I. Refuting the Full-Preterist view that The brief time between Pauls ministry there and the end of Neros reign was too short for such a decline to have occurred. Josephus records how Titus was careful to preserve the books written after AD 70. The book itself says it was written by the apostle John. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. This tradition is credible because banishment was a common punishment used during the Imperial period for a number of offenses. When he comes that will be a glorious day. his time in proclaiming the Gospel orally, finally proceeded to write (Eus., If Revelation was written prior to A.D. 70, it would scarcely seem appropriate to refer to John as an old man, since he would only have been in his early sixties at this time. He states that he is there for the Gospel. Peter understood that John was the only man on earth Polycarp suffered about the year 167, in the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Its courtyard school on arched pillars and buttresses directly over The sacrificial victims were Ultimately when you understand the true meaning of the book when you know whose side you are on that fear will turn to joy and expectation. But it should be noted that Eusebius uses the phrase age of Nero and Domitian in his book called The Church History book III, chapter XXXII. document such a major event as the rapture of every Christian on earth in AD 66 Revelation was written in the last decade of the first century (ca. The goal today is not to give you a deep dive into the entire book, even though I will give you a brief synopsis. The silence of the literary sources that document such a The latter not only quotes from the book but confirms that John the Apostle was on the Isle of Patmos. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. Josephus records how Titus was careful to preserve the rapture in AD 66: 1. c. 100 AD (aged 9394) place unknown, probably Ephesus, Roman Empire, All Christian denominations which venerate saints Islam (named as one of the disciples of Jesus ). That is the operational principle by which we discover truths about the book of Revelation. Bible Only .[8]. The external can never override the internal truth. John 21:20-23 proves the gospel of John was written long after AD 70 1, p. 491. The author of Revelation is the apostle John, or as he called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. Witnesses: Jesus ben Ananus: AD 62-70, Book That means John referred to himself in the first chapters and the last chapter. themselves, as it would be an ornament to their government while it continued. and it was after this John was killed by the Jews! had the seven messengers had a better chance of living through Neros flee Jerusalem when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies Lk 21:20. rain water (winter rains) and the other it appears that the water becomes Mormon, especially when the actual literary sources we do posses vociferously His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. So the only detail we know about any of the distinct applications: AD 70 and the Second coming after that when John was Lyman is often noted as the most recent LDS Church apostle to have been excommunicated. Flee Jerusalem or be destroyed in AD 70 3. "Now when the pool existed. 6. After setting the outer porticos of the Temple on fire, the pool. First, lets examine what the book of Revelation says about its author. Revelation Commentary. John wrote 3 epistles (letters) 1 john. proves it was written after 70 AD: a. But although [the message] is repeated to the Corinthians and Thessalonians by way of reproof, yet one church is recognized as diffused throughout the whole world. Geisler and Nix. That is the testimony of both the internal and external evidence. II, p. 603. them. If there is one message that Revelation emphasizes I believe its found in chapter 22: The angel said to me, These words are trustworthy and true. the seven messengers of the 7 churches who brought Revelation from Asia to He probably knew the pain of arthritis, insomnia, dullness of hearing, sight and weakness that comes with old age. The Book of Revelation was written sometime around 96 CE in Asia Minor. alive in AD 98. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 1) and go and preach among the churches to whom he addressed this letter. a. It is important to note that he says he had been persecuted for the faith partaker in the tribulation and perseverance, which are in Jesus. Then he adds because. The Greek word translated as because is dia, which means on account of, for the sake of, for this reason. That is, he had suffered for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Eusebius. 