15 Aug 2022

Published on: by RR7 Category:Israel Watch

The 10th Roman Legion

I remember once visiting an antique shop near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. At the time, if I’d had a lot of money, I would have bought a slab of stone bearing the inscription of the 10th Roman Legion, the infamous fighting force that destroyed Jerusalem and murdered thousands of Jews in AD 70. The white stone was chiseled with that “Roman” font, a stark reminder of one of history’s darkest days—the destruction of the Temple.

(In one sense though, we can look at that day as a remarkable, detailed fulfilled prophecy given by Jesus and recorded in Matthew 24; the Lord predicted the destruction of the Temple, at that time an unthinkable occurrence.)

After the Six Day War in 1967, Israeli archaeologists began removing dirt and debris that had accumulated around the Temple Mount, much of it dumped there by the Jordanians. Today, a gleaming archaeological park is there and the walls have been almost fully exposed. One of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen is the pile of gigantic stones lying at the bottom of the Western Wall; they were pushed over the side by Roman soldiers, almost possessed by a demonic energy as they destroyed the Temple in a frenzied effort of fire and blood.

We know what happened due to a few historical accounts, the most important being that of Josephus, a Jewish historian that had been captured by the Romans and taken to Rome. Upon his return, he was camped with the legionnaires as they laid siege to the city.

Four years before, the Jews had revolted against Rome, wanting to throw off the oppression and rule. Nero was the emperor and Vespasian the general that commanded the troops in Judea. Nero would die and Vespasian would go back to Rome as emperor. It was in this era that the famous Masada siege also took place; Jewish scribes just down the road were setting to writing what would become known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Titus would eventually replace his father, Vespasian, as commander of the forces in Judea; they would spend five months laying siege to the fabled city.

All this to say…archaeologists have now uncovered proof of the Roman siege of Jerusalem, and it’s a fascinating story. From a Jerusalem Post report:

“Over the course of many years, archaeological excavations were able to uncover a significant number of Roman military equipment in the city. Many of these were found by Arbiv and fellow researcher Dr. Rina Avner in the Russian Compound near the Jerusalem Municipality.

“So far, the excavated equipment consists of anything from ballista stones, sling stones, spears, arrowheads, swords and catapults.”

I’ve seen various Roman and Babylonian ballista stones, arrowheads, etc., in various parts of the city. But these latest discoveries show a widespread and well-coordinated attack. As the Romans squeezed the city’s inhabitants even more, starvation and suicide took place on a wide scale.

These large, ballista stones were launched from a platform that also employed springs that would send the heavy stones over great distances, at great speed.

These stones were used with brutal effectiveness:

“This lines up with the Siege of Jerusalem, with the ballista stones found being of varying weight and size, able to be launched in an effort to break through the walls or to hit people and prevent the defenders from trying to come out from cover to strike back.”

The story of this siege is fascinating:

“Much of the battle itself was described by the famed Jewish historian Josephus in his landmark work The History of the Jewish War against the Romans.

“With this information, Arbiv was able to match it up with his own findings. These were gained through the locations of where the ballistae stones were found and, from there, he calculated where they must have been fired from.

“This complex series of calculations had to factor in everything from the location of the city walls, the angles used to launch each stone and what their ranges were and the local topography.

“From here, Arbiv helped discover two things: Where much of the Roman artillery was located, and where the Romans probably managed to breach the city.”

It seems the artillery was in what is now the center of modern Jerusalem, to the west of the Old City. And the Romans breached the walls in the area of today’s Russian Compound.

Still to be discovered are the towers and siege rams that were also used.

We wait with great anticipation for these and other discoveries!

