Matthew 24:19 & Luke 21:23 - Wrath against this people (1st century historical fulfillment?)

Matthew 24:19 & Luke 21:23 (1st century historical fulfillment?)


Matthew 24:19 - Woe to the ones nursing (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:19 & Luke 21:23

Matthew 24:19 & Luke 21:24 - Taken captive (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:20 - Flight on a Sabbath (1st century historical understanding?):
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Matthew 24:19: "And woe (to) the (ones) having (a child) in (the) womb, and (to) the (ones) nursing in those days."

The parallel account to Matthew 24:19 found in Luke 21:23 reads: 

Luke 21:23: "Woe (to) the (ones) having (a child) in (the) womb, and (to) the (ones) nursing in those days. For there-will-be (a) great distress upon the land, and wrath (against) this people."

The parallel account to Matthew 24:19 found in Luke 21:23, will be specifically addressed here. 


Local event?

Jesus said in Luke 21:23: "For there-will-be (a) great distress upon the land, and wrath (against) this people".

In the context, 4 verses earlier the account in Luke wrote about Jerusalem and armies surrounding it, and the desolation of Jerusalem coming near: "But when you-see Jerusalem being-surrounded by army-encampments, then recognize that her desolation has-drawn-near." (Luke 21:20). 

The "wrath (against) this people" could be related to those people who would remain in "Jerusalem" (Luke 21:20) at that time. 


Wrath can be administrated by Roman authorities:

Jesus said: "But when you-see Jerusalem being-surrounded by ARMY-ENCAMPMENTS, then recognize that her desolation has-drawn-near." (Luke 21:20), "Because these are days (of) VENGEANCE" (Luke 21:22), "For there-will-be (a) great distress upon the land, and WRATH (against) this people. And they-will-fall (by the) edge (of the) SWORD" (Luke 21:23-24).

Paul wrote "(to) all the (ones) being in ROME" (Romans 1:7) that the Roman authorities could be AVENGERS for WRATH by the SWORD. Paul wrote: "Let every soul be-subject (to) superior authorities. For there-is no authority except by God. And the existing (ones) are established by God" (Romans 13:1), "do-you-want to not be-fearing the authority? Be-doing good, and you-will-have praise from him — for he-is God’s servant (to) you for good. But if you-are-doing evil, be-fearing! For he-does not bear the SWORD in-vain — for he-is God’s servant, (an) AVENGER for WRATH (on) the (one) practicing evil" (Romans 13:3-4).


1st century events:

The 1st century historian Josephus recorded that in the First Jewish-Roman War, the Roman Titus attacked Jerusalem with his armies to demolish it. 

The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":

War 7.1 (7.1.1): "Now, as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be objects of their fury (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other such work to be done) [Titus] Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne, and so much of the wall as enclosed the city on the west side."


The 3rd century Greek author Philostratus recorded that the Roman Titus, after attacking Jerusalem with his armies, would have reportedly refused to accept a wreath of victory, saying that the victory did not come through his own efforts but that he would have merely served as an instrument of divine wrath.

The 3rd century Greek author Philostratus wrote in "Life of Apollonius":

6.29: "After Titus had taken Jerusalem, and when the country all round was filled with corpses, the neighboring races offered him a crown; but he disclaimed any such honor to himself, saying that it was not himself that had accomplished this exploit, but that he had merely lent his arms to God, who had so manifested his wrath; and Apollonius praised his action, for therein he displayed a great deal of judgment and understanding of things human and divine, and it showed great moderation on his part that he refused to be crowned because he had shed blood."


Early Christian authors:

Later early Christians authors would have written about these events.

In the 3th century, a Christian author named Origen wrote in "Against Celsus":

IV: "But according to Celsus,‘the Christians making certain additional statements to those of the Jews, assert that the Son of God has been already sent on account of the sins of the Jews; and that the Jews having chastised Jesus, and given him gall to drink, have brought upon themselves the divine wrath.’ And any one who likes may convict this statement of falsehood, if it be not the case that the whole Jewish nation was overthrown within one single generation after Jesus had undergone these sufferings at their hands. For forty and two years, I think, after the date of the crucifixion of Jesus, did the destruction of Jerusalem take place."

In the 4th century, a Christian author named Chrysostom wrote in "Homilies on Matthew":

Homily 76: "I should therefore be glad to inquire of the Jews. Whence came there thus upon them wrath from God intolerable"


Wrath extended to the "world"?

Jesus referred to WRATH coming in Luke 21:23: "For there-will-be (a) great distress upon the land, and WRATH (against) this people". 

