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PROPOSED DATES OF REVELATION

PROPOSED DATES OF REVELATION. The reign of Claudius (A.D. 41-54) The reign of Nero (A.D. 54-68) The reign of Galba (A.D. 68/69) The reign of Vespasian (A.D. 69-79) The reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96) The reign of Trajan (A.D. 98-117). Two Predominant Views.

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PROPOSED DATES OF REVELATION

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  1. PROPOSED DATES OF REVELATION • The reign of Claudius (A.D. 41-54) • The reign of Nero (A.D. 54-68) • The reign of Galba (A.D. 68/69) • The reign of Vespasian (A.D. 69-79) • The reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96) • The reign of Trajan (A.D. 98-117)

  2. Two Predominant Views • The Early Date [mid 60’s]: During the reign of Nero, before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 • The Late Date [mid 90’s]: During the reign of Domitian

  3. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The quotations of the early “Church Fathers”

  4. LATE DATETESTIMONY Irenaeus (AD 130-202):We will not, however, incur the risk of pronouncing positively as to the name of Antichrist; for if it were necessary that his name should be distinctly revealed in this present time, it would have been announced by him who beheld the apocalyptic vision. For that was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian’s reign.(Against Heresies 5:30:3 as preserved in Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History, 3:18:3, ANF 1:559-560)

  5. LATE DATETESTIMONY Clement of Alexandria (AD 150-215): And to give you confidence, when you have thus truly repented, that there remains for you a trustworthy hope of salvation, hear a story that is no mere story, but a true account of John the apostle that has been handed down and preserved in memory. When after the death of the tyrant he removed from the island of Patmos to Ephesus, he used to journey by request to the neighboring districts of the Gentiles, in some places to appoint bishops, in others to regulate whole churches, in others to set among the clergy some one man, it may be, of those indicated by the Spirit.(Who is the Rich Man that shall be Saved?)

  6. LATE DATETESTIMONY Origen (AD 185-254): The King of the Romans, as tradition teaches, condemned John, who bore testimony, on account of the word of truth, to the isle of Patmos. John, moreover, teaches us things respecting his testimony [i.e., martyrdom], without saying who condemned him when he utters these things in the Apocalypse. He seems also to have seen the Apocalypse...in the island.(Comments on Matthew 16:6)

  7. LATE DATETESTIMONY Victorinus (d AD 303): When John said these things he was in the island of Patmos, condemned to the labour of the mines by Caesar Domitian. There, therefore, he saw the apocalypse; and when grown old, he thought that he should at length receive his quittance by suffering, Domitian being killed, all his judgments were discharged. And John being dismissed from the mines, thus subsequently delivered the same Apocalypse which he had received from God.(Commentary on the Apocalypse at Rev. 10:11)

  8. LATE DATETESTIMONY Victorinus (d AD 303): One remains, under whom the Apocalypse was written -- Domitian, to wit.(Commentary on the Apocalypse at Rev. 17:10, ANF 7:358)

  9. LATE DATETESTIMONY Eusebius (ca AD 260-340): When Domitian had given many proofs of his great cruelty and had put to death without any reasonable trial no small number of men…, he finally showed himself the successor of Nero’s campaign of hostility to God. He was the second to promote persecution against us, though his father, Vespasian, had planned no evil against us. “At this time, the story goes, the Apostle and Evangelist John was still alive, and was condemned to live in the island of Patmos for his witness to the divine word. (Ecclesiastical History, 3:17-18)

  10. LATE DATETESTIMONY Eusebius (ca AD 260-340): It was then also [under Nerva] that the apostle John returned from the banishment in Patmos, and took up his abode in Ephesus, according to the ancient tradition of the church.(Ecclesiastical History, 3:20)

  11. LATE DATETESTIMONY Jerome (AD 340-420): John was a prophet, for he saw in the island of Patmos, to which he had been banished by the Emperor Domitian as a martyr for the Lord, an Apocalypsecontaining the boundless mysteries of the future. Tertullian, moreover, relates that he was sent to Rome, and that having been plunged into a jar of boiling oil he came out fresher and more active than when he went in.(Against Jovinianum, 1:26)

