"The Date of Revelation" by Steve Baisden

**The Date**
of Revelation

by
Steve Baisden

Many come to this book looking at it as
if it has great mystical powers of prophecy for the future. Others come to this
book and think that it is talking about events far removed from the first
century that have occurred throughout history. Events like the coming of the
Catholic denomination, or WWII, or Russia rising up against the U.S., etc. Many
fanciful prophetic images have been imagined possible from this grand book. It
is a mystery to many and to such a degree that many people will not even read
it.

The introduction to the book of Revelation
is the key to understanding this marvelous book! In the first three verses God
tells us how to "hear" and "keep" the things written therein.

Rev
1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew

unto his servants **things which must shortly come to pass**; and he sent and

signified it by his angel unto his
servant John:"

Rev 1:2 "Who bare record of the
word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus

Christ, and of all things that he
saw."

Rev 1:3 "Blessed is he that
readeth, and they that hear the words of this

prophecy, and keep those things which
are written therein: **for the time is at**

**hand.**"

God sets the context immediately by telling
us the things in the book were "at hand" and "must shortly come
to pass."

John
wrote the book 2000 years ago. If we allow God to be true then I would expect,
even demand, that those things written in Revelation were "at hand"
to the time when John wrote it. That cannot mean thousands of years into the
future. How far off was the kingdom when Jesus said repent for the kingdom is
"at hand"? How far off is summer, when a tree starts putting forth
leaves? Jesus used this analogy in (Mt 24:32) to explain it was
"nigh." The word "nigh" in (Mt 24) is translated "at
hand" in (Rev 1:3, 22:10). This divine definition should serve any honest
disciple in understanding how God uses that word. No one would think when the
leaves start coming out on trees that summer is 2000 + years in the future!

It
never ceases to amaze me how some can simply skirt around context building
words and phrases whenever those words and phrases do not line up with their
current belief. Rom 3:4 "let God be true, but every man a liar."

Another
key to properly analyzing any scripture is how to use internal and external
evidences. Internal evidence simply means those things taken from within the
Bible. External evidence simply means evidence taken from outside of the Bible.
Can we use external evidence as a proof for internal evidence? Yes. But we
should not make the mistake of allowing external evidence supremacy over

internal evidence. The external evidence must
fit and harmonize with the internal evidence in corroboration.

Brother James Burton Coffman writes about
this problem when dealing with the book of Revelation: "The late date in
the times of Domitian relies almost totally upon a single quotation from
Irenaeus which is not necessarily that reliable, being quite ambiguous also. As
Wallace said, 'The statement of Irenaeus meant that John was seen or the
Apocalypse was seen; and it has little value, if any, as evidence.' His
quotation does not even mention 'the writing' of Revelation, but refers solely
to the time when certain unnamed persons are alleged to have 'seen' either the
apostle or the prophecy, nobody knows which. This proves nothing. Besides that:
IF he meant the Apocalypse was seen, and if it had been originally composed in
Aramaic and later translated into Greek (as alleged by some), then Irenaeus'
quotation could have reference to the Greek translation, if indeed it referred
to the Revelation at all. There goes the whole case for the late date."
(J.B. Coffman, Revelation, Pg 4)

Internal evidence actually demands that
Nero was the Ruler when John was writing the book of Revelation. Rev 17:10
"And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is
not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." John
writes five kings are fallen and one IS. Josephus, the noted historian who was
contemporary with John, numbers the Roman emperors so that there can be no
mistake about it. 1) Julius, 2) Augustus, 3) Tiberius, 4) Caius, 5) Claudius,
are the five fallen and the one who "now is" NERO! Nero reigned from
54 to 68 AD. This demands the book must have been written between 54 and 68 AD!
Some will argue that Julius was not the first Caesar. They argue this in an
attempt to get past the AD 70 date. But even if this is true, you would then
have Galba as Caesar and his reign ended in January 68 AD. Still prior to the
destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in AD 70.

Consider what Paul said in (Acts 20:27)
"for I have not shunned to declare ALL the counsel of God." Is the
book of Revelation a part of the counsel of God? It certainly is! Then Paul
taught what John was teaching in Revelation prior to AD 70. Jesus said in (Mat
24:14) "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world
for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Paul again
confirms that Jesus words were true; (Col 1:23) says the gospel had gone to
every creature under heaven and this, too was before AD 70. Knowing this to be
true and knowing Revelation is a part of the gospel, we know it had gone to
every creature under heaven just as Paul said it had before AD 70. Further,
Peter wrote to the churches of Asia (1Pet 1:1), and he wrote to them about the
same things that John had written to them about... the things "at
hand" (1Pet 4:17, Rev 1:3).

Also consider **the miraculous age only lasted for period of forty years**. Micah
7:15 "According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I
show unto him marvelous (miraculous) things." Both brothers Guy Woods and
Franklin Camp used this passage as proof to the passing of miracles at the
destruction of Jerusalem.  Israel was in
the wilderness wandering for forty years, and this is the amount of time that
God would give miracles. To this agrees Jesus and the Apostles. 1Co 1:7-8
"So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul told the Corinthian's they would
have the miraculous gifts until the end, waiting for the coming of Christ.
Jesus said He was coming in AD 70 to destroy Jerusalem (Lk 21:20-32, Mt 24, Mk
13). When Jesus came, the miraculous gifts ceased (1Cor 13:8-10)! **Make no mistake John's miraculous gifts**
(and this would include His miraculous ability to write scripture) would end by
AD 70. **No way could the book have been written after that!**

Even brother James Burton Coffman concurs
with this analogy. Brother Coffman quotes Robinson and affirmed that the entire
New Testament was dated prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. (J.B Coffman,
Revelation, Page 5)

More
internal evidence is found in (Rev 11). Rev 11:1 "And there was given me a
reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple
of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein." The Temple of God
and the altar could NOT have been measured if they were not there. Rev 11:2
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not;
for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under
foot forty and two months." The Holy City was still there and had not yet
been tread under foot of the Gentiles. Jesus said this would happen in (Lk
21:20-32) and said it would take place when Jerusalem was compassed with
armies, in that generation.  Rev 11:8
"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."
Can there be any doubt as to where Jesus was crucified...JERUSALEM!

Remember, John was writing
about things that had to "shortly come to pass" things "at
hand." He was writing about events happening with the Holy City Jerusalem.
This can only mean he wrote it before Jerusalem's destruction in AD70.

Although much more could be given, this
article has given ample proof of the early date of Revelation. Brothers Foy
Wallace, Gene West, Art Ogden, James B Coffman, and many other preachers in the
church of Christ also agree.

The
martyred souls under the Altar of God asked the Lord how long would it be until
judgment and **vengeance** (Rev
6:9-10). Jesus answered; (Luk 21:20,22) "And when ye shall see Jerusalem
compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. For these
be the days of **vengeance**,
that all things which are written may be fulfilled." AMEN!