Over the last number of months my head has been swimming through the gospels, especially the Gospel of John and Revelation, looking for connections between Jesus' ministry and Revelation 4-22.

What I'm finding is that there are a lot of connections. 

Here's a simple one. A very simple working theme of Revelation 4-22.

The judgment of the world(land), the casting down of the enemy(death), and Christ gathering all the nations into the new creation(covenant). 

Jesus while predicting His own death said in John 12:31-33 "NOW is the judgment of this world; NOW the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Now back to the Gospel of John.

One thing I've been pondering lately is the dating of the Gospel of John. This gospel has significantly more theological development that the synoptic gospels doesn't have. Conversely the synoptic gospels all have accounts of Jesus' Olivet discourse while John's gospel doesn't. 

Most people would say, "Well that's because John wrote Revelation, and so didn't need to include it." Of which I agree completely. Matter of fact I believe that helps my case for a later dating of the Gospel of John. Say somewhere around AD85. After John would have had some time to reflect on what he had seen take place over that last generation. 

There's also a very clear sense of impending doom in the synoptics that is not in John's gospel.

Just compare the baptism accounts of Jesus in the four gospels. The synoptics paint a very negative picture of an impending doom/judgment. John's greeting, "Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Followed by Jesus' little Torah debate with the devil.

John's gospel is a positive theological proclamation of who Jesus was the Lamb of God/Son of God.

In other words, I am suggesting that the Gospel of John may very well been written many years after John had witnessed Jesus' coming in AD70 in judgment on the southern kingdom and more specifically Jerusalem.

The northern kingdom...The house of Israel was dealt with back in 722 BC. 

Yes I still maintain that the synoptics were written before AD70. They contain Jesus' Olivet discourse. But lack theological development. And John had written Revelation before AD70 as well. 

And so if John had seen the events of AD70 come to pass. Would his perspective on the events of Christ's ministry look different than the perspective of Christians being persecuted by Jews before AD70?

I personally think so. 

Finally, John 21:20-25 make even more sense to me now. And seems to positively affirm Christ's coming in judgment on Jerusalem.

 

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”

This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

What a great farewell. That last verse is the most ironic piece of prophecy in the Bible. We have quite literally filled the world with books about Jesus. Think about that for a moment. Then ask yourselves these questions.

Did John live till Christ came?

Did he live to see Jerusalem fall?

If so, wouldn't his perspective is much more victorious and theologically developed?

The Jewish persecution would have been dealt a fatal blow. He wouldn't be under any tribulation. That and he wouldn't need an olivet discourse. He already covered that in Revelation. And it had already happened.

That is if my theory is correct...8-)

What do you guys think?

Greetings, I Would like to Introduce You To...Jesus.

I have always wanted to do a full blown verse by verse study of the book of Revelation. At this point in my life I am rejoicing at reaching the 30th anniversary of my heart being open and my journey of faith beginning with Jesus Christ. As I look back at these 30 years at many victories and successes (ALL HIS) and many many failures and set backs in my walk with Christ (All mine), I admit that for many years I would not have been able to undertake such a huge task of this mysterious and often confusing book of Revelation.

It is not that I have reached some place of grand understanding or tremendous spiritual maturity that I now take up this task, but I no longer fear this book as I have in years past. I believe that the best approach to this great work of the Apostle John is to let the text speak for itself. We also must recognizing that the text itself as it is laid out by John the "Revelator" often times references back to many many Old Testament passages. I will endeavor to point out any and all Old Testament references as I become aware of them in this study.

I know also that most studies of the book of Revelation start with a debate for or against either a late or early date of the books authorship. I would love to talk to any readers who have

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In this Morning Musings, I share a bit more of my journey to the full preterist view of prophecy. In Matthew 24:3 the disciples asked Jesus about his coming and the end of the age.Virtually everyone says the disciples were confused or wrong to link the end of the age with the fall of Jerusalem. I was shocked to discover that it was not Jesus' first century disciples that were confused-- but modern Bible students!.

FACT...

A common misperception is that all the Jews were forced into the Diaspora by the Romans after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70 C.E. and then, 1,800 years later, suddenly returned to Palestine demanding their country back. In reality, the Jewish people have maintained ties to their historic homeland for more than 3,700 years.

The Jewish people base their claim to the Land of Israel on at least four premises: 1) the Jewish people settled and developed the land; 2) the international community granted political sovereignty in Palestine to the Jewish people; 3) the territory was captured in defensive wars and 4) God promised the land to the patriarch Abraham.

Even after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and the beginning of the exile, Jewish life in the Land of Israel continued and often

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By Jeff "Miztah" Rogers

Don't Cloud the Issue

A case is often made that Acts 1:9-11 is a clear reference to the physical nature of Christ's ascension. Therefore since it says that he would "come in the same manner" that his coming, it was insisted, would have to be physical.

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a CLOUD received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11I on the other hand take the position that

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