6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet.  7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places:  8 all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs. Matt. 24:6-8

7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet.  8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs. Mark 13:7-8

9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:9-11

At the time the prophecy was given, the Roman Empire was experiencing peace, called the Pax Romana. The idea that there would be wars and rumor of wars as the signs of the end of the Mosaic era was far from anyone’s thinking. No one had taught or was even thinking that the Kingdom was to  be given to “another.”

Between 35-70 AD, there were increasing Jewish conflicts within the Roman world in and around Judea. Before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, four Roman Emperors came to violent deaths within 18 months of each other [Nero, Galva, Otho, and Vitellius].

A great insurrection was caused in Judea when Emperor Caligula ordered his statue to be placed in the Temple. Nero’s death caused political instability in the regions of Spain, Gaul, Germany, Illyricum, and Syria. There were disturbances in Germany, commotions in Africa, insurrections in Gaul, intrigues among the Parthians, a war in Britain, and a war in Armenia.

FYI: Caligula died before the statue could be moved from Caesarea to Jerusalem. The Governor of Syria, Publius Petronius wisely decided not to deliver the statue.

They Heard of Wars  30-70AD

A tumult at Jerusalem at the time of Passover resulted in 10,000 deaths.

War book 2; chap 12; sec 1

At Caesarea, 20,000 Jews were killed.

Josephus War book 2; chap 18; sec 1

The Syrians destroyed a great multitude of Jews.

Josephus War book 2; chap 18; sec 2

At Scythopolis, over 13,000 Jews were killed.

Josephus War book 2; chap 18; sec 5

At Alexandria 50,000 were killed.

Josephus War book 2; chap 18; sec 8

At Joppa 8,400 were killed.

Josephus War book 2; chap 18; sec 10

In the Galilee, over 2000 were slain.

Josephus War book 2; chap 18; sec 11

At Damascus, 10,000 were killed in an hour.

Josephus War book 2; chap 20; sec 2

Next Post: The Beginning of Birth Pangs