Where is today’s world heading? How should we as Christians view the world around us? How should we even behave toward it?

“Only the Strong” is an excellent read. There are two types of strength, physical and spiritual. Those of us in our later years may not be physically strong, but we can seek spiritual strength as we are told in Ephesians 6:12-13 (next slide).

It is readily apparent that the “dark powers of this world” are very active, even in our political system, emboldened by the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This posting will take us on a journey looking at those forces and their impact on our Nation and even our own lives and those of our loved ones. 

There was a time when most Americans would agree that we were “One Nation Under God”. If only the American people would once again realize that it constituted our very Foundational Values! How did we get here? With that being said, Pray for America! 

Again, how did we get where we are, especially as we are told in the Book of Genesis, that God created a perfect world, and placed perfect people in it. So, what happened and why did it happen? How did it get “screwed up”? For better or for worse, this is our world, our nation, our city, our community, our church. 

God created a perfect world, He created perfect people, placing them in a perfect Garden. Yet, they put self before God, the consequences of which brought chaos. With everything in perfect harmony, suddenly it became unbalanced and corrupt, and life was replaced by death. Everything on this planet dies at its given time. As Christians we know what lies ahead for us. If we die before the Rapture, Jesus will raise us up with perfect, gloried bodies (1 Thess. 4:16-18). 

Sin left the world in a condition that Paul describes in Romans 8:22, noted on the slide. Paul also tells us in Rom 8:26-27—26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. NIV -- Nevertheless, God is sovereign and we’re under His loving, fatherly care.

Paul reaffirms what lies ahead for those who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior—for we are saved by grace alone through faith along in Christ alone—an eternal truth that served as the foundation of the 16th century Reformation. 

Each of us have contributed our share of sin to this world. But, through it all, Jesus Christ, carried the full weight of our sins as our Lord and Savior, paying the full penalty, so we didn’t have to. The end result is eternal life with a glorified, resurrected body on a restored and perfect new earth (Rev. 21:1). The cross is both a symbol of the shame He bore on our behalf, and a sign of His love for us. 

We will be looking at what I'll call a “shadow of the Last Days of the End Time”.  As Christians, our confidence, hope and faith should rest firmly anchored in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.   

For every generation the Great Tribulation in chapter 6 of Revelation, symbolized by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, are closer than ever before, as to just when, only God knows. Nevertheless, since it is in the Bible, we can’t just ignore what it’s telling us. 

As we are told in Revelation, "blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy because the time is near." Who were those words intended for? How does it apply to us? We are 2,000 years closer than when it was written. Shouldn't it be up to us to watch for signs, and even prudent to do so? 

The End Times, as described on the slide, will also be a time of evangelism by 144,000 Jewish evangelists. How can we share that message? Perhaps, by example and prayer or inviting someone to church. Perhaps sharing this blog with others. The Last Days may not be for another year or ten years or a hundred years. We don’t know, but in studying Revelation, I think this generation should at the very least give it some thought and even a sense of awareness. 

Looking back on history it becomes apparent that God both raises up and lowers nations for His purposes. God not only raised the Roman Empire, He used it to spread Christianity: It built a network of roads across the Empire, and “Pax Romana” (Latin for Roman Peace) allowed evangelists to safely carry the Gospel across the entire Roman world. Prior to Rome, Alexander the Great’s conquest of what became the eastern region of the Roman Empire, brought the Greek language as a common vernacular, which became the language of the entire New Testament, just as English is understood in most of the world today. Did God raise also up the British Empire for just such a purpose?

Map shows the British Empire at its peak, with the spread of English far and wide. Yet the British Empire, as such, no longer exist today. Today’s United Kingdom is confined to Great Britain and Northern Island, and some of its former dependencies that acknowledge the British monarch as the association's symbolic head. In other words, God’s purpose has been served. 

Generations of Americans readily spoke of the United States as "One Nation Under God!" But that no longer seems to be the case for far too many Americans, which we are seeing in our own federal agencies, including Congress and the White House. Yet, history does tell us that God had a purpose for the United States of America. 

