Introduction (1.1–3)

English

A revelation of Jesus the Anointed One, which God gave him to show his slaves what must happen soon. And he signified it, sending it through his angel to his slave John, who witnessed God’s word and the witness of Jesus the Anointed One, as much as he saw. Blessed is the one who reads, and the ones who hear the words of the prophecy, and the ones who keep what is written in it, because the time is near.

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Interpretation

The common claim in early Christian literature is that the end times, the conclusion to history, was imminent. It was frequently expected to be preceded by various crises, often including a climactic war between the forces of good/light and evil/darkness. Other apocalypses were written under the pretense that the author was living a long time before the predicted events, when in actuality the author was writing contemporary to the events which they believed were the unfolding end times. As such, some apocalypses depict the author being instructed to ‘seal’ his prophecies away, an explanation for why the book happened to be ‘discovered’ during the events it concerned. This book takes the opposite approach: the author directly acknowledges his belief that he is living in the end times: the predicted events ‘must happen soon’, ‘because the time is near’.

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Parallels

Q

11.29–30 But some were demanding a sign from him. But he said, ‘This generation is an evil generation. It asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the son of man will be to this generation.’

1 Thessalonians

4.16–17 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in the Anointed One will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Corinthians

4.9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all

7.26–31 I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. […] I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

10.11 These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

15.20–23, 51–52 But in fact the Anointed One has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in the Anointed One. But each in his own order: the Anointed One the first-fruits, then at his coming those who belong to the Anointed One. […] Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Philippians

4.5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

Romans

8.18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.

13.11–12 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near.

16.20 The god of peace will soon crush the satan under your feet.

Mark

1.15 ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

8.38–9.1 ‘Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the son of man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’

13.28–30 ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.’

14.61–62 Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Anointed One, the son of the Blessed One?’ Jesus said, ‘I am. And you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of the power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’

Matthew

3.1–2 In those days John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

3.7–9 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath about to come? […] Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

4.17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

10.14–15, 23 ‘If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. […] When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the son of man comes.’

23.32–36 ‘So, fill up the measure of your ancestors. You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to Ge-Hinnom? Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you shall come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.’

26.64 Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’

James

5.1, 3 now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. […] You have laid up treasures in the last days.

5.7, 9 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. […] for the coming of the Lord is near. […] See, the Judge is standing at the doors!

1 Peter

1.20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but he was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.

4.7 The end of all things is near

4.17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Hebrews

1.1–2 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a son

8.13 In speaking of a new covenant, he has made the first one obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear.

10.24–25 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

10.37 For yet in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay.

4 Ezra

14.5 ‘I told him many wondrous things, and showed him the secrets of the times and declared to him the end of the times.

Judah

18–19 they said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.’ It is these worldly people, devoid of the spirit, who are causing divisions.

1 John

2.18 Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour.

2 Clement

14.2 the church has not come into being just now, but has existed from the beginning. For it existed spiritually, as did our Jesus; but he became manifest here in the last days so that he might save us.

Shepherd of Hermas

Vision 3.8.9 Then I asked her about the times, if the end is now. But she cried out, saying, ‘Foolish man, do you not see the tower is still being built? So when the tower’s construction is finished, the end comes. But, it will be built up soon.’

Vision 4.3.3–5 I said to her, ‘Lady, [I saw] a huge wild animal, which could have destroyed entire peoples. However, by the power of the Lord and his great mercy, I escaped it.’ ‘You escaped it well,’ she said, ‘because you cast your anxiety upon God and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you could be by nothing other than his great and glorious name. […] You escaped a great tribulation […] So go and tell the Lord’s chosen ones […] that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is about to come.’

Parable 9.3.2 The virgins standing around the gate told the men to hurry up building the tower.

Parable 9.12.2–3 ‘The son of God is older than all his creation, so he became the Father’s counselor in his creation. So it is ancient.’ ‘But why is the gate new, lord?’ I said. ‘Because,’ he said, ‘he was made manifest in the last days of [the tower’s] completion. So the gate is newly made, so those who are about to be saved may enter through it into the kingdom of God.’

Ignatius

Eph 11.1 The end times have come upon us

Mag 6.1 Jesus the Anointed One, who was with the Father before the ages and appeared at the end of time.

Barnabas

7.2 And so, if the son of God suffered, that by being beaten he might give us life (even though he is the Lord and is about to judge the living and the dead), we should believe that the son of God could not suffer unless it was for our sakes.

16.5 Again, it was revealed how the city and the temple and the people of Israel should be handed over. For the scripture says, ‘And it will be in the last days that the Lord shall hand over the sheep of the pasture and the enclosure and their tower to destruction.’ And it came to pass as the Lord said.