Before Jerusalem Fell

Tb Looming Jmtih War 239
Here then, on the very front of the book, is exhibited a title-page, as
it were, indicative of a conspicuous part of the contents of the work.
The punishment of the unbelieving and persecuting Jew must follow
the coming of the Lord; and this it is one leading object of the book
to illustrate and confirm. If so, then the @-edi&on must have preceded
the event predicted.’9
The Ease of Application
to the Jewish War
As a matter of fact – and quite surprisingly to the modern evangelical
Christian – much of Revelation’s vivid imagery lends itself
admirably to the catastrophic events of the Jewish War. And if the
imagery does fit reasonably well, such would suggest at least the
@na faie plausibility of the argument for an early date – a date that
has been demonstrated on other, more certain grounds. Contrariwise,
if it were incapable of explication from history, the overall argument
would be greatly weakened. Of course, many of the historical judgment
elements could satis@ the situation in various ancient wars,20
and others are open to contrary interpretive analysis. But, with a
number of the distinctive elements, there are simply too many converging
lines of evidence pointing to the Jewish War to allow for this
argument’s hasty a priori dismissal.21
The reason why the early date and mainly contemporary explanation
of the book is daily winning fresh adherents among unbiased thinkers
of every Church and school, is partly because it rests on so simple and
secure a basis, and partly because no other can compete with it. It is
indeed the only system which is built on the plain and repeated
statements and indications of the Seer himsel~ and the corresponding
events are so closely accordant with the symbols as to make it certain
19. Stuart, Apo.a~pse 1:273,
20. But the relevance factor and the contemporary expectation of Revelation work
against such a diversion.
21. Many of these will have to be left to an exegetical and expository commentary
on Revelation itself, on which the present writer is currently working. For illuminating
insights, the reader can peruse the following Stuart, Apocalypse, vol. 2. P, S, Desprez, The
Apoca~pse FulfWed, 2nd ed. (London: Longrnan, Brown, Green, Longmans, 1855). Thomas
Whittemore, A ComrndaV on tlu Reuefution of St John, the Divine (Boston: James M.
Usher, 1856), pp. 45ff. J. Stuart Russell, Tb Parouma: A Stu~ of the New T~tament Doctrine
of Our hrd’s Second Coming, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, [1887] 1983), pp. 365-537.
David Chilton, Th Days of V2ngeance: An Exposition of th Book of Reoelataon (Fort Worth:
Dominion Press, 1987), pamim.