By Allan Cornford
Copyright © 2023 Allan Cornford. (Standard Copyright License.) All rights reserved. Independently Published through KDP
If Jesus did not return in the clouds of heaven as he promised to, then he was guilty of deceiving the early disciples and the first generation of believers in Christ.
But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. Luke 9:27
After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Luke 10:1
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another:
for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. Matthew 10:23
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Mark 13:26
As noted in my previous book, and which is easily verifiable, there were three reliable historians, namely, Josephus, Tacticus, and Pseudo-Hegesippus, who each recorded that a figure of ”tremendous size” , followed by an army of fiery angels, appeared over Jerusalem during Passover, three and a half years before its destruction in 70 AD.
Although Jesus is not mentioned by name, as pagans who were unfamiliar with the teachings of Christian eschatology, Tacitus and Josephus would never have been expected to make such an identification.
Yet, whilst one gets the distinct impression these three unbiased historians didn’t know quite what to make of it all, the parallels between these historic accounts with Revelation 19 are quite striking.
Writes Josephus in The Wars of the Jews (6.5.3):
On the twenty-first day of the month of Artemisius [Jyar], a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.
Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the temple,] as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying,
“Let us remove hence.”
Tacticus records in The Histories (5.13)
“In the sky appeared a vision of armies in conflict, of glittering armour.”
Pseudo-Hegesippus also describes the coming of Christ on the clouds with His mighty angels, when in Pseudo-Hegesippus 44. he writes:
A certain figure appeared of tremendous size, which many saw, just as the books of the Jews have disclosed, and before the setting of the sun there were suddenly seen in the clouds chariots and armed battle arrays by which the cities of all Iudaea and its territories were invaded.
The medieval Jewish historian Sepher Yosippon, expounds upon this angelic army in the sky of 66 AD by saying:
Moreover, in those days were seen chariots of fire and horsemen, a great force flying across the sky near to the ground coming against Jerusalem and all the land of Judah, all of them horses of fire and riders of fire.
Yosippon’s description of the angelic army of fire in the sky in 66 AD fulfils the prophecies of the coming of the Lord in:
For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. Isaiah 66:15
The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Psalm 68:17
in a surprisingly literal way.
Yosippon adds the fact that this angelic army in the sky of AD 66 was composed of cavalry that blazed with fire, hence fulfilling 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8.
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Notice that this army is described exactly as the angelic army seen by Elisha and his companion in 2 Kings 6:17—
- chariots
- horses
of fire.
Also in Wars of the Jews 6:5:3 are the words,
“Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year.”
Jesus himself said
“I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.” Acts 2:19
Could this sword-like star have been the ”sign of the Son of Man” mentioned in Matthew 24:30?
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30
The ”sign” could, of course, have been the Son of Man himself, but a sword seen in the heavens above the city, could certainly have been a sign to the Jews that judgment was coming upon them.
A few days, or possibly a week or so later, at the start of the Jewish revolt, when writing about the construction of the Corinth Canal in 66 AD, the Roman historian, Lucius Cassius Dio, records another strange supernatural event; of blood and vapor of smoke.
Lucius Cassius Dio (c. 165 – c. 235), also known as Dio Cassius (Ancient Greek: Δίων Κάσσιος Dion Kassios), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history of ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the subsequent founding of Rome (753 BC), the formation of the Republic (509 BC), and the creation of the Empire (27 BC) up until 229 AD, during the reign of Severus Alexander. Written in Ancient Greek over 22 years, Dio’s work covers approximately 1,000 years of history.
In Roman History 63.16, Cassius Dio writes; [W]hen the first workers touched the earth, blood spouted from it, groans and bellowings were heard, and many phantoms appeared.
Nero himself thereupon grasped a mattock and by throwing up some of the soil fairly compelled the rest to imitate him.
When recording the same event in Lives of the Twelve Caesars 6.19, the historian, Suetonius, indicates that the rising of these phantom-like figures, was coincident with the sound of a trumpet.
It would seem likely in fact, that each of the seven trumpet judgements of the Apocalypse, were fulfilled during Israel’s first century war with Rome.
At various stages throughout the war each stage was marked, or heralded by a Roman trumpeter, whilst the Book of Revelation tells us an angel in heaven blew the trumpet.
There is probably far more truth in the term
”As above so below”
than we care to realize.
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing:
and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Daniel 4:35
Just as the grains of sand on the seashore are innumerable, so too are the multitude of stars in the heavens.
Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. Hebrews 11:12
But there also exists another ‘host of heaven’ which is also described as ‘innumerable’, and these are the angels.
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Hebrews 12:22
There is an unexplained correlation between the angels and the stars throughout Scripture, and it would seem that under the sovereign will of God, this mutual relationship in the heavens above can play a determining role on the physical battlefield of earth.
They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. Judges 5:20
The meaning of Sisera is ‘Servant of Ra’ (the sun god) and in an unexplained way, God had lured the entire enemy army to one particular place and caused great vexation for Sisera their leader.
