Matthew 24 Christ's Appearance in AD66. The Futurists & Preterists Contradiction

Testimonies of Christ’s Appearance
in the Clouds in AD 66

From the book,
World War III and The 6000^th Year, ch 18

By Bill Weather - Main Page - prophecybase

Fulfilling Matthew 24, as just a sign in AD 66, we have these testimonies at the start of Israel’s worse war with Rome. We Historicists believe this is not the Resurrection, as the Preterists say, but these testimonies are just a sign to the believers to flee Jerusalem, before it’s destruction.

On the twenty-first day of the month of Artemisius [Iyar], a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.

Josephus, The Wars of the Jews 6.5.3.

A certain figure appeared of tremendous size, which many saw,... and before the setting of the sun there were suddenly seen in the clouds chariots in the clouds and armed battle arrays by which the cities of all Judea and its territories were invaded.

Pseudo-Hegesippus 44.

Moreover, in those days were seen chariots of fire and horsemen, a great force flying across the sky near to the ground coming against Jerusalem and all the land of Judah, all of them horses of fire and riders of fire.

Sepher Yosippon

A Medieval History of Ancient Israel

Matching Matthew 24:27 is a historical witness of lightning accompanying the 66 AD Jewish revolt and was recorded by the 1st century Roman Historian Tacitus.

In the sky appeared a vision of armies in conflict, of glittering armor. A sudden lightening flash from the clouds lit up the Temple. The doors of the holy place abruptly opened, a superhuman voice was heard to declare that the gods were leaving it, and in the same instant came the rushing tumult of their departure.

Tacitus The Histories 5.13.

These historical records of AD 66 bare witness to Jesus words in Matthew 24, that they would see the sign of the Son of Man coming in power and great glory. Jesus himself called it a sign, not a resurrection.

V29 - Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven...

There is not a lack of scripture showing this to be metaphor addressing the fall of leadership, i.e. Joseph's dream of his family representing the sun, moon and stars. Isayah 13:10 and Ezekiel 32:7 also show this.

Culturally, the Jews were a people of stories and symbols, not of logic and fact, like our western mind, so a literalist thinking here should not apply.

V31 - And he shall send forth his angels with a

great sound of a trumpet, to gather his elect…

Verse 31 translated angel, is sometimes translated messenger, the argument being that he would send forth his messengers to gather his elect outside of Jerusalem when they fled to the mountains of Pella to escape the Jerusalem destruction and troubles throughout Judea.

If this were a Preterist Resurrection, there would be no one left to spread the gospel. Do you know how much work Jesus did to get the gospel going? Why would he take all the believers off the planet then, in AD 66? That makes absolutely no sense. Matthew 24:3 is a mistranslation in some versions of the Bible.

Tell us, when shall these things be?
and what shall be the sign of thy coming,

and of the end of the world?

This should have been translated end of the age, not end of the world. Many versions already translate it as end of the age. It was the end of that age, not of our age?

In Matt 24:3 the disciples asked when would be the destruction of the temple, the sign of his coming and the end of the age. Notice, they didn’t ask about his coming, but “the SIGN of thy coming” and it was in reference to his coming to judge Jerusalem and the end of that age, not the resurrection. Jesus told them the end of that age would come in that generation in verse 34 by “all” being fulfilled in that chapter. The questions they asked were not even related to the Resurrection, but all about judgment on Jerusalem.

Why would they need a sign of his coming in a resurrection if they were being resurrected? Once resurrected, no sign would be needed. They would just be resurrected, duh, so this proves Matthew 24 is not at all about the resurrection, unless you believe Jesus gave a nonsensical off topic answer.

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

This is in reference to the temple in AD 70 and the end of that age. His coming here is a coming in judgment of Jerusalem, as shown by the visions of war in the skies in AD 66. Why are Christians in presumption, that every coming of the Lord mentioned in scripture speaks of his second coming? The AD 66 sign of the Son of Man was just that, a sign, not a resurrection. Jesus didn’t call it a resurrection. Why should we assume that it was? Our literalist western mind is in conflict with Hebrew metaphor and hyperbole.

A huge factor to Matthew 24 is found in verse 34, which testifies against Matthew 24 being for the end times. Listen to the words of Jesus…

V34 - Verily I say to you, THIS GENERATION shall not pass, till ALL these things be fulfilled.

This is verified in Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32 as well. To the insult of common sense, Futurists claim this generation could mean in 2000 years. In all honesty, that is an intellectual stretch. This portion agrees with the Preterists and Historicists fare more than the Futurists.

V16 - Then let them which be in Judea flee into the Mountains

Why would Jesus tell them to flee to the mountains if this was about a resurrection? There would be no need to flee if they were being resurrected, proving again, this is not about the resurrection, but about AD 70 Jerusalem's judgment that was coming.