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vengeance Cometh – Make Room :: By Charles Gray Adams Jr

Published on: by RR10 Category:General Articles

*There is a special message at the end of this article.*

The signs of the times clearly indicate the Day of the Lord is fast approaching. During this fateful time, great judgment (vengeance) will befall all who reject Christ. God has made it abundantly clear that He is fully capable of meting out this vengeance upon the ungodly all by Himself. Indeed, He has told the godly to make room for His vengeance:

Deuteronomy 32:35

“To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.” [1]

Romans 12:19

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

With this in mind, it is extremely important to resist the fleshly urge to rise up against the earthly, ungodly, and even demonically inspired who are clearly waging war on the godly. The better course of action can be ascertained through studying the account of Absalom’s betrayal of his father, King David. Coupling this foundation with the 3rd Psalm, this article will attempt to shed light upon the appropriate posture for those who are under attack while awaiting the rapture of the bride and subsequent judgment of the ungodly. [2]

Those who frequent Rapture Ready and other pretribulation rapture sites will find this article very reassuring. However, those who are unaware of the current state of affairs of the church/bride may find this content shocking. This is because, contrary to popular belief, the church is not here on earth to experience a better life now. Instead, the church, in the midst of growing persecution, is to continue to be salt and light, share the gospel, make disciples, and look up in expectation of the rapture of the bride, which is part of the greatest reunion the Christian will ever experience (1 Thess 4:13-18). [3]

Perhaps you have stumbled across this article, and you are currently pursuing ‘Christian Justice,’ to coin a phrase. Maybe you believe you have to do something, or the world as you know it will be forever changed for the worse. The absolute truth, according to God’s Word, confirms this change is indeed happening. In fact, the destruction of all that was normal must happen to make way for the coming one world: government, religion, and economy (Rev 13). Therefore, trying to stop this change is like trying to stop the hand of God. [4]

Please read this entire article, and like a Berean, weigh the information contained therein against the truth of Scripture before deciding to proceed on a path of vengeance (Acts 17:11).

King David is a very good example to follow when suffering persecution. Indeed, in the midst of the worst kind of betrayal, that of a son betraying a father, David did exactly what we are to do at this most perilous time in history. He sought and relied upon God to shield him; he then, like Jesus in the back of the boat, slept in the midst of the storm (Matt 8:23-27); and he turned the situation over to God, whom he implored to arise to smite his enemies (Psalm 3). Incredibly, the church/bride is in the same predicament as David, in that the faithful are being pursued and persecuted by the unfaithful. Perhaps a closer look at what King David experienced will temper our actions.

The entire account, recorded in II Samuel 13-18, is too lengthy to cover in this short article. However, the gist of the narrative is this: King David’s son Absalom desired to be king of Israel. He began to undermine the loyalty of the people by implying that he would be a better judge than his father. Absalom was so successful that Scripture indicates that he “stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Sam 15:6). Verse twelve of the same chapter depicts Absalom’s actions as a conspiracy that was strong enough to continually increase those who were loyal to him.

This led to David having to flee Jerusalem to escape the evil which Absalom was to bring upon him and those loyal to him. David also knew leaving the city would spare the sword which would have inevitably fallen on Jerusalem (2 Sam 15:13-14). Remarkably, during this entire encounter, David kept in his heart a desire to spare his son Absalom (2 Sam 18:5). In fact, he wept bitterly when he heard of his death. He even wished he had died instead of Absalom (2 Sam 18:33). Perhaps this is why David is such a good example of how the church/bride is to behave right now, especially when many enemies arise.

Indeed, the New Testament clearly defines the appropriate actions of the believer toward the ungodly. First, we are to love our enemies. Second, we are to bless those who curse us. Next, we are to do good to those who hate us. Finally, we are to pray for those who despitefully use and persecute us (Matt 5:44). The question is, will we be like King David, or like Joab, who, against the king’s will, slew Absalom? (2 Sam 18). After all, David was to Joab what Jesus is to us, king. Our king, the King of kings, has told us exactly how to behave when persecuted in the aforementioned passage, which contradicts any form of Christian retaliation.

So, how did David navigate such a bewildering circumstance and emerge the victor? In three words, he trusted God. The 3rd Psalm deals with this same situation and, in a very concise manner, outlines the most appropriate actions of David:

Psalm 3

1 {A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.} “LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.”

> Notice, David recognized (like we do) that many enemies are rising.

> Those who came against David are like those who come against us; each group disbelieves that God will help the faithful.

> We must trust God like David did to be our shield (protector), glory (ever-present help), and lifter up (God works all things to our good – this brings relief in time of grief).

> In this time of great trial, we must emulate David and cry out to the Lord until we are certain that He has heard us.