Sisera (Hebrew: סִיסְרָא Sīsərāʾ) was commander of the Canaanite army of King Jabin of Hazor, who is mentioned in Judges 4–5 of the Hebrew Bible. After being defeated by the forces of the Israelite tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali under the command of Barak and Deborah, Sisera was killed by Jael, who hammered a tent peg into his temple while he slept.
It was almost certainly due to the influence of ”the stars in their courses”, the angels who played a role in the battle on earth, but from the vantage point of being ”the army of heaven”.
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing:
and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Daniel 4:35
How this can even be possible, we’re not told, but the surrounding context indicates that all of Sisera’s horses were suddenly spooked and bolted, and in the confusion which followed, both horse and rider plunged headlong into the fast-flowing river Kishron and were swept away.
There’s both a human element and a divine element to war at times, or so it would seem, for there’s no doubt the Canaanite army was defeated and slain by the weapons of man.
But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles:
and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left. Judges 4:16
Sisera himself was killed when the heroine Jael drove a metal tent-peg straight through his temple and pinned Sisera to the ground.
Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground:
for he was fast asleep and weary.
So, he died. Judges 4:21
Yet apparently, this defeat of the entire enemy army would not have been possible without the interaction of the stars in their courses, fighting from heaven.
So yes, it’s quite possible that each time an angel in heaven sounded a trumpet during the great tribulation, it was coincident with a Roman soldier sounding a trumpet on earth, during their war with the Jews.
Like I said, there’s probably far more truth to the paraphrase ”as above so below” than we care to realize.
Dating of Revelation
Without question, Revelation with all its symbolism, is a very difficult book to get one’s head around, and because I’m not a theologian, my understanding of John’s writings is very limited.
I have come to realise however, that the approximate date it was written is of great significance, especially during the times of distraction, deception and outright lies that embrace us today.
Both the historicist and the futurist view of the fulfilment of end times prophecy, depend largely upon when John wrote the Book of Revelation.
Traditionally, it’s generally claimed that the Book of Revelation was written while John was at Patmos, around AD 91 96, and well after AD 70.
There’s no doubt John was on the isle of Patmos, for it is written! Revelation 1:9
Yet the internal evidence within the Scriptures, indicates that not only were the Gospels, the Book of Acts, all of the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation, completed prior to 70 AD, many, if not the majority, of the prophecies therein, have already been fulfilled. Including the one thousand year reign of Christ.
And if you’re wondering how it’s possible for the Bible itself to indicate it was completed several years before 70 AD, may I suggest by reasoning from the Scriptures.
But first, if John had written the Book of Revelation after 90 AD, do you not think that he would have mentioned the destruction of Jerusalem, which had taken place twenty years earlier?
Especially as Jesus had foretold its destruction during his ministry years.
On the contrary, John had actually prophesied the fall of Jerusalem aka Babylon, likely between 5 and 10 years before it happened.
Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, and when writing to the church at Jerusalem, of which he was an elder, Peter referred to the city as Babylon.
The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. 1 Peter 5:13
John doesn’t mention Jerusalem by name in the entire Book of Revelation, but instead, refers to her as:
“The great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” Revelation 11:8
He then goes on to foretell the fall of that great city, Babylon aka Jerusalem.
Which fell in 70 AD.
Hence the prophecies of both John and Jesus, were recorded a few years prior to 70 AD.
Which doesn’t sit well with tradition.
Hence, many find it hard to get their head around.
Furthermore, if Revelation was written by the Apostle John (which I believe it was), Jesus had previously declared that John was to remain alive, until He returned.
It is therefore most likely that whilst at Patmos, John’s body was changed in an instant, in the twinkling of the eye, and he was taken up, along with all the resurrected bodies of the dead in Christ, including Peter, and together, they met the Lord in the air.
For this was the promise, as recorded by the apostle Paul.
Secular Historians recorded the appearance of a huge Christ-like figure, along with fiery chariots, horses of fire and warriors in the skies above Jerusalem in 66 AD.
If this supernatural event truly were the second coming of Jesus, this would mean the Book of Revelation had already been completed, and most likely during the two or three years leading up to 66 AD.
It is my opinion, that the later dating of its completion to well after 70 AD, was a deliberate act, to hide the fact that Jesus had already returned.
The great tribulation that Scripture refers to, were the last days of the age for Israel-Judah-Jerusalem-Judea, and not the last days leading up to the end of the world.
Don’t fall for the big lie about the modern day, Anti-Christ State of Israel being a fulfilment of prophecy.
Today’s Israel is a British/Rothschild creation and still comes under the banner of the 6-pointed star of Saturn.
CONTINUE
BOOK: Lucifer’s Flood & the Little Season – Library of Rickandria
BOOK: EXCERPT: Lucifer’s Flood & the Little Season – The Second Coming