Chapter 5 - The meaning of the term "wormwood" and the seven decades cycle prediction

Chapter 5 - The meaning of the term "wormwood" and the seven decades cycle prediction

 

The explanation of the term "wormwood" in the Book of Revelation:

The verse; Revelation 8:11, is neither about a falling star, a comet nor a meteor hitting Earth in the near future. The mention of - "wormwood" - by the writer of the book of Revelation is an expression concerning the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Many years earlier, Jeremiah warned about a seven decades occupation by the Babylonians. Therefore, the writer of the book of Revelation is expressing a repeat of history.

The evidence:

 

Jeremiah 23:15, Jeremiah 9:15, Lamentations 3:15, Lamentations 3:19, Ezekiel 3:14, Proverbs 5:4 and Amos 5:7 all the previous verses mention the same term according to the translation. Also, the meaning is also "bitterness" and is connected with earlier books within the Bible - Exodus 15:23 and Deuteronomy 29:18.

 

The evidence given means that the writer of the book of Revelation expressed a symbolic meaning to the term "wormwood" and not a literal vision of events. If the Earth is hit by a meteor or asteroid it would be for natural reasons and not supposedly supernatural reasons.

In the book of Hebrews, a document or letter attributed to Paul, he explains that the "bitterness" will arrive and his advice was rather a personal warning. It will be shown later that the author is John, the very same author of the book of Revelation. In Hebrews 12:12-15, John was mentioning a personal battle within individuals who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.


The supporting evidence is Proverbs 5:4 which mentions a symbolic parallelism to the fall of Jerusalem to non-Christian gentile forces. The image of Jerusalem as a female lamenting ( Jeremiah 31:15, Jeremiah 31:21, Isaiah 62:5-6 ) and even as a disobedient wife because of her fornication and adultery ( Hosea 4:6-11 ) were later copied by the writer of the Book of Revelation. Therefore, the mention of "wormwood" is properly concluded as a prelude to a dramatic event and test of faith. This test is the complete destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. This event was repeated in A.D.70 by the Romans.

 

 

The Jewish Talmud, another important source, explains another reason why the Temple was completely destroyed in A.D.70 by the Romans:

 

' R. Johan b. Turtha said: Why had Shiloh fallen? Two sins were committed there: adultery and sacrilege. Adultery, as it is written ( 1st Samuel 2:22 ): " Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons were in the habit of doing unto all Israel; and how they would lie with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. " And sacrilege, as it is written (1st Samuel 2:17): " and the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for the men despised the offering of the Lord. "

 

Why has the first Temple fallen? Because there were three things: idolatry, adultery, and bloodshed. Idolatry, as it is written (Jeremiah 28:20): " For the bed shall be too short for a man to stretch himself out on it; and the covering too narrow to wrap himself in. " And R. Johanan said: The bed is too narrow that there should be two: God and the idols. { said R. Samuel b. Nahmoni: When R. Jonathan used to come to this verse, he used to cry, saying: That the Lord, of whom it is said ( Psalms 33:7 ),: " He gathered together like heaps the waters of the sea, " should feel too little space because of an idol. } Adultery, as it is written { Isaiah 3:16 }: " Fore as much as the daughters of Zion are fraud, and walk with stretched forth necks and casting about their eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet. " R. itz'hak said to this: What is meant by tinkling? They used to fill the shoes with spices, and when a young man was by, they pressed the spices with the feet, to attract his attention.

Bloodshed, as it is written ( 2nd Kings 21:16 ): " And also innocent blood did Manasseh shed in very great abundance. "

 

But the second Temple, where the occupations were study of the Law, religious duties, and charity -- why fell it? Because there was groundless enmity. 1. From this we can infer that unfounded hatred is equal to all the three sins together: idolatry, adultery, and bloodshed. In the time of the first Temple, although they were wicked, yet because they put their trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written (Micah 3:11): " Her heads judge for bribes, her priests teach for reward, and her prophets divine for money: and yet they will lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? evil cannot come over us. " For this, the Holy One, blessed be He, brought on them three chastisements, for their three sins; as it is written (Micah 3:12): " Therefore for your sake shall Zion be ploughed up as a field, and Jerusalem shall become ruinous heaps, and the mount of the house, forest-covered high places. "

R. Johanan and R. Elazar both said: In the time of the first Temple, as their sin was laid bare, therefore the date of the end of their suffering has likewise been revealed; but in the time of the second Temple, when their sin was not stated clearly in writing, therefore the date of the end (of their suffering) was not revealed either.

