PART I
DATING THE REVELATION

ANALYSIS OF THE EARLY DATE

In his book, Revelation, a Biblical Approach, Bro. H.A. Whittaker presents a preterist view of the Apocalypse, suggesting that the primary fulfillment of its prophecies occurred in A.D. 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. This interpretation requires the early, Neronian date for the writing of the Revelation. A summary on page 54 of his book, which is supposed to give credence to this theory, appears below (in bold type) followed by our responses to each of the statements.

"THE EARLY DATE

The fairly copious evidence usually cited for Revelation being written about A.D. 66 is now summarized:

(a) Various early Christian fathers, especially Tertullian (A.D. 200 approx.), mention the early date, i.e. the time of Nero's persecution."

Tertullian mentions both Nero and Domitian; he does not date the Apocalypse. Bro. Whittaker's statement is thus misleading. In Tertullian's treatise, Apologeticus, he wrote that Christians suffered banishment during the reign of Domitian.1 Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History says that Tertullian was alluding to John's banishment to Patmos during the reign of Domitian. In Apologeticus, Tertullian writes thus: "Consult your histories. There you will find that Nero was the first to rage with the imperial sword against this school (Christians) in the very hour of its rise in Rome ... Domitian too, who was a great deal of a Nero in cruelty, attempted it (i.e. persecution)".2

(b) The heading of the very ancient Syriac Version ... This item of evidence is especially strong."

The earliest Syriac version did not include the Revelation. There was some question in the eastern church as to whether the Apocalypse should be included in the canon. The Syriac version which dates the Revelation to the time of Nero is itself dated to the sixth century A.D.

"Nevertheless, Revelation was not universally accepted. The Pishito, the oldest Syriac version of the New Testament, dated in the second century, contained neither Revelation nor II Peter, II John, III John, Jude." 3

"The earliest traces of the influence of Revelation upon Christian literature are found in the letter of Ignatius (A.D. 110-115), in Papias, Hermas and Justin, that is well before the middle of the second century. Although omitted from the canon of the Syrian church, it was accepted elsewhere..."4 "Thus, in the later Syriac version, the title-page declares that it was written in Patmos, whither John was sent by Nero Caesar. This version, however, was made in the beginning of the sixth century and can have little authority in determining the question. It is not known by whom the version was made, or on what authority the author relied, when he said that John was banished to Patmos in the time of Nero." 5

(c) ... Clement of Alexandria ... related that the apostle John, after returning from Patmos, journeyed into the hills to reclaim a wayward disciple. This achievement would have been a physical impossibility for the aged John, if it happened after A.D. 95."

Clement relates an account of a dedicated apostle who, if the story is correct, still finds it possible at an advanced age to expend himself in the service of his Lord. Clement refers to the apostle in this account as "aged"6, a term that would have been inappropriate at the time of Nero, for John lived some 34 years beyond that date. He was truly aged at the time of his release from Patmos in A.D. 96.

Clement's testimony agrees with that of Irenaeus, who had written that the apostle John lived in Ephesus for several years after his return from exile.

"And all the presbyters of Asia, that had conferred with John, the disciple of our Lord, testify that John had delivered it (the Apocalypse) to them; for he continued with them until the times of Trajan."7 (Trajan ruled A.D. 98-117).

Early tradition relates that the apostle died as the century ended, when he was almost 100 years old.

(d) The frequent references in Revelation to persecution harmonize admirably with the Nero date, when Christians truly had to face a fiery trial; so far as is known Domitian's persecution was by no means so fierce."

The persecution under Domitian accords much more satisfactorily with the circumstances indicated in the Revelation. The persecution of Christians by Nero was mostly limited to the city of Rome and did not extend to the provinces with the same intensity. The persecution of Domitian, on the other hand, was acutely felt in Asia Minor. The emperor Domitian insisted upon the universality of emperor worship, and the harassment of Christians by the authorities at this time is a matter of record.

Gaius Suetonius (born A.D. 69) was a biographer of the early Caesars. Of Domitian he wrote: "He exercised all the tyranny of his high position so lawlessly that it was apparent what sort of man he was going to be." Domitian was serious about emperor worship and, Suetonius tells us, toward the end of his life the emperor accepted divine homage under the title, "Dominus, et deus noster" (our Lord and our God). 8

The Abingdon Bible Commentary has this background information in support of the Domitian date.

"That the book (the Revelation) belongs to a later than the Pauline era is evident from the condition of the churches, the presence of Nicolaitanism and widespread persecution. Ancient tradition was almost unanimous in assigning the book to the later years of Domitian's reign, when the emperor's demand for divine honours, his widespread use of informers, and his special enmity against the Christian church established a reign of terror from which there was no relief till his death in A.D. 96. With this most modern scholars agree. It was not till Domitian's edict that Asia became the scene of persecution against Christians." 9

(e) The extremely Hebraistic style of the Greek text of Revelation ... argues a date of writing fairly soon after John came to Ephesus out of Judaea ..."

The Hebraistic style of the Apocalypse does not indicate the time in which it was written. The prophetic character of the book and its close relationship with the Hebrew prophecies, that of Daniel in particular, would naturally suggest this style of writing.

"One circumstance to be taken into account is, that the nature of the Gospel (of John) is widely different from that of the Apocalypse. The latter is a prophetic book - a poetical composition; while the former is a simple record in prose, of the discourses of Jesus in the days of his flesh. John in the Apocalypse imitates the manner of Ezekiel and Daniel. The New Testament prophet conforms to the diction and symbolic features of the former seers ... He was inspired. It is, therefore, needless to inquire into his education in the Hebrew language, or his mental culture while residing in Asia Minor, or the smoothness of the Greek language as current in the place where he lived, before and after he wrote the Apocalypse. The Holy Spirit qualified him beyond and irrespective of ordinary means for the work of writing. However elevated the theme he undertook, he was assisted in employing diction as elevated as the nature of the subject demanded. We place, therefore, little reliance upon the argument derived for the time of life at which the Apocalypse was composed ... The strong Hebraized diction of the book we account for on the ground that the writer was a Jew; and, as such, expressed his Jewish conceptions in Greek; that he imitated the later Old Testament prophets, especially the manner of Daniel; and that the only prophetic writing in the New Testament naturally approaches nearer the Old Testament in coloring and linguistic features." 10

(f) The very early appearance of pseudo-apocalypses (uninspired imitations of the Apocalypse given to John) implies that they had yet an earlier prototype."

There were pseudo-apocalyptic writings from the time of Daniel. They "appeared during the period between B.C. 210 and A.D. 200. These were produced by both Jewish and Christian writers, and they have many features in common. The most striking is the resemblance they all bear to the Book of Daniel."11 In an article in Peake's Commentary, Prof. H. T. Andrews describes these writings, which, he points out, appeared during the 200 years before and 100 years after the New Testament Apocalypse.12

1 Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book III, ch. xx.

2 Tertullian, Apologeticus, Ch. 5, v. 3-5 (pp. 29-31).

3 Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation, Intro., p. 13.

5 Barnes, Notes on the New Testament, "Revelation", Intro. p. xlviii.

6 Clement of Alexandria (Translation by G. W. Butterworth), p. 363.

7 Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book II, Ch. 22.5 and Book III, Ch. 3.4.

9 Abingdon Bible Commentary, p. 1367-8.

11 The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, "Apocalyptic Literature", Vol. I, pages 161-178.

12 Peake's Commentary (1920 edition), "Apocalyptic Literature", by Prof. H. T. Andrews, pp. 431-5.