Chapter 21 - The Eulogy of James : The Epicenter of the Fictional Jesus Conspiracy

Chapter 21 - The Eulogy of James : The Epicenter of the Fictional Jesus Conspiracy

 

 

From the previous chapter, the epistemological formula is derived: (HOSEA 6:1-3 and Matthew 27:51-54). These are the "saints" mentioned by Paul, John, James and others in the New Testament Canon: Matthew 27:52, Revelation 8:3, and Jude 1:3 are just a small percentage. The connection to the "saints" means that the prophecies and predictions contained in the New Testament were intended to be fulfilled seven decades after the Temple was destroyed by the Romans (The Gospel of John 19:34 and Revelation 1:7). The last Gospel intended to address and answer the many questions concerning Jesus. The reason for this is John's attack on those who doubted the existence of Jesus (1st John 4:3 and 2nd John 1:7). John attacks the doubters because the disbelievers of the Christian message may have utilized the false prediction by Paul earlier to attack the early Christian community. The non-believers strongly pointed to the various false predictions located in the Gospel of Matthew and Paul's own letters then they concluded that Jesus never existed since he never showed up when the Temple was destroyed by the Romans.

Before concluding the hypothesis that the Gospel of John was the last Gospel or rather a document highlighting the deeds of a supposedly supernatural Jesus, Paul simply repeated the behavior from his teacher and leader - James. Acts 21:18-25 is proof of James leadership. There is also evidence from the Talmud itself describing James as leader of the early Christians:

 

Avodah Zarah,Fol.17,col. 1 - Rahsi says heresy here refers to the "heresy of James," or, in other words, Christianity.

 

Therefore, the Gospel of John was a document with a multipurpose role: an explanation to the reason of why the "saints" were dispatched by James into the city of Jerusalem while it was recovering from a massive earthquake, and a fictional description of a supposedly superhuman Jesus. Let me first submit the possible scenarios not mentioned in the Gospels but hinted within the Gospels:

 

(1) These three: Matthew, Peter, and another unnamed disciple took the body of Jesus out of the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. So; it would appear hours later, in front of the followers of Jesus, he resurrected himself.

(2) They transferred the body out of the tomb after the Sabbath observation which is Saturday evening sunset. The hint is stated in Matthew 24:20 concerning the prohibition of travelling during the Sabbath.

(3) They then traveled to a location several distance past Mount Nebo in Jordan. These actions would explain why Peter and the other two disciples were absent Sunday morning. Hints are the three wise kings from the East located only in the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12. These hints which are also textual errors implicates the author of the Gospel of Matthew in a conspiracy.

 

Let us review the information:

The Gospel of John, the last Gospel, hints of Peter and another disciple in the tomb before the Eulogy (Gospel of John 20:3-10). The composition of the Gospel of John was to address many questions which had arisen after the failed materialization of Jesus because of the connected earlier "dispensationalist" predictions stated by Paul and the Gospels of Matthew. The reason is because both writers described a desecration of the Temple. However, when the Temple was destroyed many people doubted the validity of not only the predictions but also the Christian movement.

 

The proposed interjected theory:

 

It is very possible that John, in the Book of Revelation, hinted this in symbolic language in Revelation chapter five. This theory could be true based on the fact that "Armageddon" in Revelation chapter sixteen is describing the crucifixion of Jesus (rather than a future event). Also, Revelation chapter eleven describes the symbolic two witnesses which are actually describing the loyal "body of Christ": Gentile Christian and Jewish-Christians. The previous evidence shows that John followed Paul's "gospel" in conflict with Matthew 10:5-15. The hint connecting both Revelation chapter five and sixteen is Revelation 11:13. The verse Revelation 11:13 is describing two events: the chaos of the massive earthquake after the crucifixion of Jesus and the Temple’s destruction by Vespasian. Therefore, the body of work contained in the Book of Revelation was presenting past events and justifying the reasons for Christianity. John utilized symbolic language directed for the early Christians and to keep their faith in the midst of the Roman onslaught. The conclusion is obvious, the book of Revelation was written for a particular time and purpose. It was not written as a prediction for distant future events. It was also written by someone who was involved in the cover-up of the real events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. Supporting evidence is Jude 1:8-11. Jude is speaking about some Jews and followers who have used psychics or psychic energy to see what really happened to the body of Jesus. These psychics existed among the Jewish community and some were healers as is noted by a modern author. The Jewish group involved in the previous activity are called the Essenes a fact which Josephus mentions in his well-known treatise. The modern author which has reviewed his claim is Rebecca Gray and she gives several evidence of the ability of some Jews during the era of Jesus who healed, predicted possible future events and looked back into the past to get information. Furthermore; the statement by Peter, in the collection attributed to him, is also a cover-up (2nd Peter 1:16-21) and a support of moving “the goalpost” (2^nd Peter 3:8).

