Christian Persecution in the Book of Revelation

This dissertation will argue that the persecution of early Christ followers, as referenced in the Book of Revelation, was not a myth. The imagery in the Book of Revelation, as analyzed here, conveys a sense of Christian persecution and a culture of anxiety and animosity during the apostolic age. Early followers of Jesus endured genuine harassment across the Roman Empire, and these difficulties should not be minimized or dismissed as exaggerated. By adopting a predominant preterist a-millennial approach, this dissertation will demonstrate that the imagery in the Book of Revelation refers to Christian persecution before the fall of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. This era, as the sources here examined will demonstrate, can be divided into two main periods, starting with the early missions of the Apostles until the Great Fire of Rome, when early Christians faced harassments predominantly from Jewish and pagan (Greco-Roman) communities, followed by primarily Roman oppression under Caesar Nero’s rule after 64 AD. This study will analyze several passages from the Book of Revelation that allude to Christian persecution during this era, by contextualizing these passages using New Testament, secular and non-canonical Christian sources. This approach will help us understand how references to persecution, conveyed through symbolic language in the Book of Revelation, influenced early church tradition and still influences current views about the hardships faced by first-century Christ followers, especially during Emperor Nero's reign. It will lead to a more nuanced understanding of the reality and importance of early Christian persecution as depicted in the Book of Revelation.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

ma

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Tauran, Asher

• BS Y Beibl

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:3205