document_title: Book of Revelation

question_text: where in the bible is the book of revelation

text: Book of Revelation

text: Composition and setting[edit]

text: Title, authorship, and date[edit]

text: The title is taken from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: ἀποκάλυψις apokalypsis, which means "unveiling" or "revelation". The author names himself as "John", but it is currently considered unlikely that the author of Revelation was also the author of the Gospel of John. Some of the evidence for this was set out as early as the second half of the 3rd century by Pope Dionysius of Alexandria, who noted that the gospel and the epistles attributed to John, unlike Revelation, do not name their author, and that the Greek of the gospel is correct and elegant while that of Revelation is neither; some later scholars believe that the two books also have radical differences in theological perspective.[6]

text: Tradition links him to John the Apostle, but it is unlikely that the apostle could have lived into the most likely time for the book's composition, the reign of Domitian, and the author never states that he knew Jesus.[7] All that is known is that this John was a Jewish Christian prophet, probably belonging to a group of such prophets, and was accepted as such by the congregations to whom he addresses his letter.[4][8] His precise identity remains unknown,[9] and modern scholarship commonly refers to him as John of Patmos. [10]

text: Early Church tradition dates the book to end of the emperor Domitian (reigned AD 81–96), and most modern scholars agree, although the author may have written a first version under Vespasian (AD 69–79) and updated it under Domitian.[11] The beast with seven heads and the number 666 seem to allude directly to the emperor Nero (reigned AD 54–68), but this does not require that Revelation was written in the 60s, as there was a widespread belief in later decades that Nero would return.[12][4]

text: In her volume in the original Anchor Bible, J. Massyngberde Ford argues that the core of Revelation, chapters 4-11, was written by John the Baptist and later surrounded with a Christian beginning and ending, although this view is not held by the large majority of scholars.[13] 70 AD is the likely date of writing according to Martha Himmelfarb in the recently published Blackwell series.[14]

text: Genre[edit]

text: Revelation is an apocalyptic prophecy with an epistolary introduction addressed to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia.[15] "Apocalypse" means the revealing of divine mysteries;[16] John is to write down what is revealed (what he sees in his vision) and send it to the seven churches.[15] The entire book constitutes the letter—the letters to the seven individual churches are introductions to the rest of the book, which is addressed to all seven.[15] While the dominant genre is apocalyptic, the author sees himself as a Christian prophet: Revelation uses the word in various forms twenty-one times, more than any other New Testament book.[17]

text: Sources[edit]

text: The predominant view is that Revelation alludes to the Old Testament although it is difficult among scholars to agree on the exact number of allusions or the allusions themselves.[18] Revelation rarely quotes directly from the Old Testament, almost every verse alludes to or echoes older scriptures. Over half of the references stem from Daniel, Ezekiel, Psalms, and Isaiah, with Daniel providing the largest number in proportion to length and Ezekiel standing out as the most influential. Because these references appear as allusions rather than as quotes, it is difficult to know whether the author used the Hebrew or the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures, but he was clearly often influenced by the Greek. He very frequently combines multiple references, and again the allusional style makes it impossible to be certain to what extent he did so consciously.[19][need quotation to verify]

text: According to several studies inluding a review by Dr James Tabor and Dr J.Massyngberde Ford, the Book of Revelation contains ancient pre-Christian texts of Jewish origin dating back to the time of John the Baptist and the communities of Qumran as well as antic jewish texts. In several verses one can identify the ancient texts and that attributed to John, the latter having just added in the original text the words "Jesus Christ" (Rev 1: 1), "testimony of Jesus Christ "(Rev. 1: 2) or even" Jesus "(Rev 1: 9), and similar words in dozens of other verses.

text: Setting[edit]

text: Conventional understanding until recently was that Revelation was written to comfort beleaguered Christians as they underwent persecution at the hands of a megalomaniacal Roman emperor, but much of this has now been jettisoned: Domitian is no longer viewed as a despot imposing an imperial cult, and it is no longer believed that there was any systematic empire-wide persecution of Christians in his time.[20]

text: The current view is that Revelation was composed in the context of a conflict within the Christian community of Asia Minor over whether to engage with, or withdraw from, the far larger non-Christian community: Revelation chastises those Christians who wanted to reach an accommodation with the Roman cult of empire.[21] This is not to say that Christians in Roman Asia were not suffering, for withdrawal from, and defiance against, the wider Roman society imposed very real penalties; Revelation offered a victory over this reality by offering an apocalyptic hope: in the words of professor Adela Yarbro Collins, "What ought to be was experienced as a present reality."[22]

text: Canonical history[edit]

text: Revelation was the last book accepted into the Christian biblical canon, and to the present day some "Nestorian" churches[citation needed] such as the Church of the East reject it.[23][24] It was considered[by whom?] tainted because the heretical sect of the Montanists relied on it[25] and doubts were raised over its Jewishness and authorship.[26]

text: Dionysius (248 AD), bishop of Alexandria, disciple of Origen wrote that the Book of Revelation could have been written by Cerinthus although he himself did not adopt the view that Cerinthus was the writer. He regarded the Apocalypse as the work of an inspired man but not of an Apostle (Eusebius, Church History VII.25).[27]

text: Eusebius, in his Church History (c. 330 AD) mentioned that the Apocalypse of John was accepted as a Canonical book and rejected at the same time:

text: The Apocalypse of John, also called Revelation, is counted as both accepted (Kirsopp. Lake translation: "Recognized") and disputed, which has caused some confusion over what exactly Eusebius meant by doing so. The disputation perhaps attributed to Origen.[29] Origen seems having accepted it in his writings.[30]

text: Cyril of Jerusalem (348 AD) does not name it among the canonical books (Catechesis IV.33–36).[31]

text: Athanasius (367 AD) in his Letter 39[32], Augustine of Hippo (c. 397 AD) in his book On Christian Doctrine (Book II, Chapter 8)[33], Tyrannius Rufinus (c. 400 AD) in his Commentary on the Apostles' Creed[34], Pope Innocent I (405 AD) in a letter to the bishop of Toulouse[35] and John of Damascus (about 730 AD) in his work An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (Book IV:7)[36] listed "the Revelation of John the Evangelist" as a canonical book.

text: Synods[edit]

text: The Council of Laodicea (363) omits it as a canonical book.[37]

text: The Decretum Gelasianum, which is a work written by an anonymous scholar between 519 and 553, contains a list of books of scripture presented as having been reckoned as canonical by the Council of Rome (382 AD). This list mentions it as a part of the New Testament canon.[38]

text: The Synod of Hippo (in 393),[39] followed by the Council of Carthage (397) and the Council of Carthage (419), classified it as a canonical book.[40]

text: The Apostolic Canons, approved by the Eastern Orthodox Council in Trullo in 692, omit it.[41]

text: Protestant Reformation[edit]

text: Doubts resurfaced during the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther called it "neither apostolic nor prophetic" in the 1522 preface to his translation of the New Testament (he revised his position with a much more favorable assessment in 1530), and it was the only New Testament book on which John Calvin did not write a commentary.[42] As of 2015[update] it remains the only New Testament work not read in the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church,[citation needed] though Catholic and Protestant liturgies include it.[citation needed]

text: Texts and manuscripts[edit]

text: There are approximately 300 Greek manuscripts of Revelation.[43] While the Codex Vaticanus does not include it, the other major manuscripts that do are the Codex Sinaiticus (4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (5th century), and Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (5th century). In addition, there are numerous papyri, especially that of p47 (3rd century); the minuscules (8th to 10th century), plus fragmentary quotations in the Church fathers of the 2nd to 5th centuries and the 6th century Greek commentary on Revelation by Andreas.[44]

text: Structure and content[edit]

text: Literary structure[edit]

text: Divisions in the book seem to be marked by the repetition of key phrases, by the arrangement of subject matter into blocks, and around its Christological passages,[45] and much use is made of significant numbers, especially the number seven, which represented perfection according to ancient numerology.[46] Nevertheless, there is a "complete lack of consensus" among scholars about the structure of Revelation.[47] The following is therefore an outline of the book's contents rather than of its structure.

text: Outline[edit]

text:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is communicated to John of Patmos through prophetic visions. (1:1–9)
John is instructed by the "one like a son of man" to write all that he hears and sees, from the prophetic visions, to Seven churches of Asia. (1:10–13)
The appearance of the "one like a son of man" is given, and he reveals what the seven stars and seven lampstands represent. (1:14–20)

Messages for seven churches of Asia

Ephesus: From this church, those "who overcome are granted to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." (2:1–7)

Praised for not bearing those who are evil, testing those who say they are apostles and are not, and finding them to be liars; hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans; having persevered and possessing patience.
Admonished to "do the first works" and to repent for having left their "first love."

