Revelation Was Written Before A.D 70.

3. Condition of the Churches in Revelation Con: "the conditions of the three churches I list below would have deteriorated very quickly considering they were founded between 55-64AD." Paul, and others, established churches early in their missionary journeys recorded in Acts. Paul"s letters to the churches had many warnings of apostasy and false teachers already in place. A church can deteriorate fast. It only takes one influential person with unsound doctrine to corrupt many. Laodicea "But the inhabitants declined imperial assistance to rebuild the city and restored it from their own means." [1] "One of the famous cities of Asia, Laodicea, was that same year overthrown by an earthquake, and, without any relief from us, recovered itself by its own resources." [2] Hence John said: "17 Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked," (Revelation 3:17) These people had need of nothing, even when distressed they resisted help. 4. Prophecy of Revelation Con believes there are flaws in the Preterist position concerning Jerusalem and the temple prophecies being fulfilled in A.D. 70 because there is lack of biblical or historic evidence? He cites Revelation 13:16-17 (no mark of the beast) and Revelation 13:11-12 - no false prophet. He believes the Preterist interpretation of Revelation must be completely fulfilled in order to establish its view and meet its burden of proof. Again, Con fails to realize audience relevancy as relating to the 1st century. The Beast coming out of the sea (Rev. 13:1) is the emergence of the fourth kingdom " Rome, per Daniel 2:44 and 7:7, 23-27. Apocalyptic language is very figurative. Nero was the first emperor to make war with the saints (Revelation 13:7). His persecution of the saints lasted 42 months from A.D. 64 to A.D. 68. Nero Caesar"s image was erected on pagan temples. Men were forced to worship him by the local authorities. The mark of the beast is opposite to the mark of God. It is those who serve Rome and Nero, thus belong to that empire/kingdom. 5. Language in Revelation Con speaks of "The Lord"s Day" and "The angel of the church" as terminology foreign to an early date as well as the wording of Rev 2:9 and Rev 3:9 pointing to a separation of church and synagogue. He claims it is not common until after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. These are assertions that Con states without a lick of evidence. "9 "I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." " Revelation 2:9 (NASB) "9 Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not,...." " Revelation 3:9 These were 'Jews' after the flesh, not after the Spirit. They were of their father, the devil. Judgment was about to fall on them. It could also reference the existing temple, a synagogue of Satan. Paul's custom during his missionary journey's was reasoning in synagogues on the Sabbath with the Jews (Acts 9:20; 13:5; 17:2). Con's argument crumbles since this shows that before Paul died (A.D. 67) he was preaching in the synagogues throughout the province of Asia. Con states that "a futurist view does not require a late date for Revelation. The prophecy can still refer to a future date regardless of the composition date of John"s Apocalypse." Con fails to understand that a futurist is a person who puts Revelation in the far future, usually at the end of time. The Bible does not address 'the time of the end.' It addresses the time of the end, signifying the end of the Old Covenant Age. Con: "The Bible does contain audience relevant passages. This is not an argument for or against either of our positions here." Yes, it is. The relevant audience throughout the NT is the OT people. Revelation is written to those who crucified the Lord (Rev. 11:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). The Great City/Babylon the Great are references to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the only city guilty of killing the prophets and saints in the Bible (e.g. - Rev. 1:7; 6:10-11; 11:8; 17:6; 18:4-8, 20, 24). Jesus attributed to Jerusalem and its people the full measure of her sin (Matthew 23:32-38; 1 Thessalonians 2:16). Con alludes to me taking Matthew 24:29-34 out of context. This is non-sense. Matthew 24:30 as well as Revelation 1:7 refer to OT Israel. If Con checks the source of this prophecy he will see this. The people guilty of piercing Jesus was the OT tribes of the land. "10 "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo...." " Zechariah 12:10-11 That day of great mourning was A.D. 70. The reference to "the distress of those days', "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken" is a reference to judgment. Matthew 24:29 is a reference to the shaking of the heaven and earth of the Old Covenant (see Hebrews 12:18-29) Con refers to the lesson of the fig tree (Matthew 24:32-34). Jesus gives the disciples clear warning in these verses that upon seeing the signs spoken of, that the end of the OT age is near, even at the door. This is in contrast to false prophets who would say the time is near when it was still far off. Jesus" coming as a thief would have signs to show it was near, even if the exact time was not known, the disciples would know when it was near. I asked Con how God defined a generation. He said there were various meanings for the word generation and the term for generation used in Matthew 24:34 refers to those who will be alive at that time. This did not answer the question. God is specific addressing 'this generation' of Matthew 24:34. Hebrews includes those addressed as referring to their generation. God liken them to the generation that wandered 40 years in the dessert and warns them not to be like those because "Today, if you hear His voice..." In rebutting my 3rd argument Con says: "John did not mention the destruction of the temple because he was commanded by Jesus to write what he saw in relation to the prophecy..." And, "Secondly, Revelation was audience specific to Gentile believers in Asia Minor in AD 95. [9] The temple would not have been relevant to his audience." I already gave a list of verses in Revelation that speak specifically about OT Israel and the city of Jerusalem, not Gentile believers. Nero was the first emperor to make war with the saints (Revelation 13:7). His persecution of the saints lasted 42 months from A.D. 64 to A.D. 68. Con"s new argument "Practical Implications for the current age" fails to take into account that there are primarily only two ages mentioned in the NT, the current age of the OT law and the age to come. Argument # 5 " 70 Weeks Decreed to Daniel"s People Daniel 9:24-27 decrees 70 heptads (490 years) for Daniel"s people and city to finish transgression, make an end to sin,..., bring in everlasting righteousness,... anoint the Most Holy One. The seventy weeks starts with Cyrus" decree to rebuild the house/temple in 457B.C., (Ezra 1:1-4 and 2 Chronicles 36:22-23). The prophecy is broken up into three parts, seven weeks, 62 weeks and one week. In the first seven weeks the city and temple are rebuilt, then the 62 weeks, the start to Jesus' ministry, His anointing, then He is cut off and the seventieth week begins. They end with the destruction of city and temple. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org... [2] http://classics.mit.edu...