Seven churches

2
M. M. NINAN
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II. Author and Setting
A. Author
The author of Revelation identifies himself as John in 1:1, 4, 9 and 22:8. This
seems reasonable, since the only other Johns we know about in the New
Testament are John the Baptist and John Mark, neither of whom seems a likely
candidate as the author. The suggestion that it was written by another, otherwise
unknown person named John seems too far fetched. We do have the witness of
the early fathers in this regard. Jamieson, Fauset and Brown quotes the following
authorities.
JUSTIN MARTYR [Dialogue with Trypho, p. 308] (A.D. 139-161) quotes from
the Apocalypse, as John the apostle's work, the prophecy of the millennium
of the saints, to be followed by the general resurrection and judgment. He
says, "the Revelation had been given to John, one of the twelve apostles of
Christ." This testimony of JUSTIN is referred to also by EUSEBIUS
[Ecclesiastical History, 4.18].
MELITO, bishop of Sardis (about A.D. 171), one of the seven churches
addressed, a successor, therefore, of one of the seven angels, is said by
EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 4.26] to have written treatises on the
Apocalypse of John. The testimony of the bishop of Sardis is the more
impartial, as Sardis is one of the churches severely reproved (Rev_3:1 ).
THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH (about A.D. 180), according to EUSEBIUS
[Ecclesiastical History, 4.26], quoted testimonies from the Apocalypse of
John.
EUSEBIUS says the same of Apollonius, who lived in Asia Minor in the end
of the second century.
IRENÆUS (about A.D. 180), a hearer of POLYCARP, the disciple of John,
and supposed by ARCHBISHOP USHER to be the angel of the Church of
Smyrna, is most decided again and again in quoting the Apocalypse as the
work of the apostle John [Against Heresies, 4.20.11; 4.21.3; 4.30.4; 5.36.1;
5.30.3; 5.35.2]. In [5.30.1], alluding to the mystical number of the beast, six