
Historical
Writers
Many Christians believe we have no evidence of Christ returning in
70AD, however some reliable historians have recorded Jesus returning
in the clouds.
By Dan Maines
Josephus (A.D. 75) - Jewish
Historian
"Besides these [signs], a few days after
that feast, on the one- and-twentieth day of the month Artemisius,
[Jyar,] a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I
suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not
related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed
it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for,
before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armour
were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.
Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were
going by night into the inner [court of the] temple, as their custom
was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the
first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after
that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "Let
us remove hence" (Antiquities of the Jews book 17-20 - The life
of Flavius Josephus)
Josephus is one of the most well
known Jewish historians of that time. His works are often quoted in
Christian churches and much of his works have been relied upon and
validated by Christians, historians, and preachers. He was a Jewish
priest and general during the siege of 70AD and was defeated and
surrendered to the Romans. He later became a historian and recorded
the events witnessed during the war.
Tacitus (A.D. 115) -
Roman Historian
"13. Prodigies had occurred, but
their expiation by the offering of victims or solemn vows is held to
be unlawful by a nation which is the slave of superstition and the
enemy of true beliefs. In the sky appeared a vision of armies in
conflict, of glittering armour. A sudden lightning flash from the
clouds lit up the Temple. The doors of the holy place abruptly
opened, a superhuman voice was heard to declare that the gods were
leaving it, and in the same instant came the rushing tumult of their
departure. Few people placed a sinister interpretation upon this.
The majority were convinced that the ancient scriptures of their
priests alluded to the present as the very time when the Orient
would triumph and from Judaea would go forth men destined to rule
the world." (Histories, Book 5, v. 13).
Tacitus was
a Roman senator, historian, and was considered one of the greatest
Roman historians of his time and described this event. He despised
Christianity and was known in his own days to be careful, skeptical,
and factual in his works. One of his duties was to supervise foreign
religious cults in Rome. His works are used to validate the
crucifixion of Christ to historians.
Pseudo-Hegesippus
After
many days a certain figure appeared of tremendous size, which many
saw, just as the books of the Jews have disclosed, and before the
setting of the sun there were suddenly seen in the clouds chariots
and armed battle arrays, by which the cities of all Judaea and its
territories were invaded. (Pseudo-Hegesippus, Chapter 44.)
Eusebius
of Caesarea (A.D. 325) - Early church father
"For
before the setting of the sun chariots and armed troops were seen
throughout the whole region in mid-air, wheeling through the clouds
and encircling the cities" ( Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History,
Book 3, Ch. 8.)
Sepher Yosippon
A Mediaeval
History of Ancient Israel translated from the Hebrew by Steven B.
Bowman - Chapter 87 "Burning of the Temple"
"Moreover,
in those days were seen chariots of fire and horsemen, a great force
flying across the sky near to the ground coming against Jerusalem
and all the land of Judah, all of them horses of fire and riders of
fire."
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