was martyred in ca. 92 AD by burning in a brazen bull-shaped altar used for casting out demons worshiped by the local population.”

7. There is economic persecution:
“I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich!” Rev. 2:9