– Part 1
– John MacArthur claims that the events of Revelation are about the end of world history. However, the Apostle John writes that the events were at hand, and that he was NOT to seal them up (in contrast with Daniel’s similar visions 600 years prior, which Daniel was told to seal). The events were also said to be soon to pass, near, quickly to happen. These statements are in harmony with Jesus’ claims of “this [that] generation” and before “some standing here [there] would taste death. Jesus in Revelation is also in harmony with James proclamation that the judge was at the very door, and Peter’s assertion that it was “time for judgment to begin at the house of God.” We also see John’s declaration of the “last hour.” These books were written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, as was the entire Bible, which contains ZERO record of the most important city to all of Judeo-Christianity being destroyed. It only contains predictions of thereof – predictions that would come true by AD 70. Hebrews, another book written in the mid AD 60’s, speaks of the “time of reformation” about to occur and connects it to the destruction of Herod’s temple. This is the SAME connection Jesus and his disciples made in the Olivet Discourse: the consummation of the age with no stone being left upon another. Revelation both opens AND closes with these time constraints. Additionally, the events were so close that the angel announced a pause to evangelism, “let the wicked still be wicked, and the filthy still be filthy.” I doubt John MacArthur would agree to the continuation of that evangelistic pause of Revelation 22:11. The events must have transpired already, or he is is in unrepentant and persistent disobedience to the Word of God. This is the same behavior for which he routinely condemns others. Fortunately for John MacArthur (and the entire human race), Jesus only intended to pause evangelism until the events of Revelation unfolded – that is, Herod’s temple being destroyed, & the great city (Jerusalem, where our Lord was Slain according to Revelation) being reduced to nothing but 3 parts. (See Wikipedia for historical proof that it happened just as Revelation 16:19 predicted)
– John MacArthur claims that Revelation was written in the AD 90’s. However, the angel tells the Apostle John that the city on 7 hills is in charge, and ruler #6 is reigning. First-century Rome is further described as having blasphemous names on each of its hills (its well-known temples to false gods), and having absorbed the lion (Babylon), the bear (Medo-Persia), and the leopard (Greece). We know the beast of the sea is first-century Rome because it follows these empires. Additionally, the authority of the sea beast is said to be exercised in the land. That was the 1st century relationship between Rome and Judea, as Judea was a Roman province. This also matches the mixing of Iron (Rome) with potter’s clay (Judea) from Daniel’s visions. According to the inspired Scripture, Revelation had to be written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, during a #6 over Rome. Indeed, the temple is still standing in John’s vision, awaiting its trampling, which would happen just a few years later.
– John MacArthur claims that a pre 70-AD writing of Revelation would not have given time for the churches in Asia Minor to go astray. However, Paul helped establish these churches from the mid AD 40’s to the mid AD 50’s. To say that approximately 20 years isn’t long enough to go astray is like saying a human can’t disobey or develop any misunderstandings until they are an adult. Any parent could offer evidence to the contrary. It’s a ridiculous proposition. Christians have been known to veer from sound doctrine extremely early in their walks. Given the newness of the church at the time, the absence of a formal New Testament, the simple proliferation thereof, and the extreme difference from the groups’ previously held beliefs … one may expect such churches to veer even sooner than a body of believers may today.
– John MacArthur claims that Revelation could not have been written after the destruction of Jerusalem because the Nicolatians didn’t exist yet. First of all, the failure of a text to mention a sect’s existence does not preclude its actual existence. For example, the book of John tells us that Christ did MANY amazing things that NEVER got recorded. That said, we are actually blessed with some Biblical proof to further reduce the validity of MaCArthur’s claim. The proselyte Nicolas, likely the founder of the Nicolatians, is even mentioned in Acts chapter 6, a book of the Bible written by Luke that abruptly ends with Paul’s house arrest in Rome – an event known to have occurred in the AD 60’s. Five to 10 years is plenty of time for an enemy of sound doctrine to develop. Futhermore, Nicolas was not a child at his mention in scripture. We have no idea how long his views were in process or to what length they were being shared. Clearly, the existence of the Nicolatians is no evidence for a late-date writing of Revelation.