We are have been rapidly approaching the second phase of
the Prelude to Christ's Return since 1967.
Some expect the final 1260 day span to begin as soon as
April 11th, 2012!
One important thing I learned today was the fulfillment
of Zechariah chapter 13 (occurred in the past).
Based on a reply I received to a question posted to a
friend and biblical scholar, Eve Engelbrite.
Eve Engelbrite [ http://kneelingmedia.org/AwakeBride/
] and [ http://awakebride.blogspot.com/ ] and
[ http://www.youtube.com/user/AwakeBride ]
"This
was my reply to Dave a last year on Zech.
13".
Zechariah 13 pertains to Messiah's first coming as our
Good Shepherd who laid
down His life for His sheep in 30 AD, and I think
verses 8-9 were fufilled in
70 AD.
Zechariah 13:7b-9 “. . . smite the shepherd, and the
sheep shall be scattered:
and I will turn my hand on the little ones. 8 And it
shall come to pass, that in
all the land, said the LORD, two parts therein shall
be cut off and die; but
the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring
the third part through the
fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and
will try them as gold is
tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear
them: I will say, It is my
people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.”
Josephus was a historian and eye-witness to
the siege of Jerusalem.
Because Titus laid siege at the feast of unleavened
bread (to which it was
mandatory that adult males attend) there were close to
three million people
trapped inside Jerusalem.
Based upon the number
of sacrifices recorded,
there were “. . . two millions seven hundred
thousand and two hundred persons
that were pure and holy; for as to those that have
the leprosy, or the
gonorrhea, or women that have their monthly courses,
or such as are otherwise
polluted, it is not lawful for them to be partakers
of this sacrifice; nor
indeed for any foreigners neither, who come hither
to worship.” (The War of the
Jews, book IV, chapter 9.3)
Because the city was
not built for sewage and
water for 3 million, roughly one million people died
of plagues before the
troops of Titus breached the walls and climbed over
piles of dead bodies to
slay those yet armed with strength to fight.
Josephus estimated 1,100,000 died
and 97,000 were taken into slavery with some being
sent to work mines in Egypt. To
me that's two-thirds dead and one-third taken captive.
Josephus concluded, “the
multitude of those that therein perished exceeded all
the destructions that
either men or God ever brought upon the world.” (The
War of the Jews, book IV,
chapter 9.3) God had
“finish[ed] the transgression”. [end quote, Eve]
This
fact is also corroborated by Ray Schulz in his
excellent updated paper, The Double reference
prophecy of Daniel, http://ourpropheticbible.org/downloads/WEEKS.pdf
and others such as Ted Porter
So therefore
there remains only one final abomination of desolation
for the nation Israel in their future and not the bleak
outcome of Zech. 13 once done unto them.
But our
future is quickly approaching.