Revelation, Book of

Last book of the New Testament. It consists of two main parts, the first containing moral admonitions to several Christian churches in Asia Minor, and the second composed of extraordinary visions, allegories, and symbols that have been the subject of varying interpretations throughout history. A popular interpretation is that Revelation deals with a contemporary crisis of faith, possibly the result of Roman persecutions. It exhorts Christians to remain steadfast in their faith and hold firm to the hope that God will ultimately vanquish their enemies. References to “a thousand years” have led some to expect that the final victory over evil will come after the completion of a millennium (see millennialism). Modern scholarship accepts that the book was written not by St. John the Apostle but by various unknown authors in the late 1st century AD. See also apocalypse.