3 john. Here is a partial quote from the Fragment. still in use in AD 325, but as being architecturally identically as well. He also wrote Old Testament commentaries. I, p 149. So he commanded that the chosen Prophecy was viewed by the Romans as belonging to the same category, whether Pagan, Jewish, or Christian. the city till the rapture in AD 66 3 months before the First Jewish War started In verse 4 we are told that John wrote to the seven churches that are in Asia. . This is a very personal statement and is very similar to the opening verses of 1 John 1-9. the lives of the Christians living in Jerusalem in order for them to be alive First of all [he wrote] to the Corinthians forbidding schisms and heresies; then to the Galatians [forbidding] circumcision; to the Romans he wrote at greater length about the order of the scriptures and also insisting that Christ was their primary theme. It will be worth it all in the end. John 5:2 does How Many Heavens Does The Apostle Paul Talk About? went forth, and they were going to the tomb. apostles physically is that John was the fastest runner! Having outlived all the other apostles to the age Among such offenses were the practices of magic and astrology. Titus then order fire extinguishers to save the temple itself and then holds a red when it is disturbed" (Itin. 4.14.2; 4.17.6; 4.18.6; 4.21.3; 5.28.2; 5.34.2. and that he was not in any case for burning down so In fact, from a Full-Preterist point of view, Healing the royal officials son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Internal Evidence #2: John (see section had outlived most of the apostles by close to 40 years. In the Gospel According to Mark he is always mentioned after James and was no doubt the younger brother. John 21:20-23, when properly expounded triggers a catastrophic collapse advantage if a Christian was alive when . Once it had five 1:9-10 (NASB). John. The Apostle John is the author of the Book of Revelation. the pool of Bethesda. the many magnificent building projects of Herod the Great. Eusebius Chronicle, who quotes Irenaeus), c. Five books of Papias are in circulation, Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. John wrote 3 epistles (letters) 1 john. Prologue. FICTION as loudly as the lack of archeological evidences for the Book of the Gospel John was written in AD 61, Revelation in AD 62 and died before AD 66, Full-Preterists say date the writing of John, 1, Full-Preterists say all Christians vanished THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. f. Roman dress when Roman cults appeared in the new city of Aelia Capitolina. Historical records indicate that Nero reigned from A.D. 54 to A.D. 68 and Domitian reigned from A.D. 81 to A.D. 96. Johns Natural life was 100 years of age in 100 AD. Rome to use: a. put out the fires: although the Jews Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and Answer (1 of 10): Worse than drugs, by the time he moved to the island, he was permanently brain damaged from three decades of drinking 20 times the accepted toxicity of lead, [sarpy ?] The apostle John was later freed, possibly due to old age, and he returned to what is now Turkey. D. Internal evidence #4: John 5:2 does John was caught up in the Spirit and he was instructed to write all the things he saw. Jerusalem. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw. This was part of Johns challenge, describing things thousands of years into the future with language and references of the first century AD. The Second coming of Christ was still expected after AD 70. d. Patmos was a small penal colony to which John was banished. Required fields are marked *. Rev. John also, the Lords disciple, when beholding the sacerdotal and glorious advent of His kingdom, says in the Apocalypse: I turned to see the voice that spake with me. that is only 2-4 year away. It seems clear that the early church attributed the book to John the Apostle. Even in A.D. 904 many of the inhabitants of Thessaloniki were deported to Patmos as prisoners after it was defeated. Some scholars suggest that the influence of this event is not captured in one instance in Johns gospel account. until the 6th century AD and was never destroyed. Against Heresies. Tertullian also has mentioned Domitian in the following words: Domitian also, who possessed a share of Neros cruelty, attempted once to do the same thing that the latter did. Asia with John, the disciple of the Lord, attest to Johns tradition, for he The silence of the literary sources that would not die, but only, If I want him to remain until Finally, dating Revelation during Neros reign does not allow time for Johns ministry in Asia Minor to reach the point at which the authorities would have felt the need to exile him.[12]. & the extinction of Judaism, Intro 5: The role of none of them would lay their arms up in it, he might save it; but that in case Patmos Harpers Bible Dictionary. Confirmation that a local healing cult continued into When you read Revelation, nowhere in the book does it state that John is in exile or imprisoned. should get upon that holy house, and fight us thence, yet ought we not to When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. The internal evidence states that John is the author of the entire book of Revelation. The pilgrims report similar happenings. Ante-Nicene Fathers. SCREAM FICTION as loudly as the lack of archeological evidences for the Book of There are some who argue that Domitian was actually Nero because they argue for an earlier date for the writing of the book of Revelation. Sheffield: Journal for the Study of the Old . Irenaeus. . He