After the Great Tribulation

"The prophecies of Jesus Filfilled"

by James B. Hartline

© 1983, 1998, 2007

Preface

For centuries, the subject of the "Great Tribulation" has interested Christians and non-Christians alike. Many interpretations of Scripture from the Bible have brought forth predictions of sensational end-time events, and much speculation concerning the world and the church.

Jesus did, in fact, speak of a time of "great tribulation," and it is important for Christians to understand what specific events He foretold. However, something very important has been overlooked. Life on earth does not end with the "great tribulation." In fact, life goes on not just for hundreds, or thousands of years, but indefinitely after the tribulation of Matthew 24 is history.

I am not referring to a "millenial" kingdom as some people expect, but life as we normally know it on this earth, (Luke 21:24) a time after the "great tribulation."

What this Web Page is about, is well documented, easily obtainable information, which has escaped the knowledge of most of the Christian community.

Traditional Teaching

Traditional teachings say that Jesus will come secretly, just prior to the "great tribulation," to rapture all His saints away to heaven, and again openly, immediately after the tribulation is over, to set up His millenial kingdom on the earth. Is that an accurate analysis?

Our aim here is to focus upon what Jesus taught and to determine from His words exactly what He meant when He made these predictions. If we can establish when and where the events He predicted take place, we can gain a better understanding of the "great tribulation," so as to recognize its fulfillment. What was to be accomplished by the "great tribulation?" When you get to our "Journalist Approach" page, you will see.

It is absolutely necessary to stay out of the area of conjecture concerning this issue. For this reason, most of our Scripture references will come from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, in the New Testament, and from Daniel in the Old Testament. The gospel of John is silent concerning these events.

The book of the Revelation is greatly figurative, and open to much speculation, and must always be balanced by the light of the other parts of the Bible, so it is not used here as a primary source, but only in a supportive role to the Gospels. The date when Revelation was written is also very much in question.  The generally accepted date of A. D. 90 is based upon the word of ONE man, Irenaeus, and there is great evidence that it was written about A. D. 66.

In the Olivet discourse of Jesus, found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, there are specific predictions of events which occur prior to and following the "great tribulation." The sequence of these predictions gives a time-table which will help us identify the beginning of the "great tribulation," and some of the events which come after it.

Most people are not aware that the Bible says that normal life on earth continues after the "great tribulation." Some believe it is followed immediately by a time called "the millenium." The Bible tells us that the "great tribulation" is actually followed by the appearance of false Christs and false prophets. Luke's Gospel says that the "times of the Gentiles" comes after the tribulation.

None of the Gospels, standing alone, would give us the full story of the "great tribulation;" they must be consulted together to open up the full meaning of the words of our Lord, Jesus.

It is my belief that Christians should be very well grounded in truth, without false assumptions, concerning such important events. If we live our lives expecting certain things to occur on a prophetic calendar or chart, drawn up by some evangelist and displayed on TV or in a book, and we are misinformed, our lives will not please God. The more accurately we understand, the more intelligently we can utilize our God-given talents for His kingdom. The Bible tells us to study to show ourselves approved, a workman not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15)

Many of us have spent years under teaching that is not in keeping with what the Bible has to say on this subject. We have listened to the traditions of men, which have made the Word of God of non-effect.  The reason for this is NOT that our pastors are trying to decieve us, or keep us in the dark. They have been taught a wrong premise upon which to establish "End Time" doctrine. When you build up a belief on "false" premises, you can come to almost any conclusion. Here we hope to lay a proper and accurate foundation for understanding of these vital truths.

If there are fulfillments of the predictions of Jesus, which can be clearly documented, shouldn't we know about them? Wouldn't they play an important role in our understanding of the "End-Time?" These things which we do not yet know could be life-changing, if they were made a part of our understanding. Learning more about the "End Times" should not be an emotional experience.

The fact is, that there are numerous writings in most libraries, in Bible commentaries and church history books which say much of what I will say here. But you probably have not read them, and chances are, your pastor hasn't either. Let's face it, we just do not spend that much time studying for ourselves.

When I have mentioned some of the facts which I have learned about the "End Times" to preachers, they have told me that they did not have time to study it. They are too busy pastoring their flock. Some even said,"What difference does it make?" That is the name of one of our last pages of this web page.

There are many prophecies which God gave in the Bible, the fulfillments of which are recorded history. Have you ever wondered why so many years have passed since Jesus made those predictions on the Mount of Olives, and yet none of His predictions have been fulfilled. Well, the fact is, that many of His prophecies have been fulfilled in great detail.

Those prophecies were given so that when they came to pass, they would testify of Jesus. If none of His predictions ever occurred, He would be a false prophet, which we know that He is not. The Jews of today scoff at Jesus and use His name as a by-word, because they think He was a false prophet. It is easy to prove that He was NOT a false prophet.

As you embark upon some, perhaps, new discoveries, you will understand the ministry of Jesus in a new way. God bless you as you read.

In the early part of this web page, we will focus upon the period known as "the great tribulation," as a foundation to put the events which occur after the "great tribulation" in perspective.

Traditional View

Have you ever wondered why we have such a variety of opinions concerning the end-time? There are so many books, and radio and television programs with end-time doctrines, and a steady diet of it from many pulpits.

As we enter the twenty-first century, there will be great expectations and many misguided, predictions of what is coming on the earth. Most are not in the Bible.

   * Do we really know what the Bible says about these things?

   * Is it even possible to understand them?

   * Must we live our lives in such uncertainty, expecting the "great tribulation" to overwhelm us at any moment, yet never understanding what it is?

   * Some folks tell us not to worry, we will be "raptured" out before the "great tribulation," but what does the Bible have to say about it?

   * Shouldn't Christians believers, of all people, have more than a superficial knowledge of what God is doing?

   * Or should we just continue to propagate what we have heard, and not study for ourselves to see if these things be true, refusing to receive any new input, confident that our beliefs are founded on the Word of God?

   * Shouldn't we be willing to investigate every available source of information, to try to determine if those things that Jesus predicted are actually happening, or if they have already occurred or will come in the future?

   * What did the early church believe concerning these things?

   * Did they have knowledge that has somehow slipped away from us? That certainly appears to be the case.

As we begin our search for the "great tribulation," let us review what has come to be the traditional futurist view of the end-time. It is relatively consistent, whether found in a Fundamental church or a Pentecostal one, or almost anywhere in-between. It basically goes like this:

Traditional Futurist View

Since the time that Jesus lived on the earth, almost two thousand years have passed in which few of His predictions have come true. But, one of these days, the Jews in Israel will rebuild the temple and reinstitute animal sacrifices. Then there is all this talk of a red heifer being necessary to reinstitute the Sacrifice.

At some point after that time, there will be great earthquakes, famine, pestilence and distress all over the earth, as never before in the history of the world. Then, they say, one called "the Antichrist" will appear on the scene, causing many to believe that he is the Christ. But before this "antichrist" shows up, the true believers in Jesus are said to be "secretly" raptured away to heaven, en masse, and the only ones left on the earth are the sinners (those who never accepted Jesus), and of course, the Jews.

Then the "Antichrist" performs great signs and wonders and continues to deceive everyone for three-and-one-half years, then he shows his true colors. He causes the animal sacrifice to cease, and tries to force everyone to take the mark of the beast in order to buy and sell. Then a more severe tribulation occurs over all the earth. This continues until Jesus returns from heaven three-and-one-half years later, with his saints, and sets up His millenial kingdom on the earth. Then, for a thousand years, the saints rule and reign with Christ, over some other people (no one seems to know just who).

Such teaching does not usually go beyond this point, as to what occurs after the thousand years, although many teach that when the thousand years is up, we will all go to heaven and remain there for eternity.  One church even believes that the thousand years will be spent in heaven and then we'll all come back to earth.

Some teach that 144,000 converted Jews will go around evangelizing the world during the "great tribulation." And of course, somewhere in there is the "Battle of Armagedon."

Since there are many variations on all this, and we are interested in true facts, instead of traditions, we have not covered every scenario, just enough to show basically what we are talking about. Various versions of these doctrines are espoused by many fine, honest and sincere people, who love the Lord with all their hearts. This is not written to hurt or discourage anyone, but to uplift and encourage those who love Christ.

If we are open enough to search for the truth with our whole heart, we will surely find it, and Jesus said the truth would "make us free." John 8:32. Are we really hearing the truth from those sensationalist preachers on TV?

There are many ambiguities to most of these end-time doctrines; as to when the saints are gathered unto the Lord, whether pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib, all referring to its relationship with the "great tribulation," where the "Antichrist" will come from and where he will reign. Most say Jerusalem, seating himself in the rebuilt temple, purporting to be God.

   * Is this what the Bible predicts concerning the end-time and the "great tribulation?"

   * Is the "great tribulation" to be on a worldwide scale? Or could it be for only one area of the earth?

   * Is it yet future, or are we in it right now? Or is it possible that it came a long time ago?

   * What are the signs which identify it, so that we may know?

   * Have we so busied ourselves with thoughts about the "rapture" that we have overlooked some most important details?

   * Just what is the "great tribulation," which Jesus foretold in Matthew 24?

   * In light of the truth, can there be a Pre-trib rapture?

   * Why is it so difficult to understand all these things?

   * Could it be that we are trying to fit the events prophesied by Jesus into the wrong time period? Building on a wrong premise?

   * Why is prophecy so important anyway?

   * Can't we just ignore it and wait and see what happens?

Importance of Prophecy

Prophecy is given to us so that we may see the fulfillments and give glory to God. In the Old Testament, many times it is stated by God, Himself, through His prophets, these things will occur "that they may know that I am the Lord your God."

The Bible teaches us that the proof of a prophet is that what he predicts comes to pass. The Scripture says: "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken resumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." Deuteronomy 18:22. So, the sign of a true prophet of God is that all of his predictions take place, just as he said they would.

Jesus, besides all else that He was, was also God's greatest Prophet. He prophesied certain events which, He said, would take place in that generation. If those things did not occur, in that generation, He would have to be labeled a false prophet. Therefore, it is vitally important for those fulfillments to be clearly understood as a testimony to Jesus.

Realize, that any Bible prophecy which was fulfilled after the writing of the Scriptures, is not recorded in those Scriptures. How, then, would we know of its occurrence? We must observe it first hand, hear about it, or read about it from historians who wrote it down.

