Dating the Book of Revelation

One of the most important items in terms of interpreting the Bible is to understand the historical context in which it was written. Much of the debate concerning Bible Prophecy hinges on when Revelation was written. While dispensational scholars insist that John wrote his apocalypse in the mid 90’s, a more compelling argument can be made for a much earlier date, around 65-66 AD.

Now one may ask, "Why is this important?" After all, it was nearly 2,000 years ago. What difference does 30 years make? Obviously, 30 years (or even 10 years) can make a big difference in the history of a nation. Germany and Japan in 1950 were quite a bit different than they were in 1940. In the same way, Rome and Jerusalem, the two main players in the Book of Revelation, were much different in 96 AD then they were in 66 AD. Thus the dating of the Book of Revelation becomes crucial in properly interpreting the book.

External Evidence

I.) The Syriac History of John, the Son of Zebedee makes reference to John’s banishment under Nero, who reigned from 54 to 68 AD. It states:

“After these things, when the Gospel was increasing by the hands of the Apostles, Nero, the unclean and impure and wicked king, heard all that had happened at Ephesus. And he sent and took all that the procurator had and imprisoned him; and laid hold of St. John and drove him into exile; and passed sentence on the city that it should be laid waste.”

Elsewhere in the Syriac tradition, we should note that both of the Syriac Versions of the Revelation give in the title the statement that John was banished by Nero. Their titles say. - "The Apocalypse of St. John, written in Patmos, whither John was sent by Nero Caesar." Since John was banished to Patmos by Nero, and Nero died in 68 AD, then Revelation was written prior to 68 AD.

II.) The Muratorian Canon states "…for the blessed apostle Paul himself, following the order of his predecessor John, he wrote to only seven churches by name, in the following order…”. Paul was killed in 68 AD by Nero. Since Paul copied John's example of writing to 7 churches, then John wrote Revelation prior to 68 AD.

III.) In his work Against Jovinianum (1:26), Jerome states, “But if thou art near to Italy, thou hast Rome, where we also have an authority close at hand. What an happy Church is that, on which the Apostles poured out all their doctrine, with their blood: where Peter had a like Passion with the Lord; where Paul bath for his crown the same death with John; where the Apostle John was plunged into boiling oil, and suffered nothing, and was afterwards banished to an island.”

It is almost universally accepted that Peter and Paul were murdered by Nero. Jerome places John’s banishment in the same time period (as do many other church fathers).

IV.) In Quis Salvus Dives (Section 42), Clement of Alexander writes, "… a true account of John the apostle that has been handed down and preserved in memory. When after the death of the tyrant he removed from the island of’ Patmos to Ephesus,”

The fact that Clement does not identify “the tyrant” suggests that it was probably Nero, not Domitian. Nero was universally feared and despised, and his name became the household word for anything evil.

Internal Evidence

I.) Revelation was written during the reign of the 6th Roman Emperor (Nero) - Revelation 17:10.

“There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.”

Date	Emperor
69 B.C. - 44 A.D	Julius Caesar
31 B.C. - 14 A.D	Augustus Caesar
14 A.D. - 37 A.D	Tiberius Caesar
37 A.D. - 41 A.D.	Gaius (Caligula)
41 A.D. - 54 A.D	Claudius
54 A.D. - 68 A.D	Nero Caesar

The Seventh king was Galba, who was killed in office after only 6 months.

II.) Revelation was written during a time of great persecution of the Church - Revelation 2:10.

"Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

III.) Revelation was written while the temple was still standing in Jerusalem, before the Romans destroyed the holy city - Revelation 11:1-2

"Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is utside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.”

IV.) Revelation was written while there were still other apostles alive - Revelation 2:2.

"I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;”

V.) There is a lot more internal evidence, such as Judaists in the church and the state of the churches themselves. For more information, read "Before Jerusalem Fell" by Kenneth Gentry.

Evidence for a late date?

The only evidence for the 95 AD date is a vague statement made by Irenæus, the second century bishop of Lyons. In his book "Against Heresies", he writes,

“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 not very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian’s reign.” – Against Heresies Book V, Chapter 30, Verse 3 (Domitian reigned from 81 to 96 AD).

Irenæus’s statement is quite vague. He’s not real clear on exactly what was seen “towards the end of Domitian’s reign.” However, even if we allow for the understanding that John saw the vision during Domitian’s reign, Irenæus remains a questionable source at best. In this same book, he wrote that Jesus had an earthly ministry of 15 years and live to be almost 50 years old.


“For how had He disciples, if He did not teach? And how did He teach, if He had not a Master’s age? For He came to Baptism as one Who had not yet fulfilled thirty years, but was beginning to be about thirty years old; (for so Luke, who hath signified His years, hath set it down; Now Jesus, when He came to Baptism, began to be about thirty years old:) and He preached for one year only after His Baptism: completing His thirtieth year He suffered, while He was still young, and not yet come to riper age. But the age of 30 years is the first of a young man’s mind, and that it reaches even to the fortieth year, everyone will allow: but after the fortieth and fiftieth year, it begins to verge towards elder age: which our Lord was of when He taught, as the Gospel and all the Elders witness…” – Against Heresies Book II, Chapter 22, Verse 5

Irenæus was a great Christian and church father, but was a poor historian. Those who continue to hold to the late date based on Irenæus’s statement do so out of theological desperation, not sound historical research.

There are other church fathers, such as Victorious and Eusebius, who also hold to this late date. However, they clearly use Irenæus as the source for their belief.

“Irenæus, in the fifth book of his work Against Heresies, where he discusses the number of the name of Antichrist which is given in the so-called Apocalypse of John, speaks as follows concerning him:” Eusebius – History of the Church Book III, Chapter 18, Verse 5.

In fact, Eusebius, in his work “Evangelical Demonstrations”, contradicts this belief, placing John’s banishment under Nero.

Conclusion

When the evidence is weighed, both internally and externally, it clearly supports the Neronic date. This fact is crucial considering that John was writing to the First Century Churches of Asia Minor regarding “things which must shortly take place” (Rev. 1:1), were “near” (Rev. 1:3), and were “about to take place” (Rev. 1:19).

Revelation and the Definition of Prophecy

No discussion about the end times can be complete without the Book of Revelation. Obviously, the book is way to long to give it the same verse-by-verse treatment as the Olivet Discourse, so I will instead go over the high points in my next few posts, and give references to several good commentaries.

In order to properly understand the book of Revelation, we need to apply the same rules of interpretation to it that we do to other prophecies. In doing so, being aware of the historical surroundings of the book, we find that it is as understandable as any other book of the Bible.

Time Frame References

“And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?'-- when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

Just like the other prophecies, the readers of Revelation had imminent expectations of the events in the prophecy. Historicists try to spread the prophecies of Revelation over the entire history of the Church age, while futurists attempt to place the prophecies of Revelation in the future (usually there own future). But the inspired writer, John, put the prophecies in the very near future of his audience. “Not once did he imply that his book was written with the twentieth century in mind, and that Christians would be wasting their time attempting to decipher it until the Scofield Reference Bible would become a best-selling novel.”¹ Consider…

Revelation 1:1 - "...things which must shortly take place"
Revelation 1:3 - "The time is near."
Revelation 1:19 - "Write ... the things that are about to take place."
Revelation 2:16 - "Repent, or else I will come to you quickly"
Revelation 3:10 - "... the hour of trial ... is about to come upon the whole world."
Revelation 3:11 - "Behold, I come quickly!"
Revelation 22:6 - "...things which must shortly take place."
Revelation 22:7 - "Behold, I am coming quickly!"
Revelation 22:10 - "The time is at hand."
Revelation 22:12 - "Behold, I am coming quickly."
Revelation 22:20 - "Surely I am coming quickly."

John uses three different Greek words in these passages. The first is “τάχος” (Revelation 1:1). It means “a brief space (of time)”, and when used in conjunction with “ἐν”, it means “in haste: quickly, shortly, speedily”. The Second Word is “ἐγγύς” (Revelation 1:3). It means “at hand, near, nigh (at hand, unto), ready.” The third word is “μέλλω” (Revelation 3:10). This word is translated “about to” and is a strengthened form of “μέλω” (through the idea of imminent expectation) “to intend, that is, be about to be, do, or suffer something.” Commenting on Revelation 3:10, David Chilton adds, “Does it make sense that Christ would promise the church in Philadelphia protection from something that would happen thousands of years later? "Be of good cheer, you faithful, suffering Christians of first-century Asia Minor: I won't let those Soviet missiles and Killer Bees of the 20th century get you!" When the Philadelphian Christians were worried about more practical, immediate concerns — official persecution, religious discrimination, social ostracism, and economic boycotts—what did they care about Hal Lindsey's lucrative horror stories?”² This leads us to the second consideration for proper interpretation.

Respect to the Original Audience

“And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)

There is a good post on the Old Truth Blog dealing with the sloppy handling of scripture by theologically inept and egocentric leaders.

Bible Study: "I feel like this verse means . . ."

The harsh fact is that it doesn’t matter how you feel about a verse. The verse means what it says, regardless of how you feel about it. The meaning of a passage of scripture is totally independent of your very existence, let alone your feelings.

In no place is this more relevant than in dealing with Bible Prophecy. I’ve been in Revelation Bible Studies where 15 different people would share 15 different interpretations of the seven heads of the beast (and they were all wrong). When John wrote his prophecy, it is clear that he wrote it in symbols. But the symbols are not to be interpreted by whatever happens to be the current New York Times headlines. When John wrote about the beast, he had a specific entity in mind, meaning that all other interpretations are wrong, and are adding to the Word of God. 2 Peter 1:20 rebukes this nonsense.

A much better way to interpret a passage is to ask, “What did it mean to the original audience?” John didn’t write Revelation in a vacuum. His words had an audience. John addresses the Book of Revelation “to the seven churches that are in Asia…” (Revelation 1:4). These churches will real, first century churches, and despite the claims of historicists and dispensationalists, there is no reason to interpret these seven churches in Asia as anything other than seven churches in Asia. (How’s that for some ‘literal’ interpretation?)

This being the case, it is important to correctly date the Book of Revelation. We will have to dedicate a separate post to that subject, as it is a controversy, and is crucial to the proper interpretation of the Book. But before we get to that, I want to add a comment about Bible prophecy in general, just to keep a proper perspective.

What is Bible Prophecy?

One of the greatest tragedies in the area of bible Prophecy is the misunderstanding of the Nature and Purpose of Prophecy itself. The “About Bible Prophecy” website tells us that “A prophecy is not a prediction of the future - it is a promise about the future.”³ Hal Lindsey, the godfather of our modern doomsday prophets, defines prophecy as "history written in advance".

However, Prophecy, according to the Scriptures, is not merely a prediction of future events. It that were the case, then Jonah would have to be considered a false prophet (See Deuteronomy 18:22, Jonah 3:4). Bible prophecy is the Word of the Living God, given for the edification, exhortation, and comfort of God’s people (1 Corinthians 14:3). The prophets of the Bible were not concerned with future events. They were concerned with exhorting God’s people to living a Holy life in accordance with God’s Law. This is the most overlooked, yet important message of prophecies throughout the Bible, and the same is true with the Book of Revelation.

“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…” (Revelation 1:3)

“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)

“…Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15)

"… Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." (Revelation 22:7)

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” (Revelation 22:14)

This is the true message of Bible prophecy. May the Lord use this teaching to call His people to Holiness once again.

