Floyd O. Parker, «‘Our Lord and God’ in Rev 4,11: Evidence for the Late Date of Revelation?», Vol. 82 (2001) 207-231

This article challenges a commonly-held belief that the title ‘our Lord and God’ (Rev 4,11) served as a Christian counter-blast to the claim of the emperor Domitian to be dominus et deus noster. Despite the claims of several scholars that the title ‘our Lord and God’ does not appear in the OT, the data collected favors the view that the title in Rev 4,11 does indeed have its origin in the divine title ‘Lord and God’ found in the LXX and other Jewish sources. Consequently, the title is of no use in helping to determine the date of the book of Revelation.

        The second ‘approximate parallel’ appears in 1 Cor 8,5: w#sper ei)si_n qeoi_ polloi_ kai_ ku/rioi polloi/. Paul may have had in mind here Greco-Roman pagan deities⁸² or, as Winter argues, the emperors, both living and dead⁸³. If a reference to the emperor was intended, then this is yet another example of the imperial usage of ‘lord and god’ prior to the time of Domitian.

        This passage also supports the theory that ‘Lord and God’ is a variant of ‘Lord God’. The language of 1 Cor 8,4-5 is based on the Shema ⁸⁴. Paul alluded to the Shema by use of the phrase ‘there is no God but one’(1 Cor 8,4; Deut 6,4; cf. 4,35.39). The title ku/rioj o( qeo_j h(mw=n in the Shema (Deut 6,4.5) seems to have prompted Paul to discuss Gentile ‘lords’ and ‘gods’ (1 Cor 8,5). Thus, it appears Paul inserted kai/ between the words in the title ‘Lord God’ and, by implication, indicates that this phrase was interchangeable with ‘Lord and God’.

        The New Testament yielded two ‘approximate parallels’ to the phrase ‘our Lord and God’. Both of these seem to have been based on the LXX. So then, in seeking the origin of the Christian use of ‘Lord and God’, a Jewish source is as likely as one based on the language of the Roman imperial cult. The parallel from 1 Cor 8 also predates the title used of Domitian by several decades. Thus, the title in Rev 4,11 may likewise derive from the LXX and predate the time of Domitian.

4. Dominus et Deus and Revelation 13

        Imperial worship certainly serves as the religious and political backdrop for Rev 13 (13, 4.8.12.15). The beast from the sea is generally regarded as Rome, whereas the seven heads of the beast