Now doesn't it stand to reason that, in the almost two thousand years since the time of Christ, at least some of His prophecies would have had their fulfillment?

Here, from the pages of history and early church writings, we will show that the predictions of Jesus were all true, and that many of them have already come to pass. Everything, of course, must be in harmony with the Word of God.

Olivet Discourse

Prophecies of Jesus found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 & Luke 21. We suggest that you go to Matthew 24 and read the chapter, then to Luke 21, read the chapter and compare with Matthew 24.

Prophecies

Some of the prophecies which we will cover include:

   * 1. First warning of desolation of the Temple (Matthew 23:38); no stone left upon another (Matthew 24:2).

   * 2. Beginning of birth pangs; Many come in Christ's name and mislead many.

   * 3. Wars, rumors of wars, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famine and earthquakes.

   * 4. Tribulation for His disciples, falling away of some, betrayal and hatred of one another. (Matthew 24:9).

   * 5. This gospel of the kingdom preached into all the world for a witness to all nations. (Matthew 24:14).

   * 6. The sign to indicate the beginning of the "great tribulation," "the abomination of desolation."

   * 7. "Great tribulation" such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. (Matthew 24:21, Mark 13:19).

   * 8. False Christs and false prophets, performing great signs and wonders, misleading, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22).

   * 9. Time-table: All upon this generation (Matthew 23:36 and Matthew 24:34).

  * 10. Jerusalem trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24).

Importance of Chapter 21 of Luke's Gospel to Understand the Olivet Discourse

One single factor, if no other, has caused us to lack understanding of the "great tribulation." We have read Matthew 24, and based all our doctrine on that chapter alone, or perhaps, we have also read Mark 13, and see that the two agree. But most readers, by the time they reach Luke 21, recognize that it is again the "Olivet discourse," and that they have already read it from the other Gospels, so they do not study it carefully.

There is much to be learned by the study of chapter 21 of Luke's Gospel concerning these things, and it is really the key to understanding most of the prophecies of Matthew 24. Luke's Gospel gives us the insight to recognize these prophesied events as they occur.

If we want to be pleasing to the Lord, we must take a more responsible approach than just taking someone else's word for what we believe. We must study it for ourselves. Only then can we be sure of what we believe, and have confidence to face the future. Please begin by reading Luke 21 in your own Bible.

What is the Bible definition of Tribulation?

Anyone who has done even a small amount of reading in the New Testament will have come upon the word "tribulation" perhaps many times. Just what is tribulation according to the Bible?

The word "tribulation," found in our English Bibles, comes from a Greek word, "thlipsis," which is defined as "affliction, distress, oppression."

This Greek word is used at least forty-two times in the New Testament, in various forms, but it is not always rendered "tribulation." It is sometimes "distress," "trial," or even "suffering." Sometimes it describes "anguish of mind or heart," or "afflictions," or again, it could be "trials," depending upon which English translation of the Bible you read. (See II Corinthians 1:4, 2:4 and Matthew 13:21)

Jesus warned His disciples of personal tribulation, which would come upon them before the "great tribulation" of Matthew 24:21.  He said, "In this world ye have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  John 16:33.

Paul stated in Romans 2:9 and 10, "there will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil". . ."but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good...." NASB.

Ever since sin entered the world, there has been some form of tribulation.

  Some of the Scriptures which tell of personal tribulation for those who follow Jesus are:  Acts 14:22b, "...and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."  This statement was made by some of the Apostles, who knew that they were to go through personal tribulation.  Romans 5:3, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;" This indicates  that personal tribulation can be good for us.

Some other places where tribulation is mentioned in the Bible include: Romans 12:12, "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;"  II Corinthinans 1:4, "Who comforteth us in all our tribulations...,"  Ephesians 3:13, "Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations...,"  and II Thessalonians 1:4, "So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure."

These are not all the references to tribulation to be found in the Bible, but are representative of them.

Both the Bible and history record that the early church suffered much personal tribulation, and in fact, such persecution was not unique to the early church. Even today, persecution and tribulation continues in many parts of the world. However, the kind of tribulation that is common throughout history is not the subject of this writing.

Not all tribulation found in the Bible is "great tribulation."   But Jesus, in the Olivet discourse of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and luke 21, did predict a time of "great tribulation," and that is what this writing is about.

"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."  Matthew 24:21.

The word for tribulation, used here, is "thlipsis," followed by the word "megale," meaning "great." In Mark 13, it is rendered "affliction:" "For in those days shall be affliction such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be." Mark 13:19.     This is the same Greek word used for "tribulation" in Matthew 24:21. It is from these two Scriptures that the end-time doctrines of the "great tribulation" originate.

Several other Scriptures in the Bible use the word "thlipsis," referring to "tribulation," but not to a specific period of time."Great tribulation" is named twice in the book of the Revelation (2:22 and 7:14), and "tribulation" is mentioned in Revelation 1:9. We will discuss these verses later, to show how they relate to the "great tribulation" of Matthew 24:21.

Matthew 24:29 says: "...after the tribulation of those days...,"  and Mark 13:24 says: "...after that tribulation...."

Both of these Scriptures refer to a specific time of tribulation, the worst since the beginning of the world, found in Matthew 24:21. The entire prophecy of the "great tribulation" is contained in seven verses, Matthew 24:15-21. Let's lay aside our preconceived ideas and prejudices, and let Scripture and history speak for themselves.

The Key to Understanding Scripture

To understand the Bible, we must first find the "key" which unlocks the Scriptures and makes them clear to us. That "key" is not a complicated matter. It is simply to find the context in which the Scriptures are written. That is done by reading well before the Scripture and continuing to read well past it. Once the proper context is established, the Scriptures become much clearer and easier to understand.

I recall a time, when I was much younger, and had just begun to search out truth in the Bible, that I spent an entire Sunday afternoon reading a Scripture over and over, trying to understand it. I was so determined to be sure of what it was saying, but it was still not clear. Then I stopped and prayed, and I started reading it again. Only this time, I started one paragraph earlier and it was very easy to see its meaning. At first I felt as if I had wasted the whole afternoon, but then I realized, that I had learned a very important principle.

The Bible is not a book of great mystery, if we take the time to read more than just selected verses. However, it does require diligent study to understand some of the truths to be found there. When we study enough to dig out all the facts on any Bible subject, we will have a good understanding of what God is saying to us.

What specific facts about the "great tribulation" are recorded in the Bible, which will give us the context of these Scriptures in Matthew 24?

Journalistic Approach

Anyone who has studied journalism will know that to be thorough in reporting on anything, his story must contain, at least, the answers to these questions: "Where?" "Who?" "Why?" "When?" "What?" and "How?" So let us apply this journalistic principle to our investigation of these Scriptures concerning the "great tribulation." Let's find answers from the Scriptures to the following questions:

What?

What does the Bible say that the Great Tribulation would be like?

This is clearly answered in Luke 21:23-24, which states that it will be vengeance, and great distress, in the land, and wrath upon this people, the Jews. They would be killed by the sword and their survivors led away captive into all nations. According to Matthew 24, nothing has ever been this bad before and will never be this bad again. This means that it can only happen ONCE. Note also that this prophecy was only for Judea, NOT for the whole world.

Where?

Chapter twenty three of Matthew's Gospel begins to set the stage for Chapter twenty four. The first "key" to the location of the "Great Tribulation" is found in Matthew 23:37-38: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."

In the foregoing Scripture, Jesus was addressing Jerusalem, and pronouncing a sentence of desolation upon the city and the temple (their house of worship).

Luke 21:20-21 is another "key" to where this "Great Tribulation" would occur. "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh, then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto."

Here we see again, that this "great tribulation" is to occur in Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and that those who are outside Judea (anywhere outside) are not to enter into it.  Jesus told His disciples to depart out of it (Judea) in order to escape the judgment which was about to come upon the Jews.  So the answer to our question, Where was the "great tribulation" to occur? is: Judea, specifically Jerusalem.

A very common misconception about the "Great Tribulation" is that it is on a worldwide scale. The prophecies of Jesus, however, do not indicate this, but confine it to Judea, as vengeance against the Jews who killed the prophets and Jesus. If you disagree with this, study in your Bible and you will see that it is true.

When?

When would the Great Tribulation occur? This is vital information. For an answer, we have only to read Luke 21:20: "and when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." Since Jerusalem has already been compassed with armies several times, it is important to determine to which time Jesus referred. We will give a very clear explanation of this one.

Who?

Who was to be affected by great tribulation? For our answer, let's look at Luke 21:23-24.

"But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:23-24.

Obviously, "the land" refers to Judea, from which the disciples were warned to flee, and "this people" (on whom the wrath would come) refers to those inhabitants of Judea, the Jews. They were to fall by the sword's edge and to be led captive into all nations. And again, Jerusalem is named as being trodden down of the gentiles. The answer to Towards whom is the great tribulation directed? is, the Jews.

Why?  (Why was it to occur?)

This is answered in Luke 21: "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." Luke 21:22.

Luke 21:23-24, makes it clear that the vengeance is upon the Jews. The reference to the fulfilling of "all things written" tells us that the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:37-38 and all foretold events are fulfilled during the "great tribulation period."

The answer to Why was it to occur? is clearly, to bring the promised vengeance and wrath of God upon the unbelieving and wicked Jews in exact fulfillment of Scriptural prophecy. 

How Does the Great Tribulation Occur?

How the "Great Tribulation" occurs is what you will learn as you continue through this material.

Review of Journalistic Approach

Now let us review our answers to our six questions:

   * Q. 1. Where was the great tribulation to occur?

   * A. 1. Jerusalem.

   * Q. 2. Toward whom was it to be directed?

   * A. 2. The unbelieving Jews.

   * Q. 3. Why was it to occur?

   * A. 3. Vengeance and wrath of God upon the Jews.

   * Q. 4. When would they know it was imminent?

   * A. 4. When Jerusalem was surrounded by armies.

   * Q. 5. What would it be like?

   * A. 5. Great distress in the land, wrath upon this people, death by sword and famine, survivors led captive into all nations.

     Q. 6. How would it occur? As was stated on the previous page, HOW is the story of the remainder of this WebPage.

     

Identifying the "Great Tribulation"

To begin to identify the"great tribulation," we must know the characteristics attributed to it by Jesus. Anything that does not meet the requirements of the prophecy can then be rejected, and those events that appear to measure up can be scrutinized carefully to see if they are, indeed, fulfillments.