Smyrna: From this church, those who are faithful until death, will be given "the crown of life." Those who overcome shall not be hurt by the second death. (2:8–11)

Praised for being "rich" while impoverished and in tribulation.
Admonished not to fear the "synagogue of Satan", nor fear a ten-day tribulation of being thrown into prison.

Pergamum: From this church, those who overcome will be given the hidden manna to eat and a white stone with a secret name on it." (2:12–17)

Praised for holding "fast to My name", not denying "My faith" even in the days of Antipas, "My faithful martyr."
Admonished to repent for having held the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel; eating things sacrificed to idols, committing sexual immorality, and holding the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans."

Thyatira: From this church, those who overcome until the end, will be given power over the nations in order to dash them to pieces with the rule of a rod of iron; they will also be given the "morning star." (2:18–29)

Praised for their works, love, service, faith, and patience.
Admonished to repent for allowing a "prophetess" to promote sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

Sardis: From this church, those who overcome will be clothed in white garments, and their names will not be blotted out from the Book of Life; their names will also be confessed before the Father and His angels. (3:1–6)

Admonished to be watchful and to strengthen since their works have not been perfect before God.

Philadelphia: From this church, those who overcome will be made a pillar in the temple of God having the name of God, the name of the city of God, "New Jerusalem", and the Son of God's new name. (3:7–13)

Praised for having some strength, keeping "My word", and having not denied "My name."
Admonished to hold fast what they have, that no one may take their crown.

Laodicea: From this church, those who overcome will be granted the opportunity to sit with the Son of God on His throne. (3:14–22)

Admonished to be zealous and repent from being "lukewarm"; they are instructed to buy the "gold refined in the fire", that they may be rich; to buy "white garments", that they may be clothed, so that the shame of their nakedness would not be revealed; to anoint their eyes with eye salve, that they may see.

Before the Throne of God

The Throne of God appears, surrounded by twenty four thrones with Twenty-four elders seated in them. (4:1–5)
The four living creatures are introduced. (4:6–11)
A scroll, with seven seals, is presented and it is declared that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, from the "Root of David", is the only one worthy to open this scroll. (5:1–5)
When the "Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes" took the scroll, the creatures of heaven fell down before the Lamb to give him praise, joined by myriads of angels and the creatures of the earth. (5:6–14)

Seven Seals are opened

First Seal: A white horse appears, whose crowned rider has a bow with which to conquer. (6:1–2)
Second Seal: A red horse appears, whose rider is granted a "great sword" to take peace from the earth. (6:3–4)
Third Seal: A black horse appears, whose rider has "a pair of balances in his hand", where a voice then says, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine." (6:5–6)
Fourth Seal: A pale horse appears, whose rider is Death, and Hades follows him. Death is granted a fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (6:7–8)
Fifth Seal: "Under the altar", appeared the souls of martyrs for the "word of God", who cry out for vengeance. They are given white robes and told to rest until the martyrdom of their brothers is completed. (6:9-11)
Sixth Seal: (6:12–17)

There occurs a great earthquake where "the sun becomes black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon like blood" (6:12).
The stars of heaven fall to the earth and the sky recedes like a scroll being rolled up (6:13–14).
Every mountain and island is moved out of place (6:14).
The people of earth retreat to caves in the mountains (6:15).
The survivors call upon the mountains and the rocks to fall on them, so as to hide them from the "wrath of the Lamb" (6:16).

Interlude: The 144,000 Hebrews are sealed.

144,000 from the Twelve Tribes of Israel are sealed as servants of God on their foreheads (7:1–8)
A great multitude stand before the Throne of God, who come out of the Great Tribulation, clothed with robes made "white in the blood of the Lamb" and having palm branches in their hands. (7:9–17)

Seventh Seal: Introduces the seven trumpets (8:1–5)

"Silence in heaven for about half an hour" (8:1).
Seven angels are each given trumpets (8:2).
An eighth angel takes a "golden censer", filled with fire from the heavenly altar, and throws it to the earth (8:3–5). What follows are "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake" (8:5).
After the eighth angel has devastated the earth, the seven angels introduced in verse 2 prepare to sound their trumpets (8:6).

Seven trumpets are sounded (Seen in Chapters 8, 9, and 12).

First Trumpet: Hail and fire, mingled with blood, are thrown to the earth burning up a third of the trees and green grass. (8:6–7)
Second Trumpet: Something that resembles a great mountain, burning with fire, falls from the sky and lands in the ocean. It kills a third of the sea creatures and destroys a third of the ships at sea. (8:8–9)
Third Trumpet: A great star, named Wormwood, falls from heaven and poisons a third of the rivers and springs of water. (8:10–11)
Fourth Trumpet: A third of the sun, the moon, and the stars are darkened creating complete darkness for a third of the day and the night. (8:12–13)
Fifth Trumpet: The First Woe (9:1–12)

A "star" falls from the sky (9:1).
This "star" is given "the key to the bottomless pit" (9:1).
The "star" then opens the bottomless pit. When this happens, "smoke [rises] from [the Abyss] like smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky [are] darkened by the smoke from the Abyss" (9:2).
From out of the smoke, locusts who are "given power like that of scorpions of the earth" (9:3), who are commanded not to harm anyone or anything except for people who were not given the "seal of God" on their foreheads (from chapter 7) (9:4).
The "locusts" are described as having a human appearance (faces and hair) but with lion's teeth, and wearing "breastplates of iron"; the sound of their wings resembles "the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle" (9:7–9).

Sixth Trumpet: The Second Woe (9:13–21)

The four angels bound to the great river Euphrates are released to prepare two hundred million horsemen.
These armies kill a third of mankind by plagues of fire, smoke, and brimstone.

Interlude: The little scroll. (10:1–11)

An angel appears, with one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, having an opened little book in his hand.
Upon the cry of the angel, seven thunders utter mysteries and secrets that are not to be written down by John.
John is instructed to eat the little scroll that happens to be sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach, and to prophesy.
John is given a measuring rod to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
Outside the temple, at the court of the holy city, it is trod by the nations for forty-two months (3 1/2 years).
Two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. (11:1–14)

Seventh Trumpet: The Third Woe that leads into the seven bowls (11:15–19)

The temple of God opens in heaven, where the ark of His covenant can be seen. There are lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

The Seven Spiritual Figures. (Events leading into the Third Woe)

A Woman "clothed with a white robe, with the sun at her back, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" is in pregnancy with a male child. (12:1–2)
A great Dragon (with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads) drags a third of the stars of Heaven with his tail, and throws them to the Earth. (12:3–4). The Dragon waits for the birth of the child so he can devour it. However, sometime after the child is born, he is caught up to God's throne while the Woman flees into the wilderness into her place prepared of God that they should feed her there for 1,260 days (3½ years). (12:5–6). War breaks out in heaven between Michael and the Dragon, identified as that old Serpent, the Devil, or Satan (12:9). After a great fight, the Dragon and his angels are cast out of Heaven for good, followed by praises of victory for God's kingdom. (12:7–12). The Dragon engages to persecute the Woman, but she is given aid to evade him. Her evasiveness enrages the Dragon, prompting him to wage war against the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (12:13–17)
A Beast (with seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns on his horns and on his heads names of blasphemy) emerges from the Sea, having one mortally wounded head that is then healed. The people of the world wonder and follow the Beast. The Dragon grants him power and authority for forty-two months. (13:1–5)
The Beast of the Sea blasphemes God's name (along with God's tabernacle and His kingdom and all who dwell in Heaven), wages war against the Saints, and overcomes them. (13:6–10)
Then, a Beast emerges from the Earth having two horns like a lamb, speaking like a dragon. He directs people to make an image of the Beast of the Sea who was wounded yet lives, breathing life into it, and forcing all people to bear "the mark of the Beast", "666". Events leading into the Third Woe:
The Lamb stands on Mount Zion with the 144,000 "first fruits" who are redeemed from Earth and victorious over the Beast and his mark and image. (14:1–5)

