1. James, regarding the Christians fleeing during the initial days of the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem in AD 70, have you considered the possibility that this fleeing may have occurred some 4 years earlier? Reference:

   https://adammaarschalk.com/2017/01/24/did-all-of-the-judean-christians-flee-to-pella/

   It was the Romans who were more or less more favorable to Christians, in comparison to the war-like, hostile anti-Christian Judean Zealots.

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   Did Christians flee Jerusalem and Judea at that time? By the time Cestius Gallus arrived in November 66 AD, Josephus says this about the people in Jerusalem: “Now for the people, they were kept under by the seditious” (Wars 2.19.4), meaning that they were under the control of the Zealots. This would have been a dangerous environment for any remaining Christians. In other words, the Zealots were a danger and a threat to the people of Jerusalem well before the Romans were. It was also at this time that Josephus said that many of the Zealots “retired from the suburbs, and retreated into the inner part of the city, and into the temple.” They did this because they were “affrighted at the good order of the Romans.” […]

   Aside from the armies in the clouds which were seen surrounding cities in April – May 66 AD, there were also armies of Zealots roaming throughout Judea and Jerusalem. It’s possible that they surrounded Jerusalem prior to gaining such power that in November 66 AD they were able to “keep the people under” (Wars 2.19.4).

   Concerning “abominations,” note that Josephus said that Jerusalem was full of them by September 66 AD, two months before the Romans arrived. This is when the Zealot leader Manahem and his followers were slain in the temple and other parts of the city:

   “The city was all over polluted with such abominations, from which it was but reasonable to expect some vengeance, even though they should escape revenge from the Romans…as likely themselves to undergo punishment for the wickedness of the seditious; for indeed it so happened that this murder was perpetrated on the sabbath day, on which day the Jews have a respite from their works on account of Divine worship” (Wars 2.17.10).
   ** end link quote **

   and http://lastdayspast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Cestius_Humiliated-Ed-Stevens.pdf

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   Av 6-13, AD 66 – Seven days of battle between the pro-Roman forces in the upper city and the rebel forces in the lower city and Temple area. The dates for these seven days of fighting were given by Josephus as Av 6-13 (Aug 26 – Sept 2 in AD 366), since he tells us that the next day afterwards was the Feast of Xylophory which fell on Av 14. [Wars 2.422-425 (2.17.5)]. Even though Agrippa II had sent 3000 horsemen, it was too little and too late. (Wars 2.173-4, and 2.411-421; Life 19). With the help of Agrippa’s forces, the leading citizens, the chief priests, and all the peace-loving moderates occupied the Upper City. The Lower City and Temple Area was under the control of rebel forces. There were seven days of fighting between these two forces, with neither of them gaining significant advantage. This was Jewish men spilling Jewish blood inside the city of Jerusalem where it ought not to be. This was an abomination of the Holy City.
   ** end link quote **

   The Zealots were a definite problem to Christians, reference Acts Chapter 9, Ananias told the Lord after instructed to heal Paul, of what a threat to Christians he was. In AD 66, the Zealots warred against the Romans and defeated them. They also hated Christians, being very anti-Christ(ian). Entering the temple, not being Levites, they desecrated it. They also dismissed the priests and appointed their own. By the time that Titus arrived in AD 70, apparently there were no Christians as hinted by Josephus and other historians, because they left several years earlier escaping the lockdown by the Zealots. According to the historians, armies (Roman and Zealots) surrounded Jerusalem, whereas in AD 70, it was the Roman army.

   So, I gather the possibility that the abomination of desolation occurred earlier of Judean creation, not Roman. Then too, AD 70, Titus actually wanted to preserve the temple, but apparently the Judeans were involved in its destruction by fire because of the Roman occupation. Nonetheless, the Romans were the hand of God ensuring a complete total end to the old covenant.

   And yes, I concur with your conclusion that the pre-millenial dispensationalists following Darby/Schofield have led others astray with their misinterpretations to the scriptures. I find your perspective interesting that the Judeans got to see Christ in His glory shortly before their demise, similar to Stephen during his martyrdom in Acts 7:55.

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   • Thank you, George! No, I did not know those details. Very interesting! Thank you very much for your comments!

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2. Thanks James, I just had a few additional thoughts. Apocalypse (Revelation) is also a historic document, for example 12:13-17 (World English Bible). I think this is possibly what is being described:

   [13] When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

   The male child of course, is Christ according to Verse 5. I believe that the woman being referred to is allegorically the early Jewish Christians who were living in Judea and particularly Jerusalem and surrounding at the time.

   [14] Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

   These Jewish Christians fled Jerusalem and the immediate region, obeying the words of Christ in Matthew 24:15,16. Time, times and a half (3.5 years) would be about the right timing from whence their escape from these Zealots and their threats until Zealot demise shortly after the Romans took over in AD 70.

   [15] The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. [16] The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

   According to Revelation 17:15, the water is people. According to the historical accounts, the Zealots went to places of refuge outside Judea to capture/kill refugee Jews, but God somehow miraculously provided some form of safety for these Christians, perhaps led to areas not discovered/terrain hard to get to, or Syrian residents / Roman armies killing these Zealots.

   ** 2nd link quote **
   Sep – 66 – Jewish Response to Caesarea Massacre. This wipe out of the whole Jewish community at Caesarea enraged the Jewish people and provoked them to retaliatory action. The Jews quickly assembled militia bands and attacked numerous villages of the Syrians and neighboring cities, killing the Greek-Syrian residents of any cities where the Gentiles were in the minority: such as Philadelphia, Sebonitis, Gerasa, Pella, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos, Gaulonitis, Kedasa, Ptolemais, Gaba, Caesarea, Sabaste/Samaria, Askelon, Anthedon, Gaza, and Cyprus. Note that Pella was one of the cities attacked by these Zealot bands. This attack occurred in AD 66 after the Christians had supposedly already fled there (AD 62-64). But the true Christians were raptured out of there two or three months before this massacre, so there were no true Christians left there in Pella by the time of this attack. There were armies encircling cities all over Palestine at this time.
   ** end 2nd link quote **

   [17] The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.

   This describes the historic and current persecution and difficulties that Christians are undergoing.

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3. Thank James 👍

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