From Matthew twenty-four, we learn that the "great tribulation" is preceded by wars and rumors of wars, nation rising up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines, earthquakes in various places, persecutions of the disciples of Jesus; then the Bible says many shall stumble, many false prophets shall arise and deceive many, and then the "abomination of desolation" heralds the beginning of the "great tribulation."

All these events which precede it are the identifying marks or characteristics. By the use of Scripture, we have already learned that the "great tribulation" is clearly identified in the Bible (Luke 21:21-24) as the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem with its people, the Jews. This narrows the "great tribulation" down to Judea, alone.  There will be some objections raised to this, which we will deal with at the appropriate time.

The prophecy of Jesus, recorded in Luke 19:41-44, said that Jerusalem would be leveled to the ground, and in Matthew 23:37-38 and 24:1-2, it says that their house (the temple) would be left desolate, not one stone upon another that would not be thrown down.

Since the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple is vital to the recognition of the "great tribulation," we need to have some knowledge of the history of Jerusalem, particularly as it relates to the temple. This will help us to narrow down the possibilities of fulfillment. The more information we have on anything, the greater our accuracy in identifying it.

If you are beginning to think that you know what I am going to say, and are saying to yourself, I've heard this before, I ask you to continue to read, you may hear facts that you have never heard.

     

     History of the Temple

    1012-1004 B.C., The first temple was build by Solomon.

               971 B.C., Temple was pillaged by Shishake, king of Egypt.

               740 B.C., Temple was desecrated (but not destroyed) by the Syrians.

               624 B.C., Repairs were made to the temple.

               605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem.

               587 B.C., First destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar's army.

               538 B.C., Cyrus, king of Persia, and conqueror of Babylonia, gives order to rebuild the temple.

               521 B.C., Darius the Mede becomes king of Persia.

               486 B.C., Xerxes the Great became king.

               457 B.C., Great reformation.

               217 B.C., Ptolemy profaned the temple.

               187 B.C., Heliodorus tries to plunder temple.

               168 B.C., King Antiochus IV (called Ephiphanes) built an altar to Jupiter Olympus in the temple, again                                                profaning it.

               166 B.C., Temple rededicated to God.

                 63 B.C., Jerusalem taken by Romans.

                 54 B.C., Crassus plundered temple.

                 18 B.C., Herod beautified the temple.

                 70 A.D., Second destruction of the city of Jerusalem and total desolation of the temple by the Romans.

                               

Temple Destroyed Twice

Even a quick glance over this capsule history of Jerusalem and the temple will reveal that, prior to the time of Christ, the temple was profaned several times, but it was destroyed and rebuilt only once. After the death of Jesus, the temple was destroyed a second time, and has never been rebuilt to this day. So, to date, there have been two destructions of the temple, but it was only rebuilt after the first destruction.

Long before the first temple was destroyed (sometime between 742 and 701 B.C.), Isaiah the prophet foretold that Jerusalem and the temple would be built. He said: "That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, thou shalt be built; and to the temple, thy foundation shall be laid." Isaiah 44:28. He called King Cyrus by name generations before he was born. (Also see Isaiah 45:13).

The first temple was still standing at the time of this prophecy, so Isaiah was actually foretelling that the temple would be destroyed, then rebuilt. Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and the captivity of the Jews for seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:1-12).

In fulfillment of that prophecy, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, took Jerusalem about 605 B.C. The temple was destroyed in 587 B.C., by the Babylonians, and the city and temple lay desolate.

Cyrus, king of Persia (just as Isaiah had predicted) conquered Babylonia and in the year 538 B.C. (as recorded in Ezra chapter one), gave the order to rebuild the temple and the city. The task fell to Zerubbabel. Cyrus let the Jews return to their country about 536 B.C. The rebuilding of the temple began, but the work was soon interrupted.  In the year 521 B.C., Daniel sought the Lord, confessing both his sins and those of his countrymen, and the Lord sent Gabriel to him.

     

Day-for-a-Year Principle

It is important, at this point, to introduce to you a principle which most Bible scholars recognize regarding prophecy. There is found in Ezekiel 4:5-6, a principle of substituting a day-for-a-year. It reads: "For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their iniquity of the house of Israel. When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year." Ezekiel 4:5-6, NASB.

God gave these instructions to Ezekiel, and it appears that such a principle of a day-for-a-year may also apply to some of the prophecies of Daniel.

           

Gabriel

When Gabriel appeared to Daniel, he told him: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon the holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end to sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:" Daniel 9:24-25a.

If it is true, as many scholars believe, that the day-for-a-year principle applies to prophecies other than those of Ezekiel, then the seventy weeks (490 days) of Daniel 9:24 could really be four hundred and ninety years. The seven weeks (49 days) of Daniel 9:25 would then equal forty-nine years, and the threescore and two weeks (434 days) could equal four hundred and thirty-four years. Added together, the seven weeks and sixty-two weeks would equal four hundred and eighty-three "prophetic" years. The remaining seven days (or years) of the four hundred and ninety, stated in Daniel 9:26, will be discussed as we get further along.  I am not trying to build a case upon an assumption that the day-for-a-year principle is absolute, but as we continue, it will be easy to see that the time-table does indeed match with the predictions, if we assume that principle to be valid.

If these figures are correct, the Messiah would come on the scene four hundred and eighty-three years from 457 B.C., which calculates out to A.D. 27 (there is no zero year in going from B.C. to A.D.) A.D. 27 is about the date of the baptism of Jesus, when He began to be about thirty years of age. Luke 3:23.

We are told that there could be an error in our present day calendar of as much as seven years or as little as three years, depending on who you listen to. Some have stated that Jesus was probably born between 6 B.C. and 3 B.C. If this is true, then in A.D. 27, He could have been thirty years of age, the customary age for the anointing for ministry according to the tradition.

Let me substantiate the dating of the four hundred and eighty-three years from 457 B.C.

Gabriel, in telling Daniel of the events to come, gave a reference point for the beginning of the fulfillment of his prophecy, the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. In addition to the decree of Cyrus, already mentioned, two other decrees followed before the temple was completely restored; the decree of Darius in 519 B.C., and the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C.

Notice that the decree of Cyrus (538 B.C.) predates the visit of Gabriel to Daniel (521 B.C.).

The question arises here as to which of these decrees Gabriel referred in his prediction of the coming of Messiah. This dilemma is solved by Ezra 6:14, a Scripture in which all three decrees are named and said to be "the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia."

It appears that the three are to be considered as one. After all, it was the commandment of God(a single commandment) issued by three kings at different times. So it appears that we should date the commandment at the last instance, or 457 B.C.

As we have already indicated, four hundred and eighty-three years after that decree, Jesus, the Messiah, was anointed for ministry at His baptism, as the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and remained, and as God spoke, saying: "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17.

Gabriel continued: "the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." Daniel 9:25. Nehemiah 4:17 tells us that the men who built the walls worked with one hand and defended themselves with the other. Their enemies were trying to prevent the reconstruction. Those were "troublous times."

The prophecy, given to Daniel by Gabriel, further states that the Messiah would be cut-off. "And after threescore and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary: and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." Daniel 9:26.

It is imperative for us to see that, in this prophecy in Daniel to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, following its first destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, there is also a prophecy of a second destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the people of the prince who was to come, after the coming of Messiah.

It specified that both the city and the sanctuary would be destroyed. The reference to a "flood" (Daniel 9:26) is interesting in light of a paragraph in the book JERUSALEM, by Kathleen M. Kenyon, which we will discuss later. It is specifically predicting a sudden war of desolation upon Jerusalem. Similar language is used by Daniel in Chapter 11:22, ". . . with the arm of a flood. . . ," and 11:26, ". . . and his army shall overflow." Both Scriptures mention water, but speak of war.  The same is true of Isaiah 8:6-8 where Isaiah described the attack by the Assyrian army in terms of a river, overflowing all his channels, and going over all the banks. He will overflow and pass over.  He will reach up to the neck.

Notice that in Daniel 9:26, Gabriel said after the threescore and two weeks, Messiah would be cut off. He explains this further: "And he [Messiah] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: [seven prophetic years] and in the midst of the week [halfway through the seven years] he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it [the temple] desolate, even until the consummation [a completion], and that determined [the destruction of Jerusalem] shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel 9:27.

A footnote in the NIV Bible says: "And one who causes desolation will come upon the pinnacle of the abominable temple, until the end that is decreed is poured out on the desolated city."  This "week," which came after the seven weeks and threescore and two weeks [a total of sixty-nine weeks] was the seventieth week of Daniel 9:24. "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people...." Using the day-for-a-year principle, we can see in this last verse, the prediction of a seven year period of time in which the Messiah [Jesus] confirms the covenant [salvation by grace through faith] with many.

Most dispensationalists insist that the seventieth week of Daniel is separated from the other sixty-nine weeks by the period of time from the Messiah to the "great tribulation," and they say the "great tribulation" will be a seven year period, yet future. They believe that Daniel 9:27 describes, not Christ, but Antichrist, who they say, will make a covenant with many and then break it after three and one-half years, and a worse tribulation is then said to follow.

I am one of the many who disagree with such doctrine, simply because there is no Scriptural evidence for such a separation, none at all.

Notice that in Daniel 9:27, the one referred to confirms "the" covenant. It is not the making of "a" covenant, but the "confirming" of "the" covenant. This one also causes the sacrifice to cease. This is exactly what Jesus did when He became the sacrificed lamb on the cross at Golgotha. God confirmed this by tearing the temple veil from top to bottom, (Matthew 27:51).

The sacrifices made thereafter had no value whatsoever. The Jews did continue to offer sacrifices until about forty years later, when God caused them to cease because of scarcity of animals. There has been no reinstitution of animal sacrifice by the Jews since that time, because there is no temple.

Abomination that Maketh Desolate

At this point, we know that Gabriel predicted the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple, then the coming of Messiah, followed by the second destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, after Messiah is cut off. Add to this the prophecy in Daniel 12:11, where Daniel spoke of the "abomination that maketh desolate." This appears to be the Scripture to which Jesus referred when He said: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains." Matthew 24:15-16.

