John’s Revelation and the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

The Revelation of John and the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD

Author: Evangelos D. Kepenes (October 23, 2016)

The Book of Revelation: From Fear to Truth

“In the history of world literature, it is a question whether there exists a book more interpreted and misinterpreted than our Revelation” (P. Bratsiotis, The Revelation of John, p. 38).

The prevailing view that Revelation refers to the end of the physical world is often based on extra-biblical sources: from the prophecies of the Maya and Nostradamus to the oracles of the Sibyls. Even the testimony of Justin in 130 A.D.—who claimed that God “delays” the end so that Christianity might become universal—lacks biblical foundation. Such positions, reminiscent of Islamic expansionism or modern theories of a “New World Order,” conflict with Christ’s assurance that these events would occur within the generation of His contemporaries (Matthew 24:34).

For centuries now, fear of an impending “end” has been propagated by self-proclaimed prophets and media outlets, exploiting the confusion between the terms “world” and “age.” —αιών. While common opinion perceives “the end” as a geological annihilation, the biblical text refers to “the end of the age —αιών”, that is, the end of the old religious economy centered on the Temple. Many people live in anguish, ignoring the joyful call: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

Yet, strictly biblical and historical research offers an objective basis that precedes doctrinal fortifications. When the text is interpreted within its own context and historical events—such as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.—the conclusions arise from the data itself. To understand Revelation, we must know the time of its writing, its recipients (the Seven Churches of Asia), and the Lord’s command to preach the Gospel “to all creation.” This command was fully fulfilled by the Apostles before the fall of the city, as Paul confirms (Colossians 1:23, Romans 16:26).

With the fall of earthly Jerusalem (the spiritual “Babylon”), the old pattern of worship ceased to exist, and the Kingdom of God was definitively established—a kingdom that is not territorial but spiritual and “within us.” Possessing this knowledge and believing in what we read, not in fanciful things we hear, we shall know the truth, and the truth will set us free (John 8:32).

The Purpose of Revelation

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw" (Rev. 1:1-2).

John's message to his contemporaries was: "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near" (Rev. 1:3).

The purpose of Revelation was for God to show His servants (not the world in general) things that had to happen soon and quickly. The reader and the hearers are called "blessed" because the time for these events to occur was near (at hand).

"For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

When would the prophecies of Revelation be fulfilled?

In contrast to Daniel, whom the angel told to "seal the book" regarding the "the time of the end" of fleshly Israel (Dan. 12:1-4), John was told: "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near." And again: "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to yield to each one according to his work" (Rev. 22:10, 12).

A simple mind, uncorrupted by dogmatic clichés, perceives that the things Jesus Christ showed to John did not concern future generations, nor were these prophetic signs meant to happen after two or three thousand years. Jesus showed His servants what would happen immediately in their era, including exhortations and promises such as:

The Present Reality of the Vision

• “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” [Rev. 2:7].

• “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” [Rev. 2:11].

• “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it” [Rev. 2:17].

• “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations” [Rev.2:26].

• “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before Ηis angels” [Rev. 3:5].

• “I come quickly: hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown” [Rev. 3:11].

• “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” [Rev. 3:21].

Furthermore, the fact that John sees the woman, the great harlot, "drunk" (the present active participle ‘μεθύουσαν’  implies she was currently in the act of becoming drunk) "with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Witnesses of Jesus," reveals situations that concerned John’s contemporaries. These individuals held intense Hebraic—and not Hellenistic—eschatological expectations (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26, 3:5, 11, 21, 17:6).

Additionally, the command given to those slaughtered for the word of God and the testimony they held (who were crying out for judgment and vengeance):

"...that they should rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been,"

does not allow us to imply distant future events. The phrase "a little longer" (χρόνον μικρόν) points to the immediate completion of those events within that generation (Rev. 6:9-11).

"The passage (Rev. 1:7), 'Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen,' states that when Jesus would come upon the clouds for judgment—due to the unbelief shown toward Him: a) everyone would see Him, even the Romans who pierced Him, and b) the twelve tribes of Israel would mourn (great tribulation).

Therefore, those who pierced Him would still be alive, which implies that the prophecy of the Second Coming was to be fulfilled within the first century. This is further attested by the passages Rev. 18:9, Matt. 24:30, and Matt. 16:28."

• Revelation 18:9: Regarding the mourning of the kings of the land.

• Matthew 24:30: "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth [land of Israel] will mourn..."

• Matthew 16:28: "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Time of Writing

The dominant multinational and polytheistic kingdom in the Mediterranean basin during the first century was the Roman Empire, as prophesied by Daniel. It was during this period that Revelation was written and all the events of the New Testament unfolded, with Judea being a province of the Roman state. The time of writing is before 70 AD and not 96 AD, as was erroneously propagated in the 2nd century by Irenaeus.

Professor Christos Sp. Voulgaris of the School of Theology at the University of Athens, in his work "Introduction to the New Testament" (Vol. B, pp. 1091-4, ISBN 978-960-315-730-4), writes:

"Thus, we observe that the tradition of the Eastern Church, regarding the exile of John to Patmos during the reign of Domitian and the subsequent writing of Revelation in 96 AD, is neither clear nor strong and universally acknowledged. The sole testimony concerning this is that of Irenaeus, who recorded it toward the end of the 2nd century, and specifically in the West, where he served as the Bishop of Lyons. From him, Eusebius also received this information in the 4th century... who even notes that he is following a tradition older than himself (Eccl. Hist. III, 20, 9)."

