When was Revelation written?

John wrote the book of Revelation to exalt Jesus Christ and to encourage Christians to remain faithful to Him. In the book, John proclaims the final victory of Jesus over sin, death, and Satan. This message was especially meaningful to believers in the late first century, who faced harsh persecution under Roman rule. Most scholars believe John wrote Revelation around 90 to 95 AD, during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian.

Understanding the internal evidence for who wrote Revelation helps determine when the book was written. In the opening verse, John identifies himself as the author: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John” (Revelation 1:1). This John is most likely John the Apostle, one of Jesus’ first disciples.

John refers to himself multiple times in Revelation. In the book’s greeting, he writes, “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come…” (Revelation 1:4). He names himself again in verse 9: “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9). John also refers to himself near the end of the book: “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me” (Revelation 22:8).

Some scholars believe John wrote Revelation in the mid-60s AD. This view, found mostly within Roman Catholic and Reformed traditions, holds that John wrote it before 70 AD. The main reason for the early date is the belief that the judgment described in Revelation refers to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Yet most church leaders in the second century AD—such as Irenaeus (c. 130—202), Justin Martyr (c. 100—165), and Clement of Alexandria (c. 150—215)—favored a date in the 90s AD.

John first sent Revelation to seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2—3). Both the maturity and challenges of these churches suggest they had existed for decades when John wrote. Combined with the testimony of early church leaders, the conditions of the seven churches support a date of writing in the 90s.

The evidence suggests that John wrote Revelation between 90 and 95 AD, during his exile on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). The book’s enduring message of Christ’s final victory gives hope to believers under persecution. In light of this, John exalts Jesus as Lord over all times and places: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).