70-AD was the damnation of HELL

[BrutalCross]

Everyone assumes the judgement of hell is for universal unbelievers at the end of the world, but Jesus explicitly tells us when the judgement comes and who its towards in Matthew 23.
32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

34Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. 36Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Every commentator places this chapter in 70-AD, but because of traditional blinders, completely miss how verse 33 is the direct consequences of verse 32.

the meaning of "this generation" IS "THIS GENERATION!"

Pulpit commentary says:
Verse 36. - An these things. All the crimes committed by their forefathers shall be visited upon this generation by the destruction of the Jewish city and polity, which took place within forty years from this time. The blood of the past was required from the Jews of the present time, because they and their evil ancestors were of one family, and were to be dealt with as a whole. In spite of the teaching of history and example, in spite of the warnings of Christ and his apostles, they were bent on repeating the acts of their forefathers, and that in an aggravated form and against increased light and knowledge. The punishment here announced is the temporal award. Christ here says nothing of the final judgment. Matthew 23:36

John Gill sounds like he places the damnation of hell in the 1st century even though he's a traditionalist.

all these things shall come upon this generation; all the things which Christ had foretold should come to pass in the present age; as that the apostles and ministers of the word he should send to them, some of them they would kill and crucify, and others they would scourge in their synagogues, or persecute from place to place; and all the horrible murders and bloodshed in any age, committed by that people, would be placed to the account of the men of that generation; and the guilt of them imputed to them, and the punishment due unto them be inflicted on them. And which came to pass, and had its full accomplishment about forty years after this, in the utter destruction of Jerusalem, and the whole nation; so that many now living were personally involved in that temporal ruin, as well as escaped not the damnation of hell, Matthew 23:33.

Matthew Henry says

All these things shall come; all the guilt of this blood, all the punishment of it, it shall all come upon this generation. The misery and ruin that are coming upon them, shall be so very great, that, though, considering the evil of their own sins, it was less that even those deserved; yet, comparing it with other judgments, it will seem to be a general reckoning for all the wickedness of their ancestors, especially their persecutions, to all which God declared this ruin to have special reference and relation. The destruction shall be so dreadful, as if God had once for all arraigned them for all the righteous blood shed in the world. It shall come upon this generation; which intimates, that it shall come quickly; some here shall live to see it.

 

[Davy]

Jesus was pointing to a specific GROUP of peoples with "this generation", NOT just those in that particular generation of His Apostles; nor just those in 70 A.D. Anyone understanding Jesus' reference to "all the righteous blood shed on the earth" would understand this.

Those who don't understand the scope of "this generation" are those who don't study their Old Testament history about the crept in unawares, like the crept in Canaanites, Nethinims, pagan foreigner bondservants and hewers of wood unto the children of Israel, and pagan Kenites that became the scribes of Israel. Lord Jesus was pointing to the "tares" in His Matthew 13 parable of the tares of the field.

 

[Zao is life]

Acts 17:30-31
"Although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead."

One day. Not different days. Not 70 A.D + another day. One day. In the past God has delivered individual nations and empires into the hand of other nations, to be destroyed by those other nations. Each time was a judgment of God. Not the judgment of God.

Everyone assumes the judgement of hell is for universal unbelievers at the end of the world, but Jesus explicitly tells us when the judgement comes and who its towards in Matthew 23.
32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

 

[NotTheRock]

Everyone assumes the judgement of hell is for universal unbelievers at the end of the world, but Jesus explicitly tells us when the judgement comes and who its towards in Matthew 23.
32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

34Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. 36Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Every commentator places this chapter in 70-AD, but because of traditional blinders, completely miss how verse 33 is the direct consequences of verse 32.

the meaning of "this generation" IS "THIS GENERATION!"

Pulpit commentary says:
Verse 36. - An these things. All the crimes committed by their forefathers shall be visited upon this generation by the destruction of the Jewish city and polity, which took place within forty years from this time. The blood of the past was required from the Jews of the present time, because they and their evil ancestors were of one family, and were to be dealt with as a whole. In spite of the teaching of history and example, in spite of the warnings of Christ and his apostles, they were bent on repeating the acts of their forefathers, and that in an aggravated form and against increased light and knowledge. The punishment here announced is the temporal award. Christ here says nothing of the final judgment. Matthew 23:36

John Gill sounds like he places the damnation of hell in the 1st century even though he's a traditionalist.

all these things shall come upon this generation; all the things which Christ had foretold should come to pass in the present age; as that the apostles and ministers of the word he should send to them, some of them they would kill and crucify, and others they would scourge in their synagogues, or persecute from place to place; and all the horrible murders and bloodshed in any age, committed by that people, would be placed to the account of the men of that generation; and the guilt of them imputed to them, and the punishment due unto them be inflicted on them. And which came to pass, and had its full accomplishment about forty years after this, in the utter destruction of Jerusalem, and the whole nation; so that many now living were personally involved in that temporal ruin, as well as escaped not the damnation of hell, Matthew 23:33.

