Written by The Apocalypse They Didn’t Write
The Book of Revelation — the terrifying, symbolic finale of the Christian Bible — is often treated as uniquely Christian prophecy.
It’s not.
Revelation is Frashokereti — the Zoroastrian doctrine of world renovation — rewritten with Jewish and Christian imagery.
Every major element of Revelation exists in Zoroastrian eschatology, documented in texts that predate John’s vision by centuries.
This is not influence. This is source.
The Zoroastrian Apocalypse
Frashokereti — World Renovation
In Zoroastrian teaching, history culminates in Frashokereti:
- Cosmic battle — Ahura Mazda’s forces vs. Angra Mainyu’s forces
- Saoshyant arrives — the savior who leads the final battle
- Resurrection of the dead — all who have died rise bodily
- River of molten metal — purification/judgment of all souls
- Destruction of evil — Angra Mainyu and the daevas are defeated
- Renovation of creation — the world is made perfect, immortal
- Eternal life — the righteous live forever in perfected bodies
This structure was complete in Zoroastrian theology before Judaism absorbed any apocalyptic concepts.
Chapter-by-Chapter Parallel
Revelation 1: Vision of the Divine
Revelation: John sees a glorious figure — Christ with white hair, flaming eyes, voice like waters, face like the sun.
Zoroastrian parallel: Visions of Ahura Mazda and yazatas in brilliant light are standard in Zoroastrian literature. The visual vocabulary of divine radiance (Khvarenah) is Persian.
Revelation 2-3: Letters to the Seven Churches
Revelation: Messages to seven churches with warnings and promises — overcoming leads to reward; failure leads to judgment.
Zoroastrian parallel: The number seven is the Amesha Spenta structure. Each church, like each Amesha Spenta, has a sphere of responsibility. The ethical dualism (overcome vs. fail) is Asha vs. Druj applied.
Revelation 4: The Heavenly Throne
Revelation: A throne in heaven, surrounded by twenty-four elders, four living creatures, and continual worship. Lightning, thunder, lamps of fire.
Zoroastrian parallel: Garothman (House of Song) is the heavenly realm of Ahura Mazda’s throne. The divine court with angelic beings surrounding the throne is Zoroastrian structure. Fire as divine presence is core Zoroastrian symbolism.
Revelation 5: The Lamb and the Scroll
Revelation: A lamb, appearing slain, is worthy to open the sealed scroll that reveals history’s culmination.
Zoroastrian parallel: The Saoshyant (savior) opens the final chapter of history. The concept of sealed divine knowledge revealed at the end is Persian apocalyptic structure.
Revelation 6: The Four Horsemen
Revelation: Four horsemen — conquest, war, famine, death — unleashed as seals are opened.
Zoroastrian parallel: The period before Frashokereti involves cosmic upheaval, suffering, and the intensification of evil’s assault. These troubles precede the final victory.
Revelation 7: The 144,000 Sealed
Revelation: 144,000 are sealed from the tribes of Israel — protected through the tribulation.
Zoroastrian parallel: The righteous are protected during the final chaos. They are those who have chosen Asha over Druj. Their sealing is their alignment with truth.
The eFireTemple Connection: ~138,000 Zoroastrians remain today. This is the remnant that preserved the original truth.
Revelation 8-9: The Trumpets
Revelation: Seven trumpets bring catastrophes — hail, fire, darkness, locusts, death.
Zoroastrian parallel: The intensification of cosmic conflict before Frashokereti. The battle between good and evil escalates. The world suffers as the forces clash.
Revelation 10: The Angel and the Little Scroll
Revelation: A mighty angel, face like the sun, legs like pillars of fire, holding a scroll. John eats the scroll — sweet then bitter.
Zoroastrian parallel: Angelic messengers deliver divine knowledge. The Magi preserved sacred texts. Knowledge of truth is sweet (Asha) but bitter in a world of Druj.
Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses
Revelation: Two witnesses prophesy, are killed, rise again, and ascend to heaven.
Zoroastrian parallel: Prophetic figures who suffer for truth but are ultimately vindicated. The pattern of righteous suffering followed by resurrection is Persian.
Revelation 12: The Woman, the Dragon, and the Child
Revelation: A woman (clothed with sun, moon under feet) gives birth to a male child. A dragon (Satan) tries to devour the child. War in heaven — Michael defeats the dragon.
Zoroastrian parallel:
- The cosmic battle between Ahura Mazda’s forces and Angra Mainyu
- The Saoshyant is born (virgin birth in Zoroastrian prophecy)
- Angra Mainyu tries to prevent the savior’s mission
- The heavenly battle results in evil’s defeat
This chapter is pure Frashokereti narrative.
Revelation 13: The Beasts
Revelation: Two beasts — one from the sea (political power), one from the earth (false prophet). They demand worship and mark people with the number 666.
Zoroastrian parallel: Angra Mainyu works through agents — daevas and corrupted humans. False religion serves the Lie (Druj). Those who serve Druj are marked by their allegiance.
Revelation 14: The Lamb and the 144,000
Revelation: The 144,000 with the Lamb — they have the Father’s name on their foreheads, they “follow the Lamb wherever he goes,” they are firstfruits, and “in their mouth no lie was found.”
Zoroastrian parallel:
- Followers of Asha marked by truth
- “No lie was found in their mouths” = alignment with Asha, rejection of Druj
- Firstfruits = those who remained faithful to the original revelation
This verse is the key: “no lie” = Asha. The 144,000 are Asha-keepers.
Revelation 15-16: The Seven Bowls
Revelation: Seven bowls of wrath poured out — plagues, darkness, destruction.