"Furthermore, by comparing this book [Revelation] to other books of the New Testament, we observe that there are corresponding expressions and concepts between it and the epistles of 2 Peter and Jude, a fact which automatically places Revelation within the same and broader timeframe, namely 60-70 AD.

Thus, in all three books, the error of Balaam is condemned (Jude 11, 2 Pet. 2:15, Rev. 2:14), which in Revelation is linked to the teaching of the Nicolaitans (2:6-15). Christians are enticed by immorality (2 Pet. 2:14-18, 3:17, Rev. 2:20), they defile their garments (Jude 23, Rev. 3:4), and they deny their Lord (Jude 4, 2 Pet. 2:1, Rev. 2:13). In all three, the contrast between true and false knowledge is emphasized (Jude 8, 2 Pet. 1:2 ff., 16, Rev. 2:17-24). The false teachers appear as shepherds and apostles of Christ's flock (Jude 11 ff., Rev. 2:2)."

"Beyond these, there are indications in Revelation which imply a period during which the full separation between Christians and Jews had not yet been completed. Thus, for example, it is emphasized that true Jews are the Christians (2:9, 3:9), who also represent the fullness of the twelve tribes of Israel (7:4-8, 21:12). If the Jews constituted the true synagogue of God, as they claim, and not the synagogue of Satan, as they actually are, they would not be slandering 'the servants of our God.'

Expressions such as those in 2:9 and 3:9 ('and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan') could not possibly have been written after 70 AD. After 70, and specifically in the middle of that decade (c. 75 AD), the so-called 'Epistle of Barnabas' was written, which presupposes the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (16:1-4: 'for because of their going to war, it [the temple] was pulled down by the enemies') and treats the separation between Christians and Jews as a given fact: 13:1 'Let us see, then, whether this people [the Christians] inherits or the former [the Jews], and whether the covenant is for us or for them'.

Also, tyrants in antiquity and every authoritarian kingdom or religious authority were characterized by their contemporaries as beasts.
In his Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Philostratus presents Apollonius saying upon his arrival in Rome: "Moreover, having traveled over as much land as any man alive, I have seen very many Arabian and Indian beasts, but this beast, which many call a tyrant, I do not know how many heads it has, nor if it has crooked claws and sharp teeth. And yet, this beast is said to be political and to dwell in the midst of cities, but it is so much more savage than the beasts of the mountains and forests, as whereas lions and leopards are sometimes tamed by flattery and change their nature, this beast, being puffed up by those who flatter it, becomes even more savage and plunders everything."

Continuing his speech, Philostratus refers to Nero who had killed his mother: "As for beasts, you could not say that they ever devoured their own mothers, but Nero has been sated with this food [of matricide] ... This one here [Nero], after being adopted by an aged emperor with the help of his mother and inheriting power, killed his mother by shipwreck, constructing a ship for her, from which she perished near the land." (Book IV, 38)

"There is no doubt that here we have the echo of the characterization of Nero as a 'beast' by the Apocalypse, which, as is natural, was written after the persecution of Christians in 65 AD and certainly long before Domitian, since Apollonius, as we said, flourished during the second half of the 1st century AD." (Christos Sp. Voulgaris, Introduction to the New Testament, Vol. 2, p. 1101)

Other Biblical and Historical Proofs for the Time of Writing

(I) "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come..." (Rev. 1:4)

The "children of promise" of the first century lived in expectation of the imminent coming of Jesus Christ (the Second Presence / Parousia) and the desolation of Jerusalem (Luke 22:20).

Those of Israel according to the flesh (biological descendants of Abraham), who "ignored Jesus Christ and the voices of the prophets," persecuted the children of promise, the Spiritual Israel, just as the Apostle Paul wrote:

"Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? 'Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman'." (Acts 13:27, Gal. 4:28)

"So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; seeing it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels…" (2 Thess. 1:4-7)

Those Jews who rejected Christ became enemies of the cross. Being sons of those who murdered the prophets, they filled up the measure of their sins by murdering the Author of Life, Jesus Christ, and by persecuting the children of promise. Thus, the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermost (1 Thess. 2:15-16, Matt. 23:29-33).

The Lord Jesus Christ had asked the Chief Priests and the Elders:

"When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? They said to him, 'He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons'." (Matt. 21:33-41)

John, therefore, was a "partner in the tribulation and kingdom and patience in Jesus," and when he wrote Revelation, Jesus was about to come; He was "the One who is coming" (ο Ερχόμενος). Consequently, the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the judgment upon the impious of Israel according to the flesh were imminent.

(II) The seven heads of the Beast from the sea, which was the Roman Empire, were seven kings: "five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain only a little while" (Rev. 17:10). Nero was the sixth Caesar of Rome.

• (a) Julius Caesar

• (b) Augustus Caesar

• (c) Tiberius Caesar

• (d) Caligula Caesar

• (e) Claudius Caesar

• (f) Nero Caesar (54 AD – 68 AD)

The phrase "one is" (ὁ εἷς ἔστιν) signifies that Nero Caesar was alive at the time John was writing. The emperor who followed Nero after his suicide was Galba, who was proclaimed emperor by the troops in Spain and reigned for a very short period—"he must remain only a little while"—from June 68 AD to January 69 AD.