The proclamations of three angels. (14:6–13)
One like the Son of Man reaps the earth. (14:14–16)
A second angel reaps "the vine of the Earth" and throws it into "the great winepress of the wrath of God... and blood came out of the winepress... up to one thousand six hundred stadia." (14:17–20)
The temple of the tabernacle, in Heaven, is opened(15:1–5), beginning the "Seven Bowls" revelation.
Seven angels are given a golden bowl, from the Four Living Creatures, that contains the seven last plagues bearing the wrath of God. (15:6–8)

Seven bowls are poured onto Earth:

First Bowl: A "foul and malignant sore" afflicts the followers of the Beast. (16:1–2)
Second Bowl: The Sea turns to blood and everything within it dies. (16:3)
Third Bowl: All fresh water turns to blood. (16:4–7)
Fourth Bowl: The Sun scorches the Earth with intense heat and even burns some people with fire. (16:8–9)
Fifth Bowl: There is total darkness and great pain in the Beast's kingdom. (16:10–11)
Sixth Bowl: The Great River Euphrates is dried up and preparations are made for the kings of the East and the final battle at Armageddon between the forces of good and evil. (16:12–16)
Seventh Bowl: A great earthquake and heavy hailstorm: "every island fled away and the mountains were not found." (16:17–21)

Aftermath: Vision of John given by "an angel who had the seven bowls"

The great Harlot who sits on a scarlet Beast (with seven heads and ten horns and names of blasphemy all over its body) and by many waters: Babylon the Great. The angel showing John the vision of the Harlot and the scarlet Beast reveals their identities and fates (17:1–18)
New Babylon is destroyed. (18:1–8)
The people of the Earth (the kings, merchants, sailors, etc.) mourn New Babylon's destruction. (18:9–19)
The permanence of New Babylon's destruction. (18:20–24)

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

A great multitude praises God. (19:1–6)
The marriage Supper of the Lamb. (19:7–10)

The Judgment of the two Beasts, the Dragon, and the Dead (19:11–20:15)

The Beast and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire. (19:11–21)
The Dragon is imprisoned in the Bottomless Pit for a thousand years. (20:1–3)
The resurrected martyrs live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. (20:4–6)
After the Thousand Years

The Dragon is released and goes out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the Earth—Gog and Magog—and gathers them for battle at the holy city. The Dragon makes war against the people of God, but is defeated. (20:7–9)
The Dragon is cast into the Lake of Fire with the Beast and the False Prophet. (20:10)
The Last Judgment: the wicked, along with Death and Hades, are cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death. (20:11–15)

The New Heaven and Earth, and New Jerusalem

A new, glorious Heaven replaces the old Earth. There is no more suffering or death. (21:1–8)
God comes to dwell with humanity in the New Jerusalem. (21:2–8)
Description of the New Jerusalem. (21:9–27)
The River of Life and the Tree of Life appear for the healing of the nations and peoples. The curse of sin is ended. (22:1–5)

Conclusion

Christ's reassurance that his coming is imminent. Final admonitions. (22:6–21)

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text: Revelation has a wide variety of interpretations, ranging from the simple message that we should have faith that God will prevail ("symbolic interpretation"), to complex end time scenarios ("futurist interpretation"),[48][49] to the views of critics who deny any spiritual value to Revelation at all.[50]

text: Eschatological[edit]

text: Most Christian interpretations fall into one or more of the following categories:

text:
Historicism, which sees in Revelation a broad view of history;
Preterism, in which Revelation mostly refers to the events of the apostolic era (1st century) or, at the latest, the fall of the Roman Empire;
Amillennialism, which contends that the millennium has already begun and is identical with the current church age;
Futurism, which believes that Revelation describes future events (modern believers in this interpretation are often called "millennialists"); and
Idealism/Allegoricalism, which holds that Revelation does not refer to actual people or events, but is an allegory of the spiritual path and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.

tag: ul

text: Bahá'í Faith[edit]

text: `Abdu'l-Bahá has given some interpretations about the 11th and 12th chapters of Revelation in Some Answered Questions.[51][52] The 1,260 days spoken of in the forms: one thousand two hundred and sixty days,[53] forty-two months,[54] refers to the 1,260 years in the Islamic Calendar (AH 1260 or 1844 CE). The "two witnesses" spoken of are Muhammad and Ali.[55] Also, the Bible reads, "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads".[56] The seven heads of the dragon are symbolic of the seven provinces dominated by the Umayyads: Damascus, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, Africa, Andalusia, and Transoxania. The ten horns represent the ten names of the leaders of the Umayyad dynasty: Abu Sufyan, Muawiya, Yazid, Marwan, Abd al-Malik, Walid, Sulayman, Umar, Hisham, and Ibrahim. Some names were re-used, as in the case of Yazid II and Yazid III and the like, which were not counted for this interpretation.[57]

text: Eastern Orthodox[edit]

text: Eastern Orthodoxy treats the text as simultaneously describing contemporaneous events (events occurring at the same time) and as prophecy of events to come, for which the contemporaneous events were a form of foreshadow. It rejects attempts to determine, before the fact, if the events of Revelation are occurring by mapping them onto present-day events, taking to heart the Scriptural warning against those who proclaim "He is here!" prematurely. Instead, the book is seen as a warning to be spiritually and morally ready for the end times, whenever they may come ("as a thief in the night"), but they will come at the time of God's choosing, not something that can be precipitated nor trivially deduced by mortals.[58] This view is also held by many Catholics, although there is a diversity of opinion about the nature of the Apocalypse within Catholicism.[citation needed]

text: Book of Revelation is the only book of the New Testament that is not read during services by the Byzantine Rite Churches although in the Western Rite Orthodox Parishes, which are under the same bishops as the Byzantine Rite, it is read.

text: Esoteric[edit]

text: Christian Gnostics, however, are unlikely to be attracted to the teaching of Revelation because the doctrine of salvation through the sacrificed Lamb, which is central to Revelation, is repugnant to Gnostics. Christian Gnostics "believed in the Forgiveness of Sins, but in no vicarious sacrifice for sin ... they accepted Christ in the full realisation of the word; his life, not his death, was the keynote of their doctrine and their practice."[59]

text: James Morgan Pryse was an esoteric gnostic who saw Revelation as a western version of the Hindu theory of the Chakra. He began his work, "The purpose of this book is to show that the Apocalypse is a manual of spiritual development and not, as conventionally interpreted, a cryptic history or prophecy."[60] Such diverse theories have failed to command widespread acceptance. But Christopher Rowland argues: "there are always going to be loose threads which refuse to be woven into the fabric as a whole. The presence of the threads which stubbornly refuse to be incorporated into the neat tapestry of our world-view does not usually totally undermine that view."[61]

text: Latter-day Saints[edit]

text: The Book of Mormon affirms that John the Apostle is the author of Revelation and that he was foreordained by God to write it.[62]

text: Latter-day revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 77, postulates answers to specific questions regarding the symbolism contained in the Book of Revelation.[63] Topics include: the sea of glass, the four beasts and their appearance, the 24 elders, the book with seven seals, certain angels, the sealing of the 144,000, the little book eaten by John, and the two witnesses in Chapter 11.

text: Latter-day Saints believe that the warning contained in Revelation 22:18-19[64] does not refer to the biblical canon as a whole.[65] Rather, an open and ongoing dialogue between God and the modern-day Prophet and Apostles of the LDS faith constitute an open canon of scripture.[63][66]

text: Oriental Orthodox[edit]

text: In the Coptic Orthodox Church the whole Book of Revelation is read during Apocalypse Night or Bright Saturday (6 days after Pascha).[citation needed]

text: Paschal liturgical[edit]

text: This interpretation, which has found expression among both Catholic and Protestant theologians, considers the liturgical worship, particularly the Easter rites, of early Christianity as background and context for understanding the Book of Revelation's structure and significance. This perspective is explained in The Paschal Liturgy and the Apocalypse (new edition, 2004) by Massey H. Shepherd, an Episcopal scholar, and in Scott Hahn's The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth (1999), in which he states that Revelation in form is structured after creation, fall, judgment and redemption. Those who hold this view say that the Temple's destruction (AD 70) had a profound effect on the Jewish people, not only in Jerusalem but among the Greek-speaking Jews of the Mediterranean.[67]

text: They believe the Book of Revelation provides insight into the early Eucharist, saying that it is the new Temple worship in the New Heaven and Earth. The idea of the Eucharist as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet is also explored by British Methodist Geoffrey Wainwright in his book Eucharist and Eschatology (Oxford University Press, 1980). According to Pope Benedict XVI some of the images of Revelation should be understood in the context of the dramatic suffering and persecution of the churches of Asia in the 1st century.[citation needed]

text: Accordingly, the Book of Revelation should not be read as an enigmatic warning, but as an encouraging vision of Christ's definitive victory over evil.[68]

text: Radical discipleship[edit]

text: The radical discipleship interpretation asserts that the Book of Revelation is best understood as a handbook for radical discipleship; i. e., how to remain faithful to the spirit and teachings of Jesus and avoid simply assimilating to surrounding society. In this interpretation the primary agenda of the book is to expose as impostors the worldly powers that seek to oppose the ways of God and God's Kingdom.[citation needed] The chief temptation for Christians in the 1st century, and today, is to fail to hold fast to the non-violent teachings and example of Jesus and instead be lured into unquestioning adoption and assimilation of worldly, national or cultural values – imperialism, nationalism, and civil religion being the most dangerous and insidious.[citation needed]

text: This perspective (closely related to liberation theology) draws on the approach of Bible scholars such as Ched Myers, William Stringfellow, Richard Horsley, Daniel Berrigan, Wes Howard-Brook,[69] and Joerg Rieger.[70] Various Christian anarchists, such as Jacques Ellul, have identified the State and political power as the Beast.[71]

text: Seventh-day Adventist[edit]

text: Adventists maintain a historicist interpretation of the Bible's predictions of the apocalypse.[72]

text: Seventh-day Adventists believe the Book of Revelation is especially relevant to believers in the days preceding the second coming of Jesus Christ. "The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." [73] "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." [74] As participatory agents in the work of salvation for all humankind, "This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent." [75]

text: Aesthetic and literary[edit]

text: Many literary writers and theorists have contributed to a wide range of theories about the origins and purpose of the Book of Revelation. Some of these writers have no connection with established Christian faiths but, nevertheless, found in Revelation a source of inspiration. Revelation has been approached from Hindu philosophy and Jewish Midrash. Others have pointed to aspects of composition which have been ignored such as the similarities of prophetic inspiration to modern poetic inspiration, or the parallels with Greek drama. In recent years, theories have arisen which concentrate upon how readers and texts interact to create meaning and which are less interested in what the original author intended.[citation needed]

text: Charles Cutler Torrey taught Semitic languages at Yale University. His lasting contribution has been to show how much more meaningful prophets, such as the scribe of Revelation, are when treated as poets first and foremost. He thought this was a point often lost sight of because most English bibles render everything in prose.[76] Poetry was also the reason John never directly quoted the older prophets. Had he done so, he would have had to use their (Hebrew) poetry whereas he wanted to write his own. Torrey insisted Revelation had originally been written in Aramaic.[77]

text: This was why the surviving Greek translation was written in such a strange idiom. It was a literal translation that had to comply with the warning at Revelation 22:18 that the text must not be corrupted in any way. According to Torrey, the story is that "The Fourth Gospel was brought to Ephesus by a Christian fugitive from Palestine soon after the middle of the first century. It was written in Aramaic." Later, the Ephesians claimed this fugitive had actually been the beloved disciple himself. Subsequently, this John was banished by Nero and died on Patmos after writing Revelation. Torrey argued that until AD 80, when Christians were expelled from the synagogues,[78] the Christian message was always first heard in the synagogue and, for cultural reasons, the evangelist would have spoken in Aramaic, else "he would have had no hearing."[79] Torrey showed how the three major songs in Revelation (the new song, the song of Moses and the Lamb and the chorus at 19: 6–8) each fall naturally into four regular metrical lines plus a coda.[80] Other dramatic moments in Revelation, such as 6:16 where the terrified people cry out to be hidden, behave in a similar way.[81]

text: Christina Rossetti was a Victorian poet who believed the sensual excitement of the natural world found its meaningful purpose in death and in God.[82] Her The Face of the Deep is a meditation upon the Apocalypse. In her view, what Revelation has to teach is patience.[83] Patience is the closest to perfection the human condition allows.[84] Her book, which is largely written in prose, frequently breaks into poetry or jubilation, much like Revelation itself. The relevance of John's visions[85] belongs to Christians of all times as a continuous present meditation. Such matters are eternal and outside of normal human reckoning. "That winter which will be the death of Time has no promise of termination. Winter that returns not to spring ... – who can bear it?"[86] She dealt deftly with the vengeful aspects of John's message. "A few are charged to do judgment; everyone without exception is charged to show mercy."[87] Her conclusion is that Christians should see John as "representative of all his brethren" so they should "hope as he hoped, love as he loved."[88]

text: Recently, aesthetic and literary modes of interpretation have developed, which focus on Revelation as a work of art and imagination, viewing the imagery as symbolic depictions of timeless truths and the victory of good over evil. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza wrote Revelation: Vision of a Just World from the viewpoint of rhetoric.[89] Accordingly, Revelation's meaning is partially determined by the way John goes about saying things, partially by the context in which readers receive the message and partially by its appeal to something beyond logic.[90]

text: Professor Schuessler Fiorenza believes that Revelation has particular relevance today as a liberating message to disadvantaged groups. John's book is a vision of a just world, not a vengeful threat of world-destruction. Her view that Revelation's message is not gender-based has caused dissent. She says we are to look behind the symbols rather than make a fetish out of them. In contrast, Tina Pippin states that John writes "horror literature" and "the misogyny which underlies the narrative is extreme."[90]

text: D. H. Lawrence took an opposing, pessimistic view of Revelation in the final book he wrote, Apocalypse.[91] He saw the language which Revelation used as being bleak and destructive; a 'death-product'. Instead, he wanted to champion a public-spirited individualism (which he identified with the historical Jesus supplemented by an ill-defined cosmic consciousness) against its two natural enemies. One of these he called "the sovereignty of the intellect"[92] which he saw in a technology-based totalitarian society. The other enemy he styled "vulgarity"[93] and that was what he found in Revelation. "It is very nice if you are poor and not humble ... to bring your enemies down to utter destruction, while you yourself rise up to grandeur. And nowhere does this happen so splendiferously than in Revelation."[94]

text: His specific aesthetic objections to Revelation were that its imagery was unnatural and that phrases like "the wrath of the Lamb" were "ridiculous." He saw Revelation as comprising two discordant halves. In the first, there was a scheme of cosmic renewal in "great Chaldean sky-spaces", which he quite liked. After that, Lawrence thought, the book became preoccupied with the birth of the baby messiah and "flamboyant hate and simple lust ... for the end of the world." Lawrence coined the term "Patmossers" to describe those Christians who could only be happy in paradise if they knew their enemies were suffering in hell.[95]

text: Academic[edit]

text: Modern biblical scholarship attempts to understand Revelation in its 1st century historical context within the genre of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature.[96] This approach considers the text as an address to seven historical communities in Asia Minor. Under this interpretation, assertions that "the time is near" are to be taken literally by those communities. Consequently, the work is viewed as a warning to not conform to contemporary Greco-Roman society which John "unveils" as beastly, demonic, and subject to divine judgment.[96] There is further information on these topics in the entries on higher criticism and apocalyptic literature.

text: Although the acceptance of Revelation into the canon has from the beginning been controversial, it has been essentially similar to the career of other texts.[97] The eventual exclusion of other contemporary apocalyptic literature from the canon may throw light on the unfolding historical processes of what was officially considered orthodox, what was heterodox, and what was even heretical.[97] Interpretation of meanings and imagery are anchored in what the historical author intended and what his contemporary audience inferred; a message to Christians not to assimilate into the Roman imperial culture was John's central message.[96] Thus, his letter (written in the apocalyptic genre) is pastoral in nature (its purpose is offering hope to the downtrodden),[98] and the symbolism of Revelation is to be understood entirely within its historical, literary, and social context.[98] Critics study the conventions of apocalyptic literature and events of the 1st century to make sense of what the author may have intended.[98]

text: Old Testament origins[edit]

text: Much of Revelation employs ancient sources, primarily but not exclusively the Old Testament. For example, Howard-Brook and Gwyther[99] regard the Book of Enoch (1 Enoch) as an equally significant but contextually different source. "Enoch's journey has no close parallel in the Hebrew scriptures." Revelation, in one section, forms an inverted parallel (chiasmus) with the book of Enoch in which 1 En 100:1-3 has a river of blood deep enough to submerge a chariot and in Rev 14:20 has a river of blood up to the horse's bridle. There is an angel ascending in both accounts (1 En 100:4; Rev 14:14-19) and both accounts have three messages (1 En 100:7-9; Rev 14:6-12).[100][unreliable source?]

