Introduction to Revelation - Part 2 Reasons for Abandoning the 96 AD position in favor of the 70 AD Position Continual point of controversy is trying to determine when Revelation was written. The time you believe it was written will affect how you look at the whole book. The date of writing affects the interpretation of Revelation more than any other N.T. book. Revelation is a fulfillment of the warnings in the Gospels. The Kingdom is taken from the Jews and given to another - Matt. 21:33-43. It opens with the faithful servants of God being persecuted. They are shown that God is still in control and will judge their enemies. The Harlot is Jerusalem, false religion that is persecuting the saints. She sits on the beast (Rome). Jerusalem used Rome to carry out persecution. She is destroyed. Then the beast makes war against the saints and then later is destroyed. 1,000 reign and then the judgment. This lesson will not cover the external evidence for the date of the book, but only the internal. Continual problem with the 96 AD date: Comparison of Rev. 22:10 to Daniel 8:26. Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. Daniel 8:26 And the vision of the evenings and mornings which was told is true; therefore seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future. The prophesy in Daniel 8 refers to the destruction of the Persian Empire by the Greeks and then the four-way split of the Greek Empire after the death of Alexander the Great (see Dan. 8:20-22). One of the splits would be the Seleucids, the group that would rule over Israel. One of them (Antiochus Epiphanes) would be a very wicked king who would try to destroy true worship to God. However, he would be destroyed instead. Daniel was prophesying in 550 B.C., (Dan. 8:1). This prophecy would soon begin was completely fulfilled at the death of Antiochus Epiphanes in 164 B.C. 1. Daniel was told to seal up the prophesy because it was many days in the future. It was not to be completely fulfilled until 386 years had passed. 2. John was told to not seal up the visions given to him in Revelation, because "the time is at hand". 3. Rome was sacked in 410, 455 and the final destruction in 476 AD. If Revelation was written in 96 and is speaking of the overthrow of Rome, it is covering a period of 380 years. Yet, the context speaks of things very close historically. Synagogues of Satan - Rev. 2:8-9 (Smyrna), 3:7-9 (Philadelphia) If Revelation was written in 96 AD, Jerusalem had been destroyed 26 years previously. The power of the Jews had been broken, but Revelation indicates they are still a powerful force at the time of writing. When Was Revelation Written? Revelation 17:9-11 Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 "There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. Five are fallen Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius One is Nero One is yet to come Vespasian After the death of Nero in 68, 3 men sat on the throne for a few months, but none ruled the empire. Vespasian returned from fighting the Jews and took over as emperor and has his son Titus to finish the job in Jerusalem. 666 Reduce Nero Caesar to the Hebrew consonant equivalent Nron Ksr and add up the numerical equivalent for each letter. The Hebrew system would be: N = 50, R = 200, O = 6, N = 50, K = 100, S = 60, R = 200 Total = 666 Jerusalem is Being Considered Revelation 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Babylon - Revelation 17:1-6 Revelation is centered on two women. The Harlot and the holy city, the new Jerusalem. Israel was to be the bride of Jehovah, but went a whoring after others. God received her back time after time. Now Israel is put away forever. God divorces her for adultery and marries another. Jerusalem is described as a harlot many times. Isaiah 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Jeremiah 3:1-8, Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel 23 Hosea 1:2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. The harlot rode on the beast (17:3, 7). Jerusalem rode Rome. From the time they used the Romans to crucify Christ, to persecution of Paul in his journey and arrests. The whore continually rode the beast until the beast turned on her - 17:16. Theme of Revelation: Avenging of the Apostles and Prophets Revelation 6:9-10 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Revelation 11:17-18 saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth." Revelation 16:5-7 And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due." 7 And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." Revelation 17:6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. Revelation 18:20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!" Revelation 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth. Revelation 19:1-2 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her. God will bring vengeance on Jerusalem for the blood of His Servants Luke 11:45-51 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also." 46 And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. Luke 13:31-35 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You." 32 And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.' 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' " Luke 19:41-44 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." Matthew 22:1-10 (context - 21:33-46) And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.' 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his ser vants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' 10 So those ser vants went out into the highways and gathe red together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests." Matthew 23:29-38 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' 31 "Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one w ho kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate. If all the righteous blood is to be required of Jerusalem, none would be left to be required of any other. The only difference is the name of the city used. Gospels = Jerusalem, Revelation = Babylon Details of the destruction are foretold in Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21. Christ warns of the coming destruction at His crucifixion. The only other use of this language in the NT is in Revelation. Luke 23:27-30 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" ' Revelation 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Revelation is a Time of Tribulation. Christ Calls the destruction of Jerusalem "Great Tribulation". Matthew 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. Revelation 7:14 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. In Asia Minor (Indicates how widespread the trouble was) 2 Thessalonians 1:4-6 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribula tion those who trouble you. God is going to bring tribulation on those causing tribulation on his people. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. 