"I saw one of its heads as if it had been mortally wounded, but its deadly wound was healed, and the whole earth [land] followed the beast in wonder." (Rev. 13:3)

After the death of Nero (June 9, 68 AD) until the rise of the Flavian dynasty, the Roman Empire underwent a period of civil war (the deadly wound) known as the "Year of the Four Emperors." Power passed to Galba (June 9, 68 to January 15, 69) with the help of the Spanish legions, but he was assassinated by the Praetorians. They then elevated Otho to the throne (January 15 to April 16, 69), who committed suicide following his defeat by Vitellius (April 16 to December 22, 69). Vitellius became emperor but was also murdered by the troops of Vespasian, who finally secured the authority, effectively "healing" the empire's instability.

(III) Furthermore, the phrase: "they will trample the holy city for forty-two months" confirms that the earthly Jerusalem and its physical Temple were still standing at the time of writing (Rev. 11:2b).

Professor Sp. Voulgaris (Introduction to the N.T., Vol. B, pp. 1103-4) notes:

"In this passage, the prophet was given 'a measuring rod like a staff and was told: Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.' It is clear here that this refers to the temple of the 'holy city,' Jerusalem, which the Nations [Gentiles] would 'trample.'

These images are drawn from the O.T. (Dan. 8:10-14, Zech. 12:3, Isa. 63:18, Ps. 78:1 LXX). The period of forty-two months (= 1260 days = three and a half years) represents the time of the dominion of evil according to Daniel 7:25 and 12:7-11.

Both here (Rev. 11:1) and in 12:6-14—where during the same period the woman 'gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron' and fled into the wilderness 'where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days' away from the serpent—it appears that the prophet refers to the flight from Jerusalem. This is the same flight mentioned in the eschatological discourse of Jesus Christ in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21).

Indeed, it appears that the area of the temple of Jerusalem has already been partially occupied (11:2a), as has 'a tenth of the city' (11:13), which strongly implies a situation prior to 70 AD, during the time when the siege of the city by the Romans was still in progress."

(IV) "Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw [...] those who had conquered the beast and its image and the mark of its name [...] and they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Rev. 15:1-4)

The Song of Moses is written in Deuteronomy (chapter 32) and refers to the crooked and twisted (32:5) generation of the people of Israel and the wrath of God that the Lamb would execute upon those who consistently murdered the prophets and the messengers of God.

• “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this crooked generation." (Acts 2:40)

• “Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land.” (Deu. 32:43)

•  “And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” (Rev. 16:5-6)

•  “​Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” (Rev. 18:20)

Israel was the vineyard of God, yet it consistently produced bitter and sour grapes. The song is sung before the angels pour out the bowls of God's wrath upon that crooked and twisted generation which murdered Jesus and persecuted His true church.

• "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered." (Acts 7:52)

(V) "I, John, your brother." It is a given that John was active in Asia and known to the brothers there, and that he well understood their condition, being himself a "partner in the tribulation." References in Acts to Mysia and Troas, and in Colossians to Hierapolis, prove the existence of other early Christian communities in Asia. Therefore, the selection of the seven—based on their geographical position and population—would facilitate the further spread of the message, even though some cities had been destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD.

Furthermore, the fact that John was an apostle to the circumcised, as were Peter and James (Gal. 2:9), combined with the content of Revelation, signifies that the members of the seven churches of Asia were Jewish Christians and Gentile proselytes (Acts 13:43). The time of writing was during the period of tribulation that would precede the end of Jerusalem (cf. Matt. 24). The repetitions, "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write," and "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write," etc., suggest that he may have written to each church separately

(VI) According to Epiphanius, Archbishop of Salamis or Constantia in Cyprus (315–403 AD), John was on Patmos during the era of Claudius Caesar, referring either to Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus (41–54 AD) or Nero Claudius (54–68 AD).

"Therefore, later on, the Holy Spirit compels John—who out of reverence and humility had declined to preach—at the advanced age of ninety years of his life, after his return from Patmos which took place during the time of Claudius Caesar." (Saint Epiphanius of Constantia, Cyprus – Against Eighty Heresies, Book 2, p. 909, "Panarion")

Furthermore, Theophylact of Bulgaria mentions that Revelation was written 32 years after Christ's ascension.

"[...] which he also composed while living as an exile on the island of Patmos, thirty-two years after the ascension of Christ." (P.G. 123, 1133, "Commentary on the Gospel according to John")

Jewish Communities in Asia Minor

Ancient inscriptions attest to Jewish communities in Asia Minor as early as the 3rd century BC, particularly in the cities where John addressed his letters.

Professor of Theology Christos Agathokleous, in his published work on Academia.edu titled "Christianity and Paganism in Asia Minor 3rd-9th c. AD," in note two (2) writes the following:
"Antiochus III the Great, ruler of the Seleucid kingdom, sent at the beginning of the 3rd century BC two thousand Jews from Babylon as settlers to establish communities in the regions of Lydia and Phrygia in Asia Minor. One of the largest was in Sardis. During the Roman Imperial period, Jewish communities had been established in several cities of Lydia and Phrygia, such as in Thyatira and Hierapolis."

Testimonies from the New Testament

• "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city." (Acts 21:39).

• "And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, who was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts." (Acts 16:1-3).

• "Now passing through from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down." (Acts 13:14).

