The Rapture
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DO you skip over words a lot when you read the BIBLE? Everything from just a few miles north of Jerusalem all the way down to Rimmon (En-rimmon) south of Jerusalem, will be flattened into a plain. Rimmon was due west of the Narrow part of the Dead Sea.
The woman is the bride of Christ in Revelation12. Parables are designed to hide the spiritual understanding from unconverted natural man who must walk by sight whose number as a beast of the field is "666
The first century reformation has come. Why put a division between the outwardcorruptpted flesh of a Jew and the gentile as if we were still waiting for the veil to be rent? .. Is it rent?
Without parables using the things of this world seen (flesh and blood) to give us the spiritual meaning as that not seen Christ spoke not.
God is not a man as us…. never was, never will be.
No literal thousand years needed to sew of the veil that was rent for a actual purpose. Christ was here and will not be returning in the flesh a second time..
2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
No literal key,
No literal bottomless pit
No literal chains could hold the spirit of lies
Lying spirits have no literal form as dragon, serpents, lions, tigers and bears .That would be more Hollywood and the Wizard of Oz . We simply do not wrestle against the things seen as if the god of this world was a man as us
Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
No literal thousand years
.
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Again no literal thousand years its been over two thousand literal since the veil was rent marking the end day revealed by the wrath of God.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
No literal headless souls. The mark is the number of natural unconverted man one of the beast of the field (formed with the dust)
God who eternal Spirit and not a man as us does not sit on a literal throne and it’s not a literal mark. Forehead throughout the scriptures represents the mind and hands the will. By purposely avoiding the parable you give up the spiritual understanding in exchange for Hollywood drama .
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
The rest of the dead are those who will be resurrected on the last day the second and final resurrection. This is when those asleep (first resurrection graves were opened) and those who do remain reigning with Christ by faith…. both in the simultaneously, in the twinkling of the eye together will receive their new incorruptible bodies. They will be neither male nor female Jew or Gentile but entirely new creation .Not rebuild or reconditioned.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Amil works the best , no literal thousand years was the most popular posstion of the Reformers this is before men attempted to put a literal face on the invisible church made up of many lively stones that does make of the spiritual house of God as His eternal bride, the church.
One church, one gospel .Not one for a Jew as one bride and another for the gentile making two as if God was a bigamist..
Why do you choose the new innovation (dispensations) as if God was a man as us?
The first century reformation has come. Why put a division between the outwardcorruptpted flesh of a Jew and the gentile as if we were still waiting for the veil to be rent? .. Is it rent?
Without parables using the things of this world seen (flesh and blood) to give us the spiritual meaning as that not seen Christ spoke not.
God is not a man as us…. never was, never will be.
No literal thousand years needed to sew of the veil that was rent for a actual purpose. Christ was here and will not be returning in the flesh a second time..
2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
No literal key,
No literal bottomless pit
No literal chains could hold the spirit of lies
Lying spirits have no literal form as dragon, serpents, lions, tigers and bears .That would be more Hollywood and the Wizard of Oz . We simply do not wrestle against the things seen as if the god of this world was a man as us
Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
No literal thousand years
.
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Again no literal thousand years its been over two thousand literal since the veil was rent marking the end day revealed by the wrath of God.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
No literal headless souls. The mark is the number of natural unconverted man one of the beast of the field (formed with the dust)
God who eternal Spirit and not a man as us does not sit on a literal throne and it’s not a literal mark. Forehead throughout the scriptures represents the mind and hands the will. By purposely avoiding the parable you give up the spiritual understanding in exchange for Hollywood drama .
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
The rest of the dead are those who will be resurrected on the last day the second and final resurrection. This is when those asleep (first resurrection graves were opened) and those who do remain reigning with Christ by faith…. both in the simultaneously, in the twinkling of the eye together will receive their new incorruptible bodies. They will be neither male nor female Jew or Gentile but entirely new creation .Not rebuild or reconditioned.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Amil works the best , no literal thousand years was the most popular posstion of the Reformers this is before men attempted to put a literal face on the invisible church made up of many lively stones that does make of the spiritual house of God as His eternal bride, the church.