text: Academics showed little interest in this topic until recently.[101] This was not, however, the case with popular writers from non-conforming backgrounds, who interspersed the text of Revelation with the prophecy they thought was being promised. For example, an anonymous Scottish commentary of 1871[102] prefaces Revelation 4 with the Little Apocalypse of Mark 13, places Malachi 4:5 ("Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord") within Revelation 11 and writes Revelation 12:7 side-by-side with the role of "the Satan" in the Book of Job. The message is that everything in Revelation will happen in its previously appointed time.[citation needed]

text: Steve Moyise[103] uses the index of the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament to show that "Revelation contains more Old Testament allusions than any other New Testament book, but it does not record a single quotation." Perhaps significantly, Revelation chooses different sources than other New Testament books. Revelation concentrates on Isaiah, Psalms, and Ezekiel, while neglecting, comparatively speaking, the books of the Pentateuch that are the dominant sources for other New Testament writers. Methodological objections have been made to this course as each allusion may not have an equal significance. To counter this, G. K. Beale sought to develop a system that distinguished 'clear', 'probable', and 'possible' allusions. A clear allusion is one with almost the same wording as its source, the same general meaning, and which could not reasonably have been drawn from elsewhere. A probable allusion contains an idea which is uniquely traceable to its source. Possible allusions are described as mere echoes of their putative sources.[citation needed]

text: Yet, with Revelation, the problems might be judged more fundamental. The author seems to be using his sources in a completely different way to the originals. For example, he borrows the 'new temple' imagery of Ezekiel 40–48 but uses it to describe a New Jerusalem which, quite pointedly, no longer needs a temple because it is God's dwelling. Ian Boxall[104] writes that Revelation "is no montage of biblical quotations (that is not John's way) but a wealth of allusions and evocations rewoven into something new and creative." In trying to identify this "something new", Boxall argues that Ezekiel provides the 'backbone' for Revelation. He sets out a comparative table listing the chapters of Revelation in sequence and linking most of them to the structurally corresponding chapter in Ezekiel. The interesting point is that the order is not the same. John, on this theory, rearranges Ezekiel to suit his own purposes.[citation needed]

text: Some commentators argue that it is these purposes – and not the structure – that really matter. G. K. Beale believes that, however much John makes use of Ezekiel, his ultimate purpose is to present Revelation as a fulfillment of Daniel 7.[105]

text: One theory, Revelation Draft Hypothesis, sees the book of Revelation constructed by forming parallels with several texts in the Old Testament such as Ezekiel, Isaiah, Zechariah, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Exodus, and Daniel. For example, Ezekiel's encounter with God is in reverse order as John's encounter with God (Ezek 1:5-28; Rev 4:2-7; note both accounts have beings with faces of a lion, ox or calf, man, and eagle (Ezek 1:10; Rev 4:7), both accounts have an expanse before the throne (Ezek 1:22; Rev 4:6). The chariot's horses in Zechariah's are the same colors as the four horses in Revelation (Zech 6:1-8; Rev 6:1-8). The nesting of the seven marches around Jericho by Joshua is reenacted by Jesus nesting the seven trumpets within the seventh seal (Josh 6:8-10; Rev 6:1-17; 8:1-9:21; 11:15-19). The description of the beast in Revelation is taken directly out of Daniel (see Dan 7:2-8; Rev 13:1-7). The method that John used allowed him to use the Hebrew Scriptures as the source and also use basic techniques of parallel formation, thereby alluding to the Hebrew Scriptures.[100][unreliable source?][106][unreliable source?]

text: Figures in Revelation[edit]

text: In order of appearance:

text:
John of Patmos
The angel who reveals the Revelation of Jesus Christ
The One who sits on the Throne
Twenty-four crowned elders
Four living creatures
The Lion of Judah who is the seven horned Lamb with seven eyes
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God, each given a white robe
Four angels holding the four winds of the Earth
The seal-bearer angel (144,000 of Israel sealed)
A great multitude from every nation
Seven angelic trumpeters
The star called Wormwood
Angel of Woe
Scorpion-tailed Locusts
Abaddon
Four angels bound to the great river Euphrates
Two hundred million lion-headed cavalry
The mighty angel of Seven thunders
The Two witnesses
Beast of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns
The woman and her child
The Dragon, fiery red with seven heads
Saint Michael the Archangel
Lamb-horned Beast of the Earth
Image of the Beast of the sea
Messages of the three angels
The angelic reapers and the grapes of wrath
Seven plague angels
Seven bowls of wrath
The False Prophet
Whore of Babylon
The rider on a white horse
The first resurrection and the thousand years
Gog and Magog
Death and Hades


document_title: Masters of the Universe (film)

question_text: who played skeletor in the movie masters of the universe

root

text: Masters of the Universe (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: On the planet Eternia, at the center of the Universe, Skeletor's army seizes Castle Grayskull, scatters the remaining Eternian defenders, and captures the Sorceress of Grayskull, planning to add her power to his own by the next moonrise.

tag: p

text: Skeletor's archenemy, the warrior He-Man, veteran soldier Man-At-Arms, and his daughter Teela rescue Gwildor from Skeletor's forces. Gwildor, a Thenorian locksmith, reveals that Skeletor has acquired his invention: a "Cosmic Key" that can open a portal to anywhere by utilizing sound keys. The device was stolen by Skeletor's second-in-command, Evil-Lyn, allowing Skeletor to breach Castle Grayskull.

text: With Gwildor's remaining prototype of the Key in hand, He-Man and his friends travel to the Castle. They attempt to free the Sorceress but are overwhelmed by Skeletor's army and forced to flee through Gwildor's hastily opened portal, transporting them to Earth. The Key is misplaced on their arrival and discovered by two New Jersey teenagers, orphaned high school girl Julie Winston and her boyfriend Kevin Corrigan. The pair attempt to figure out what the Key is and accidentally send a signal that allows Evil-Lyn to track the Key and send her henchmen – Saurod, Blade, Beast Man and Karg – to recover it.

text: Kevin, an aspiring musician, mistakes the Key for a synthesizer and takes it to a music store run by his friend Charlie. Karg's team arrives and chases Julie until He-Man comes across her and rescues her. Karg's team returns to Grayskull where, incensed by their failure, Skeletor kills Saurod and sends the others back to Earth, with a larger force under Evil-Lyn's command. Unable to find Julie, Kevin is taken to Julie's house by Lubic, a detective investigating the disturbance created by Karg's team. Suspecting the Key is stolen, Lubic confiscates it from Kevin and leaves. Immediately afterward, Evil-Lyn captures and interrogates Kevin for the Key's location with a mind control collar, before pursuing Lubic.

text: Julie and the Eternians release Kevin from the collar before they go after Lubic. They manage to get hold of it in Charlie's store, but Skeletor's forces catch up with them, and a pitched battle ensues. Evil-Lyn recovers the key and summons Skeletor to Earth. Skeletor's forces overwhelm the Eternians and Julie is mortally wounded by Skeletor's lightning blast, which simultaneously erases the memory storage of Gwildor's Key. He-Man surrenders to save his comrades, and is returned to Eternia as Skeletor's slave. Skeletor demands that He-Man kneel before him for all of Eternia to witness, before he is killed. He-Man refuses and is lashed by Blade's laser whip in an attempt to make him kneel. He-Man is still standing when the moon rises and Skeletor absorbs the powers of the universe. Declaring himself the Master of the Universe, Skeletor asserts his victory and continues to torture He-Man with energy blasts.

text: Back on Earth, Gwildor repairs the Cosmic Key, and Kevin recreates the tones necessary to create a gateway to Eternia. The group, including Lubic who attempts to arrest them, are transported to Castle Grayskull, where they begin battling Skeletor's forces. Resenting that Skeletor absorbed the power of the Universe without sharing it with her, Evil-Lyn deserts him along with the other henchmen. Skeletor accidentally frees He-Man who then reclaims the Sword of Grayskull. The pair battle until He-Man shatters Skeletor's staff, removing his new powers and restoring him to his normal state. He-Man offers mercy but Skeletor draws a concealed sword and attempts to kill He-Man; He-Man knocks Skeletor from the throne room into a towering pit below. The freed Sorceress heals Julie, and a portal is opened to send the Earthlings home. Hailed as a hero for his bravery, Lubic decides to remain on Eternia.

text: Julie awakens on the morning of her parents' deaths by plane crash. She prevents them from taking the ill-fated flight by taking their keys, and runs outside to find Kevin. Kevin confirms that their experiences were real, producing a souvenir from Eternia: a small blue sphere containing a scene of He-Man in front of Castle Grayskull with his sword raised above his head.

text: In a post-credits scene, Skeletor's head emerges from the water at the bottom of the pit, saying "I'll be back!".