 

Before the document was produced by Matthew - The Gospel of Matthew - James told Peter and the two other disciples to take Jesus body out of the tomb. He then prepared himself to give a speech Sunday morning using Hosea 6:1-3. The other unmentioned "disciple" is Matthew. James was approached by the real doubters and early skeptics of the faith. They were pointed out by Paul (2nd Timothy 2:17). This is central because Matthew 27:52-53 is connected with the behavior of Hymenaeus and Philetus who expressed the earlier idea of James (Hosea 6:1-3 and Matthew 27:52-53). It is very possible that these two individuals, or a group of doubters like "Thomas", were at the eulogy and gave a set of questions to James as to the whereabouts of three individuals: Matthew, Peter and another unnamed disciple. The set of questions by the doubters and the authorities created the need to construct a document called the Gospel of Matthew. After the Temple’s destruction, the writer of the last Gospel, John defends the previous subject located in the Gospel of Matthew and defends the failed prediction by describing the supposed resurrection of Jesus. Furthermore; the mention of Thomas, the doubting Thomas, is very peculiar. The reason for this observation is because of the absence of a document from this disciple who doubted Jesus' resurrection (John 20:26-31). For some odd reason the only document we have using his name is a "Gnostic Gospel" which is known in academic circles to be not written by him. There is also missing a document from Lazarus (John 12:1-19) which could have explained the detail of his own miracle and verified it for all times. The Gospel of John was written after the three epistles of John and the epistles of John were written some days after the Temple's destruction. These doubts were created because of the failed materialization of Jesus returning after the Temple's destruction which created a crisis within the Christian movement. Hence, the reason of why the three epistles of John addressed the issue of those doubting the existence of Jesus (1st Epistle of John 2:18-22, 4:3; 2nd Epistle of John 1:7). However, the Gospel of John was a Gospel reacting to the doubts after the Temple’s destruction which also addressed another concern surrounding another set of questions created concerning Jesus' burial. In the 1st Epistle, John, attacks the Roman philosophers (Stoics and Epicureans) questioning the existence of Jesus because Jesus did not show up during the Temple's destruction (1st Epistle of John 2:16). The reasons is because the earlier source, Matthew 24:20 and 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-7, hinted of a desecration of the Temple which did not materialize and plus Jesus did not show up even when the Temple was being destroyed by the Romans. Therefore, the three Gospels which were formed before the destruction of the Temple by Vespasian: Matthew, Luke and Mark. The two Gospels written before the execution of Paul by Nero: Matthew and Luke. The Gospel written after Paul's execution: The Gospel of Mark. These four were created after an important event threatened the validity of the movement starting with the crucifixion of Jesus which created the “The Testament of Jesus” (The Gospel of Matthew).

 

Therefore, the Gospel of John was the second Millennialist document or Book written by John. Furthermore, the first set of collections written as Millennialist documents and second composed work, after the Book of Hebrews, were the Epistles of John. The Book of Hebrews is the only document written by John to be a Dispensationalistic document or a document written before the Temple’s destruction. John then produced a document that would convince Jews and non-Jews of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus because many questioned the validity of the predictions in the earlier documents. In other words, the predictions within the previous documents failed to materialize even after the Temple’s destruction. Furthermore, it was directed in the beginning towards the Greeks versus the Romans of the city of Jerusalem (The Gospel of John chapter one and the Gospel of John 12:20). The previous evidence may have been one of the many factors which lead to John’s arrest and exile by the Roman authorities. Hence, one of the possible reasons to produce such a document which would have covered two things:

 

(1) To present a document defending the Christian doctrine after the Temple's destruction. To also explain the location and reaction of Peter and Matthew while visiting the tomb (The Gospel of John 20:1-10). The truth is that James told a group of disciples to take the body out of the tomb before Sunday morning. The previous observation had to be the situation because many people seen the failure of the desecration prophecy and then doubted the existence of Jesus.

 

(2) A document written by John to address the various questions by the mourning citizens of Jerusalem (Revelation chapter ten and Revelation 11:13). The following verses are an expression of the followers after the Temple's destruction. The verse, Revelation 10:11 is presenting to the reader the "Book of Revelation" after the author years earlier had written down the "Gospel of John". In other words, John was saying, that right now I am writing down and composing the Book of Revelation (Revelation 10:11). However, he had written down something previously (Revelation 11:13) after the destruction of the Temple: It is the Gospel of John. Therefore; it is known that the Gospel of John, mentioned in Revelation chapter five, may have been the catalyst of John's arrest and exile.

