Gonzalo Rojas-Flores, «The Book of Revelation and the First Years of Nero’s Reign», Vol. 85 (2004) 375-392
In this article I try to demonstrate that the Book of
Revelation was written in the first years of Nero’s reign, because (a) there
is an important patristic tradition in favor of Nero and (b) the internal
evidence shows that the text was redacted after Nero’s ascension to the throne
in 54 and before the earthquake of Laodicea in 60.
388 Gonzalo Rojas-Flores
“Babylon the great†(Rev 17,5) “the great city that rules over the kings
of the earth†(17,18). She is seated on seven hills (17,9), in reference
to Rome (36). Some authors argue that Rome was called “Babylonâ€
after 70, alluding to the destruction of the first Temple of Jerusalem
led by Babylon in 587 (37). But 1 Pet, including its reference to Rome
as Babylon (5, 13), is usually dated to the middle of the 60’s. This
shows the weakness of the argument.
John describes the woman as drunk with the blood of the saints,
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (Rev 17,6). Is this verse a
reference to the mass, systematic persecution commanded by
Domitian? But the existence of that persecution has been questioned
by noted scholars (38). It has been proposed that John describes the
repression caused by Nero in 64 (39). If that is true, why did John
prophecy the death of the two witnesses in Jerusalem (11,3-13),
without referring to the executions of James, Peter and Paul? In my
view, the saints and martyrs of Jesus’ blood that Rome spills (17,6) is
John’s vision in the future, like the vision about the beast who is given
the authority to wage war for forty-two months on the saints and to
conquer them (13,5-7). Both visions are closely linked to a previous
one, in which martyrs in heaven “were each given a white robe and
told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of
their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon
to be killed as they themselves had been killed†(6,11). Concerning
the time John was banished to Patmos (a supposed banishment, since
it is not mentioned in 1,9), there is no need to think inevitably about
Domitian or Nero. According to Josephus, similar steps were taken
by the local authorities. For instance, Cuspius Fadus, procurator of
Judaea (44-46), was able to end the hard and bloody fights between
the Jews of Perea and the people of Philadelphia (Amman). After
three Jewish leaders were arrested, Cuspius Fadus commanded one
of them to be executed and the other two to be exiled (Ant. Iud.
20.1.1).
(36) Cf. note 25. On a coin (or medallion) of Vespasian, Rome is represented
as a woman seated on seven hills. Cf. E. STAUFFER, Christ and the Caesars.
Historical Sketches (Philadelphia 31955) 173.
(37) A.Y. COLLINS, New Jerome Biblical Commentary (London 1989) 998-
999; THOMPSON, The Book, 14.
(38) Cf. note 9.
(39) Cf. F.J.A. HORT, The Apocalypse of St. John (London 1908) I, xxvi;
GENTRY, Before, 285-299.