R. Johanan said again: The nail of those of the time of the first Temple was preferable to the belly(whole body) of those of the time of the second Temple. Said Resh Lakish to him: On the contrary, the last were better. Although they were subject to a foreign government, nevertheless they studied and observed the Law. Rejoined R. Johanan: The fact of the Temple can prove it. The first obtained the Temple once more, and the last have it not yet. R. Elazar was asked who were greater, the first or the second? He replied: Take the Temple as a sign. '(Talmud, Book 3, Chapter 1 of Tract Yomah ' Day of Atonement ', pg.11-12)

 

 

 

One of the primary reasons of why John wrote the Book of Revelation was to show that he believed in the repeat of a seventy years prophecy.  John was utilizing a past symbolic terms and phrases used years earlier by Jeremiah to describe the capture of Jerusalem. For example; what is stated in the book of Jeremiah: Jeremiah 29:10 and Jeremiah 29:28, was a prophecy of Babylonian captivity. If this was the case then the writer of the book of Revelation was (falsely) predicting a seventy years captivity of Jerusalem by the Romans. This prophecy would start when the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. This has been known by history to be A.D.70  and therefore the return of Jesus was supposed to be A.D. 140. The reasoning for my previous conclusion is that the Book of Revelation explains that the new temple is Jesus himself (Revelation 21:22). This is a departure from the earlier second temple prophecies which connects the return of the people of God to the city which also requires the rebuilding of the temple. The next difference between the previous temple (Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Zechariah and other earlier prophetic Books), and the temple destroyed by the Romans, is the fact that the return to the land was not fulfilled during the seven decades span.

 

The source of Flavius Josephus gives us an answer concerning the reason of the "false prophet" stated in Revelation 16:13, Revelation 19:20, and Revelation 20:10. Surely, the meaning of the "false prophet" in Revelation chapter thirteen is a combination of the spirit of Korah and Seneca (and Roman Law and Roman philosophy). John, the writer of the book of Revelation, combined all of these figures together at the end in Revelation 20:10. The "false prophet" is the total sum: (Seneca, Roman Laws, Roman Philosophies and Jewish individuals who gave false predictions of victory over the Romans at the Temple before A.D. 70.) What is the evidence showing that John metaphorically symbolized the “spirit” manifestation of several entities? In the collection of Epistles attributed to John, it states many anti-Christs (1^st John 2:18). In other words, not only was Nero the “antichrist” but also the Roman emperor Vespasian who directed the destruction of the Temple and this description means that the plural form expands the meaning of “666” which started with Nero and ended with Constantine (Revelation 1:7). The previous conclusion will be presented elaborately in a later chapter. Furthermore, the Epistles of John were written after the temple’s destruction. In the Epistles of John, John also mentions the “spirit” of several entities into one in 1^st John 4:1-6. Nevertheless, the intention of John was to attempt a prediction concerning the downfall of the Roman Empire to encourage the oppressed and suppressed early Christian community.

 

 

Flavius Josephus says in his treatise or book:

 

2. And now the Romans, judging that it was in vain to spare what was round about the holy house, burnt all those places, as also the remains of the cloisters and the gates, two excepted; the one on the east side, and the other on the south; both which, however, they burnt afterward. They also burnt down the treasury chambers, in which was an immense quantity of money, and an immense number of garments, and other precious goods there reposited; and, to speak all in a few words, there it was that the entire riches of the Jews were heaped up together, while the rich people had there built themselves chambers [to contain such furniture]. The soldiers also came to the rest of the cloisters that were in the outer [court of the] temple, whither the women and children, and a great mixed multitude of the people, fled, in number about six thousand. But before Caesar had determined anything about these people, or given the commanders any orders relating to them, the soldiers were in such a rage, that they set that cloister on fire; by which means it came to pass that some of these were destroyed by throwing themselves down headlong, and some were burnt in the cloisters themselves. Nor did any one of them escape with his life. A false prophet (19)was the occasion of these people's destruction, who had made a public proclamation in the city that very day, that God commanded them to get upon the temple, and that there they should receive miraculous signs of their deliverance. Now there was then a great number of false prophets suborned by the tyrants to impose on the people, who denounced this to them, that they should wait for deliverance from God; and this was in order to keep them from deserting, and that they might be buoyed up above fear and care by such hopes. Now a man that is in adversity does easily comply with such promises; for when such a seducer makes him believe that he shall be delivered from those miseries which oppress him, then it is that the patient is full of hopes of such his deliverance.