• "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect sojourners of the Dispersion (Jews) in Pontus, Galatia (region of present-day Ankara, Turkey), Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia." (1 Peter 1:1).

•  "Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven […] Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia …" (Acts 2:5, 9).

• "When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him …" (Acts 21:27).

• "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, and what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." (Rev. 1:11).

Place of Writing

"I was on the island called Patmos." The aorist tense of "I was" (ἐγενόμην) allows us to say that perhaps the place where he wrote what he saw was different from Patmos, where "I became in the spirit on the Lord's day." (Rev. 1:9-10)

John's Exile

John himself does not support the traditions disseminated in the second century about the cave and his exile; he himself testifies the following:
"I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I became in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, 'Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.'" (Rev. 1:9-11)

"I was on the island Patmos," he went voluntarily for the apostolic work, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, and there he saw what he wrote.

Archimandrite Vas. Stefanidis notes that: "John worked for the spread of Christianity. The word 'testimony' (μαρτυρία), misunderstood, was taken to mean 'martyrdom.' From this arose the report that John went to Patmos as an exile, which is first mentioned by Clement of Alexandria" (before 215 AD, Who is the Rich Man that is Saved?, 42). (Ecclesiastical History, p. 39)

The Vision of the Lord's Day and the Two Women

Eugen Weber in his book Apocalypses: Prophecies, Cults, and Millennial Beliefs through the Ages, p. 22, states:
"The week of seven days was established in the Roman calendar only in 321 AD, when Emperor Constantine designated Sunday as the first day of the week, dedicated to rest and worship (dies dominica: day of the Lord)."
Note: The seven-day week based on the Roman planetary deities: Saturn, Sol, Luna, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, was adopted into the Roman calendar in a widespread manner during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, but it was not officially established as a day of rest before Constantine.

Law of Constantine (321 AD): Emperor Constantine designated Sunday (Dies Solis – Day of the Sun) as a day of rest (holiday) for judges, the people, and artisans, with the exception of farmers.
The choice of the term Dies Solis (Day of the Sun) satisfied both Christians (who called it Dies Dominicus – Lord's Day) and pagans, who worshiped Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun).

The Scriptural Identification of Days vs. The Prophetic Lord's Day

"I became in the spirit on the Lord's day – Rev. 1:10"

To understand the distinction John makes, one must look at the original Greek text, which reflects the Hebrew mindset. The English translation "the first day of the week" fails to capture the literal and numerical significance of the term "σαββάτων" (sabbaths/week).

The Jewish Numbering of Days

In the first century, the days were not named after planetary deities but were numbered in relation to the Sabbath:

1. Day One: τη μιά των σαββάτων (the first [day] of the sabbaths) — Sunday

2. Day Two: δευτέρα σαββάτων (the second [day] of the sabbaths) — Monday

3. Day Three: τρίτη σαββάτων (the third [day] of the sabbaths) — Tuesday

4. Day Four: τετάρτη σαββάτων (the fourth [day] of the sabbaths) — Wednesday

5. Day Five: πέμπτη σαββάτων (the fifth [day] of the sabbaths) — Thursday

6. Day Six: παρασκευή (preparation [for the sabbath]) — Friday

7. The Sabbath: η ημέρα των σαββάτων (the day of the sabbaths) — Saturday

The Theological Distinction

When the Gospel writers (e.g., Mark 16:2) wanted to refer to the 24-hour period we now call Sunday, they used the term "τη μια των σαββάτων" (the first of the sabbaths).

However, John in Revelation 1:10 does not use this numerical designation. He uses the term "Κυριακή ημέρα" (the Lord's Day).

• If John meant the 24-hour Sunday, he would have written: "τη μια των σαββάτων" (the first [day] of the sabbaths).

• By writing the "Lord’s Day" (Κυριακή Ημέρα), he is not referring to a day of the week, but to the prophetic "Day of the Lord", the specific time of divine judgment and the manifestation of Jesus as the Almighty.

Conclusion

In the biblical Hebrew-Greek context, the plural term 'sabbaths' (σαββάτων) was used to name every single day of the seven-day cycle. For example, Sunday was simply called 'the first of the sabbaths.' By contrast, John’s use of 'The Lord’s Day' is a distinct prophetic title, completely unrelated to this weekly numbering.

The Fulfillment of the Lord's Day (70 A.D.)

The "Lord’s Day" (Κυριακή Ημέρα) which John witnessed in the Spirit is inextricably linked to the Parousia and the judgment of the generation that pierced the Messiah. This is confirmed by the following scriptural evidence:

a) The Testimony of Matthew (Matt. 24:30, 16:28)

Jesus explicitly declared that the sign of the coming Presence (Parousia) of the Son of Man upon the clouds would occur within the lifetime of His contemporaries:

"Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matt. 16:28).

This coming "with power and great glory" (Matt. 24:30) caused mourning to "all the tribes of the earth [of Israel]" (Matt. 24:30), fulfilling the prophecy of the Great Tribulation and the end of the age of the Old Testament, which was a ministry of death.

b) The Judgment of the Great City

"Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come" (Rev. 18:10). The "mourning" and "wailing" —the intense lamentation with the beating of the breast (Rev. 1:7, 18:9)— refer to the historical destruction of the city which "spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified" (Rev. 11:8).

