Second Edition
Was All Bible Prophecy Fulfilled by A.D.70?
Not If Actual Jewish History Matters!
by Mark Mountjoy
Introductory Remarks
This This essay will discuss the unrest and significant events in Jewish history. It will explore how the Měḥaššěbê ‘itōtts, commonly known as Jewish “calculators of the time,” orchestrated and tragically led the post-A.D.70 militant Hebrew State into a catastrophic war that resulted in the nation's disappearance for an astonishing one thousand eight hundred and twelve long years.1 2 This is an important story because the last days of the Apostolic period and the destruction of Jerusalem, which signified the end of the Second Temple, the Levitical priesthood, and their associated ministries and services, are only half of the story.3
Now, the concept behind the term “litotes” carries the complete opposite meaning of the term “hyperbole.” Hyperbole refers to an exaggerated statement used for emphasis, while litotes refers to an understatement used for emphasis. It is strange, then, that the Book of Revelation extensively employs hyperbole to describe the destruction of Jerusalem between A.D. 66-70, but only briefly mentions (or at least appears to) the binding of Satan, the reign of the saints, the Gog/Magog war, and the Great White Throne Judgment. For well over sixteen generations (since the fourth and fifth centuries), the official understanding among Christians regarding both the Gog/Magog war and the Great White Throne Judgment in that mysterious and enigmatic chapter has been that it contains the Second Coming of our Lord in just nine verses (Revelation 20:7-15). According to Amillennial church scholars, this event is believed to occur at the very end of time as we currently know it. It is essential to note that this is a fundamental belief, a central belief, and a standard belief incorporated in the major creeds of the Christian church—the Nicene, Nicene Cosmopolitan, and Apostle’s Creed—which are recited every Sunday by millions of Christians.4 Now, by presenting the Gog-Magog war as humanity’s final rebellion against God at the very end of history or time itself, traditional Christian scholars have separated Revelation 20:8 from its significant New Testament “this generation” and strong Ezekian themes. This has led to the disregard of the source’s predictions, which imply the continuation of human life on this same Earth after the war’s fulfillment.5 The source is not imprecise, but rather unambiguous in stating that this war marks the end of Israel’s theocratic existence. However, Ezekiel’s description also indicates that life on Earth (as we currently understand it) would proceed without interruption, including efforts to locate and bury the numerous casualties of Gog at Dhiban, which is presently situated in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.6
Moreover, the details described in Ezekiel 38-39 indicate that this war will occur specifically in the Levant, on the mountains of Israel, and in the fields and plains of the Holy Land. It is an unusual and enigmatic conflict, of enormous proportions. Ezekiel clearly states that this event will involve not only Israel, but also the surrounding Gentile nations from the north, south, and east of the land of Israel. Ezekiel predicted that their numerical advantage would not prevent their humiliating, catastrophic, and comprehensive defeat.7 However, a problem has arisen with the emergence of modern-day Preterism. The claim is made that a generation is only forty years and that all Bible prophecy was completely fulfilled by A.D. 70, before any predictions resembling those in Ezekiel could be historically fulfilled.
At first, the claims of Full Preterism may appear without problems. However, the demands of Hebrew history, both in Bible prophecy and in reality, contradict and question the explanations provided by Full Preterists regarding how and when the Hebrew State ultimately ended as flawed and doubtful.8 However, I would like to personally request that you consider the reasons behind your beliefs and the implications of any extrapolation. This is all about seeking the truth and ensuring credibility. At the end of the day, it is important for things to make sense and for claims to be backed up and demonstrated, rather than blindly accepting them.9 Some individuals who adhere to Full Preterist claims may find it difficult to let go of their beliefs, even when confronted with contradictory evidence. Ignoring or overlooking contradictory information can cloud judgment and bias the final verdict. Additionally, in maintaining a strict deadline of A.D.70 for the events in Revelation 20 may represent a recapitulation or an afterthought, or may not hold enough significance to make a difference.10
In this essay, we aim to examine Revelation chapters 6 through 19 and note how they refer to events which are closer to the time when the destruction of Jerusalem occurred and was relevant to the first Christians living during th sixth decade of the first century. On the contrary, the events described in Revelation 20:7-15 represent later developments but are still very crucial to sense of the overall story. In other words, Satan’s release, the gathering of Gog’s armies, the destruction of the Camp of the Saints, the sudden demise of Gog, the resurrection, and the Great White Throne Judgment represent the final events of the Second Coming, which began seventy years earlier during the Jewish war and the A.D.70 destruction of Jerusalem. Now, consider why this might be the case and let the question linger in your thoughts. Could it be that these events could only occur after a significant period of relative peace? It may also be due to the fact that the majority of Christians alive during and immediately after A.D.66-70 would not live to see Judæa retaliate against the Roman Empire a final time. There must be a way to effectively communicate and differentiate events, to avoid merging distinct occurrences into one. In order to accomplish this, we should contemplate what we could refer to as “event horizons.” This entails acknowledging significant events in the narrative of Revelation. Let’s discuss them further below.
Present—the Seven Churches of Asia Minor
When the Book of Revelation begins, the first thing we are told is that the revelation of Jesus Christ, commonly referred to as the 'Second Coming of Christ,' was going to happen soon (1:1; 1:3, and 1:7). It is evident from verse 7 and the end of the epistle in Revelation 22:6, 7, 10, 11, 12, and 20 that he is specifically referring to the physical Second Coming. Chapters two and three highlight the challenging spiritual, moral, and social situations, persecution, and struggles faced by the seven churches in Asia Minor.11 They warn about losing enthusiasm and falling back, religious syncretism, false teachers, and false doctrine. They also emphasize the importance of perseverance and enduring in the face of opposition and aggression from local synagogues (Revelation 2:9 and 3:9). Amidst the warnings and admonitions, Jesus makes it clear that his return is imminent and that the corrupt and oppressive Second Temple and synagogue history, as they knew it, was coming to an end swiftly (Revelation 3:10-11).
Hereafter—the Tribunal in Heaven
But how would the history of the Jews come to an end? How would the fate of the Jews change in relation to the Second Coming? In the Book of Revelation, chapters 4 and 5 describe God as appearing like a jasper stone, a sardine stone, and surrounded by a green rainbow. John saw twenty-four seats arranged around the throne, with twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing sitting on them. They wore golden crowns on their heads. Lightning, thunder, voices, and seven lamps of fire, which represent the seven spirits of God, emanated from the throne. In front of the throne, there was a sea of glass, and surrounding the throne were four creatures with many eyes both in front and behind them. The first creature resembled a lion, the second a cow, the third had a human face, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each creature had six wings, and these beings, along with the elders, continually praised and glorified God day and night. John also witnessed a special book in God’s right hand, which was sealed. He saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus, sharing a majestic throne in heaven. They were surrounded by thousands upon thousands of angels, as well as countless heavenly beings of various kinds. John saw a Lamb, symbolizing Jesus, who appeared as though slain, on the throne. The court gathered and began the session by asking: Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?
It is crucial to understand that the Jewish people in the first century firmly and persistently disbelieved in the only Second Coming as described in the New Testament. This Second Coming the earliest Christians believed would occur soon and in conjunction with the destruction of the Jew’s corrupt and murderous holy city (referenced in 2 Peter 3:1-10 and Revelation 16:15). Now, although they rejected all predictions that their walls could be breached and the city destroyed, the day came when Revelation 16:21 became a brutal reality (see Josephus’s Wars of the Jews 5.6.3:270-273). Therefore, the events described in Revelation 4 and 5 set the stage for dramatic, intense, and tragic events slated to unfold over the course of the following fourteen chapters, spanning from Revelation chapters 6 to 19. This fourteen-chapter section forms a unified part of a series of age-ending events, beginning with Seals and progressing into Trumpets, ultimately concluding with the Bowls, terrible troubles and inevitable upheavals in the Jewish world. Revelation chapter 19 concludes with the unbelievable Destruction of Jerusalem and finally the downfall of the Zealots and Sicarii at Hebron, the Forest of Yardenit, Machaerus, Herodium, and Masada.12
Now, supporters of the A.D.70 end do acknowledge the desecration of the Temple and the destruction of the City (although some, but not all, mistakenly blame the Romans for the pollution of the Temple, as they were not allowed into the city for various reasons). They also acknowledge the destruction of the City in A.D.70 but ignore the suicides of the rebels at Masada three years later—A.D.73 is past the A.D.70 deadline, correct? Indeed it is! However, by disregarding what occurs after A.D.70, they fail to recognize the significance of what happened at Hebron and concluded with Masada, as well as the sudden rise of Bar Kokhba seven decades later. This overlooks a series of important ongoing events that follow thereafter. And, by not recognizing the Jewish identity of the sea beast in the first place; not realizing that Revelation 13 is describing Jerusalem’s peculiarly seditious plight—all around the Second Temple with the Zealots, robbers, and Sicarii in full and complete control—and not recognizing the scene as the Holy Land only and the predicament of Jewish Christians during the brutal Zealot reign over the city and the land, a dynamic of fundamental confusion and grave historical inaccuracies is set in motion. It is because of this that Atavists and Full Preterists are on completely different pages and have different things to say about almost everything in the Book of Revelation, from the very beginning to the very end.
