Blessed

Revelation 1:3:  “Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near.”(RSV)

             The blessing to “he who reads aloud the words of this prophecy…” indicates that it originated in written form rather than the oral form often used by the other prophets.  Since John was in exile it was necessary that he address his audience in writing.

            What is the special blessing for those who read, hear and keep the words of this prophecy?  This blessing is related to the fact that “the [appointed] time, (kairos), is near.”  If we take “the appointed time” to mean the time foretold by Daniel and confirmed by Christ of the judgments of God upon Jerusalem, then we can see that the blessing is that those who heed this prophecy will be delivered from the “wrath to come,” and will escape the judgments coming upon Jerusalem.

            Eusebius tells us that there was an “oracle” that ordered the Christians to leave the city.  This oracle was circulated in Jerusalem at the time of the Roman invasion (3.5.4).[1] What was that “oracle given by revelation to acceptable persons,” that was so influential as to cause the entire local church to emigrate?  I believe that “oracle given by revelation” is contained in the book of Revelation which we now have as the final book of our Bibles.  The word ‘revelation’ or apokalupsis may also be translated ‘oracle.’

            Eusebius says that the war began in the twelfth year of Nero, which Williamson notes was AD 66,[2] and that the Christian exodus was “before the war began.”  He no doubt means the Roman war against Jerusalem to put down the rebellion; the rebellion against Rome had been going on for some time.  Kee, Young, Froelich, says: “Presumably it was just before the siege began (underlines mine) that the Christians decided to flee to a place of safety.”[3]  The time of the flight, therefore, may have been at some point “before the siege”, which began in April AD 70.  Other indications are that it may have been in the summer of AD 68.  (See also Commentary at 18:4 “Flight to Pella”)

            The passage in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, (written about AD 51), concerning “the great falling away“, (KJV), “the rebellion“, (RSV), is speaking of that pending rebellion against Rome which resulted in the war.  The “man of lawlessness” is the wicked High Priest who fomented the rebellion.

            Clearly it is the wicked city Jerusalem that is intended in Revelation 11:8 where it is “allegorically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.”  Just as righteous Lot was called out of Sodom before the city could be destroyed, and just as Israel was called out of Egypt and did not suffer the plagues upon it, so now the Christians are being called out of Jerusalem. (11:12).

            The war for the Christians, however, was not only that against Rome, but also, on the fleshly level, the war of the Jews against the Christians.  This war, as recorded in the Gospels and the book of Acts, had been waged throughout the New Testament era and was especially vicious in the days immediately following Pentecost.  After the martyrdom of Stephen the Christians were dispersed, (Acts 8:1), and persecuted throughout the empire wherever they went to preach in the synagogues.

            The war against the Christians flared up again in Jerusalem in the year AD 62 when James, brother of Jesus, was executed by official action of the High Priest (ibid., 239).[4]  This opened a new era of Jewish persecution of Christians which intensified until its climax in the destruction of the city in AD 70, a period of approximately seven years (ibid., 239-241).  This fulfilled the “time of trouble” foretold by Daniel, (12:1), and Jesus, (Matt. 24:21).  In Daniel 7:25 the saints “shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time,” the 3 1/2 years before their deliverance.

            Roman persecution of Christians was actually the result of the Jewish war against the Christians.  The image of the Church throughout the empire had been greatly damaged by the false accusations from the Jewish synagogues.  Nero‘s wife, Poppaea, had become indoctrinated by Jewish priests and would, therefore, have adopted their hatred of Christianity.  Nero, perhaps at Poppaea’s instigation, began his persecution of Christians, as distinct from Jews, after the great fire in Rome in AD 64.

            When the Romans knew that the Christians were a distinct group, then they became subject to the enforcement of worship of the emperor.  Since the Jews had been granted the status of a privileged cult, they were exempt from emperor worship.  Christians were allowed this status also so long as they were considered Jews.  When the Christians began to deny that they were “Jews” it left them without the covering of the privileged status.  At about this time, however, the Jews revolted against Rome and declared their independence, forcing Rome to move militarily against them.  This left the Christians in the position of disobedience to Rome because of refusal to worship the emperor and enmity to Judaism because of refusal to deny Christ.  They were faced with two powerful enemies who were also at war with each other, – a time of trouble such as the nation had never seen!

            The message of Revelation gives the blessed assurance of Christ‘s deliverance, reminiscent of Christ’s words in Luke 21:28:

Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. RSV

             The passage in Luke 17:34-37 seems to indicate that deliverance is not to be merely a matter of one’s own volition, or watchfulness, but that some “will be taken” while others “will be left.”  In reading Josephus‘ account it seems that indeed there were people who did escape the City and others who could not.  These passages themselves would have been sufficient to warn the Christians to avoid the City, or flee from it where possible.

            Some will object that the “end of the age” does not pertain only to the fall of Judea and Jerusalem but to the whole earth.  For example, “for it (that day) will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth.”  (Luke 21:35 RSV).  There are two things that must be pointed out in this regard: (l) the word ‘earth’, in the Hebrew is ’eretz which is sometimes translated ‘earth’ and sometimes ‘land.’  It could therefore refer to the whole land of Judea, or to the whole planet earth.  (2) It may in fact refer to both in their proper time and order; that is, first to the whole land of Judea in the first century, then to the whole world after the Gospel has gone to the whole world, in the end of the Gentile age.  This is according to the pattern: “The Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile).” (Rom. 2:9-10).

            A further objection is that, at His “coming,” Christ is to establish His kingdom in the earth.  This may be answered by pointing out that, at the destruction of the fleshly nation, Christ’s kingdom fully replaced it in the earth.  After that time, there was no other nation of Israel, no other heirs to the promises.  But just as the physical nation had occupied a limited space in the world, so Christ’s kingdom at that time was not all-pervasive of the world systems.  His kingdom has, however, like the little stone cut out by no human hands that broke in pieces the great kingdoms of the earth in Daniel 2:33, continually increased and will ultimately fill all the earth and replace every kingdom of this world,[5] the “Blessed” kingdom of those who hear the message of Revelation.