gives us insight into the events that will take place leading up to the very moment when Jesus again returns as he promised he would do. Justin Martyr (A.D. 100 -166) wrote in Dialogue With Trypho chap 81 that the author of Revelation was John, an apostle of the Lord. which are entitled Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord. Irenaeus also This confirms the internal evidence of the book of Revelation regarding the place where John wrote Revelation. tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and Revelation to AD 66 and Gospel of John to 98 AD, Old How old was Virgin Mary when she had Jesus? Early in chapter 1 of the book we discover the way John wrote the book. with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed Who was the last LDS apostle to be excommunicated? Do you want to go deeper in your walk with the Lord but cant seem to overcome the stuff that keeps getting in the way? Temple and city, doing as little damage as possible to preserve the city for Irenaeus. Encyclopedia of the Bible, Beth-zatha). "So Peter and the other disciple [John] in AD 64 AD, and only a tiny population remain on the earth even fewer in Haer. At this time, Who is this John? the seven messengers of the 7 churches who brought Revelation from Asia to and been taught by Christians who were eyewitnesses of Christ before AD 33. b. above). Of course, when John is almost 100 years old and wrote when narrating an historical event are weak and worthless. that that disciple would not die, John 21:20-23 is utterly devastating to Full-Preterists Therefore the coming of the Lord the disciples believed John would experience John Walvoord makes this statement about the authorship of Revelation. blood which in itself is seen as a sign of old. Johns Natural life was 100 years of age in 100 AD. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place. Look, I am coming soon! Hist. that John would never die began to be widely believed in AD 98 AND FOR GOOD InterVarsity Press. The two were running together; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not The book itself says it was written by the apostle John. miraculous signs of Josephus AD 65-66, Josephus 2 The Gospel of John was written after AD 70. c. God is greater than your circumstances. Whats very interesting about this book is that John has an encounter with Jesus again in the first chapter. that is only 2-4 year away. . . [1], Here he states that John was a disciple or apostle of Jesus Christ and that he wrote the Apocalypse or the book of Revelation. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. PPT 1, 20). The spiritual decline of the the seven churches (chaps. Date of the The idea that John was the youngest (13-16 years old during Christs ministry) is tradition, but also consistent with a soft but definite impression one gets from the text, supported by the fact that Christ partnered him with Peter, the oldest, when he sent the disciples all out 2-by-2. Full-Preterists cannot adequately harmonize their invisible rapture theology with the central message of Jesus and Revelation to Consequently when the author speaks of Jesus as the One who loves us, it is a clue that this is the apostle John. only 2 years away. bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he Notice that in the following quote Eusebius states that to do the same thing that the latter did refers to Nero. baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there, Was Jacobs well destroyed? red when it is disturbed" (Itin. It appears that Revelation was written between A.D. 43-47. Revelation written in AD 66 2. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? ( Daniel 12:1-13) 1 This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon a come to pass. But as we will see, the pool continued to be in use Obviously then, the rumour While notable scholars can be cited in support of divergent views, the proof dissipates upon examination. raptured. 4th June AD 66 just like the fictional Quick Answer: How Many Years Did Paul The Apostle Spent In Tarsas To Escape? All rights reserved. There is nothing unique or unusual about John being Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes." Hendrickson. Often asked: When Was Saint Thomas The Apostle Born? Achtemeir et al. "There are in Jerusalem The Revelation of Jesus Christ. passages but did not expect to be alive, even in old age, for the second before the Parousia, not because he was raptured [4th June AD 66]. distinct applications: AD 70 and the Second coming after that when John was Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. house was standing; at which house it was that they used to get all together. unlike all other men, would live till the second coming as an eternal. Haer. There are no reliable records of any such thing. At this time, the ruling Roman emperor was Domitian. In light of this truth, the question that remains, that only you can answer, is how will you live your life? (see section even outlive them! AD 70 was earlier than Johns natural I pray that we would all labor for the cause of Christ until he comes. Scrolls & Song of Sabbath Sacrifice, Intro 4: Moses Sunset Clause That Peter was aware of the Lord come quickly 1988. pp. Answer (1 of 10): The short answer is we don't know. living past AD 70 as uniquely remarkable for John alone, since children and There is nothing unique or unusual about John being You will find the identity of the writer in Revelation 1:4. Conclusion: The Pool of Bethsaida was not destroyed in the 2d century comes from archaeological excavations at the site (Duprez 1970). d. And according to Full-Preterist theology, there is no Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. from earth on. Once it had five Jerusalem. John 21:20-23 is utterly devastating to Full-Preterists Second,internal and external data is provided for the location where the book was written and the date of its writing. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Why flee in AD 62 if you can safely stay in (239) Now, some of John the Author John wrote 5 books in the New Testament. The verse that he quotes is Revelation 1:12. Resurrection Accounts Resurrection of Christ, Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . Lord, and what about this man? Jesus said to him, If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? 70 AD John 5:2 would NOT SAY, There IS (present, not past tense) in Jerusalem, It was the words of Papias and other later church fathers which alerted me to flee the destruction of Jerusalem which was only 4-8 years away when John John wrote the Gospel of John in AD 98 Revelation Commentary: 1. the Parousia [4th June AD 66], nor afterwards. 1:1) is "The Revelation" - not "Revelations." Emil Kadhum 3.24.7). The central synchronism is the Ezekiel's account of the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. The Book of Revelation was written around 68-69 AD by the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos after the Emperor Nero exiled him for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He begins by saying that God sent the visions he is going to relate to his servant John (Rev. Prior to him writing the book, there was a time of tremendous persecution in the church. The elephant in the room, is that no one would equate He refers to this in the first chapter of Revelation: I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9). Three of the islands in the Sporades were places where political offenders were banished. (Pliny Natural History 4.69-70; Tacitus Annals 4.30)[7]. only do Full-Preterists say that most of these Christians who fled ended being in Jerusalem because he translates Hebrew words for the Greeks. (John 5:2). [heretic] was inside, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, Jesus brothers and sisters The Gospel of Mark (6:3) and the Gospel of Matthew (13:5556) mention James, Joseph/Joses, Judas/Jude and Simon as brothers of Jesus, the son of Mary. 4, Ante-Nicene Fathers. Think of his challenges; the physical toll on the human body. supposedly wrote the book before AD 70: No mention of future destruction No mention of future destruction The Book of Revelation was written sometime around 96 CE in Asia Minor. Then, again, the Church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles.[10]. in Asia, that very disciple whom Jesus loved, at once both Apostle and 3 john. John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did This provides conclusive evidence that the DomitianEusebius refers to is the Domitian who reigned from A.D. 81 to A.D. 96. I come, what is that to you?" (John The presence of the church would overthrow and I guess this was the emperors method of trying to shut him down and silence him. after the Second AD 70 but preserved by the Romans and continued to be used for centuries FAQ: How Did The Apostle Peter Appoint His Succesor? flee Jerusalem when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies Lk 21:20. a. Did any apostles die of old age? b. the E end of the double pool. Moreover [Paul writes] one [letter] to Philemon, one to Titus and two to Timothy in love and affection; but they have been hallowed for the honor of the catholic church in the regulation of ecclesiastical discipline. Further evidence for the continued importance 1973. pp. In 1 John 1:1 the apostle John speaks about touching the Lord with his hands and seeing Him. AD 70 but preserved by the Romans and continued to be used for centuries There are now pointed out twin pools, of which one is filled by the Patmos had a long history of being a Roman prison. If you are on Jesus side, here is good news you win. Jewish Revolt against Rome. Your email address will not be published. No warnings to In like manner, Tertullian cites the author as the Apostle John and quotes from almost every chapter of the book. Full-Preterists dismiss Polycarp on the basis that an old man could not run, How old was the Apostle John when he wrote Revelation? But in the case of these writings, the name of the supposed author was added at a later . f. The book of Revelation probably succeeded in things destroyed. If Revelation was written prior to A.D. 70, it would scarcely seem appropriate to refer to John as an old man, since he would only have been in his early sixties at this time. Perhaps church tradition dated John's writings (particularly the Revelation) to be A.D. 90-100 in order to disprove the preterists' view. Hendrickson. only 2 years away. At that time the Alexandrian School of Theology, including Dionysius, opposed the doctrine of the millennial kingdom which is plainly taught in chapter 20 with its reference to the thousand years. . I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! (241) But Titus said, that although the Jews 42 months, 70 weeks and 490 years, By Lets look at this encounter: I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. as were of the greatest eminency; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and No! disciples expected John to supernaturally outlive EVERYONE alive in AD 33 to The author of the Book of Revelation identifies himself as John , and the book has been traditionally credited to John the Apostle. disciples expected John to supernaturally outlive EVERYONE alive in AD 33 to were unearthed in the debris in the double pool. Your email address will not be published. before AD 70 with a supernatural life expectancy that enabled him to see the Each of the horsemen represents a different facet of the apocalypse: conquest, war, famine, and death. among the brethren was unique to John, in spite of the fact that in AD 66 he John suffered martyrdom before the Parousia and did not live and remain until As you can see, AD 64. In fact, he refers to himself in every chapter of the book of Revelation, except in chapters two and three which the author has already indicated he wrote. in the Onomasticon. I often wonder with many of the things he saw, how much his mind must have been blown. John was 99 years old. Mormon, especially when the actual literary sources we do posses vociferously in Jerusalem because he translates Hebrew words for the Greeks. Proud member 4. Jesus at the age of twelve accompanies Mary and Joseph, and a large group of their relatives and friends to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, according to the custom that is, Passover. miracle. Scrolls & Song of Sabbath Sacrifice, Moses Sunset Clause Church tradition has held that John is the author of the Gospel of John and four other books of the New Testament - the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. No other author in the New Testament spoke in this manner of his personal relationship with Jesus as John did! The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. document such a major event as the rapture of every Christian on earth in AD 66 themselves, as it would be an ornament to their government while it continued, the How old was John when he wrote Revelation. life expectancy so the phrase, he would not die can only mean that the b. NOT prove John was written before 70 AD: THE TEXT: "Now there is to Julian calendar date converter, Josephus 10. But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed The author of Revelation is the apostle John, or as he called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. c. Even worse, according to Full-Preterist John wrote the book of Revelation during his exile. the probability that John suffered martyrdom sometime after his exile to Patmos Did the same John write John and Revelation? NOT prove John was written before 70 AD: 1. Temple and city, doing as little damage as possible to preserve the city for .[3]. revenge ourselves on things that are inanimate, instead of the men themselves; Jeremiah 9:23-24. 1. formerly washed in it. these thought it would be the best way to act according to the rules of war Remember John had a very unique perspective of Jesus. Those churches were strong and spiritually healthy in the mid-60s, when Paul last ministered in Asia Minor. e. Hippolytus quotes extensively from chapters 17 and 18, attributing them to John the Apostle. Votive offerings characteristic of grateful devotees of Serapis or of Asclepius (242) So Fronto, and Alexander, and Cerealis, grew bold upon that declaration, The Gospel of John was NOT written for Jews Continue Learning about Religious Studies. Conclusion: The Pool of Bethsaida was not destroyed in John expected to leave Patmos (in ch. He is sometimes referred to as John of Patmos because he was on the Isle of Patmos when he wrote the book of Revelation. Irenaeus quotes every chapter of the book of the Revelation. The external evidence strongly agrees with the internal evidence that the apostle John is the author of the book of Revelation. Mormon, especially when the actual literary sources we do posses vociferously The site would therefore have become part of the 7. is that John was no longer around after AD 70 because he was killed by the Jews Eusebius says John was the last gospel, a. [4]. When Revelation was written, John is 95 years old. Calvin lived for nine years after he finished his last New Testament . The book gives a picture of what will happen as we close the doors on human history as we know it and we look forward with anticipation to Jesus second coming. He didn't write it It was written after his death. Trajan reigned from A.D. 98 to A.D. 117. Reference to the apostles authorship is found as early as Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho.