Dating the Book of Revelation
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Osage Bluestem
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Apologetic_Warrior
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"B. Date
Rather than get into all the details of date, we believe that this book was written during the reign of Domitian (c. 95-96 CE), rather than during Nero’s reign. Although a good case could be made for a Neronic date (so Robinson), in light of our discussion about apostolic authorship coupled with the linguistic differences from the Fourth Gospel, we would much prefer the traditional dating (since we are already convinced of a 60s date for the Gospel). 17" - Daniel B. Wallace
"PLACE AND TIME OF WRITING.—The best authorities among the Fathers state that John was exiled under Domitian (IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 5; 30]; CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA; EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 3.20]). VICTORINUS says that he had to labor in the mines of Patmos. At Domitian's death, A.D. 95, he returned to Ephesus under the Emperor Nerva. Probably it was immediately after his return that he wrote, under divine inspiration, the account of the visions vouchsafed to him in Patmos (Rev 1:2; Rev 1:9). However, Re 10:4 seems to imply that he wrote the visions immediately after seeing them. Patmos is one of the Sporades. Its circumference is about thirty miles. "It was fitting that when forbidden to go beyond certain bounds of the earth's lands, he was permitted to penetrate the secrets of heaven" [BEDE, Explanation of the Apocalypse on chap. 1]. The following arguments favor an earlier date, namely, under Nero: (1) EUSEBIUS [Demonstration of the Gospel] unites in the same sentence John's banishment with the stoning of James and the beheading of Paul, which were under Nero. (2) CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA'S'S story of the robber reclaimed by John, after he had pursued, and with difficulty overtaken him, accords better with John then being a younger man than under Domitian, when he was one hundred years old. Arethas, in the sixth century, applies the sixth seal to the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), adding that the Apocalypse was written before that event. So the Syriac version states he was banished by Nero the Cæsar. Laodicea was overthrown by an earthquake (A.D. 60) but was immediately rebuilt, so that its being called "rich and increased with goods" is not incompatible with this book having been written under the Neronian persecution (A.D. 64). But the possible allusions to it in Heb 10:37; compare Rev 1:4; Rev 1:8; Rev 4:8; Rev 22:12; Heb 11:10; compare Re 21:14; Heb 12:22; Heb 12:23; compare Re 14:1; Heb 8:1; Heb 8:2; compare Rev 11:19; Rev 15:5; Rev 21:3; Heb 4:12; compare Rev 1:16; Rev 2:12; Rev 2:16; Rev 19:13; Rev 19:15; Heb 4:9; compare Re 20:1-15; also 1Pet 1:7; 1Pet 1:13; 1Pet 4:13; Rev 1:1; 1Pet 2:9; Rev 5:10; 2Tim 4:8; Rev 2:26; Rev 2:27; Rev 3:21; Rev 11:18; Eph 6:12; Rev 12:7-12; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; Rev 13:8; Rev 17:8; Rev 20:12; Rev 20:15; Col 1:18; Rev 1:5; 1Cor 15:52; Rev 10:7; Rev 11:15-18, make a date before the destruction of Laodicea possible. Cerinthus is stated to have died before John; as then he borrowed much in his Pseudo-Apocalypse from John's, it is likely the latter was at an earlier date than Domitian's reign. See TILLOCH'S Introduction to Apocalypse. But the Pauline benediction (Re 1:4) implies it was written after Paul's death under Nero." - Jamieson, Fausett, Brown Commentary
"DATE - Obviously this is linked to authorship
A. If John the Apostle wrote these letters, and especially 1 John, we are talking about some time during the close of the first century. This would give time for the development of the Gnostic false theological/philosophical systems and also would fit into the terminology of 1 John ("little children"), which seems to imply an older man talking to a younger group of believers. Jerome says John lived 68 years after Jesus' crucifixion. This seems to fit with this tradition.
