Understanding the Book of Revelation: A Bible-Only Commentary
The book of Revelation is the easiest book in the Bible to understand; that is, of course, if you were a Jew living in Jerusalem in AD 66. Revelation is a Jewish document written by Jews for Jews. Much of the imagery was foreign and meaningless to 1st century Gentile converts to Christianity and even more so today.
The Central Theme and Message
The Tabernacle service, the Salvation plan, is the central theme of Revelation. The entire Bible is about the salvation message, also Revelation. The overarching theme of the book of Revelation is the extinction of physical Mosaic Judaism with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple as the final phase of fulfilment of Jeremiah 31:31.
Key Principles: Repeat and Enlarge
Like with many Bible passages, the principle of Repeat & Enlarge is also visible in Revelation. This means that many chapters are not a sequence of events but a more detailed account. Chronology is an important tool to unlock the Bible, specifically using the direct synchronism between the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC and AD 70.
Dating and Internal Evidences
Dating Revelation to AD 66 is supported by internal and external evidences. There are two key Revelation verses that prove when and why it was written: Rev 11:8 and 17:10. These two scriptures trump the "fluff statements" of uninspired church fathers like Irenaeus, commonly used by "Late-daters" as the primary support that John wrote Revelation in AD 96.
Historical Data and Biblical Chronology
| Event / Milestone | Date / Context |
|---|---|
| Law of Moses given on Pentecost | 1446 BC |
| Temple of Solomon (Prophesy of 2 Samuel 7) | 967 BC |
| Decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7) | 458 BC |
| Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ / Law of Christ | AD 33 |
| Seven miraculous signs of Josephus | AD 65-66 |
| Revelation written / First Jewish War began | AD 66 |
| Destruction of Jerusalem (10th Av) | AD 70 |
| Fall of Masada (Passover) | AD 73 |
Prophetic Timeframes and Fulfilment
- The 70 Weeks Prophecy: In Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks (Dan 9:27), it is exactly 490 years to the solar day from the decree of Artaxerxes in 458 BC to the resurrection of Christ in AD 33.
- The Forty-Year Generation: Following the prophecy of Jesus that the tribulation will fall upon "this generation", it was exactly 40 years to the day from the crucifixion of Christ on Passover AD 33 and the Fall of Masada on Passover AD 73.
- The Synchronism: The two destructions of Jerusalem (587 BC and AD 70) happened on the exact same day of the year, the 10th Av.
- Roman Warfare: Archaeological and historical context shows that in Revelation, Hail Stones represent Ballista and Scorpions represent Catapults.
Revelation opens with promises of persecution from the Jews among the 7 churches of the first century and focuses on the destruction of Jerusalem as the harlot city (Babylon, Sodom, Egypt).