The kings of the land of Israel, who committed fornication with her and lived in luxury (streniasantes), lamented when they saw "the smoke of her burning" during the Roman siege of 70 A.D. This destruction marks a tragic biblical cycle: the city that began with the promise to Abraham, who was called to come out of Ur of the Chaldeans (Babylonia), ended up —due to her apostasy— identifying spiritually with her ancestral land, Babylon, returning to her idolatrous origin.

c) The Divine Manifestation

The "Day of the Lord" was the moment when Jesus was revealed as the Almighty (Pantokrator) God, executing the judgment foretold by the prophets (Mal. 4:5, Acts 2:20). It was not a 24-hour Sunday of rest, but the "Great and notable Day" that brought the transition from the types and shadows of the Law to the reality of the spiritual Kingdom, which is not territorial, but spiritual and "within us."

The Day of the Lord was Imminent in the Generation of the Apostles

• "Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus." (Titus 2:13)

• "So that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 1:7-8)

• "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil. 3:20)

• "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8)

John saw what would happen on the Day of "the redemption of the sons of God," on the Day of the fulfillment of the written judgments for the transgressors of the Mosaic law and murderers of the prophets and saints—"the woman drunk with the blood of the saints of the Old Testament and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus"—on the Day of the burning and stoning (by Roman catapults) of the "Harlot Jerusalem," on the Day the age of the Mosaic Law was completed, on the Day earthly Jerusalem was desolated and the strongest symbol of Judaism, the Temple, was burned. He saw what would happen on the Day the New Jerusalem, "the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb, reigned," on the Day the Old departed and the New reigned. (Luke 21:28, Phil. 3:21, Matt. 23:31-36, Rev. 17:16, Ezek. 15:6, Ezek. 16:30-35, Isa. 1:21, Rev. 17:6, 21:9)

Two Women, Two Covenants

"For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman (Hagar) and one by the free woman (Sarah). But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking: for these women are two covenants, one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children into slavery; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem (the earthly one destroyed in 70 AD), for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above (the heavenly one that remains forever) is free; she is our mother." (Gal. 4:22-26)

"Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things." (Rev. 1:19)

The things which you have seen:
"The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands (which you saw) are the seven churches." (Rev. 1:20)

The things which are:
(a) The spiritual state of the churches.
(b) The problems they faced from disobedient Jewish false teachers.

• “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev. 2:2-5)

• “I know your tribulation and your poverty but you are rich and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer.” [Rev. 2:9-10]

• “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” [Rev. 2:20]

• “But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” [Rev. 2:6, 14-15]

• “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.” [Rev. 3:9]

And Things Which Must Be After These Things

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be after these things (that is, in the sequence of events).” (Rev. 4:1)

(a) The opening of the book and the loosing of the seven seals thereof. (Rev. 4:5) 

(b) The background of the Roman Empire: “and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” (Rev. 13:2b)

(c) The seven last plagues, by which the wrath of God was fulfilled upon the ungodly among the Jews. (Rev. 15:1)

(d) "The judgment of the great prostitute," who is "carried and sustained" [βασταζομένης] by the beast from the sea—the Roman Empire—reveals that theocratic Israel was no longer supported by the Lord Jesus but had become a vassal state (client kingdom) surviving solely through Rome's tolerance, where the Temple operated and the kings or high priests were appointed under imperial authority; thus, it was rendered desolate of the Divine Presence, with a priesthood that feared any faith in Christ would provoke the Romans to "take away both our place and nation" (Rev. 17:1, 7, John 11:48).

(e) “And the other woman, the bride, the Lamb's wife, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God…” (Rev. 21:9-10)

The Beast from the Sea as God's Collaborator in the Desolation of Jerusalem

“The Lord has become like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel; he has swallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds, and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.” (Lam. 2:5)

God likened the kingdoms of the nations to beasts, in contrast to the physical people of Israel whom He likened to a sheep and a flock of His pasture.

"He brought them out like sheep; and led them in the wilderness like a flock" (Exodus from Egypt). (Ps. 78:52)

"Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones." (Jer. 50:17)

"The Lord has become like an enemy; He has swallowed up Israel" (Lam. 2:5). God has always utilized the "Beasts from the Sea" (secular kingdoms) to execute His wrath upon apostate Israel; this pattern reached its historical climax in 70 A.D., when the Roman "Beast"—once the protector and sustainer of the Judean vassal state—became the instrument of its total desolation (Matt,22:7), fulfilling Christ’s prophecy that "not one stone here will be left on another" (Matt. 24:2).

"This pivotal moment reveals the divine paradox: the very Beast that once 'carried' and sustained the Harlot—providing the political framework for her survival—is ultimately 'put into its heart' by God to turn against her, stripping her naked and consuming her with fire (Rev. 17:16-17). In 70 A.D., Rome ceased to be the protective 'patron' of the Judean vassal state and became the 'instrument of wrath,' proving that any alliance with secular powers against the Divine Will leads to inevitable destruction."

The Fourth Beast

"And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, like a leopard, and its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth like a lion's mouth. And the beast had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten diadems, and on its heads blasphemous names." (Rev. 13:1-2)

This is the Roman Empire, whose armies God calls his own.

