Lecture Nine

Disclaimer:

I will type the notes as presented to me.
Again let me stress that what follows are NOT my words.
I will not add my thoughts in the post.
Comments allowed for friendly discussion and edifying.

II Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto G-D, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

I Thessalonians 5:11
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

And for the record no one is ruling out dual fulfillment.












1. During this great rebellion of the first century (66-73 AD) not only Jerusalem was attacked, but also Galilee. Josephus, a commander of Jewish troops in Galilee reported: 'The roman forces sent to the Galilee...ravaged the surrounding country, causing me and my men serious difficulties. I did attempt an assault on the romans, but was repulsed. This provoked fierce hostility from the romans, who now spread blood and fire all over Galilee, killing any who were capable of bearing arms...' When some Believers reported to Yeshua that pilate had mixed the blood of the Galileans with their sacrifices HE warned: 'Do not think those Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things? No. I say to you, if you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way' (Luke 13:1-3).

2. Now, forty years after the words of Jesus, many of HIS Followers including HIS mother and brother are living in Jerusalem. As Galilee lies in flames, John the Revelator declared: 'And the first angel trumpeted. And hail and fire mixed with blood occurred. And it was cast onto the earth; and the third part of the trees was burned; and the green grass was burned' (Rev 8:7). This reminds us of the predictions of the Dead Sea Scrolls: 'The torrents of hasatan shall reach to all sides of the world. In all their channels a consuming fire shall destroy every green tree, green and barren, on their banks; unto the end of their courses it shall scourge with flames of fire, and shall consume the foundations of the earth and the expanse of the dry land. The bases of the mountains shall blaze and the roots of the rocks shall turn to torrents of pitch; it shall devour as far as the great abyss' (the Psalm Scroll, col. III). Another place the Dead Sea Scrolls record: 'The flame of their javelins is like a consuming fire among the trees' (Psalm Scroll, col. Ii). Things get worse as general vespasian's son titus arrives from egypt with the fifteenth legion. Josephus says: 'The infantry are armed with breastplate, helmet bearing horse hair tails, a sword on the left, and a long dagger on the right. The cavalry all carry a pike as well as a quiver full of arrows, called scorpions.' With their perfect discipline and order they cause fear to arise at the sight of them.

3. Although these romans in apocalyptic literature are called locusts, scorpions, and hailstones they are still the enemies of G-D's plan and people. The Dead Sea Scrolls call them kittim and the Book of Revelation refers to them as locusts of which John writes: 'On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth like lion's teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Avadon and in greek apollyon' (Rev 9:7). Both names mean destroyers and aptly describe vespasian and his son titus.

4. Things progressed so that Josephus wrote: 'Indeed I foresaw the final catastrophe toward which the Jews were heading, but I would not betray my command...' The romans chased Josephus and his men to the fortified Galilean settlement known as Yodfat, perched on the hillside. After a lengthy siege, in which colossal catapults and battering rams were used, it must have brought back visions of the huge hailstones during the plaques of pharaoh in egypt. Josephus recalls: 'The catapults shot a large volley of lances, and the stone-projectors hurled great blocks of enormous weight. There was also a hail of firebrands and arrows, all of which soon cleared the battlements of the enemy...' We see similarities in John's description in the Book of Revelation: 'From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed G-D on account of the plaque of hail, because the plaque was so terrible' (Rev 16:21). John predicts that later rome will get measure for measure what she did to Jerusalem and the Jews, but for now Galilee as well as Samaria were reduced to ruin. The romans showed no mercy on the defenders and ruthlessly slaughtering men and women in such a manner that many chose suicide rather than capture. At Yodfat when Josephus tried to talk his men into surrender, after realizing there was no hope to win the battle, they rebelled refusing to hear of it. 'Finally', Josephus said: 'I warded them off with my general's authority'... saying, 'if we must die, let it not be by our own, but by each other's hands. Let us draw lots, and the one who draws the first lot will be killed by him who draws the second, and so on, so that no one escapes... Each one in turn bared his throat to the next, until- should one say by fortune or by the providence of G-D? - I and one other man remained alone. Together, we surrendered and I was brought to vespasian.' At this point Josephus tried to use his persuasive powers to convince the nation to give up before being completely destroyed. Josephus, like the Believers of Jesus who fled to Pella in obedience to HIS command not to fight a losing battle that could not be possible won, was branded a traitor by many other Jews. It should be understood that early Christians were not pacifists, as is evident in Jewish as well as other early histories. They simply obeyed Christ's command to flee for preservation realizing wisdom is justified by her deeds and to fight the romans would have led to extinction of the Christian sect.

5. What about the term wormwood used by John? This term is often found in such places as Deuteronomy, Proverbs, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Amos, and Revelation among other ancient writing as a symbol of bitterness or ruined lives or unusable water. Around the year 67 AD a terrible heat wave and drought occurred in Israel and the land became an inferno of thirst. Josephus mentions that even the Samaritans, who had not joined the revolt, but were thinking of rebellion had collected a great force. During the midsummer because of this great heat and drought the Samaritans ran short of water and many died of thirst while others deserted to the romans. John's description of this again sounds similar: 'And a great star, blazing like a torch, fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water, the name of the star was wormwood, that is bitterness... a third of the waters turned bitter and many people died' (Rev 8:10).





Go to lecture VIII or X