3.5 years Tribulation- Rev. 11:2-3, 12:6, 12:14, 13:5 Literal amount of time or symbolism of troubled time (half of the perfect 7)? Nero ruled 54-68 AD. From Nov. 64 to his death in June 68 AD, he persecuted Christians for 3.5 years. Much of the hatred and distrust of Christians came from the Jews. Tribulation came on the Jews for 3.5 years. Matthew 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. Roman General Cestius Gallus came to Jerusalem in 67 AD. Could have won the war but withdrew after a short period of fighting. All the Christians fled to Pella across Jordan. Jews, looking for the establishment of a physical kingdom went to Jerusalem. Roman armies came back and destroyed the city in 70 AD. Complete period of 3.5 years. Tribulation for Christians 3.5 years 64-68 AD Tribulation for Jews 3.5 years 67-70 AD. The Mystery of God Revelation 10:7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. What is the Mystery of God? 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Romans 16:25-26 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith. Ephesians 3:3-9 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; Colossians 1:26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. The mystery of God is now finished. Finished is from teleo and means 1. to bring to a close, to finish, to end. 2. to perform, execute, complete, fulfill Revelation is not the revealing of the mystery, but the accomplishing of it. God has been working with physical Jerusalem for many centuries. All has been fore shadowing the true salvation to be brought by Christ. Now that Christ has bought the church with His blood, physical Jerusalem is removed forever, and the new bride is brought in. Luke 21:22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. The City of Jerusalem in the First Century "our city Jerusalem had arrived at a higher degree of felicity than any other city under the Roman Government. Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Preface, 4. As a result of the captivity and dispersions, Jews were scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Wherever they lived, they made it known that their first allegiance was to Jerusalem, not Rome. Jerusalem became extremely wealthy and was the most feared, hated and loved city in the empire. Titus made a speech to the Jews in Jerusalem during the siege, trying to get them to surrender and spare the city from destruction. In this speech, he said, ...We [Romans] have given you leave to gather up that tribute which is paid to God, with such other gifts that are dedicated to him; nor have we called those that carried these donations to account, nor prohibited them; till at length you became richer than we ourselves, even when you were our enemies... Josephus, War of the Jews, Book 6, Chap. 6, 2 Speaking of the wealth in the Temple, Josephus said: And let no one wonder that there was so much wealth in our temple, since all the Jews throughout the habitable earth, and those that worshipped God, nay even those of Asia and Europe, sent their contributions to it, and this from very ancient times. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, book 14, chapter 7, 2. The dedication of the millions of Jews throughout the world caused them to send offerings to the Temple from throughout the world. this made the city of Jerusalem the richest city for its size in the world. The palace of the kings of Judea I have already described as not less superior in magnificence to the abodes of Augustus and Tiberius. The whole city, upon which many despots have lavished their wealth, as far surpassed Rome, at least before Nero's restoration in grandeur, as it fell short of it is size and population. Charles Mericale, History of the Romans, Vol. VI, p. 454 The most influential man in Israel was the High Priest. Saul of Tarsus received letters from the High Priest permitting him to go to Damascus and capture people to bring back for trial in Jerusalem and many who were found guilty were put to death. Acts 9:1-2 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Acts 22:3-4 I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,. Acts 26:10-11 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blas pheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. Jews received special recognition from the Roman government. All of chap. 10, of book 14 Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus records the special privileges given to the Jewish people. paragraph 1 he says It seems to me to be necessary here to give an account of all the honors that the Romans and their emperors paid to our nation, and of the leagues of mutual assistance they have made with it, that all the rest of mankind may know what regard the kings of Asia and Europe have had to us... Jerusalem was also a prominent city. It was the capital of the Jewish State and, therefore, the most important city in the world to the Jew. It was the city of God, the site of the temple of God; hence its title "the Holy City." Toward Jerusalem every Jew in the world prayed. To Jerusalem every Jewish male was to come and present himself to God three times a year. To Jerusalem the Jews were to come to offer sacrifices, make offerings, and observe feasts. This explains the presence of "devout men, out of every nation under heaven" in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in A.D. 30. Fifteen nationalities of Jews had come to the city to worship God from all parts of the Roman Empire. This constant influx of tourist into Jerusalem made it a world renowned city. Since Jerusalem held such exalted esteem in the eyes of the Jews of the world, it was natural that the peoples among whom the Jews dwelled were well aware of Jerusalem's beauty, importance and fame. Possibly Jerusalem was more known than any other city in the world. Only Rome gave serious competition. Such recognition made Jerusalem the most loved city on earth to the Jews! Notwithstanding her prominence, Jerusalem was one of the most feared and hated cities of the world (cf. 1 Thess. 2:15). She was feared by the Romans because her people were not contained within the boundaries of a small country. They were scattered throughout the world and the thought of an uprising by the Jews or against the Jews would have thrown the empire into instant conflict. Jerusalem was feared also because the political maneuvering of her leaders kept a constant threat of an explosion before the world. This was the type politics that gained for the city and her loyal children the envy of every nation under heaven. The Jews literally had favors extended to them that were denied every other nation. This led to their being hated by the rest of the world. Josephus graphically portrays this hatred for the Jews. They were permitted by the Romans to worship their different God in their different way, observing their different ways and days. Their treatment was different simp use they were Jews and therefore demanded to worship God as He directed. They either received these favors or gladly died for their convictions. This special treatment, afforded no other nation under heaven, caused the Jews and their holy city, Jerusalem, to be hated by the whole world. The Avenging of the Apostles and Prophets, Arthur Ogden, pg. 48 See the rejection of those who refuse to submit to God: The wrath of the Lamb! Revelation 6:12-17 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc