What is particularly noteworthy about Josephus’ report after the death of Ananus is that John of Gishala began his own tyranny and broke off from the rest of the faction. He writes, “Now, some submitted to him out of their fear of him, and others out of their good-will to him; for he was a shrewd man to entice men to him, both by deluding them and putting cheats upon them. Nay, many there were that thought they should be safer themselves if the causes of their past insolent action should now be reduced to one head, and not to a great many” (Wars, IV, vii, 1; cf. Rev. 13). He used the Passover as an opportunity to seize the sanctuary by force from the zealots, who were attached to Eleazar. After John took control of the sanctuary from Eleazar, these two joined forces (Wars, V, iii,1; vi,1). Could these be the two beasts who join forces in Revelation 13:11-18? C. Roth and G.R. Driver suggest that the wicked priest is Eleazar and Driver argues that the “Man of Falsehood” fits the character description of John of Gischala (The Roman Siege of Jerusalem, R. Furneaux, 270). John had his own image erected in the temple and the people were made to worship the image. They were also tattooed with the “mark” of his name (Rev. 13:11-18).
John on Patmos
We have finally arrived at the place in our study that we propose when John would have received his visions and wrote down what he saw. It is generally thought that John was banished to Patmos during imperial persecution. The Bible does not say that he was exiled nor that his persecutors were Romans. In fact, the Apocalypse itself implies that Jews were still persecuting Christians, which would place the writing before A.D. 70 (2:9; 3:9; cf. Gal. 4:29-30).
One obvious persecution from the hand of Jews is the one by Herod Agrippa I. He had killed James and probably intended the same end for Peter, who was imprisoned by him (Acts 12:1-2,12-16). After Peter’s deliverance, Herod searched for him but “found him not” (Acts 12:19). The Lord had taught his disciples to flee from persecution (Mat. 10:23; 24:16; Acts 9:28-30). It seems to be the only plausible reason for Herod not being able to find him. He didn’t want to be found by Herod and had fled somewhere for a time.
The three “pillars” of the disciples, Peter, James, and John were faced with persecution in the city of Jerusalem. They had stayed when the persecutions began in Acts 8. Now, James is killed and Peter is not to be found. Where do you suppose John is during this time? This is most curious but there is more than curiosity. We have evidence of John’s absence from Jerusalem very early. When Paul went to Jerusalem after his conversion around A.D. 37-38, he tries to join himself to the disciples, but they were afraid of him. Barnabas mediates on his behalf and takes him to Peter and James (Acts 9:26-ff). Paul stays with Peter for fifteen days and saw no other apostle except James (Gal. 1:18-19). Again, there is no mention of John. We are used to reading about Peter, James, and John (Mat. 17:1, 5:37, 26:37; Mark 9:2, 14:33, Luke 8:51). He is not mentioned by name in Paul’s visit. He’s not mentioned by name in Agrippa’s persecution (41-44 A.D., Acts 23:1-23). It seems likely that since Agrippa had “put forth his hand to afflict certain of the church,” that John would have been included among that number. James, who is John’s brother, was killed. Do we not think that John would have been a “certain” man that Herod for which Herod was searching? He not only formed what many refer to as the “inner circle,” but he was James’ brother. Even after Peter was delivered from prison, he told the disciples “Tell these things to James (the Lord’s brother). If John was there, would we not expect Peter to say, “Tell these things to John”?
So, John’s absence during persecution, in which certain of the church were being pursued together with the Lord’s admonition to flee would explain why John is not in Jerusalem. When Herod died in 44, John was free to return to Jerusalem. Could John have fled to Patmos and written the Apocalypse around A.D. 43? If so, it would have also been around the same time that Paul received his visions (2 Cor. 12:1-4). The strength of their revelation is that both gave a similar but independent revelation around the same time without having met until after the Apocalypse was written. Both taught about the bruising or binding of Satan (Rev. 20:1-3, Rom. 16:20) and the hope of Israel. If John did not write the things he saw in a book until 96 A.D., we have an apostle who was untimely born (1 Cor. 15:58) in the person of Paul, who had been teaching about the Lord’s coming 50 years before John reveals his vision.
The Seven Churches of Asia
If I have dated this correctly, it was written about 20 years before the great earthquake of A.D. 63 which destroyed Laodicea. There were probably no saints meeting at Colossae and Hierapolis at that time, which would why they are not listed in Revelation 2-3. Some would object to such an early date because Ephesus, which was founded by Paul, would not have been in existence in A.D. 43. However, it is certainly possible that brethren in Ephesus were made up of Asian Jews who were converted at Pentecost or soon afterward (Acts 2:9). These brethren had heard about the Holy Spirit from Peter and that it would be given following one’s baptism in Christ. However, when Paul went through Ephesus in A.D. 54, no one knew that the Holy Spirit had been given (Acts 19:1-3). Is it possible that their candlestick had been removed in ten years or less just as John had predicted (Rev. 2:5)? By the time John wrote, they had left their first love and, like the Galatians, were soon removed from the gospel (cf. Gal. 1:6-9). If this is true, then Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus was the second group, not the first.
The view that the book was written during the reign of Claudius is not new. It was held by Epiphanius (cf. 315-402), bishop of Salamis in Cyprus. The irony is that all my young life, I was taught that John’s Revelation was the last book to be written (ar. 96 A.D.). Now, I consider it to be one of the first, if not the first inspired book to be written. We are first given the testimony of Jesus, then John (both of whom speak of the “abomination of desolation,” and give an imminent fulfillment of judgment upon the city of Jerusalem. The rest of the writings of Paul, Peter, and James confirm its timing and warn Christians to be vigilant and ready.