Before Jerusalem Fell

The Temporal Expectation of the Author 139
ing for the end within the circles in which the writer lived — not an
expectation that will happen at some unknown point X in time (just
to repeat this), but one in the immediate present. 14
It would seem that only an interpretive a priori against the translation
of the noted lexicographers and modern translations could account
for the views of the commentators cited above.
T/z.e Matter of the “Sitz im Leben”
The deducible internal sitz im Leben (“situation in life”) of the
recipients of Revelation also demands the maintenance of the preponderate
scholarly lexical and translational consensus. John writes to
seven contemporary historical churches (Rev. 1:11 ) facing very real
serious, repeated, and intensi@ing threats (Rev. 2-3). He speaks of
his own present enduring of “the tribulation” with them (Rev. 1:9).
He notes with concern the expectant cry from the altar: “How long,
O Lord?” (Rev. 6:10). Walvoord’s view – that when Jesus eventually
comes He will come with great rapidity — would have offered no
consolation to these persecuted saints. To interpret this passage to
mean that some two or three thousand years in the future Jesus will
come with great rapidity would be a mockery of their historical
circumstances. Surely “this [/v +yEz] is the hinge and staple of the
book. When the advent of Jesus is hailed as a relie~ it is no consolation
to say that the relief will come suddenly; sudden or not, it must
come soon (v. 7), if it is to be of any service.”’5
Mounce’s second possibility – i.e., of the event’s certainty of
occurrence — has little to commend it. After all, the certainty of
Revelation’s eventuation is well-taken care of by the expression M
yev.5u19czz (“must occur”). A simple future tense (“will occur”)
would have served well enough to insure the satisfaction of certainty.
If certainty of eventuation was all that was being urged, why repeatedly
employ the use of a term – in addition to 6st ysv.beaz ! — that
could generate false expectations? Such a question becomes all the
more crucial in light of the other similar word groups employed, as
will be shown shortly.
14. Kurt Aland, A Htstop of Chr-i.stianiQ, vol. 1: From th Beginnings to the Threshold of the
R@-matian, trans. James L. Schaaf (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985), p. 88.
15. James Moffatt, Tb Revelation of St. John ttu Divim, in W. R. Nicoll, cd., Englishman’s
Greek Te@ammt, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, rep. 1980), p. 335.