 

The first Gospel to be produced is the Gospel of Matthew or “The Testament of Jesus” (Hebrews 9:15-20). The Gospel of Matthew is Jewish-Christian in orientation because of Matthew 24:20. This verse states a regulation for travelling during the Sabbath. The obvious conclusion:

 

(1) The Sabbath regulation noted in the Gospel of Matthew presents the problem that this document was written in haste. There are several verses within the Gospel of Matthew which supports this theory. Most importantly, the Gospel of Matthew has expressed the idea that the Temple was not going to be destroyed but rather desecrated by the Romans. There are parts in other Gospels which presents that the writers predicted its destruction but this will be shown to be a contradiction because at times the Gospels show both the desecration and destruction of the Temple. The previous was questioned by all within and without the Christian movement because Jesus failed to materialize or return when the Temple was destroyed. Hence, the previous events forced John to move “the goalpost” in the Book of Revelation.

 

(2) The Gospel of Matthew was written to address the deeds of the "saints" in Matthew 27:52-53. It stated their efforts and this may have satisfied most of the followers of James (followers of Jesus) who attended the Sunday morning eulogy. Then it attacked the doubters within the city by saying they tried to bribe witnesses in Matthew 28:11-15 concerning the supposed resurrection of Jesus.

 

(3) The Gospel of Matthew was a motivational document addressing to those who participated in the "Good News" operation after the eulogy of James on Sunday morning after Jesus’ burial. Obviously, the doubters within the camp subsided. Therefore, the Gospel of Matthew successfully strengthened James' leadership years before the Temple’s destruction. The Gospel of Matthew motivated the followers and it keeped them loyal after the negative responses by the inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem. However; the last Gospel, the Gospel of John, had to be composed to address the failed predictions concerning the Temple's predicted desecration and evident destruction. The evidence of this is noted in the Epistles of John. The epistles are evidence that the Gospels were rewritten to address the Temples destruction in the face of many doubters inside and outside of the Christian movement.

 

(4) It also exposes the fact that they thought something would happen soon concerning the Temple during the Roman occupation. This could be sensed throughout Matthew chapter twenty-four. Matthew 24:20, in reality, simply allows the reader to observe that the predictions were intended to keep the followers of Jesus loyal to diminish the doubters and skeptics within the movement from creating further doubts concerning the agreed doctrine (read the chapter on "Armageddon and the Breastplates" of Revelation chapter nine). The truth is that this particular verse is an outlier because it also exposes that the predictions and prophecies within the New Testament Canon are false. The reason, to make this very clear, is that the Sabbath regulation for traveling is not followed today by Christians and was only followed by observant Jews. Moreover, the context within the chapter is saying that the return of Jesus would happen during those conditions stated in Matthew 24:30 and 24:36. These two previous verses are mutually tied with Matthew 24:20. Therefore, the Gospel of Matthew was primarily a motivational document against the doubters and skeptics within the early Jewish-Christian movement before the Gentile Christians outnumbered them and before the destruction of the Temple. The previous destruction of the Temple created the conditions for the creation of the Gospel of John which addressed the groups which attacked the validity of the predictions and the Christian movement itself. Paul's role was proven crucial to motivate the Gentile Christians and this initiated another cover into the conspiracy: The Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Mark (2nd Timothy 4:11-13). The reason for the Gospel of Mark is based on Paul’s martyrdom or execution by Nero and to counter the theme of Matthew 10:5-10 which went against the proposed Paul’s inclusion principle. The writer of the Book of Revelation, John's last document, expresses the growth of the Gentile Christians but falsely predicted that the Jewish-Christians would see the return of Jesus. Obviously, there are no Jewish-Christians from the era of John which exist today or in the modern era. If John lived longer then when the seven decades expired, John would have produced another document moving the goalpost to another objective. Therefore, the real objective is the installment of a theocracy (Revelation 2:27 and Revelation 19:15).

 

It could be concluded that the Gospel of Matthew satisfied most of the followers because of Matthew 27:52-53. Peter was left out until years later when he addressed some issues from Rome (1st Peter 4:13) but this was enacted because of the controversial opinion of Paul (Romans 11:23-26 versus Matthew 10:5-15). All of the documents highlight the importance of one thing: The inclusion principle of accepting someone outside of our local tribe (Romans 11:23-25). In other words, the evolution of the local tribe affiliation into the Human or universi tribe described and adopted by Paul in Romans chapter eleven in conflict with Matthew 10:5-15.

Is it important to present later additions (suspected verses) as a factor to determine the validity of my thesis? No.

 

If we were to observe the evidence submitted: Matthew 24:20, Matthew 27:52-53, Matthew 10:5-15 and the verses used in the Gospel of John the conclusion would still be the same. These verses were never in question concerning the later additions. Also, Shem Tov's Hebrew of the Gospel of Matthew was composed several hundred years later. The verses in question would not be affected to form the previous conclusion. The words of the main scholar and leaders of the church year after the first generation:

 

"Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and laying the foundations of the church." - Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.1.1

 

The above evidence is the reason why later additions (verses) are in dispute in both Gospels. It is quite possible that when conditions changed all four Gospels added more verses to reflect the preconceived inherited belief: Of a "man" that is part god and man. This particular strand of belief was later intertwined in later editions and revisions to be read among the growing Greek/Gentile Christian members within the "Body of Christ". Therefore, the theory is strong because it is rational and reasonable that the Gospel writers edited their story (Gospels), much later, to fit a changing audience. The litmus test, is to abrogate or leave out the disputed verses and still it would not change the proposed theory. The above historical saying actually supports the proposed theory because of the evidence located in the Book of Revelation showing that John implied of authorship of another book - The Gospel of John. The above also exposes another observation: The Gospels of Matthew has predicted a false “prophecy” based on the information given by Irenaeus. Matthew chapter twenty-four falsely predicted the desecration of the Temple and Jesus’ physical return. The reason is because the Temple was destroyed and Jesus did not return. Two other Gospels follow the same pattern: The Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Mark. Only one Gospel mentions the destruction of the Temple: The Gospel of John. This would explain why John was detailing the destruction of the Temple and defending the resurrection of Jesus within the Gospel of John because many people during the era was criticizing the predictions within the previous three Gospels.

 

 The next two evidence is presented:

 

"Matthew collected the oracles (ta logia) in the Hebrew language, and each interpreted them as best he could." - Papias (Eusebius, H.E. 3.39.16)

 

"As having learnt by tradition concerning the four Gospels, which alone are unquestionable in the Church of God under heaven, that first was written according to Matthew, who was once a tax collector but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, who published it for those who from Judaism came to believe, composed as it was in the Hebrew language." - Origen (Eusebius, H.E. 6.25.4)

 

Simply, the evidence above supports the theory again. Matthew 24:20 mentions one key term: "Sabbath". This is the reason why two things are apparent:

 

(1) The intent of the writer was for the first group of "saints": The Jewish-Christians who were directed and dispatched by James to proclaim the "Good News" into the city of Jerusalem after the massive Earthquake which occurred naturally after Jesus' death.

(2) The prediction, concerning the desecration of the Temple, is proven false because the "Sabbath" regulation for traveling is obviously irrelevant and conflicts with Paul's own winning doctrine. The triumph of Paul's interpretation was inclusion of Gentile Christians in opposition to Matthew 10:5-15. The previous observation is supported by the compromise concerning foods (Acts 21:18-25) and the behavior of the Christian leadership (Galatians 2:7-12). Nevertheless, it is understood that Paul was expected to become the next important player in the cover-up and conspiracy.

 

Chapter 20 - Revelation's impact on the world

Chapter 20 - Revelation's impact on the world

 

 

The Prima Facie for the seven decades cycle “prophecy” or repeated prediction from an outside historical source:

 

The source is from Book III of The Sibylline Oracles or The Pseudo-Sibylline Oracles. The section highlights evidence and includes footnotes to the Prima Facie of the seven decades false prediction. After the evidence is presented the commentary will be presented on why this supposed forgery from the second or sixth century C.E. is very important to the overall seventy year theory. I will then present another section with evidence and commentary.

EVIDENCE:

 

(345) Of time seven decades shall thy fruitful land

And the wonders of thy temple all be waste.

But there remains for thee a goodly end

And greatest glory, as the immortal God

Granted thee. But do thou wait and confide

(350) In the great God's pure laws, when he shall lift

Thy wearied knee upright unto the light.

And then will God from heaven send a king

To judge each man in blood and light of fire.

There is a royal tribe, the race of which

(355) Shall be unfailing; and as times revolve

This race shall bear rule and begin to build

God's temple new. And all the Persian kings

Shall aid with bronze and gold and well-wrought iron.

For God himself will give the holy dream

(360) By night. And then the temple shall again

Be, as it was before. . . .

[345. Seven decades.--See Jer. xxv, 9-12.

352. The king here referred to is perhaps best explained of Cyrus, and the description should be compared with Isa. xliv, 28; xlv, 14. Ewald (p. 32) understands the king to be the Messiah, and, indeed, the language of lines 352 and 353 (Greek text, 286, 287), taken apart from the context, naturally suggests a supernatural ruler and judge. The poet may have intended to connect the advent of the Messiah with the restoration of the Jews and the rebuilding of their temple. But the context here and in the parallel passage, lines 817-826 below, points rather to Cyrus, whom Isaiah calls the anointed one of Jehovah and represents as the conqueror of nations, "saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid."

954. Royal tribe.--Judah, which returned from Babylonian exile, and under Zerubbabel, a descendant of the house of David (Matt. i, 12; Luke iii, 27), rebuilt the temple.

357, 358 Kings shall aid.--Comp. Ezra i, 4; vi, 8; vii, 15, 16, 22.

369. The holy dream.--Perhaps alluding to the visions and prophecies of Zechariah and Haggai (comp. Ezra v, i).]

The commentary of the Historical evidence above:

1. Despite the historical forgery it is a very important source and evidence because it expresses the feeling of the writer or writers during the supposed era. The evidence is very important because it is an expressed idea stated after A.D. 140.

