Many think the book of Revelation is very simple.
It is all about Rome and the Caesars, and the persecution of the early church.
There were bits and pieces of the book of Revelation that fit ancient Rome. Starting with Nero there was ongoing persecution of the early church. Revelation does clearly talk about the end of time, as do many other books of the Bible. But Revelation also clearly says it talks about “things which must shortly come to pass;” Rev 1:1 KJV. Many think it is only about things which must shortly come to pass. You might even get the impression that the Second Coming of Christ would be associated with the fall of Rome!
We must remember too that Revelation was not a secret book. It was publicly disseminated. Probably most early Christians thought it was about Rome, but many (just like today) did not know what to make of it. Because you see here is the other side, which is not often discussed.
Much of Revelation does NOT fit Rome, even from the first.
Many liberals think that the beast is supposed to one of the caesars, and that “Mystery Babylon the Great” is Rome. That fits only to a point.
First of all, Mystery Babylon is all about trade and filthy religious sex (Rev 17:4), and seduction. Babylon was the one,
“with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality.”” Rev 17:2 WEB.
Rome indeed ruled many kings, but by force, not by seduction.
Rome did at times buy or control commodities, like for instance wheat. However, Rome was not primarily about trade, but about government. Rome definitely did not trade in the wide range of goods described in Revelation 18. The tradesmen did, and many of the corporations which prospered in the Empire. Rome’s specialty was the practice of military power which few could resist. Rome did not try to seduce other to get the money she needed. Rome would simply demand in taxes what she thought she needed.
Additionally, the standard liberal interpretation has the caesars (the beast?) overthrowing Rome, their own power base! That should be an astonishing interpretation in anyone’s book. Of course, that never happened! Some are more than willing to treat Revelation as a false prophecy.
So many from the first realized that much of this did not fit Rome of their day, with much wonderment. Some thought the many missing parts would yet happen with Rome, but they never did. For instance a “mark” that was necessary for buying and selling. See the previous post “A Special “Mark” …”
There is more discussion of why Rome does not ultimately fit Revelation, in Revealing the Christian Age.
But remember in 2 Samuel 7, Solomon was a type, symbolic of Jesus, and both of them are in the prophecy, with no clear lines of division! (see the previous posts about “Two Sons of David.”) Are Rome and the caesars merely types, symbolic of what was to come later?
KJV is the King James Version, 1611.
WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