  12. LATE DATETESTIMONY Jerome (AD 340-420): In the fourteenth year after the persecution of Nero, John was banished to the island of Patmos, and there wrote the Revelation...Upon the death of Domitian, and upon the repeal of his acts by the senate, because of their excessive cruelty, he returned to Ephesus, when Nerva was emperor.(Quoted in William Barclay, The Revelation of John, Vol. 1, p. 14)

  13. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The quotations of the early “Church Fathers” • The general conditions of the churches

  14. Time For Development • Ephesus to lose her first love • Men to claim apostleship at Ephesus • Sardis to die spiritually • Laodicea to become apathetic

  15. Time For Development • Nicolaitan influence developed after Paul’s day • Church in Smyrna didn’t exist in Paul’s day • Pergamum was a center of emperor worship • Laodicea to recover after an earthquake

  16. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The quotations of the early “Church Fathers” • The general conditions of the churches • The martyrs cry for vindication (6:9-11)

  17. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The quotations of the early “Church Fathers” • The general conditions of the churches • The martyrs cry for vindication (6:9-11) • The severity and the extent of the persecution (1:9; 2:10, 13; 3:10; 6:9; 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; 19:2; 20:4)

  18. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The widespread worship of the beast (13:4, 8, 12-17, 14:9, 11; 15-17; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4)

  19. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The widespread worship of the beast (13:4, 8, 12-17, 14:9, 11; 15-17; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4) • The allusion to the Nero Redivivus Myth (13:1-3, 14; 17:8-11)

  20. The Nero Redivivus Myth • Tertullian: “Consult your annals, and there you will find Nero, the first emperor who dyed his sword in Christian blood, when our religion was but just arising at Rome.” (Apology, Chap. 5) • Tertullian: “A long time after, Domitian, a limb of the bloody Nero, makes some like attempts against the Christians....” (Apology, Chap. 5) • Eusebius: “He [Domitian] finally showed himself the successor of Nero’s campaign of hostility to God. He was the second to promote persecution against us, though his father, Vespasian, had planned no evil against us.” (Ecclesiastical History, Bk. 3, Pr. 17)

  21. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The widespread worship of the beast (13:4, 8, 12-17, 14:9, 11; 15-17; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4) • The allusion to the Nero Redivivus Myth (13:1-3, 14; 17:8-11) • John's exile to Patmos (1:9)

  22. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The authority of the writer over the seven churches • The different attitude toward Rome

  23. Roman Tolerance • Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship in Philippi (Acts 16:36-40) • Gallio dismissed the complaints against Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:1-17) • Paul protected from mob in Ephesus (Acts 19:13-41) • Paul rescued from Jewish mob in Jerusalem (Acts 21:30-40) • Paul moved to Caesarea to protect him from assassination (Acts 23:12-31) • Paul’s appeal to Caesar honored (Acts 25:10-11)

  24. ARGUMENTS FOR THE LATE DATE • The authority of the writer over the seven churches • The different attitude toward Rome • Intrinsic propriety

  25. ARGUMENTS FOR THE EARLY DATE • The quotations from other “Church Fathers”

  26. EARLY DATETESTIMONY The Title-Page of the Syriac Version: The revelation which was made by God to John the evangelist in the island Patmos, into which he was thrown by Nero Caesar(Quoted in Foy Wallace, Jr., The Book Of Revelation, p. 28)

  27. EARLY DATETESTIMONY The Syriac History of John, the Son of Zebedee: After these things, when the Gospel was increasing by the hands of the Apostles, Nero, the unclean and impure and wicked king, heard all that had happened at Ephesus. And he sent [and] took all that the procurator had, and imprisoned him; and laid hold of S. John and drove him into exile; and passed sentence on the city that it should be laid waste.(Quoted in Kenneth Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell, pp. 105-106)

