A little background on Revelations:

The author of “Revelations” was almost assuredly written by John the Apostle though his name does not show up as such in the book and of course there are those who say otherwise. Still there is every reason to conclude that it is the very same John who called himself “the beloved” and was a disciple of Christ.

Many early fathers testify to it indeed being John the Apostle, which happens to be good enough for me.

Enoch Pond, (1871), who was once a Professor at the Theological Seminary, Bangor, Maine sites the following as examples:

“… according to the united testimony of the early fathers, the apostle John, in a time of severe persecution, was banished to the isle of Patmos. I hardly need quote their language on this point. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Victorinus, Eusebius, Epiphanius, Sulpicius, Severus, Jerome, and a great many others,[1] tell us (to use the very words of Origen), ‘that a Roman emperor banished the apostle John into the isle of Patmos, for the testimony which he bore to the word of truth.’ This shows that it was John the apostle, and not another, who wrote the book under consideration.”

He also gives many earlier fathers as examples. As I said before, that's good enough for me to see it that way too.


As Mr. Pond stated before, It is believed that it was written while John was in exile on the Isle of Patmos -just SW of Ephesus in the Aegean Sea, Asia Minor (Modern Turkey).

As far as why he was exiled, he tells us himself in the Scripture verse Rev. 1:9, "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ". We take this to mean he was exiled there “as a result of," spreading the Gospel not simply “for the purpose of”. (However I’m sure he took the opportunity to do so!)

As a confirmation for me it was pointed out on another website that John uses similar wording in Revelation 6:9, "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held," where we have no doubt that they were slain “because of” their belief in the Gospel.


When was it written? There is some debate on this as well but the date of the writing of this book has generally been fixed at A.D. 96, in the reign of Domitian. There are some, however, who argue for an earlier date, A.D. 68 or 69, in the reign of Nero. They argue this so they can confirm their belief that the things revealed in Revelations happened before 70 AD when Jerusalem fell to the Roman army.

I myself am not of the belief that things in Revelations happened pre 70 AD and no time after. However it very well could be that they DID happen and are happening over and over. (Which I have a tendency to lean toward).

Either way what we know for sure is the end of the book, Jesus’s triumphant return has yet to happen and to that we say with the rest of the saints who are and have gone before, “Come Lord Jesus!”