3. Thus were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers, and such as belied God himself; while they did not attend nor give credit to the signs that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation, but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them. Thus there was a star (20)resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year. Thus also before the Jews' rebellion, and before those commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on the eighth day of the month Xanthicus, (21)[Nisan,] and at the ninth hour of the night, so great a light shone round the altar and the holy house, that it appeared to be bright day time; which lasted for half an hour. This light seemed to be a good sign to the unskillful, but was so interpreted by the sacred scribes, as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it. At the same festival also, a heifer, as she was led by the high priest to be sacrificed, brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple. Moreover, the eastern gate of the inner (22)[court of the] temple, which was of brass, and vastly heavy, and had been with difficulty shut by twenty men, and rested upon a basis armed with iron, and had bolts fastened very deep into the firm floor, which was there made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of its own accord about the sixth hour of the night. Now those that kept watch in the temple came hereupon running to the captain of the temple, and told him of it; who then came up thither, and not without great difficulty was able to shut the gate again. This also appeared to the vulgar to be a very happy prodigy, as if God did thereby open them the gate of happiness. But the men of learning understood it, that the security of their holy house was dissolved of its own accord, and that the gate was opened for the advantage of their enemies. So these publicly declared that the signal foreshowed the desolation that was coming upon them. Besides these, a few days after that feast, on the one and twentieth day of the month Artemisius, [Jyar,] a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared: I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities. Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the temple,] as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "Let us remove hence." But, what is still more terrible, there was one Jesus, the son of Ananius, a plebeian and a husbandman, who, four years before the war began, and at a time when the city was in very great peace and prosperity, came to that feast whereon it is our custom for everyone to make tabernacles to God in the temple,(23)began on a sudden to cry aloud, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west,a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!" This was his cry, as he went about by day and by night, in all the lanes of the city. However, certain of the most eminent among the populace had great indignation at this dire cry of his, and took up the man, and gave him a great number of severe stripes; yet did not he either say anything for himself, or anything peculiar to those that chastised him, but still went on with the same words which he cried before. Hereupon our rulers, supposing, as the case proved to be, that this was a sort of divine fury in the man, brought him to the Roman procurator, where he was whipped till his bones were laid bare; yet he did not make any supplication for himself, nor shed any tears, but turning his voice to the most lamentable tone possible, at every stroke of the whip his answer was, "Woe, woe to Jerusalem!" And when Albinus (for he was then our procurator) asked him, Who he was? and whence he came? and why he uttered such words? he made no manner of reply to what he said, but still did not leave off his melancholy ditty, till Albinus took him to be a madman, and dismissed him. Now, during all the time that passed before the war began, this man did not go near any of the citizens, nor was seen by them while he said so; but he every day uttered these lamentable words, as if it were his premeditated vow, "Woe, woe to Jerusalem!" Nor did he give ill words to any of those that beat him every day, nor good words to those that gave him food; but this was his reply to all men, and indeed no other than a melancholy presage of what was to come. This cry of his was the loudest at the festivals; and he continued this ditty for seven years and five months, without growing hoarse, or being tired therewith, until the very time that he saw his presage in earnest fulfilled in our siege, when it ceased; for as he was going round upon the wall, he cried out with his utmost force, "Woe, woe to the city again, and to the people, and to the holy house!" And just as he added at the last, "Woe, woe to myself also!" there came a stone out of one of the engines, and smote him, and killed him immediately; and as he was uttering the very same presages he gave up the ghost. "( Source: The Wars of the Jews or The history of the Destruction of Jerusalem, Book 6, Chapter 5, points 2 and 3 ).

 

 

Th aforementioned events stated by Josephus were noted by John in Revelation 8:10-11 (An "omen" of a comet in the sky before the destruction of the Temple) and Revelation 21:22 (The Lamb being born out of a red cow). It could be deducted that these reports were common and spread after the death and supposed resurrection of Jesus of Ananias?

