Flavius Josephus describes the destruction of Jerusalem:

The Wars of The Jews--by Flavius Josephus–Written in 75 AD — Proof that Matthew 24 was fully fulfilled in 70 AD

Brief summary of Josephus’ record:The Judgment on Jerusalem according to History and Destruction of the temple
Heavenly phenomena	A star resembling a sword A comet A bright light shining around the altar and the temple A vision of chariots and soldiers running around among the clouds and all cities of Palestine.
Earthly phenomena(reported by priests)	A quaking A great noise The sounds of a great multitude saying, “Let us remove hence.”

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The above is an excerpt from this:

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Josephus:  The Wars of the Jews
Who was Flavius Josephus?
The Archko Volume—Historical Evidence of Jesus Christ
Pilate’s Report on the Arrest, Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus

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Chronology of the Signs of Josephus and Other Events – DWS

By Ernest L. Martin, PhD, 1982

Sometime in Sabbatical Year 62/63 C.E.		Mystery revealed to Paul and others
Spring 62 C.E.		Before the Signs Death of James the Righteous (Jesus’ half-brother)
Fall 62 C.E. (continues to 70 C.E.)		Sign 7: Joshua begins his prophesying
c o n t i n u e d	Spring 63 C.E.	Sign 3: Lamb born from a cow inside the Temple
	Late 65, early 66 C.E.	Sign 1: Star like a sword and comet appear in night sky
	Spring 66 C.E.	Sign 2: Brilliant light on altar and sanctuary of the Temple
	Spring 66 C.E.	Sign 4: Doors of Eastern Gate open on their own
	Spring 66 C.E.	Sign 5: Chariots and armies seen in the sky throughout Judea
	Spring 66 C.E.	Sign 6: Voice from Inner Court, “We are leaving from here.”
Fall 70 C.E.		Sign 7: Jerusalem surrounded, Joshua dies, city and Temple destroyed

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Signs of the Times in the First Century

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A couple of days ago (Thanksgiving Day), a friend of mine told me about the Comet ISON.  You could see some of the comet near the sun in the early afternoon; we were looking at it in Bellevue, Idaho.  It looked like the tail of the comet was multicolored:  green, blue, yellow—I think.  Maybe this is a portent from the Lord about more judgment and destruction on the United States because of the wickedness of this nation.

Comet ISON

This is a PERVERSE Generation!
This is Sodom! This is Sodom!
The Killer Angels

Big Sky, Montana

Yesterday I was standing on the side of the road in Big Sky, Montana when this car pulled over.  I got in the car and we headed north towards Bozeman.

The guy’s name was James.  As we talked, James looked at me and said, “Hey, you’re Tim Shey.  You wrote High Plains Drifter.  I picked you up earlier this year.”

I said, “Yeah, I recognize you.  You gave me a ride from Darby, Montana to the pass on the Idaho-Montana line.  I slept at that ski area that night.”

“I bought your book.”

“Let’s stop at your place and I can sign my book for you.”

So we drove to his trailer home at Four Corners.  James lived there with his girlfriend, his cousin and his dog.  He let me sleep on the couch.  I was grateful because it got down to around 8 degrees F last night.  It should warm up to 30 degrees F later today.  God willing, I will be heading west on I-90.

“The fire fell and burned in me till the Holy Spirit clearly revealed absolute purity before God. At this point she (the Sister who laid hands upon him) was called out of the room, and during her absence a marvelous revelation took place, my body became full of light and Holy Presence, and in the revelation I saw an empty Cross and at the same time the Jesus I loved and adored crowned in the Glory in a Reigning Position. The glorious remembrance of these moments is beyond my expression to give–when I could not find words to express, then an irresistible Power filled me and moved my being till I found to my glorious astonishment I was speaking in other tongues clearly. After this a burning love for everybody filled my soul. I am overjoyed in giving my testimony, praying for those that fight this truth, but I am clearly given to understand that I must come out of every unbelieving element. I am already witness of signs following. Praise Him.”

–Smith Wigglesworth

“If the Holy Ghost came to some churches, there would be a stampede to the door.”