V20 - Pray that your flight be not in winter or on the sabbath day

Matching AD 66-70 historical context, Jesus here says to pray their flight would not be on the sabbath day because the Jews locked the gates of the city on sabbaths, so there would be no escape if attacked on the Sabbath. No such of a situation exists today, again proving this portion is not about our end times, but about the end of their era.

The Abomination of Desolation in verse 15 was fulfilled in AD 66-70. Luke calls it, the armies that bring desolation (Luke 21:20). The Roman armies in AD 66 surrounded Jerusalem, then for no apparent reason, left. Christians took this opportunity to leave the city and flee to the mountains of Pella. Then the Roman armies returned and surrounded the city, which lead to Jews being entrapped and dying of famine, pestilence, infighting and suicide.

V22 - Except those days be shortened, no flesh should be saved, but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.

This is all well recorded in the works of Josephus, the great Jewish historian. This fulfilled Matthew 24:21, 22, that there would be no greater time of tribulation for Jerusalem, proving a point, that a future fulfillment here could not be possible. The entire destruction and annihilation of almost everyone in the city is a complete destruction, making it an impossibility to be a worse time in the future. You can't get a worse destruction than a complete destruction.

Luke 21:20 - And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that desolation thereof is nigh.

Here we see more clearly. Unlike Matthew's gospel, Luke's gospel is addressing more of a gentile crowd, calling it more plainly, the armies that would bring desolation.

An idol set up in a 3rd temple Futurist scenario could not happen till after the armies came in, not before , but Christ's words prove the abomination of desolation warning happens before Jerusalem's destruction, not after it. Here the Futurists scenario is so very well disproven and not even logical. The events of their scenario are out of order! First comes the abomination of desolation armies setting up to war against Jerusalem, then in Jesus' words, they are told to flee once they see this. The Futurists scenario would have Jerusalem conquered first, to set up an idol, then they are told to flee? That is such a pathetic nonsensical error on behalf of the Fututists. They would have been dead before they fled in a Futurist scenario.

To expand the subject matter beyond "this generation" is not sound hermeneutics in any way.

A.O.D. Fulfilled

Almost all of Christendom has never heard of these ancient testimonies of Christ coming in the clouds in AD 66 as a sign. This is one of the reasons the Futurists are confusing the issue. Now that we know these testimonies do exist, we can get past the contradictory arguments of the Preterists and Futurists and move on to believe that much of Matthew 24 is fulfilled.

Matthew 24:14 appears to more support an end time application, but does not.

and this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then the end shall come.

We Historicists argue that Hebrews often used hyperboles in their language. It's a term used implicating more than what is actually there. Here are four scriptures which show Paul using hyperbole in describing how the gospel was preached in all the known world, being fulfilled in his day.

Colossians 1:23... for the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister of.

Colossians 1:5,6... the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed

in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing...

Romans 10:16-18... But they have not obeyed the gospel.... but I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world.

Romans 16:25-26... according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ... and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations...

We know from Christ's Resurrection into AD 70, the gospel was preached all throughout the Roman Empire and into Asia and Africa some, but is Matthew 24:14 a Futurist literalist view or a Historicist view of the gospel preached in just all the known world? According to the 4 scriptures above, the Futurist literalists are in error.

V-40 Then there will be two men in the field, one will be taken and the other left.

This is not a Rapture scripture as one might suppose. The context is his coming in judgement, not a resurrection.

V-37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah

The context is that the one taken would be like in the floods of Noah. They would die in the judgment. So too, those of AD 70 Jerusalem were taken in the judgment flood of destruction.

The Hebrew use of hyperboles can sometimes lend a confusion to true interpretation. The evidence so far is very in favor of the Historicist and Christ's own words of him coming in just a sign here (not a resurrection), with it's time limitation to "this generation", is very difficult for an honest theologian to get around.

Just two verses later from "this generation" in Matthew 24:34, we read in verse 36...

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

This would be applied to the AD 66 appearance, not the end times. As I thoroughly prove in 8 different ways in the free PDF download at 6000thyear.com, we can know when he's coming and based on that super strong evidence, it's pointing to Yom Teruah in 2028.

Now that this is more thoroughly explained, all the more, we can believe Christ would be coming on the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Teruah, in 2028, since this no man knows the day and hour misunderstanding, only applies to the AD 66 appearance and is in contradiction to God's precise timing of the first four feasts, which sets a historical precedent and reason to believe, that he will also be precise with the last three feasts, with Yom Teruah representing the Resurrection. Please download the free PDF at 6000thyear.com which fully explains all of this more thoroughly.

The ideas in this chapter fly in the face of so much deeply rooted modern day misinterpretation and misunderstandings, but the evidence presented needs no further verification. The weight of the counter rebuttal now rests on the detractors, but they won't even try to rebuttal this. They will play the game of ignoring these points made and continue to declare their pre tribulation rapture, even in the face of WW3/Revelation 18 at the door.