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Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Feb. 28, 1998
Update	: May 28, 2025
Parts	: 12

Synopsis:



Continuing our discussion from part ten, as I mentioned to you a moment ago, it is difficult to ignore the spirit of urgency and anticipation in which the Book of Revelation is written. We see this very same spirit and attitude of strong anticipation in the writings of the Apostles as well. They clearly write as if they are expecting the Rapture of the Saints and Jesus' Return to occur in the near future, and in their lifetimes. They do NOT write as if it is some far-off event which will occur in the distant future long after they are dead. If you doubt that this is so, then please consider the following group of verses, paying particular attention to the words I have placed in uppercase letters. I include a personal explanatory note after each set of verses:

"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass IN THE LAST DAYS, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:"


NOTE #1: In Acts 2:16-18, the Apostle Peter -- who had just been filled with the Holy Spirit -- is clearly saying two things: Joel's prophecy was being fulfilled at that time during the First Century, and that period was also the Last Days. The phrase last days does NOT mean from 30 AD to the 21st Century, as some modern, Futurist-leaning Bible teachers erroneously teach. That is a false doctrine of men.

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN [meaning Paul and other First Century Christians] unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN [meaning Paul and other First Century Christians] shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."


NOTE #2: The fact that in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, the Apostle Paul includes himself by saying "we" is clear proof that he was fully expecting Christ's soon return, and he was hoping to still be alive to witness it himself.

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath IN THESE LAST DAYS spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;"


NOTE #3: In Hebrews 1:1-2, the phrase "lasts days" refer to the very end of the Prophet Daniel's 70 weeks -- or 490 years -- prophecy. It has nothing to do with our modern times, as Futurists claim.

"For yet a little while, and he that shall come [meaning Jesus] WILL COME, and WILL NOT TARRY."


NOTE #4: In Hebrews 10:37, the phrase "a little while" does NOT mean 2,000 years in the future as the Futurists claim. We are also told that Jesus will not tarry. The writer is obviously expecting Christ's soon return.

"Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together FOR THE LAST DAYS . . . Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for THE COMING OF THE LORD DRAWETH NIGH."


NOTE #5: In James 5:2-3, 7-8, the Apostle James is likewise confirming that it was the Last Days, and he was convinced that Jesus would be returning soon.

"But the END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."


NOTE #6: 1 Peter 4:7 confirms the phrase "in these last days" mentioned in Hebrews 1:1-2 above.

"Little children, IT IS THE LAST TIME: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE LAST TIME."


NOTE #7: In 1 John 2:18, not once, but twice, the Apostle John tells his readers that it is the Last Time, or the very end of the Prophet Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy. Notice how very sure that John is about this. That is why he uses the words "We know that it is the last time." And then John is given the amazing Book of Revelation.

Personally, I can only arrive at one conclusion, and that is that Peter, James and John -- who were the Lord's inner circle -- as well as the Apostle Paul, were all convinced that Jesus would return during their lifetimes, exactly as He had promised them in the following group of verses:

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, AND RECEIVE YOU unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also . . . I will not leave you comfortless: I WILL COME TO YOU."


How can so many modern, Futurist-leaning Christians continue to resist the plain truth of the Scriptures? So as you can hopefully see, the spirit of urgency and anticipation that we see in the Book of Revelation, is likewise reflected in the writings of the Apostles as well. While I'll be writing a separate article regarding the next piece of evidence, it is interesting to note that the Apostle John does provide us with a clue concerning when he wrote his book. Allow me to call your attention to the following verses:

"And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition."


While there has been considerable debate over the centuries with regard to properly identifying the kings who are being mentioned in the previous verses, after much personal study and research, which I have pondered for many years, I hold to the view that the Apostle John is describing eight Roman leaders or kings. John specifically tells us that five of these kings have already fallen, one is currently reigning at the time he receives his revelations, while the seventh and the eighth are yet to come, from John's perspective. So who are these kings? I believe they are as follows:

1. Julius Caesar	49–44 BC	"Fallen"
2. Augustus	27 BC – AD 14	"Fallen"
3. Tiberius	AD 14–37	"Fallen"
4. Caligula	AD 37–41	"Fallen"
5. Claudius	AD 41–54	"Fallen"
6. Nero	AD 54–68	"One is"
7. Vespasian	AD 69-79	"Not yet‭ come"
8. Titus	AD 79–81	"he‭ is‭‭ the eighth"

Regarding Julius Caesar, let me state the following for the sake of anyone who may question his placement on this list. The "First Triumvirate" of the Roman Republic was formed in 60 BC by Julius Caesar, Crassus and Pompey. Caesar and Pompey eventually had a falling out. In fact, Caesar defeated Pompey during the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. Pompey then fled to Egypt where he was assassinated. Regarding Crassus, he died even earlier in 53 BC shortly after engaging in the Battle of Carrhaee against the Parthian Empire. Today, Parthia is known as Iran. At any rate, the deaths of both Crassus and Pompey opened the way for Julio Caesar to become the first dictator of the Roman Republic in 49 BC. As is very well known, due to his lust for power, and desire to be dictator for life, he was assassinated in 44 BC by Brutus and company.

Now while Julius Caesar was never officially a Roman emperor, being as, technical speaking, the Roman Empire did not begin until the reign of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus -- commonly known as Augustus or Octavian -- nevertheless, Julius Caesar was viewed as the de facto first imperial ruler, and he was regarded as the first emperor by some Roman historians such as Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, and Appian. This is because Octavian was named in Julius Caesar's will not only as his adopted son, but also as his heir, and Octavian -- Augustus -- inherited Caesar's name, estate, and the loyalty of his legions as well. So Augustus became the first emperor of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, and the founder of the Roman Empire in 27 BC.

To clarify, from Julius Caesar's death in 44 BC to Augustus' rise to power in 27 BC -- a seventeen-year period -- Rome was NOT ruled by a single individual. It was in fact caught up in a rather tumultuous period of civil war, shifting alliances, and basically political chaos. During this period, Octavian, along with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus, formed a Second Triumvirate which was a very powerful three-man dictatorship. It was not a republic, but neither was it yet an empire. But eventually, Octavian did consolidate his power, and thus he emerged as Rome’s first emperor in 27 BC, becoming known as Augustus. In this way, the Roman Republic transitioned into the Roman Empire.

So that is how we arrive at the aforementioned emperor list. So the complete Julio-Claudian Dynasty included Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero, the last of whom, as we all know, committed suicide in 68 AD. The Julio-Claudian Dynasty was then followed by the Flavian Dynasty, which was founded by Vespasian, and included his two sons, Titus and Domitian. As I mentioned earlier, Vespasian and Titus are mentioned in considerable detail in other BBB articles such as my lengthy and in-depth series called "Vespasian, Titus and the Fall of Jerusalem".

But what is important to our current discussion is the fact that regarding the eight kings which arise, when John writes that "five are fallen", I am convinced that he is referring to Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. Furthermore, when John writes "one is", he is referring to Nero who had not yet committed suicide at the time that John received his revelations. So this is very clear historical proof that the Book of Revelation was written before 68 AD when Nero committed suicide. Now regarding the role of Nero, Vespasian and Titus in the Book of Revelation, I do have a lot more to say about them. However, this will be discussed in other related articles.

Another strong piece of circumstantial evidence is the fact that John very clearly describes how the Roman Beast makes war against the Saints, persecutes them, and even beheads them. Why does the Beast make war against them? If we assume that Emperor Nero himself was the Beast, there is historical evidence which suggests why this is so. In July of 64 AD, a fire broke out in the merchants shops which were around the Circus Maximus. This was Rome's famous chariot stadium. The fire is commonly referred to as "The Great Fire of Rome".

So great was the fire that it took six days to finally bring it under control. However, even before the damage could be properly assessed, the fire reignited and burned for another three days. When all was said and done, nearly three quarters of the city had been destroyed. Exactly how the fire actually began has been a topic of debate for centuries. Certain Roman historians -- such as Roman senator Publius Cornelius Tacitus -- believed that it was started by Nero himself -- or perhaps by someone under Nero's orders -- in order to make space for a new palace that Nero wanted to build -- which he eventually did build -- called Domus Aurea.

History records that Emperor Nero was quite a tyrant, and a violent and bloody man. As proof, consider that he murdered his very own mother, Agrippina. So, when suspicion began to fall on him that he may have started the fire, Tacitus states that Nero cast the blame on the Christian population in Rome. This decision in fact initiated the first Roman persecution against the Christians. But that is not all. Revelation says specifically that the Beast made war with the Saints, as we see by the following verse:

"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."


As I explain in my series "Vespasian, Titus and the Fall of Jerusalem", two years after "The Great Fire of Rome", due to serious rebellion in the Roman province of Judea, Nero sent General Vespasian and his son, Titus, to subdue the Zealots, Sicarii and other violent and murderous riffraff which had risen up against the Roman occupation. This seven-year war raged from 66 AD to 73 AD, and it was right in the middle of it in 70 AD -- or two years after Nero committed suicide -- that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by Titus, just as had been prophesied by Jesus and the Prophet Daniel. This war resulted in as many as 1,100,000 dead Israelites. Thus, as John wrote, the Beast truly overcame the Saints.

So once again we see how events which are described in the Book of Revelation perfectly align with actual historical events which transpired prior to 70 AD, thus proving again the time frame when John wrote his amazing book. In my view, it is only by ignoring this perfect alignment, and likewise by purposely twisting the meaning of the Scriptures, that one can claim that the Book of Revelation was written by John sometime after 70 AD.

As we learned earlier in this series, ever since the times of the Old Testament when both the Israelite political and spiritual leadership hardened their hearts, and refused to listen to the voices of the messengers God sent, or repent of their stiff-necked rebellion and apostasy, they began to silence them by persecuting them and killing them. As we've seen, the Jewish political and religious leadership of the New Testament continued this same trend, and even more so. Why did they do this? Because spiritual Babylon -- meaning Jerusalem -- had corrupted herself with the Beast, and had committed adultery and fornication with it, when she began to court the rulers of the Roman Empire.

We saw earlier how the Herod Dynasty themselves were in fact appointed by Rome as their obedient proxies. In turn, Herod and his descendants appointed each new high priest. So thus indeed Babylon the Great was riding the beast. But another problem was emerging which greatly troubled the leadership in Jerusalem. As if dealing with the Zealots, Sicarii and other violent troublemakers wasn't already enough to cause them alarm, now a new rabbi from the north named Jesus was claiming to be the long-awaited Messiah. Herod and the high priests knew that Rome was watching them closely, and that they needed to get the situation under control before Rome decided to do it for them. Thus we come to the following scene in the Gospel of John:

"Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death."


And so began the persecution of the Early Church, beginning with the false charges which were brought against Jesus that ultimately resulted in His crucifixion. Why did they resort to this vile deed? Quite simply, to prolong Babylon's life a while longer. As you may recall from part five, the Prophet Jeremiah prophesied for forty years until the day that King Nebuchadnezzar came and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. As a part of his stiff warning from the Lord, Jeremiah said the following:

"Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM, AND THE VOICE OF THE BRIDE: for the land shall be desolate."


"Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM, AND THE VOICE OF THE BRIDE, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle."


What is amazing about this is the fact that more than six hundred years later, in the Book of Revelation, John also described the coming destruction of Babylon the Great in very much the same manner. Consider the following verses:

"And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; AND THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND OF THE BRIDE SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived."


In my view, there is simply no way to dismiss the fact that these two Prophets, who lived hundreds of years apart, used almost the same exact words to describe the destruction of Jerusalem, and the fall of Babylon the Great. Clearly, this was no accident. These prophecies were inspired by one and the same Spirit. As the Apostle Peter wrote in his second Epistle:

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."


Well, earlier today, while reading more of Josephus' "The Wars of the Jews", I made another very surprising discovery. As it turns out, Jeremiah and the Apostle John were NOT the only two people to use this kind of language with regard to the destruction of Jerusalem, or spiritual Babylon. As it turns out, in Book 6 Chapter 5, Josephus describes a Saint of God who prophesied against Jerusalem, and warned of her coming destruction, for just over seven years, right up to the time of the 70 AD siege, until he was finally killed. Please carefully notice the words I've placed in uppercase letters in the following excerpt:

----- Begin Quote -----

"But, what is still more terrible, there was one Jesus the son of Ananus, a plebeian, and an husbandman, who four years before the war began, and at a time when the city was in very great peace and prosperity, came to that feast whereon it is our custom for every one to make tabernacles to God in the temple," began on a sudden to cry aloud, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, A VOICE AGAINST THE BRIDEGROOMS AND THE BRIDES, and a voice against this whole people!" This was his cry, as he went about by day and by night, in all the lanes of the city. However, certain of the most eminent among the populace had great indignation at this dire cry of his, and took up the man, and gave him a great number of severe stripes: yet did not he either say anything for himself, or anything peculiar to those that chastised him, but still went on with the same words which he cried before.

