The Dating of NT Writings
Affects Interpretation
By Jonathan Mitchell

What dates scholars assign to the writing of NT documents will often color the lens of interpretation of these documents. A good example of this is seen in the assumed date of the writing of An Unveiling (or: Revelation). Some who accept that it was written at some point in the AD 90s will view a major theme of the book as being the Roman Empire - for example it being the woman on the beast, in chapters 17-18, with Nero being represented by the number 666. John Dominic Crossan holds this view in his recent book, Render Unto Caesar. Even scholars who do not see Rome as a major theme in Revelation tend to view the symbolic prostitute, "Mystery Babylon," as signifying Rome. But both of these views seem to miss what is stated in Rev. 17:

16. And the ten horns which you saw (or: see) - even the little wild animal - these will continue hating (detaching from) the Prostitute, and [she] being made desolate (having been laid waste), they will also proceed making her naked and will progressively eat her flesh (= physical form) and then they will proceed burning her down in a fire.

Now the "ten horns" are a part of the little wild animal (or: beast) upon which the Prostitute was sitting. Is it logical to read this as saying that the "powers" (figured by the horns) of the Empire would hate its capital city, Rome, so that they would burn Rome? Historically, we know that it was Jerusalem which was burned by Rome.

In contrast to an AD 90s dating of this book, the dating given by John A.T. Robinson (Redating the NT) put the authorship of Rev. in the mid-60s, just prior to the War of the Jews against Rome. In Rev. 11, the temple is still standing. This early dating allows the "beast" to be Rome, and for the Prostitute riding it to be Jerusalem (via its Second Temple leadership) which was collaborating with Rome to keep its position. Recall Jn. 11:48,

"If we let him go on in this way (or: If we disregard [Jesus] in this manner; or: Suppose we thus abandon, neglect or leave him alone), all (everyone) will one-by-one put trust into him (or: will continue believing, being allegiant unto him), and the Romans will proceed to come, and then they will progressively take away both our place and our nation (= political station, culture and corporate ethnic identity)."

Thus, most Preterist interpreters associate the fall of Mystery Babylon with the destruction of

"the present-day Jerusalem, for she continues in slavery (or: functioning in bondage) with her children," (Gal. 4:25)

- which happened in AD 70. This allows for keeping the historical context of Revelation as a guide for the interpretation of its symbolic presentations, with its central theme being the New Creation and Its called-out communities (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 4:26; Rev. 1-3 bookended with 21-22). Misdating Revelation leads to a wrong interpretation of its apocalyptic rhetoric. This book both starts and ends with Christ's called-out folks, the body of Christ. Rome plays only a supporting role in this first century drama.

As can be seen by the above quote of Jn. 11:48, putting an AD 80-90 date for the Gospel of John distorts the narrative. Robinson dates this book circa AD 40-65.

Jonathan

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