If it wasn’t for the United States, most, if not all of Europe would have fallen to Nazi Germany, and even today’s world, most likely would still be under the yoke of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. The U.S. became the one and only superpower during and following the war. It prevented the spread of Soviet Communism beyond the Soviet’s WWII military conquests. 

If it wasn’t for the U.S., Hitler’s final solution for the Jewish people would have been carried out, even beyond Europe and into the Middle East. The horrors of the Holocaust and total elimination of the Jews would have been implemented. But God had a different plan.

In 1948, God used the United States once again to achieve His purpose. President Harry S. Truman is shown “recognizing” the new State of Israel. Because of the Holocaust, the Jews left Europe and emigrated to Israel. Shown is the official White House ceremony of Truman’s recognition of Israel as a legitimate State. Israel’s very existence is Divine Providence. God did not discard His Chosen People, as many believed. Like the Parodical Son (Luke 15:11-32), He brought them home to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Which would not otherwise have happened without the U.S. The Jews are yet to embrace their Messiah, but that day will come, with the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, 12,000 from every tribe (Rev. 7:4-8).

The comments noted on the slide are my thoughts in response to a 2014 American political documentary film by Dinesh D'Souza based on his book of the same title. It also raises the question: Where will the path we are currently on, lead us? Will it be as though America never existed, like other great nations? We can see in both WWII and 1948, God had a plan for the United States, which resulted in returning the Jews to the Holy Land. 

President Ronald Reagan described America as "a shining city on a hill", from its very founding right up until WWII. My paternal great grandparents and maternal grandparents came to this country with millions of others from Europe, for that every reason. All I can say is “Thank God, they did”. So, what about today’s America? I have to ask, how did we sink so far so fast, in just a span of two years?

It was that very “shining city on a hill” that brought so many to these shores, legally. Almost all strived to become American, which was the heritage passed down to me on both sides—paternal and maternal. Neither side clung to the Old Country. Both sides couldn’t wait to get U.S. citizenship and vote to preserve the America they loved. Even their children, on both sides, served in the military during WWII for the preservation of America. Thank God! 

Which brings us here. Reagan’s words are truly a warning for today, more so than ever before. Every vote counts. And with prayer and God’s grace, may the Holy Spirit steer us in the right direction, once again. 

Election day is the first step in determining the direction for America’s future: Democratic Socialism or a return to our founding values, that by the grace of God and divine providence, made America “A Shining City of the Hill!” and hopefully, once again for future generations. 

As stated in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.” The privilege to vote is anchored in these words. 

The 2022 congressional elections will make that determination. But the end result is in God’s hands. Will He allow us to continue drifting away from Him, or will He give us a nudge in the right direction? Pray about it, I certainly am doing so. The outcome may very well be a sign of what's to come. 

If enough Christians vote, it can very well help make the difference for where the Country is heading. Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance. The dark forces in Eph. 6:12 are at work, and our tool for today is our vote. One last question: Is God allowing the stage to be set for the Last Days? Or will He give us a reprieve by His grace? If He does, it will be through His people. So, vote!

One can just read the Book of Revelation and never recognize or even see signs of its coming. But in studying it in depth, one’s view of the world becomes increasingly into focus, especially the recent decline of our Nation. Our next posting will explore what may very well be signs of the End Times. 

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis (statements for discussion and debate) on the church door at Wittenberg, Germany, which became the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. Others soon followed. It wasn’t intended to start a new church or even break away from the Catholic Church, but only to address certain aspects of the church practices that needed to be reformed—thus the name, Reformation. 

Church leaders refused to debate, but only offered condemnation of his actions. A serious debate or discussion never did ensue, only the demand that he recant, which he refused to do on biblical grounds.  

Photo of the Wittenberg Church. A Reformation landmark. 

The church was using the money obtained to go toward construction of St. Peter’s basilica in Rome as directed by the pope. 

 Noted on the slide is the principal point of Luther’s 95 Theses, objecting to selling indulgences. 