  28. EARLY DATETESTIMONY Tertullian: But if thou art near to Italy, thou hast Rome, where we also have an authority close at hand. What an happy Church is that! on which the Apostles poured out all their doctrine, with their blood:where Peter had a like Passion with the Lord; where Paul hath for his crown the same death with John; where the Apostle John was plunged into boiling oil, and suffered nothing, and was afterwards banished to an island.(Exclusion of Heretics 36)

  29. EARLY DATETESTIMONY Arethas: Some refer this to the siege of Jerusalem by Vespsian.(Comment on Rev. 6:12) Arethas: Here, then, were manifestly shown to the Evangelist what things were to befall the Jews in their war against the Romans, in the way of avenging the sufferings inflicted upon Christ.(Comment on Rev. 7:1) Arethas: When the Evangelist received these oracles, the destruction in which the Jews were involved was not yet inflicted by the Romans.(Comment on Rev. 7:4)

  30. EARLY DATETESTIMONY The Muratorian Canon: The blessed Apostle Paul, following the rule of his predecessor John, writes to no more than seven churches by name.” And then later reports: ‘John too, indeed, in the Apocalypse, although he writes to only seven churches, yet addresses all.’(ANF 5:603)

  31. EARLY DATETESTIMONY The Acts of John:And the fame of the teaching of John was spread abroad in Rome; and it came to the ears of Domitian that there was a certain Hebrew in Ephesus, John by name, who spread a report about the seat of empire [sic] of the Romans, saying that it would quickly be rooted out, and that the kingdom of the Romans would be given over to another. And Domitian, troubled by what was said, sent a centurion with soldiers to seize John, and bring him....[Later when John appeared before Domitian, we read:] And Domitian, astonished at all the wonders, sent him away to an island, appointing for him a set time.And straightway John sailed to Patmos. (ANF 8:560-562)

  32. EARLY DATETESTIMONY Kenneth Gentry: In his Preface to Commentary on the Gospel of John, Theophylact puts the banishment of John under Nero when he says that John was banished 32 years after the ascension of Christ....In his commentary on Matthew 10:22, he mentions John’s banishment under Trajan.(Before Jerusalem Fell, p. 108)

  33. ARGUMENTS FOR THE EARLY DATE • The quotations from other “Church Fathers” • The mourning of the tribes of the earth (1:7)

  34. THE “COMINGS” OFTHE SON OF MAN • The Incarnation(Jn. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 9:26-28) • The Giving of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles (Jn. 14:16-18, 28) • The Indwelling of Deity(Jn. 14:23) • The Coming in His Kingdom(Mt. 16:28; cf. Mk. 9:1) • The Preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles(Eph. 2:17)

  35. THE “COMINGS” OFTHE SON OF MAN • The Outpouring of Chastisement or Blessing on Churches(Rev. 2:5, 16, 25; 3:3, 11, 20; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20) • The Destruction of Jerusalem(Mt. 10:23; 24:27, 30; 26:64; Mk. 13:26; Lk. 21:27; Heb. 10:37; Jas. 5:8) • The Judgment on the Beasts and Babylon(Rev. 1:7; 11:16-18; 14:14-20; 16:4-7; 19:1-2, 11-16, 19-21) • The Final Coming(Acts 1:9-11; 1 Th. 3:11-13; 4:13-18; 2 Th. 1:6-10; 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 6:13-16)

  36. Coming On The Clouds • Judgment onEgypt (Isa. 19:1, 4; cf. Ezek. 30:1-5, 18-19; 32:7) • Judgment on Judah (Joel 2:1-2; Zeph. 1:14-16) • Judgment ontheearth (Isa. 26:20-21) • Judgment onJerusalem in 586 B.C. (Jer. 4:11-13; Ezek. 34:12-13) • Judgment onIsrael and Judah (Mic. 1:2-7) • Judgment onthe fourth beast (Dan. 7:13-14, 21-22, 24-27) • Judgment onJerusalem in A.D. 70 (Mt. 24:27, 30; 26:64; Mk. 13:26; Mk. 14:62) • Judgment onthe ungodly (Jude 14-15) • Judgment onthe persecutors (Rev. 1:7; 14:14-20) • Final Judgment (Acts 1:9-11)

