Dating The Revelation

REVELATION Number 29
Dating The Revelation

There are two primary views about when The Revelation was written. Some, primarily those in the Preterist camp, think it was written prior to 70AD (CE) around 65 or 66AD (CE). The other view is that The Revelation was written near the very end of the first century, probably around 95AD (CE).

The early date is supported by some historical sources. Of course, it is required if one is to understand The Revelation (and especially the letters to the churches) as speaking primarily about the fall of Jerusalem.

Those who think the early date is correct may use Revelation 11:1–2, which reads, “Then there was given to me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, ‘Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the courtyard which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations; and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.’” (NASB 2020) The argument views this passage as requiring that there was a temple in Jerusalem at the time John wrote this.

A second argument from The Revelation is based on Revelation 17:1-16, which speaks of seven kings. The contention is that these seven kings are a succession of Roman Emperors and that “one is” (the one who is currently ruling) is Nero and “the other yet to come” is Galba. This would mean that The Revelation was written while Nero was still alive.

Regarding the idea that there was still a temple in Jerusalem at the time John wrote The Revelation, one must contemplate the nature of the book as a vision and prophesy. John was on Patmos, a remote island in the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, it would have been impossible for him to have measured the temple in Jerusalem. The temple he was instructed to measure was the one he saw in the vision. Seeing a temple in a vision does not necessitate or even indicate that such a temple currently exists. One need only to observe that in Ezekiel 40-43, the prophet during a vision was taken to observe measurement of a temple. No one proposes that a temple existed in Jerusalem at that time.

The idea that the seven kings of Revelation 17 are Roman emperors seems to presuppose that The Revelation was written during the reign of Nero, rather than proving it.

First and Second Timothy, which Paul wrote while young Timothy was in Ephesus would have been written around the same time as The Revelation if indeed John wrote it around 66-67AD (CE). If so, one must wonder why Paul wrote nothing of the problems the Lord Jesus points out to the Ephesian church.

Additionally, it is not likely that John moved to Ephesus while Peter and Paul were still actively teaching. Philip Schaff, in his, “History of the Christian Church”, 8 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, [1910], 1971), vol. I, p. 425 tells us: “It was probably the martyrdom of Peter and Paul that induced John to take charge of the orphan churches, exposed to serious danger and trials.”.

The Apostle Paul died around A.D. 66–67. Polycarp, who was later the bishop of Smyrna, wrote that no church existed in Smyrna during Paul’s ministry when John wrote to them, if indeed The Revelation was penned around the time of Paul’s death.

John was enduring banishment on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9) when writing The Revelation. Nero killed Peter and Paul, so why wouldn’t John have been killed also? Banishment of Christians was common under Domitian, but there does not appear to be evidence of Nero banishing Christians.

Further, as we look at the letters to the churches and read of the problems they faced, we might ask ourselves whether these churches appear to be in a state we might expect for first-generation Christians, or does it seem that perhaps a second generation has arisen?

Recognizing true apostles and prophets is a problem mentioned in the Revelation letters (see Revelation 2:2, 20), but Paul’s epistles do not speak of such a problem. Instead, Paul’s letter to churches in this area call out false teaching about the person of Christ Jesus (see Colossians 1:13-20). We find no hint of this error in the letters to the churches in The Revelation. Paul placed strong emphasis on Christian family roles (see Ephesians 5:22, 6:9; Colossians 3:18, 4:1 and 1 Timothy 6:1-2), but this subject is absent from the Revelation letters. Likewise, the Nicolaitan heresy is found in Revelation 2:6, 15, but is absent from Paul's epistles.

My study has led me toward a later date around 95AD (CE) because I believe that is more consistent with the book of The Revelation itself. Further, for the reasons I’ve laid out above and because I believe that The Revelation is intended to bless and strengthen the church in every age, I believe it was written by the very aged Apostle John around 95AD (CE) during the reign of Caesar Domitian.