Dating the Book of Revelation

One of the strongest criticisms of the Preterist view is the claim that Revelation was written in 95AD, 25 years after the Destruction of Jerusalem. But what if we have this date wrong? New scholarship shows that a pre-70AD writing, during the reign of Emperor Nero, is not only reasonable, but highly likely. 

Below is a link to an excellent book written by Bible Scholar and Theologian, Kenneth Gentry: https://www.garynorth.com/freebooks/docs/pdf/beast_of_revelation.pdf

Here is a link to a YouTube short of R.C. Sproul talking about the date of Revelation: https://youtube.com/shorts/sSHJPuOLPaA?si=80haTozT8EEInUxF

Here is one large piece of internal evidence for an early date of Revelation. John identifies Rome in Revelation 17:9-11:

This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. 

John clearly is describing Rome by its famous seven hills. Then he describes seven kings. He writes that five had fallen, one is (a sixth king currently reigning at the time of his writing the letter) and one is yet to come, although he will remain only a little while. Well, Nero was the sixth emperor of the Julio-Claudian era, starting from Julius Caesar. And indeed, after Nero died by the sword in 68AD, his replacement, Galba, was killed after reigning only seven months, during the year of the four Caesars, where Rome broke off its campaign against Judea to settle internal disputes, of which General Vespasian eventually emerged as the victor. This break in the siege, gave  Christians a chance to flee to the mountains and escape the destruction of Jerusalem when Vespasian resumed the campaign against Judea under the command of his son, Titus. Another of Jesus' predictions were fulfilled when He said, "for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened".