When was Revelation written?

Rev.1:
9: I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

A number of the early church fathers,(Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, and Irenaeus) wrote about John being exiled to Patmos, by the Emperor Domitian around 95 AD.

A servant of Christ,
Drew

 

Certainley written within the actual lifetime of the Apostle John.

 

Here are the dates given by a few different Bibles:

Matthew Henry Study Bible: 95 A.D.
Ryrie Study Bible: 81-96 A.D.
The Open Bible: 95-96 A.D.
Scofield Study Bible: c. 95 A.D.
Master Study Bible: 95 A.D.
ESV Classic Reference Bible: 95-96 A.D.
The King James Study Bible: 95-96 A.D.
Thomspn Chain-Reference Bible: 96 A.D.
Key Study Bible: 95 A.D.
The Quest Study Bible: 90-96 A.D.

 

It would appear that the early dating of the writing of the Revelation, is to substantiate the preterist view, that the prophecies were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem, in 70 AD. Their logic is that because of the silence in the New Testament in regards to the fall of Jerusalem all writings must have been before 70AD.

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http://hellbusters.8m.com/prophecy/DP/datingrevelation.html

A prominent writer and preacher has recently written an article on the date of the Apocalypse in which he advocates the "traditional" late date, ie 95 AD. He sets forth his defense of same as an objection to the "bizarre theories that have surfaced in recent times [e.g. the notion that all 'end time'prophecies were fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70."] We would observe that there are a host of scholars and students that advocate the early date of Revelation who do not hold to these "bizarre theories." We believe this writer has done as good a job as possible to uphold the late date of Revelation, but we believe the evidence will not support his thesis. We are convinced Revelation was written as a prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Surely, an examination of all the evidence is necessary to any honest inquiry into truth. Our purpose here is to examine the evidence presented by the above mentioned writer and show the fallacy of the late date for Revelation.

http://www.truthandgrace.com/revelation.htm

Note: Early church fathers gave a late writing of Revelation.
Irenaeous referred to Revelation in a work he wrote near the end of the second century, probably between A.D. 180 and 190. Irenaeus's credibility is enhanced, not only by his important defense of the faith, but also by his claim to be a personal acquaintance of Polycarp, who in turn had known the Apostle John himself. Irenaeus's testimony regarding Revelation is found in book 5 of his famous work Against Heresies. This has been rendered in English as follows: "We will not, however, incur the risk of pronouncing positively as to the name of Antichrist; for if it were necessary that his name should be distinctly revealed in this present time, it would have been announced by him who beheld the apocalyptic vision. For that was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian's reign." Pages 141-142.

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[ January 25, 2003, 08:50 AM: Message edited by: Caretaker ]

 

There is actually some quite impressive support for an earlier (pre 70 A.D) date. I'm not sure which I believe, but here are some arguments:

- The second century Syrian version of the book has the title of "John the Evangelist in the Isle of Patmos, where he was thrown by Nero Caesar." Nero died by 68 AD.

- There are some manuscripts of Revelation where the number of the beast is 616 instead of 666. It is interesting that Nero's name adds up to 666 in Hebrew, and 616 in Latin.

- the early church Father Clement (150-215 AD) wrote about the New Testament: "For the teaching of our Lord at His advent, beginning with Augustus and Tiberius, was completed in the middle of the times of Tiberius. And that of the apostles, embracing the ministry of Paul, end with Nero."

There's more fascinating reading at http://www.preteristarchive.com/StudyArchive/pc_early-date-revelation.htm

Brian

 

I myself am amil partial preterist but do not let it be known because there are many against the preterist view. I've burned the candle at both ends not to deny what is history. Then did Jesus mean what he said to those Jews about the fulfillment of prophecy?... I guess that is for each person to decide for themselfs... But know this according to history there were 3 1/2 years of persecution for both Jews and Christians.

We can refute all you want to but historical facts are just that... Then again I guess it is how each person interprets that era of time. I'm not saying that what is written doesn't apply to the christian today and the church he attends. Revelation itself is an interesting book and the mystery book of the Bible but would not the symbolism in the Old Testament be the same as the symbolisms in the New Testament?

End time books are a dime a dozen and everyone has a theory but after their theory passes and the date another date is set. Well I made a miscalculation... Check out the setting up of different denomination through out the last 200 years. How many of them were established because of end time prophecy... Join us we are the ones we have the answer and if you are not of our group you will be left behind... To many to name!... Prophets of end time prophecy give you people like Jim Jones and David Koresh and Applewhite!... Then again the next one is just around the corner with the Saddam showdown if not already!... Study for yourself and come to your own conclusion and satisfaction... Glad to see some who lean towards preterism are not afraid to speak!... Brother Glen

 

A.D. 95 by someone named John (maybe not the Apostle).

 

By relegating the Revelation of John, to a historical perspective, I have seen so many preterists also relegate the second coming of Christ, to a strickly spiritual event, having already occurred.

I believe that the coming of Christ is a physical event as is the assurance in acts 1 when the disciples are told that in like manner as He left so shall He come. It was a physical departure, and it will most assuradly be a physical return.

Matt. 24:29-31
24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall
not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the
earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory.
24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Rev. 19:11-16
19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name
written, that no man knew, but he himself.
19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen,
white and clean.
19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall
rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God.
19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD
OF LORDS.

Rev. 19:8
"To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Rev. 19:14
"And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."

Notice the fine linen white and clean is the righteousness of saints, which are in heaven.

We will then return with the Lord to the earth, and He will destroy the wicked and establish the Millennial Kingdom, and His saints will reign with Him on earth for one thousand years (Rev. 20:1-7).

Zech. 12:10
12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of
grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall
mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in
bitterness for his firstborn.

Zech. 14:4-9
14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the
east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and
half of it toward the south.
14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto
Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of
Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come
to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward
the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his
name one.

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A servant of Christ,
Drew

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

 

The best book for support of an early dating of the book of Revelation is Before Jerusalem Fell by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

 

The best support for a late date for the book is The Apocalypse by John. ... The book itself, plainly interpreted only comes together with a late date. There is no reason for John to have written history as prophecy. An early date for John's exile cannot, IMO, seriously be considered. I believe that is more a testimony to the desperation with which some are driven to find preterism.