 

Here we make a detour:  Jesus son of Ananias is not Jesus of Nazareth. These individuals are not the same individuals. One lived and preached four years before the Temple's destruction and the other lived forty years before the Temple's destruction. They are similar in characteristics which creates the question if the writers of the Gospels edited their Gospels? They edited their Gospels, years later, to borrow the characteristics of Jesus son of Ananias and other messianic personalities. They then attributed these characteristics to Jesus of Nazareth. Why did they attribute the acts of other individuals for their "messiah"? Also, why would they alter the definition of "messiah" for the growing Greek gentile members within their movement? Simply, survival of their movement in the current political environment of suppression and potential destruction which happened to similar messianic movements around their era. The author, Rebecca Gray in Prophetic Figures in Late Second Temple Jewish Palestine: The Evidence from Josephus says:

 

 

"The procurator Albinus, after questioning Jesus and observing his behavior, concluded that he was harmlessly insane and released him. The Jewish officials were apparently reassured by this decision; they did not attempt to arrest Jesus again. The contrast between Albinus' verdict on Jesus son of Ananias and the verdict of Pontius Pilate on Jesus of Nazareth is worth noting. Jesus of Nazareth was also arrested during a religious festival, and he too had predicted (among other things) the destruction of the temple. But there are three points of contrast to Jesus son of Ananias; Jesus of Nazareth evidently spoke of his own role in the events that he predicted; he had a group of followers; and he performed an action against the temple, albeit a symbolic one. All of this apparently made him more of a threat in the eyes of the Romans. The response of the Romans to Jesus son of Ananias was also markedly different from their response to the sign prophets, who were taught to constitute a genuine threat to public order. Jesus, by contrast, was deemed harmless; he was nuisance, but nothing more"(pg.162).

 

The point is that Josephus was known to spread hearsay as evidence and reports rather than witnessing at least one reported event. Earlier, Josephus was an active violent revolutionary hiding away from authorities and did not live near Jerusalem. In other words, the absence of empirical evidence to confirm at least one or some reports creates doubts of the validity of Josephus previous statements. Therefore, John was also copying hearsay reports and then stating they were from a divine source (Revelation 1:1). Is it possible that all these reports are coincidences and lucky events based on high probabilities? It is also known that Paul’s close companions, Luke and Mark, have written “Gospels” in response of Paul’s trial(Gospel of Luke) and death(Gospel of Mark). In other words, most of the reports do not match up with the stated verses in the four Gospels. James and the writer of Revelation are victims of superstitions and are attributing natural events, and even false reports, as valid or true events. James, as will be shown in other parts of the book, is a victim of connecting a thunderstorm and an earthquake to the flawed conclusion that Jesus is divine (Matthew 27:51-54). Also, within the same Gospel we have a reference to the following of the "Sabbath"(Matthew 24:20) which only suggest that it was expected that Jesus return was meant to occur between A.D. 70 to A.D. 140. All these events noted in the Josephus text above are natural occurrences or false reports based on hearsay. In other words, it shows and presents that "wormwood" referenced in the Revelation 8:11 was witnessed by the writer or spread by hearsay years earlier before the Book of Revelation was written. Most importantly, it shows us that Revelation 8:11 already occurred. This means that John; if he also witnessed the comet, was detailing a past event which most readers, of his time and era, knew and experienced. It does create doubts of his claim that he was receiving something "divine" (Revelation 1:1) when it is noted these events already happened during his era. This also means that he was trying to convey the beginning of a seven decades cycle and therefore a false "natural" prediction.

 

 

As for the lamb being born out of a red heifer (cow)? The writer of the book of Revelation expressed this in Revelation 21:22. The problem with this report is that Josephus also writes of battles witnessed in the sky something which is copied in the books of the Maccabees. Again, we have to contemplate thoroughly and carefully if the writer of the Book of Revelation is writing a document for future generations or a manual for survival for the early Christians during his era? In other words, an evidently natural document attributing natural events, and hearsay reports, to a supposed supernatural design or creator.


The fact is that "wormwood" in the Book of Revelation is describing an event which already occurred and the writer is using this event to associate it with the Temple's destruction. The problem with this particular report is its verification and to eliminate possible exaggeration of a report which was passed on to Josephus as hearsay. If the report was true then how does the "wormwood"(star or comet) event fit in it? There are problems with this report. It is like having three-out-of-four writers speak about a purple robe but yet there is no evidence nor historical records of a "scarlet" or purple robe( Matthew 27:28, Mark 15:17, and John 19:2 ). How do they know about it? Who saw this occur? While; the next Gospel after Matthew, the Gospel of Luke, speaks of a "gorgeous" robe (Luke 23:11), mentions the importance of the "robe" (Luke 15:22) and explains the meaning of the color "purple" to mean a "rich" class (Luke 16:19). Will Durant says about the symbolic role of the purple robe in Caesar and Christ:

" The ancient Jews shared with the Canaanites, Moabites, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and other peoples the custom of sacrificing a child, even a beloved son, to appease the wrath of Heaven. In the course of time a condemned criminal might be substituted. In Babylonia he was dressed in royal robes to represent the son of the King, and was then scourged and hanged. A similar sacrifice took place in Rhodes at the feast of Cronus. The offering of a lamb or kid at the Passover was probably a civilized mitigation of ancient human sacrifice". (Footnote of pg. 588)

The above edidence tells us that the "purple robe" never existed but rather it was symbolic and added to the Gospel for the Gentile Christian audience.

