Book of Revelation (Apocalypse)
Original Language: Koine Greek
[1] Overview
Final book of the Christian New Testament. Apocalyptic vision of John containing symbolic numbers and cosmic imagery.
Origin
Isle of Patmos, Roman Empire
Dating
90-96 CE
Authorship
John of Patmos (traditional); disputed (scholarly)
Structure
22 chapters with 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls
404 verses/entries
[2] The Numerology System
Greek Isopsephy
How It Works
Greek isopsephy assigns values to Greek letters. Alpha=1 through Omega=800. The practice was common in Hellenistic culture for creating meaningful number relationships.
Example Calculation
Iesous (Jesus): I(10) + E(8) + S(200) + O(70) + U(400) + S(200) = 888
[3] Key Numbers in This Tradition
| Number | Significance |
|---|---|
| 7 | Divine completion - 7 churches, seals, trumpets, bowls |
| 12 | Governance - 12 gates, 12 foundations, 12 stars |
| 144 | Wall of New Jerusalem - 12x12 cubits |
| 666 | Number of the beast - human imperfection tripled |
| 1,000 | Fullness/completeness - millennium reign |
| 144,000 | The sealed - 12x12x1000 (complete governance x fullness) |
[4] Search This Text
Search for words, phrases, or concepts in the original text or translation.
[5] Calculate Gematria
[6] Scholarly Sources
- Aune, David. 'Revelation' WBC Commentary (1997)
- Bauckham, Richard. 'The Theology of the Book of Revelation' (1993)
- Mounce, Robert. 'The Book of Revelation' NICNT (1997)
This information is presented for educational purposes. Interpretations vary among traditions and scholars.
[7] Cross-Tradition Connections
Numbers that appear across multiple sacred traditions: