Days of Vengeance

ON WHOM WOULD THIS VENGEFUL JUDGMENT BEFALL?. . . .

We know whom this wrath was for because the Bible tells us so. It was directed at his first-century Jewish people, thus old covenant Israel, especially its leaders (Matthew 3:7; 23:29-39; 26:64; Luke 21:23-24).
God’s vengeful judgment would fulfill the twisted and perverse generation prophecy of the last days of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:5, 20, 21, 29, 35, 41, 43; Daniel 12:5-13; Matthew 3:7-12; 12:38-39; 16:4; 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41; 11:29-32; Acts 2:40; 3:24; Philippians 2:15; Hebrews 10:29-39).

WHY DID GOD TAKE VENGEFUL JUDGMENT ON OLD COVENANT ISRAEL IN 70 AD (Luke 21:22-24)?. . . .

They were exceedingly sinful (Matthew 12:38-39; 16:4; 23:13-38; Luke 9:41).
They were so wicked that Jesus called them sons of the devil (John 8:44).
They persecuted and killed Jesus’ followers (Matthew 21:33-36; 22:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16; Revelation 18:20-24). Indeed, the first century Jews would suffer the penalty for all the righteous blood ever shed (Matthew 23:35-36).
They refused to accept Jesus as Messiah (Matthew 23:37).
They participated with Rome in Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 21:37-39; 27:24-26; John 19:15).

DID JESUS HAVE A HAND IN THIS JUDGMENT AGAINST THE JEWS? YES. . . .

John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the Jews as the one who would bring them the soon coming wrath (Matthew 3:7-12).
Jesus was given the role of judge (John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42).
Jesus told the Jewish leadership that THEY would see Him coming with power on “clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64) “Coming on clouds” is a Jewish expression from the Old Testament about God’s judgment (examples: Psalm 18, Isaiah 19).
Jesus said that his “coming on clouds” of judgment would happen in his generation and be associated with the end of the Old Covenant age and the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:1-3; 29-34; Hebrews 8:13).
Jesus was apparently teaching that HE would destroy “this place” (Acts 6:14).
The “wrath of the lamb” (Revelation 6:16-17) was against the Great City “Babylon” (Revelation 18:9-10) which is clearly identified as the “city where the Lord was crucified,” i.e. Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8).
Revelation 19 is about Jesus coming in judgment.

WAS THIS THE FINAL JUDGMENT ON OLD COVENANT ISRAEL? YES. . . .

When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He said that Israel would never again produce fruit (Matthew 21:18-19). In the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus makes it clear that He was taking the kingdom from the Jews and giving it to another group―the church (Matthew 21:33-45), leaving a remnant of faithful Jews to be saved (Romans 11).
There were 3 judgments against Israel in history. First, in 722 BC God judged the northern kingdom of Israel by sending the Assyrian army against them as his instrument of judgment.
In 586 BC God judged the southern kingdom of Judah by sending the Babylonian army against them as his instrument of judgment.
In AD 70 God judged Israel in finality by sending the Roman army against them as his instrument of judgment. At that time the temple was destroyed, animal sacrifices ended forever, the priesthood ended forever, and over a million Jews were killed by the Romans.

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