Who was compassed by armies, and then the temple destroyed? Have you even read the Old Testament prophesies concerning the compassing with armies? It might interest you comparing scripture with scripture or do you simply rely on Josephus's record of who?
Luk 21:20-21
(20) And when ye shall
see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the
desolation thereof is nigh.
(21) Then
let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and
let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and
let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
When the believers see their city, Jersualem, the people of God and their Holy Place on this side of the Cross, the CHURCHES, under attack by Satan's ministers of unrighteousness (False prophets and Christs PER CONTEXT), then we know God has brought judgment against the apostate church, as we are to flee to the safety of the Mountain of God.
"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. (Luk 21:20)
The desolation of Jerusalem is caused foremost by the
wickedness of the city - that is, those that are
not Christ's but feign to be Christ's are part of that external Church that has come into judgment. The elect is part of the Church too, but they are not deceived nor are they under God's wrath - and as such they must remove themselves out of the city, yet remain citizens of Jerusalem. They are to flee the city because it is to become a wasteland - a place of the habitation of all things unclean, the abomination that makes desolate will rule over it.
The language of Jerusalem as the people of God is used later to describe the bride of Christ, made perfect and dwelling with Christ eternally. This comes after the destruction of this present world, but the important information is that
Jerusalem represents the people of God and the
armies that surrounded the city to overthrow it are the people of Satan. Not Roman attacking physical city Jersualem.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev 21:2)
As I explained on my previous posts, they are
all related to the apostasy in the church and
its dire results. Apostasy comes from kingdom rising against kingdom, there is famine, persecution, betrayal, hatred, etc., as in those signs. Indeed apostasy "
is" Jerusalem compassed with armies. Not physically, but spiritually just as it was revealed in the time of Christ when He fulfilled prophesy of this. It all depends upon how we define God's Word, either
by God's Word or by hypothesis and supposition. The New Testament Jerusalem "IS" the church. Not Jersualem in the Middle East like you believe. What armies would encamp against her and surround her but those soldiers spiritually of Satan, just as they did at Christ's first advent (Zec 9:8-9). There were no literal/physical battles in Jerusalem then, no literal armies then, and there are no literal/physical battles or armies against the Lord's house in the last days. It is spiritual warfare. e.g.:
Revelation 20:8-9
- "And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
- And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."
The beloved city is spiritual Jerusalem, the church. Not your physical city Jerusalem. The nations from all over the Earth did not come down to Jersualem in 70AD. No. The churches all over the world are the encampment of the saints. It "IS" where the battle truly takes place. The fight against abomination standing in the holy place. It is happening right now. Not future, or in 70AD. Again, it all depends upon how we define God's word, either "by" God's word or by presumption in looking at physical nations, battles, famines and warfare, and history based on the writing of a heathen.
