He has a name written on His clothing and on His thigh:
‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’” – Revelation 19:16 (NET)
In the time period in which the
Apocalypse of John (also known as the book of Revelation) was composed, there
was a well known ritual within the Roman Empire. This ritual was referred
to as a “triumph.” All were familiar with this ritual, especially the
residents of the city of Rome, as this would be the place at which the greatest
of “triumphs” would take place. Along with those who were privileged to
witness such things in person, those who participated in the Caesar cult, who
worshiped Caesar as a god (or son of god), though residing in far-flung regions
of the empire, would most assuredly have been aware of this glorious
celebration, as it would serve to reinforce proscriptions concerning the
divinity of the Caesar. This is especially true if the “triumph” was in
celebration of the Caesar himself, though the ritual was not limited to the
emperor, and could be afforded to a general of Rome.
Speaking of the worship of
Caesar, which must be comprehended in accordance with any thoughts about the
“triumph,” one must realize that the cult that was dedicated to the worship of
the emperor and his household was believed to be one of the most popular (if
not the most popular) cults of the ancient world in which John the revelator would
take up his pen. An excellent example of the honor afforded to the divine
emperor an inscription from the Provincial Assembly of Asia that took place in
the year 9 B.C.
It reads: “The most divine… we should consider co-equal to
the beginning of all things…; for when everything was falling [into disorder]
and tending toward dissolution, he restored it once more and gave to the whole
world a new aura; …then common good fortune of all…The beginning of life and
vitality. …All the cities unanimously adopt the birthday of the divine as the
new beginning of the year…Whereas Providence, which has regulated our whole
existence…has brought our life to the climax of perfection in giving to us
(this man), whom it [Providence] filled with strength the welfare of men,
and who being to us and our descendants as Savior , has put an end to war and
has set all things in Order; and [whereas] having become [god] manifest, has
fulfilled all the hopes of earlier times… in surpassing all the benefactors who
proceed him…, and whereas, finally, the birthday of the god has been for the
whole world the beginning of the good news concerning him [therefore let a new
era begin from his birth]”.
One must presume that John,
exiled to the island of Patmos by the empire, would also have been familiar
with the grand celebratory event of the “triumph”. To go along with this
point, the seven cities of Asia Minor to which John writes in his apocalypse,
are believed to be strong centers of emperor worship, which serves as a bit of
a backdrop to John’s message to those churches. The Revelation,
“Apocalypse” in Greek because of its use of almost exclusively apocalyptic
language (“apocalyptic” meaning “behind the veil”) to present the Creator God’s
perspective on things, as can be seen in regular use in the writings of the
Hebrew prophets (while also being scattered throughout the historical and poetical/wisdom
writings as well), asks to be read with the Roman empire, its Caesar cult, and
its imperial pronouncements, standing in the background and most assuredly
coloring the thoughts of its intended audience.
Evidence of this worship was to
be found in virtually every significant city of the empire, with cities even
competing with each other to show forth their commitment to the cult through
the erection of temples and statues and the offering of substantial sacrifices,
so as to receive greater imperial (and therefore divine) benefaction.
Indeed, a portion of the liturgy surrounding the worship of Caesar indicated
that Caesar had been faithful to his subjects, so his subjects, in turn, were
to be faithful to him. The Greek phrase that was employed to communicate
this message was “ek pistis eis pistin.” This is generally translated as
“from faith to faith,” and is co-opted by the Apostle Paul, in his letter to
the Romans (right under Caesar’s nose), and made to more properly apply to the true
King and His subjects.
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