Therefore, only two conclusions could be made:

 (1) The report of the lamb story, by Josephus, is a fabrication made by other messianic and charismatic members within the Jewish community. (2) The Gospel writers added verses when they decided later to edit and revise their "Gospels" for their mostly non-Jewish Gentile audience.

 Hosea 8:12 states: "I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. " Hosea 8:12 is closer to the truth if the events stated by Josephus are true. However, are we to ignore the various verses which speak of God as not being a Man at all (Numbers 23:19 and Hosea 11:9)? The previous could be supported by the Jewish understanding concerning the role of the Messiah as a human being rather than a “god”. There are too many anomalies or outliers within the New Testament and Old Testament canons to believe that any Man could become God. In fact, what is missing are verses which clearly explains that God will be born through a woman. There are many verses in the Book of Isaiah which could allude in the positive to the previous but the supposition is neutralized by the previous verses in the books of Numbers and Hosea. Hence, the reason of why the theory is created that the New Testament writers revised and edited their "gospels".

The previous verse in Revelation mentioning a "false prophet" will also direct the reader to the conclusion that a seven decades prediction was intended by the writer of the book of Revelation. In the Jewish Talmud source, it presents the proper meaning of "false prophet" which is expressed in Revelation. Revelation 16:13 is stating three things: (1) The "frogs" is an attack on the Jewish temple priests because of the connection with Exodus 8:7 presenting the Egyptian magicians against Moses. (2) The "beast" is clearly the Roman leadership sending false teachers as it is noted in the Josephus source. (3) The "false prophet" is in reference to the various false prophets before the destruction of the Temple by the Romans. Why? This has happened before during the time of the First Temple. The verse is located in Jeremiah 28:9 where the "false prophet" Hananiah challenged Jeremiah. At the end, Jeremiah's prediction came true when the Babylonians invaded and completely destroyed the first temple.

 

The confined timeline - Revelation 1:3, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 6:11, and Revelation 22:6 indicates the era in which the Book of Revelation was meant to be fulfilled or predicted.

The confined timeline is - A.D. 70 to A.D.1140 (Revelation 16:21) tells us that John heard or witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem (Revelation 13:10). This is confirmed by Josephus own writings in Wars of the Jews - V.6.3. The possible witnessing or the news of the fall of Jerusalem would have gave an opportunity to produce a treatise: the book of Revelation, which expresses an alternative view in contrast to the Book(s) of the Maccabees and the works of Flavius Josephus. The book of Revelation is a court document against the Roman Empire copying the similar defense trial of Paul through two previous works: The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. The alternative view previously presented would have expressed the yearning of the new people of God or the Bride of Messiah Jesus, i.e. the Christians. The yearning is the return to Jerusalem under the glory of Messiah Jesus and his saints. John was attempting to portray a similar imagery expressed by Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:15 and Lamentations 3:19.

 

The seven decades cycle explained again:

 

The Romans destroyed the Temple around A.D. 70. If the connection is made with the prophecies of Jeremiah and how long it lasted as it is stated by Isaiah and Jeremiah that the duration of the Babylonian captivity was seventy years then something had to occur seventy years after A.D. 70. Jeremiah himself has stated the term "wormwood" (Jeremiah 23:15, Lamentations 3:15, and Lamentations 3:19) which the last two verses is when Jeremiah was witnessing the destruction of the 1st Temple by the Babylonians. Then Jeremiah supposedly predicted the seventy years captivity (Jeremiah 29:10 and Jeremiah 29:28) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 39:23) and Isaiah (Isaiah 5:13 and Isaiah 24:1-12). Malachi expresses the curse on "earth" which is another term for Jerusalem when it is used in this context. Malachi 4:6 expresses the idea of the curse on "earth". The mention of "earth" is meant to be Jerusalem within its context because when the Temple is destroyed the conditions of these “sins” are throughout Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:4-7). The previous Ezekiel passages presented "marks" to be not literal when it is expressed in the Book of Revelation chapter thirteen or throughout the Book of Revelation.