And so, it is really false and extremely misleading to say “Oh, we only differ on Revelation 20.” We differ on almost everything that could possibly be said about Revelation and what God was actually doing and how he was doing it. If he was doing anything to the Romans, how strange, then, that they could turn around celebrate after the war and then top it off by building an Arch of Triumph!13 How very strange that their best years were in the second century; how very strange that any real Roman troubles should come a full three hundred and forty years AFTER A.D.70; how very strange that the regions of the Roman Empire closest to Judæa and the Levant stood for another ONE THOUSAND THREE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THREE YEARS—falling on May 29, 1453!!14 15 16 17 And so, something is very peculiar and wrong with the idea that the Romans are somehow and in some way the Sea Beast and the objects of God’s interventionist wrath anywhere in Revelation. And what it boils down to is this: Either the past Second Coming notion is also all very wrong or God has already judged a kingdom in the past, but it was not the Roman Empire. There are no two ways about it and only by facing the issues head-on can we bring these problems out into the open to see the light of day.
The Events of Revelation 11 Through
14 Are in This Framework
Now, within the fourteen chapters that make up the run of events between chapters 6 and 19 is the middle crisis that is spelled out in chapters 11-12 and 13-14. These four chapters 
zoom in on events that define and circumscribe the kinds of activities and woes that befell the Jewish nationalist revolution just when their conflicted leadership was in full and complete control of Jerusalem however—there is a big problem! The problem has to do with how the A.D.70 advocates want to maintain (by implication) that the events in Revelation 20:1-4 actually commence at Pentecost (thirty-three years before the events of Revelation 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 even happened)!
zoom in on events that define and circumscribe the kinds of activities and woes that befell the Jewish nationalist revolution just when their conflicted leadership was in full and complete control of Jerusalem however—there is a big problem! The problem has to do with how the A.D.70 advocates want to maintain (by implication) that the events in Revelation 20:1-4 actually commence at Pentecost (thirty-three years before the events of Revelation 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 even happened)! This suspicious maneuvering of Revelation 20:1-4 is not without its reasons (or its problems) but, as we shall soon see, either way, one goes—early—(with Revelation 20:1-4 being fulfilled on or by the Day of Pentecost), or late—(with Revelation 20:1-4 being fulfilled on or around the A.D.66-70 Jewish-Roman war), there are incorrigible problems—problems that just will not go away as soon as the emperor nero, the idea of a judgment and downfall of the roman military and the realization that satan has yet another parole and another war to incite—is thrown into the mix. Only by not facing the dilemma and not really thinking through the contradictory implications Full Preterist advocates stick to their guns and maintain their mantra; only by stubbornly abiding by the faulty logic of authors like James Stuart Russell, Kenneth Gentry, Jr., and Hank Hanagraaf are they able have some modicum of authority to make sense of what (to them) seems like the most probable time and circumstances for Revelation 20:1-4:Acts 2:1-47, in other words, 6 Sivan 3794!18
If Nero is the Sea Beast, the Early
Apostolic Period Date is Completely Disproven
For A.D.70 proponents the person and role of Nero in the Apocalypse are full of significance, and they are almost unanimous and adamant in their insistence that he was the Sea Beast seen arise from the waters in Revelation 13:1. But where did they get this idea from? Conventional Christian wisdom (in both Amillennial and Postmillennial circles) has generally agreed that John had Nero in mind. Only Premillennialist (whose eschatological construct goes back only two hundred years) have rejected Nero, in toto, as the person intended. But Preterist authorities, like James S. Russell have argued Nero into the Preterist universe, a universe where, even now, Nero’s presumed central role is taken as Gospel and something not to be seriously questioned. Russell himself laid out the case against Nero in his Magnum Opus, The Parousia: A Critical Inquiry of the New Testament Doctrine of Our Lord’s Second Coming. First published in 1878, this theological bombshell was republished in 1996 by Full Preterists to serve as a primer to their eschatological world-view. On pages 458 and 459 Russell lists 14 descriptors with which he attaches the moniker “wild beast” firmly to “monster” Nero’s forehead. Then from pages 459 to 462, he labors long and hard to prove his false charges. But there is more! From pages 462-469 Russell builds up a case (like a proverbial house of cards) to show that Satan, Nero and Nero’s so-called “alter ego” and “delegate” Gessius Florus is “a fit servant of such a monster.” Unfortunately, Full Preterists accept and defer to Russell’s UNFOUNDED AND MISLEADING CLAIMS and CIRCULAR LOGIC as a matter of course. But let’s look at Russell’s case and see if it holds up under any scrutiny. We first enter the fray by noting that if Nero and Gessius Florus are the persons the Holy Spirit intended, then their criminal career has to begin in A.D.66 and extend at least throughout the remainder of the narrative from Revelation 13:1 to Revelation 19:21. Be warned: If we find any fabrications or misrepresentations we are going to call them what they are—and call for Christians to explore the matter on their own and, if something is suspicious and unfounded, duly renounce and reject them.
According to Russell, the crime committed was this:
“The image of the beast is clearly the statue of the emperor,”19
and he adds:
“The test by which the martyrs were tried was to adore the emperor, to offer incense before his statue, and to invoke the gods” (p 408). Russell brings Dean Alford to the witness stand to say, “The Seer is now describing facts which history substantiates to us in their literal fulfillment. The image of Caesar was everywhere that which men were made to worship: it was before this that the Christian martyrs were brought to the test, and put to death if they refused the act of adoration . . .
‘If it be said, as an objection to this, that it is not an image of the emperor, but of the beast himself, which is spoken of, the answer is very simple—that as the Seer himself, in chap. Xvii. 11, does not hesitate to identify one of the “seven kings” with the beast itself, so we may fairly assume that the image of the beast, for the time being, would be the image of the reigning emperor.’ *
Russell continues with these thoughts. . .
“To the same effect are the following observations of Dean Howson, which are the more striking as being written without any reference to the passage before us:—
‘The image of the emperor was at that time [under the Empire] the object of religious reverence: he was a deity on earth ('Dis æqua potestas—Juv.iv.71), and the worship paid to him was real worship. It is striking thought that in those times (setting aside effete forms of religion) the only two genuine worships in the civilised world were the worship of Tiberius or a Nero, on one hand, and the worship of Christ on the other.’ †
Russell pushes forward, arguing that TIME, PLACE, SCENE, CIRCUMSTANCES—AND THE DRAMATIS PERSONÆ ARE ALL IN FULL ACCORD WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE APOCALYPSE”20
Russell is as eloquent as Josephus in his writing style, yet in spite of those advantages, he is incorrect in his assertion that time, place, scene, circumstances, and dramatis personae all in accord with the requirements of the Apocalypse. The truth of the matter is this: Russell has made a case for Nero that fits the requirements of his book, The Parousia, not the Bible or Jewish history. We can stand here and say this because we have both the New Testament and the writings of Josephus at our disposal, and surely, if the Romans had had such a policy in Judæa or began one (suddenly) and it incited the war—he would have said so or at the very least have described it. But Russell insinuates and deceitfully calculates to paint a picture of Nero, Florus, and the situation that is very wide of the mark! Where is the historical account that says Nero had any regard for or took advantage of emperor worship? Where is the historical record that says Florus pushed emperor worship down the Jewish people’s throats during his tenure in Judæa?
Where is the account that says Christians were compelled to worship a statue of Nero, offering a pinch of incense to it on pain of death? That the Jewish war did develop around issues of worship AND AN IMAGE is remarkable in itself—because Josephus does speak of it! However, what the worship was and what the image was could not possibly be any sign, symbol or ceremony commiserate with the Roman religion—and we have two story strands that directly say so!21
The Jews Reach Their Limit
With Nero’s Government
By A.D.66 the common Jews (not the moderates, but the radicals) were done with Nero and the Romans. We need to now discuss what that breaking point meant and what it looked like. In Tacitus Histories and in Josephus’ Wars, we are told that by Elul 8, A.D.66 the Jews would not agree to expiate ANYTHING by the ceremonies of the Roman religion. Russell’s theory about Nero and Florus goes up in flames here and now!
