Matthew 24:37-39 & Luke 17:28-29 - Just as the days of Lot & Sodom it rained fire (1st century historical fulfillment?)

Matthew 24:37-39 & Luke 17:28-29 (1st century historical fulfillment?)


Matthew 24:36 - No one knows about that day and hour (1st century understanding & imminence?):
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Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:33 - When the time is (1st century imminence & historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:37-39 - Just as the days of Noah & the flood (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:37-39 & Luke 17:28-29

Matthew 24:40-42 - One is taken one is left (1st century historical understanding and imminence?):
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Matthew 24:37: "For just-as the days (of) Noah (were), so will-be the coming (of) the Son (of) Man."

Matthew 24:38: "For as in those days before the flood they-were eating and drinking, marrying and giving-in-marriage, until which day Noah entered into the ark,"

Matthew 24:39: "and did not know until the flood came and took-away everyone, so also will-be the coming (of) the Son (of) Man."

A similar account to Matthew 24:37-39 in Luke reads:

Luke 17:26: "“And as it-happened in the days (of) Noah, so it-will-be also in the days (of) the Son (of) Man —"

Luke 17:27: "they-were-eating, drinking, marrying, being-given-in-marriage, until which day Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed everyone."

Luke 17:28: "Likewise, just-as it-happened in the days (of) Lot — they-were-eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building."

Luke 17:29: "But (on) that day Lot departed from Sodom, it-rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed everyone."



The passage found in Luke 17:28-29, will be specifically addressed here. 

Jesus said in Luke 17:28-29: "just-as it-happened in the days (of) Lot — they-were-eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. But (on) that day Lot departed from Sodom, it-rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed everyone"


1st century imminence?

The same Greek words will be CAPITALIZED.

Jesus said in Luke 17:29: "But (on) THAT DAY Lot departed from Sodom, it-rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed everyone"

Jesus said 2 verses later in Luke 17:31: "On THAT DAY, let (he) who will-be on the housetop and his goods in the house not go-down to-take them. And let the (one) in (a) field likewise not turn-back to the (things) behind". 

This verse in Luke 17:31 is similar to Matthew 24:17-18 which reads: "Let the (one) upon the housetop not go-down to-take the (things) out-of his house. And let the (one) in the field not turn behind to-take his cloak". 

Jesus then addressed a few verses later in Matthew 24:33-34 His 1st century disciples by saying: "So also you when you-see all these (things), you know that it-is near, at (the) doors. Truly I-say (to) you that this generation by-no-means will-pass-away until all these (things) take-place".


1st century events

Jesus said: "(on) that day Lot departed from Sodom, it-rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed everyone" (Luke 17:29).

The 1st century historian Josephus recorded that in the 1st century around AD 70 the Romans armies attacked Jerusalem to destroy it. It is likely that the Romans launched firebrands into the city when attacking it. As a consequence, people in the city would have seen fire raining from heaven/the sky to destroy them


Josephus recorded that around AD 67 during a previous siege of Jotapata/Yodefat the Romans armies launched firebrands to attack the city. It is likely they would have done so against Jerusalem around AD 70 as well.


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

(3.7.9): "At the same time such engines as were intended for that purpose threw at once lances upon them with a great noise, and stones of the weight of a talent were thrown by the engines that were prepared for that purpose, together with fire, and a vast multitude of arrows, which made the wall so dangerous, that the Jews durst not only come upon it, but durst not come to those parts within the walls which were reached by the engines"


The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that during the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 the Romans constructed every conceivable device for storming cities. This could be further evidence that devices launching firebrands could have been used against Jerusalem around AD 70 as well.


The Roman historian Tacitus wrote in "The Histories":

(5.13): "Each legion had its allotted task, and there was a lull in the fighting while they pushed on with the construction of every conceivable device for storming cities, whether invented long ago or due to the ingenuity of modern times."



The 1st century poet Valerius Flaccus wrote just after the fall of Jerusalem (that happened around AD 70) that Titus who was the head of the attack of Jerusalem around AD 70 hurls brands (fiery weapons of war). This could be further evidence that devices launching firebrands could have been used against Jerusalem around AD 70 as well.


The 1st century poet Valerius Flaccus wrote in "Argonautica":

(5.13): "Your son shall tell of the overthrow of Idume [Judaea] — for well he can — of his brother foul with the dust of Solyma, as he [Titus] hurls brands [fiery weapons of war] and spreads havoc in every tower"



Consistency with Revelation 11:

There are similarities between Luke 17 & Revelation 11.

The same Greek words that are used in both passages will be CAPITALIZED.

It is written in Luke 17 that "(on) that day Lot departed from SODOM, it-rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed everyone" (Luke 17:29). A few verses later the disciples asked "“Where, LORD?” And the (One) said (to) them, “WHERE the body (is), there also the eagles will-be-gathered-together”." (Luke 17:37). A similar passage in Matthew 24 reads "WHERE the CORPSE may-be, there the eagles will-be-gathered" (Matthew 24:28).

It is written in Revelation 1 in the 1st century: "(The) revelation (of) Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to-show His slaves (the things) which must take-place in quickness" (Revelation 1:1). In Revelation 11, it is written that "their CORPSE (will be) on the wide-road (of) the great city which spiritually is-called SODOM and Egypt — WHERE also their LORD was-crucified" (Revelation 11:8). The city "which spiritually is-called SODOM" (Revelation 11:8) here is "WHERE also their LORD was-crucified" (Revelation 11:8), which was Jerusalem


For more similarities between Matthew 24/Luke 17 & Revelation 11: Click here.


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