The Book of Revelation essay
The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic document in the New Testament, which reveal the prediction and description of the Judgment Day. The Book of Revelation conveys several stages of rhetoric persuasion of the audience. At first, the author warns the audience about the upcoming apocalypse, then the author describes its signs and shows the way to salvation. In such a way, the Book of Revelation warns and frightens the audience and then gives readers hope for salvation that makes the main message of the book persuading and making the audience to turn into Christianity to find the desirable salvation.
First of all, the author of the book argues that people should come prepared for the apocalypse but many people remain negligent in relation to apocalypse as they are ignorant and indifferent to sacred texts: “no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon” (Revelation 5:4-5). The book is a symbol of the justice and a sacred object which only a few dare to open because they are without sins. The author implies that the indifference of people to sacred texts and will of God may be crucial for their failure to find salvation on the Judgment Day.
The author warns the audience about the apocalypse, which is inevitable and people should be aware of its coming. The author refers to the trumpet: “the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me” (Revelation 4:2-3), which apparently aims to emphasize the importance of the message to follow since traditionally sounds of trumpet were use as warnings or alarm signals to warn people about some danger or some significant events to occur. In such a way, the trumpet is used as a signal to the upcoming apocalypse. Furthermore, the four beasts apparently symbolize human vices and evil powers which threaten not only to humans but also to the basic rules and norms which are established on the Heaven.
In such a way, the message of the book is very effective because at first it warns and frightens the audience and then the author shows the way to salvation referring to the example of the lamb: “a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (Revelation 5:7-9) is quite symbolic since it is a weak and defenseless animal turns out to be able to self-sacrifice for salvation of others. In a way, this may be viewed as a symbol of Christ’s self-sacrifice. Remarkably, it was the lamb “opened one of the seals” (Revelation 6:1-2). The author uses imagery to provide the audience with symbols that make the audience clear what to expect on the Judgment Day and how they should behave to find salvation. The author uses ethos referring to the authority of God and using imagery to make the revelation more picturesque and vivid. The author’s style is effective because the audience drifts from the fear of the apocalypse to the hope of salvation in the course of the book. As a result, readers are eager to follow the way indicated by the author to find salvation and to avoid the fear.
Thus, the Book of Revelation persuades the audience to turn into Christianity and to lead a virtuous life to find salvation on the Judgment Day. Readers pass through the fear of the apocalypse and get the hope for salvation throughout the book that makes the book highly persuasive.