Daniel also, two other times (Daniel 8:13 and 11:31), prophesied concerning "transgression of desolation" and the "abomination that maketh desolate." If you examine these Scriptures very carefully, it becomes obvious that they are not the same as Daniel 12:22. For starters, Daniel 8:13-14 specifies a time of 2300 evenings and mornings, and seems to be the same as Daniel 11:31, listing a sequence of rulers, culminating in Daniel 11:31.

This continuous line, as history witnesses, ends with Antiochus Ephiphanes (Described in various Bible commentaries). Antiochus profaned the temple, setting up pagan worship there and interrupting the daily sacrifice for 2300 days. These were literal days, because the prophecy in Daniel 8:13-14 specified evenings and mornings as in the days of the creation in Genesis chapter one. If you believe that the creation was literal days, then you have to accept Daniel 8:13-14 as literal days.  On the other hand, Daniel 12:11-12 speaks of 1290 days (taken literally, three years and seven months) and 1335 days (literally three years and eight months).

The Hebrew word used here was the word for "days," not evenings and mornings. These could be literal days, or prophetic years. I relate these at this time merely to contrast the number of days in Daniel 8:13-14 with the number in Daniel 12:11-12 to show that they are not the same, and that the "abomination that maketh desolate" occurs more than one time.

When Jesus made His reference to it, the desecration by Antiochus Ephiphanes was already long past, so Jesus necessarily spoke of the later time of the "abomination of desolation" (in Daniel 12:11-12). A minority of Bible scholars do not accept the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Ephiphanes as the fulfillment of the 2300 days prophecy. Although it seems right to me, that is not the case in point here.

     We can see from Matthew 24:15, that the "great tribulation" was to be the fulfilling of the prophecy of Daniel concerning the "abomination of desolation." And from Luke 21:20, we know that the desolation would be administered by armies surrounding Jerusalem. Because this prophecy in Daniel runs continuously from the first desolation, through the rebuilding of the temple and the city, the coming of Messiah and on to the second destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, we must consider this second destruction in our quest to find the actual fulfillment of the "great tribulation."

Since the time that Gabriel visited Daniel, recorded in Daniel, Chapter 9, and since Jesus prophesied this desolation, there has been only one destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. That was in A.D. 70. The temple has not been rebuilt since that time. As we have already seen, this second desolation of the temple and city was prophesied to occur after the cutting off of the Messiah.

Jesus was crucified in about A.D. 30, after three and one-half years of His ministry, and the second destruction of the temple and city followed within that generation, about thirty-eight to forty years afterwards, in A.D. 70. Jesus foretold this desolation and called it "great tribulation." Matthew 24:21).

At this point, we will begin to correlate the prophecies of the Olivet discourse with the actual historical events which occurred between the resurrection of Christ and the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70. We will see if these events fulfill the predictions Jesus made. His prophecies had required all these things to be fulfilled in that generation. A generation is considered to be forty years based on the forty years the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness until a generation died off. If we are to believe Jesus, we must look for fulfillments to come before that generation passed away. We will cover, later, what Jesus meant by "This Generation."      

     

Consummation of the Age

It is quite obvious, as you read Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, that all three chapters tell of exactly the same events. In these Scriptures, Jesus answered the questions of His disciples. Note that there are some slight variations in the three Gospels, even in the original language.

In Matthew 24:1, the disciples had pointed out the temple buildings to Jesus, and in verse two, He said: "There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." He was speaking of the destruction of the temple buildings, and (according to this account) said nothing about anything else.

In verse three, they were sitting upon the Mount of Olives, and the disciples asked Him (concerning His previous statement): "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and the end of the world?"1

Our problems at this point are manifold. This Scripture, in the King James Version, seems to be speaking of the second coming of Jesus and the end of the world as we know it.

Is this what Jesus was saying? Let us see what we can learn from the Greek text. The Greek word rendered "coming" is the word "parousia," which means "presence." That verse is speaking of the sign of His presence. The Greek word rendered "end" is "sunteleia," which means literally: "entire completion," and the word "aion," which the King James Version rendered "world," literally means "age," and according to Strong's Concordance, it further means: specifically (Jewish), "Messianic period."

The New American Standard Bible renders the latter part of Matthew 24:3, "end of the age." The Numeric English New Testament says: "and what the sign of thy presence and consummation of the age?" This is very close to the Greek meaning. Think about it. To speak of the consummation (entire completion) of an age is quite different from the "end of the world."

The parallel Scripture in Mark 13 states it this way: "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled [suntelesthai: to complete entirely]?" Mark 13:4.

What things? The things which Jesus spoke to them as they left the temple, concerning the destruction of the temple. The word "fulfilled" in Mark 13:4 could also be rendered "consummated." So we can see no contradiction between Mark and Matthew on this point, just some inconsistency in the work of the translators.  Also, notice that Mark 13:4 does not mention the "end of the world," but the fulfillment of the things Jesus told them. The same is true of Matthew 24:3 in the original language.

What is the consummation of the age? The book of Hebrews refers to it: "but now once at the consummation of the age, hath He [Jesus] been manifest to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." Hebrews 9:26b, NENT.  It appears that, according to the writer of Hebrews, the "consummation" of the age was that time period beginning with and following the ministry of the Messiah, not the end of the world.

The King James Version rendered Hebrews 9:26b: "but now once in the end of the world has he appeared [past tense] to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." They translated it as if the end of the world had already come. We know that the consummation of that age was not the end of the world.

Luke 21:7 is very similar to Mark 13:4, "And they asked Him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign when these things shall come to pass?

The word here translated "come to pass," is the Greek "genesthai," meaning: "begin to be fulfilled." It is quite obvious that when the disciples asked "when" and "what sign," they were simply referring to His previous remarks concerning the destruction of the temple.  The same is true of the question "when shall these things be?" recalling again His earlier statements.

Notice also in Luke's account, there is no mention of the end of the world. The destruction of the temple was the subject under discussion, and the time of its fulfillment. We must be careful to understand this and not to read into it something that the Word of God does not say.

       

Take Heed

Jesus warned His disciples, "Take heed lest any man deceive you. For many shall come in My name saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:4-5, Mark 13:3-4, Luke 21:8. "And the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them." Luke 21:8b. (This is similar to Matthew 24:26 and Mark 13:21).

Did this happen? Yes! There were many who came and pretended to be the Messiah and each one met death and came to naught.

Within one year of this prophecy, came a man named Dositheus the Samaritan who boldly claimed to be the Messiah.  A disciple of Dositheus, Simon Magus claimed to be the "Great Power of God."

Three years later, another Samaritan declared the he would show the people the sacred utensils that he said were deposited by Moses on Mt. Gerizim. He amass a great multitude of armed men, but Pilate defeated them and killed their Samaritan leader.

During the reign of Cuspius Fadus, procurator of Judea, there arose one named Theudas.  He induced a great number of men to follow him to the Jordan, saying that the waters would part on his command.  Fadus' army went after them on horses and killed many of them and the Theudas was beheaded.

When Felix was governor, many rose up, almost daily, in Judea persuading people to follow them into the wilderness where they would show signs and wonders from the ALMIGHTY. Many were pursued by Felix and put to death.

About A.D. 55, the celebrated Egyptian impostor, Felix, (not to be confused with the governor) assembled thirty thousand followers who accompanied him to the Mount of Olives, saying he would command the walls of Jerusalem to fall down as a prelude to the capture of the Roman garrison and to their obtaining the sovereignty of the city.  The governor saw this as a revolt and slew four hundred of them.  The Egyptian impostor escaped.

When Porcius Festus reigned about A.D. 60, another impostor promised deliverance from the Roman yoke, if the people would follow him into the wilderness.  Festus send out armed force to destroy them and their leader.

You can see that there was no shortage of false Christs as Jesus had predicted. "For many will come in My name saying 'I am the Christ' and mislead many." Matthew 24:5.

When Jesus said "the time draweth near," He wasn't indicating something that would happen two thousand years later. If that were the case, He would have been deceiving them, for they would never live to see it. Instead, He was warning them of things which would happen in their own generation, and they did.

Matthew 24:6, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars." 7. "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom."

Next, Jesus warned of wars and tumults, and rumors of wars, and said, "be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not immediately." Matthew 24:6b, Luke 21:9b, NENT. Notice that the wars and tumults and rumors of wars occur prior to the destruction of the temple, as indicated by the word "first."

Were there, in fact, wars, tumults and rumors of wars in the forty years following that prophecy? Indeed there were!

Right from the pages of History we read: There arose robbers in Jerusalem called Sicarii.1 They hid daggers in their clothing and mixed among crowds at festivals. They would seek out and kill their victim and then become a part of the crowd, and no one knew who was the perpetrator. This caused each man to be suspicious of even his closest friends, and to constantly fear death.

Some men pretended that God had told them He would show them freedom in a place in the wilderness and led many away, but Felix, the procurator, thought it was a revolt and killed a large number of them.

About three years after Christ was crucified, war broke out between Herod and Aretas, king of Arabia Petraea in which Herod's army was cut off.

Emperor Caligula ordered his statue to be placed in the temple of Jerusalem.  The Jews, of course, refused him and there were rumors of war, but it never materialized.

Then, a great number of Jews left Babylon and went to Seleucia.  The Greeks and Syrians destroyed myriads of them. (Josephus said this slaughter had no parallel in prior history).

Five years later, the Jews at Perea and the Philadelphians fought over the city limits of Mia and the Jews were slain.

Four years later, when Cumanus ruled, the Jews reacted to an act of indignity of a Roman soldier, but when they saw the Roman army approaching in large number they panicked and trampled to death ten thousand Jews in the streets.

Three years later, the Samaritans murdered a Galilean on his way to keep the Passover in Jerusalem. To get revenge, the Jews fought against the Samaritans and ravaged their country.

At Caesarea, the Jews who were mixed with Syrians raised a tumult over city government.  They argued over whether the city was Grecian or Jewish. This led to an armed conflict between Jews and Greeks. The city was decreed to the Syrians.  This brought about the greatest conflict between those two nations. The Jews beat the Syrians in one battle, and Felix sent soldiers out to slay a great many Jews. About twenty thousand Jews were killed.  Wherever Jews and Syrians lived in the same city, slaughter was a common occurrence.  This included Tyre, Gadara, Scythopolis, Damascus and Ascalon.  At Damascus, ten thousand Jews were killed in one hour.  At Scythopolis, thirteen thousand in a night.

