The Cultural Background of the Seven Messages

 Chapter two of this book is dedicated to exploring the cultural and historical context of the Book of Revelation. It is essential to understand the political, religious, and historical context of the book to be able to properly unravel the message. We will look into the local references within the message to the seven churches, and the various cultural issues addressed in the seven messages. External and internal problems are discussed, as well as how John records these events to describe the different churches. This chapter provides an in-depth look into the cultural and historical context of the Book of Revelation, and how it affects our understanding of the message.

THE CULTURAL BACKGROUND OF THE SEVEN MESSAGES ............. 52

LOCAL REFERENCES IN THE SEVEN MESSAGES ................................. 52

•     Proponents ........................................................................................................ 52
•     Arguments for the use of local references ........................................................ 53
•     A balanced use of local references ................................................................... 54

THE CULTURAL ISSUES IN THE SEVEN MESSAGES ............................ 55

•     External problems ............................................................................................. 55
•        Fig. 3. Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.
•        Fig. 4. Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–180).
•        Fig. 5. A round altar (Lat. ara) used in the imperial cult.
•        Fig. 6. Portrait of a priest who served in the temple of the imperial cult.
•        Fig. 7. The Sebasteion or Augusteum, in Aphrodisias.
•        Fig. 8. Bronze sestertius coin (AD 65) of Nero (AD 54–68).
•       Fig. 9. Papyrus certificate of sacrifice (libellus) from the Decian persecution (AD 250).
•       Fig. 10. Apotheosis of Antoninus Pius and Faustina.
•       Fig. 11. Marble Statue of Trajan (Imperator Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, AD 98–117).
•     Internal problems .............................................................................................. 64

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Updated Dec. 1, 2023