One church, one gospel .Not one for a Jew as one bride and another for the gentile making two as if God was a bigamist..
Why do you choose the new innovation (dispensations) as if God was a man as us?
According to Eusebius,
In addition to these the same author records many other tumults which were stirred up in Jerusalem itself, and shows that from that time seditions and wars and mischievous plots followed each other in quick succession, and never ceased in the city and in all Judea until finally the siege of Vespasian overwhelmed them. Thus the divine vengeance overtook the Jews for the crimes which they dared to commit against Christ.
The above dovetails nicely with Christ's own prophesy. He ought to know.
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
Any of you futurists want to take a stab at what the "days of vengeance" were? Future or past retribution?
Besides crucifying their Messiah, what other crimes did the high priests do?
John 19:
And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.
So not only did they reject Christ as their King, they instead acknowledged the pagan Caesar as their king? Am I the only one who sees something wrong with all of this? Was killing God's Son and stating that Caesar instead was their king, was that wrong enough to provoke God to punish them? Would that rise to the level of deserving punishment/vengeance?
In addition to these the same author records many other tumults which were stirred up in Jerusalem itself, and shows that from that time seditions and wars and mischievous plots followed each other in quick succession, and never ceased in the city and in all Judea until finally the siege of Vespasian overwhelmed them. Thus the divine vengeance overtook the Jews for the crimes which they dared to commit against Christ.
The above dovetails nicely with Christ's own prophesy. He ought to know.
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
Any of you futurists want to take a stab at what the "days of vengeance" were? Future or past retribution?
Besides crucifying their Messiah, what other crimes did the high priests do?
John 19:
And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.
So not only did they reject Christ as their King, they instead acknowledged the pagan Caesar as their king? Am I the only one who sees something wrong with all of this? Was killing God's Son and stating that Caesar instead was their king, was that wrong enough to provoke God to punish them? Would that rise to the level of deserving punishment/vengeance?
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And there will be famines, pestilences,
According to Eusebius:
Chapter 8: The Famine which took Place in the Reign of Claudius
1.Caius had held the power not quite four years, when he was succeeded by the emperor Claudius. Under him the world was visited with a famine, which writers that are entire strangers to our religion have recorded in their histories. And thus the prediction of Agabus recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 11:28 according to which the whole world was to be visited by a famine, received its fulfillment.
2.And Luke, in the Acts, after mentioning the famine in the time of Claudius, and stating that the brethren of Antioch, each according to his ability, sent to the brethren of Judea by the hands of Paul and Barnabas, Acts 11:29-30 adds the following account.
Who still thinks the famine Christ mentions in Mat 24 is future????
According to Eusebius:
Chapter 8: The Famine which took Place in the Reign of Claudius
1.Caius had held the power not quite four years, when he was succeeded by the emperor Claudius. Under him the world was visited with a famine, which writers that are entire strangers to our religion have recorded in their histories. And thus the prediction of Agabus recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 11:28 according to which the whole world was to be visited by a famine, received its fulfillment.
2.And Luke, in the Acts, after mentioning the famine in the time of Claudius, and stating that the brethren of Antioch, each according to his ability, sent to the brethren of Judea by the hands of Paul and Barnabas, Acts 11:29-30 adds the following account.
Who still thinks the famine Christ mentions in Mat 24 is future????
God uses literal history as parables (historically true) to preach the gospel beforehand in respect to the suffering of Christ as well as with proverbs for moral principles . Proverb is the same word as parable .It is used for the sole purpose to hide the spiritual understanding from the lost. Without parables the word of God speaks not .
That can be seen clearly by just looking at the word thousand or in multiples of hundred or ten to represent a unknown to what ever is in view whether it is time related or not..
The question is will one study rightfully dividing the gospel of ort salvation the Bible or ignore the parables and lean on ones own understanding.
That can be seen clearly by just looking at the word thousand or in multiples of hundred or ten to represent a unknown to what ever is in view whether it is time related or not..
The question is will one study rightfully dividing the gospel of ort salvation the Bible or ignore the parables and lean on ones own understanding.
Houston, we have a big problem for the futurists.
