The full title of the book is The Revelation of John, so presumably, a man named John wrote it. Some, but not all, scholars think the John in question was the apostle of Jesus. Most likely, the book was written during the reign of Domitian, who ruled the Roman Empire from 81–96 C.E. It was a time when Christians faced severe persecution. For practicing and preaching his faith, John was sent to prison on the Greek island of Patmos.