Footnotes:

1 David Chilton – The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation, p. 41
2 Chilton, p. 129
3 AboutBibleProphecy.com - What is Bible prophecy?

Signs of the Olivet Discourse Part V

Sign #9 – SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS AND THE CLOUD COMING

Matthew 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;”

Starting in this passage of Scripture, my purpose in posting the last piece on Apocalyptic Language should become clear. That is exactly what we are getting into here. Is Verse 29 meant to be taken literally? If so, then how will the tribes of the earth survive without sunlight, since they will mourn in verse 30? When the stars of heaven fall, where will they land? On earth? Since the smallest of stars is many times bigger than earth, we must ask about the survival of those tribes again.

Obviously, this is apocalyptic language and we need to refer to previous uses in the Old Testament. The darkening of heavenly bodies has always represented the fall of a kingdom. Consider Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the fall of Babylon in Isaiah Chapter 13.

Isaiah 13:10
“For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.”

Joel uses similar language in his prophecy concerning the Day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28-32).

First Century Fulfillment:
At least one fulfillment of this prophecy took place, according to Peter, on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:16-21
“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The Parousia of the First Century

Matthew 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.”

This verse, as well as the bad KJV translation of verse 3, has led to the misunderstanding that Jesus was prophesying His Second Advent at the end of the world. Verse 30 contains more apocalyptic language. This is not about Christ’s Second Coming, but His “coming on the clouds", an Old Testament symbol of judgment. For example, in Isaiah’s prophecy against Egypt, “the Lord rides on a swift cloud”. (Isaiah 19:1) Yet Egypt was destroyed by Sargon, the king of Assyria (Isaiah 20:1-6), not by a literal appearance of the Lord.

Josephus reported seeing a great armies of chariots in the clouds during the Roman siege (Wars 6.5.3). Whether or not this actually occurred is irrelevant. A literal “coming” of the Lord is not required for the fulfillment of this prophecy. Those who heard Jesus’ words understood Him quite clearly, especially in light of the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers. Jerusalem would be destroyed, and a new Covenant would take the place of the old. The owner of the vineyard was about to come (Matthew 21:40) and destroy those wicked men miserably (Matthew 21:41). The Judaists who rejected Christ would have the kingdom taken from them (Matthew 21:43), and they correctly perceived that Jesus was speaking of them (Matthew 21:45).

Sign #10 – THE GATHERING OF THE ELECT.

Matthew 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."

The First Century Christians understood the meaning of Jesus’ Olivet Prophecy. Obeying Jesus’ warning in Luke 21:20-24, The Jewish Christians fled to Mt. Pella in Decapolis.

First Century Fulfillment:
“As Josephus was speaking thus with a loud voice, the seditious would neither yield to what he said, nor did they deem it safe for them to alter their conduct; but as for the people, they had a great inclination to desert to the Romans; accordingly, some of them sold what they had, and even the most precious things that had been laid up as treasures by them, for every small matter, and swallowed down pieces of gold, that they might not be found out by the robbers; and when they had escaped to the Romans, went to stool, and had wherewithal to provide plentifully for themselves; for Titus let a great number of them go away into the country, whither they pleased.” – (Josephus - Wars 5:10:1)

“But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella.” – (Eusebius - History of the Church 3:5:3)

THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE.

One of the worst examples of Dispensationalist eisogesis can be found in their treatment of the Parable of the Fig Tree.

Matthew 24:32-33
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."

Based on this passage, the Rapture Ready Website assures us that “there is little doubt among Bible scholars that the establishment of the State of Israel, on May 14, 1948, is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the fig tree.” Furthermore, we are told that “most agree that this says that the generation of people who witness the fig tree bearing leaves (Israel becoming a nation) will not pass away until the Son of Man returns.”

There are several problems with this interpretation. First of all, the Parable of the Fig Tree (Matthew 21:18-21) says absolutely nothing about a rebirth of Israel. In fact, it says just the opposite about the nation of Israel and their covenant status. The “fig tree” was the Israel of the First Century, which was cursed so that “no fruit (would) grow on you ever again”. (Matthew 21:19).

