The Book of Revelation—Dating Revelation and the Harlot’s Identity Introduction to Eschatology – week ten
Rev. Timothy A. Brown Cornerstone EPC, Winter 2009
Revelation 1:3 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. Rev. 1:7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. Daniel 12:4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." Revelation 22:10-12 10 And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this 11 book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the 12 righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.
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I. 4 Major views A. Futurist B. Historicist C. Preterist D. Idealist II. When was Revelation written? A. Options (Early/Late) - Late Date (Domition’s persecution—81-96 AD) - Early Date (Nero’s persecution—54-68 AD) B. External Evidence (Irenaus’ comments) 1. Several church fathers indicate that the think Domition was Emporer when Revelation was written. 2. Though many say this, they all seem to rely on one source: Irenaus 3. In Against Heresies, he wrote: Now since this is so, and since this number [666] is found in all the good and ancient copies, and since those who have seen John face to face testify, and reason teaches us that the number of the name of the beast appears according to the numeration of the Greeks by the letters in it…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. [Against Heresies, 5:30:1, 3] 4. To what does “that” refer? Him (John) or The apocalyptic vision? 5. If John, then John was around during Domitian but did not disclose the person. 6. If “the apocalyptic vision” then Revelation was seen/written toward the end of Domitian’s reign. - Problem, there wasn’t great persecution under Domitian. Brief exile, etc. But not like Nero’s. CEPC—Winter 2009 Intro to Eschatology (week ten) 1
C. Internal Evidence. 1. The apostacy of the churches. (Rev. 2-3) Could such a decline occur so quickly? 2. The Temple and it’s being tread under. (Rev. 11:1-2) Presumes an existing temple. See Gentry, Perilous Times, p. 119. the Holy City (Jerusalem) with it’s temple tread under for 42 months. If the temple is standing when this is written and then prophesied to be destroyed, pre-70 AD. 3. The Seven Kings of Revelation. (Rev. 17)
9 Revelation 17:9-10 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are 10 they are also seven kings, five seven mountains on which the woman is seated; of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Julius Caesar Augustus Tiberius Caius Claudius Nero (reigns 54 AD – 68 AD) Galba
So if Nero is the “one who now is,” then he is the one in power when John writes. Thus leading to an early date. Persecution under Nero began in 64 AD which would thereby explain why John, “your companion in tribulation was on the Island of Patmos…” 4. The mark of the beast, a man’s number 666. Rev. 13:1-10 Numerology each letter value has a specific number A=1, B=2, C=3, etc. What adds up to 666? Caesar Nero’s name transposed to Hebrew: Caesar Nero ( NRWN
nwrn rsq) QSR
Q = 100, S = 60, R = 200 N = 50, R = 200, W = 6, N = 50 Total = 666 D. Summary to this point.
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Additional Research compliments of Bill Hoetger
Hi Pastor, Your discussion last night about the 7 kings mentioned in Rev. 17:10 got me wondering about the 7th king. 17:10 there are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. So it would follow that Galba should have only been around for “a little while” and if so this would further support that the prophecy meant Nero was the “one is.” So that got me wondering how long Galba ruled. Last night I went through “The Annals of the World” and looked up Galba. This is what they say about Nero’s demise and Galba’s reign: 6959. Nero now faced a revolt against him by Julius Vindex in Gaul. Should he be deposed, some astrologers promised him the government of the east, some the kingdom of Jerusalem and several the recovery of his previous fortunes. {*Suetonius, Nero, l. 6. c. 40. s. 2. 2:155} 6960. Nero knew he was doomed, when he heard that Galba and Spain had revolted from him. {*Suetonius, Nero, l. 6. c. 42. s. 1. 2:159} In the end, he killed himself, on the 9th of June, after he had reigned thirteen years and eight months. {*Dio, l. 63. (29) 8:193} 6961. On the Calends of January (January 1st) in Germany, the images of Galba were pulled down and on the third day, the army greeted Aulus Vitellius as the new emperor. On the 15th day of the same month, Galba was killed, seven months after the death of Nero. {*Tacitus, Histories, l. 1. c. 5557. 2:95-99} So Nero reigned nearly 14 years ending in his suicide and Galba was killed seven months after the death of Nero. Galba only reigned 7 months (“a little while”). You probably knew this but it is another little piece that further supports that that Revelation is speaking in Nero’s time. I found it interesting. God Bless, Bill Hoetger
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A sneak peak to the reading Revelation
III. Babylon the Great (Rev. 17) [Summary of Kenneth Gentry’s chapter from Perilous Times] A. The context of Revelation: God’s divorce settlement against Israel [Gentry, 138-139] 1. The scroll with writing on front and back (Rev. 5//Ezekiel 2:1--3:7) 2. The seven seals are the seven fold judgement of God (Lev. 26:14-33) 3. Punishment for adultery is stoning (Deut 22:22), thus hail (Rev. 16:21) 4. Punishment for the daughter of a Priest is burning (Lev 21:9//Rev. 17:16) B. Sitting on the beast, a harlot! (Rev. 17:3ff.) [Gentry, 141] 1. Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth 2. Options: a. Rome (destroyed by 410) b. Roman Catholic Church (Harlotry with Nations, great city) c. America (Economic drunkenness) d. Jersualem (Spiritual Harlot betraying God) 3. The great city (Rev. 18:21//11:8) 4. John calls Jerusalem by the name Babylon (143) 5. Sitting on the seven headed beast symbolizes alliance with Rome (144) C. The autopsy of the Harlot [Gentry, 144] 1. Filling the beast is the blood of the saints (Rev. 16:6; 17:6; 18:21, 24) 2. This is Jerusalem, then later accompanied by Rome 3. Cf. Luke 23:28-31//Rev 6:16-17 D. The Attire of the Harlot 1. Purple and scarlet, gold and fine linen. (147) 2. Crown—blasphemous tiara (Rev. 17:5//Ex. 28:36//Isaiah 1:21) E. Contrast between the evil harlot and the chaste bride. 1. Contrasting two peoples (Satan’s and God’s) 2. Contrasting two Jerusalem’s (Rev. 17:1-3 ! Rev. 21:9-11)
Revelation 17:1-4 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is 2 seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth 3 have become drunk." And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had 4 seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
9 Revelation 21:9-14 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, 10 And he carried the wife of the Lamb." me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from 11 having the glory of God, its radiance God, like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as 12 crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the 14 And the wall of the city west three gates. had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
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Intro to Eschatology (week ten)
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IV.
Overview of Revelation—the book
Introduction (1) The Letters to the Seven Churches (2-3) Throne in heaven (4-5) The seven seals (6) The 144,000 (chap. 7, 14)
The two witnesses (chap 11) The woman and the dragon (12) Who is the beast? (13) The bowls of wrath (16) The whore and the beast (17) Fall of Babylon (18) The rider on the white horse (19) The millennium (20) The judgment (20) The new heavens and the new earth (21) The new Jerusalem (21) The river of life (22)
Who is the ant-christ? (Is he even named in Revelation?)
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Intro to Eschatology (week ten)
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