2. The stated "Seven Decades" is evidence that the people of those times were conscious of the seventy year cycle. Even though, not explicitly stated by Paul or other early Church fathers or other early Christian leaders, it was implied through parts of the New Testament canon. This would mean that Paul's own words in Ephesians 4:8 and through one of his loyal Gospel writer – Luke (Luke 21:24) expressed the proposed seventy year “prophecy” or prediction through the use of connected terms. The connected terms are "captive" or "captivity". The previous evidence implies the cycle started with the destruction of the Temple by the Romans copying an earlier action by the Babylonians. It is understood that the captivity is seventy years and that this number was meant to be literal. Therefore; the verse in Revelation (Revelation 6:13), mentioning "fig tree", is implying a literal seventy years “prophecy” or prediction of captivity(AD 70) and return from Roman exile(AD 140). The proposed “prophecy” or prediction was expressed in an earlier form by the Gospel writer Matthew in Matthew chapter twenty-four. The previous was also borrowed and eventually adopted by Paul and the writer of the Book of Revelation. Therefore, the “prophecy” and predictions by the New Testament writers are proven to be false through historical evidence. Also, this would mean that Nero is the anti-Christ (beast) mentioned in Revelation chapter 13 (Revelation 13:10). The theory concerning Nero will be explained more thoroughly in the next evidence below within the chapter proving the influence and method of identification using numbers (and letters). The evidence is proof that the numbering identification system was an employed method of encoding messages and it was a common theme.

3. The New Testament writers including the writer of the Book of Revelation all expressed a later preterist position. What is a "preterist" interpretation of the New Testament as it pertains to supposed future events? The definition of "preterist" is to suggest that all the prophecies contained in the canon of the New Testament were meant to be fulfilled during the era of the early church leaders. The above evidence gives us proof of the preterist position. Nevertheless, despite its forgery it was rewritten between the second and sixth century. If it was rewritten but yet expresses a seven decades return after exile then this final form is expressing the feelings and ideas of the population which were passed on proving at least the preterist position over the millennialist position. The meaning of the previous statement is to suggest that the Millennialist viewpoint expired within the proven Preterist opinion. The previous statements would then positively identify Paul's suggestion concerning marriage (1st Corinthians chapter seven) to be a hint by Paul that he expected the return of his "messiah" seventy years after the destruction of the Temple. Nevertheless, Paul never expected the Temple’s destruction but rather its desecration by the Roman emperors copying an assumption stated through the words of Daniel. Moreover, Matthew and other New Testament writers all expected a desecration but when the Temple was destroyed it forced John to compose the Gospel of John (John 2:19-21) and later expressed Jesus as the Temple (Revelation 21:22). John was later arrested by the Roman emperor Vespasian for writing the Gospel of John. John later encodes and composes a court document against the Roman Empire calling it: “Revelation of Messiah Jesus” (Revelation 1:1). Revelation 1:2 exposes the true name of the Gospel of Matthew, the first Gospel, as it was called: “The Testimony of Messiah Jesus”.

4. The further evidence which goes contrary to the preterist position is the idea that if the message of Paul has expired at A.D. 140 then Jesus is not returning and therefore Jesus is not god. The preterist position expresses that most of the New Testament prophecies were fulfilled at A.D. 140 but yet this position opens the possibility that Jesus is not divine. It also opens the idea that Paul and most of the New Testament writers created a fictional Jesus. The central theme among the Gentile Christians, Jewish-Christians, and Jews in general is the subject of the Temple. All three previous groups expressed a return to the land seventy years after the imposed Roman exile (Revelation 21:2). The evidence of this competition between ideas: The Gospel of John 2:19-22, Revelation 21:22 and Jeremiah 29:10, 28. The last evidence expressing the hope of the Jews in general through the writings and ideas of Flavius Josephus expressed in his treatise. The New Testament evidence is expressing that the rebuilding is not a central theme for the new tribe called "Christians" (Romans chapter eleven and Revelation 21:22).

 

5. Why would early Christians put their life on the line for a lie? It is evidently a fanatical supposition to a lie. It may be the case they created a fictional Jesus but were attempting to construct a new man on the scene (Romans chapter eleven). The new constructed man was someone who was loyal to the new Christian law (Revelation 14:3) despite the origin of the individual (Romans 10:12). The previous idea is worth dying for knowing that after the seven decades exile, the return of their messiah king would show up (Revelation 19:11). The reason for the counter position by the early Christian leadership was to “cut off” the repeated pattern of disobedience (Daniel 9:26) and stop invasions by another nation. Paul and other early church leaders envisioned this repeated problem and were attempting through intellectual evolution to create this new individual which would have ended the cycle of disobedience and reconquest by other nations. However, the idea of expanding the local tribe was also borrowed by the early Christian leadership by adopting Caesar’s earlier position of expanding Roman citizenship. Therefore, the fictional Jesus represented a new individual and new citizen within the Jewish population which would have universalized the identity of what is considered a godly citizen and individual (Romans chapter eleven, Ezekiel chapter nine, Revelation chapters eleven and twelve). However, the problem is presented: Where are the Jewish-Christians which make up fifty percent of the two witnesses? (Revelation chapter eleven and Revelation chapter fourteen; and Hebrews 7:13). The previous question proves that the early Christian leadership under James, the half-brother of Jesus, created a fictional character and created an ideology using Old Testament source.