I just found the below which ends the debate. Here's the link (Go to Chapter 23) but I copied and pasted the relative material below:
Eusebius: Church History - Book 2
Hegesippus, who lived immediately after the apostles, gives the most accurate account (of the murder of James, the Just, brother of Jesus) in the fifth book of his Memoirs. He writes as follows:
12.The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees therefore placed James upon the pinnacle of the temple, and cried out to him and said: You just one, in whom we ought all to have confidence, forasmuch as the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one, declare to us, what is the gate of Jesus.
13.And he answered with a loud voice, Why do you ask me concerning Jesus, the Son of Man? He himself sits in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and is about to come upon the clouds of heaven.
14.And when many were fully convinced and gloried in the testimony of James, and said, Hosanna to the Son of David, these same Scribes and Pharisees said again to one another, We have done badly in supplying such testimony to Jesus. But let us go up and throw him down, in order that they may be afraid to believe him.
15.And they cried out, saying, Oh! oh! the just man is also in error. And they fulfilled the Scripture written in Isaiah, Let us take away the just man, because he is troublesome to us: therefore they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
16.So they went up and threw down the just man, and said to each other, Let us stone James the Just. And they began to stone him, for he was not killed by the fall; but he turned and knelt down and said, I entreat you, Lord God our Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
17.And while they were thus stoning him one of the priests of the sons of Rechab, the son of the Rechabites, who are mentioned by Jeremiah the prophet, cried out, saying, Stop. What are you doing? The just one prays for you.
18.And one of them, who was a fuller, took the club with which he beat out clothes and struck the just man on the head. And thus he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him on the spot, by the temple, and his monument still remains by the temple. He became a true witness, both to Jews and Greeks, that Jesus is the Christ. And immediately Vespasian besieged them.
19.These things are related at length by Hegesippus, who is in agreement with Clement. James was so admirable a man and so celebrated among all for his justice, that the more sensible even of the Jews were of the opinion that this was the cause of the siege of Jerusalem, which happened to them immediately after his martyrdom for no other reason than their daring act against him.
Game over!!
I just found the below which ends the debate. Here's the link (Go to Chapter 23) but I copied and pasted the relative material below:
Eusebius: Church History - Book 2
Hegesippus, who lived immediately after the apostles, gives the most accurate account (of the murder of James, the Just, brother of Jesus) in the fifth book of his Memoirs. He writes as follows:
12.The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees therefore placed James upon the pinnacle of the temple, and cried out to him and said: You just one, in whom we ought all to have confidence, forasmuch as the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one, declare to us, what is the gate of Jesus.
13.And he answered with a loud voice, Why do you ask me concerning Jesus, the Son of Man? He himself sits in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and is about to come upon the clouds of heaven.
14.And when many were fully convinced and gloried in the testimony of James, and said, Hosanna to the Son of David, these same Scribes and Pharisees said again to one another, We have done badly in supplying such testimony to Jesus. But let us go up and throw him down, in order that they may be afraid to believe him.
15.And they cried out, saying, Oh! oh! the just man is also in error. And they fulfilled the Scripture written in Isaiah, Let us take away the just man, because he is troublesome to us: therefore they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
16.So they went up and threw down the just man, and said to each other, Let us stone James the Just. And they began to stone him, for he was not killed by the fall; but he turned and knelt down and said, I entreat you, Lord God our Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
17.And while they were thus stoning him one of the priests of the sons of Rechab, the son of the Rechabites, who are mentioned by Jeremiah the prophet, cried out, saying, Stop. What are you doing? The just one prays for you.
18.And one of them, who was a fuller, took the club with which he beat out clothes and struck the just man on the head. And thus he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him on the spot, by the temple, and his monument still remains by the temple. He became a true witness, both to Jews and Greeks, that Jesus is the Christ. And immediately Vespasian besieged them.
19.These things are related at length by Hegesippus, who is in agreement with Clement. James was so admirable a man and so celebrated among all for his justice, that the more sensible even of the Jews were of the opinion that this was the cause of the siege of Jerusalem, which happened to them immediately after his martyrdom for no other reason than their daring act against him.
Game over!!
