Chapter 11 - The Sabbath "Hour" of Revelation: The A.D. 70 Apocalypse

Chapter 11 - The Sabbath "Hour" of Revelation: The A.D. 70 Apocalypse

 

 

Revelation 21:22 states: " And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it".

 

 

Where did the author get this idea or event? Flavius Josephus, famous for hearsay reports, stated that an event occurred in Jerusalem four years before its destruction in his famous treatise. Also, within the proximity of this same report exists another borrowing from history - the star or comet of "wormwood". In other words, the writer of the Book of Revelation borrowed an event from the past and integrated this past event with Jeremiah's Lamentation of Jerusalem (The Book of Lamentations 3:15-19). The previous statement derives from the Old Testament and now the historical "hearsay" evidence from Josephus:

 

 

"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. "(Source: The Wars of the Jews or The history of the Destruction of Jerusalem, Book 6, Chapter 5, points 2 and 3).

 

 

The last term underlined and bolded is "sixth hour". This is evidence that the author has a pattern of borrowing from past events. It is also a strong possibility that most terms, in the Book of Revelation, could be derived from and classified as "hearsay". Nevertheless, the "omen" concerning the star or comet report could be true because it could be reported and seen by many throughout the region (The Gospel of Matthew 4:24). However, the report concerning the "lamb" is hearsay while the last report concerning the "sixth hour" event is doubtful. The last report is the subject that will be investigated in this chapter.

 

 

The "hour" term is mentioned seven times within the Book of Revelation. These hours are like days to the preparation of the observation of Sabbath. Let us go through my investigation of this term and how it relates to the mind of the writer:

 

 

(1) Revelation 3:3 = Sunday, the supposed resurrection day of the "messiah" Jesus of Nazareth. It is the beginning of the preparation before the Sabbath sundown. In other words, it is also the sixth hour before sundown on Friday. It is also a sign of the "rapture" of the 'Body of Christ'. The writer symbolized himself as representing all believing Christians entering 'heaven' in Revelation 4:1. The seventh hour before the Sabbath sundown on Friday.

 

(2) Revelation 8:1 = Monday, this symbolically represents the destruction of the Temple by the Romans signaling the beginning of the seven decades captivity and the beginning of the 'Great Tribulation' in Revelation 6:13 and Revelation 8:10-11. This is also the sixth hour before the Sabbath sundown on Friday.

 

(3) Revelation 9:15 = Tuesday, this is a representation of the Romans killing the inhabitants of Jerusalem during the great siege. A symbolic illustration already repeated in the Book of Ezekiel chapter nine. In fact, it is a review and a parallel of Ezekiel chapter nine which is evidence of borrowing. The invisible mark of "666" or the mark of Nero is on his sheep while another mark is on the believing Christians (Zechariah 11:17, Zechariah 14:2, Ephesians 6:11-14, Revelation 9:4, Revelation 16:2). In other words, the writer is describing a contrast between two spiritual shepherds: Nero and Jesus of Nazareth. This is also the fifth hour before the Sabbath sundown on Friday.

 

(4) Revelation 11:13 = Wednesday, this is an illustration of the day when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified or put on a wooden pole (Galatians 2:13). In other words, the writer again is presenting a past event in Matthew 27:51-54. Revelation chapter eleven is also detailing the efforts of two groups within the overall composition of the 'Body of Christ'(Christian community): believing Christians who are Jewish-Christians and Gentile Christians. These are the "two prophets" mentioned in Revelation 11:10. Please, read over my chapter on this subject of who are the two prophets of Revelation chapter eleven. This is also the fourth hour before the Sabbath sundown on Friday.

