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Palm Sunday and the End Times

...itings of Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, who reported what happened in Jerusalem and at the temple during the Roman-Jewish war. Moreover, at the feast which is called Pentecost, the priests on entering the inner court of the temple by night, as their custom was in the discharge of their ministrations, reported that they were conscious, first of a commotion and a din, and after that of a voice as of a host, “We are departing hence.”Josephus, Jewish Wars, 6.5 (circa 75 AD) We see a similar thing happening in Ezekiel when the glory of God was prophesied to leave the temple before the first temple destruction: Ezekiel 10:18Then the glory of the L...

The World's Oldest Anti-Christian Meme

...historian Josephus felt compelled to write an entire refutation of it. His work Against Apion systematically dismantles Apion’s claims, calling the donkey story a shameless invention. But mud sticks, and in the Roman world, where anti-Jewish sentiment was common currency, the slur took on a life of its own. When Christianity began to spread — seen by most Romans as simply a strange Jewish offshoot — the same accusation got recycled and redirected. By the second and third centuries, it was Christians specifically who were being accused of donkey-worship, and the charge had made its way into popular culture. Tertullian, writing around 197–200 AD...

The Coming of Jesus: Our Future Hope - What Now?

...counts by Josephus revealed that the Great Tribulation foretold by Jesus certainly was great and terrible. Miraculous events happened, the temple glowed with unnatural light at night as voices were heard saying “let us depart” from there; great portents were seen in the skies as angelic armies ran through the clouds over Jerusalem, the streets ran with blood and fiery destruction rained down across the city! But those who were in Christ were saved, as promised. They who held to the faith until the end were warned by angels before this destruction came so that they could escape the city and survive.   This was the culmination of all things! The old world...

An Examination of Conditional Immortality (Part One)

...ium, 233; Josephus, Bellum Judaicum, 5.559–560; and 1 Maccabees 3:42. This in itself should display the normal usage and understanding of this word around and during the first century. If something is destroyed, it’s gone. The Eternal and Unquenchable Fire Other than destruction, Scripture has references to an “unquenchable fire” and “undying worm” throughout the Old Testament as well. If looked at in context, this becomes clear that it is speaking about the finality of judgement, and not its duration; see: Isa. 66:24; 2 Kings 22:17; 1:31; 51:8; Jer. 4:4; 7:20; 21:12; Ezek. 20:47–48. Looking closely at these passages, we can see that the fire is...