The assault on futurism by Eusebius continues. Boy, this is really bad for you guys.
2.For the Jews after the ascension of our Saviour, in addition to their crime against him, had been devising as many plots as they could against his apostles. First Stephen was stoned to death by them, and after him James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of John, was beheaded, and finally James, the first that had obtained the episcopal seat in Jerusalem after the ascension of our Saviour, died in the manner already described. But the rest of the apostles, who had been incessantly plotted against with a view to their destruction, and had been driven out of the land of Judea, went unto all nations to preach the Gospel, relying upon the power of Christ, who had said to them, Go and make disciples of all the nations in my name.
3.But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella. And when those that believed in Christ had come there from Jerusalem, then, as if the royal city of the Jews and the whole land of Judea were entirely destitute of holy men, the judgment of God at length overtook those who had committed such outrages against Christ and his apostles, and totally destroyed that generation of impious men.
4.But the number of calamities which everywhere fell upon the nation at that time; the extreme misfortunes to which the inhabitants of Judea were especially subjected, the thousands of men, as well as women and children, that perished by the sword, by famine, and by other forms of death innumerable—all these things, as well as the many great sieges which were carried on against the cities of Judea, and the excessive sufferings endured by those that fled to Jerusalem itself, as to a city of perfect safety, and finally the general course of the whole war, as well as its particular occurrences in detail, and how at last the abomination of desolation, proclaimed by the prophets, Daniel 9:27 stood in the very temple of God, so celebrated of old, the temple which was now awaiting its total and final destruction by fire—all these things any one that wishes may find accurately described in the history written by Josephus.
5.But it is necessary to state that this writer records that the multitude of those who were assembled from all Judea at the time of the Passover, to the number of three million souls, were shut up in Jerusalem as in a prison, to use his own words.
6.For it was right that in the very days in which they had inflicted suffering upon the Saviour and the Benefactor of all, the Christ of God, that in those days, shut up as in a prison, they should meet with destruction at the hands of divine justice.
7.But passing by the particular calamities which they suffered from the attempts made upon them by the sword and by other means, I think it necessary to relate only the misfortunes which the famine caused, that those who read this work may have some means of knowing that God was not long in executing vengeance upon them for their wickedness against the Christ of God.
2.For the Jews after the ascension of our Saviour, in addition to their crime against him, had been devising as many plots as they could against his apostles. First Stephen was stoned to death by them, and after him James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of John, was beheaded, and finally James, the first that had obtained the episcopal seat in Jerusalem after the ascension of our Saviour, died in the manner already described. But the rest of the apostles, who had been incessantly plotted against with a view to their destruction, and had been driven out of the land of Judea, went unto all nations to preach the Gospel, relying upon the power of Christ, who had said to them, Go and make disciples of all the nations in my name.
3.But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella. And when those that believed in Christ had come there from Jerusalem, then, as if the royal city of the Jews and the whole land of Judea were entirely destitute of holy men, the judgment of God at length overtook those who had committed such outrages against Christ and his apostles, and totally destroyed that generation of impious men.
4.But the number of calamities which everywhere fell upon the nation at that time; the extreme misfortunes to which the inhabitants of Judea were especially subjected, the thousands of men, as well as women and children, that perished by the sword, by famine, and by other forms of death innumerable—all these things, as well as the many great sieges which were carried on against the cities of Judea, and the excessive sufferings endured by those that fled to Jerusalem itself, as to a city of perfect safety, and finally the general course of the whole war, as well as its particular occurrences in detail, and how at last the abomination of desolation, proclaimed by the prophets, Daniel 9:27 stood in the very temple of God, so celebrated of old, the temple which was now awaiting its total and final destruction by fire—all these things any one that wishes may find accurately described in the history written by Josephus.
5.But it is necessary to state that this writer records that the multitude of those who were assembled from all Judea at the time of the Passover, to the number of three million souls, were shut up in Jerusalem as in a prison, to use his own words.
6.For it was right that in the very days in which they had inflicted suffering upon the Saviour and the Benefactor of all, the Christ of God, that in those days, shut up as in a prison, they should meet with destruction at the hands of divine justice.
7.But passing by the particular calamities which they suffered from the attempts made upon them by the sword and by other means, I think it necessary to relate only the misfortunes which the famine caused, that those who read this work may have some means of knowing that God was not long in executing vengeance upon them for their wickedness against the Christ of God.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
5. Many, indeed, secretly sold their possessions for one measure of wheat, if they belonged to the wealthier class, of barley if they were poorer.
Events of the Great Tribulation of 66-70 AD.
5. Many, indeed, secretly sold their possessions for one measure of wheat, if they belonged to the wealthier class, of barley if they were poorer.
Events of the Great Tribulation of 66-70 AD.
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
19.After speaking of some other things, Josephus proceeds as follows: I cannot hesitate to declare what my feelings compel me to. I suppose, if the Romans had longer delayed in coming against these guilty wretches, the city would have been swallowed up by a chasm, or overwhelmed with a flood, or struck with such thunderbolts as destroyed Sodom. For it had brought forth a generation of men much more godless than were those that suffered such punishment. By their madness indeed was the whole people brought to destruction.
20.And in the sixth book he writes as follows: Of those that perished by famine in the city the number was countless, and the miseries they underwent unspeakable. For if so much as the shadow of food appeared in any house, there was war, and the dearest friends engaged in hand-to-hand conflict with one another, and snatched from each other the most wretched supports of life.
19.After speaking of some other things, Josephus proceeds as follows: I cannot hesitate to declare what my feelings compel me to. I suppose, if the Romans had longer delayed in coming against these guilty wretches, the city would have been swallowed up by a chasm, or overwhelmed with a flood, or struck with such thunderbolts as destroyed Sodom. For it had brought forth a generation of men much more godless than were those that suffered such punishment. By their madness indeed was the whole people brought to destruction.
20.And in the sixth book he writes as follows: Of those that perished by famine in the city the number was countless, and the miseries they underwent unspeakable. For if so much as the shadow of food appeared in any house, there was war, and the dearest friends engaged in hand-to-hand conflict with one another, and snatched from each other the most wretched supports of life.
Eusebius keeps pounding nails into the coffins of futurists. I'm starting to like this guy. Never read him before. But this is what the head of the Church in Caesaria, Israel in the 3-4th century AD believed (as do I).
Chapter 7: The Predictions of Christ
1.It is fitting to add to these accounts the true prediction of our Saviour in which he foretold these very events.
2.His words are as follows: Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
3.The historian, reckoning the whole number of the slain, says that eleven hundred thousand persons perished by famine and sword, and that the rest of the rioters and robbers, being betrayed by each other after the taking of the city, were slain. But the tallest of the youths and those that were distinguished for beauty were preserved for the triumph. Of the rest of the multitude, those that were over seventeen years of age were sent as prisoners to labor in the works of Egypt, while still more were scattered through the provinces to meet their death in the theaters by the sword and by beasts. Those under seventeen years of age were carried away to be sold as slaves, and of these alone the number reached ninety thousand.
4.These things took place in this manner in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, in accordance with the prophecies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who by divine power saw them beforehand as if they were already present, and wept and mourned according to the statement of the holy evangelists, who give the very words which he uttered, when, as if addressing Jerusalem herself, he said:
5.If you had known, even you, in this day, the things which belong unto your peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you, that your enemies shall cast a rampart about you, and compass you round, and keep you in on every side, and shall lay you and your children even with the ground.
6.And then, as if speaking concerning the people, he says, 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. And again: When you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
7.If any one compares the words of our Saviour with the other accounts of the historian concerning the whole war, how can one fail to wonder, and to admit that the foreknowledge and the prophecy of our Saviour were truly divine and marvellously strange.
8.Concerning those calamities, then, that befell the whole Jewish nation after the Saviour's passion and after the words which the multitude of the Jews uttered, when they begged the release of the robber and murderer, but besought that the Prince of Life should be taken from their midst, it is not necessary to add anything to the account of the historian.