It should be noted that none of these things are happening on or around A.D.33, but only start happening in the middle of A.D.66; nor are any of these odd developments related to Pentecost at all, but Xylophery (in the middle of the summer of the fateful year of 66). And what the Jewish nationalists were up to was not in any honor of or obedience to the Romans, but an installation and exultation of a novel and bizarre ultra-mutated militant Judaism. And we may add: whatever occult aspects were going on inside the Second Temple were in keeping with Jewish transgressions against Mosaic proscriptions against witchcraft, sorcery, and magic (Deuteronomy 18:10-14). Furthermore, abuse of the Temple, the pilgrims, the Priests, and even God himself—are attributed by Josephus to the Zealots—not Nero or the Romans.32 There is nothing in Josephus that directly describes a Christian plight (but there is one place where I strongly suspect Josephus makes a reference to the Zealots mistreating Christians).33
But regardless, we can be sure and certain that any situation in Jewish controlled Jerusalem and Judæa did not and cannot be extrapolated to be ‘Judæo-Romano’ agenda headed by Gessius Florus. In fact, Florus attacked the Jews (on Iyar, 66) not for idolatrous religious reasons or purposes, but because of anti-taxation protests; the Jews refused to turn over to him 17 talents of gold from the Temple treasury. However, anti-taxation protests and the implementation of Nero worship are two entirely different things; of the latter history says not a word! So, Full Preterists have a big problem here: all we know of Nero and of Florus does not boil down to the alleged scheme to impose emperor worship on anyone—let alone Christians.34
We find that all ceremonies of the Roman religion were abandoned, meaning, even if Caesar worship was encouraged or tolerated before the war, it was definitely not countenanced after the beginning of the war. And, the Romans were ambushed and killed at Masada, while at the same time ALL Romans were either routed or killed in Jerusalem’s environs. We saw that, even when the leaders and sages begged Eleazar and the priesthood to resume Roman rites, they said, “No way!”35 Now, if an Image was put over the newly elected High Priest’s face (how likely would it have been Nero’s face?). If anyone could guess from the scanty evidence we have, the image would have probably been of a Jewish hero—perhaps Judas of Galilee—but we are not told whose face it was. But with the Holy of Holies occupied by Eleazar, the inner court by John Gischala and the Outer by the Zealots, it would be extremely unlikely that anything going on would be pro-Roman in any way, shape, or form. Russell’s arguments, then, though they may seem probable on a purely hypothetical level, upon inspection and scrutiny are extremely implausible when once it is realized how extremely anti-Roman the Jewish revolt really was, and what extremes of hatred the course OF the war took from its very beginning. All our evidence says one and the same thing: the Beast and the False Prophet could not have been Roman figures of any kind.
These are the facts:
[A] Gessius Florus’ procuratorship ends at the very time that Russell’s theory needs it to begin.
[B] Nero’s armies are butchered at Masada and routed or killed at Jerusalem at the very same time that the tax protest end Florus’ tenure.
[C] The Sicarii and the Zealots quickly install their own king, seize control of the Temple and install their own high priest—putting a “counterfeit face" on him—now let’s be serious here: how likely was it that it was the face of Nero?
[D] At the very beginning of the war the Jews have a wound in their right hand “in reverence for their general in these his fatal calamities”—again, how likely was it that that general was Nero?
[E] Josephus describes a complementary relationship between the leaders of the sedition and the false prophets THAT IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM EXISTED BETWEEN THEM AND GESSIUS FLORUS OR THEM AND EMPEROR NERO. Now, inasmuch as the leadership of the revolt was ultra-Jewish nationalistic (IN OTHER WORDS, ULTRA-REVOLUTIONARY AND DOUBLY ANTI-ROMAN), according to Josephus, the false prophets deceived the people in order that they might not quit the city, in order that they might stand with Eleazar, John and Simon—someone please tell us just how likely that the false prophet would have been either Roman or pro-Roman?
There is one more thing I want to say before we move on. Someone may be thinking: “Well, maybe Josephus doesn’t specifically say they worshiped an image of Nero or offered incense to it during the war—BUT IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWAY.” Perhaps it could have, but we need to understand the Jews’ attitude about Roman images before we allow or accept that that could even be possible in the context of such a virulent anti-Roman war. With the death of Tiberius in A.D.37 Caligula became the New Roman Emperor. A strong friend of Agrippa I the Herodian king of Judæa, this Caligula's friendship with the Herodians has nothing to do and in no way means he was any friend to Jewish fundamentalists. Therefore, when he ordered his statue be placed in every temple in the empire—including Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem—what do you suppose happened?
Here’s is a summary of what happened,
“Then, Caligula granted King Herod Antipas's territory of Galilee and Perea to King Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of King Herod “the Great,” who was ruling on other part of Palestine since 37 AD. Around 39 AD Emperor Caligula announced that he was God and he wished to be worshipped throughout the Romans’ territories. Emperor Caligula sent an army to place his statue inside the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This was a disastrous order which for sure would have caused an uprising in Palestine. Luckily on 41 AD Emperor Caligula was assassinated before his order to be carried out.
The Jewish fundamentalists in Palestine saw how vulnerable their Judaism had become. This time they got lucky and they dodged the disaster but they were alarmed that their faith under these situations would not survive. This event added fuel to the fundamentalists' hatred against the Romans and the Jewish puppet King. King Herod Agrippa I died on 44 AD then the territory was solely ruled by the Roman procurator, Gessus Florus.
There were three major Jewish groups in Palestine; Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes who were competing with each on the affairs of Judaism. The tense situations in Palestine gave rise to the extremists fanatics which we call them Zealots. Gradually these zealots organized themselves to various militant groups to resist and fight the occupation. One of the zealot groups in the Jewish resistance was Sicariis, which means dagger-men. They wanted to achieve their objectives through violent means. Their weapon of Choice was a small dagger which they concealed under their cloak. Through the assassination of the Romans and the Jews who were collaborating with the Romans they were creating a reign of terror in public to destabilize the territory”36
Again,
“Caligula's religious policy was a departure from that of his predecessors. According to Cassius Dio, living emperors could be worshiped as divine in the east and dead emperors could be worshiped as divine in Rome. Augustus had the public worship his spirit on occasion, BUT DIO DESCRIBES THIS AS AN EXTREME ACT THAT EMPERORS GENERALLY SHIED AWAY FROM.[82] Caligula took things a step further and had those in Rome, including senators, worship him as a tangible, living god.37
“Hereupon Caius, taking it very heinously that he should be thus despised by the Jews alone, sent Petronius to the the president of Syria, and successor in the government to Vitellius, and gave him order to make an invasion into Judea, with a body of troops, and if they would admit of his statue willingly, to erect it in the Temple of God; but if they were obstinate, TO CONQUER THEM BY WAR, AND THEN TO DO IT.
Accordingly, Petronius took the government of Syria, and made haste to obey Caesar's epistle. He got together a great number of auxiliaries as he possibly could, and took with him two legions of the Roman army, and came to Ptolemais, and there wintered, as intending to set about the war in the spring. He also wrote word to Caius what he had resolved to do; who commended him for his alacrity, and ordered him to go on, and to make war with them, IN CASE THEY WOULD NOT OBEY HIS COMMANDS. BUT THERE CAME MANY TEN THOUSANDS OF JEWS TO PETRONIUS, TO PTOLEMAIS, TO OFFER THEIR PETITIONS TO HIM, THAT HE WOULD NOT COMPEL THEM TO TRANSGRESS AND VIOLATE THE LAW OF THEIR FOREFATHERS; “BUT IF,” said they, “THOU ART ENTIRELY RESOLVED TO BRING THIS STATUE, AND ERECT IT, DO THOU FIRST KILL US, AND THEN DO WHAT THOU HAST RESOLVED ON FOR, WHILE WE ARE ALIVE, WE CANNOT PERMIT SUCH THINGS AS ARE FORBIDDEN US TO BE DONE BY THE AUTHORITY OF OUR LEGISLATURE, AND BY OUR FOREFATHERS' DETERMINATION THAT SUCH PROHIBITIONS ARE INSTANCES OF VIRTUE.”
But Petronius was angry at them, and said, If indeed I were myself emperor, and were at liberty to follow my own inclination, and then had designed to act thus, these your words would be justly spoken to me; but now Caesar hath sent to me, I am under the necessity of being subservient to his decrees, because a disobedience to them will bring upon me inevitable destruction.”