 

(5) Revelation 14:7 = Thursday, this is a symbolically referenced to the unity of the 'Body of Christ'(Ephesians 4:8-12, Romans 16:16). Paul's Dispensationalism is noted but presents the very reason that John' Millennialism is an off-shot from Paul's theory and John simply continues where Paul left off. Revelation chapter fourteen is the total composition of the Christian community during their struggle with Roman authorities. It is a sequel to Revelation chapter seven where only the Jewish-Christians were described as the ones at the core of the leadership because of the tribal identification within this particular chapter. The role of the Gentile Christians start at Revelation 7:9 but mentions James indirectly in Revelation 7:13. This is noted in Galatians 1:19, Galatians chapter two, and Acts 21:18-25. This is also the third hour before the Sabbath sundown on Friday.

 

(6) Revelation 17:12 = Friday, this is the exposure of the enemy of the Christian community and clash of cultural laws. The enemy is the Roman empire with their Ten Legislators (Twelve Tables) in comparison to the new Ten Commandments (Revelation 14:12). The Twelve Tables of the Decemvirs were composed of Ten Men who were elected every two years. They were elected every two years to put into legislation new laws or codes. The reason why it is a strong reference to a cultural clash is because the Roman secular law(ius civile) replaced an earlier religiously based laws called the ius divinum. Therefore, what is stated throughout Revelation chapter seventeen is a clash of philosophies: Classical conservatism versus Classical liberalism.

One is tied to one leadership structure(messiah Jesus) and the other to a pluralistic form of leadership (Ten Roman legislators). The writer of the Book of Revelation is stating in Revelation chapter seventeen that the Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple in A.D. 70. This evidence also refutes St.Augustine's absurd references to the Book of Daniel. This also clarifies another point which will be explained concerning the Antiochus Epiphanes chapter: the point is that the Temple is no longer standing (A.D. 70) versus a Temple that is standing (Daniel's verses and Paul's Dispensationalism). This is the second hour before the Sabbath sundown on Friday.

 

 

(7) Revelation 18:10 = Sabbath sundown on Friday the hour before the preparation. A victor is declared in this clash of civilizations and philosophies. The hand of God acted without the help and intervention of individuals (Revelation 18:21). This is a repeat of the previous captivity in which it concluded in the act of the Persian king allowing the rebuilding of the Temple (Isaiah 45:1, Daniel 2:34). The Daniel verses were written after the facts and therefore what is written in the Book of Daniel has nothing to do with the Book of Revelation. Revelation chapter eighteen is when the past events and supposed future events, which are false predictions, splits into two. The Edict of Milan, which is an empirical event and considered main evidence, refutes the previous theme. In other words, the Edict of Milan stopped the persecution of the Christian community and it was not the hand of God knowing Jesus did not return.

 

 

Sabbath sundown observation: Nehemiah 13:19 and 2nd Chronicles 36:22. The next evidence is stated in the Book of Judith which is located in the Catholic collection:

"She fasted during that entire period except when fasting was forbidden: the day before the Sabbath and the sabbath itself..." (Judith 8:6).

 

 

The passage in the Book of Nehemiah is more explicit in stating the importance of observing the Sabbath. In comparison to what is stated in the Book of Revelation, the writer is using Jewish observances to highlight his hope of a victory over the Roman Empire. This prediction is partly true based on the fact that the Roman empire is no longer in existence especially its Ten legislators which were hinted in Revelation 13:1 and17:12 with its famous seven hills/mountains (Revelation 17:9).

 

 

The writer of the Book of Revelation has presented a natural prediction by using events which already occurred during his time and era. After Revelation chapter nineteen, the writer proposes a prediction which has been proven false by four verses or primers:

 

(1) Revelation 20:6 (Matthew 27:51-54)

 

(2) Revelation 20:8 (Ezekiel chapter thirty-eight which was already proven as a past event detailing the struggle to rebuild the second Temple)

 

(3) Revelation 21:2 (2nd Esdras 13:36, the Book is located in the Catholic canon and hinted several times in the Book of Hebrews).

 

(4) Revelation 21:22 (The Wars of the Jews or The history of the Destruction of Jerusalem, Book 6, Chapter 5, points 2 and 3)

The book of Acts also explains an important connection to the Temple - Acts 3:1 - as it connects Jesus as the Temple (Revelation 21:22).