The parable of the Fig Tree is about the destruction, not the rebirth, of Israel. The Fig Tree = THIS mountain = Jerusalem. It was the be cast into the Sea = Abyss, the abode of demons (The “beast” rises out of the “sea” in Rev. 13.)

Second, Jesus said that the entire Olivet Discourse would be fulfilled within the Apostle’s generation. He said nothing about “the generation of people who witness …Israel becoming a nation”.

Matthew 24:34
"Verily I say unto you, This generation (genea) shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."

We discussed the meaning of this passage in previous blogs. Jesus meant exactly what He said. The Dispensationalist rendering of the Parable of the Fig Tree is a sloppy and irresponsible handling of Scripture.

Matthew 24:35-42
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

First Century Fulfillment:
“Now the number of those that were carried captive during the whole war was collected to be ninety-seven thousand; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege, eleven hundred thousand, the greater part of whom were indeed of the same nation, with the citizens of Jerusalem, but not belonging to the city itself; for they were come up from all the country to the feast of unleavened bread, and were on a sudden shut up by an army, which, at the very first, occasioned so great a straitness among them, that there came a pestilential destruction upon them, and soon afterward such a famine as destroyed them more suddenly. And that this city could contain so many people in it is manifest by that number of them which was taken under Cestius, who being desirous of informing Nero of the power of the city, who otherwise was disposed to contemn that nation, entreated the high priests, if the thing were possible, to take the number of their whole multitude. So these high priests, upon the coming of their feast which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour to the eleventh, but so that a company not less than belong to every sacrifice, (for it is not lawful for them to feast singly by themselves,) and many of us are twenty in a company, found the number of sacrifices was two hundred and fifty-six thousand five hundred; which, upon the allowance of no more than ten that feast together, amounts to two millions seven hundred thousand and two hundred persons that were pure and holy; for as to those that have the leprosy, or the gonorrhea, or women that have their monthly courses, or such as are otherwise polluted, it is not lawful for them to be partakers of this sacrifice; nor indeed for any foreigners neither, who come hither to worship.” (Josephus – Wars 6.9.3)

When Titus and the Roman Army invaded Jerusalem in 70 AD, some of the citizens were taken (captive) and some were left (killed).

CONCLUSION

As we can see from these posts regarding Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, it was all fulfilled within the Apostle’s generation. The Great Tribulation is past history, and there is no reason to believe otherwise. David Chilton, in his book “The Great Tribulation”, gives us an excellent summary of the Olivet Discourse.

“The only possible interpretation of Jesus' words which He Himself allows, therefore, is that He was speaking of the destruction of the Temple which then stood in Jerusalem, the very buildings which the disciples beheld at that moment in history. The Temple of which Jesus spoke was destroyed in the fall of Jerusalem to the Roman armies in A.D. 70. This is the only possible interpretation of Jesus' prophecy in this chapter. The Great Tribulation ended with the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. Even in the (unlikely) event that another temple should be built sometime in the future, Jesus' words in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 have nothing to say about it. He was talking solely about the Temple of that generation. There is no Scriptural basis for asserting that any other temple is meant. Jesus confirmed His disciples' fears: Jerusalem's beautiful Temple would be destroyed within that generation; her house would be left desolate. (See Matthew 23:37-38).

Contrary to the popular “paperback fiction” novels of our day, the Great Tribulation is history.