Then the Jews replied, 'Since therefore thou art so disposed, O Petronius! That thou wilt not disobey Caius' epistles, neither will we transgress the commands of our law; and as we depend on the excellency of our laws, and, by the labors of our ancestors, have continued hitherto without suffering them to be transgressed, we dare not by any means suffer ourselves to be so timorous as to transgress their laws out of fear of death, which God hath determined are for our advantage; and, if we fall into misfortunes we will bear them, in order to preserve our laws, as knowing those who expose themselves to danger, have good hope of escaping them; because God will stand on our side when out of regard to him, we undergo afflictions and sustain the uncertain turns of fortune. BUT, IF WE SHOULD SUBMIT TO THEE, WE SHOULD BE GREATLY REPROACHED FOR OUR COWARDICE, AS THEREBY SHOWING OURSELVES READY TO TRANSGRESS OUR LAW; AND WE SHOULD INCUR THE GREAT ANGER OF GOD ALSO, WHO, EVEN THYSELF BEING JUDGE, IS SUPERIOR TO CAIUS.38
Doran Mendals, in fact, claims that Nero DID NOT indulge the cult of the emperor, and those who claim that, during such a war as the Jewish rebellion was, Nero instituted that very thing, are speaking that which is categorically false. The above five facts show that the contentions of Russell (and of DeMar, Preston, Gentry and Hanegraaff) are unwittingly but genuinely misleading. How strange that Postmillennialists, Partial Preterists and Full Preterists all agree and which Amillennial authorities gladly concur: Nero was public enemy number one:-
“. . .the megaselling Christian series about the end times, now presents a new series with a very different interpretation of biblical prophecy. Christian radio-show host Hanegraaff and bestselling CBA novelist Brouwer takes readers back TO THE TIME OF NERO in the first century. As the ROMAN EMPIRE ruthlessly persecutes Christians, the novel's warrior-hero, Vitas, tries to defend them. But even Vitas can’t prevent the DESTRUCTION OF THE JEWISH TEMPLE—the historical event that sits at the center of this novel. Hanegraaff and Brouwer posit that the Book of Revelation, in code, predicted Roman persecution and the Temple’s fall. . .” 39
From Publishers Weekly.
“In 65 AD Nero rules Rome with an iron fist; since the Great Fire he persecutes Christians who refuse to accept that he is divine blaming the inferno on them. Vilas, a trusted advisor, knows the emperor is mad, and does his best to curb the worst of the excesses. He especially tries to save Christians who Nero is about to kill. Believers of Christ think Nero is the Beast and this is the time of the tribulation.
Vilas is sick of war and the blood on his hands so he goes to Jerusalem to report on the Roman in charge of Judea, who is thought to have committed crimes against the Empire. In Judea, Vilas asks Sophia, the former Jewish slave he freed, to marry him although she is Christian and he is part of Nero's inner circle. They agree to hide her religion when they return to Rome as a married couple. However, Vilas has enemies who see his wife as the instrument to destroy him. At the same time, John the Revelator who is the last living disciple is in danger as he comforts incarcerated Christians. John and Vilas meet as both flee the wrath of the Beast.
THE LAST DISCIPLE depicts Nero as the Beast of Revelations (sic)as he persecutes Christians. The period is when people still living can provide eye witness accounts about the miracles Jesus performed. Vilas is a terrific representative of the age as he tries to remain loyal to the Empire, but detests the ruler he believes is destroying it. Much historical information is included in this biblical thriller so that readers obtain a taste of life in the first decades following the crucifixion in Rome and Judea, which makes for an enthralling read.” (Harriet Klausner)40
In fact, Futurists who generally know their ancient history, know full well that both Full and Partial Preterism can be easily taken down by demonstrating the Nero is not the beast—“Ezra #34, Preterism Refuted #1, Why Nero Is Not the Beast of Revelation or 666? #1 by Greg Price (Free SWRB MP3 & PDF”—reads an ad on FaceBook.
Nero’s alleged role won’t hold water and cannot stand up to a historical inquest for any length of time. In two debates one with Pastors Michael Miano versus Pastor Bruce Bennett and another Partial Preterist Gary DeMar versus. Dr. Michael Brown—in the former Nero was named; in the latter I feared he would be. In the former Bennett questioned Miano on the identity of the beast (it was so predictable and Bennett was not amused nor stunned into thoughtfulness). In the DeMar verus Brown matchup l wanted to win Dr. Brown and called DeMar up by phone, we had a respectful discussion, to be sure, but I was unsuccessful in getting any positive response from him ahead of their Cincinnati debate. You cannot make people listen, but for those who have eyes and ears think about this: We do not have the liberty to think about Revelation 13-19 as scenes and circumstances on or around Pentecost of A.D.33.
The Mobile Nero
Alright, so we have talked about Nero and how he was not who they say he was and did not (under any stretch of the imagination) do what they say he did. But there are far, far graver problems. But these problems are quite different from simply framing a man for a crime he did not do and making him be in a place he never appeared or playing a role the Jews would not have possibly let him play. What we want to focus on here is how Revelation HAS to be locked into an A.D.66—70 FRAMEWORK, BUT REVELATION 20 (FOR A PRECONCEIVED ANSWER) HAS TO BE LOCKED INTO AN A.D.33 FRAMEWORK. What do we mean by this?
We mean that, since the A.D.70 advocates insist that Revelation 20’s millennium covers the A.D.30-70 period, the beginning HAS to be (obviously) A.D.33. If, then A.D.30 marks the beginning, and if Satan was bound during Jesus’ ministry, that also means the Saints were forced to worship Nero or take his name or number or mark on their right hands a whole thirty-six to thirty-three years before the Jewish war with the Romans even broke out! But wait! Nero was not born till December 15, A.D.37, how can he be involved in such matters seven to three years before his own birth!?41 The confusion created by targeting Nero for a role he really never played ends up crisscrossing the New Testament and, ultimately, threatening the validity and the integrity of Bible prophecy itself. Instead of the story being amazing and surreal, it becomes unbelievable and more and more doubtful; the more intently one looks at the situation at hand—the saints get beheaded years in advance of the Jewish war—not under Nero—under no one; Satan is bound in the bottomless pit—only to enter the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira; by the time we reach A.D.66 the war opens and THE ROMANS ARE THE SEA BEAST AND THE SAINTS ARE IN LINE TO BE IMPOSED UPON AND BEHEADED FOR A SECOND TIME—then the Roman Beast walks away from the war victors to be finally judged by Aleric in A.D.410.42 However, for some strange reason, A.D.70 advocates bristle at the very idea of a 140 generation (although it is an exception, not the rule), but can countenance the historical fact that Rome met its match three hundred and forty years after A.D.70 without blinking and without any qualms! But the truth of the matter is this: If the time-line of Revelation 20 was straightened out (meaning handled in such a way that, regardless of who the Beast was, the First Revolt of A.D.66—70 was at its head), it would lead out TO ANOTHER GIGANTIC WAR (THE WAR THAT LEADS TO THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT AND THE END OF THE TIME OF THE GENTILES). The key to any success in these conversations and any progress or breakthroughs in these talks will come as soon as Christians (on all sides of these complex questions) realize that the arrival of events in Revelation 13:1-18 MUST define what happened to the saints in Revelation 20:4 and when it happened. As soon as that realization has come, then, at the very same time, history will present to all of us two options:
(1) A timeline reaching out from the A.D.70 Destruction of Jerusalem to the A.D.132-136 Destruction of the Hebrew State is nessessitated OR,
(2) a timeline reaching out from the A.D.70 Destruction of Jerusalem to the A.D.410 sacking of Rome by Aleric I and his hordes.
If Christians go from there and clean up and clear up the New Testament context of the last days—of the Law, of the Temple, of the Aaronic priesthood, of the animal sacrifices, of the oblations, of the holy days, new moons, and Sabbaths, of mandatory circumcision of all male children, of the expectation of the first coming of the Messiah, of the establishment of the promised kingdom of God, of the rewalization of the age to come—they will immediately realize that the A.D.132-136 imbroglio (not what happened to Rome in A.D.410) has every advantage of being “the other half of the story.”43
Either, Or
The above issues are lengthy enough. It is hoped that it is now clear that on no account would the Jews sit back and allow the Romans to install an image of Nero or any other Roman emperor inside the Second Temple. It should be plain and evident that if it could not happen in A.D.41 (when the Jews were not in a posture of revolt), how would it happen in A.D.66 when once the Romans were slaughtered at Masada and Jerusalem was completely emptied of Romans in toto? Revelation 13, then, is begging us to discover what on earth could have been happening in Jerusalem, in the Second Temple that would involve idolatry but not also be Roman or on any account pro-Roman? Then next, try to imagine the events of Revelation 13 (with all of its issues) as applicable on a mobile timetable ranging—sometimes (A.D.66-70) and at other times (A.D.33). No interpretation can succeed or be correct on such unstable and illusory premises.