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Dolph Lundgren – He-Man
Frank Langella – Skeletor
Courteney Cox – Julie Winston
James Tolkan – Detective Lubic
Christina Pickles – Sorceress
Meg Foster – Evil-Lyn
Chelsea Field – Teela
Jon Cypher – Man-At-Arms
Billy Barty – Gwildor
Robert Duncan McNeill – Kevin Corrigan
Anthony De Longis – Blade
Tony Carroll – Beast Man
Pons Maar – Saurod
Robert Towers – Karg
Peter Brooks – Narrator

text: Production[edit]

text: One of the original drafts from the script by David Odell (whose previous writing credits include Supergirl and The Dark Crystal) was reviewed in the third episode of the He-Man and She-Ra podcast, Masters Cast. The original draft included more time spent on Eternia and Snake Mountain, had Beast man in a speaking role, and even revealed that He-Man's mother was originally from Earth, as per the character Queen Marlena from the Filmation animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, thus linking the two planets.[9] Describing her character, Foster said that Evil-Lyn is not villainous, "she is just doing her job and she knows how to get results, even if it means being harsh." Langella agreed, calling Evil-Lyn a female more dedicated to Skeletor's cause than any man; she is obsessive around Skeletor because she is slightly lovelorn.[10] The filmmakers considered having Foster wear eye-lenses to mask her naturally pale-blue eyes, but decided that her natural eyes fit the character better. However, they did augment Foster's chest, fitting cleavage into the character's costume. Foster wanted the character to have a large hairstyle, rather than the short style featured in the film.[11]

text: When offered the role, Langella said that he "didn’t even blink ... I couldn't wait to play him." Langella cited his then-four-year-old son's love of Skeletor while running around his house yelling He-Man's battle cry "I have the power!", as the reason he chose to play He-Man's archenemy.[12]

text: Jack Kirby inspiration[edit]

text: Comic book writer/artist John Byrne compared the film to Jack Kirby's comic book metaseries Fourth World, stating in Comic Shop News #497:

text: The best New Gods movie, IMHO, is Masters of the Universe. I even corresponded with the director, who told me this was his intent, and that he had tried to get [Jack] Kirby to do the production designs, but the studio nixed it.

text: Check it out. It requires some bending and an occasional sex change (Metron becomes an ugly dwarf, The Highfather becomes the Sorceress), but it's an amazingly close analog, otherwise. And Frank Langella's Skeletor is a dandy Darkseid!

text: Director Gary Goddard clarified this in a letter appearing in John Byrne's Next Men #26, in which he stated:

text: As the director of Masters of the Universe, it was a pleasure to see that someone got it. Your comparison of the film to Kirby’s New Gods was not far off. In fact, the storyline was greatly inspired by the classic Fantastic Four/Doctor Doom epics, The New Gods and a bit of Thor thrown in here and there. I intended the film to be a "motion picture comic book," though it was a tough proposition to sell to the studio at the time. 'Comics are just for kids,' they thought. They would not allow me to hire Jack Kirby who I desperately wanted to be the conceptual artist for the picture…

text: I grew up with Kirby's comics (I've still got all my Marvels from the first issue of Fantastic Four and Spider-Man through the time Kirby left) and I had great pleasure meeting him when he first moved to California. Since that time I enjoyed the friendship of Jack and Roz and was lucky enough to spend many hours with Jack, hearing how he created this character and that one, why a villain has to be even more powerful than a hero, and on and on. Jack was a great communicator, and listening to him was always an education. You might be interested to know that I tried to dedicate Masters of Universe to Jack Kirby in the closing credits, but the studio took the credit out.

text: Brian Cronin, author of the "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed" column, concludes that "the film itself was not intended to be literally a reworked Fourth World, although the intent WAS to make the film a tribute to Jack Kirby — just a tribute to ALL of his work, not just the Fourth World."[13]

text: Music[edit]

text: The musical score of Masters of the Universe was composed by Bill Conti. It was recorded by several European orchestras, chiefly the Graunke Orchestra of Munich (the only one to be credited on the soundtrack album) and conducted by a number of conductors, chiefly Bruce Miller and Harry Rabinowitz (Rabinowitz received sole credit). Conti did not conduct his score because it could not be recorded in the United States as "there was a musicians strike or something like that... So it went to various places." He and the score mixer Dan Wallin assembled the score from the various recorded takes, because there were problems with the orchestral performances ("We didn't have anything that went from beginning to end without a problem").[14]

text: The soundtrack album was released on record, cassette and compact disc by Varese Sarabande in 1987; it was subsequently issued in an expanded version by Edel. In 2008, La-La Land Records released a two-disc edition with the complete score and the original album presentation; in 2012, Intrada Records issued the complete score (the entirely of disc one and tracks 1–5 on disc two) on one disc.

text: Release[edit]

text: Prior to releasing it, the Cannon Group touted Masters of the Universe as the Star Wars of the 1980s. Despite releasing alongside the height of the success of the toy line, animated series, and related merchandise, Masters of the Universe began as the third-highest-grossing film of the weekend in North America on August 7, 1987, earning $4,883,168, behind Stakeout ($5,170,403) and The Living Daylights ($7,706,230). The film quickly left the charts altogether with a North American gross of $17,336,370.[15][2][5][16]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Masters of the Universe was released on DVD October 23, 2001. A 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Disc was released by Warner Home Video on October 2, 2012.[17]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Masters of the Universe received negative reviews from critics and holds a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews.[18] Variety called it a "Conan-Star Wars hybrid ripoff" that is "a colossal bore".[19] Walter Goodman of The New York Times wrote, "If you liked the toy, you'll love the movie."[20] Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times called it "a misfiring, underdone epic".[21] Johanna Steinmetz of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the film, while predictable and derivative, entertains audiences through its side plots set on Earth.[22]

text: In a retrospective review, Glenn Heath, Jr. of Slant Magazine called it a "jarring mix of corny screwball comedy and choppy action heroics".[23] Chris Eggertsen of HitFix, in an article identifying the film's campy, positive qualities, called it "an objectively bad film with a big heart".[24] Joshua Winning of Digital Spy wrote, "...beloved of '80s kids but scorned by critics, it's a high camp oddity that we should celebrate on its own terms".[4]

text: Billy Barty received a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actor for his performance in the film, but 'lost' to David Mendenhall for Over the Top.

text: Legacy[edit]

text: The commercial failure of Masters of the Universe, among other films such as Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Lifeforce, contributed to the eventual closure of Cannon Films.[11] Cannon Films had intended to create a Masters of the Universe sequel, indicated by the end credits with a surprise reveal that Skeletor survives his fall. The sequel titled "Masters of the Universe 2: Cyborg" was written and followed He-Man, who returned to Earth to battle Skeletor, who has left Earth as a post-apocalyptic wasteland and the film was to feature Trap Jaw and She-Ra. Pro surfer Laird Hamilton was originally to replace Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and the only aspect known about the sequel's screenplay was that He-Man would have returned to Earth and was disguised as a professional quarterback.[25] With a low budget of $4.5 million, the sequel was to be directed by Albert Pyun, consecutively with the aborted Spider-Man movie. The project was abandoned when Cannon would not pay Mattel's fees. The production instead utilized the already-made costumes and sets for the low-budget sci-fi film Cyborg.[26][27][28]

text: Masters of the Universe was Lundgren's first leading role in a feature film following his success in Rocky IV, and he later labeled it as his least favorite film role.[10] Conversely, Langella considers playing Skeletor to be one of his favorite roles.[12]

text: Reboot[edit]

text: A new He-Man film directed by John Woo was reportedly being developed in 2007, but despite many rumors circulating the Internet regarding the film's production status and casting, the project was never officially green-lit. The film rights to He-Man have reportedly since reverted to Mattel.[29]