> Like David, when we are sure God has heard our plea, we can be assured that He has our situation in hand, which affords us rest.

> We can also know that regardless of the odds stacked against us, we have no reason to fear. David understood this perhaps better than any other; remember, he started his kingly career by slaying a giant in the name of the Lord.

> David then does what many are afraid to do today. He turned the vengeance over to the Lord and asked God to deal with the wicked. We should do likewise.

> Finally, we should be like David and call for a blessing upon the children of God while trumpeting that God is still the God of salvation, so the lost may be found.

The Lord has made it abundantly clear that He is the one who will bring judgment upon the ungodly during the Tribulation. This is why it is absolutely crucial that the body of Christ is acting appropriately in the closing moments of the age of grace. The scriptures we started with make it very clear who is going to deal with the wicked of the earth:

Deuteronomy 32:35

“To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”

Romans 12:19

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

This brings us to the final part of this discussion. Like David, the church/bride is to give place to God, who will repay. Nowhere are we encouraged to take things into our own hands and deal with the untoward. On the contrary, God wants us to move out of His way so He can deal with those who despitefully use us. Our part is to be like David, who interceded for Absalom.

Unfortunately, in this time of great selfishness (2 Tim 3), many are marching to the sound of pied pipers (false prophets) who are calling on men to avenge themselves and set things right by the arm of the flesh. [5] The problem is, this activity is extra-biblical, as God has already told us to stand down and move out of His way. Think about this for a second: if God is bringing vengeance, do you really want to be in His way when He metes it out?

Fortunately, those who are awaiting the rapture will not be in the way of the coming judgment since the rapture will happen before the Tribulation comes upon the ungodly. [6] However, we must watch, warn, and win souls while we still can; this is our reasonable service. [7]

Conclusion

God is bringing the greatest judgment ever known upon the ungodly who are now arising. This judgment will last the entirety of the Tribulation, and this is followed by hellfire for all of eternity for those who fail to repent (Rev 20). The church has nothing whatsoever to do with the coming wrath of God. In fact, God wants us out of the way, and He will ultimately accomplish this at the rapture, at which time nothing will stand between the disobedient and a just God. [8]

With this in mind, we should be remorseful for the lost and continue to love them, bless them, do good for them, and most importantly – pray for them. This must continue until that fateful moment that we are called upward to meet our King in the sky.

Luke 6:27-36

“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

“For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

Special message for Christians:

Many voices are clamoring for the ‘religious right’ to rise up and retaliate against the ungodly who seemingly have the upper hand at the moment. If you are listening to these voices, I implore you to consider the actions of King David in this article. When he fled the city, he did so in order to spare the city. Put another way, he did so to avert civil war, which would have destroyed Jerusalem. Remember, Jerusalem was later destroyed, but it was by the hand of God.

Since we do not have the ability to flee in the manner that David did because this circumstance involves entire nations, I once again implore you to stand down and look up. If not, civil wars may ensue, which will rip countries apart. If your country is to be judged in this manner, let it come from the hand of God. and not the arm of man’s flesh. Never forget, vengeance belongs to the Lord. Make room (by getting out of the way) for His wrath.

Remember, while pursuing with the intent to kill the righteous King of Israel (his father David), Absalom was snared by his hair which had become a great symbol of his pride. So too will those who pursue the righteous be snared by their own pride, leading to their utter destruction, even though they may prosper for a season. [9]

Lastly, one thing is absolutely different from David’s time to ours; the signs of the Lord’s coming abound in our time. In fact, the things which Jesus specified as those which should cause us to look up are being fulfilled daily. Therefore, we do not flee to the wilderness as David did. Instead, our way of escape is up by way of the rapture, and our time of departure is at hand.

Website: In His Commission

[1] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”

[2] For greater understanding, see the article, “While We Wait.”

[3] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Five W’s of the Rapture.”

[4] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Great Awakening – The Grand Deception.”

[5] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Rise of Many.”

[6] For greater understanding, see the article, “Only the Ready are Raptured.”

[7] For greater understanding, see the article, “Watch – Warn – and Win Souls.”

[8] For greater understanding, see the article, “Open Letter to Those Who Miss the Rapture.”

[9] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Coming False Flag of Pride.”