Hereupon our rulers, supposing, as the case proved to be, that this was a sort of divine fury in the man, brought him to the Roman procurator; where he was whipped till his bones were laid bare; yet did not he make any supplication for himself, nor shed any tears, but turnings his voice to the most lamentable tone possible, at every stroke of the whip his answer was, "Wo, wo to Jerusalem!" And when Albinus (for he was then our procurator), asked him, "Who he was? and whence he came? and why he uttered such words?" he made no manner of reply to what he said, but still did not leave off his melancholy ditty, till Albinus took him to be a madman, and dismissed him.

Now, during all the time that passed before the war began, this man did not go near any of the citizens, nor was seen by them while he said so; but he every day uttered these lamentable words, as if it were his premeditated vow, "Wo, wo to Jerusalem!" Nor did he give ill words to any of those that beat him every day, nor good words to those that gave him food; but this was his reply to all men, and indeed no other than a melancholy presage of what was to come. This cry of his was the loudest at the festivals ; and he continued this ditty for seven years and five months, without growing hoarse, or being tired therewith until the very time that he saw his presage in earnest fulfilled in our siege, when it ceased; for, as he was going round upon the wall, he cried out with his utmost force, "Wo, wo to the city again, and to the people, and to the holy house!" And just as he added at the last, "Wo, wo to myself also!" there came a stone out of one of the engines, and smote him, and killed him immediately; and as he was uttering the very same presages, he gave up the ghost."

----- End Quote -----

Aside from the fact that this Saint of God used very similar words as Jeremiah and John -- meaning "a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides" -- he repeatedly says "Wo, wo" just as we see with this Angelic Messenger in the Book of Revelation:

"And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!"


As I point out in other articles such as the series "The Fruits of Disobedience", in the Old Testament, the blood of which Jerusalem was guilty of spilling was not only that of her Prophets. During the height of their apostasy, they also sacrificed their young children on the fiery altars of the false god, Molech, in the Valley of Hinnom. This was a steep gorge that was located to the south of Jerusalem. I discuss the Valley of Hinnom in more detail in the series "Hell, the Lake of Fire and Universalism". Of course, they sacrificed to other pagan gods on other high hills throughout Israel as well. Consider these sample verses:

"For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart."


"They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:"


So, my dear friends, just look at their record up until the time that the First Jewish-Roman War began in 66 AD. This is precisely why God's harsh judgments finally fell upon them:

01. They sacrificed to the pagan gods.
02. They persecuted and killed the Prophets.
03. They sacrificed their own children.
04. They killed John the Baptist.
05. They crucified Jesus.
06. They persecuted and killed the Apostles.
07. They were in bed with the Romans.
08. They financially oppressed the common people.
09. They rebelled against the Roman occupation.
10. They polluted and defiled the temple with repeated violence and murder, and appointed false priests.

Regarding point number ten, this is something which I amply discuss in the series "Vespasian, Titus and the Fall of Jerusalem". At any rate, in light of her many sins, is it really any wonder that the Lord finally sent Vespasian and Titus to punish Jerusalem? Over six hundred years earlier, the Lord had warned the Jerusalemites that as a result of their apostasy, stubbornness and whorish infidelity, He would leave them naked and burn Jerusalem with fire, as we see by the following group of sample Bible verses:

"Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: LEST MY FURY COME FORTH LIKE FIRE, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings."


"Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I MAKE THEE DESOLATE, A LAND NOT INHABITED."


"Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: FOR THE LAND SHALL BE DESOLATE."


"And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I WILL MAKE THE CITIES OF JUDAH DESOLATE, WITHOUT AN INHABITANT."


"Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, TO MAKE THE CITIES OF JUDAH DESOLATE, and a den of dragons."


"And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: FOR A FIRE IS KINDLED IN MINE ANGER, which shall burn upon you."


"And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: FOR YE HAVE KINDLED A FIRE IN MINE ANGER, WHICH SHALL BURN FOR EVER . . . But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; THEN WILL I KINDLE A FIRE IN THE GATES THEREOF, AND IT SHALL DEVOUR THE PALACES OF JERUSALEM, AND IT SHALL NOT BE QUENCHED."


"For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and HE SHALL BURN IT WITH FIRE. And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD; O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, LEST MY FURY GO OUT LIKE FIRE, AND BURN THAT NONE CAN QUENCH IT, because of the evil of your doings."


Please go to part twelve for the conclusion of this series.

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