Masada Mystery Part 1

The Masada Mystery Pt. 1 May 19th 2013 Dr. Mike Fogerson

24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing , and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. Dan 9:24-26 (NASB)

A If you go to Israel, wilderness, near lowest place on earth, Dead Sea.

1 There is a plateau mountain, that in Biblical times served as a royal palace, Masada.

a Harod’s chief royal fort, a place to retreat in case of invasion.

b 40 B.C., Herod the great fled there during an uprising.

aa He kept it, maintained it, if his people ever rose again.

2 Daniel says, Messiah will come, Temple will be rebuilt (back then)

a Temple did get rebuilt, Messiah came only to be cast off.

b The Temple will be destroyed.

aa 70 A.D. Jerusalem & Temple were destroyed.

bb Whoever Messiah was had to come prior to 70 AD.

c Daniel puts these events together, Messiah will come & Temple will be destroyed.

3 20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. Luke 21:20 (NASB)

a This came to pass in 66 A.D.

aa A rebellion broke out in Jerusalem against Nero, to shake the Roman Empire’s rule from the land.

bb In the beginning the Romans lost, Beth Hora, & set up a Jewish provisional revolutionary government.

cc Nero sent a huge army from Rome, let be General Vespasion.

dd Vespasion invaded Galilee & crushed the rebellion there.

b In 68 A.D. Nero committed suicide & Vespasion left Israel to proclaim himself emperor of Rome.

aa He sent his son Titus to Israel and in the spring of 70 A.D. he surrounded Jerusalem.

bb Breached outer wall, 2nd wall, fighting in the narrow streets, & used battering rams to enter the Temple Mount.

c Titus put a stop to anything/anyone from entering/leaving the city. (Starve them into submission)

aa In the beginning of the month of Av, on the very day that the first temple was destroyed in 586 B.C. the Temple of Jerusalem was set ablaze.

bb Just as Messiah had prophesied not one stone was left upon another & Jerusalem with it.

cc Most of the people in Jerusalem had either died or been sold into slavery in the worlds slave market, or executed.

dd The jews were crucified all over the land... but some resisted & fled to the wilderness, taking ancient scrolls & Temple treasures to be hidden away.

B Masada was attacked by a band of Jewish zealots & they took it over.

1 lived on this ancient fortress with their families. (Well supplied & could sustain from for a very long time)

a To finish the destruction of Israel, the Romans had to capture Masada.

aa Under Flarius Silva, the Romans surrounded Masada to prevent escape.

bb On the western slope he built an assault ramp.

cc Used battering rams, catapults, flaming torches.

b When the Jews realized their cause was lost, they gathered together.

aa Their leader was Eliasa, bk. name Lazerus.

bb He gave his people an impassioned speech about it being better to die free then go into the hands of the Romans.

cc Drew lots, appointing a few men to kill the others, & from that lot, drew lots to see who would kill them, then kill himself.

c The Romans finally reached the top of Masada.

aa Only to find the inhabitants had all killed themselves.

bb There were a few in hiding who bore witness to what had happened.

cc Silva erected a Roman standard & declared Israel dead to history.

2 In Rome, a new coin minted called Judea Captina, celebrating the end of Israel from the world.

a The coin had a woman (representing Israel) sitting under a palm tree with a Roman solider standing over her.

b In Rome, built the Arch of Titus. (Still there today)

aa Depicting Israel destruction.

bb The soldiers carrying away the looted furniture from the Temple, celebrating the death of Israel.

3 On that rock fortress near the Dead Sea, Israel ceased to exist.