Is
Revelation 18 an eyewitness account of the August 79 CE
destruction of Pompeii that the author interpreted to be a sign of the demise of the Roman Empire? The author
of chapter 18 of Revelation provides us with a poetic oracle against the “great
city” pictured as a “whore” riding the seven-headed beast of the Roman Empire –
drunk with the blood of the martyrs and the saints. Her destruction comes with
fire–in one hour–while those in
ships watch her burning from afar, lamenting the loss of her wealth and the
splendor of her trade and commerce. The Naples/Pompeii port was the gateway to
ancient Rome. As such its destruction signaled that of the expected apocalyptic FALL of Rome itself–both as a city and an
empire. Read James Tabor’s blog at -- http://jamestabor.com/2013/10/09/the-destruction-of-pompei-and-the-new-testament-book-of-revelation/
The witnesses, laying their coats at the feet of Saul, were the men that would cast the first stones at Stephen in Acts 7. Why did they all lay their coats at Saul’s feet? The Talmud contains a very interesting account of the act of stoning that may provide the answer. “When the trial was over, they take him [the condemned person] out to be stoned. The place of stoning was at a distance from the court, as it is said, ‘Take out the one who has cursed.’ [i] A man stands at the entrance of the court; in his hand is a signaling flag [Hebrew sudarin = sudar , ‘scarf, sweater’]. A horseman was stationed far away but within sight of him. If one [of the judges] says, ‘I have something [more] to say in his favor,’ he [the signaler] waves the sudarin , and the horseman runs and stops them [from stoning him]. Even if [the condemned person] himself says, ‘I have something to say in my favor,’ they bring him back, even four of five times, only provided that there is some substance to...
Comments
Post a Comment