Lecture Ten

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. The next event in the Book of Revelation is the sea turning to blood as seen in Revelation 8:8-9. Historically, vespasian sends a force against the port city of Joppa on the Mediterranean coast. Josephus describes these events by saying: 'The inhabitants fled in terror to their ships, where they passed the night beyond reach of the enemy's missiles. But Joppa has no safe harbor, only a crescent-shaped roadstead with two stony reefs. The next morning, a fierce wind called by sailors the black norther dashed the ships against each other or into the rocks. They could neither escape to the open sea, nor make for land, on account of the romans, and so they foundered among the billows or were shattered on the shoals. Anyone swept to shore was immediately massacred by the romans, and the blood of 4,200 corpses turned the sea red.'

2. Another confirmation of John's account of the sea turning to blood happened near Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee, at a place called Magdala, the home of the woman , who in the new testament, is known as Mary Magdalene. According to Josephus: 'vespasian then advanced upon Magdala, where many insurgents had fled... The romans pursued them to their ships, but the rebels sailed out only far enough to leave the romans in range and attacked them by sea...when his rafts were ready, vespasian embarked his troops and ordered them to attack the fugitives. In their small skiffs, the Jews could not cope with the well-armed romans on the rafts, and merely threw stones at them from a distance, which rattled off their armor. The romans boarded their vessels, or killed them from the rafts with arrows or long lances. If any clung to the side of a raft, their hands or their heads were cut off. The survivors were driven to the shore, where they were killed by the romans lining the beaches, so that not a man escaped. The dead totaled 6,700. The shores were strewn with wrecks and swollen carcasses, which, in the following days, polluted the district with a horrible stench. The lake (Sea of Galilee) was red with blood.'

3. Soon after this event vespasian had the survivors rounded up in the stadium at Tiberias, where 1,200 (figure??) of the old and infirm were put to death. Vespasian declared: 'Execute them! All but 6000 of the strongest and healthiest ...send those to Nero, for gladiatorial combat.'

4. Vespasian then sold another 30,400 as slaves, of which most were worked to death. The last holdout in northern Galilee was a rocky precipice east of the Sea of Galilee known as Gamala because it is shaped like the hump of a great camel, which in Hebrew is called a gamal. Gamala was an almost impregnable fortress in which the Jewish defenders heroically fought against the romans. As vespasian attacked Gamala, many of his men took refuge on the roofs of the houses, which lined the steep slopes of the city. But the houses collapsed under the weight and great numbers were buried in the rubble as the romans continued their assault. Josephus describes it by saying: 'To seal their destruction, a storm arose that blew in the faces of the Jews, and accelerated the roman arrows while rendering theirs harmless. The romans mounted the crag and quickly surrounded and slaughtered them. Savage because of their former defeat they sparred not one, not even infants, whom they flung from the citadel. Multitudes threw themselves headlong down the precipices, and their despair was even more fatal than the rage of the romans, since the romans killed 4,000 while over 5,000 hurled themselves over the cliffs. No one escaped except two women who had hidden themselves. Thus Gamala fell.'

5. Although many self-centered believers in the 20th/21st century, by ignoring the great tribulation of the first century, try to apply these circumstances to present or future circumstances. Jesus realizing that many of HIS countrymen would not accept HIS Message and would be caught up in the increasing tide of the revolt declared: 'You snakes! You brood of vipers!... Upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed upon the earth...I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation' (Matt 23:33-36).

6. It should be noted that although most of the events in the apocalyptic writings such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the new testament are seen in the events of the years preceding and following the first century, there are a few which can't be accounted for by these events and appear yet to be fulfilled.

7. Jesus had warned that in HIS day false prophets would rise up deceiving and causing many to err (Matt 24:11). Although the name Jerusalem means peace, the city has been destroyed many times. Seeing this constant threat several prophets arose pronouncing woe to Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah forecast the approaching destruction in the person of babylon's king nebuchadnezzar who lay waste to the city in 586 BC. Daniel spoke of the coming conquest of the city by the Seleucid dynasty of Syria, and the defilement of the Temple by antiochus epiphanes in 167 BC. Jesus of Nazareth predicted as HE sat weeping on the Mount of Olives looking across the Kidron Valley: 'If you had known, even in your day, the things which make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes...' (Luke 19:41-42). Then again, we hear Jesus speaking to Jerusalem saying: 'Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones those sent unto her. How often I would have gathered your children, as a bird gathers her chicks from under her wings! And you would not. Behold, your house is left to you desolate, for I say to you, shall not see ME again until you say, blessed is HE who comes in the name of Adonai' (Matt 23:37-39). This appears to be a reference that the Jerusalemites would not see HIM again until the day in which they would gladly receive HIM as the Messiah. If the text of Matthew is chronologically out of place this could reference what happened at the Triumphal Entry as the crowds recognized HIM as the Messiah with these same words: 'blessed is HE who comes in the name of Adonai' (Matt 21:9).

8. The message of Jesus basically was in two parts: (1) repent and believe for salvation, healing, and restoration, (2) flee the city of Jerusalem during the time of destruction so the Believers can be preserved. Since the people of Jerusalem did not know the things which make up peace they were bent on a course of destruction and Jesus warned HIS group to not follow the same course. His instructions were to bend and flex with the wind until the storm passes because this resistance against the roman occupation was not a war that could be won.

9. We understand the warning of Jesus against false prophets when we read the historical accounts of several leading figures fulfilling this scheme (Matt 24:11). There was even another Jesus, just prior to the outbreak of the revolt named Jesus, the son of Ananias, who preached a message of doom over Jerusalem. Standing in the court of the Temple, he began shouting: 'A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the sanctuary, a voice against the bridegrooms and brides, a voice against all the people!... Woe to Jerusalem! Woe to Jerusalem!' He was not taken seriously by most of the people and some dismissed him as mad. Another imposter named Theudas persuaded the masses to take their possessions and follow him to the Jordan, where, as a prophet, he promised to part the water and provide them easy passage. But the procurator Fadus attacked them with his cavalry and captured Theudas, whose head was cut off and brought back to Jerusalem to persuade others not to follow the same course of action.

10. The Book of Revelation as well as the words of Jesus in Matthew predicted supernatural portents or signs that the end was near. Note Revelation 6:12-14: And the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair; and the moon became as blood; and the stars fell to the earth, as a fig tree being shaken by a great wind casts its unripe figs. And the heavens departed as a scroll being rolled up... Then Jesus in Matthew 24:29-34 predicted: 'The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give her light; and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken... But learn the parable of the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know the summer is near. So also when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors...' Both Josephus and the roman historian Tacitus mention several supernatural occurrences that appear to be signs just prior to the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. Josephus records: 'Before the siege, portents had appeared, foretelling the impending devastation, but the Jews disregarded these warnings of G-D. A star resembling a sword hung over the city, and also a comet which last an entire year. And just before the revolt, when the people were coming together for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a bright light shone around the altar during the night and brightened the sanctuary for half an hour. The people thought it was a good omen, but the sacred scribes told them the contrary. A cow gave birth to a lamb in the Temple Court, and the Eastern Gate of the inner court, which was fastened with iron bars and so heavy that it took 20 men to move it, flew open on its own during the night. At the Feast of Shavuot, when the priests entered the inner court of the Temple, they heard a great noise, and after that the voices of a multitude, saying, We are leaving this place! We are leaving this place!' As a result of these and other signs as well as the warning of Jesus, a multitude of Believers did leave Jerusalem at that time and flee to the mountain area of Pella.





Go to lecture IX or XI