One single theme in the first part of the synoptic Apocalypse: the war against the Romans

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FransJVermeiren
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One single theme in the first part of the synoptic Apocalypse: the war against the Romans

Post by FransJVermeiren »

The following analysis is inspired by an opinion on this forum that the possible allusions to historical events in Mark’s version of the synoptic Apocalypse are not much more than a side note.

Obviously the synoptic Apocalypse is an encrypted text. In this attempt to decrypt these fragments I have put the versions in Matthew and Luke besides Mark, because this gives a more comprehensive view on possible historical references in this part of the synoptic gospels. I have divided this fragment in different sections for ease of discussion. Some introductory or less relevant verses have been omitted.

Sec-tion ---------------------Matthew 24-------------------- ---------------------Mark 13-------------------------- --------------------Luke 21-------------------
A (1) Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. (2) But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down. (1) And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” (2) And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.” (5) And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, (6) “As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.
B (4) And Jesus answered them, “Take heed that no one leads you astray. (5) For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. (5) And Jesus began to say to them, “Take heed that no one leads you astray. (6) Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead you astray. (8) And he said, “Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.
C (6) And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. (7) And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet. (9) And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once.
D (7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: (8) all this is but the beginning of the birthpangs. (8) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the birthpangs. (10) Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; (11) there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
E (9) Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death. (9) But take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them. (12) But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.
F (10) And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. (12) And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. (16) You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death.

Discussion
A. Jerusalem under Roman threat
In my chronological theory Jesus’ famous prophecy of the destruction of the temple is the not too difficult extrapolation of anyone trapped in Jerusalem, who knows that the stranglehold of the Romans over Judea is becoming tighter and tighter and foresees how this will end. Jesus is wording here his concrete apprehension for the destiny of the Temple in the near future. This opinion can be dated in 69 or the beginning of 70 CE.

B. World dominion for the Christ, not for the emperor
This section defends the prerogative of the Jewish messiah against Roman claimants. World dominion will be exercised by the messiah, the κυριος Χριστος, and not by the emperor, the κυριος Καισαρ. A series of emperors is opposed to the one and only Christ. Words from the πλαν-stem (to lead astray/to deceive, deceitful, deceiver/imposter) are not only here conveying an anti-Roman message. In Didache XVI:4 Titus is called κοσμοπλανης (deceiver of the world, of the Roman empire), and in 2John 7 the πλανος is mentioned as one and the same as the antichrist, the Roman emperor.

This section is reminiscent of Josephus’s War 310-315 about the equivocal oracle “announcing that at that time a man from their country would become leader of the world”. Josephus tells that not a Jewish messiah was meant in the oracle, but Vespasian who was on Jewish soil when he was proclaimed emperor by his troops. For the authors of the synoptic Apocalypse this is a deceiving point of view.
In its discussion of the antichrist, 1John 2:19 also warns against this pro-Roman deception: “They [Vespasian and Titus] came out from amongst us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us.”
The ‘in my name’ of this section is probably better translated as ‘with my title’, the messisanic κυριος Χριστος title of the new world ruler.

C. Wars as a sign of the end of times
A general atmosphere of war and disorder throughout the world is depicted. We can think of the Roman civil war and of the rebellion of the Batavi in these years. This kind of catastrophic warlike upheaval announces the final stage of ‘normal history’ according to the eschatological world view of the Essenes. This ‘end of normal history’ (τἐλος) is mentioned in all three versions of the synoptic Apocalypse. Matthew also mentions ‘the end of the era’ (συντελεἰας τοῡ αἰωνος) in verse 3 of his apocalyptic chapter.

D. The war against the Romans with an emphasis on the siege of Jerusalem
This section describes a war between peoples and nations, more particularly between the Jews and the Romans, with an emphasis on siege warfare: the trembling causes by the impact of siege engines (ballista and battering ram), and the effects of prolonged sieges, famine and the accompanying epidemics. Luke adds φὀβητρἀ (terrible sights) and great signs in the sky. With the latter he seems to anticipate the ‘signs in sun and moon and stars’ of verse 25, which describe the gigantic column of smoke above Jerusalem after the burning of the Temple. Which means that this section describes one siege in particular, the siege of Jerusalem. Luke's extra information is invaluable in rehistoricizing the encrypted text.

E. The incident that triggered the war (in Luke)
In this section also Luke provides us with more information than his counterparts. The sequence of attack – driving out – synagogue (meeting room) – prison – procurator is reminiscent of the Caesarean incident that provoked the war. In Mark we miss the first two elements, Matthew is unspecific. My translation of the Lukan version of this section goes as follows: But before all this they will attack you and drive you out, delivering you up to the meeting rooms and prisons, and you will be brought before emperors and procurators for my name’s sake. See Josephus's War II:284-292.

F. Civil war
This verse describes the disruption of families during a civil war. Josephus describes the civil war of 68-69 CE in similar words in War IV:131-133.

Conclusion
This analysis shows that the war of the Jews against the Romans, with world dominion at stake, is het only theme of the first part of the synoptic Apocalypse. In summary, we discern the following six subjects:
1. Jerusalem under Roman threat (69-70 CE)
2. The intended result of the war: world dominion of the Jewish messiah
3. A general atmosphere of war which characterizes the culmination of the then period of history.
4. A general mention of the war against the Romans; description of some important elements of the siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)
5. The incident at Caesarea that triggered the war (66 CE – in the Lukan version)
6. Civil war in Palestine 68-69 CE.
www.waroriginsofchristianity.com

The practical modes of concealment are limited only by the imaginative capacity of subordinates. James C. Scott, Domination and the Arts of Resistance.
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