–Leonard Ravenhill

Blaise Pascal

Gregory of Nazianzus:  “God is called a ‘consuming fire'”

Akal Esh:  The Consuming Fire

A Warning Dream

Belgrade, Montana

This is from Matt Ogletree’s Facebook page (11 November); Matt gave me a ride from Gallatin Gateway to Belgrade, Montana two days ago:

TIME- Just as we return from the 20 mile delivery and are about to turn on our road, I see a guy walking down the highway. He has the biggest camping pack on I’ve ever seen, looked to well over 100lbs., near approaching a couple hundred pounds! Too bad for him, I had a list of reasons why I couldn’t give him a ride, 1. going wrong direction. 2. in truck so no room in tiny cab with lots of stuff. 3. I’m starving and dinner is going in the oven as we pull in. 4. I just went out of my way to bless someone in need, and was tired now. 5. Someone will see him and pick him up with the gigantic bag nearly crushing him. 6. I’m still getting over this flu, wouldn’t want to get him sick. (I think I had a few more, but they slip my mind.)

It was around the tenth excuse that I realized what I was doing. I was literally in a tooth and nail battle with the Holy Spirit! I just asked publicly and privately for a re invigoration of my Spirit of generosity, and I’d already reached my daily limit? I felt like a turd momentarily, then I set in motion the wheels of obedience.

“B.J., could you please start dinner while I get the car and see if that guy needs a ride?”

“Absolutely Daddy, Love you,” was B.J.’s answer.

So I proceeded to pick up and give a ride to Belgrade, one awesome guy- Tim Shey. He is one of us, a devout follower of Christ and seeker of His will. He has been hitchhiking 17 solid years, covering 38 states. While on the road, he authored two books. He highly recommended that I and my friends read, “HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER”. It’s his book, available at Belgrade Community Library and West Yellowstone Library. He told me of his favorite movies: Gladiator, Man on Fire, and more, but all movies where the protagonist gave his life for a cause greater than themselves. He said that we are to remember Christ’s sacrifice and daily offer up our lives to Him in sacrifice. Tim spoke on Kid’s Ministry, and how as adults we should just read Scripture to them. Let the Holy Spirit work and just give them the Word of God. He was concerned that some adults get caught up when they can’t explain things in a way kids understand or kids just won’t get it. Don’t worry about that whatsoever, said Tim, just offer it to them. I dropped him at McDonalds with Prayer, Blessings, Dinner Money, A business card so that he won’t have to thumb it next time he passes our way, and genuine kinship with another traveling brother of mine.

Facebook

10 November 2013

Yesterday I hitchhiked from Shoshone to Idaho Falls, Idaho.  I was at the library in I.F. for an hour and then I headed north on U.S. 20.  I got a couple of rides to Rexburg and then I had to walk five or six miles to Sugar City.

I went to this convenience store in Sugar City to get something to drink.  I met this lady there and we got to talking.  I told her that I had been hitchhiking a number of years.

She exclaimed, “You’re hitchhiking in this weather?!  It’s cold outside!”

I said, “I usually find a place to sleep.  I slept in a junked pickup just east of Shoshone last night.”

She said, “You can sleep in my barn, if you want.”

So I walked to her place and took a look at the barn.  I stacked several straw bales together to lay my sleeping bag on.  I slept there last night and stayed warm.  I think it got down to 32 degrees F.

The Lord always helps me find some interesting place to sleep.  The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24: 1).

Vincent Van Gogh and the Gospel of Jesus Christ

“The Good Samaritan” by Vincent Van Gogh

John of the Cross (Juan de Yepes y Alvarez), 1542-1591

This is an excerpt from The Dark Night of the Spirit by John of the Cross:

The soul does not immediately progress from the night of the senses into the night of the spirit. It may be years—for some, perhaps, never. As a prisoner released from captivity, the soul enjoys a greater sense of satisfaction and freedom. Meditation and anxiety of the spirit no longer bind him.

. . . it now very readily finds in its spirit the most serene and loving contemplation and spiritual sweetness without the labour of meditations; although, as the purgation of the soul is not complete . . . it is never without certain occasional necessities, aridities, darknesses and perils which are sometimes much more intense than those of the past, for they are as tokens and heralds of the coming night of the spirit, and are not of as long duration as will be the night which is to come (Dark Night of the Soul. Trans. E. Allison Peers. Ed. P. Silverio de Santa Teresa, C.D. New York: Doubleday, 1990, 91-92).

IMPERFECTIONS THAT BELONG TO PROFICIENTS

The soul, having yet to be completely perfected through the night of the spirit, retains two types of imperfections: habitual and actual.

Habitual imperfections are like roots that run so deeply that the purgation of the senses is unable to reach them. For the purgation of the senses is only a precursor to the purgation of the spirit, accommodating sense to spirit rather than uniting spirit with God.

But there still remain in the spirit the stains of the old man, although the spirit thinks not that this is so, neither can it perceive them; if these stains be not removed with the soap and strong lye of the purgation of this night, the spirit will be unable to come to the purity of Divine union (John 93-94).

Another habitual imperfection is the hebetudo mentis (deadening of the mind) or a natural roughness contracted through sin, which cannot co-exist with the perfect union with God.

Actual imperfections vary, depending on the soul. Those with a more shallow spirituality may still struggle greatly with pride and Lucifer’s deceitful ways:

. . . wherein they oftentimes see imaginary and spiritual visions (for all these things, together with other delectable feelings, come to many souls in this state, wherein the devil and their own fancy very commonly practice deception on them), and, as the devil is apt to take such pleasure in impressing upon the soul and suggesting to it the said apprehensions and feelings, he fascinates and deludes it with great ease . . . (John 94).

Vanity takes hold of the soul and convinces him that he is seeing visions and false prophecies, presuming that God and the saints are communicating with him. He is apt to perform outward acts such as raptures and other demonstrations of holiness.

Thus, they become bold with God, and lose holy fear, which is the key and the custodian of all the virtues; and in some of these souls so many are the falsehoods and deceits which tend to multiply, and so inveterate do they grow, that it is very doubtful if such souls will return to the pure road of virtue and true spirituality (John 95).

GRIEF AND TORMENT

During the dark night of the spirit, God immerses Himself into the soul, purging it from all ignorance and imperfections, in a process known as “infused contemplation” or “mystical theology.” God works silently and unnoticed, teaching the soul in the ways of perfection of love, without the soul’s awareness or need for any action on the soul’s part.

Inasmuch as it is the loving wisdom of God, God produces striking effects in the soul, for, by purging and illumining it, He prepares it for the union of love with God. Wherefore the same loving wisdom that purges the blessed spirits and enlightens them is that which here purges the soul and illumines it (John 100).

It may seem contradictory to refer to such an illumination as a dark night. However, for the soul, this Divine Wisdom is not only darkness, but affliction and torment as well. Our souls are weak and incapable of observing God, much like our eyes that are blinded if we look directly at the sun.

In the same way, when this Divine light of contemplation assails the soul which is not yet wholly enlightened, it causes spiritual darkness in it; for not only does it overcome it, but likewise it overwhelms it and darkens the act of its natural intelligence. . . when God sends it out from Himself to the soul that is not yet transformed, this illumining ray of His secret wisdom causes thick darkness in the understanding (John 101).

Pain comes from the inconsistency between the miseries of the soul that cannot coexist with the perfection of God. The two battle against each other, causing excruciating torment for the unworthy soul. Dark and impure as he is, the soul suffers tremendously when he receives the light and wisdom of infused contemplation.

And when the soul suffers the direct assault of this Divine light, its pain, which results from its impurity, is immense; because, when this pure light assails the soul, in order to expel its impurity, the soul feels itself to be so impure and miserable that it believes God to be against it, and thinks that it has set itself up against God. This causes it sore grief and pain, because it now believes that God has cast it away . . . (John 102).

The soul can now see its imperfections clearly and recognizes his unworthiness. The pain increases as the soul is given knowledge of his evils and miseries, perceiving that he will never be worthy or free of pain, again. His spiritual weakness is no match for the Divine contemplation, causing the soul to nearly faint away from the powerful force that subdues him.

This is especially so at certain times when it is assailed with somewhat greater force; for sense and spirit, as if beneath some immense and dark load, are in such great pain and agony that the soul would find advantage and relief in death (John 103).

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“The darker the night, the brighter the stars,
The deeper the grief, the closer is God!”

–Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The Spiritual Man
The Missing Cross
Wikipedia

The Gospel of Martyrdom vs the Gospel of Success

How the Apostles Died
Killing the Prophets