EVIDENCE:

 

On earth shall be. When in the starry heaven

Swords shall by night point straight toward west and east,

Straightway shalt there be also from the heaven

A cloud of dust borne forth to all the earth,

995 And the sun's brightness in the midst of heaven

Shall be eclipsed, and the moon's beams appear

And come again on earth; by drops of blood

Distilling from the rocks a sign shalt be;

And in the cloud shalt ye behold a war

1000 Of foot and horse, like the chase of wild beasts

In the dense fog. This end of all things God

Shalt consummate, whose dwelling is in heaven.

But all must sacrifice to the great King.

These things I show thee, I who madly left

1005 The long walls of Assyrian Babylon

For Hellas to proclaim to all the wrath

Of God, fire sent. . . .

. . . . . . .

And that I might to mortals prophesy

Of mysteries divine. And men shalt say

1010 In Hellas that I am of foreign Land,

Of Erythre born, shameless; others say

That I'm a Sibyl, born of mother Circe

And father Gnostos raving mad and false;

But at that time when all thing come to pass

1015 Ye shall remember me, and no one more

 

 

[991-1000. Comp. with this section Josephus,Wars, vi, v, 3.

1005. Babylon.--Lactantius understood the Sibyl to predict that she would be called Erythræan, "although she was born in Babylon." Div. Inst., i, 6 [L., 6, 145].

1013. Gnostos.--Some have thought that Glaucus is intended, the seagod and father of Deiphobe. See Vergil, Æn., vi, 36.

1014-1016. Cited by Lactantius, Div, iv, 15 [L, 6, 495].]

My Commentary:

1. Both of the above underlined and bolded words are expressing the seventy year cycle of repeat and its alternative source. Peter and the writer of the Book of Revelation have both expressed and implied the term "Babylon" - 1st Peter 5:13 and Revelation 14:8,17:5, 16:12,19. The Book of Revelation usage of the term "Euphrates" is directed towards the theme of a symbolic Babylon, i.e. the Roman Empire.

2. Therefore, the Book of Revelation is expressing a falsely predicted overall repeated historical cycle: The destruction of the Temple, the seventy years exile, the return of the new tribe or new citizens, the struggle to keep loyal to the new "messiah" King Jesus/Temple, the spiritual desolation by a new spiritual "Gog and Magog" (Revelation 20:8), and the final triumph of the universal King. It starts in A.D. 70, the return in A.D. 140, and the 1,000 year reign of the new "messiah" King to A.D. 1140.

3. The previous false prediction is rather a proposed historical, material and physical manifestation which did not materialize. The initial starting point is with the various metaphysical and epistemological errors within the Gospel of Matthew, i.e. The Testament of Messiah Jesus. For example, the verse Matthew 24:20 which falsely details the prediction of the desecration of the Temple by a Roman emperor and Matthew 27:52-53 falsely details many witnesses to a resurrection which never occurred. Furthermore, the expected return of Paul's Jesus in 1st Corinthians chapter seven never materialized. Paul also created a fictional Jesus in 1st Corinthians chapter fifteen for his Gentile Christian audience.

There is also plenty of evidence that the numerical identification theme expressed in Revelation chapter thirteen was a common theme among the populace. It may have taken another 200 years for the Book of Revelation to be added officially into the canon. It is known that it was through the act of Pope Innocent I. in A.D. 405, in which he included it in his personal collection while the Book of Revelation was still in dispute. Nevertheless, there may be evidence that the Book of Revelation was in circulation among the population and it may have influenced other interpretations and interpolated writings. The evidence below is proof of this influence derived from the same source above:

 

EVIDENCE:

CONTENTS OF BOOK XIV.