"But the king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city." (Matt. 22:7)

Examining the language of Scripture, we read in Hosea what he says to the northern ten-tribe kingdom of Israel (also called Ephraim), when he delivers them to the Assyrian:

"It was I who fed you in the wilderness, in a land of drought. When they had pasture, they became satisfied; they were satisfied, and their heart was exalted; therefore they forgot me. So I will be like a lion to them; like a leopard I will lurk beside the way of Assyria. I will meet them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open." (Hos. 13:5-8)

And here God, speaking through Hosea, tells them that He will be to them as a lion, as a leopard, and as a bear. He himself aligns with the armies of the Assyrians against them.

The Worship of the Beast (The Roman Kingdom) and its Emperors

The events recounted in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation do not concern future events for the end of the world's history, but refer to historical events that took place during the First Jewish-Roman War. The rebellious Jews had to practically repent by rendering worship and honor to the Beast from the Sea, which was the Roman Empire. For a more detailed analysis, you can read the article: Antichrist.

The worship of Rome and its emperors were acts of recognition and submission to Roman authority. The worship of the goddess Rome, as the sovereign power, attributed to her the title of protectress and benefactress. The idea of the worship of Rome had its origins with the Greeks and had political expediency, aiming for Roman favor. Always in combination with the worship of the emperor, it ensured for the cities under Roman suzerainty peace, economic prosperity, and socio-cultural perspective.

The Enemies of God

The message of the New Testament was reconciliation with God and that:

"For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." (Heb. 8:12, 2 Cor. 5:18-21)

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." (Rom. 5:10)

To the Jews who accepted this message, the Apostle Peter writes:

"For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (1 Pet. 2:25)

The remaining Jews who refused reconciliation with God became enemies of the cross of Christ, and God treated them exactly as enemies.

"But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring here and slaughter them before me." (Luke 19:27)

"But they rebelled and grieved his holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them." (Isa. 63:10)

"He has bent his bow like an enemy; he has stood with his right hand like an adversary, and has killed all who were delightful to look upon in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he has poured out his fury like fire." (Lam. 2:4)

The Righteous Wrath of God Upon the Ungodly Among the Jews in 70 AD Was Executed by the Armies of the Romans

God had warned Israel:

"And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, and your roads shall be deserted [...] And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be given into the hand of the enemy [...] you shall eat the flesh of your sons and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters [...] And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation..." (Lev. 26:21-33, cf. Jer. 7:34)

"If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isa. 1:19-20)

These words were spoken to the biological descendants of Abraham, recipients of the Old Covenant, and were fulfilled with their dispersal by the Assyrians and Babylonians and with the executed wrath of God in the Apocalypse.

[1] The Seven Plagues

"Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished." (Rev. 15:1)

[2] The Sword

"And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth (of Israel), so that people should slay one another (civil war), and he was given a great sword." (Rev. 6:4)

Josephus testifies:

"In every city there was now tumult and civil strife, and no sooner had they a breathing-space from the Romans than they turned their hands against each other. A fierce struggle had broken out between the war-mongers and the peace-lovers."

"The Roman generals urged Vespasian not to delay, saying that they (the Romans) had divine providence as an ally which made the enemies (the Jews) devour each other."

"There was not a single place in Judea that did not share in the ruin of the capital." (Jewish War, Book IV, 131-132, 366, 409)

[3] I Will Send Pestilence Among You

"When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 'Come!' And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth." (Rev. 6:7-8)

Josephus testifies:

"No spot in the city (Jerusalem) had been left bare; every corner had its corpse, a victim of the famine or of the revolt." (Jewish War, Book VI, 369)

Further Warnings That Were Fulfilled

 “And said, I will turn away my face from them[1], and will show what shall happen to them in the last days[2]; for it is a perverse generation[3], sons in whom is no faith.  They have provoked me to jealousy with [that which is] not God, they have exasperated me with their idols; and I will provoke them to jealousy with them that are no nation, I will anger them with a nation void of understanding. For a fire has been kindled out of my wrath, it shall burn to hell below; it shall devour the land, and the fruits of it; it shall set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will gather evils upon them, and will fight with my weapons against them. [Greek txt: adds > I will spend my arrows[4] on them. See also ESV2011]. [They shall be] consumed with hunger[5]  and the devouring of birds[6], and there shall be irremediable destruction: I will send forth against them the teeth of wild beasts, with the rage of [serpents] creeping on the ground.” [Deut. 32:20-24 LXXE]. The above excerpt is part of the Song of Moses (Rev. 15:3).Σ

[1] I Will Hide My Face From Them

"Behold, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Matt. 23:38-39)

"He who comes in the name of the Lord." This statement refers to the preaching in the name of Jesus. Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me." (Matt. 10:40)

"I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ." (Rom. 15:29)

[2] The Last Days

"As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'" (Matt. 24:3)

Peter's Sermon on the Day of Pentecost

"Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven [...] But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: 'Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day (nine in the morning). But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh (New Covenant), and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions [...] And even on my male servants and female servants in those days (the last days) I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy." (Acts 2:5, 14-18)

The Jews were living in the last days of the Mosaic law, and the Parousia and the wrath of God were imminent for those among them who were disobedient and denied Jesus Christ and persecuted His body, the church.