Matthew Henry says

All these things shall come; all the guilt of this blood, all the punishment of it, it shall all come upon this generation. The misery and ruin that are coming upon them, shall be so very great, that, though, considering the evil of their own sins, it was less that even those deserved; yet, comparing it with other judgments, it will seem to be a general reckoning for all the wickedness of their ancestors, especially their persecutions, to all which God declared this ruin to have special reference and relation. The destruction shall be so dreadful, as if God had once for all arraigned them for all the righteous blood shed in the world. It shall come upon this generation; which intimates, that it shall come quickly; some here shall live to see it.

Thank you for sharing. I've just recently come to believe that a lot of scripture that I once believed prophesied things in our modern future were actually about things that happen to people in the first century.

 

[NotTheRock]

Those who don't understand the scope of "this generation" are those who don't study their Old Testament history about the crept in unawares, like the crept in Canaanites, Nethinims, pagan foreigner bondservants and hewers of wood unto the children of Israel, and pagan Kenites that became the scribes of Israel. Lord Jesus was pointing to the "tares" in His Matthew 13 parable of the tares of the field.

Please elaborate.

 

[NotTheRock]

Acts 17:30-31
"Although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead."

One day. Not different days. Not 70 A.D + another day. One day. In the past God has delivered individual nations and empires into the hand of other nations, to be destroyed by those other nations. Each time was a judgment of God. Not the judgment of God.

Great post! I read the chapter using the ESV (link below) to better understand the context and Paul's statement does seemingly point to a day of judgment for all people.

Acts 17 ESV - Paul and Silas in Thessalonica - Now - Bible Gateway Bible Gateway passage: Acts 17 - English Standard Version

 

[NotTheRock]

Is it possible that Jesus was prophesying about a first century judgment upon Israel while Paul's statement in Acts 17:31-32 is a prophecy of judgment for the entire world? In other words, Jesus and Paul were speaking about two separate judgments.

 

[Davy]

Please elaborate.

Really, it's just about reading your Old Testament history.

See Genesis 15:19 and 1 Chronicles 2:55 that reveal whose Israel's scribes were, a people of the land of Canaan called Kenites. Note who it was that sided against Jesus at His 1st coming in The Gospels.

See Joshua 9 about the Canaanites that hid their identity with acting like they were starving and a people from a far away land and desired to join with Joshua and the Israelites, because those Canaanites feared Israel since God had commanded Israel to destroy those certain nations of Canaan per Deut.20:15-18. Once Joshua discovered they were actually Canaanites it was too late, for he had already made an oath with them to let them dwell among the children of Israel. So Joshua made them bondservants and hewers of wood unto Israel.

See Judges 2 and Judges 3 where God rebukes the children of Israel for not obeying His command to destroy all those peoples of certain nations of Canaan that He commanded them per Deut.20:15-18. God then said He would leave those Canaanites to dwell among Israel, to see if Israel would follow Him, or not.

First mention of the Nethinims is in 1 Chronicles 9:2, listed along with the Israelites, priests, and Levites. The word Nethinim means 'given to temple service' (OT:5411). They were leftovers from the nations of Canaan which Israel was not able to destroy, and they became temple servants unto the Levites. They are specifically mentioned in bondservice as leftovers of Canaan in 1 Kings 9:19-22. They are mentioned again returning with the "house of Judah" from Babylon back to Jerusalem in Ezra 2:56-59 as "Nethinims".

 

[rwb]

Thank you for sharing. I've just recently come to believe that a lot of scripture that I once believed prophesied things in our modern future were actually about things that happen to people in the first century.

What keeps you from believing the words of Christ not only speak of things that would come upon apostate Jews (generation of vipers), but also speaks to every generation of vipers that shall come through them in the future?

IOW the words of Christ are not limited to only one generation, but to every generation also. While the things pertaining to physical destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the living generation of vipers (Jews in unbelief) literally came to pass in 70 AD, but the words Christ spoke pertaining to the spiritual Jerusalem from above, and the spiritual Temple, which is Christ and all who follow Him shall also be fulfilled as the gospel of the Kingdom of God is being proclaimed unto all the nations of the earth. When the gospel proclaimed has completed the task for which it is sent, then all that is written shall also come to pass when Christ physically returns as He promises He shall.

In the following passage, Christ is warning His disciples, to whom He was speaking, that all these things would come to them, not only the generation of vipers, but to those of faith also, as they faithfully proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God unto all the nations of the world, and then the end for all humanity, the whole earth shall come.

