------------
The
Gospel Observer
"Go therefore
and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe
all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
--------------------
December 29, 2019
-------------------
Contents:
1) The Destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (Wayne Goff)
2) Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44)
3) A Hairy Reminder (Roger Shouse)
4) News & Notes
-------------------
-1
The Destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70
Wayne Goff
The following is an excerpt from the book, The
Historical Atlas of Judaism, by Dr. Ian
Barnes, regarding the destruction of Jerusalem by General Vespasian
and his son, Titus, in 70 A.D. Jesus predicted this
destruction in Matthew 24:1-35. See verses 1-2, 14-22
below.
“As Vespasian was traveling to Caesarea to plan the siege of
Jerusalem, Nero’s suicide was announced, so he delayed operations
until the political situation in Rome became clear. In the summer of
CE* 69, the armies of the Eastern Empire declared Vespasian emperor.
“Confronted by new rebel leader, Simon bar-Giora, Vespasian
completed his conquest of Judaea, controlling Acrabeta, Bethel, and
Ephraim, together with Hebron in the south. Only Jerusalem,
Macherus, Herodium, and Masada remained defiant. Civil war raged in
Jerusalem. A hill in the south-west of the city was held by
aristocratic patriots while the Zealots under John of Giscala held
the eastern city and most of the Temple Mount. The aristocrats asked
Simon bar-Giora for help. He killed those amongst them who mentioned
surrender. In Spring, CE 70, Titus marched on Jerusalem, pitched
camp, and attacked the north wall, one of three defense lines. The
Jews attacked the siege towers but battering-rams were finally put
in place, despite the defenders using catapults they had captured
from Cestius years earlier. On 25 May, the first wall was breached.
Roman soldiers entered and took Bezetha, north of the Temple Mount.
Five days later, the second wall was breached, but the legionaries
were repelled. The second wall was breached again, leaving the walls
enclosing the Temple and the upper and lower parts of the city. The
city was isolated by the Romans sealing off Jerusalem from the rest
of the world. Sometimes as many as 500 were crucified daily by the
Romans for trying to escape the city. The inhabitants died of
starvation, with the dead stacked in houses and thousands thrown
over the walls into the surrounding ravines. The Fortress of Antonia
was breached by battering rams on 24 July. The Temple gates were set
alight and soon the Temple was burned to ashes. The rebels made a
final stand in Herod’s palace but all were killed. Jerusalem was
razed to the ground. Simon bar-Giora and John of Giscala were
captives marching in Titus’ triumphal procession in Rome in CE 71.
Bar Biora was thrown to his death from the Tarpeian Rock.”
* “CE” means common era,” a term often used by those who do not wish
to acknowledge the term “A.D.” which comes from the Latin anno
domini which means “In the year of our Lord.”
“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His
disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And
Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I
say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that
shall not be thrown down.’…
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’
(whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go
down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the
field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are
pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And
pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For
then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since
the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but
for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” ~ Matthew
24:1–2, 14–22
Jesus’ description in Matthew 24 of the Destruction of Jerusalem is
consistently misapplied to a future “tribulation” period imagined by
those who profess to believe in a future, earthly reign of Jesus on
the earth for a thousand years. But note Matt. 24:34.
— Via the Roanridge Reader, Volume 34, Issue 51, Page 3,
December 22, 2019
-------------------
"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all
these things take place" (Matthew 24:34, NASB).
-------------------
-2-
Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem
“When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it,
saying, ‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which
make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For
the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a
barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every
side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within
you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because
you did not recognize the time of your visitation’” (Luke 19:41-44,
NASB).
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones
those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your
children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but
you were not willing!" (Luke 13:34, NKJV).
-------------------
-3-
A Hairy Reminder
Roger Shouse
A person between the ages of 20-30 has about 615 hair follicles per
square centimeter. A person 50 years of age has around 485 hair
follicles per square centimeter. Typically, most people have
somewhere between 100,000-150,000 hairs on their head. By the way,
the average hair loss for an individual is 50-100 hairs per day. As
a result, there is no way you can tell accurately how many hairs you
have (in fact, unless you are going bald, most of us don’t really
care). But God knows.
Jesus said: “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one
of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are
of more value than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:29-31). This passage
reveals three interesting truths.
First, God knows more about us than we know about us. That
is a humbling thought. When we sometimes feel like no one
understands us or grasps our situation, we forget that God does. God
knows your personality. God knows your strengths. God knows what
motivates you. God knows when you stumble. God knows what you like
and don’t like. God knows the real you. Therefore, when God declares
something worthwhile, He knows what He is talking about. When God
warns about danger, He knows what He is talking about. When God
tells us that we should do something, we need to do it, because He
knows us better than we know ourselves.
God is a God of detail. How insignificant are hairs and
sparrows to us. Yet God is aware of them. He is a God of details.
The motives, attitudes and heart behind our actions are as important
to Him as the actions themselves. It does little good to give, if
you have left out the detail of being a cheerful giver. Singing
fails if we neglect thankfulness in our heart. Let us be a people of
details, as God is.
God cares about you. This is why Jesus referred to sparrows
and hair. We are of value to Him. Christ was not sent to save the
whales, the environment, or the endangered species, but mankind. Man
has value! Stress and worry often make us wonder if God cares. These
two simple illustrations remind us that He does.
- Via The Beacon, November 17, 2019
-------------------
-4-
News & Notes
Folks to continue to remember in our prayers:
John Bladen (A.J. & Pat Joyner’s nephew) who had a heart
attack December 20.
Kelly Stoneheart, Keith’s wife, who recently had a double
mastectomy and reconstruction surgery.
Shirley Davis now has just another week of
rehabilitation treatments which are given in her home twice a
week. Her arthritis in her knee and back have been giving her
trouble.
Ronnie Davis who had a recent fall.
Many of the Bartlett family had come down with sicknesses
while spending the holiday in Tampa with numerous family members.
Bennie Medlock, who has been in much pain due to loss of
cartilage and bone rubbing against bone in his knee.
A.J. & Pat Joyner are not doing well and would like our
prayers.
Also for our prayers: Melotine Davis, Bud Montero, the Medlocks,
Joyce Rittenhouse, Jim Lively, Rick Cuthbertson, Brook and
Kaydance Richardson, Rex & Frankie Hadley, and Kerry
Williams
WordPress Version:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2019/12/29/the-gospel-observer-december-29-2019/
——————–
The Steps That Lead to Eternal
Salvation
1) Hear the
gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John
20:30-31).
2) Believe in
the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of
sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in
Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in
water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38;
22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living
for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb.
10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
--------------------
Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00
a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7
p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom
Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com (Gospel
Observer website with pictures in WordPress)
http://thomastedwards.com/go
(Older version of Gospel Observer website without
pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)