Post by jaybee on May 6, 2016 10:15:55 GMT -8
I have been researching this quote I found from a 5th century Jewish collection of writings. It come out of the Eichah (Lamentation) Rabbah which was compiled from rabbinic writings and relates laments about the decimation of Jerusalem and Israel in 66-70 AD and 132-135 AD.
IF you take the time of Christ up to his crucifixion as the first half of the last week in Daniel, then this Rabbi appears to inadvertently tie the last half of the week (3.5 years) to the time that God spent standing on the Mount of Olives waiting for Israel to repent prior to the final destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
Not only would this fit into Daniel's timeline nicely, but this would see Zechariah's imagery of God standing on the Mount of Olives satisfied, and would also reflect upon Revelation 9:20-21 if you take Revelation with even a partial preterist view. In such a view, Israel is seen as under punishment and God appears to be waiting for them to repent, which they do not do, so the punishment progresses.
It is perhaps not too much of a new thought, but an interesting new source of support for a preterist understanding of Daniel's 70 weeks and Zechariah's comment of God standing on the Mount of Olives.
I never knew this writing existed of rabbinic literature shedding light on the second fall of Israel. It was tough to track down, but I have ordered an English translation and am eager to see what else it holds.
It also blows my mind that a Rabbi in the early AD's would recognize that God was outside the temple again, and standing on the Mount of Olives for 3.5 years waiting for Israel to repent. AND that other Jews would understand the Rabbi's writing as important enough to compile into their Midrash. Yet this Rabbi and many other Jews would not see the subsequent implications which should have pointed them to fulfilled prophecy and Christ!
Anyway, posted here for those who might find this interesting, and so I can post more about this Jewish compilation as I study it.
Midrash Rabbah - Lamentations Prologue XXV R. Jonathan said: Three and a half years3 the Shechinah abode upon the Mount of Olives hoping that Israel would repent, but they did not; while a Bath Kol issued announcing, ’Return, O backsliding children (Jer. III, 14), Return unto Me, and I will return unto you (Mal. III, 7).’ When they did not repent, it said, ’I will go and return to My place (Hos. V, 15).’ Concerning that time it is said, ’Give glory to the Lord your God, before it grow dark’ (Jer. XIII, 16): before it becomes dark to you for lack of words of Torah, before it becomes dark to you for lack of words of prophecy, ’and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight.’ ' And while ye look for light,’ in Babylon, ’He turn it into the shadow of death,’ in Media, ’and make it gross darkness’ in Greece.
IF you take the time of Christ up to his crucifixion as the first half of the last week in Daniel, then this Rabbi appears to inadvertently tie the last half of the week (3.5 years) to the time that God spent standing on the Mount of Olives waiting for Israel to repent prior to the final destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
Not only would this fit into Daniel's timeline nicely, but this would see Zechariah's imagery of God standing on the Mount of Olives satisfied, and would also reflect upon Revelation 9:20-21 if you take Revelation with even a partial preterist view. In such a view, Israel is seen as under punishment and God appears to be waiting for them to repent, which they do not do, so the punishment progresses.
It is perhaps not too much of a new thought, but an interesting new source of support for a preterist understanding of Daniel's 70 weeks and Zechariah's comment of God standing on the Mount of Olives.
I never knew this writing existed of rabbinic literature shedding light on the second fall of Israel. It was tough to track down, but I have ordered an English translation and am eager to see what else it holds.
It also blows my mind that a Rabbi in the early AD's would recognize that God was outside the temple again, and standing on the Mount of Olives for 3.5 years waiting for Israel to repent. AND that other Jews would understand the Rabbi's writing as important enough to compile into their Midrash. Yet this Rabbi and many other Jews would not see the subsequent implications which should have pointed them to fulfilled prophecy and Christ!
Anyway, posted here for those who might find this interesting, and so I can post more about this Jewish compilation as I study it.