Christ wasn't warning of apostate Jews, generation of vipers being deceived. He was warning His disciples (faithful saints) that many of them could be deceived by false teachers and false doctrine that shall be. Christ tells them and every other disciple after them that we must be faithful unto death because many will be delivered into the hands of the enemies of the gospel of the Kingdom of God and will be afflicted and killed for His name's sake. But He also gives them and us hope that we who shall endure to the end of our lives shall be saved.

Matthew 24:4-14 (KJV) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

No, this prophecy cannot be limited to apostate Jews (generation of vipers) living and dying through the wrath of God that came to Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. These precious words of warnings and blessing are written that we might know and believe the words Christ spoke to His Church throughout all the ages. The wrath of God against an apostate nation is known because it is shown in physical history. Just as we understand and believe that which has literally/physically come to pass, so too we must cling to faith knowing that all that Christ spoke concerning the building of the spiritual Kingdom of God is also throughout the ages coming literally/spiritually to pass just as Christ has written it would.

The same promise Christ answered to Peter is not only for Peter, but for all who come after him through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church will be built upon the words spoken by Peter "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Christ is the ROCK upon which His Church shall be built in spite of all the "great tribulation" that shall come against it! Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty!

Matthew 16:16-18 (KJV) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

[Davy]

Please elaborate.

Something else to consider per God's written Word which goes with what I had covered about Christ's enemies that crept in among the unbelieving Jews especially, is this...

Jude 3-4
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
KJV

Jude's subject above is in the realm of those within Christ's Church. So it is not just about unbelieving of foreigner Canaanites, Idumeans, etc., which became religious Jews that crept in among Judah back in its early days. They have also crept in among Christ's Church.

Nor is this about the true bloodline Israelites that still reject Jesus.

In Genesis 3:15 God showed us about the enmity between the two seeds, Satan's children vs. God's children. And that is what Lord Jesus was talking about in His parable of the "tares" of the field in Matthew 13. Many brethren struggle with this because it goes beyond the things of this world and what man believes about this world. It is simply too deep a matter for most preachers to cover to their congregations. It is a 'mystery'.

In Revelation 2:9 and 3:9, Jesus speaking to two Churches that represent His very elect, He mentioned of how they were being persecuted by those of the "synagogue of Satan". And Jesus defined who those are when He said those only 'say they are Jews, but are not, and do lie'. What that means is those false ones of the "synagogue of Satan" is NOT about true Judah (Jews) of bloodline born Judah, even though the majority of true Judah today still reject Jesus as The Christ.

That "synagogue of Satan" is about the "tares" in Lord Jesus' parable of the tares of the field in Matthew 13. The good wheat in that parable represents true Judah (and all in Christ) that Jesus sowed...

Matt 13:37-39
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
KJV

Most Churches do not teach that mystery Lord Jesus revealed to His disciples. That along with Jude 4 reveals the "tares" who have crept in were 'ordained' to that condemnation for this present world.

It is the job of the Churches today mainly to preach The Gospel of Jesus Christ to those have yet to hear. So they tend to delegate the "synagogue of Satan" as simply being about bloodline born Jews that still reject our Lord Jesus Christ. But it's not; it instead is about the heart of Christ's enemies working here on earth against Christ which belong to Satan as his elect that he sowed in the beginning like Jesus said.

 

[NotTheRock]

What keeps you from believing the words of Christ not only speak of things that would come upon apostate Jews (generation of vipers), but also speaks to every generation of vipers that shall come through them in the future?

I believe the things that Jesus directed at the apostles CAN also be inferred (to a point) to apply to future disciples. However, what Jesus said in his "Olivet Discourse" appears to be definitely directed at the Apostles.

 

[NotTheRock]

It is the job of the Churches today mainly to preach The Gospel of Jesus Christ to those have yet to hear. So they tend to delegate the "synagogue of Satan" as simply being about bloodline born Jews that still reject our Lord Jesus Christ. But it's not; it instead is about the heart of Christ's enemies working here on earth against Christ which belong to Satan as his elect that he sowed in the beginning like Jesus said.

Thanks Davy. Yes, Jesus has many enemies, the least of which (in my opinion) are contemporary Jews.

 

[rwb]

I believe the things that Jesus directed at the apostles CAN also be inferred (to a point) to apply to future disciples. However, what Jesus said in his "Olivet Discourse" appears to be definitely directed at the Apostles.

Yes, I agree Christ was surely speaking to those living at that time. Only remember the words He spoke to them is first and foremost for His disciples, but they are only the beginning of proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all the nations of the world. Therefore, the words Christ spoke to them most assuredly are for His disciples in every age as long as the gospel of the Kingdom of God is being proclaimed.

 

[NotTheRock]

Yes, I agree Christ was surely speaking to those living at that time. Only remember the words He spoke to them is first and foremost for His disciples, but they are only the beginning of proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all the nations of the world. Therefore, the words Christ spoke to them most assuredly are for His disciples in every age as long as the gospel of the Kingdom of God is being proclaimed.

I think that's generally true but we must discern.