At Alexandria rose up against the oppressive Romans.  The Romans killed fifty thousand Jews, including infants to aged.  At Jopata, forty thousand Jews perished.

There were many attacks of Romans by Jews and Jews by Romans (even Jews fighting among themselves) in the years prior to A. D. 66.  This is well recorded in the "Complete Works of Josephus" to be found in almost any library.

An Egyptian false prophet got together thirty thousand Jews and led them around the wilderness to the Mount of Olives, and was going to break into Jerusalem by force, but again, Felix sent Roman soldiers against them and many were killed.

Some deceivers persuaded Jews to revolt and kill other Jews who obeyed the Roman government. They plundered the homes of the great men and slew them and then set their villages on fire, until Judea was filled with their madness.

Festus succeeded Felix and destroyed many of the seditious. Albinus succeeded Festus and he was a thief, burdening the whole nation with taxes, allowing prisoners to be redeemed for money, and set free. He became joined to robbers and tyranny was generally tolerated at that time.

Florus succeeded Albinus and all but legalized robbery, as long as he shared in the spoils.

The people of Jerusalem (three million of them) gathered around Cestius Gallus when he visited Jerusalem and tried to persuade him to put an end to Florus' exploitation of their country. Florus deluded Gallus and continued to incite the Jews to rebel in order to divert attention from his own vice.

Florus had his soldiers bring some of the nonviolent Jews before him, and chastised them with stripes, then crucified them. They had done no wrong. He destroyed about thirty-six hundred men, women and children in this way.

In vain, Bernice, wife of Herod (king of Chalcis) petitioned Florus to spare the Jews. As often as the rebellion subsided, Florus would incite the Jews to rebel again.2 All this is well accepted history from the writings of Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian of the first century. It all obviously qualifies as fulfillment of the predictions Jesus made, as recorded in Matthew 24:4-6

"For nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers [various] places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." Matthew 24:7-8, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:10-11.

We have seen that nation did rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, but what about famines, pestilences, and earthquakes?

         

Pestilences and Famine

The fulfillment of prophecy of pestilences and famines began within about ten years. Look at this Scripture: "And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth [Greek: Limos, meaning scarcity of food, as destitution, famine] throughout all the world [oikoumenen: inhabited earth or Roman Empire]: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar." Acts 11:27-28.3 Claudius Caesar was in power from A.D. 41 to A.D. 54. So there it is, right in your own Bible, and if you continue to read a few verses, it refers to Judea by name.

This great famine extended through Greece and into Italy. To alleviate the famine, Helena, queen of Adiabena, sent large quantities of grain from Alexandria and her son, Izates, gave vast sums to the governors of Jerusalem for relief of sufferers.  The Gentile Christians also sent contributions for relief of the distresses of the Jews: I Corinthians 16:2&3. "On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. 3. And when I arrive, whomever you may approve, I shall send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem;"

Dion Cassius states that there was a famine at Rome in the first year of Claudius.  In the eleventh year of Claudius, Eusebius mentions another famine.

The book ESSENTIAL ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY by Isaac Boyles, contains the following on page 72, Chapter XIX: "Whilst Claudius held the government of the empire [A.D. 41-54], it happened about the festival of the passover, that so great a sedition and disturbance took place at Jerusalem, that thirty thousand Jews perished of those alone who were crowded out of the gate of the temple, and thus trodden to death by one another."

Earthquakes

Matthew 24:7b, Earthquakes:   There were numerous earthquakes that are spoken of in the Bible.  Tacitus records that there was an earthquake at Rome, and a very severe one at Apamea in Syria, during the reign of Claudius.

Philostatus wrote of an earthquake in Crete in his "Life of Apollonius," Which also occurred in the reign of Claudius.  He also wrote of quakes in Miletus, Chios, Smyrna and Samos (all in places where Jews lived).

In the reign of Nero, Tacitus, Eusebius and Orosius all mentioned an earthquake in Laodicia.

Eusebius and Orosius also mentioned that Hieropolis and Colose were overthrown by an earthquake.

Tacitus and Seneca both told of quakes in Campania and later at Rome in the reign of Galba, recorded by Suetonius.

Josephus wrote of a heavy storm with violent winds and much rain, lightning, tremendous thunder and roarings of earthquakes. He said: "It seemed as if the system of the world had been confounded for the destruction of man kind; and one might well conjecture that these were signs of no common event."

As you can well see, history records numerous severe earthquakes in the seven years preceding A.D. 70, some associated with Mt. Vesuvius, which eventually erupted on August 24, A.D. 79, after four hundred years of dormancy.4 There was an earthquake at the crucifixion of Jesus, and again at His resurrection. Acts 16:26 records an earthquake when Paul was in jail, and all the doors were opened and every bond was broken loose. It says it was a great earthquake. Most encyclopedias will tell you that there was a series of earthquakes from A.D. 63 to A.D. 79. So the prophetic requirement for earthquakes in various places before the "great tribulation," was satisfied.    

    

Review

      

Now let us recapitulate a bit. We have the warning about deception by false prophets, then wars and rumors of wars that all came to pass, then the beginning of sorrows (nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom), pestilences, famine, earthquakes and trouble. We can see that there were adequate fulfillments of all these in the forty years preceding A.D. 70, so we will continue with the predictions of Jesus, and see if there are other fulfillments of His words.

Signs from Heaven      

Following the prediction of famines, pestilences and trouble, discussed in the previous chapter, Jesus made a forecast of fearful sights and great signs from heaven (this is only recorded in Luke 21:11). Notice, not in heaven, but from heaven.  History records that many great signs were given the Jews in the forty years from the crucifixion of Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem.

The first sign was that of a star like a sword which hung over Jerusalem, then a comet which continued for a year. At the feast of unleavened bread, at the ninth hour of the night, a great light shone around the altar of the temple for half an hour.

At that same feast, a cow gave birth to a lamb in the temple. The eastern gate of the temple, made of heavy brass which took twenty men to shut, was bolted and barred, and at the sixth hour of the night, it opened on its own. All over the area, chariots and armies were seen fighting in the clouds, and besieging cities. A voice was heard, which sounded like a multitude, saying: "Let us depart hence!"

Four years before the war, a man from the country, named Jesus, began (in a time of peace and prosperity) to cry out: "A voice from the east! a voice from the west! a voice from the four winds! a voice against Jerusalem and the temple! a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides! and a voice against all the people!" "Wo, wo to Jerusalem," "Wo, wo to the city and to the people, and to the temple!"  He did this for years, until he was struck and killed by a stone from a sling or war engine.

Although he had received many stripes from the magistrates, and underwent much punishment, they could not restrain him until his prophecy was completed, and then he died.1

So the signs which were predicted in Luke 21:11 were from heaven, and literally came to pass prior to A.D. 70.

But Before all These

Jesus, following His description of signs from heaven, gave a very specific warning to those listening to Him at that very moment. He said: "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues [of the Jews], and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay [refute] nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake. But there shall not a hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls." Luke 21:12-19. NENT

Notice the frequent use of the word "you" in this paragraph. Jesus was explaining to His disciples what would occur before all the other things He had just told them, and it would involve them personally, not some future generation.

History confirms this, as we read in the Book of Acts, and in secular history, of persecutions and violent deaths of many of His disciples. He said they would be delivered up to the synagogues, which could hardly happen to us today, but was a real threat to the disciples in that age, because of the power of the Jewish leaders.

He said they would be delivered up to prisons [Paul spent many years in prison and several others had shorter incarcerations], before kings and rulers [read Acts Chapters 21-28] for "My name's sake," and it would turn to them for a testimony. The book of Acts is full of dissertations of Paul, before various authorities as a testimony to them.

That Jesus was addressing those events that would occur "before all these," can readily be seen also in Mark 13:9, "But look to yourselves: [specifying His disciples] for they [the Jews] shall deliver you up to councils: [sanhedrin] and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for My sake, for a witness to them." Mark 13:9, NENT.

How clear can it be? The reason for their persecution was spelled out plainly, that it was for a testimony, a witness to those before whom they would be taken. Can you think of circumstances under which an unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ would be more effective? If they stood strong before councils and kings and rulers, this made their witness much more effective to those looking on. And many of them believed. Even some of the rulers almost believed. "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, " would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I, except these bonds." Acts 26:28-29.

So we can see that Jesus was pointing out the events that would befall the disciples prior to the time of sorrows. Those words in Luke 21:12-19 were addressed personally to His disciples. In fact, this whole portion of Scripture is almost identical to Matthew 10:16-23, where Jesus sent out the twelve Apostles, telling them: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves. But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak." Luke 21:12-19, NASB.

Now there is no doubt that the above was addressed to the Apostles, because the text in Matthew 10:5 says so, and likewise, Luke 21:12-19, which states it in almost the same words, was addressed to His disciples. Mark 13:3 specifically names Peter, James, John and Andrew as the ones who asked the questions. Matthew 24:3 tells us that the questions were asked by His disciples, privately. The very fact of the martyrdom of many of His disciples shows that He was speaking of what would befall them, specifically, as a witness or testimony of Him.

The nineteenth verse of Luke 21 closely parallels Matthew 24:13 and Mark 13:13, "In your patience possess ye your souls," or as stated in Matthew and Mark, "But he that shall endure [have patience] unto the end, the same shall be saved [possess his soul or 'person']."

This Gospel of The Kingdom

Only one thing remained in this sequence of prophecies before the destruction could come. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached into all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14.

This may come as a surprise, but this Scripture appears to be speaking of the end of the age contemporary with Jesus, and not the end of the world itself.  Mark puts it this way: "And the gospel must first be published among all nations." Mark 13:10.

What is the significance of the word first? Before what? Notice that this statement is located in the middle of the warning that Jesus gave His disciples about what would happen to them prior to the time of sorrows.

"But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you [disciples] up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before kings for My sake, for a testimony against [Greek text says "to"] them; and the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they lead you [disciples] and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak..." Mark 13:9-11a.

Notice that Matthew 24:14 says "...into all the world for a witness [marturion: evidence]" and Mark 13:9 reads: "...and ye [disciples] shall be brought before kings for My sake, for a testimony [marturion: evidence] to them;" It's the same Greek word for both, witness and testimony, but the King James version renders it witness one time and testimony the other. Many times, what appear to be discrepancies in our Bibles, are only inconsistent rendering of words.

So the purpose that Jesus gave for first publishing the Gospel (good news) at that time, was to allow all those, who could possibly lose their lives in the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem, the opportunity to repent and accept Christ, and to be warned to flee the wrath to come.

This is a principle with God, that He is altogether just and always forewarns His people through His prophets before doing anything (Amos 3:7).2

The Jews were given almost forty years, after they killed Jesus, to repent and escape the destruction, but they would not.3 "He came unto His own and His own received Him not." John 1:11. Had they received Him, they would have been spared.

We have already seen that the Jews resisted Jesus and the prophets, killing many of them, and putting to death the Christ on a cross. This is why it says "this Gospel must first be published." Jerusalem was about to be destroyed.

The Gospel went first to the Jews, then after they rejected it, to the gentiles, including all other nations and even to the Israelites in the dispersion.

And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you [Jews] first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For thus the Lord has commanded us, 'I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth.' And when the Gentiles heard this they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:46-48, NASB.

Habitable Earth

When Matthew 24:14 says "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached into all the world," the word for world is the Greek word oikoumene, which means: habitable earth, or specifically, the Roman Empire. That is how the word oikoumene was used in those days.4 It did not mean the whole earth.

When the Bible speaks of the whole world, the Greek word is kosmos, from which we get our word, cosmos, that we use now-a-days for "universe." The following is an example from Scripture of the use of the word kosmos. "Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world [kosmon], this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial to her." Mark 14:9.

Notice that world is kosmon, another form of kosmos. We can see from this Scripture that the word kosmos means the whole world.

Now a very good example of the use of oikoumene: And it came to pass in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the habitable world [oikoumenen] should be registered." Luke 2:1, BINT.

This speaks of the part of the world over which Caesar Augustus had authority as all the habitable world. Any good Bible atlas will show that the Roman Empire covered only a small portion of the whole world.

Oikoumene means the habitable earth, or Roman Empire. Kosmos means the whole world, as far as the New Testament Greek is concerned.

When in Matthew 24:14 it says: "into all the world for a witness unto all nations," the word oikoumene is used, meaning all the nations under control of the Roman Empire.

Matthew 24:14 then says: "and then shall the end come."

It seems that a more literal rendering of this Scripture might be: "And there shall be proclaimed these glad tidings [gospel] of the kingdom in all the habitable earth, for a testimony to all the nations; and then shall come the end." The end spoken of here was the end of that age, and of Jerusalem as a nation, with its inhabitants, not the end of the world.

In his book, "The Search for the Twelve Apostles," William Steuart McBirnie, Ph.D., Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, IL., has the following information:

p. 282, The evidence on the subject, though ( as we have said) not copious, is yet conclusive so far as it goes; and this is all one way. "The most important portion of it is supplied by Clement, the disciple of Paul mentioned in Phil. iv. 3, who was afterward bishop of Rome.  This author, writing from Rome to Corinth, expressly asserts that Paul had preached the gospel 'IN THE EAST AND IN THE WEST,' that he 'had instructed the whole world [i.e. the Roman empire, which was commonly so called] in righteousness,' and that he 'had gone to the extremity of the west' before his martyrdom.

"Now, to a Roman author the extremity of the West could mean nothing short of Spain, and the expression is often used by Roman writers to denote Spain.  Here, then, we have the express testimony of Paul's own disciple that he fulfilled his original intention (mentioned Rom. xv. 24-28) of visiting the Spanish penisula, and consequently that he was liberated from his first imprisonment at Rome.

p. 290, "Capellus, in History of the Apostles, writes: "'I know scarcely of one author from the time of the Fathers downward who does not maintain that St. Paul, after his liberation, preached in every country of the West, in Europe, Britain included.'" (The Drama of the Lost Disciples, George F. Jowett, p. 196)

However there is more solid evidence for an early Christian tradition of Apostolic evangelism in Britain--possibly that of St. Paul.

TERTULLIAN, A. D. 155-222, the Early Father, the first great genius after the Apostles among Christian writers, writing in A. D. 192, said: "The extremities of Spain, the various parts of Gaul, the regions of Britain, which have never been penetrated by the Roman Arms, have received the religion of Christ." (Tertullian, Def. Fidei, p. 179)" (St. Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury, Rev. Lionel Smithett Lewis, pp. 129, 130)

ORIGEN, another Early Father (A. D. 185-254), wrote: "'The divine goodness of Our Lord and Saviour is equally diffused among the Britons, the Africans, and other nations of the world." (Ibid)

"ST. CLEMENT speaks of Paul going to "the extremity of the West, then returning to Rome and suffering martyrdom before the sovereigns of mankind."

  

Gospel Proof    

Jesus said: "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then the end shall come." Matthew 24:14.  Does the Bible say that this occurred?

The following Scripture shows the preaching of the Gospel to the nations (Gentiles) in progress:

"For thus the Lord has commanded us, I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU SHOULD BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH. And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."  Acts 13:47-48. NASB.

The Bible, itself, tells us that the gospel reached the whole earth at that time. "For the Scripture saith, Whoever believeth on Him shall not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for He is the same Lord of all, rich unto all that call upon Him: for, Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful the feet of them that bring a gospel of good things! But they did not hearken to the gospel. For Isaiah saith, [prophetically] Lord, who hath believed our report? The faith therefore is by hearing, and hearing by Christ's word. But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound when out into all the earth [ge=soil; region; part or whole of the globe], and their words unto the ends of the earth [ge]."   Romans 10:11-18, NENT.

  --This Scripture refers to preaching of the gospel (glad tidings), saying that Israel is without excuse, because the gospel (evangel) had gone out into all the earth at that time.

Another Scripture in the Bible addresses this spread of the gospel: "because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, just as in all the world..." [The Greek word for "world" here is Kosmos, meaning the orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration, by implication: world and its inhabitants].

"If in deed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not move away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and which I, Paul, was made a minister," Colossians 1:5, 6 and 23, NASB.

Yet a third Scripture found in Romans 16:25-27 says:  "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

Again, Paul wrote in Romans 15:18, "For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jersualem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation; 21 but as it is written, "They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard shall understand."

22 For this reason I have often been hindered from coming to you; 23 but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you 24 whenever I go to Spain -- for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while -- 25 but now I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints."

What did Paul mean when he said there was no further place for him in those regions?  He meant that he had covered them thoroughly with the gospel and it was time to continue on to somewhere else.  He was now planning to go to Spain.

     In Acts 19:10 it says that all in Asia heard.

     In Acts 13:49 It says that the . . .word. . .spread through the whole region. . .

     Romans 1:8, "Your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world."

Cities and countries where the Book of Acts specifically says the Gospel was preached.

Antioch, Syria, Cilicia, Cypress, Pamphylia, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Phrygia, Galatian region, Asia, Mysia, Bithynia, Troos, Macedonia, Samotrace, Neopolis, Phillipi, Thyatira, Amphipolis, Appollonia, Thessalonica, Berea,  Corinth,  Cenchrea, Ephesus, Caesarea, Alexandria, Achaia, Athens, Greece, Assos, Mitylene, Chios, Samos, Miletus, Cos, Rhodes, Patara, Phoenicia, Tyre, Ptolemais, Mnason, Tarsus, Damascus, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Antipatris, Rome, Italy, Myra in Lycia, Cnidus, Crete, Salmone, Rheguim, Puteoli, Azotus, Galilee, Judea, Samaria, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, Arabia, Lydda, Joppa, Seleucia, Salamis, Paphos, Perga, Pesidian, Lycaonia, Attalia, Three Taverns. Ethiopian Eunuch.  A total of over 80 cities and countries.

Most of the above list was the work of one man, Paul.  Phillip preached to all the cities from Azotus to Caesarea.  Note that Rome and Italy are listed separately and the same is true of Athens and Greece. This indicates that the country as well as specific cities were taught the Gospel.   The other apostles were also busy preaching the Gospel to the Jews and some gentiles.

Remember, that Jesus sent them in to all the habitable earth (oikoumene) for a witness.  Look up the word "world," as used in Matthew 24:14, in your concordance and you'll see the truth.

Was the Gospel preached into all the world (oikoumene) for a witness? It is hard to argue with the Scriptures. The Gospel was taken into all the world for a witness at that time.

Eusebius

Eusebius, described as the Christian Church's greatest historian, writing in the fourth century, had this to say: "Thus, then, under a celestial influence and cooperation, the doctrine of the Savior, like the rays of the sun, quickly irradiated the whole world. Presently, in accordance with divine prophecy, the sound of his inspired evangelists and apostles had gone throughout all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."

Writing of a time prior to A.D. 70, Eusebius said: 'And it was at this time that "over all the land there went forth the voice" of His holy apostles and "their words over all the earth."'5

Further, speaking of the apostles, Eusebius said: 'They were driven from the land of Judea and they traveled to all the nations, bringing the message of the Gospel. They did so by the power of Christ, for He had said to them: "Go and teach all nations in My name."'6 So the church's greatest historian agrees, that the gospel had already been preached into all the world for a witness, prior to the desolation of the city and the temple in A.D. 70.

At another place, Eusebius said: "As for the holy apostles, and disciples of our Savior, they had spread over all the inhabited world."7

Again, we quote Eusebius, "But the members of the church in Jerusalem were instructed by a prophecy, revealed to the leaders, to abandon the city before the war and to take up residence in one of the cities of Perea which was named Pella. From Jerusalem the followers of Christ migrated to Pella, and thus the royal Capital of the Jews and the whole land of Judea were all abandoned by holy men. The justice of God could now at last come upon the Jews for all their crimes against Christ and his apostles. This race of impious men could at last be blotted from the world."8

As we saw in Acts 13:46-48, the Jews rejected the gospel, and following its proclamation, the end did come, indeed, in the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

It is also easy to see that the early church historians did not know about many of the inhabited areas of the earth. They spoke of the area that they knew as the whole inhabited earth.

The Great Commission

Just because the gospel was preached into all the world (habitable earth) for a witness at that time does not mean that we should stop evangelizing the world today. As long as there is a person on the earth who does not know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, we must continue to freely share the good news of the gospel.