Warning against the lust of power, 1-14. The bull-destroyer, 16-22. The man known by the number one, 23-27. Two rulers of the number forty, 28-34. Young ruler of the number seventy, 115-55. Ruler of the number forty, 66-61. Wolf from the West, 62-65. Ruler known by the letter A, 66-73. Three kings of haughty soul, of the numbers one, thirty, and three hundred, 74-93. King known by the number three, 94-98. The old king of the number four, 99-101. Wars and woes on various peoples, 102-120. The venerable king of the number five, 121-134. Two kings of the numbers three hundred and three, 115-147. The king of many schemes, 148-159. King of the number three hundred, 160-172. King like a wild beast, of the number thirty, 173-188. Ruler of the number four, 189-200. Great sign from heaven, 201-205. Ruler out of Asia, of the number fifty, 206-216. Ruler out of Egypt, 217-223. The man of potent signs and the peaceful king of the number five, 224-245. Many tyrants and the holy king known by the letter A, 246-261. Burning and restoration of Rome, 262-271. Woo for various Greeks, 272-278. The fratricide, 279-283. The fierce king of the number eighty and the terrors of his time, 284-508. Many obtain royal power, 309-312. Three kings and their destruction, 313-329. Many spearmen, 330-335. God's judgment on the shameless, 336-343. Rome's wretched plight and the last race of Latin kings, 344-358. Egypt and her prudent king, 359-375. The Alexandrians, 376-381. Fearful nameless woe, 382-398. The Sicilians, 399-406. The lion and lioness, 407-418. The dragon and the ram, 419-425. Second war in Egypt, 426-433. Destructive slaughter, 434-447. The Messianic era, 448-468.

And then there shall be a lord confident

In his might, and named with four syllables,

25 And shown forth clearly fromthe number one;

Then shall two other princely men bear rule,

Both of the number forty; and with them

30 Shall great peace be in the world and to all

And then again a dreadful lord shall rule,

Young, fighting hand to hand, whose name shall show

The number seventy, life-destroying, fierce,

Who to the army basely shall betray

The people of Rome, slain by wickedness

40 Because of wrath of kings, and he shall hurl

[18. Shepherds.--Chiefs of the various tribes and nations whom Odenatus subdued.

21. A dog.--Mæonius, the assassin of Odenatus. Comp. book viii, 208.

24. Four syllables.--Aureolus.

29. Both . . . forty.--Macrianus, father and son of same name. But from this point onward the identification of the persons intended is purely conjectural and uncertain.

37. Seventy-Represented by O, and possibly denoting the Achaian pretender, Valens.]

55 And wolves, for he a martial people spoiled.

After him, numbering forty, there shall rule

Another, famous Parthian-destroyer,

German-destroyer, putting down dread beasts

That kill men, which upon the ocean's streams

60 And the Euphrates press continuous on.

And then shall Rome again be as before.

But when there comes a great wolf in thy plains,

A ruler marching onward from the West,

Then shall he under powerful Ares die

65 Being cleft asunder by the piercing brass.

And o'er the very mighty Romans then

Shall there rule yet again another man

Of great heart, from. Assyria brought to light,

Of the first letter, and he shall himself

70 By means of wars put all things under him,

[67. Parthian-destroyer.--Macrinus (M = 40).

62. Wolf.--Reference, perhaps, to Quintilius, the brother of Claudius.

66-73. Aurelian.]
Having destroyed a Scythian race, the king
Shall die in his own lot unloosing life.
And yet another of the number four
190 Shall rule thereafter, openly made known
A dreadful man, whom all Armenians,
Who drink the best ice of the flowing stream
Araxes, and the Persians of great soul
Shall fear in wars. And between Colchians
195 And very strong Pelasgi there shall be
Wars, fights, and homicides. And those who hold
The cities of the land of Phrygia
And those of the Propontis, and make bare
From out their scabbards the two-edged swords,
200 Shall smite each other through sore impiousness.
And then shall God to mortal men display
From heaven a great sign with the rolling years,
A bat, the portent of bad war to come.
And then the king shall not escape stern fate,
205 But die by hand, slain by the gleaming iron.
After him, numbering fifty, there shall rule
Again another coming out of Asia,
A dreadful terror, fighting hand to hand;
And he shall set war on Rome's stately walls,
210 And among Colchians, and Heniochi,
And the milk-drinking Agathyrsians
By Euxine sea, at Thracia's sandy bay.
And then the king shall not escape stern fate,
And they will tear in pieces his dead corpse.

[189. Four.--{Greek D}, representing, as Ewald suggests, Dreskyllas, another form of the name Threskyllas.

203. A bat.--The Greek work is {Greek fa'lkh}. Can it mean a falcon?

206. Fifty.--N, initial of Nepos, emperor in A. D. 474.]

MY COMMENT:

1. The evidence above tells the readers the feelings of the writer or writers. It tells of a prediction in which Rome will be conquered therefore repeating the pattern of Babylonian captivity and liberation. All of the indicators are underlined.

2. The indicators are categorized into two groups: The numbering system applied to code the identity of several rulers and another nation from the east to replace the new "Babylonian" nation, i.e. Roman Empire.

3. The indicators involving the numbering system are proof that the practice continued before and after the Book of Revelation. According to previous evidence, the identity of the "beast" of Revelation chapter thirteen was properly identified as the Roman Emperor Nero. The above evidence gives the readers evidence that this practice was common and it does highlight historical context.