[3] A Perverse Generation

"They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation." (Deut. 32:5)

"And Jesus answered, 'O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.'" (Matt. 17:17)

"That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Phil. 2:15)

"And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, 'Save yourselves (the wrath of God was coming) from this crooked generation.'" (Acts 2:40)

"But when he (John the Baptist) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?'" (Matt. 3:7)

[4] The Arrows

"Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, 'Come!' And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow (to shoot the arrows of God's wrath), and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer." (Rev. 6:1-2)

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire... He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty." (Rev. 19:11, 15)

[5] The Famine

“When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales[a] [Grk txt: Ζυγός = Yoke] in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart[b] [Grk txt: Χοίνιξ = Choenix] of wheat for a denarius[c], and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.” [Rev. 6:5-6]

Here a period of famine during the siege of earthly Jerusalem by Titus is described, as Josephus also tells us:

"Many secretly exchanged their possessions for a single measure of wheat, if they happened to be richer, and of barley if they were poorer; then they would shut themselves up in the most hidden parts of their houses; some, in utter destitution, ate the grain unground, while others baked it as need and fear dictated." (Jewish War, Book V, 427)

Here the terms of the description clearly determine both the historical time when the shown events took place and the time of the book's writing.

The dictionary of the Ancient Greek language by Ioannis Dr. Stamakatou says:

Zygón = the beam of the balance (of the scales), the horizontal iron bar connecting and holding the two scales at its ends. (Cf. Amos 8:5 LXX)
Choínix = a dry measure of capacity, equal to 315 drams. One choínix of wheat was the daily grain ration of a soldier, or at least of a slave. (Cf. Ezek. 45:10-11 LXX)
Dēnárion = a Roman coin equal to one drachma.

The balance, the choínix, and the denarius were all in use in the first century AD.

[6] Devoured by Birds (of prey) / Pestilence

Jesus had warned the Jews:

"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together." (Matt. 24:27-28)

The carcass was Jerusalem, and the gathering of the eagles was the multinational Roman army. The event would not pass unnoticed, just as lightning does not pass unnoticed.

The Carcass

In Job, it is said concerning the ungodly:

"He hath been appointed as food for vultures; and he knoweth within himself that he is destined to be a carcass, and a dark day shall whirl him away." (Job 15:23, LXX)

"He is already ranked among those appointed as food for vultures. And he himself now knows well and believes that his end will be to become a carcass. A black and dark day will shake him and whirl him around." (Interpretative translation by I.Th. Kolitsaras)

The Birds Fed on the Carcasses of War

"[...] I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them (wrath). They shall be consumed with hunger, and devoured by birds." (Deut. 32:23-24 LXX, and Jer. 15:3)

"And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan." (Ezek. 39:17-18, Rev. 19:17-18)

"And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great." (Rev. 19:17-18)

Another Testimony

"And I will bring to an end in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste." (Jer. 7:34)

And this word was fulfilled.

"And the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth." (Rev. 18:23)

The Jews Agreed to Bear the Consequences of Their Actions

"Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' They all said, 'Let him be crucified!' And he said, 'Why, what evil has he done?' But they shouted all the more, 'Let him be crucified!' So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, 'I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.' And all the people answered, 'His blood be on us and on our children!'" (Matt. 27:22-25)

"And there followed him a great multitude of the people (Jews) and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, "Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!" Then they will begin to say to the mountains, "Fall on us," and to the hills, "Cover us." For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?'" (Luke 23:27-31; cf. Hos. 10:8)

This word was spoken to the women of Jerusalem (Jewish women) and concerned them and their children, and it was fulfilled in the Apocalypse.

"Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'" (Rev. 6:15-17)

The Land of Israel

When God brought the physical Israel into the promised land, he set the boundaries of their dwelling and told them: "This shall be your land with its boundaries all around." (Num. 34:12)

Therefore, when God spoke to them through the Prophets, He had this land of Israel, the Holy Land, as His frame of reference, not the whole world. (Num. 34:12)

"And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem and concerning the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink water in dismay, because their land shall be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it." (Ezek. 12:19)

"And he (the king of Babylon) carried away all Jerusalem [...] and none remained, except the poorest people of the land [...] And he carried away all the leaders of the land into exile..." (2 Kings 24:14-15)

"You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel." (Num. 35:34)

"And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’..." (Jer. 2:7-8; 3:2)

"Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, 'Blow the trumpet through the land; cry aloud...'" (Jer. 4:5)

"Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it." (Jer. 6:19)

"And I will bring to an end [...] the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste." (Jer. 7:34; cf. Rev. 18:23)

"O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!" (Jer. 22:29)

The Judgment of the Great Prostitute

“How has the faithful city Sion, [once] full of judgement, become a harlot! wherein righteousness lodged, but now murderers.” [Is. 1:21, LXXE]

“Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.” [Micah, 3:9-10]

"Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity." (Mic. 3:9-10)

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls [with which the wrath of God was finished (15:1)] came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations. And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” [Rev. 17:1-6]

The great harlot who sits on many waters, is the woman who sits on the beast; and it is “the great city,” the powerful city of Babylon that murders the prophets and the martyrs of Jesus (Jerusalem).  (Rev. 17:18).

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” [Mat. 23:37].

"Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem." (Luke 13:33)

Jeremiah Had Prophesied About Jerusalem

"For thus says the Lord of hosts: Cut down her trees and cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem. This is the city that must be punished; there is nothing but oppression within her. As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps fresh her evil; violence and destruction are heard within her; sickness and wounds are ever before me." (Jer. 6:6-7)

Jesus Invokes the Prophet Jeremiah

"For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." (Luke 19:43-44)

Babylon

“The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, salutes you; and so does Marcus my son.” [I Pet.  5:13]

The Babylon from which the apostle Peter wrote to the circumcised was the Babylon of Egypt, present-day Cairo, where many Jews lived. Today, a Patriarchal Monastery exists there, and historical information is provided at the addresses:

http://www.patriarchateofalexandria.com/index.php?module=content&cid=002008
http://www.symbole.gr/litlif/theho/varthem/1197-petrusetroma

In Revelation, "the great city" is called spiritually "Sodom" and "Egypt," and it is Jerusalem "where their Lord was crucified" (Rev. 11:8). It is also called spiritually "Babylon."

Biblical Testimonies

What was the origin of the Hebrews?

The Jews had a Chaldean origin. Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldeans. Babylon was the Chaldean empire with its capital in Babylon, and under King Nebuchadnezzar, it reached its peak. The last king of Babylon, Belshazzar, was also a Chaldean. (Gen. 15:7; Ezra 5:12; Dan. 5:30; Jer. 40:9)

Why is Jerusalem called spiritually Egypt?

Ezekiel records the following: "The word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They played the whore in Egypt; in their youth they played the whore. There their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled. Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.'" (Ezek. 23:1-4)

Why is Jerusalem called spiritually Babylon?

Ezekiel records the following: "Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria (the house of Israel, ten tribes), and Oholibah is Jerusalem (the house of Judah, two tribes). And Oholah played the whore while she was mine [...] And when her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt than her sister in her lust and in her whoring [...] and she lusted after them as soon as she saw them. And she sent messengers to them into Chaldea (the land of their origin). And they came to her, the Babylonians, to the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring [...] and she was defiled by them..." (Ezek. 23:4-17)

Why is Jerusalem called spiritually Sodom?

Isaiah records the following: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth [...] Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel... Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom (the rulers and prophets of Israel)! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah (the people of Israel)! 'What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?' says the Lord; 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.'" (Isa. 1:2, 4, 10-11)

"For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah." (Deut. 32:32)

"But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah." (Jer. 23:14)

The "Woes" of the Lord Were for Jerusalem

"Woe, woe, for the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in a single hour your judgment has come." (Compare with 17:1) "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls [...] The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 'Woe, woe, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.'" (Rev. 18:10-16) (Compare with 17:4)

All This Wealth Was Laid Waste

The repercussions of Jerusalem's fall were devastating for the economy and all structures of the Jewish nation. Its Temple, like all temples of the ancient world, was a source of income for Israel. Rituals, sacrifices, purifications, and every Temple activity attracted crowds of locals and foreign visitors, making it a center of commerce and boosting Israel's economy. The war brought about its economic ruin.

The Jewish apostle to the circumcised, James, wrote about his wealthy countrymen who withheld the wages of their workers:

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings [...] Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." (James 1:1; 5:1-5)

Come Out of Her, My People

Just as in times of war, involved countries withdraw their embassies from each other, so the Lord Jesus withdrew His ambassadors from Jerusalem.

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us." (2 Cor. 5:20)

"Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people (the children of promise / the ambassadors), lest you take part in her sins, and lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.'" (Rev. 18:4-5)

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written." (Luke 21:20-22)

The Time for God's Vengeance Had Come

"Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land." (Deut. 32:43)

"When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning." (Isa. 4:4)

"For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain." (Isa. 26:21)

"Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people." (Luke 21:23)

The Slain Saints Cried Out for Vengeance

"Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation." (Luke 11:49-51)

"When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been." (Rev. 6:9-11)

"And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." (Rev. 17:6)

God opened the ark of the covenant (of the Old Covenant) with the written judgments and answered the cries of the slain Saints and Martyrs of Jesus according to what was written.

"Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail." (Rev. 11:19)

"'Woe, woe, for the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her! Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, 'So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.'" (Rev. 18:19-24)

• "Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. But the land of the wicked will fall." (Isa. 26:19)

• "For he will avenge the blood of his servants." (Deut. 32:43)

• "And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, 'Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!'" (Rev. 16:5-6)
  "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her and has avenged your blood." (Rev. 18:20)

• "After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.'" (Rev. 19:1-2)

Israel the Vine

The Lord said through the prophets to the people of Israel:

"Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?" (Jer. 2:21)

"Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars." (Hos. 10:1)
"You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it." (Ps. 80:8)
"Then turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine..." (Ps. 80:14)

Similarly, in Isaiah: "Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting." (Isa. 5:1-7) (See also Matt. 21)

The true God had spoken about the vintage of His people Israel, the vine:

" It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of your countenance." (Ps. 80:16)

"Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, 'Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.' So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God." (Rev. 14:17-19)

"Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? 'It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.' Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come.'" (Isa. 63:1-4)

Conclusion

With the internationalization of the witness of the First Church, which was completed in the generation of the Apostles, and the fulfillment of God's wrath upon Jerusalem according to the Mosaic Law in 70 AD, the Old Covenant and the prophecies of the book of Revelation were completed. Today we live in the unending age of the New Covenant of grace through Jesus Christ. (Rom. 16:26)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." (John 3:16-19)

The judgment in the New Covenant is that those who do not love the Light of Jesus Christ, the true God, being dead, remain in darkness and do not partake in Immortality after their biological death. (1 John 5:20; John 3:19)

Jesus reigns!

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