Matthew 26:13 says: "Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached through the whole world (kosmon)..." This indicates that it would reach beyond the Roman Empire at some point in time, which we know it has. The "great commission" in Matthew 28 tells us to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe the commandments of Jesus. It is sufficient evidence that we should continue to share the gospel, that God honors our efforts by bringing into His kingdom many converts by means of the Gospel. If there were no such results from our efforts, only then would we be justified in questioning its continuance.  But, the prophecy of preaching the gospel to all the world for a witness was literally fulfilled before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

    

The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple

The Temple in Jerusalem was originally built by Solomon. The Temple has been destroyed twice. The first destruction by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the rebuilding after 70 years is very well recorded in the Bible.

The second destruction was after all the Bible had been written, therefore it is not recorded there. But there is a very good record of it in the writings of Flavius Josephus.

Josephus was a Jew who was carried out of Jerusalem in a coffin, while it was under siege by Titus' Roman Army.  The Jews considered him a traitor, however, if he had remained in Jerusalem as the others did, we would not have his very detailed and very conscienciously written history of that time period.

Even though the Jews do not recognize Josephus, their history of that time very closely parallels his on most events. The history by Josephus is well accepted and highly acclaimed by the rest of the world.

I will relate to you the significant events that have to do with our discussion of the Great Tribulation. As you read through this, notice how it lines up with the prophecies of Jesus on the Mount of Olives (Luke 21).     

   

Second Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple

Because many people have never heard of the events which occurred in Jerusalem between A.D. 66 and A.D. 73, it is essential to include here some history of that period.

The actual destruction of Jerusalem, which began in the spring of A.D. 70, was the culmination of years of conflict and provocation between the Jews and Romans.1

Jerusalem first fell to Roman control in 63 B.C., and remained under Roman domination until four years before its destruction. The Jews seized control of the city in A.D. 66. About May of that year, the Jews attacked the Romans that were at Masada, and slew them. Then Eleazar, the son of Ananias the High Priest, persuaded the officiating priests to receive no gift or sacrifice for any foreigner. This eventually led to the refusal of Caesar's sacrifice, and ultimately started the war.2

Eleazar's men killed a group of Roman soldiers on the Sabbath day. The people of Cesarea killed the Jews among them on the same day and hour when the soldiers were slain. In one hour, twenty thousand Jews lay dead.

At Alexandria, Tiberius Alexander sent two Roman Legions plus five thousand other soldiers to destroy the seditious Jews. These soldiers rushed violently into the Delta, and destroyed unmercifully, catching Jews in open fields as well as some in their homes. No mercy was shown, regardless of age. They slaughtered until the place overflowed with blood, and fifty thousand lay dead upon heaps.

Cestius Gallus took part of his forces and marched into Zebulon of Galilee, finding it deserted by its men, the multitude having fled to the mountains, they plundered the city.3 Cestius also besieged Jerusalem in A.D. 66, and then retreated without apparent cause.4 He was severely attacked in his retreat and suffered great casualties.   

          

Abomination of Desolation

The Christians who were in Jerusalem at the time recognized the assault upon the city by Cestius Gallus as the fulfillment of the words of our Lord, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand): Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:" Matthew 24:15-16. It is said that every Christian in the city fled. Most of them went to Pella in Decapolis, as they had been instructed.

Was the presence of the Roman army of Cestius Gallus actually the "abomination of desolation"? The Roman army was considered an abomination by the Jews, because of the Roman's ensigns and images which they worshipped and to which they sacrificed.

Where is the holy place in which the abomination of desolation was to appear? Was it the temple proper? This is what many believe, but Ezekiel 43:12 indicates differently. "This is the law of the house; upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be holy. Behold this is the law of the house." Ezekiel 43:12. [emphasis mine].

So the mere presence of the Roman army in the "holy city" was an abomination, standing where it ought not.

If we read only Matthew and Mark, we have difficulty fully comprehending the reference to the "abomination of desolation," but let us now look at Luke's account of these same prophecies and we will see why the Christians believed this to be what Jesus had foretold: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people." Luke 21:20-23.

Notice again, that this prophecy is not for the whole world, but for those in Judea only. Actually, the siege of the city under Cestius Gallus did not materialize into the destruction of the city. That was to come later, but it served the Christians well, in that it afforded them time to escape before the actual desolation came.

This vengeance which Jesus prophesied had to come upon the Jews in order to fulfill the Scriptures. There was to be distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. "This people" refers to the Jews, who both killed Jesus and the prophets (1 Thessalonians 2:15), and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children." Matthew 27:25. The desolation was not intended to ensnare the Christians, for they had the words of Jesus warning them to flee when certain events began to occur.

Eusebius, in his history, reports that an oracle of the Lord directed them to flee from Jerusalem. They fled across the Jordan river to Pella. It is said by Eusebius that not one Christian was killed in the destruction of Jerusalem.5 By A.D. 69, the Jerusalem church was gone entirely,6 gathered out of the tribulation by the Lord's word.

Although the A.D. 66 attack by Cestius Gallus was not the destruction of Jerusalem, it did signal the beginning of what is called the "great tribulation." There followed, continuous attacks of Jews upon Romans, and Romans upon Jews.

The people of Damascus slew the Jews that lived with them. A short time later, Vespasian was sent into Syria by Nero to make war with the Jews there. He slew ten thousand Jews and two Jewish generals, John and Silas.

Vespasian took Gadara, Jotapata, Joppa, and Taricheae, and helped his son Titus in taking Gamala. Great was the slaughter of the Jews by Vespasian.

Titus then took Gischala and John of Gischala fled to Jerusalem. As there was preparation for war with Rome, there were, inside, various factions fighting each other.

Idumeans

The Idumeans (from Edom, descendants of Esau) came to Jerusalem at the invitation of the zealots. They infiltrated the temple during a storm, murdering everyone they encountered, which included Jesus (one of the high priests) and Zacharias, whom they killed in the temple.

The Zealots who had sent for the Idumeans, slew a great many more of the citizens, themselves.7 Vespasian persuaded the Romans to not proceed in the war at that time.

At one point, Vespasian made preparation for the siege of Jerusalem, but because of Nero's suicide, he changed his mind. All these events, and many more, too numerous to recount here, occurred prior to the actual destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. So the Jews, not only in Jerusalem, but throughout the land, had suffered great loss of life.

Then in the spring of A.D. 70, Titus, heir to the throne of Rome, went to take a look at Jerusalem. He was surrounded there by such a large group of Judean citizens that he barely escaped with his life.      

           

Jerusalem Surrounded by Armies

A short time later, eighty thousand men with battering rams surrounded Jerusalem. Jesus had said: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." Luke 21:20.

Right before the Passover festival, large numbers of men came into Jerusalem to defend it. Jesus had said "Let not them that are in the countries enter therein." Luke 21:21c. The walls were more strongly fortified, as Titus formed his huge army all around Jerusalem. Then he sent word to the inhabitants to surrender, demanding submission, taxes and recognition of Roman rule. Titus desired to spare the destruction of the temple and the city, but the Jews refused all negotiations, swearing to defend their city with their lives. As the Roman army attacked, the first encounter was successful for the Jews, as they caught the 10th Legion by surprise on the Mount of Olives.

            

Battering Rams

During the Passover of A.D. 70, Titus came with his battering rams, but the Jews quickly destroyed them. The Jews fought the Romans with their own weapons. They also threw stones upon them and poured boiling oil on their heads from the walls. But the Romans repaired the rams and finally forced the Jews back and took the outer wall. They also seized the nearby town of Bezetha.

After fighting for seventeen days, the Romans reached the Antonine Tower and the Jews at last realized that it would be a fight to the death.

The army of Titus crucified five hundred prisoners in one day. They also cut off the hands of some of the Jews and sent them back into the city to instill fear in the people.     

          

Siege Wall

Jesus said: "For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side. . ." Luke 19:43, NASB.

Titus held a council of war, and listened to suggestions from various parties as to how he should proceed. He felt the only way to prevent the Jews from getting new supplies and continuing to resist was to completely cut them off, so he had his soldiers build a siege wall, totally encompassing the city. The wall was four and a half miles around, with thirteen large forts outside, and the huge Roman army completed it in just three days.

It is said that the building of the siege wall, forts, and platform for their rams, necessitated the clearing of woodlands over sixty square miles, leaving it as a desert.8

The siege wall was an exact fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus, "For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another: because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." Luke 19:43-44, KJV. 9

As we have seen, that enemy, Rome, did throw a bank up before them. They did encircle the entire city with a wall, hemming them in on all sides, so that no one could go in or out of the city. And we will see, as we continue, that they did level them to the ground, they and their children within, and did not leave one stone upon another that was not thrown down (Luke 21:24).

The destruction was so complete, that a man named Turnus (Terentius) Rufus actually plowed up the land on which the temple had stood,10 so completely that it appeared as though it had never been inhabited.

According to the book JERUSALEM, by Kathleen M. Kenyon,11 page 185, "The final structures were regularly planned houses, beneath which was a well-built drain, a layout that culminated in the period of Herod Agrippa." "In the destruction of these buildings, walls were razed, paving stones torn up, and the drain clogged with material firmly dated to the last part of the century by the pottery. In the drain were human skulls and other bones, washed down from the ruined city higher up the slope." Continuing on page 186, . . . "with the drains and retaining walls which controlled the forces of nature, was destroyed, the central valley reverted to its natural function. Torrents of water from winter rains swept down the valley. The stratification of Site N showed how these torrents had churned up the debris resulting from the destruction by Titus." This may explain the reference in Daniel 9:26 to a flood related to the second destruction of Jerusalem.

                 

Famine

With all provisions cut off from the city, there was soon great famine and unburied corpses in the houses and the streets (There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven", Luke 21:11). Because of starvation, a number of Jews deserted to the Romans, where many were mercilessly slaughtered.

After twenty-one days, the wall surrounding Antonine Tower fell to the battering rams, but the Jews had built a second wall behind it.  

    

Sacrifice Ceased

The next day, the daily sacrifices ceased because of the scarcity of animals.12 Titus again sent word to the Jews to surrender, but they would not. John of Gischala said that the holy city could not be destroyed, and that God held her fate in His hands. The latter part of his statement was true, but Jesus had said that the temple would be destroyed in that generation ("As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down." Luke 21:6, NIV). Thus it was so.

    

Woe..to Them that give Suck...

The Jews withdrew to the temple and the battering rams were raised against its walls. ("Now, son of man, take a clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it; Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it." Ezekiel 4:1-2, NIV.)

