Revelation 17
1. Rev 17 should help us date the Book to about 68 to 70 AD. The 8 kings match the first 8 Roman Emperors: Nero the 6th is now, Otho the 8th is self-proclaimed, never made it to Rome, Vitellius already is, but (Otho) is not – secular history counts Otho (see chart below). Acts historically ends with Paul in Rome, beheaded in 67 AD. And if the Apostle John is one of the two witnesses, with Antipas (see 4. Rev. 11) before 70 AD, we really have a pretty good target date of Revelation’s writing.
Note: many say Julius ‘Caesar’ was not the first Emperor, but a dictator. Yet Ussher history shows that Galba took the position by force, and Otho was only self-proclaimed. Sounds like dictatorship to me. In the history and analysis of same to confuse the issue. Only time (or the end of it) will tell.
Black text is from Ussher’s Annals of the World.
4 Gentile Empires, First 8 or is it 7 Roman Emperors? Otho was, and is not…
10 Horns - See Revelation 12: 10 Kings to north at time of Constantine.
4072b AM, 4782 JP, 69 AD 6961. On the Calends of January (January 1st) in Germany, the images of Galba were pulled down and on the third day, the army greeted Aulus Vitellius as the new emperor. On the 15th day of the same month, Galba was killed, seven months after the death of Nero. {*Tacitus, Histories, l. 1. c. 55-57. 2:95-99} 6962. After Galba was killed, Otho was created emperor by his soldiers, who did not know that Vitellius had assumed the empire. Dio stated that Otho was later killed on the ninetieth day of his reign and Suetonius added that Otho was buried on the ninety-fifth day. {*Dio, l. 63. (15) 8:219} {*Suetonius, Otho, l. 7. c. 11. s. 2. 2:233}
Note: John 21:20-24 and Jesus reference to John not seeing death ‘till I come’? A reference to John on Patmos and Jesus appearance?
And Matthew 16:28 and Mark 9:1 and Luke 9:27 about ‘some shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God present with power’: Pentecost, the early Church, and the persecution that was to follow?
What about Matthew 24? Jesus got 2 questions, about Jerusalem and His return, and gives a layered response with short and long term implications. Beginning with the desolation and destruction of Jerusalem, the Church Age with its initial tribulation, victory over the Roman Empire, 1000 year foundation for Missions, and its lapses over time with successes followed by failures (with a final great tribulation) until Jesus returns with the ‘clouds of heaven’ to rescue and gather his Saints and then a New Heavens and a New Earth – Rev 21 and 22.
Revelation 17 (NKJV)
1. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2. "with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.'' 3. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6. And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. 7. But the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8. "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9. "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11. "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. 12. "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13. "These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14. "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.'' 15. And he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16. "And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17. "For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18. "And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.''