Lecture Twelve

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. As we have seen, the Believers fled Jerusalem to the mountains of Pella, due east, across the Jordan River from the famous Mount Gilboa. Pella becomes the home of many early Believers for some time and there many establish a new direction. Revelation 12:6 declares concerning this: 'And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of G-D, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days...' (Approximately 3.5 years). This is the approximate time it took the romans to subjugate the Land of Israel.

2. Although many Believers in Jerusalem fled to Pella, not all early Believers were in this group. Some living in areas such as the Galilee, Samaria, and parts of Judea may not have heard the message of Jesus to flee to TransJordan. Those remaining in the Land of Israel were in great danger. Note what Rev 12:17 records about the remainder of these Believers: 'Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring...and the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.' When we consider that the romans came from the direction of the sea and that the headquarters of the roman rule was along the shore of the Mediterranean all of this begins to form a clearer picture.

3. What about the Dead Sea Sect of the Essenes? Why did they choose to stay and fight rather than escape to safety? This has to do with a major difference in the theology of the Essenes at Qumran. They believed that fleeing was tantamount to treason and that they were to stay and do battle with the hated romans, known to them as the kittim. The War Scroll declares: 'Among the poor in spirit there is power...and by the perfect of way all nations of of wickedness will come to an end; not one of their mighty men stands... we are the remnant of Thy people...' (Col. XIV). Notice the language of the Essenes is quite similar to that of the disciples of Jesus and the new testament in that they refer to themselves as the poor in spirit and have power from G-D. There were many other similarities including the fact that they considered themselves to be heirs of the Covenant of Grace and the New Covenant spoken of by Jeremiah (Damascus Doc. VI, 19;VIII, 21; XX,2; I, 1-11; II, 14-III,21; V,20-VI,3; Jeremiah 31:30-31; Thanksgiving Scroll 1QH VII, 20; XIV,4; Manual of Discipline 1QS I, 8). In the final analysis, the Dead Sea sect decided to remain in the Land of Israel and fight, which led to their extinction.

4. The remarkable prediction of Jesus recorded in Matthew 24:40-41 declares: 'Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left...' Even this prophecy, which is almost always understood as a rapture text, had immediate first century application. Remember, the present day ideas being taught concerning the rapture were not a part of first century theology. Actually, we are not saying they will not occur as they are taught, but we are just reporting that historically these ideas were first taught by John Darby in 1830. As a reference to this several major works can be checked including "Things to Come" p.165 by Dwight Pentecost, the popular professor of new testament literature and exegesis at Dallas theological seminary, and "The Approaching Advent of Christ" p.18 by Alexander Reese, as well as Robert Cameron in his work "Scriptural Truth About the Lord's Return" pp. 72-73. The historical argument is difficult to overlook since the way the pre-tribulation rapture ideas are presented by modern preachers are new concepts that have evolved in the last 166 years and are not apostolic. Reese records: 'About 1830...a new school arose within the fold of pre-millennialism that sought to overthrow what, since the Apostolic age, have been considered by all pre-millennialists as established results, and to institute in their place a series of doctrines that had never been heard of before. The school I refer to is that of The Brethern or Plymouth Brethern founded by J.N. Darby'. Cameron says along the same line: 'Now, be it remembered, that prior to that date, no hint of any approach to such belief can be found in any Christian literature from Polycarp down... this is a doctrine that was never taught by a Father or Doctor of the Church in the past- that has no standard commentator or professor of the Greek language in any Theological school until the middle of the nineteenth century...'

((I'm breaking my rule to not say anything to interject some links so you can come to your own conclusions. http://www.askelm.com/doctrine/d760201.htm and http://khouse.org/articles/1995/39/))

5. What then was the meaning of Jesus' reference in Matthew 24 concerning one being taken and one being left? As amazing as it may seem, out of the inhabitants of the Land of Israel during this revolt against the romans roughly one out of every two were cut down by the advancing legions. As they saw it the wicked were the ones cut off-who are taken. The righteous, representing those Believers who remained in the Land were to be preserved through the darkest days of tribulation. Some scholars believe the precise wording of this prophecy of Jesus goes back to Psalm 37:9- 'For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the L-RD will inherit the Land...'

6. This same idea is conveyed in the Book of Revelation with the concept of the sealed 144,000. Note the text of Revelation 7:3-4 - 'Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our G-D. Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.' In other words, those Messianic Jews remaining in the Land of Israel during the period of the Great Revolt - which was their own tribulation, are to find supernatural protection from the calamities befalling everyone around them. This is another case of the L-RD preserving, among HIS people, a remnant of Believers to do HIS work. Immediately upon hearing this many christians might say: "I thought this text had to do with the Second Coming of the Son of Man at the end of this age?" It does. This is called telescoping of prophecy - in which the tribulation of the first century is seen directly against the end of the world...when in fact they are separated by thousands of years. We must remember, like the Essenes, the Believers of the first century can't see the separation and as a result they see the immediate signs as direct evidence that the end is their day. They are preparing for HIS coming during the first century in the same way we should be prepared and expecting it today.

7. The birth pangs that take place in Jerusalem during this period, after a portion of the Jewish Believers fled to Pella, is a tribulation such as the Jewish world has never seen before. Josephus tells us: 'Bands of outlaws gathered...together in one band and stole into Jerusalem,... they eventually ruined the city, consuming the supplies...bringing on the people the miseries of sedition and famine. The bandits grew so bold that they committed robberies and murders in broad daylight, with distinguished citizens as victims. Their first was Antipas, a man of royal birth and treasurer of the city. They arrested him as well as other leaders, while panic seized the people, each frightened for his own safety.' Remember Jesus' prediction some forty years before in Luke 21:26: 'Men's hearts failing them for fear as they look on those things coming on the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken...' Josephus continued: 'Since the outlaws feared that an attempt might be made to rescue the prisoners, they sent as assassin of theirs named John with ten men to execute the captives. Having butchered them, the brigands claimed that the prisoners had discussed surrender with the romans, and they had therefore slain those who would betray their liberty...' Actually, what was happening in Jerusalem was not so different from what is later seen in the French or Russian Revolution where the initial targets were the distinguished citizens known as the aristocrats. Even the Dead Sea Scrolls appear to be predicting those days: 'As for them, they dissemble, they plan devilish schemes. They seek You with a double heart and not confirmed in Your truth. A root bearing poisoned and bitter fruit is in their designs' (the Psalm Scroll, Col. IV). Note how the Book of Revelation depicts this scene in Jerusalem: 'The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark' (Rev 8:12). To understand these apocalyptic Jewish symbols remember that these powers in the heavens, as Jesus said, that are turning dark, falling and are being shaken, have a symbolic meaning representing the aristocrats or the worthies of Jerusalem. One example of this in Jewish literature is seen in the Book of Genesis concerning the dream of Joseph, in which the sun, moon and stars fall down before him. In Joseph's dream these heavenly powers represent his mother, father and brothers. This is the same Jewish reasoning used in this story of the dignitaries of Jerusalem seen as the sun, moon and stars or powers of heaven. They became dark and fell as these aristocrats were murdered by the Zealot bandits.

8. Josephus tells us that things got worse in Jerusalem as: 'A turbulent and chaotic people, the Idumean, mustered their forces and marched to Jerusalem, with an army of 20,000. Ananus, the high priest, who heard of their coming, closed the gates...and Jesus, the chief priest, next in age to Ananus, addressed the people from an adjacent tower...' We should remember the name "Jesus" (most likely Yeshua, Jesus is a greek vernacular) was a popular name in Jerusalem and this was not Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, the priest, declared to the Idumeans: 'We have not negotiated with the romans...but we seek moderation. We ask you either to enter the city without weapons or depart...' Josephus tells us that the Idumeans did not listen to these two peace makers and 'spared none, slaughtering all the guards. The next day dawned on 8500 corpses. The invaders then rushed on the city (as in Joel chapter 2) looting all the houses and killing any who came in their way. The chief priests Ananus and Jesus were killed and their bodies thrown out without burial, although the Jews are usually so careful about funeral rites that even felons who have been crucified are taken down and buried before sunset. The capture of the city [by the romans] virtually began with the death of Ananus.'

9. Many scholars believe that the two witnesses mentioned in the Book of Revelation 11:3 were none other than these two peacemakers Ananus and Jesus. The new testament mentions: 'And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days...' This is approximately 3.5 years, the duration of the roman campaign. Also the text records: 'These men will have the power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time of their prophesying...' If we remember the horrifying drought that started in the year 67 AD as well as the tendency of the Jewish people of the first century to lay the many calamities and natural disasters at the feet of the high priests it is easy to see how these two could be in apocalyptic terms accused of shutting up the sky.

10. When these two witnesses had finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss... in this context, the Idumeans: 'Will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their L-RD was crucified' (Rev 11:3, 7-8). It should be noted that the names Sodom and Egypt are often used euphemistically to describe Jerusalem. Although this is not a suggestion that these two witnesses were Christians, in their opposing the radical and murderous Zealots, they do seem to represent, as it were, the oracles and peaceful message of G-D. Josephus continues: 'Ananus addressed the multitude, his eyes filling with tears as he looked at the Temple, and reproached them for enduring a tyranny worse than the romans. It was a cause for bitter tears to see the free-will offerings of the romans at the Temple on the one hand, and the spoils taken by their own countrymen on the other, who killed some of their own people whom even the romans would have spared...' In summary, it appears that Ananus and Jesus are representatives of the godly conscience and witnesses of peace given the situation. This is a quality which the Zealots, in their extremity, had lost.

11. In the final point concerning the two witnesses note Rev 11:9-10: 'All the earth will gloat over them.' Obviously Jerusalem does not constitute the whole earth, however it is interesting to know that the Hebrew term for the earth - ha-aretz- is a euphemism for the Land of Israel and in Jewish literature instead of saying Israel, one often says, the ha-aretz or the earth.




Go to lecture XI or XIII