The famine was so intense in Jerusalem that money was worthless and could not purchase food. ('He then said to me, "Son of man, I will cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin. Ezekiel 4:16-17, NIV.)

The High Priest's wife Martha roamed the streets looking for a mere morsel of food. A woman, Miriam, actually killed, roasted and devoured her own child which was still of nursing age, a gruesome sight. ("Therefore in your midst fathers will eat their children, and children will eat their fathers." "A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword." "I will send famine and wild beasts against you and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken." Ezekiel 5:10,12&17, NIV.) Was not this "great tribulation?"

"For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:22-23.

            

Another Council of War

After many days of fighting, a council of war was called by Rome to decide the fate of the Sanctuary. Six chief generals of the army advised the destruction of the temple and Titus agreed to it. His army went out of control, and penetrated all the way into the Holy of Holies.

There were many people hiding out in the Sanctuary, and those who could not stand the thought of living without their beloved temple threw themselves into the burning mass. Many others hid in the inner court. They had been promised by the smooth words of the false prophets, the priests (Matthew 24:11), that God would save them by a miracle at the very moment of destruction. Of course, that did not happen.

The Romans slew about six thousand on the spot. The temple was totally burned, and only smoldering rubble remained along with the western wall. Those priests who did escape to the wall went without food for days, and finally had to surrender, and Titus ordered them killed. He said, "Priests must fall with their Temple."

The Roman standard was raised in the ruins, and they sacrificed to their pagan gods in the Holy Place.

Speaking of A.D. 70, Eusebius said: "at last the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophets was implanted in the very temple of God...."13

           

After the Desolation

After the desolation of Jerusalem, the Romans continued to seek out and kill the Jews who were resisting them. The final skirmish was at the same place that the attack upon the Romans by the Jews had occurred, Masada. The Jews who were there held out until their destruction was inevitable, then committed mass suicide, after killing their own wives and children, so that the Romans found only their dead bodies. From THE CAMBRIDGE ANCIENT HISTORY, Vol. X, N.Y., Cambridge at the University Press, 1952, p. 863, "The resistance of Masada, in which a group of Sicarii under the command of Eleazar, son of Jairus, had taken refuge, was prolonged until April 73, and when further resistance appeared impossible its defenders killed themselves."

           

Scattered into all Nations

The Jews who escaped death in all this terrible fighting were deported, and some were sold into slavery. They were literally carried captive into all nations as Jesus had foretold ("And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:24).

     

Seven Years

The period of time from the first attack of the Jews upon the Romans at Masada, in May of A.D. 66, to the final resistance of the Jews at Masada in April of A.D. 73, encompassed approximately seven years. The daily sacrifice ceased at about three and a half years into this seven year period. The abomination of desolation was manifested when the Roman armies surrounded the city.14

Flavius Josephus in WARS OF THE JEWS, chapter VII, section 7, states that the Romans themselves never took the Jews for their enemies until they revolted from them in A.D. 66. Regarding their state of affairs, he wrote, "however, the circumstances we are now in, ought to be an inducement to us to bear such calamity courageously, since it is by the will of God, and by necessity that we are to die: for it now appears that God hath made such a decree against the whole Jewish nation, that we are to be deprived of this life which (He knew) we would not make a due use of;"

Even Titus, who conquered the Jews, stated that God had fought with his army and given the Jews over to him.15

           

This Generation

     In Matthew 24:34, Jesus said: "Verily, I say unto you, this generation [genea] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."

     What did Jesus mean by "this generation?"

     Some say that the word generation should be rendered race, meaning the Jewish race. Others say that He meant the generation alive when the signs begin to occur, not the generation when Jesus spoke these words.

     The word translated generation is the Greek word "genea," which Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defines as "a generation" or by implication, an age. Berry's Interlinear defines it "the people of any given time," "an age of the world's duration." It is quite safe to render it generation, meaning the age contemporary with Jesus and those who lived at that time.

     While it is true that the "great tribulation" was to come only upon the Jews (not the whole world), the word, genea, in this instance does not mean race, as some would claim who do not hold to this view.

     If this generation is understood to be the one to whom Jesus spoke these predictions, it makes absolutely perfect sense. This is also fully consistent with all other renderings of the same Greek phrase used elsewhere in the Bible. This is a very important fact if we want the truth concerning this matter.

     Examples: This wicked generation, Matthew 12:45. This generation seeks a sign, Mark 8:12. "This untoward generation," Acts 2:40. But first must He suffer many things and be rejected of "this generation," Luke 17:25. Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? Luke 7:31.

     Not one of us would try to say that these phrases were spoken of any generation other than the one in which they were uttered. It is obvious, beyond question, that all refer to the generation of people contemporary with Jesus. Yet, our Scriptures under examination reflect the exact same meaning, and many, who are learned Bible scholars, suppose it to mean some later generation. Why?  Because it fits the "futurist" doctrine. But it is not true. There is nothing in the Scriptures preceding His statements that would transfer it to some future generation.  He said THIS generation.

     In Luke 11:29 Jesus said of that generation: "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah."

     Then in Luke 11, verse 49, Jesus said: "For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50 in order that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the alter and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.'" NASB.

     Now doesn't it make perfect sense that He would fulfill His prophecy of destruction of the generation that was charged with the guilt of destroying the prophets and apostles and even Jesus Himself?

     Jesus said: "Verily, I say unto you, this generation [genea] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Luke 21:32 and Matthew 24:34)

     If it could be interpreted "this generation (which is alive when these signs begin to occur) shall not pass until all be fulfilled," then we must again conclude that the fulfillments of those prophecies came about prior to A.D. 70. The record so dictates. All the signs did come at that time.

     Donald G. Miller, in his Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, p. 148, THE LAYMAN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY, Vol. 18, had this to say about Luke 21:32: "If verse 32 can be referred to the destruction of Jerusalem, it presents no problem, for that took place within the lifetime of many to whom Jesus was speaking. If it does not relate to that, it presents us with an almost insoluble problem, for Jesus did not make guesses about the date of the end."

     R.V.G. Tasker, in his GOSPEL OF ST. MARK, p. 205, said this of Mark 13:30: "This generation must surely be the generation of the Lord's ministry, who would indeed have lived to see the awful days of the siege of Jerusalem."

     Jesus identified the generation that He was to destroy in His wrath when in Luke 17:25 He said: "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."

     Referring again to Matthew 24:34, notice that the text says this generation shall not "pass." Some translations render it shall not "pass away," but a careful study of the Greek shows that it should be, as the King James Version has it, simply "pass," from the Greek word parelthe.

     In Matthew 24:35, Jesus used a different word, pareleuontai, when He said "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. The Greek word for pass away, in both instances in this verse is the same. Although it has the same root as parelthe, it has a slightly different meaning.

     So, the Greek text in Matthew 24:34 says: "Verily I say to you, in no wise will have passed this generation until all these things shall have taken place," [My rendering]. Jesus seems to have used the word generation more to indicate the passing of the time period of a generation than the passing of the people of that time period or generation. For those who had ears to hear, He told them that the promised wrath of God upon the Jews, including the destruction of their temple, would come in that generation.  There seems to be no authority in the Bible at all to apply this statement to a later time.

     Why did God wait so long after the crucifixion of Jesus before bringing the destruction of those people and the Temple?  In the wilderness, God caused the children of Israel to wander for forty years, until that generation died off.  In this instance, God allowed the Jews forty years to repent, before He brought destruction upon them through the instrument of the Roman Army in A. D. 70.  Some believe that was not the end of that generation, but all Jesus said was "This generation shall not pass until all be fulfilled, so it could have gone beyond A.D. 70.  Actually, I believe that it did go several years beyond that time to encompass additional events which wrapped up the predictions of Jesus.

     There are various indicators in the Bible as to how long a generation is.  The first people on the earth before the flood lived hundreds of years, to almost 1000.  Then, after the flood, man's years were shortened, so the length of the generations probably changed. The length of the life-span of a man is not what is totally in place here.  Many of the people who were listening to him had already lived a great part of their lives.  But it would happen before they all died off.

     

Only one Fulfillment

There will be those who say, "Sure, those were fulfillments, back then, but that is not the "great tribulation" which is supposed to come in these last days." Many base their ideas about the "great tribulation" upon the book of The Revelation of John.  There are many scholars who are convinced that the traditional dating of Revelation around A.D. 90 is wrong.  Most believe that a date of A.D. 66 is more likely, based on considerable evidence.  The A.D. 90 dating was on the word of one man, yet it was accepted as accurate.  If, indeed, it was written before the fall of Jerusalem, as I believe it was, then all that it portends was also fulfilled by A.D. 79.

The A.D. 70 desolation of Jerusalem and the temple is the only physical "great tribulation" prophesied in the Bible, so if there is to be another, you have to get it from some other than Biblical source.

I challenge you to prove me wrong on this.

The fact is, there can be only one physical fulfillment of the "great tribulation" which Jesus predicted. The Bible contains two Scriptures which absolutely preclude a dual fulfillment.

Matthew 24:21 speaks of this "great tribulation," using the Greek word "thlipsis," and Mark 13:19 calls it "Affliction," from the exact same Greek word. Both instances state that it will be unparalleled in past or future history. This means that it can only happen one time. These Scriptures make this very clear:

"For this shall be great tribulation [thlipsis] such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, nor ever shall be." Matthew 24:21. "for in those days shall be affliction [thlipsis] such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be." Mark 13:19.

"Such as was not since the beginning" indicates that it had never happened to that degree before, and "nor ever shall be" states that this "great tribulation" foretold by Jesus will never happen again.

You cannot expect a repeat of something that Jesus said could only happen once. And this is the only "great tribulation" that He foretold, "days of vengeance" upon the Jews, in fulfillment of Prophecy.

Similar language was used concerning the wisdom of Solomon, in 1 Kings 2:12. God said, "I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be." We know that Solomon is accepted as the wisest man that ever lived.

Recall that, earlier, we wrote of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar beginning in 605 B.C. when he took the city, and ending when he destroyed the temple in 587 B.C. Although this was a similar destruction to the one in A.D. 70, it was not as severe in terms of the horrors of it and it occurred long before Jesus made His predictions concerning the "great tribulation."

Later in this writing, we will speak of a destruction of the city of Jerusalem, but not the temple which occurred in A.D. 135. Again it was not as severe, and since there was no temple to be destroyed, it could not qualify as the "great tribulation."

Continue. . .