Jesus may have hinted that this WRATH may be extended to the WORLD, adding 3 verses later about "(the) expectation (of) the (things) coming-upon the WORLD [oikoumené 3625 in Greek]" (Luke 21:26).

Term: "world":

The specific Greek word for the "WORLD" in Luke 21:26 is "oikoumené" [3625 in Greek]. This specific Greek word is only used 4 times in all the gospels combined. 

It is not the same Greek word as one that could also be translated as "world" [kosmos 2889 in Greek], which is used 93 times in all the gospels combined, as for example in the following verse: "For God so loved the world [kosmos 2889 in Greek] that He-gave (His) only-born Son" (John 3:16).

The specific Greek word for the "WORLD" [oikoumené 3625 in Greek] in Luke 21:26 can be used in the Bible to describe specifically the Roman Empire. For example earlier in Luke there was a "decree went-out from CAESAR AUGUSTUS (that) ALL THE WORLD [oikoumené 3625 in Greek] (should) be-registered" (Luke 2:1). 

For more information about this Greek word for "WORLD":
Matthew 24:14 - Good-news proclaimed (1st century biblical fulfillment?):
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1st century events:

The 1st century historian Josephus recorded that the First Jewish-Roman War (AD 66-73) had disturbances that extended far beyond Judea (where Jerusalem is). 

The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":

(7.10.1): "Yet did this war afford disturbances and dangerous disorders even in places very far remote from Judea."

Jesus mentioned people falling by the SWORD in the context of the WRATH coming upon them, as Jesus said: "For there-will-be [...] WRATH (against) this people. And they-will-fall (by the) edge (of the) SWORD" (Luke 21:23-24).

Here is a list of events during the First Jewish-Roman War (AD 66-73) where people were falling by the edge of the SWORD across the entire Roman Empire:

Around AD 66:

- Revolt of Jews: destruction of fifth legion under Cestius.

- 50,000 Jews slain by the SWORD in Alexandria. Syria turned into an armed camp and Jews and Greeks slaughter one another, giving vent to long standing hatred between them. Josephus describes Syria as being filled with heaps of dead bodies.

- Germans, Gauls, Sythians (Sarmatians) revolt.

- Vespasian suppresses revolt in Pontus.

Around AD 68:

- Julius Vindex, governor of Gaul (France), leads revolt against Nero; Vindex offered the imperial throne to Galba, procurator of Spain. Lucius Verginius Rufus, governor of Germany, was sent against him, but the two concluded an agreement to join forces against Nero and back Galba for the throne.  Ignorant of their leader’s agreement, Rufus’ forces attack Vindex’s army unawares, resulting in 20,000 deaths by the SWORD

- Galba sentences thousands of soldiers to death by the SWORD for their part in a mutiny under Nymphidius, who attempted to persuade the praetorians to proclaim him Caesar in place of Galba.

Around AD 69:

- Otho declared emperor by praetorian guard; Galba assassinated; troops loot, and plunder city, murdering and killing at will by the SWORD; Otho was described as being carried to the capital over heaps of dead bodies while the forum still reeked with blood.

- Civil war between Otho and Vitellius. 80,000 die in battle by the SWORD between Vitellius and Otho at Bedraicum. 

The Roman historian Tacitus (who was born in the 1st century) wrote in "Histories":

(II, lvi): "But the distress of Italy was now heavier and more terrible than that inflicted by war. The troops of Vitellius, scattering among the municipalities and colonies, indulged in every kind of robbery, theft, violence and debauchery. Their greed and venality knew no distinction between right and wrong; they respected nothing, whether sacred or profane. There were cases too where, under the disguise of soldiers, men murdered their personal enemies; and the soldiers in their turn, being acquainted with the country, marked out the best-stocked farms and the richest owners for booty or destruction, in case any resistance was made. The generals were subject to their troops and did not dare to forbid them."

Around AD 70:

- Vespasian declared emperor in Syria while making war against Jews. City of Cremona, Italy, burned and 50,000 slain by the SWORD in battle between forces of Vitellius and Vespasian.

- Civil war reaches city of Rome; 50,000 slain by the SWORD in siege.

- Various uprisings in Germany; Dio Casius mentions one battle where the river was dammed with the bodies of the fallen.


Early Christian authors:

An early Christian author would have written about these events, indicating that the wrath of God came not in Judea only, but in any part of "the world":

In the 4th century, a Christian author named Chrysostom wrote in "Homilies on Matthew":

Homily 76: "Whence came there thus upon them wrath from God intolerable, and more sore than all that had befallen aforetime, not in Judæa only, but in any part of the world"


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