Image shows the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano) or simply St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The history of St. Peter’s dates back to the 4th Century. Major construction took place in the 16th century. The original basilica was built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero, which began during the reign of Emperor Constantine.

Martin Luther’s principal objection began here, when he saw money infesting the indulgence system, which compelled him to write his 95 Theses in 1517, which attacked it. It’s said he wondered, did the church need to accumulate money when the Pope could, really, just free everyone from purgatory by himself? 

In response to Luther, on January 3, 1521, Pope Leo X issued the papal bull “Decet Romanun Pontificem” excommunicating Martin Luther thus formalizing the Reformation. 

People who donated received a certificate of indulgence, as shown on the slide, which they could apply to themselves or a loved one to shorten their stay in Purgatory, which depended on the amount of the donation.  

A priest named Johann Tetzel sold the indulgences in Wittenberg to anyone who donated money for the reconstruction effort in Rome where they were rebuilding the Cathedral of St. Peter. In return they received a certificate of indulgence as shown on the previous slide. The statement associated with his sales pitch is shown on this slide. 

The principal message of the Reformation both then and now, is that we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone and not by buying indulgences. You cannot buy eternal life. The Five Solas translate as follows: Scripture alone not papal decrees. Faith alone, not works of our own doing or that we can buy. Grace Alone through the Holy Spirit as Jesus tells Nicodemus. For all this, God alone gets the Glory! 

Covenant Presbyterian Church’s very own Martin Luther.  See Pastor Scott’s Reformation message at the following link. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNDV2eT9rzQ 

A blessed 505th Anniversary of Reformation day. Stay strong in the faith, even in today’s world. It came at a great price as a gift from God bestowed by the Holy Spirit in the blessed name of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.  God bless each and everyone reading this. 

This is where our story begins. It’s important biblical history leading to the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and end of animal sacrificial worship—fulfilled by Christ. In the following centuries, Christian writers saw it as God’s wrath on the Jewish people for crucifying their promised Messiah, and subsequently believed that the Church became the new Israel in God’s eyes, which we will look at further on. In the year 66 AD, protests against Rome were taking place throughout Judea. In response, destroying villages and towns along the way, by 70 AD, Rome’s full fury was poured out on the City of Jerusalem, as the principal site of Jewish resistance. 

As shown on the map, Jerusalem was the final major stage of Jewish resistance to Roman rule in Judea. Subsequent battles ensued, but none of the same major consequence. In the historical sense, Jewish efforts for survival have continued until this very day as we’ll address in our next blog posting.  

Image shows the topography of Jerusalem with the temple mount on the highest ground. Some believe what’s described as the temple mount was the Roman Fort Antonia, and that the Temple existed close by in the City of David also shown on the map. 

 

The slide explains Satan's hatred of the Jews. As we are told in Ephesians 6:12 the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms have been in full play in this world since the fall of Adam and Eve. Nevertheless, we are blessed by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

As noted on the slide, the destruction of Jerusalem wasn’t the first target of Rome. It began in 66 AD, with Rome’s efforts to subdue Jewish protests and revolt across Judea, described as the first Jewish-Roman War. 

The Romans set out to first conquer all of Judea before they set their sights on the capital city of Jerusalem. Rome's battle plan to ultimately subdue the Jewish capital of Jerusalem, covered a span of four-year. 

Map of Judea and the Jerusalem temple in Jesus’ time. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple occurred about 40 years after the crucifixion of Christ, between 30-33 AD.

Slide shows an outdoor scale model of the ancient city of Jerusalem at the Israel museum in western Jerusalem. Arrow points to what is being noted as the Roman Fort Antonia. One website noted the size of the Temple as follows: The dimensions for the Temple of Jerusalem were staggering: 460 meters to the east, 315 m to the north, 280 m to the south, and the western wall was 485 meters long. The walls above ground rose 30 meters (ten stories tall), and their foundations were as deep as 20 meters in some places in order to reach bedrock. For the math minded, 1-meter equals 3.28 feet.

