Battle of Armageddon??? What battle is that?
[SUP]16 [/SUP]And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
Armageddon is where they gathered, not where the battle took place. The Roman solders gathered to the north of Jerusalem (Valley of Megiddo) before they came and laid siege to Jerusalem.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.
The "great city" was Jerusalem. The "cities of the nations" were the surrounding cities which fell to Rome prior to the attack upon Jerusalem. Jerusalem was indeed divided in three parts as recorded by Josephus.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent.
The stones from the Roman catapults weighed a talent and were white in color, hence they resembled hail. These "hailstones" where the last thing the Romans used before they breached the walls.
Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
The wicked Jews inside cursed God and didn't repent. Notice the world didn't end even though the 7th bowl was poured out before this?
[SUP]20 [/SUP]Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
"Islands and mountains" are figurative terms for "safe places" or sanctuaries. There was no place to hide from the wrath of God came in the form of the invading Roman solders.
Nice post, I really like it, but I still have problems with this understanding.
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First, the general context of the 7 bowls/vials would be against Rome, the fourth beast.
The mark of the beast is the mark of Caesar and Rome, and the vials seem to be directed towards the beast, Rev 16:2, 6, 10, 13.
So it would seem that the 7th vial (air, v 17) would also include Rome
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The seat of the beast mentioned in Rev 16:10-11, is also seen in Rev 13:1-2.
This beast, the sea beast, is given the authority over Israel by sitting on Satan's throne.
This beast has 7 heads and 10 horns, and can only be the 4th beast, a city Rev 17:18, Rome.
So even though we agree that the city spoken of is Jerusalem, the question would still be when?
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Has the darkness spoken of in v 10 happened yet? (Spiritual)
You see that the seat of the beast was in God's light before the darkness fell.
But Rome was already "in the dark" without God's blessings, way before the dest of Jerusalem.
So we have to look and identify the time when Rome was blessed.
It would be After the time, when it wasn't the seat of the beast anymore, after the fall of the Empire.
So the time of the light is after the fall of Rome and the time of darkness when Rome has "returned".
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Has the Euphrates ever dried up? (People?)
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The beast is shown in Rev 13, as being wounded, and the earth beast, also Rome/Caesar, makes an image to the first beast.
All of this must take place before the last vial is poured out, if this is to be finished by 70 ad.
I mean, if this was written by John pre 70ad, say 64 ad (just a random date), that would only be 3 yrs before the surrounding.
So John would write the letters, from Patmos, they get to the churches 3 mos? I guess that would make sense.
2 1/2 years warning, maybe 2.
But all of the things that have to happen previous to the last vial being poured out, would only have 2- 2 1/2 years to take place before the 7th vial.
I mean, I see what you are saying, but the events of the first 6 vials, cannot be "crammed" into a 2-3 year period.
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The wrath of God is finished after the 7th vial Rev 15:1.
But who, is the wrath against, that it is completely finished?
Jerusalem? The Natural Branches? I mean I can see your point. But did God's withdrawing of blessings on Israel after the flesh END, with the dest? or has it been continued after 70 Ad?
But what about Rome? Did God's "wrath" end against Rome, when Jerusalem fell? Or did it continue to this day?
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I have some other problems with it too. But this is a start.