raymond frantz:
Problem is that there is no proof that John or other apostles or any Jew of the first century knew or relied or used gem atria to prove anything and for that reason I personally dismiss the Nero=666 of explanation
Fair enough, RF!
But then it is notoriously difficult to connect anything to anything in NT studies. Scholars make their reputations on their success in making such connections.
The compaaratively few documents that we have, permit glimpses onlyk of what was happening at that time.
But, let's stick to Revelation. As an example, how do we attribute authorship? Before seeking an answer that 'might' connect the disciple John to the book, let's look at a few other examples of apocalyptic writing and see if we can detect a pattern.
Consider first, The Apocalypse of Peter. It seems to be a second century document, which may make authorship by THE disciple Peter, very unlikely. The subject material- describing a journey through heaven and hell - suggests a later influence, rather than early Christianity thought.
So what's the author intention in calling the document, The Apocalypse of Peter? The answer is that he's doing something that can be demonstrated by other apocalyptic writings - presenting himself as an ancient (older), worthy, authorative person, whose name gives 'respect' to the writing. More it permitted the contemporary writer to write about contemporary events as if they had been predicted prophetically.
Another early Christian writing like that, is the Ascension of Isaiah, which in part describes the prophet's ascent to heaven where he sees ' the beloved,' (Jesus) descend from heaven to earth and his return to heaven. (foretelling the resurrection).
A pattern emerges - we call it pseudonymity. So was the author of Revelation hiding behind a false name? A lot of scholarship argues yes. A lot argues no! I suggest that other factors aside, the answer likely depends on the date of writing.
If the author is THE disciple known as John, and IF he is the same John who wrote the gospel, then contemporary scholars see an author who has, as well as a native understanding of Judaism, a sophisticated understanding of Graeco-Roman thought. That may not describe John as the supposedly young Jewish man, "whom Jesus used to love." But that young man may have devoted himself to study of many things in the intervening years and be able to write with a knowledge of graeco-roman thinking.
Achtemeier, Green and Thompson's, extensive collation of NT studies in their, Introducing the New Testament, Its Literature and Theology, offers a collection of ancient examples of gematria. Six examples are given on p.571, covering the wider graeco-roman world, Rabbinic tradition and the set of writings known as The Sibylline Oracles (probably written/edited between the second and sixth centuries CE) and regarded as a part Jewish, part Christian set of writings.
The fifth book of Sibylline Oracles has a long list of Roman Emperors, all alluded to be their number, as in this example of Nero:
And one whose mark is fifty 10 shall be lord,
40 A dreadful serpent breathing grievous war,
Who sometime stretching forth his hands shall make
An end of his own race and stir all things,
Acting the athlete, driving chariots,
Putting to death and daring countless things;
the footnote 10 adds:
10 39. Fifty.--The letter N, here denoting Nero, and Nerva
in line 58
Those extracts are from p.42 of Milton Terry's translation which can be accessed at:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/sib/sib.pdf
Everyone is free to believe or disbelieve anything at all, but I suggest (influenced, for certain, by my current sceptical approach to the faith that I once possessed) that the possibility exists that the author of Revelation could have had a knowledge of gematria.
Of course, if someone wants to hang on to the idea that the Bible foretells the future, then I guess, they would not want to believe that Revelation is a great example of theodicy - that is, when we experience suffering or hostility, recalling the action of God in this event becomes a means of comfort.