Now, let’s us look at what this is because not only do Full Preterists insist that Revelation 13ff speak of Roman encroachments during the Jewish Revolt, when they come to the SAME matter in Revelation 20:4 they turn around and insist that Revelation 20 retrorockets back to Pentecost and yet, at the same time tell us that it is also true that Nero plays the central and key role of events in 13—well!—Nero was not born until four years after the church was born! But if they insist that it was him REGARDLESS (AND NEVER MIND THE FACTS), what does that tell us!? It tells us that IT DOES NOT REALLY MATTER WHAT ANY FACTS SAY TO THESE CONVICTIONS; it tells us that we are not now dealing with any ideas rooted in hard core reality (or any real history). And since Nero was not even born on or around Pentecost, on one hand, and on the other hand, Nero did not enter any war with the Romans initially WINNING, whoever the Sea Beast is in Revelation 13 it is empowered by Satan and INITIALLY WINNING—and CANNOT be the Romans without rewriting history to make it say EXACTLY what we want. For example, it is argued by J.S.Russell that Nero is our man of sin/ anti-Christ/ sea beast because he was known to be a tyrant, a vile person, a ruffian etc. But the argument is facetious: whatever Nero’s personal flaws, he was ALREADY at the very top of the political totem poll for more than 12 years when the Jewish war broke out. What could he gain that he did not already have before the Jews killed all the Romans at Masada, stopped the daily sacrifices to God on behalf of the Romans and thereby threw the gauntlet of war against Rome down? Remember, Jerusalem and Judæa, along with thousands of other provinces, already belonged to NERO—what could he gain by revolting against his OWN empire? That story (upon closer inspection) does not make any sense at all! What does make sense is a Jewish pretender OR PRETENDERS arising IN Judæa and IN Jerusalem and causing havoc in order to remove the Jewish people from under the Roman domination.This was a domination they had been under since the days of Gnaus Pompey the Great (as far back as 63 B.C.). The Romans would have been removed from the scene and the HAVOC we see in Revelation 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 and 16, 17, 18 and 19 would ensue (and this is exactly the situation one sees in Josephus’ Wars of the Jews.44 Now, nearly everything Josephus says fits like a hand in a glove and his reports CONFIRM exactly what the Bible says by inspiration. In this way, we come away with a perfect parallel of Bible prophecy and confirmatory Jewish history—all attesting to the voracity of the event and the truthfulness and fulfillment of the expectations. Now, since the Jews began their revolt against the Romans and did so with a string of surprising wins, it is both heartbreaking and discouraging to hear Full Preterists go on and on and on (on automatic pilot) about Nero and the Romans, Nero and 666 ad nauseam (and frankly, it’s embarrassing!). It is like trying to prove a true point with completely false and made up facts! The story about Nero and the Romans is simply and utterly FALSE and UNTRUE and does not correspond to any specific instances, hard reality, or historical facts. Now, even if we look at the deception the Jewish people were under in their notion that all they had to do to obtain the promised Messianic kingdom was overthrow the Roman government, then we would even realize this Roman idea was Satanic in any way you want to slice it! It is just a supposition—a conviction—one void of any factual justification or parallel in antiquity. For it to even be true would mean that Nero was the leader and cause célèbre around which the Zealots rallied. Can that even be imagined!? Can that even be pictured!? Who can picture a Jewish revolt with Emperor Nero as its head? Who can picture a Jewish war against Rome where the Jewish combatants have on their right hands or foreheads NERO’S image, name or number? The whole idea is embarrassing and wrong in the extreme! Some are not paying too much attention and somehow feel the case for Nero is somehow self-evident and easily carries its own weight. A reality check tells us that it DOES NOT carry its own weight, instead it collapses under its own weight!
The A.D.70 Destruction of City and
the Return of the Jerusalem Church
Ok, so the Jerusalem Church returns from Pella in A.D.70, but is that the end of the story? According to Full Preterists it is. Whatever happened to this group after the forty-two month war would seem to be of great interest—BUT NOT IF THE STORY ABRUPTLY DROPS OFF IN A.D.70! In that case it must not be allowed to be a concern because “What difference does it make what the Jerusalem church did after the war?”
The difference here is that the CONTINUITY OF THE NARRATIVE IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS ON THE RUBBLE AND RUINS OF THE CIVILIZATION OF THE SECOND JEWISH COMMONWEALTH. What is missing, moreover, in Full Preterism, is the ability to understand the relationship of the Jews to the Roman Empire, and the relationship of the Roman Empire to the Jewish war, and also the Full Preterist paradigm (because of these dire handicaps) systemically lacks the ability to explain or justify for Christians any real need to keep on going with the story-line into the next important phase: The A.D.73 judgment of the Sea Beast and the False Prophet and after that, the millennial period (and so on).45
The Millennial Period—the Judæa
Capta Period and the Gog/Magog War.
You may or may not know that in A.D.62, during Passover, James was stoned and the Jewish people and their elites took an even harder more hostile stance against the Church. The next four years would be the lead-up to the events in Revelation chapters 11-14 and ultimately, 15-19. But now that the city has fallen; now that the war is over; now that the Christians have returned to the city; now that the Jewish rebels have come to their end at Masada, a new period ensues.46 Now, because of rationalizations and conjectures and misunderstandings we outlined in the section above, Full Preterists leave Revelation 19 and approach Revelation chapter 20 without any clear contextual or historical or exegetical or directional constraints in mind. And, detailed in the style of an understatement—as we said, a litotes—it is not helpful that the material laid out from Revelation chapter 13 onward has been forgotten, disregarded or ignored. Grave and serious mistakes (which are attempts to minimize the perceived incongruity of chapter 20) seek to posit the chapter as a mere reminder of things already expressed. But, in reality, what is happening is that the Holy Spirit telescopes the worst and most complete cataclysm in Jewish history out and away from the commotions that were soon and impending to Christians standing by in the bitter moments of life in A.D.61-62.
Satan, For the Very First Time,
Captured, Chained and Bound
The habitual way of seeing Satan as chained and bound during the Gospels and the thirty-three-year Apostolic period has to be one of the more erroneous claims of the conventional mindset. But how does it stack up in light of Luke 23:1-2; Acts 5:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 2 Timothy 2:26; 1 Peter 5:8 and Revelation 2:13? Not one of these passages or verses support the notion that Satan was captured, bound, sealed or shut up in the period between A.D.33 and A.D.66—quite the contrary! So what happens in Revelation chapter 20, starting in verse 1 has to take place AFTER the beleaguered rebels had plunged their own swords into the bowels of their loved-ones and themselves. THEN AND ONLY THIS IS Satan bound (AS WE SEE in 20:1-3), but by the time we come to his release in 20:7 we have reached what can only be BRAND NEW (NEVER BEFORE SEEN) military activity. Now, we cannot stress it enough that this litany of events does not and cannot go back over a previous forty years and cannot do so without turning Revelation chapter 20 on its proverbial head! Instead, what we are seeing in Revelation 20:8-15 is God's response to what was sought for anew: the destruction of the Camp of the Saints (THE JERUSALEM CHURCH, God’s true beloved city), a brand new Zealot controlled Jewish State, a carnal Messiah and a Third Jewish Temple. Now, as we read on we can see what God’s response to these draconian desires was. And behold the severity of God!! What he did to the Jews and their Gentile helpers was so harsh and severe that, for all intents and purposes no one was around or (if they were) had no slightest motivation to write about it! The very little we know about anything that matches what we are looking at here is not first, but definitely second century Jewish history. And the little we know comes from Cassius Dio, Rabbinic sources and early Christian sources and, compared to the First Jewish Revolt it is not total silence, but near silence. But (once again) that near silence does not mean it was unimportant, but it should tell us that whatever God did was truly “universal,” catastrophic and complete.
The Bible Itself Tells Us More About
the Second Revolt Than Any Other Source
One may wonder aloud how we can be so sure the Bar Kokhba or Second Jewish Revolt was what was intended in Revelation 20:7-15 or what actually happened in Judæa in around the mid second century? We can make these claims about it because by reading and reflecting upon Ezekiel 39, it is clear that the event would happen after the Holy Land was ravaged by a war that left the land without bars or gates or walled villages.
