Many
Christians are not aware of the incredible correlations to the events described
in the book of Revelation and the events of the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD
70, in the Wars of the Jews against the Romans. When you read a history such as
that written by Josephus, you begin to see how the book of Revelation is
largely talking about the destruction of the Temple, the Old Covenant system,
and judgment on God’s rebellious people.
This does not
mean there is no future fulfilment of many of the things in this book, I
believe there will be. But the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans can be
seen as a picture of what is going to happen to all people who reject the words
of Christ and who do not come out of the world system.
Consider what
we read in Revelation 6. John describes a vision where he sees four horsemen
come riding in the sky first the conqueror with the bow on a white horse, then
a red horse brining war and destruction, so that people would turn on each
other, then a black horse that is predicting famine and escalating inflation
that always comes with famine, and lastly a pale horse with death as its rider.
Many people look for the fulfilment of these things at the end of days, as
Jesus refers to similar events in Matthew 24. But conquest, destruction, famine and death
accompany all wars. They most certainly accompanied the destruction of
Jerusalem in AD 70.
Then we read
about those who were slain for the word of God, and we see them pray, “10 They
cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before
you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” God then
tells them to wait a little longer, because he is not done saving people, “11 Then they were each given a white robe and
told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and
their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had
been.” We know many Christians were persecuted in the first century by the Jewish leadership. Paul is a famous example of a man who tormented Christians and repented, becoming the greatest Christian leader.
Then John tells
us what is going to happen to the rich and powerful,
“12
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great
earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like
blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its
winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is
being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich
and the powerful, and everyone, slave[d] and free, hid themselves in the caves
and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks,
“Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and
from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and
who can stand?” (Rev. 6:12-17).
Judgement is
going to be unfurled and the rich and powerful will hide themselves in the
caves seeking to get away from it.
Let’s now
compare this chapter of Revelation to one chapter from Josephus,
“CHAPTER
9. What Injunctions Caesar Gave When He Was Come Within The
City. The Number Of The Captives And Of Those That
Perished
In The Siege; As Also Concerning Those That Had Escaped
Into
The Subterranean Caverns, Among Whom Were The Tyrants
Simon
And John Themselves.
1. Now when Titus was come into this [upper] city, he admired not only some other places of strength in it, but particularly those strong towers which the tyrants in their mad conduct had relinquished; for when he saw their solid altitude, and the largeness of their several stones, and the exactness of their joints, as also how great was their breadth, and how extensive their length, he expressed himself after the manner following: "We have certainly had God for our assistant in this war, and it was no other than God who ejected the Jews out of these fortifications; for what could the hands of men or any machines do towards overthrowing these towers?" At which time he had many such discourses to his friends; he also let such go free as had been bound by the tyrants, and were left in the prisons.
To conclude, when he entirely demolished the rest of the city, and overthrew its walls, he left these towers as a monument of his good fortune, which had proved his auxiliaries, and enabled him to take what could not otherwise have been taken by him.
2. And now, since his soldiers were already quite tired with killing men, and yet there appeared to be a vast multitude still remaining alive, Caesar gave orders that they should kill none but those that were in arms, and opposed them, but should take the rest alive. But, together with those whom they had orders to slay, they slew the aged and the infirm; but for those that were in their flourishing age, and who might be useful to them, they drove them together into the temple, and shut them up within the walls of the court of the women; over which Caesar set one of his freed-men, as also Fronto, one of his own friends; which last was to determine every one's fate, according to his merits.
So this Fronto slew all those that had been seditious and robbers, who were impeached one by another; but of the young men he chose out the tallest and most beautiful, and reserved them for the triumph; and as for the rest of the multitude that were above seventeen years old, he put them into bonds, and sent them to the Egyptian mines Titus also sent a great number into the provinces, as a present to them, that they might be destroyed upon their theatres, by the sword and by the wild beasts; but those that were under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves.
Now during the days wherein Fronto was distinguishing these men, there perished, for want of food, eleven thousand; some of whom did not taste any food, through the hatred their guards bore to them; and others would not take in any when it was given them. The multitude also was so very great, that they were in want even of corn for their sustenance.
3. Now the number 32 of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be ninety-seven thousand; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege eleven hundred thousand, the greater part of whom were indeed of the same nation [with the citizens of Jerusalem], but not belonging to the city itself; for they were come up from all the country to the feast of unleavened bread, and were on a sudden shut up by an army, which, at the very first, occasioned so great a straitness among them, that there came a pestilential destruction upon them, and soon afterward such a famine, as destroyed them more suddenly. And that this city could contain so many people in it, is manifest by that number of them which was taken under Cestius, who being desirous of informing Nero of the power of the city, who otherwise was disposed to contemn that nation, entreated the high priests, if the thing were possible, to take the number of their whole multitude.
So these high priests, upon the coming of that feast which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour till the eleventh, but so that a company not less than ten belong to every sacrifice, [for it is not lawful for them to feast singly by themselves,] and many of us are twenty in a company, found the number of sacrifices was two hundred and fifty-six thousand five hundred; which, upon the allowance of no more than ten that feast together, amounts to two millions seven hundred thousand and two hundred persons that were pure and holy; for as to those that have the leprosy, or the gonorrhea, or women that have their monthly courses, or such as are otherwise polluted, it is not lawful for them to be partakers of this sacrifice; nor indeed for any foreigners neither, who come hither to worship.
4. Now this vast multitude is indeed collected out of remote places, but the entire nation was now shut up by fate as in prison, and the Roman army encompassed the city when it was crowded with inhabitants. Accordingly, the multitude of those that therein perished exceeded all the destructions that either men or God ever brought upon the world; for, to speak only of what was publicly known, the Romans slew some of them, some they carried captives, and others they made a search for under ground, and when they found where they were, they broke up the ground and slew all they met with.
There were also found slain there above two thousand persons, partly by their own hands, and partly by one another, but chiefly destroyed by the famine; but then the ill savor of the dead bodies was most offensive to those that lighted upon them, insomuch that some were obliged to get away immediately, while others were so greedy of gain, that they would go in among the dead bodies that lay on heaps, and tread upon them; for a great deal of treasure was found in these caverns, and the hope of gain made every way of getting it to be esteemed lawful.
Many also of those that
had been put in prison by the tyrants were now brought out; for they did not
leave off their barbarous cruelty at the very last: yet did God avenge himself
upon them both, in a manner agreeable to justice. As for John, he wanted food,
together with his brethren, in these caverns, and begged that the Romans would
now give him their right hand for his security, which he had often proudly
rejected before; but for Simon, he struggled hard with the distress he was in, till
he was forced to surrender himself, as we shall relate hereafter; so he was
reserved for the triumph, and to be then slain; as was John condemned to
perpetual imprisonment. And now the Romans set fire to the extreme parts of the
city, and burnt them down, and entirely demolished its walls.”[1]
War, famine, and destruction. Just as John notes in Revelation. If you read more of Josephus you
will see that at one point the Jewish Zealots and the Idumeans actually line up
for battle against each other while the Romans are breaking down the lower
walls of Jerusalem, fulfilling what John wrote, “Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so
that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword” (Rev.
6:4). We also see that the great men of Jerusalem hid themselves in the caverns
(caves), “15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals
and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in
the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,…” (Rev. 6:15). They also took
much of their wealth in there with them.
Whether you
believe John saw this vision in the 60’s as some do, or that he simply described
the judgement of Jerusalem afterwards in Apocalyptic language, you can see how
this could easily be applying to what happened in that war. You can also see
how this could apply to the judgement of the world at the end of days, of course, but the connection with the war of AD 66-73 is far more apparent. This is
why I see what happened to Jerusalem in the wars of Jews against the Romans as
a type of the judgement that is coming on the world.
But what is
even more clear is how much this passage warns us to trust in Jesus. Who can
withstand the great day of his wrath? Here is a song I created which highlights
these themes here.
This passage of Revelation is designed to warn us to heed the words of Jesus
and turn away from our sins and back towards him. The early church often
pointed to the destruction of Jerusalem as a vindication of the words of Jesus.
It was to them clear evidence of his prophetic ability to see what was coming
ahead. Jesus warned all those who were in that old religious system to trust in
him, those who listened to him fled when Jerusalem was surrounded by armies,
and they were saved.
Trust in Jesus today. His final wrath will come one day. Now is the time of salvation, don’t wait to long to trust in him.
List of
References
[1] Josephus,
Flavius. The Wars of the Jews; or the history of the destruction of Jerusalem
(pp. 477-480). Kindle Edition.
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