Before Jerusalem Fell - EntreWave

A Response to Howe and Ice 343
What are the “supetilcially argued” points Chilton attempts to make
for his position? . . . First, “St. John’s intimate acquaintance with
the minute details of Temple worship suggests that the Book of
Revelation and the Fourth Gospel must have been written before the
Temple services had actually ceased.” This argument proves nothing
as to whether or not the temple was standing at the time of writing.
. . .12
Anyone reading their statement, which includes a quotation from
Chilton, would surmise that Chilton is guilty of creating strained
evidence without historical precedent or warrant. However, Chilton’s
point was preceded by a lengthy supporting quotation from the
highly respected nineteenth-century Jewish-Christian scholar, Alfred
Edersheim. In fact, more than half of the statement quoted by House
and Ice as Chilton’s was actually a quotation from Edersheim. 13
Since House and Ice are prone to do some name-dropping in support
of their arguments, 14 they should allow Chilton the privilege by
accurately representing his argument and its sources.
But now to my major concern.
“The” Voice of Traditwn?
The Matter of Revelation’s Date
As is common among late date advocates, House and Ice speak
as if there were a unified Church tradition regarding the date of
Revelation: “Chilton questions the voice of church tradition concerning
the date of Revelation, since it strongly negates his early date
viewpoint.”15 The book by House and Ice is aimed at a general
audience; the effect on the general audience doubtless will be: “Ancient
Christianity harmoniously held that Revelation was written
later than A.D. 70.” Let us cite Chilton’s actual statement and notice
the different impression left:
(St Irenaeus, incidentally, is the on~ source for this late dating of
Revelation; all other “sources” are simply quoting from him. It is thus
rather disingenuous for commentators to claim, as Swete does, that
12. House and Ice, Dominion Ttwologv, p. 250.
13. David Chilton, The Days of V%ngeame (Ft. Worth, TX: Dominion Press, 1987), p.
3, and Alfred Edersheim, Tlu Tm,ble: Its Minis&y and Semicss as TbJy W~e at th Tvm @“
Chrrit (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), p. 141.
14. House and Ice, Dominion T/uology, pp. 252ff.
15. Ibid., p. 251.