Before Jerusalem Fell

Th Tmporal Expectation of the Author 145
pay the Didrachma (known as the “Jewish Tax”), which was used
to build the pagan temple Jupiter Capitolina. Regarding Christianity,
the persecution of Domitian (if it did, in fact, occur)35 was the second
persecution of Christianity, was not as severe or long-lasting, and did
not result in the death of any inspired apostle. Regarding Rome,
although Domitian was assassinated, the impact on the Empire was
negligible in that a relatively orderly transfer of power followed.
Conclusion
Thus, it would seem that our first two considerations – i.e., the
theme and the expectation of Revelation – powerfully suggest the
prima facie plausibility of a pre-A.D. 70 writing of Revelation. A
preterist approach to Revelation seems to be demanded by both the
thematic statement and the temporal expectation of the author.
Unfortunately, evangelical scholarship in the last fifty years has been
hesitant to adopt a preterist hermeneutic. This has left the impression
— at least among many lay students — that preterism is intrinsically
liberal.
Now we must admit that “some variant of this view [i.e., preterism]
is adopted by most modern [read: liberal] scholars. “36 Nevertheless,
we must recognize that there is what J. W. Roberts calls “left
wing” and “right wing” camps in the preterist school .37 Thus, contrary
to some evangelical complaints,38 there is clearly “a radical
difference between those Preterists who acknowledge a real prophecy
and permanent truth in the book, and the rationalistic Preterists who
regard it as a dream of a visionary which was falsified by events.”39
The preterist approach to Revelation must be scrutinized in terms
of its own intrinsic merits, irrespective of the widespread employment
of the system among radical scholars.
35. See Chapter 17.
36. Morris, Revelation, p. 17.
37. J. W. Roberts, fi &elation to John (Austin, TX: Sweet, 1974), pp. 15, 16.
38. E.g., George Eldon Ladd, A Commmtary on th Reuslation of John (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 19?2), p. 11.
39. Schaff, Histoy 1:837-838.