Zoroastrian parallel: The final intensification of cosmic conflict. Evil’s power peaks just before its destruction. The world suffers the consequences of Druj.
Revelation 17-18: Babylon Falls
Revelation: Babylon the Great — the city of corruption, commerce, and false religion — falls.
Zoroastrian parallel: Babylon was the historic enemy of both Persia and Israel. In Zoroastrian context, Babylon represents Druj-aligned civilization. Its fall is the fall of the Lie.
Revelation 19: The Final Battle
Revelation: Christ on a white horse leads the armies of heaven. The beast and false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. The birds feast on the enemies.
Zoroastrian parallel: The Saoshyant leads the final battle. Angra Mainyu and the daevas are defeated. The forces of evil are destroyed. This is the climax of Frashokereti.
Revelation 20: The Thousand Years and Final Judgment
Revelation: Satan bound for 1,000 years. The first resurrection. Satan released, defeated again. The dead raised for judgment. Lake of fire for those not in the book of life.
Zoroastrian parallel:
- Final defeat of Angra Mainyu (bound, then destroyed)
- Resurrection of all the dead — ristakhiz in Zoroastrian eschatology
- Judgment — the Chinvat Bridge, the river of molten metal
- Destruction of evil — permanent, not eternal punishment
Revelation 21: New Heaven and New Earth
Revelation: A new heaven and a new earth. The holy city descends. God dwells with humanity. No more death, mourning, crying, or pain.
Zoroastrian parallel: This is Frashokereti defined:
- The world is made new (renovated, not replaced)
- Ahura Mazda’s presence with humanity
- Death is abolished
- Suffering ends
- Perfection achieved
Frashokereti means “making wonderful.” Revelation 21 is exactly what Zoroastrian eschatology promised.
Revelation 22: The River of Life
Revelation: A river of the water of life, clear as crystal. The tree of life with twelve fruits. God’s servants serve him, see his face, and reign forever.
Zoroastrian parallel:
- Water of life (Haurvatat — wholeness/water — is an Amesha Spenta)
- Tree of life (appears in Zoroastrian imagery)
- Eternal life in perfected creation
- The righteous with Ahura Mazda forever
The Structural Identity
| Revelation | Frashokereti |
|---|---|
| Seven seals/trumpets/bowls | Seven Amesha Spentas structure |
| Dragon/Satan | Angra Mainyu |
| The Lamb/Christ | Saoshyant |
| 144,000 “no lie in mouth” | Followers of Asha |
| Final battle | Cosmic war |
| Resurrection of dead | Ristakhiz |
| Judgment | Chinvat Bridge / molten metal |
| Destruction of evil | Defeat of Angra Mainyu |
| New heaven and earth | Frashokereti |
| Eternal life | Eternal perfected existence |
Every major structural element of Revelation is present in Zoroastrian eschatology.
The Dating Problem
When Was Revelation Written?
Revelation is typically dated to ~95 CE under Emperor Domitian.
When Was Frashokereti Doctrine Established?
Zoroastrian eschatology was fully developed before the Exile (586 BCE):
- Theopompus (4th century BCE) describes Frashokereti
- Plutarch (1st-2nd century CE) details the doctrine
- The structure predates John by centuries
The Direction of Influence
Revelation was written by Jewish-Christians who had absorbed centuries of Persian-influenced apocalyptic thought through:
- Post-Exilic Judaism
- The Book of Daniel
- Intertestamental apocalyptic literature
- Essene writings (Dead Sea Scrolls)
By the time John wrote, the Frashokereti framework was deeply embedded in Jewish apocalyptic tradition.
Why This Matters
1. Revelation Is Not Original
The apocalyptic framework — cosmic battle, savior, resurrection, judgment, world renovation — is Persian. John didn’t invent it; he applied it to his Christian context.
2. The 144,000 Testify
“No lie was found in their mouths” = Asha-keepers. The very language of Revelation points to its Persian source.
3. Christian Hope Is Persian Hope
When Christians hope for resurrection, new creation, and eternal life, they’re hoping for what Zarathustra promised.
4. The “Prophecy” Was Already Fulfilled — In Literature
Frashokereti was “prophesied” in Zoroastrian texts. Revelation “fulfills” those texts by reapplying them to Christ.
Conclusion
The Book of Revelation is Frashokereti.
- The cosmic battle: Persian
- The savior figure: Persian
- The resurrection: Persian
- The judgment: Persian
- The new creation: Persian
- The eternal life: Persian
John had a vision. But the framework for understanding and expressing that vision was Zoroastrian — absorbed through centuries of Jewish-Persian interaction.
When Christians read Revelation, they’re reading Persian eschatology with Jewish and Christian names.
The apocalypse was Persian before it was Christian.
Frashokereti is coming. Asha will prevail. The renovation is certain.
Sources
On Zoroastrian Eschatology
- Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism, Vol. 1. Brill, 1975
- Zaehner, R.C. The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism. Putnam, 1961
- Bundahishn (Zoroastrian cosmological text)
Greek Witnesses to Frashokereti
- Theopompus (fragments)
- Plutarch. Isis and Osiris, 46-47
On Revelation
- Aune, David. Revelation. Word Biblical Commentary, 1997-1998
- Collins, Adela Yarbro. The Apocalypse. Michael Glazier, 1979
On Persian Influence on Apocalypticism
- Collins, John J. Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Routledge, 1997
- Hultgård, Anders. “Persian Apocalypticism.” Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism, Vol. 1
At eFireTemple, we read Revelation in its original language — the language of Frashokereti. The apocalypse John saw was the renovation Zarathustra promised. The fire is coming.