For more information, read The Great Tribulation by David Chilton

Apocalyptic Language in the Bible

Prophecy	Apocalyptic Language Used	Fulfilled
Isaiah against Babylon in 730 BC (Isaiah 13:1)	- The day of the Lord is near (v.6) - Hands fall limp, man's hearts melt, terror (v.7) - Stars of heaven and constellations will not flash forth their light, sun dark when it rises, moon not shed light (v.10) - Heavens shake, earth tremble (v.13)	Cyrus the Persian takes Babylon in 539 BC.
Isaiah against Moab in 730 BC (Isaiah 51:1)	- Green grass withers away (v.6) - Waters full of Blood (v.8)	Sargon II of Assyria takes Moab in 715 BC
Isaiah against Egypt in 730 BC (Isaiah 19:1)	- Lord riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt, the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence (v.1) - River Dried Up (vs.5-6)	Esarhaddan of Assyria takes Egypt in 671 BC (Isaiah 20:1-4)
Isaiah against Edom in 730 BC (Isaiah 34:4-5)	- Mountains melted (v.3) - All host of heaven (stars) will wear away, Sky rolled up like a scroll, all their hosts will wither (v.4)	Nabeans conquer Edom and take the city of Petra in the 6th Century B.C.
Jeremiah against Jerusalem in 620 BC (Jeremiah 4:5)	- Sound of trumpet, alarm of war (v.5,19) - He shall come up like Clouds (v.13) - Heavens with no light (v.23) - Mountains tremble (v.24) - Heavens made black (v.28) - A people is coming from the north, a great nation: Babylon (6:1,22)	Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon takes Jerusalem in 586 BC (2 Kings 24:10, Daniel 1:1)
Jeremiah against Babylon in 620 BC (Jeremiah 51:1)	- Men as Locusts (v.14) - Sea and springs made dry (v.36)	Cyrus the Persian takes Babylon in 539 BC.
Ezekiel against Egypt in 590 BC (Ezekiel 30:3-4, Ezekiel 32:7-8)	- The day of the Lord is near (v.3) - It will be a day of clouds (v.3) - Rivers made dry (v.12) - Day darkened (v.18) - Waters flow with blood (v.6) - Light put out (v.7) - Heavens covered, stars darkened, cover sun with cloud, moon not give light, shining lights in the heavens will be dark, darkness on the land (vs.7-8)	Cambyses of Persia conquers Egypt in 525 B.C.
Joel concerning the Day of Pentecost in 830 BC (Joel 2:28-32)	- Great and awesome day of the Lord (v.31) - Blood, fire, columns of smoke, sun into darkness, moon into blood (vs.30-31)	The Holy Spirit “conquers” the Church on the Day of Pentecost in 30 AD (Acts 2:16-21)
Amos against Israel in 755 BC (Amos 5:1 & Amos 8:9)	- Day of the lord (5:18-20) - It will be darkness and not light, gloom with no brightness in it (5:18-20) - Sun go down at noon (8:9) - Earth dark in broad daylight (8:9)	Sargon II of Assyria takes Israel in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:6)
Nahum against Nineveh (Capitol of Assyria) in 650 BC (Nahum 1:1)	- Clouds (v.3) - Sea and rivers made dry (v.4) - Mountains Quake, Hills Melt (v.5) - Flood and Darkness (v.8)	Nineveh destroyed by the Medes and Babylonians in 612 BC
Zephaniah against Jerusalem in 630 BC (Zephaniah 1:7-16)	- Near is the great day of the Lord, near and coming very quickly (v.7,14) - A day of wrath, trouble, distress, destruction, desolation, darkness, gloom, clouds, thick darkness (v.15) - A day of trumpet and battle cry (v.16)	Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon takes Jerusalem in 586 BC (2 Kings 24:10, Daniel 1:1)
Jesus against Jerusalem in 30 AD (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21)	- Sun darkened, moon turned to blood, stars fall from sky, (v.29) - Sign of son coming on clouds (v.30) - Roaring of sea & waves, men fainting from fear, heavens shaken (Luke 21:25)	Titus and the Romans destroy Jerusalem in 70 AD

For More Information, See:

Biblical Apocalyptics by Milton S. Terry
Biblical Hermeneutics by Milton S. Terry

Signs of the Olivet Discourse Part IV

Sign #8 – THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

Matthew 24:15-22
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”

What exactly is the Abomination of Desolation? The Rapture Ready Website is more than willing to share the popular definition with us.

