Revelation 1:4-6

2. The address and doxology 1:4-6

As is true of New Testament epistles generally, the address of Revelation contains three elements: the writer, the addressees, and the greeting.

Thomas argued that the genre of Revelation is prophecy written in epistolary style. [Note: Thomas, Revelation 1-7, pp. 28 and 59.] Swete saw it as a prophetic vision and a letter (from Revelation 1:4 on). [Note: Swete, pp. 3, 4.] Beale viewed it as an epistle that contains apocalyptic and prophetic material. [Note: Beale, p. 1156.] Beasley-Murray, and Carson and Moo, also advocated a combination of apocalyptic, prophecy, and epistle. [Note: Beasley-Murray, pp. 12-29; Carson and Moo, p. 716.] Most scholars have classed it as apocalyptic. [Note: See Mounce, pp. 18-25, for a helpful discussion of apocalyptic.] I prefer to think of it as an epistle containing prophecy, much of which is apocalyptic.