Introduction.
In my first thirty years in Christ, I was not taught or studied history outside that of the Bible. I learned about historic records that supported the record of the bible, and of archaeology finds that proved the existence of many cities recorded in the bible, but I learned little about the history of the first century beyond the book of Acts.
I had a copy of Josephus a reliable historian of the first century, but read little in it.
It was about seventeen years ago, in an online discussion about eschatology that the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70AD was mentioned. I knew there was no temple in Jerusalem, and that it had to have been destroyed some time in the past, but I never placed any significance on it not existing. I knew from the teaching I read and heard that end times prophesies includes the desecration and destruction of the Jerusalem temple, and was taught that it had to be rebuilt for the end and the return of Christ to occur. None of these teachers mentioned when the temple of Jesus day was destroyed, it just was not addressed at all.
In my online discussions it was mentioned that the destruction of the temple in 70AD placed it within a forty year biblical generation, as was prophesied by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse, recorded in Matthew 25,25; Mark 13 and Luke 21. This started me to consider and come to understand the truth of fulfilled eschatology or preterism.
We have a record of 70AD and the times leading up to the destruction of the temple. The historian Josephus had been a Jewish general in the early stages leading up to the Roman war of the Jews. He was captured and made a slave, recognizing his learning as a priest and his knowledge of Israel as a general he was tasked with making a report and writing a history on Israel up to and through the war of Rome with Israel.
Josephus is a recognized authority and historian on his contemporary times and first century Israel. There are other historians of the time, but their writings are more centered on the Roman Empire in general, while Josephus’ writings are centered on Israel and of great importance to understanding the first century fulfillment of eschatology.
I will continue my studies on the context of the Olivet Discourse, by comparing it to the historical record of Josephus, showing the record of its fulfillment during the time he titled the War of the Jews. I am using the eSword edition and will present annotated copy of the text with the passages of the Olivet Discourse that coincides with it.
The title is: “The Wars of the Jews or The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem, Book 2, Containing the interval of of sixty-nine years. From the death of Herod till Vespasian was sent to subdue the Jews by Nero.”
Interesting note by the translator, William Whiston,
“(3) That these calamities of the Jews, who were our Savior’s murderers, were to be the greatest that had ever been since the beginning of the world, our Savior had directly foretold, Mat_24:21; Mar_13:19; Luk_21:23-24; and that they proved to be such accordingly, Josephus is here a most authentic witness.”
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