"Abomination of Desolation: When the Antichrist sits down in the rebuilt Jewish Temple and declares himself to be God, the great tribulation of 42 months will then begin. At the occurrence of this event, the Jews living in Israel are commanded to flee into the wilderness. All tribulation saints will know, from that day on, they must now wait 1260 days before the Lord returns.
(Dan 9:27), (Mat 24:15-19)"

Is this accurate? I challenge anyone to “[examine] the Scriptures … to see if these things [are] so” (Acts 17:11). Look up Daniel 9:27 or Matthew 24:15-19. Do these passages mention anything about “antichrist”? How about a “rebuilt Jewish Temple”? Where does the “desolation” fit in? As anyone can see from the plain reading of these scriptures, the popular dispensationalist view of the abomination of desolation requires the reader to import items into the text that just aren’t there.

Fortunately, like most of the items in Bible Prophecy, we need not resort to such guesswork to get the correct interpretation. The best way to interpret Scripture is with Scripture, and the Bible itself plainly tells us what the abomination of desolation is. Let’s compare the accounts of the Olivet Discourse given in Matthew 24 and Luke 21.

Matthew 24

Luke 21

15 "Therefore when you see the "abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16"then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Abomination of Desolation was the armed invasion of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. The prophecy says absolutely nothing about the modern day middle east. It was within that generation (Matthew 24:34) that the Christians were to leave Judea.

First Century Fulfillment:
“And now, as the city was engaged in a war on all sides, from these treacherous crowds of wicked men, the people of the city, between them, were like a great body torn in pieces. The aged men and the women were in such distress by their internal calamities, that they wished for the Romans, and earnestly hoped for an external war, in order to their delivery from their domestical miseries. The citizens themselves were under a terrible consternation and fear; nor had they any opportunity of taking counsel, and of changing their conduct; nor were there any hopes of coming to an agreement with their enemies; nor could such as had a mind flee away; for guards were set at all places, and the heads of the robbers, although they were seditious one against another in other respects, yet did they agree in killing those that were for peace with the Romans, or were suspected of an inclination to desert them, as their common enemies. They agreed in nothing but this, to kill those that were innocent." (Josephus – Wars 5.1.5)

As with the rest of the Olivet Discourse, the Abomination of Desolation is past history. This was the near unanimous view for most of Church History.

St. Augustine of Hippo (379)
"Luke to show that the abomination spoken of by Daniel will take place when Jerusalem is captured, recalls these words of the Lord in the same context: When you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand (xxi. 20). For Luke very clearly bears witness that the prophecy of Daniel was fulfilled when Jerusalem was overthrown."

Clement of Alexandria (Second Century)
"For he said that there were two thousand three hundred days from the time that the abomination of Nero stood in the holy city, till its destruction... These two thousand three hundred days make six years four months, during the half of which Nero held sway"

Eusebius Pamphilius (325)
"But the number of calamities which every where fell upon the nation at that time; the extreme misfortunes to which the inhabitants of Judea were especially subjected, the thousands of men, as well as women and children, that perished by the sword, by famine, and by other forms of death innumerable,--all these things, as well as the many great sieges which were carried on against the cities of Judea, and the excessive. sufferings endured by those that fled to Jerusalem itself, as to a city of perfect safety, and finally the general course of the whole war, as well as its particular occurrences in detail, and how at last the abomination of desolation, proclaimed by the prophets, stood in the very temple of God, so celebrated of old, the temple which was now awaiting its total and final destruction by fire,-- all these things any one that wishes may find accurately described in the history written by Josephus."

Up next, I’ll outline some Apocalyptic Language in the Bible. Seeing how certain phrases are used in Scripture will help us understand their meaning, and will be most necessary to understand the rest of the Olivet Discourse.