We know that up till A.D.70 the Land of the Jews was certainly characterized by these common everyday security features. Only after an event like the Jewish war of A.D.66-70 would their land lay in ruins as described in Ezekiel 38:11-12. Furthermore, NONE of the many Diaspora revolts or even the Kitos wars were fought in Judæa; therefore it is amazing that Ezekiel describes God’s people as dwelling in the land “safely” (Ezekiel 38:8,14). But we know before A.D.70 the Christians were by no means safe anywhere in Judæa, right?
But Ezekiel sees these “multitudes of Gog” coming up to, over to and down into the land of Israel to wage a war (Ezekiel 38:5-6, 9, 15-16). And the text explains, because of its size, it would see “multitudes of Gog” drawn down to the land of Israel like a cloud to cover the land, to a theater of war to meet their displeased Creator, quite unready and certainly doomed (Ezekiel 38:18-23 and 39:3-7,11-20). Furthermore, contrary to all their hopes, the matter would end seeing God’s glory set among the Gentiles (Ezekiel 39:21-23). The Ezekiel prediction also makes it clear that the territory covered by the war reaches beyond the present borders of the modern Israeli State. And what this means is that the findings of thousands of skulls, bones, dishes and other artifacts stashed neatly in caves on the west side of the Dead Sea are only part of the story. Ezekiel claims that the size of the war included what is now the Jordanian State side “east of the sea” (Ezekiel 38:11). Because of political constraints, none of these discoveries have to date been made.
Causes Behind the Second War: A Return
to the Lies That Fomented the First Jewish War
A lot of speculation in scholarly circles has attempted to pin down the causes of such a large and brutal war. It seems to many that the A.D.66-70 war and the Diaspora failures were brutal and gruesome enough to dissuade the Jewish people from making any such attempt at freedom from Roman rule again. Moreover, Hadrian’s supposed plans to rebuild Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina or his decree against circumcision very often receive the blame. However, from a New Testament and late Second Temple standpoint, the reasons behind this war really had more to do with stubborn Jewish messianic ambitions than any edicts, building plans or provocations by Hadrian or any Romans. 
In fact, according to what we now know from Israeli military experts like Harkabi, Bloom and Yadin, the Jews had absolutely no intentions of giving up their messianic hopes in the wake of the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem.47 In other words, a second war was ALWAYS on the table, a second fight was always an option for them on the precedent of the building of the Second Temple after the 70 year Babylonian Captivity 48 The Babylonian seventy years captivity was a type likened by the Jews to their new plight in the Judæa Capta period. And thus, for them this was a shadow, the interlude of Roman captivity was a parallel that they felt they could count to end well. In their heart of hearts the really believed the seventh decade after the Destruction would witness their victory even when all else failed in the ongoing setbacks of the sporadic Diaspora revolts and Kitos wars. Jewish fundamentalist Bible students never once doubted that a united front on behalf of their common heritage, messianic hopes and State Temple ambitions would surely and certainly win the day when survival came down to the proverbial do or die. Their ultimate goal was NOT reconciliation with God, but the downfall of the Church and the construction of a mere building: A Third State Temple in complete defiance of everything the advent of Jesus Christ and his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension stood for! But Jesus had the last say and told them, “No!” No wonder Daniel and John agree that “no Place was found for them” (Daniel 2:35 and Revelation 20:11.)
The Eternal State
Very briefly now, let us discuss the fourth event horizon. Revelation chapters 21 and 22 describes this fourth event horizon: The New Jerusalem—the final and permanent horizon for Christians. Just like Ezekiel’s Gog-Magog war ends in defeat of the rebels and results in the glory of God being set amongst the Gentiles, John follows Ezekiel 40 with a breathtaking description of the new City! These last two chapters are crucial because they describe what Christ our Lord and God holds out to us for the joy of our New Testament salvation and the hope of everlasting bliss, happiness on a truly indescribable and everlasting level! And that it is the ultimate reward and is in keeping with God’s promises to eternally preserve Israel—which is who we are as the new people of God.
We can note the following characteristics of the Place of our destiny:
[1] Holy city, new Jerusalem 21:2
[2] Tabernacle of God with men 21:3
[3] Tears, death, sorrow, crying and
pain all passed away 21:4
[4] A new Place 21:5
[5] He that overcometh shall inherit all things 21:7
[6] Twelve gates—3 on the east, 3 on the north, 3 on the south and 3 on the west, with the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel 21:12-13.
[7] Wall has twelve foundation stones with the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb—Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James of Alpheus and Lebbeus Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite and Matthias.
[8] The city is shaped like a cube—1,500
miles square (or 2414.016 kilometers) 21:16.
[9] The city walls are 200 feet thick 21:17
[10] Walls made of jasper; the city of pure gold 21:18.
[11] The foundations of the wall of the city are
made of twelve different precious stones:
Jasper and sapphire, chalcedony and emerald, sardonyx and sardius, chrysolite and beryl, topaz and chrysoprasus, jacinth and amethyst.
[12] Its twelve gates are twelve pearls and
the street of the city is of pure gold.
[13] God the Father and his Son are the Temple of this city
[14] The city has no need of the sun or the moon
because the glory of God and his Son are the light thereof.
[15] The nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of the city
and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.
[16] The gates shall not be shut by day and there is no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 21:24-25.
It should be noted that nobody ever saw anything like this on earth at or after A.D.70 and this does not describe the catastrophic ruins of the Judæa Capta period or any reality we know about anywhere on this planet earth. Nevertheless, we have heard of reports of people who have had near death experiences and have said they witnessed a building of this likeness. there is no reason to believe their reports are untrue. We have every reason to believe these reports are anecdotal evidence that the Bible is right about events that have already been realized in Jewish antiquity.
As we head towards the conclusion of this essay, I want to call to your attention some interesting and fascinating observations; these should not be allowed to escape your attention. First of all, the description of the new Jerusalem either describes something IN this life, or something BEYOND this life. If it describes what happened in this life immediately after the A.D.66-70 war then it describes a city with walls 200 feet thick—not an unwalled city like Ezekiel demands. Only AFTER the Gog-Magog war does Ezekiel enter the discussion of the eternal city and tabernacle—and the Book of Revelation is no different. And so, just as Ezekiel sees the execution of Gog and Magog before the vision of the tabernacle, John sees the downfall of Gog and Magog before the vision of the new Jerusalem.
But is there confusion here? Why does John not describe the church on earth? There should be NO confusion about there being life on earth after the last war simply because Ezekiel has the people of the land cleaning up the bones and the mess for months and months after the war has reached its sudden end. The narrative in Ezekiel 39 gives us every reason to believe people (and the Church) continued on earth—or else why the clean-up? Why would they spend so much time searching the land? Why where they determined to repurpose the weapons of Bar Kokhba as sources of feul if the quantity was not significant and gargantuan? If the earth would literally pass away no such actions would have been commissioned by the Roman government in the badly ravaged Land of Israel.49
Conclusion
Because Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image is not and NEVER WAS a central idea in the Full Preterist paradigm, and because the fourth kingdom is continuously maintained to be the Roman Empire (although it actually creates major credibility problems for their overall scheme of things) these exegetes have to extrapolate (often indirectly) that Rome fulfilled this, that or another key aspect of the Apocalyptic drama. The problem is, this requires them to needlessly calumniate the Emperor Nero, who, as we have pointed out in another essay, saved the Jerusalem church with safety at Pella in the Trans-Jordan. And another thing: Rome came out of the Jewish war looking quite good, gave credit to GOD for winning and were able to bring the eastern Roman Empire to a place of normalcy and peace and prosperity—a peace, prosperity and normalcy it had never seen or experienced before.
But because Full Preterists ascribe the Second Coming to the Stone AND Wind destruction, they have to either overlook or somehow EXPLAIN AWAY when and how a Roman Fourth kingdom was both pulverized and swept away like chaff on the summer threshingfloor in A.D.70. THEY CANNOT DO THIS! Nor can they resolve this because it is literally beyond anyone's ability and can be said to be a vexing, difficult and even impossible task! And yet, unresolved (after everything is said and left undone) the Wind destruction on top of the Stone destruction basically DELETES (or renders null and void) the Revelation 20:5-6 interval (for all intents and purposes). In a word, then, a conundrum or paradox is erected where the fact is ignored that an OPPOSITE relationship exists (and cannot be removed) between the preceding events in Revelation 20:1-4 and the climatic events in Revelation 20:7-15.
The LULL, the intermediary period of verses 5 and 6 (as minor as they may seem to be in the bigger scheme of the chapter) are neither appreciated or understood, and any commentary from these sources that refuse to do justice to those two verses and their relationship with events on the right hand or on the left prove to be feeble attempts to make sense of the text within highly biased and extremely prejudicial constraints.