  37. “Those Who Pierced Him”The Jews… • Sought His death (Jn. 11:53; Mt. 26:4; 27:1) • Paid His betrayer (Mt. 26:14-15, 47; 27:3-9) • Sought false witnesses (Mt. 26:59-62) • Initially convicted Him (Mt. 26:65-66) • Took Him to the Romans (Mt. 27:2, 11-12; Acts 3:13) • Called down His blood on their heads (Mt. 27:24-25) • Demanded the release of Barabbas (Jn. 18:38-40) • Threatened Pilate’s procuratorship (Jn. 19:14-15)

  38. ARGUMENTS FOR THE EARLY DATE • The quotations from other “Church Fathers” • The mourning of the tribes of the earth (1:7) • The expectation of proximate fulfillment (1:1, 3, 19; 2:16; 3:10-11; 22:6-7, 10, 12, 20)

  39. The Time Frame Of Revelation “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (Rev. 1:1) “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” (Rev. 1:3) Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 7“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Rev. 22:6-7) “And he said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for thetime is at hand.’” (Rev. 22:10)

  40. The Sitz Im Leben • “He who overcomes” (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7) • “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.” (2:10) • “You will have tribulation ten days” (2:10) • “Be faithful until death….” (2:10) • “Your patience” (2:19) • “I also will keep you from the hour of trial….” (3:10) • “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation….” (1:9)

  41. The Roman Civil War • Nero committed suicide (June 68) • Galba declared himself emperor • Praetorians switched allegiance to Otho and killed Galba (Jan. 69) • Rhine armies proclaimed Vitellius emperor • Vitellius defeated Otho at Bedriacum • Otho committed suicide (April 17, 69) • Vitellius declared emperor • Vespasian took Rome (Dec. 20, 69)

  42. Philip Schaff “There is scarcely another period in history so full of vice, corruption, and disaster as the six years between the Neronian persecution and the destruction of Jerusalem.”(History of the Christian Church, 1:391, quoted in Kenneth Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell, p. 180)

  43. ARGUMENTS FOR THE EARLY DATE • The quotations from other “Church Fathers” • The mourning of the tribes of the earth (1:7) • The expectation of proximate fulfillment (1:1, 3, 19; 2:16; 3:10-11; 22:6-7, 10, 12, 20) • The existence of the twelve tribes (7:1-8)

  44. The Jew And The True Jew

  45. ARGUMENTS FOR THE EARLY DATE • The measuring of the temple in Jerusalem (11:1-2, 8) • The number of the beast (13:18)

  46. The Number Of The Beast N R O N K S K = = = = = = = 50 200 6 50 100 60 200 666

  47. ARGUMENTS FOR THE EARLY DATE • The measuring of the temple in Jerusalem (11:1-2, 8) • The number of the beast (13:18) • The seven kings (17:9-11)

  48. The Mystery Of The Beast Daniel 7 Julius Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius NERO Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian TITUS Revelation 17 Five are fallen (17:10) Ten kings (7:7, 24) One is (17:10) Three horns plucked up (7:8, 24) Other not yet come (17:10) 8th going to perdition (17:11)

  49. ARGUMENTS FOR THE EARLY DATE • The measuring of the temple in Jerusalem (11:1-2, 8) • The number of the beast (13:18) • The seven kings (17:9-11) • The Jewish influence on Christianity in Revelation (2:9; 3:9; 7:4-8; 14:1ff; 21:12)

  50. ARGUMENTS FOR THE EARLY DATE • Parallels with obvious prophecies of Jerusalem’s destruction

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