Revelation 1:9. Tribulation: "I, John, who also am your
brother, and companion in tribulation."
The seven stars
were sometimes known as the wain, or
threshing sledge called a "tribulum."
The word tribulation comes from this
instrument. Just as the grain was threshed and the wine was pressed, so were
those who endured tribulation.
In Isaiah 41:15, the remnant of Israel is
promised the role of "threshing sledge" to thresh the wicked. In
Jeremiah 51:33 the "daughter of Babylon," (backslidden Israel), is said to be like a "threshing floor." This is a reference to 1Chronicles.
21:18-22:1 that the temple was built on the "threshing floor" of Ornan, the Jebusite. The root of the word
"Jebusite" is bus meaning “to
tread down, trample,” (BDB). When Jerusalem lost her identity with God she became the "daughter of Babylon," the threshing floor.
The threshing
floor was often associated with the wine press either by their proximity or by
the fact that both represented the processing of the harvest and both were
trodden. The same floor was probably suitable for both purposes.
1:9. Persecution: Jewish or
Roman? “Your brother and companion in
tribulation.”
Discerning the purpose of any writing is crucial to its interpretation. Just so, in the Book of Revelation, what one discerns as its primary purpose colors every aspect of the interpretation of the Book. Many interpreters see the purpose of the Book as being to comfort those who are being persecuted. Those who thus interpret the purpose of the Book then usually interpret this persecution as coming from the Roman government. There are therefore two questions to be examined: (1) Is the primary purpose of the Book to comfort those suffering persecution? And (2) is the persecution alluded to in the Book from the Romans or from the Jews?
The question of
the source of persecution is tied to the date of the writing. Those who see the date of writing as in
Emperor Domitian's reign, circa 96 AD, view the persecution as coming from the Roman Empire, and Mystery Babylon as Rome. These three facets of interpretation,
i.e., (1) the date of writing, (2) the source of persecution, and (3) the
identity of Mystery Babylon, all depend upon each other and neither of them can stand alone. If
any one of them is totally proven, the others would be on much steadier ground.
However, if any one of them is totally disproven, the others must fall with it.
Those who see the
writing as being in Emperor Nero's reign, about 64-68 AD, have the option to view the persecution as coming both from
the Roman Empire (Rome), interpreted as the Beast, and Judaism (Jerusalem), interpreted as Mystery Babylon. This is my view after reviewing the Biblical and historical records. (See Lesson 18: "The Writer and Date of Writing" published here on 12/18/2012)
The Roman persecution under Nero as described by the ancient Roman historian Tacitus[i] was probably not a general law against Christianity as such but a specific charge such as of arson. Tacitus had no respect for Christianity, but admitted that the charges of their having set fire to Rome in 64 AD were a "frame-up." Whatever difficulties they may have encountered at this time in Rome, the modern historian Cary says: "There is no evidence for persecution outside Rome,” (ibid. note 27), and Nero's ruthless treatment of Christians caused the general populous to pity them and to hate Nero even more, (ibid. 359).
The Church historians have little record or memory of the Neronian persecution. Other than Tacitus, they have the ancient historian Suetonias' allusion to a disturbance in Rome caused by one "Chrestus" which may have been his mistaken conception of a Jewish uprising against the Christians in that city, (ibid. 639, n. 50).
Therefore, there is little evidence of widespread Roman persecution in Nero’s reign, but there is evidence that there was a “frame-up” against the Christians and a Jewish uprising against the Christians.
[i] As given by Cary
and Scullard, History of Rome, 634,
note 26-7.
This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book Revelation In Context.
This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book Revelation In Context.
My Book is available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and is also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com.
Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net .
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