The infamous Tenth Legion, previously led by Octavian Augustus was based in Jerusalem. It's believed to have consisted of about 5,000 troops plus a couple of thousand support personnel. View of temple site lacks the outer courts for visitors, which we know were a reality from the Gospels, as depicted on the next slide

Another view of what the temple site and Roman fort may have looked like. What is now called the Temple Mount is believed by some to have been the site of the Roman Fortress Antonia, big enough to house the entire Roman 10th Legion and support personnel, like a small city, consistent with other Roman forts elsewhere. This view includes the Temple outer courts for visitors. 

Slide defines the final battle for Jerusalem. But not all the Jews capitulated to the Romans. And other smaller battles followed.

The slide provides an overview of the Jewish-Roman wars. None of which were of the same scale as the destruction of Jerusalem. 

#1 points to the Jewish temple. #2 points to the Roman fortress Antonia, #3 points to the City of David. Almost all of which were destroyed, excluding Roman Fort Antonia. 

Rome methodically overcame resistance beginning in the northern cities and villages. The accounts of the siege of Jerusalem were recorded by Josephus, a Jewish historian as noted on the slide.

Who was Josephus? The slide explains. 

Josephus’ written account on Jesus. 

The Siege of Jerusalem occurred from 14 April to 8 September 70 AD during the First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman general Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, laid siege to the Judean capital of Jerusalem with an army of 70,000 troops (combination of regular and auxilia troops). They massacred its 30,000-strong garrison after a long siege and heavy resistance from the Zealots.

In the Roman attack on Jerusalem, a great deal of hand-to-hand combat took place as Jewish defenders rushed out of the city to attack the advancing Romans before withdrawing back behind the city walls and defenses. 

A catapult was one type of equipment the Romans used to breakdown the city walls. They hurled huge stones against and over the wall, eventually breaking them down for attack into the city. 

The structure shown—a siege tower—allowed the Roman to scale the walls but they still faced fierce Jewish resistance. 

Picture shows how the siege towers were used by the Romans. But the attack was not without peril for the Romans, as fire rained down on the wooden structures. 

The Jews put up a strong defense and killed many of the Roman soldiers. who came close to the walls.  

Eventually, with determined efforts, the Romans breached the walls and entered the city. 

Once the Romans entered the city, their advance was met by Jewish defenders. The Romans used their shields to defend themselves against spears, arrows and rock hurled at them. 

Eventually, the Romans prevailed leading to the final destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. All of this has been captured in a 45-minute animated video posted on the closing slides.

The slide explains the long-standing impact on the Jewish people, their society, and their homeland, especially with the destruction of the temple, that has continued right up to modern times with 20th century pogroms and the Nazi Holocaust that was referred to as the "final solution".

Jewish resistance didn’t entirely stop after Jerusalem. The siege of Masada, in the desert south of Jerusalem, brought an end to Jewish self-rule demanded by zealots for independence of a Jewish state. The total time of revolt against Roman rule was 8 years. The zealots of Masada in 73 AD were the final battle, which ultimately resulted in the Jewish zealots committing suicide rather than being captured. A 17-minute video is also available on the Siege of Masada on the closing slides.

Yes. I believe we can attribute the destruction of Jerusalem, by the Romans, as God’s retribution for killing their awaited Messiah. Yet, it was God’s plan that Jesus would be a crucified Messiah for the entire world and not just the Jews. 

But God wasn't true with His Chosen People. Map shows the modern State of Israel in today’s Middle East. Israel is surrounded by Muslim countries that literally hate Israel, yet it survives and prospers. The only thing we can attribute it to is God’s divine providence and protection.  

The siege of Jerusalem isn’t the end of the Jewish story. The following link will take you to the 45-minute animated video documentary of the “Siege of Jerusalem”.  You can skip the ads as they appear. The video is well worth your time. 

https://youtu.be/y741QbT1YEo

A bonus video is a 17-minute animated video on the "Siege of Masada" available via the following link: https://youtu.be/11iPrDv8aBE

End of This Week's Posting