In the final analysis, the treatment of Revelation 20, in the light of Jewish salvation history; in light of the history of the ancient Jewish State; in light of the A.N.E; in light of Roman military triumph and success; in light of a fragile Christian victory on the jagged ruins of a once great Semitic civilization on its way out; in light of an upcoming war of unimaginable proportions and enduring implications strangely STOPS ON A DIME in A.D.70—just when the narrative heats up!
Just when the epic of Jewish salvation history heads towards the Big One (where the Holy People showed the Romans they still had power), the Full Preterist story drops off and has nothing to say about it. In other words, the return of the Jerusalem Church, the slaughter of the Sea Beast and the False Prophet, the capture and binding of Satan, the breaking of the gold, silver, brass and iron—all into a million slivers of chaff—is accounted as nothing in respect to fulfillment and closure. Neither does the almost seventy year reality of a post-A.D. 70 Church, the Camp of the Saints, situated in mighty, wrathful and brooding inter-revolt Judæa beckon with promises of mysteries and moments unheard of and largely untold. Neither does the ‘Waterloo’ war and Judæa’s cataclysmic downfall, and the sudden ejection of the Glory of God out of the Jewish universe give pause or illicit any interest (to say nothing of a meaningful inquest). Sadly, these stunning post A.D.70 events ARE WRITTEN OFF AS “irrelevant” and “beside the point” and “beyond the bounds” among the pro-A.D.70 advocates. But these singular events cannot be written off without incurring serious damage to the epic and panorama we see written and described, not only in the Book of Revelation, but also in the Gospels and the Book of Ezekiel and Daniel. It is an incomplete story that does not come full circle and leaves important details and events out and critical questions unanswered.
If Full Preterists will interpret Revelation 20:4 according to its fair meaning (by everything demanded and contained in Revelation 13, 14, 15, 16 and 19 along with its A.D.66-73 fulfillment) this will be in accordance to their own stated standards of a willingness to interpret Bible prophecy in accordance with audience relevance, time statements and documentary historical context and proof, but if not, Revelation 20:7-15 falls immediately into exegetical, hermeneutic, and interpretive confusion and futility.
Why would Full Preterists deny contexts, deny word usage and deny sequences when elsewhere these very standards meant so much to them in their pioneer studies? If they continue steadfast with the story they have been telling for the last forty-five years they will continue to tell only half a story—and the part they tell, because of the handicaps of the way they abridge things, is a story full of errors and a story riddled with oversights on a number of important historic levels.
Atavist eschatology does not attempt to shine a light on obscure or irrelevant issues or endeaver to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Instead, what is being said is free and clear of the conventional box that continues to inform and bedevil the Full Preterism ideology. In the final analysis Full Preterists are emerging as the new gatekeepers in the field of realized eschatology, consequently Atavism will not survive by shying away from a direct confrontation with the story Full Preterists insist on retelling; therefore, we will boldly and respectfully question, dispute and challenge them in appropriate forums and in the marketplace of ideas at every step.
Endnotes
1 “Given that the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in 69 C.E. and that, on the basis of a “seventy-year” typology the next would be built in 139 C.E., it appears that the revolt broke out seven years prior to what some expected to be the dawn of the messianic era. Seven is, of course, a number pregnant with significance in eschatological speculation, and one might suspect that such passages in Dan 9:24-27 and the prophecy of the “Seventy Weeks” helped guide those calculating the end. Bar Kokhba, Anchor Bible Dictionary Volume I, p. 603
2 Type of Jeremiah 25 and Daniel 9:1-3ff. Interestingly, Greco-Egyptian Judaism suddenly died in A.D.115-117 as a direct result of the Kitos Wars and the failure of Jewish insurgents to overcome Roman countermeasures against Messianic activism in the southern regions of the Roman Empire (see, Lange, Römheld, and Weigold, Judaism and Crisis, p. 15, 2011). But the demise of that sector of the religion did not deter the determined effort to restore Jewish kingship, the Temple, priesthood, sacrifices and oblations at the end of the typologically pregnant seventh decade.
3 The features and processes that concern us are to be found in Daniel chapter 2 and principly relate to seven aspects that do not make sense if conflated: The feet, the stone, the concussion, the pulverization of the broken image, the wind scattering the particles of the image like chaff on the summer threshingfloor, and the transformation of the Stone into a great mountain that fills the earth. Omitting the Judæa Capta Period, the Kitos Wars, and the Bar Kokhba’s founding of the brand new state of Israel in A.D.132 and its violent removal in A.D.133-136 effectively neutralizes the pulverization, chaff, and wind stage of the prophecy process.
4 According to the Nicene Creed, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. . .” but it is standard in the Scriptures that the coming of the Son of man happens in direct connection with the end of the fourth kingdom of Bible prophecy (Daniel 7:13-27 cf. Matthew 10:23; Rev. 1:7). The fact remains true and firm that there is NO possibility that a fourth kingdom in antiquity can end in our future at the end of history or time itself, such a paradigm is completely foreign to the Bible and creates a dilemma of delay and disappointment by its very nature.
5 Ezekiel 38-39 motif makes certain demands on the setting of the final war that did not exist immediately prior to the A.D.66 Jewish sedition, e.g., (a) Against a land restored from war Ez. 38:8. (b) Not just anywhere, but the mountains of Israel “which had been a continual waste,” Ez. 38:8. (c)“Its people dwell securely, all of them” Ez. 38:8. (d) “You will advance, coming like a storm . . .like a cloud covering the land” Ez. 38:9. (e)“On that day thoughts will comes into your minds, and you will devise an evil scheme and say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages; I willfall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates’; to seize spoil and carry off plunder; to assail the waste places which are now inhabited, and the people who are gathered from the nations, who have gotten cattle and goods, who dwell in the center of the earth” Ez. 38:11-12. (f) the questions posed in Ezekiel 38:13 reveal that the insurgency began after a period of normalcy in the Holy Land (which was not at all true of the conflicts that exploded into the open in the fateful year of A.D.66). (g) Ezekiel 38:14 reveals that the source of the final revolt would be Asia Minor—exactly the region where the Seven Churches of Asia, the churches of Galatia and addressees of the epistles of the Apostle Peter experienced the worst hostilities. Thus this information reveals that not only were matters in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 relevant to the survival and fate of early Anatolian Christianity prior to the First Great War, the Second Great War would likewise originate from the same troubled region! (h) Ezekiel 38:16-23 makes it crystal clear that this last eschatological conflict would be played out in geographic Israel (see also Ezekiel 39:1-6). Revelation 20:7-15 cannot then be legitimately be made to speak about a global conflagration at the end of time itself, but only a universal destruction of a very specific threat in Jewish salvation history.
6 In Ezekiel 39:9 the text says weapons—shields, bucklers, bows, and arrows, handpikes, and spears—were converted to fuel and in such a quantity that it was enough to last seven long years! There was no need for lumbering in all that time and Ezekiel 39:11 speaks of a place of burial, too! The verse indicates that this place is “east of the sea” which means it is east of the Dead Sea in present-day Jordanian State territory.
Ezekiel 39:13-20, therefore, describes a genocidal disaster and cleanup that would not occur if God wanted us to understand that the universe itself literally disappeared.
7 We are reminded in Daniel 7:12 that the first three beasts do not meet their end at the demise of the Fourth Kingdom at the eschaton, but survive longer still, “As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.” This statement also falsifies the Preterist notion of a unilateral destruction of the four kingdom statue in one action in A.D.70 when the Bible is explicit that it was first the fourth kingdom and THEN the other three at a later time.
8 Opponents can dispute Full Preterist claims for many good reasons, e.g., dispute claims for bad reasons, they do not prefer it, Preterism tries to "solve" the crisis of Delay only to create other issues, Preterism questions sacrosanct Church creeds and canonized legislation around specific Christian beliefs, or they realize Full Preterists are correct about the problem of the time statements but think the larger irregularities of the ideology are sufficient reason not to give any research in that direction the time of day. Or it could be rejected only because it is different and was never conceived or heard of before.
9 “Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good,” and alsoe “Speak those things that become sound doctrine” (Titus 2).
10 This policy means, “‘The jury is still out’ what we can say definitively about it any way. We can’t say at this time what that means!” This holding pattern could last for generations on end. However, we can face it now and hash out the problems and difficulties and leave a constructive legacy for Christians of the future to look back on and ponder.
11 Persecutions and struggles of the seven churches of Asia, but why there and why not Rome itself? Why not Alexandria, Egypt? Why not Cyrene, Cyrenaica? Why not Meroë, Ethiopia? Why was Satan’s seat in Pergamum situated not in Rome but in Asia Minor?
