The Apostle John authored the book Revelation before AD 70, before the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. (See Rev 11:1-2) where the temple still remained.
All 39 New Testament books were written before AD 70 according to many scholars including renowned scholar J A T Robinson.
In this article we will discuss a few very critical matters which millions of believers are held in abysmal ignorance and kept there by staggering numbers of false teachers and misled pastors.
These matters are supremely important, going to the heart of the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
This is a revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. Rev 1:1
Revelation (or apocalypse) means ‘unveiling’.
This is an unveiling about Jesus Christ. But also an unveiling of and from Jesus Christ.
It is not a revelation of the antichrist, or of doom, or of events 2000 years later.
It was to reveal to His people alive in the 1st century matters that will soon happen.
He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev 1:2.
The apostle John accurately reported everything he saw. The phrase ‘the time is at hand’ is a time-stamp and translates the Greek tachos, which means suddenly or quickly. John’s audience were believers around AD 69-70, not us today, but useful for us, as is all scripture (2 Timothy 3:16).
Audience relevance is very important making all the difference to how we interpret a passage.
When Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, its relevance was seriously important for the disciples for whom it was future but imminent—coming within their own generation according to Jesus (Mat 24:34).
Today’s readers may see it as history or significant.
The whole of the Revelation was meant for all of the seven churches in Asia to read and that all those who read, hear the prophecy will be blessed (1:3, 11). So that fact also affects interpretation.
This is not written to us but is useful for readers of all generations.
3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
The one who reads or lector is blessed by God as he reads out the prophecy. This person was possibly the only literate person present in the ekklesia.
The Greek word ekklesia simply means assembly and has no religious connotation. The lector is not a pastor.
The listeners are blessed if they listen and obey because ‘the time was near’ (Greek word engys means nigh, at hand).
What time was that?
That was when ‘events that must soon take place’ will occur (Rev 1:1).
They would be blessed because their obedience would result in their salvation.
The first century audience demands that we interpret this as near for these listeners in the first century. Not near for us today!
If it was near for them, it cannot be near for us today. ‘Soon’ cannot possibly mean to people today like us. Or people living in Brisbane, London or Chicago.
The many explicit declarations—such as “these things must shortly come to pass” (Rev. 1:1) and “the time is at hand” (Rev. 22:10)—point to a first-century fulfillment.
That makes repeated future fulfilments impossible. Revelation’s events were meant to be fulfilled in the first century.
Interpreting them as having a later, parallel fulfillment contradicts the text’s own urgency and historical immediacy.
Further, the notion of repeated events—such as the same beasts appearing multiple times with identical characteristics—strains credulity.
The emphasis on imminence and historical specificity challenges the feasibility of multiple fulfilments which futurists wrongly claim.
John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Rev 1:9
Jesus had told his disciples, including John, that there would come a great tribulation, the severity of which would be unparallelled in all history.
Jesus told his disciples (Mat 24:29) this would occur before the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple.
So, we can safely conclude that the book was penned some time before 70 AD and not as most scholars suggest later.
The Revelation revealed things to come to the seven churches
I was in the Spirit on the Lords day and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. . . . . . . . When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Rev 1:11-18.
John’s reaction to the sight of Christ was devasting—falling at His feet like a dead man!
No one can see God and live. Those who teach that Jesus will be optically seen at His (supposed future return) are mistaken and deceive others!
Jesus identified Himself as the first and the last, the living One, who was dead and alive forevermore and who has the keys of death and of Hades.
How super-powerful the Lord Jesus is here described in His ascended glory!
Here is an interesting fact: though this book is replete with strange apocalyptic language and symbolism, here we are left in do doubt as to the meaning of this extraordinary description of the Son of Man as He identified Himself.
Much else in this book is plain to understand as well.
Oh, come let us adore Him!
Therefore, write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. Rev 1:19.
Here we see the purpose of John sending the Revelation to the 7 churches.
This was so they might have knowledge of the current situation and the things which will happen soon after them.
And so they did happen more than 2000 years ago!
To be continued
Ian Thomson 