4. The prediction by the writer above exposes the intent of the early Christian community. The intentions are that they expected a repeat of the Babylonian captivity culminating in the physical return of Jesus. The false prediction is a collective error initiated by Paul and the early church leaders in Jerusalem and later expressed by John in the Book of Revelation. They all expected a desecration with exception of John who introduced the seven decades captivity after the Temple's destruction. The interpretation and introduction of the seventy years captivity was definitely added to possibly defend the Christian movement in the face of surmountable naysayers. John may have disagreed with Paul concerning ‘foods sacrificed to idols’ (1^st Corinthians chapter eight and Revelation 2:14, 20)(and the emphasize on “stumbling block”(1^st Corinthians 8:9 and Revelation 2:14)). John and Paul agreed on one issue and the issue was expansion of the Christian tribe to include Gentiles (Romans chapter eleven and Revelation chapter seven, eleven and fourteen). Furthermore, one of the most important indicators within the Book of Revelation details another "Persian" like nation to demolish the Roman empire (Revelation 14:8, 16:12). This demolishing is something of a repeat of Daniel's vision (Daniel 2:31-45, Daniel 9:2) which means that these ideas were circulated even during the time of Paul and other prominent New Testament writers. They expected the Temple's desecration (then later its destruction and seven decades of exile). However, the difference between the early Christian leaders and Josephus is the physical bodily return of Jesus as King/Messiah rather than the rebuilding of the Temple (Revelation 21:22).

5. These predictions have been proven through time to be false. There is no return of a physically bodily Jesus because the seven decades exile has expired beyond its predicted date. The supposed writings by Sibyl, or rather a group of unnamed writers, presents to the reader the continuing hope for the fictional redeemer to return despite the physical proof of a false prediction by the early church leaders. It could be said that the Gnostic gospels could be factored into the body of writings which may have been influenced by the possible circulation of the Book of Revelation. Obviously, the supposed historical forgery of the The Sibylline Oraclesor The Pseudo-Sibylline Oracles were influenced by the circulation of the Book of Revelation. The other reason is that its populace held on to the pre-Revelation practices of using the numbering system which was popularly used as entertainment. The population also adopted the Book of Revelation's contents of apocalyptic images and a portion of the fictionalized Jesus expressed through various writings. These writings were composed when the prophecies did not materialize according to a specific calculated time - A.D.140. The Gnostic manuscripts and other writings were done to express a hope and to explain away, implicitly, a false prediction. These signs of protests, the extra "heretical" canonical writings, were then put down by several Christian councils and gatherings of various church leaders who canonized the texts, i.e. New Testament. Therefore, the obvious rationale for the fictional creation of Jesus was to create a new citizen to interact with the general Jewish population and to prevent future invasions of the Jewish nation, i.e. to end the cycle of captivity.

6. The absence of a physical literal return of Jesus among the Gnostic Gospels is prime evidence to suggest that there was a “falling away” of faith among the Christian community around A.D.140. The failed prediction had created the need to produce literature like the various Gnostic Gospels which encouraged the nascent Christian community. A copying of the Babylonian captivity of a literal seventy years never materialized. The seventy years theory is supported by the various spiritualized gnostic writings towards the absent and failed subject of the supposed Jesus' return. The “falling away” was a natural prediction because Paul may have expected people to turn away from the “Gospels” when it was proven to be false.

 

7. The evidence to show that this "falling away" stated by Paul (2^nd Thessalonians 2:3) was intended to be at the time before the Temple's "desecration" is the term: "Perdition". The term is located in Revelation 17:11 and 2nd Thessalonians 2:3. It is supported by Paul's position towards marriage in 1st Corinthians chapter seven and his statement in verse 7:29 - "the time is short"! and "present distress" in 7:26. The mention by Paul was intended before the Temple's "desecration" or destruction. John then developed an alternative theory after Paul's "desecration" did not materialize hence the reason why John repeated the term in the Book of Revelation. The repeat, mentioned in the Book of Revelation, was simply to keep the Gentile Christians from giving up the faith or belief. In other words, the Book of Revelation was a rally book or natural manifesto to keep the morale up within the early Christian community.

 

8. The misunderstandings developed out of poor interpretations and poor research concerning the Book of Revelation has caused people to "demonize" each other and warp public policy between nations. It has created suspicions and mistrust between groups of people. In another aspect, it may have introduced the concept of classical liberalism (Revelation chapter fourteen). Even though, it one aspect it promotes classical conservatism of public policy application. The inclusion of others outside of a particular group (Revelation chapter eleven, Revelation 4:9, Revelation chapter fourteen, Romans chapter eleven) and a form of Jewish-Christian authoritarianism (Revelation 2:27). The meaning of the preservation of a classical conservative structure model is implied in the last verse because of James behavior towards non-Jews (Galatians 2:12). However, Paul rebukes him in Galatians 2:14-15 which is also expressed in Romans 11:23-25 and also implied by the writer of the Book of Revelation (Revelation 11:2) when "gentiles" is used.