 

Now, the problem lies that there are no other type of “prophecies” outside of the Books of the Prophets (Jeremiah, Isaiah,etc.) which would have prophesied or predicted new events beyond the Temple destruction in A.D.70 by the Romans. The only documents that we could refer to and is a type of prophetic writings would be the New Testament canons or writings (Hebrews 9:15). Now, these New Testament prophecies are obviously false or spiritually symbolic. The book of Zechariah, the Book of Daniel and the Book of Isaiah may have explained or predicted or actually could be falsely constructed to show the crucifixion of Jesus but they do not go beyond A.D.70. By the way, some of the “prophecies” have been "fulfilled" two hundred years before Jesus was born through the deeds of the Maccabees in fighting the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes. Nevertheless, it could be argued that James and Paul both directed their contributions to the New Testament canon by attributing supernatural events to natural occurrences. Only the Book of Malachi goes to or hints the events of A.D. 70. The Book of Malachi is also a source of borrowing by the writer of the Book of Revelation. Nevertheless, there is also room for doubt and speculation concerning the "prophecies" or descriptive predictions within the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Malachi and others. The reason for the speculation and doubt derives from the conflict between Paul and John. Is it possible to create a fictional Messiah Jesus to fit the "prophecies" or predictions and therefore the descriptions of Isaiah chapter fifty-three? Was it all fabricated by James, Paul and John? The previous questions are valid to prove without a doubt the validity of the reports by Paul, James, John and other disciples. The investigation would provide the reason for the idea that John expected an actual return of Jesus seven decades after the physical destruction of the Temple by the Romans in A.D. 70.

 

 

Also; John, the writer of the Book of Revelation, has also given us hints of the intended time period for Revelation Chapter thirteen. Why? Keywords: "captivity" = This term was used by Jeremiah when the Babylonian completely destroyed the Temple at Jerusalem (Jeremiah 29:28) this was copied by John (Revelation 13:10). "tabernacle" = This term has been used many times but it clearly states that Jesus is the structure (Revelation 21:3) and then stated previously (Revelation 13:6).

 

 

If the Book of Revelation is simply a natural prediction of events, which is then a false “prophecy”, then the only guide post we have is the Book of Ecclesiastes because it mentions what constitutes a "beast". Hence; the reason for secular scholars, to describe the rule of Christianity after Constantine, as “ecclesiastical Christianity”. Moreover, anyone could become a "beast" when they abuse their political, economic and social power or responsibilities. In other words, the Book of Revelation ended in A.D. 140 but its message and spirit continues, hypothetically, with the Book of Ecclesiastes as a companion guide. The book of Ecclesiastes; supposedly written by Solomon, deals mostly with material issues which could be proven to be universal and secular.

The only conclusion would be that the writer has presented a false prophecy but rather provided a natural prediction of events. The next line of reasoning would be that the writer has not received a supernatural or divine message but rather he was a natural writer. Therefore, he is a natural non-violent revolutionary writer of his time or era.

 

 

The term "wormwood" has been proven to be a signal by the writer of the Book of Revelation that Jerusalem during his time fell to the Romans copying the previous seventy years of captivity under the Babylonians. Furthermore, indicating to his knowledgeable readers that the seventy years cycle has begun. The seventy years cycle is the Great Tribulation of Revelation 7:14 and the start of captivity in Revelation 13:10. Therefore, the Great Tribulation are the years between A.D. 70 to A.D. 140. The "rapture", based on the writings of John within the book of Revelation, was supposedly to occur at A.D. 140. There is concise evidence outside of the above evidence, deriving from historical sources, which supports the seventy years cycle or expectation. The evidence is neither from Jewish texts nor from the Christian sources previously used. The decisive evidence will be presented in the later chapter: ‘The book of Revelation's impact on the world’.

 

 

The evidence given will prove the seventy years cycle and the false prediction of A.D. 140. Therefore, proving the flaws contained in the book of Matthew and the book of Revelation concerning so-called future events. Furthermore; presenting to the reader that not only are the writers of the New Testament are predicting, falsely, the return of Jesus but also showing the false position of the current Christian Millennialists or futurists theory to be flawed. Finally; showing that Paul, James and other New Testament writers constructed a fictional Jesus using the Old Testament scriptures.