12 When the Hebrew warriors realized that their gamble to defeat the Romans had horribly failed they said, "We revolted from the Romans with great pretensions to courage; and when at the very last, they invited us to preserve ourselves, we would not comply with them. Who will not therefore, believe that they will certainly be in a rage at us, in case they can take us alive?" Wars of the Jews 7.8.7:383. Because they chose to be hardheded, impious, and willful that faced a predicament where the dreadful resolution was reached to commit mass murder-suicide to avoid being taken captive by the Romans and by doing this Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:52 directly and tragically came to pass.
13 Elaborate Roman victory celebrations are descrbed in detail in Wars of the Jews 7.5.4:123-7:162. See Arch of Titus images.
14 The Roman’s best years and greatest territorial extent was in A.D.117 of the second century before the Bar Kokhba Revolt.
15 The Roman’s worst trouble climaxed in A.D.410, but it was not then the capital of the Empire, which eighty years earlier had shifted its administration to the new capital, Constantinople.
16 Constantinople, the new Roman capital, was sturdy and strong and ended up standing the test of time itself. Refs. Refs.
17 See Fall of Constantinople wiki. By the time of the Ottoman invasion, the Roman Empire had already become a Christian realm but its political integrity and territorial strength was greatly compromised by forces and events beyond their control.
18 We are inclined to call this terrible idea the ‘fly in the ointment’ with good reason: IF the Revelation 20 millennium began in A.D.33 that was thirty-three years before the First Great War. IF the Revelation 20 millennium began in A.D.33 that would mean the Second Temple existed during the millennial interval. But if the Second Temple existed during the millennial interval the reason for the Second Jewish Revolt is completely erased! Such answers corrupt the logic and sequence of the narrative in such a way as to prevent an interpretive resolution that makes any sense.
19 It is a totally outlandish idea to even think that the Jewish nationalist Zealots and Sicarii would countenance erecting a statue of Nero or any other Roman emperor. Where is the critical thinking that allows a big gaffe like this to stand unquestioned and unchallenged is a theory!?
20 The Parousia, p.468
21 Signs of idolatry and sacriledge in the Jewish war can be seen in Wars of the Jews 4.3.8:156 and also making themselves merchandise in the service of these false prophets and teachers was also noted by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 2:3 cf. John in Revelation 13:18 and Josephus in Wars of the Jews 3.8.3:383.
21 Furthermore, abuse of the Temple, the pilgrims, the Priests and even God himself—are attributed by Josephus to the ZEALOTS—not Nero or the Romans. See Wars of the Jews 4.3.10:171, 4.5.1:305-313, and 4.5.3:326-333, but the Romans looked upon the Second Temple with sacred horror and adored it and wished that the robbers would repent before their miseries became incurable, Wars of the Jews 6.2.3.123.
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32 The explanation offered by Russell basically amounts to defaming and “framing” Nero, where he is being accused of something he clearly did not do but is held responsible, calumniated, and charged for it anyway. For the sake of an interpretation we obviously think it disagreeable that such a case is made against Nero in order to make a theory appear to be reasonable and rational when it isn’t. See our repudiation of this claim here.
33 “O, bitter tyranny that we are under! But why do I complain to the tyrants? Was it not you, and your sufferance of them, that have nourished them? Was it not you that first of all hot together, for they were then but a few, and by your silence made them grow to be many; and by conniving at them when they took arms, in effect armed them against yourselves? You ought to have prevented their first attempts, when they fell reproaching your relations; but by neglecting that care in time, you have encouraged these wretches to plunder men. When houses were pillaged, nobody said a word, which was the occasion why they carried off the owners of those houses; and when they were drawn through the midst of the city, nobody came to their assistance. They then proceeded to put those whom you betrayed into their hands, into bonds. I do not say how many, and of what characters those men were whom they thus served, but certainly they were such as were accused by none, and condemned by none; and, since nobody succored them when they were in bonds, the consequence was, that you saw the same persons slain. We have seen this also; so that still the best of the herd of brute animals, as it were have been still led to be sacrificed, when yet nobody said one word, or moved his right hand for their preservation” (Josephus, Wars of the Jews 4.3:10:166-170). Here I think Ananus’ speech makes reference to Zealot mistreatment, arrests, inprisonment, and murders of Christians but nobody came to their aid because they were despised outcasts in the country and the society.
34 List of many instances where the Jews refused to cooperate and continued to say “No” to the Romans in Wars of the Jews 2.15.2:315-320, 2.15.4:323-5.332, and 2.17.2:408-409.
36 (Source, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula). Emphasis mine, MEM.
37 Note: Antiquities 18.8.2:261-9:309).
38 Hanegraaff and Brouwer posit that the Book of Revelation, in code, predicted Roman persecution and the Temple’s fall. . .” This is not the reality—nor is it the whole picture presented without confusion—it would be more accurate to say the Book of Revelation, in code, predicted Jewish persecution and the Second Temple’s fall. The Roman persecution against Christians persisted till shortly before the legalization of the Church, but the Book of Revelation seems to be chiefly concerned with the actions of the Second Jewish Commonwealth as it was approaching its sudden and complete disappearance.
39 Source: Amazon.com. //// ( Harriet Klausner )30
40 In March 18th that year the Roman Senate annuls Tiberius’s will, and proclaims Caligula as Roman Emperor. In April 9th that year an earthquake destroys Antioch; sometime in that same year Saul of Tarsus obtains letters from the High Priest in Jerusalem authorizing him to seize converts to Christianity. He sees and hears a vision of the risen Lord and becomes a believer himself. On December 15th that year Nero’s was born. Finally, Josephus was born at a now unknown date that year.
41 The A.D.132-136 imbroglio (not what happened to Rome in A.D.410) has every advantage of being the end of “the other half of the story. If anyone already knows the Bar Kokhba Revolt happened and on what grand scale it occured, THAT become a liability to the Full Preterist claim that Jewish persecution against the Church ended once and for all in A.D.70 or that Jewish power was finally crushed in the First Jewish Revolt: Neither claim is true! I cannot count how many times I told people about the significance of A.D.70 and they came back and said, What about what happened in the Bar Kokhba Revolt? In other words, if A.D70 was the final of the finale, where does Bar Kokhba fit in? Like we said at the very beginning, the Full Preterist story is actually not the whole story, despite the ironic name of the ideology.
42 Alaric I - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
43 Wars of the Jews describes chaos, mayhem, and destruction in the face of unilateral Jewish control of what essentially turned Jerusalem effectively into a city-state, the exact same process that happened when King Antiochus IV Epiphanes descreted the Second Temple two hundred and thirty-three years before. The Book of Revelation invites the reader to see the Christian story of an Exodus out of late Second Temple Judaism in these specific circumstances and events.
44 If the marriage of the Son of God to the Church takes place upon the demise of first century Jerusalem on the 9th and 10th of Av in A.D.70 that in and of itself brings us to Revelation 19:1-4, and verses 5-14. Events from then till the Masada mass suicides in the spring of A.D.73 mean that the apocalypse of our Lord was ongoing in the subsequent judgment of the Sea Beast and the False Prophet and after that, the Millennial period that promised a gigantic failure of every long-range plan of the Enemy and the Builders going forward.
45 An interpreter cannot reasonable or legitimately go back 33 entire years to 6 Sivan 3794 without the story turning completely ridiculous. Give examples of why it would be wrong and retarded.
46 “The existence of Judaism was strengthened when it was based on spiritual matters rather than on on a vulnerable material asset like the Temple. In earlier periods, likewise, Jewish thought was developed not by Temple priests but by prophets and sages outside of the Temple. Nevertheless the alternative of the academy, developed at Yavneh, was considered provisional since the sages, including Johanan, hoped and indeed expected that the Temple would be rebuilt, as it had been after the first destruction in 586 B.C.E.” Harkabi, p. 17, :1983 and Bloom: 2010 and “But living without the Temple and Jerusalem was regarded by all as a temporary phase. Every Jew believed in his heart that the day of his return to Jerusalem was not far off, that the Temple would be rebuilt and the Messiah would appear to redeem his people,” Yadin, p. 17:1983.
47 See Anchor Bible Dictionary:1992.
48 This points to a similar phenomenon that was even true after the slaughter immediately adjacent to the First Great War: The Land of Israel was littered with carcasses left, right, and center and proper burial of the victims did not happen soon enough to prevent the encroachment of vultures and other scavengers (See Matthew 24:28 and Revelation 19:17-21).
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