>>>Revelation 18 is tough to see as Jerusalem in 70 AD as the place merchants of the world would ‘weep’ over...<<<
Before we take this debate any further, I recommend you do two things:
1. Read the works of the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus. You will be astonished at what you learn about the city of Jerusalem in the mid-first century, before its destruction. It was a very extravagant, expensive city: the showcase of the middle east. No exaggeration necessary.
2. Learn what the New Testament considered to be the “whole world” in those days. Start with Luke 2:1.
Thanks,
Philip
Revelation 18 doesn’t say the “whole world”. It says the “earth”.
Revelation 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
The same Greek word is used 136 times in the New Testament. For instance.
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Would you say that God’s will should be done only in that region of the world?
Matthew 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
Did Jesus only have power in that region of the world?
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Was Jesus only concerned with finding faith in that part of the world?
Again, I don’t discount the correlation to 70 AD..
But, if we read further in Revelation 18, verse 22 to start...
And the voice of harpers and minstrels flute players and
trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee. And the light of the lamp shall shine no more at all in you;
Just a slight piece of revelation 18 that I believe it looks forward because-
There is still music and still craftsmen in Jerusalem, as there is in any spiritual Babylonian city today, maybe even the original Babylon, I don’t know.. I am not booking any trips there :)
Revelation 18 in part has not been fulfilled.. ‘no more at all’ means no more at all... eight times in some form or fashion, that phrase... unless the English gets the Greek wrong in revelation 18...
That is pretty convincing to me that nobody will exist in that babylon he saw in vision ‘no more at all’... we have weapons that can do that within an hour today...