B. A.T. Robertson thinks 1 John was written between a.d. 85-95, while the Gospel was written by a.d. 95.
C. The New International Commentary Series on 1 John by I. Howard Marshall asserts that a date between 60-100 a.d. is as close as modern scholarship would like to come to estimating the date of the Johannine writings." - Bob Utley
"THE DATE
The time seems to be considerably removed from the atmosphere of the Pauline and Petrine Epistles. Jerusalem has been destroyed. If John wrote the Fourth Gospel by A.D. 95, then the First Epistle would come anywhere from A.D. 85 to 95. The tone of the author is that of an old man. His urgent message that the disciples, his "little children," love one another is like another story about the aged John, who, when too feeble to stand, would sit in his chair and preach "Little children, love one another." The Muratorian Fragment accepts the First Epistle and Origen makes full use of it, as does Clement of Alexandria. Irenaeus quotes it by name. Polycarp shows knowledge of it also." A.T. Robertson Word Pictures
Rather than get into all the details of date, we believe that this book was written during the reign of Domitian (c. 95-96 CE), rather than during Nero’s reign. Although a good case could be made for a Neronic date (so Robinson), in light of our discussion about apostolic authorship coupled with the linguistic differences from the Fourth Gospel, we would much prefer the traditional dating (since we are already convinced of a 60s date for the Gospel). 17" - Daniel B. Wallace
"PLACE AND TIME OF WRITING.—The best authorities among the Fathers state that John was exiled under Domitian (IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 5; 30]; CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA; EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 3.20]). VICTORINUS says that he had to labor in the mines of Patmos. At Domitian's death, A.D. 95, he returned to Ephesus under the Emperor Nerva. Probably it was immediately after his return that he wrote, under divine inspiration, the account of the visions vouchsafed to him in Patmos (Rev 1:2; Rev 1:9). However, Re 10:4 seems to imply that he wrote the visions immediately after seeing them. Patmos is one of the Sporades. Its circumference is about thirty miles. "It was fitting that when forbidden to go beyond certain bounds of the earth's lands, he was permitted to penetrate the secrets of heaven" [BEDE, Explanation of the Apocalypse on chap. 1]. The following arguments favor an earlier date, namely, under Nero: (1) EUSEBIUS [Demonstration of the Gospel] unites in the same sentence John's banishment with the stoning of James and the beheading of Paul, which were under Nero. (2) CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA'S'S story of the robber reclaimed by John, after he had pursued, and with difficulty overtaken him, accords better with John then being a younger man than under Domitian, when he was one hundred years old. Arethas, in the sixth century, applies the sixth seal to the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), adding that the Apocalypse was written before that event. So the Syriac version states he was banished by Nero the Cæsar. Laodicea was overthrown by an earthquake (A.D. 60) but was immediately rebuilt, so that its being called "rich and increased with goods" is not incompatible with this book having been written under the Neronian persecution (A.D. 64). But the possible allusions to it in Heb 10:37; compare Rev 1:4; Rev 1:8; Rev 4:8; Rev 22:12; Heb 11:10; compare Re 21:14; Heb 12:22; Heb 12:23; compare Re 14:1; Heb 8:1; Heb 8:2; compare Rev 11:19; Rev 15:5; Rev 21:3; Heb 4:12; compare Rev 1:16; Rev 2:12; Rev 2:16; Rev 19:13; Rev 19:15; Heb 4:9; compare Re 20:1-15; also 1Pet 1:7; 1Pet 1:13; 1Pet 4:13; Rev 1:1; 1Pet 2:9; Rev 5:10; 2Tim 4:8; Rev 2:26; Rev 2:27; Rev 3:21; Rev 11:18; Eph 6:12; Rev 12:7-12; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; Rev 13:8; Rev 17:8; Rev 20:12; Rev 20:15; Col 1:18; Rev 1:5; 1Cor 15:52; Rev 10:7; Rev 11:15-18, make a date before the destruction of Laodicea possible. Cerinthus is stated to have died before John; as then he borrowed much in his Pseudo-Apocalypse from John's, it is likely the latter was at an earlier date than Domitian's reign. See TILLOCH'S Introduction to Apocalypse. But the Pauline benediction (Re 1:4) implies it was written after Paul's death under Nero." - Jamieson, Fausett, Brown Commentary
"DATE - Obviously this is linked to authorship
A. If John the Apostle wrote these letters, and especially 1 John, we are talking about some time during the close of the first century. This would give time for the development of the Gnostic false theological/philosophical systems and also would fit into the terminology of 1 John ("little children"), which seems to imply an older man talking to a younger group of believers. Jerome says John lived 68 years after Jesus' crucifixion. This seems to fit with this tradition.
B. A.T. Robertson thinks 1 John was written between a.d. 85-95, while the Gospel was written by a.d. 95.
C. The New International Commentary Series on 1 John by I. Howard Marshall asserts that a date between 60-100 a.d. is as close as modern scholarship would like to come to estimating the date of the Johannine writings." - Bob Utley
"THE DATE
The time seems to be considerably removed from the atmosphere of the Pauline and Petrine Epistles. Jerusalem has been destroyed. If John wrote the Fourth Gospel by A.D. 95, then the First Epistle would come anywhere from A.D. 85 to 95. The tone of the author is that of an old man. His urgent message that the disciples, his "little children," love one another is like another story about the aged John, who, when too feeble to stand, would sit in his chair and preach "Little children, love one another." The Muratorian Fragment accepts the First Epistle and Origen makes full use of it, as does Clement of Alexandria. Irenaeus quotes it by name. Polycarp shows knowledge of it also." A.T. Robertson Word Pictures
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