text: In September 2009, Sony took over the rights from Warner Bros. to produce the live action adaptation after Mattel and producer Joel Silver, who was previously involved with a potential film, couldn't agree on creative direction for the film.[30] Sony and Escape Artists' Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch will now start developing the project from scratch for Columbia Pictures. In April 2010, Sony hired screenwriters Mike Finch and Alex Litvak to draft a new script.[31] Warner announced that John Stevenson, director of Kung Fu Panda will direct the upcoming feature. On May 12, 2009, it was announced that the scripting duties had been handed to Evan Daugherty, with Stevenson still attached to direct.[32]

text: In late 2012, Deadline reported that Jon M. Chu was in talks to direct the film.[33] Original He-Man actor Lundgren did an interview with IGN about a possible role in the film as King Randor.[34] October 12, 2012, Richard Wenk is hired to rewrite the script for the film.[35] On March 28, 2013, Chu spoken that the film is still early is in the experimentation and also it won't be campy but an origin story.[36][37] On October 7, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Terry Rossio would script and that Black, Blumenthal, and Tisch would produce the film and it will be set on Eternia; the site also reported that Chu will not direct the film.[38]

text: On January 10, 2014, Schmoes Know reported that Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), Rian Johnson (Looper), Andrés Muschietti (Mama), Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders (The Croods), and Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie) were named as frontrunners to direct the film.[39] On February 26, it was reported that directors Mike Cahill, Jeff Wadlow, Harald Zwart, and Chris McKay are on the short list to direct.[40][41] On April 9, Schmoes Know reported that Wadlow will direct the film, but The Hollywood Reporter announced that he's rewriting the script of the film.[42][43]

text: On August 19, 2015, it was announced that Chris Yost had been hired to write the film.[44]

text: On January 22, 2016, Deadline reports that McG will direct the film and will also oversee a rewrite of the latest script by Alex Litvak and Mike Finch, while Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are on board as producers.[45]

text: On June 24, 2016, Kellan Lutz tweeted that he has a meeting with both McG and Mary Viola about having the role of He-Man.[46][47]

text: On April 27, 2017, it was announced that the film will be released on December 18, 2019. At the same time, McG left the film and David S. Goyer has been hired to rewrite the script.[48]

text: In December 2017, reports are saying that Goyer is in talks to direct the film.[49]


document_title: NBA All-Star Game

question_text: who has the most votes for the all star game

text: NBA All-Star Game

text: History[edit]

text: The idea of holding an All-Star Game was conceived during a meeting between NBA President Maurice Podoloff, NBA publicity director Haskell Cohen and Boston Celtics owner Walter A. Brown. At that time, the basketball world had just been stunned by the college basketball point-shaving scandal.

text: In order to regain public attention to the league, Cohen suggested the league to host an exhibition game featuring the league's best players, similar to Major League Baseball's All-Star Game.[5] Although most people, including Podoloff, were pessimistic about the idea, Brown remained confident that it would be a success, and he even offered to host the game and to cover all the expenses or potential losses incurred from the game.[6] In the first All-Star Game, the Eastern All-Stars team defeated the Western All-Stars team 111–94.

text: Boston Celtics' Ed Macauley was named as the first NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, and the All-Star Game became a success, drawing an attendance of 10,094, much higher than that season's average attendance of 3,500.[7] In 2010, the NBA All Star Game attendance record was set when 108,713 fans jammed Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This shattered the existing attendance record previously held at Ford Field on Dec. 13, 2003 when 78,129 attendees watched Michigan State play Kentucky.[8]

text: On October 3, 2017, the NBA and NBPA announced the changes to the NBA All-Star Game format starting with the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. The vote leaders for each conferences will be assigned as team captains and will be able to select players from the rest of the starters and the reserves, regardless of the conference they play in, to form their own teams. This marks the first time, the conferences will not play against each other since the inaugural All-Star Game.[3]

text: Features of the All-Star Game[edit]

text: The starting five from each conference consists of three frontcourt players and two guards, selected by a combination of fan, player, and media voting. In 2017, the NBA moved from a pure fan vote to a weighted process wherein fan voting accounts for 50% of the total and player and media voting account for 25% each.[1] The league made the change in response to social media campaigns that resulted in mediocre players such as journeyman Zaza Pachulia nearly being voted as All-Star starters over more deserving players.,[1][9] Prior to 2013, fans selected two forwards and one center instead of generic frontcourt players.[10] The NBA in 2003 began offering All-Star ballots in three languages—English, Spanish and Chinese—for fan voting of the starters.[11]

text: NBA coaches vote for the reserves for their respective conferences, none of which can be players on their own team. Each coach selects two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards, with each selected player ranked in order of preference within each category. If a multi-position player is to be selected, coaches are encouraged to vote for the player at the position that is "most advantageous for the All-Star team", regardless of where the player is listed on the All-Star ballot or the position he is listed in box scores.[12] If a player is unavailable for the game due to injury, the NBA commissioner selects a replacement for the roster. If the replacement is for a fan-selected starter, the all-star coach chooses the replacement in the starting lineup, and is not limited to the commissioner's addition to the roster.[13] It is also possible for more than one All-Star to be selected from one team, but there has never been more than 4 All-Stars represent a team in the game. Most recently was the 2017 Golden State Warriors who had 4 players represent that team (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.) This has only occurred 8 times dating back to 1962 Boston Celtics and the 1962 Los Angeles Lakers.[14]

text: The Game is played under normal NBA rules, but there are notable differences from an average game. Since the starting All-Stars are selected by fan vote, players sometimes start the game at atypical positions. For instance, in 2007 Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady had the two highest fan vote totals among Western Conference guards. As both players normally play shooting guard, Bryant, who is 6'6" (198 cm), started the game as a point guard, despite him also manning the shooting guard position on his team.

text: The player introductions are usually accompanied by a significant amount of fanfare, including lighting effects, dance music, and pyrotechnics. Special uniforms are designed for the game each year, usually red for the Western Conference and blue for the Eastern Conference, but the 1997–2002 games allowed players the opportunity to wear their respective team uniforms, and until 2009 and from 2015 to the present, the host conference wore light uniforms. Originally players from the same team who share a number have the option to either keep or change numbers (e.g. Patrick Ewing trading his familiar #33 for #3 because of Larry Bird wearing the same number), but since 1997 players from the same team can keep their customary uniform numbers even if they share them. A major recording artist typically sings "O Canada" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to tipoff. One of the more memorable performances was given by Marvin Gaye during the 1983 game; Gaye was accompanied by Gordon Banks, who played a tape from an all night session that used numerous elements of soul music and funk, and Banks still has that historic tape of the music to which Gaye sang his soulful version.

text: Gameplay usually involves players attempting spectacular slam dunks and alley oops. Defensive effort is usually limited and the final score of the game is generally much higher than an average NBA game. The coaches also try to give most of the reserve players some time on the court instead of using a limited rotation as they would in a normal game, but giving the starters more minutes because that's who the fans want to see most. The fourth quarter of the game is often played in a more competitive fashion, if the game is close.

text: Halftime is also longer than a typical NBA game due to musical performances by popular artists. Recent guests have included Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Ariana Grande, Elton John, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, OutKast, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams, Migos, and John Legend.

text: All-Star Game records[edit]

text: All-Star Game results[edit]

text: This is a list of each All-Star Game, the venue at which it was played, and the Game MVP. Parenthesized numbers indicate multiple times that venue, city, or player has occurred as of that instance (e.g. "Michael Jordan (2)" in 1996 indicates that was his second All-Star MVP award). As of the 2017 All-Star Game (the 2016–17 NBA season)[update], the Eastern Conference leads with a record of 37 wins and 29 losses. The Western Conference has won the last 3 games.

text:
Eastern Conference (37 wins)
Western Conference (29 wins)

tag: table

text: Note: Stadium names are named based on the name at the day of the All-Star Game.

text:
Year
Result
Host arena
Host city
Game MVP

1951
East 111, West 94
Boston Garden
Boston, Massachusetts
Ed Macauley, Boston Celtics

1952
East 108, West 91
Boston Garden (2)
Boston, Massachusetts (2)
Paul Arizin, Philadelphia Warriors

1953
West 79, East 75
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Fort Wayne, Indiana
George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers

1954
East 98, West 93 (OT)
Madison Square Garden III**
New York City, New York
Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics

1955
East 100, West 91
Madison Square Garden III** (2)
New York City, New York (2)
Bill Sharman, Boston Celtics

1956
West 108, East 94
Rochester War Memorial Coliseum
Rochester, New York
Bob Pettit, St. Louis Hawks

1957
East 109, West 97
Boston Garden (3)
Boston, Massachusetts (3)
Bob Cousy (2), Boston Celtics

1958
East 130, West 118
St. Louis Arena
St. Louis, Missouri
Bob Pettit (2), St. Louis Hawks

1959
West 124, East 108
Olympia Stadium
Detroit, Michigan
Elgin Baylor, Minneapolis Lakers
Bob Pettit (3), St. Louis Hawks

1960
East 125, West 115
Convention Hall
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors

1961
West 153, East 131
Onondaga County War Memorial Coliseum
Syracuse, New York
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals

1962
West 150, East 130
St. Louis Arena (2)
St. Louis, Missouri (2)
Bob Pettit (4), St. Louis Hawks

1963
East 115, West 108
LA Sports Arena
Los Angeles, California
Bill Russell, Boston Celtics

1964
East 111, West 107
Boston Garden (4)
Boston, Massachusetts (4)
Oscar Robertson (2), Cincinnati Royals

1965
East 124, West 123
St. Louis Arena (3)
St. Louis, Missouri (3)
Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati Royals

1966
East 137, West 94
Cincinnati Gardens
Cincinnati, Ohio
Adrian Smith, Cincinnati Royals

1967
West 135, East 120
Cow Palace
Daly City, California
Rick Barry, San Francisco Warriors

1968
East 144, West 124
Madison Square Garden III** (3)
New York City, New York (3)
Hal Greer, Philadelphia 76ers

1969
East 123, West 112
Baltimore Civic Center
Baltimore, Maryland
Oscar Robertson (3), Cincinnati Royals

1970
East 142, West 135
The Spectrum
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2)
Willis Reed, New York Knicks

1971
West 108, East 107
San Diego Sports Arena
San Diego, California
Lenny Wilkens, Seattle SuperSonics

1972
West 112, East 110
The Forum
Inglewood, California
Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers

1973
East 104, West 84
Chicago Stadium
Chicago, Illinois
Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics

1974
West 134, East 123
Seattle Center Coliseum
Seattle, Washington
Bob Lanier, Detroit Pistons

1975
East 108, West 102
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Phoenix, Arizona
Walt Frazier, New York Knicks

1976
East 123, West 109
The Spectrum (2)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3)
Dave Bing, Washington Bullets

1977
West 125, East 124
Milwaukee Arena
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers

1978
East 133, West 125
Omni Coliseum
Atlanta, Georgia
Randy Smith, Buffalo Braves

1979
West 134, East 129
Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac, Michigan†
David Thompson, Denver Nuggets

1980
East 144, West 136 (OT)
Capital Centre
Landover, Maryland
George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs

1981
East 123, West 120
Coliseum at Richfield
Richfield, Ohio
Nate Archibald, Boston Celtics

1982
East 120, West 118
Brendan Byrne Arena
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

1983
East 132, West 123
The Forum (2)
Inglewood, California (2)
Julius Erving (2), Philadelphia 76ers

1984
East 154, West 145 (OT)
McNichols Sports Arena
Denver, Colorado
Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons

1985
West 140, East 129
Hoosier Dome
Indianapolis, Indiana†
Ralph Sampson, Houston Rockets

1986
East 139, West 132
Reunion Arena
Dallas, Texas
Isiah Thomas (2), Detroit Pistons

1987
West 154, East 149 (OT)
Kingdome
Seattle, Washington† (2)
Tom Chambers, Seattle SuperSonics

1988
East 138, West 133
Chicago Stadium (2)
Chicago, Illinois (2)
Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1989
West 143, East 134
Astrodome
Houston, Texas†
Karl Malone, Utah Jazz

1990
East 130, West 113
Miami Arena
Miami, Florida
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1991
East 116, West 114
Charlotte Coliseum
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers

1992
West 153, East 113
Orlando Arena
Orlando, Florida
Magic Johnson (2), Los Angeles Lakers

1993
West 135, East 132 (OT)
Delta Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
Karl Malone (2), Utah Jazz
John Stockton, Utah Jazz

1994
East 127, West 118
Target Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Scottie Pippen, Chicago Bulls

1995
West 139, East 112
America West Arena§
Phoenix, Arizona (2)
Mitch Richmond, Sacramento Kings

1996
East 129, West 118
Alamodome
San Antonio, Texas
Michael Jordan (2), Chicago Bulls

1997
East 132, West 120
Gund Arena
Cleveland, Ohio
Glen Rice, Charlotte Hornets

1998
East 135, West 114
Madison Square Garden***
New York City, New York (4)
Michael Jordan (3), Chicago Bulls

1999
Canceled due to the league's lockout.
The game was originally set to play at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[15]

2000
West 137, East 126
The Arena in Oakland
Oakland, California
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

2001
East 111, West 110
MCI Center
Washington, D.C.
Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers

2002
West 135, East 120
First Union Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4)
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

2003
West 155, East 145 (2 OT)
Philips Arena
Atlanta, Georgia (2)
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves

2004
West 136, East 132
Staples Center
Los Angeles, California (2)
Shaquille O'Neal (2), Los Angeles Lakers

2005
East 125, West 115
Pepsi Center
Denver, Colorado (2)
Allen Iverson (2), Philadelphia 76ers

2006
East 122, West 120
Toyota Center
Houston, Texas (2)
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

2007
West 153, East 132
Thomas & Mack Center
Las Vegas, Nevada*
Kobe Bryant (2), Los Angeles Lakers

2008
East 134, West 128
New Orleans Arena§
New Orleans, Louisiana
LeBron James (2), Cleveland Cavaliers

2009
West 146, East 119
US Airways Center (2)
Phoenix, Arizona (3)
Kobe Bryant (3), Los Angeles Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal (3), Phoenix Suns

2010
East 141, West 139
Cowboys Stadium
Arlington, Texas#†
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

2011
West 148, East 143
Staples Center (2)
Los Angeles, California (3)
Kobe Bryant (4), Los Angeles Lakers

2012
West 152, East 149
Amway Center
Orlando, Florida (2)
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

2013
West 143, East 138
Toyota Center (2)
Houston, Texas (3)
Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

2014
East 163, West 155
Smoothie King Center (2)
New Orleans, Louisiana (2)
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

2015
West 163, East 158
Madison Square Garden (2)*** / Barclays Center
New York City, New York (5)
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

2016
West 196, East 173
Air Canada Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Russell Westbrook (2), Oklahoma City Thunder

2017
West 192, East 182
Smoothie King Center (3)
New Orleans, Louisiana (3)
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans

2018[3]
Team LeBron 148, Team Stephen 145
Staples Center (3)
Los Angeles, California (4)
LeBron James (3), Cleveland Cavaliers

2019[16]
TBA vs. TBA
Spectrum Center
Charlotte, North Carolina (2)

2020[17]
TBA vs. TBA
United Center
Chicago, Illinois (3)

2021[18]
TBA vs. TBA
Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, Indiana (2)

text:
* denotes a city without an NBA team in play during that calendar year.
** denotes game played at the "third" Madison Square Garden on 8th Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, which the first three NBA All-Star Games played in Madison Square Garden (1954, 1955 and 1968) were.
*** denotes game played at the "fourth" (or current as of 2017) Madison Square Garden that runs from 31st to 33rd Streets from 8th to west of 7th Avenues above the western half of Penn Station in Manhattan that opened in February 1968, approximately one month after the 1968 game was played in the "old" MSG.
† denotes an NBA All-Star Game that is held at an NFL or MLB stadium.
§ denotes a stadium or arena whose venue name has since changed AND the venue has hosted a subsequent NBA All-Star Game under the alternate name.
Portland, Sacramento, Memphis, and Oklahoma City are the only current NBA cities that have not yet hosted an NBA All-Star Game.[a]
New arenas that have not hosted the All-Star Game are BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, United Center in Chicago (set to host the 2020 game), TD Garden in Boston, American Airlines Arena in Miami, Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (set to host the 2021 game), American Airlines Center in Dallas, Spectrum Center in Charlotte (set to host the 2019 game), AT&T Center in San Antonio, and Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
# Arlington, Texas does not have an NBA team within its city limits, but it is a part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex that has an NBA team (the Dallas Mavericks).

text: Other All-Star events[edit]

text: The All-Star Game is the featured event of All-Star Weekend, and it is held on a Sunday night. All-Star Weekend also includes a number of popular exhibition games and competitions featuring NBA players and alumni as well as players from the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and NBA G League (G League).