Before Jerusalem Fell

286 BEFORE JERUSALEM FELL
introduction (these have been dealt with above in other connections).
(1) Imbedded in the very opening statement ofJohn, Revelation 1:9
is most significant in this regard in that it sets forth an important
factor of the historical context of the writing of Revelation. In this
statement John clearly indicates Revelation was written while he was
banished “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
This cannot be the result of Jewish persecution, for the Jews could
not banish anyone, and certainly not to Patmos, an island used for
Roman imperial banishment. (2) In Revelation 13 John speaks of the
Beast waging war against the saints. This has been shown in other
connections to be a clear reference to Roman persecution. Other
references to persecution in Revelation may refer to Roman persecution,
but arguments can be presented to show that many of these are
of Jewish rather than Roman origin.4 Nevertheless, these two are
sufikient to demonstrate the existence of imperial persecution as an
historical backdrop in Revelation.
Let us then turn our attention to a consideration of the merits of
this late date argument from persecution.
Difficulties Confronting the
Domitianic Argument
The majority of commentators agree that Revelation definitely
breathes the atmosphere of violent persecution. 5
But in regard to the
matter of the imperial persecution the question arises: Which persecution,
the Neronic or the Domitianic? It is most interesting at the
outset of our investigation and quite instructive for our inquiry to
note that several very capable late date advocates demur from employment
of the persecution evidences in arguing the Domitianic
4. For the Jewish character of the other persecutions see J. Stuart Russell, The
Parom”a: A Study of the New Tatument Doch”ru of Our Lord’s Second Corning, 2nd ed. (Grand
Rapids: Baker, [1887] 1983), pp. 365K; Frederic W. Farrar, The Ear~ Days ~ Christsarzz~
(New York: Cassell, 1884), pp. 437fE; Milton S. Terry, Biblical Hemrma tic$ (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, rep. 1974), pp. 466ff.; P. S. Desprez, The A@ca@e FulJWed, 2nd ed.
(London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, 1855), pami~ David Chilton, 2% Dgys
of Vmgearue: An Expofi”tion of the Book of Revelation (Fort Worth: Dominion Press, 1987),
passirn, Cornelis Vanderwaal, Search the Scri@ura, 10 VOIS., trans. Theodore Plantinga (St.
Catherine’s, Ontario: Paideia Press, 1979), vol. 10.
5. One noted commentator who does not see Revelation’s milieu as including
persecution is Barclay Newman in “The Fallacy of the Domitian Hypothesis. A Critique
of the Irenaeus Source as a Witness for the Contemporary-Historieal Approach to the
Interpretation of the Apocalypse, “ New Tedasrwnt Studies 10 (1963-64):133-139.