9.But it may be proper to mention also those events which exhibited the graciousness of that all-good Providence which held back their destruction full forty years after their crime against Christ—during which time many of the apostles and disciples, and James himself the first bishop there, the one who is called the brother of the Lord, were still alive, and dwelling in Jerusalem itself, remained the surest bulwark of the place. Divine Providence thus still proved itself long-suffering toward them in order to see whether by repentance for what they had done they might obtain pardon and salvation; and in addition to such long-suffering, Providence also furnished wonderful signs of the things which were about to happen to them if they did not repent.
10.Since these matters have been thought worthy of mention by the historian already cited, we cannot do better than to recount them for the benefit of the readers of this work.
Chapter 7: The Predictions of Christ
1.It is fitting to add to these accounts the true prediction of our Saviour in which he foretold these very events.
2.His words are as follows: Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
3.The historian, reckoning the whole number of the slain, says that eleven hundred thousand persons perished by famine and sword, and that the rest of the rioters and robbers, being betrayed by each other after the taking of the city, were slain. But the tallest of the youths and those that were distinguished for beauty were preserved for the triumph. Of the rest of the multitude, those that were over seventeen years of age were sent as prisoners to labor in the works of Egypt, while still more were scattered through the provinces to meet their death in the theaters by the sword and by beasts. Those under seventeen years of age were carried away to be sold as slaves, and of these alone the number reached ninety thousand.
4.These things took place in this manner in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, in accordance with the prophecies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who by divine power saw them beforehand as if they were already present, and wept and mourned according to the statement of the holy evangelists, who give the very words which he uttered, when, as if addressing Jerusalem herself, he said:
5.If you had known, even you, in this day, the things which belong unto your peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you, that your enemies shall cast a rampart about you, and compass you round, and keep you in on every side, and shall lay you and your children even with the ground.
6.And then, as if speaking concerning the people, he says, 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. And again: When you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
7.If any one compares the words of our Saviour with the other accounts of the historian concerning the whole war, how can one fail to wonder, and to admit that the foreknowledge and the prophecy of our Saviour were truly divine and marvellously strange.
8.Concerning those calamities, then, that befell the whole Jewish nation after the Saviour's passion and after the words which the multitude of the Jews uttered, when they begged the release of the robber and murderer, but besought that the Prince of Life should be taken from their midst, it is not necessary to add anything to the account of the historian.
9.But it may be proper to mention also those events which exhibited the graciousness of that all-good Providence which held back their destruction full forty years after their crime against Christ—during which time many of the apostles and disciples, and James himself the first bishop there, the one who is called the brother of the Lord, were still alive, and dwelling in Jerusalem itself, remained the surest bulwark of the place. Divine Providence thus still proved itself long-suffering toward them in order to see whether by repentance for what they had done they might obtain pardon and salvation; and in addition to such long-suffering, Providence also furnished wonderful signs of the things which were about to happen to them if they did not repent.
10.Since these matters have been thought worthy of mention by the historian already cited, we cannot do better than to recount them for the benefit of the readers of this work.
ahwatukee i dont want to be a nuisance to you but because your theory is the least overstood by me and is the most appealing (itching ears i have) i want to ask if there is any indication in the bible that the return of Christ happens in parts meaning first comes for the church then with the church at the end??????????????
Wew! And then people wonder why Jews aren't converting to christianity? Most of the denominations of christianity deny the promises to the nation of Israel, they allegorize the prophecies away about the Messiah and what he brings. And I see a lot of yall doing the same in this topic its a shame. Dont be mad, yall are grafted in to the same tree, you will also inherit the kingdom, no need to be salty.
Hath God cast away His people? God forbid!
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
-Romans 11:25
Hath God cast away His people? God forbid!
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
-Romans 11:25
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if i overstand correctly gentiles are by faith in Christ seed of abraham and grafted into the promises.................
i wish mr ahwatukee would come from work and answer my question if there is any indication in the bibe that the return of Christ happens in parts meaning first comes for the church then with the church at the end??????????????
very itchy ears for me wtih this topic!!!!!!!!!
i wish mr ahwatukee would come from work and answer my question if there is any indication in the bibe that the return of Christ happens in parts meaning first comes for the church then with the church at the end??????????????
very itchy ears for me wtih this topic!!!!!!!!!