Another Preterist Problem Passage.

[prism]

Mark 13:19 KJV
For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

Does 70AD fit this bill? Even if Jesus is speaking to Jews, it would be a hard case to make in saying 70AD topped the Holocaust. Jesus mentions affliction in creation such as was not from the beginning. So if this was worldwide, who noticed??

 

[Josheb]

Mark 13:19 KJV
For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

Does 70AD fit this bill?

Yes.

Even if Jesus is speaking to Jews, it would be a hard case to make in saying 70AD topped the Holocaust.

No, it's not.

Jesus mentions affliction in creation such as was not from the beginning. So if this was worldwide, who noticed??

It is not worldwide in the 21st century person's understanding of the word. The world as the first century Jew understood it included the land bordering the Mediterranean, parts of northern Europe and parts of what was for them Asia. They did not know the Americas even existed. This supposed problem is one created by the inconsistent use of the Dispensational Premillennial hermeneutic that requires a literal reading of scripture. In other words, the verse is a problem for DPism, not preterism (or anyone else in Christendom).

In Genesis 6 through 9 we have a record of God killing everyone on the planet over the course of forty days (or less)...... except for eight people. Therefore, if the words of Mark 13:19 are taken literally then what Jesus is necessarily saying is that less than eight people will survive the events described in Mark 13. Otherwise, the verse contradicts the account of the flood. The Holocaust is nothing in comparison to the Flood. Plenty of Jews survived the Holocaust. There was an estimated 11.5 million Jews alive after WWII down from 16.5 mil).

More importantly, Jesus is quoting from Daneil and the Daniel prophecy is couched in the salvific coming and judging of Israel. The Damiel text qualifies Jesus' word.

Daniel 12:1-4
Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.

So, Jesus is quoting, or referencing the prophet Daniel and the prophet Daniel stated the events would be the worst ever since there was a nation until that time. In other words, the calamity is compared solely to the history of the nation of Israel, not the entire world's history before and after. From the time when there was a nation Israel until the time of the calamity. Nothing more. No other time, and no other place is mentioned.

Joel 2 speaks of a much larger timeframe.

Joel 2:1-2
Blow a trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people; there has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations.

But here again the scope is limited to Zion (not the entire world), the inhabitants of "the land," and the timeframe is from antiquity to the years of many generations (not all of time). Furthermore, According to Acts 2, the prophecies of Joel 2 were coming true, coming to fulfillment in the New Testament era. See also Jeremiah 30:7 and Ezekiel 5:9. All of these texts qualify themselves in one way or another to preclude the modern futurist interpretation.

The truth of history is that nothing compared to the destruction of Israel in 70 AD. When Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria conquered Israel there was always a lot of Jews around and the nation survived, even if it was only as a vassal state. However, in 70 AD the entire country was laid to waste, and it never recovered. Even if we buy into the premise the modern nation-state of Israel is a restoration of covenant Israel (it is not) then it is a smidgen of Israel's prior existence. Israel never recovered from 70 AD. The Jewish War with Rome was the single worst event in Israel's history. A LOT more could be said about the "distress" of Israel and how what happened between 66 and 74 AD fits that bill but a simple comparative exegesis of scripture informing scripture (no need to appeal to extra-biblical post hoc arguments) explains Jesus' words. Even if we did not know how it happened, we'd know it was going to happen in the New Testament era.

1 Corinthians 10:1-12
For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and stood up to play," Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

The ends (plural) of the ages (plural) had (past-tense) come. All the many, many mentions of "age" in the OT was coming to an end in the New Testament era. When Paul states, "They were written for our instruction....." He is saying those OT texts were written for the instruction of his first century reader, not some yet to live 21st century reader. What we garner from that text and apply to the time in which we live is based upon how the original author and his original reader originally understood the text. We do not invent meaning, especially not one that ignores the original intent.





Therefore, Mark 13:1 is NOT a problem for preterists. The supposed problem is an invention of Dispensational Premillennialism's denial of God's word (poor exegesis). Even if this were not the case, we would not look to an invention of the 19th century for an answer. This is just one of many examples in which Dispensationalism leads its adherents to a delusional or dissociated life. One thing is preached while another thing is practiced, and no heed is given to the very real disparity between the two.

I would also like to note this is another example of preterists (in my case, a partial-preterist) being asked a question that is immediately answered, answered decisively with scripture, and not obfuscated in an effort to avoid answering the question. This stands in stark contrast to what occurs when Dispensational Premillennialists are asked valid inquiries about their interpretations of scripture.

 

[3 Resurrections]

Mark 13:19 KJV
For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

Does 70AD fit this bill?

Yes, the conditions in Judea and Jerusalem during AD 66-70 did fit this description. Remember, the disciples were warned in this same Mark 13:14-19 context (as well as the same contexts found in Matthew 24 and Luke 21) that they could escape all those tribulations if they fled Judea and Jerusalem before those "great tribulation" disasters fell upon the nation. Which they did, and for which we have records that show us that around 1-1/4 million heeded this warning by Christ. These all fled the nation and Jerusalem to wait out the war and those "great tribulation" experiences that befell the nation of Israel before the power of the holy people was shattered.

it would be a hard case to make in saying 70AD topped the Holocaust.

No, it's not a "hard case" at all. You are simply thinking in terms of the levels of bloodshed and body counts. Christ forewarned His own wicked generation of a certain particular type of tribulation, the likes of which had never been before, and would never be again. The demonic spiritual oppression by the entire number of unclean spirits returned to overcome that wicked generation of Israelites in their "last state". The demonic unclean spirits would return in complete, seven-fold numbers more wicked than those which Christ had cast out of Israel's citizens in its "first state" when He had been been among them. Read Christ's dire prediction for that wicked first-century generation of Israelites in Matthew 12:43-45.

Revelation describes this state of affairs in Jerusalem when it says that the city would become "a habitation of devils, and a prison for EVERY unclean spirit" (Revelation 18:2). When you have the ENTIRE demonic realm concentrated in a single city, you then have a kind of tribulation period that is like no other that has ever happened before that time, or would ever happen afterward.

So if this was worldwide, who noticed??

The "great tribulation" period was predicted for just the nation of Judea and the city of Jerusalem in particular (Matthew 24:15-22). Daniel also echoes this in his Daniel 12:1 prediction of unprecedented disasters for his own ethnic people. Daniel also was told by the angel that the consequence of this "time of trouble" was part of "all these things" that would befall Daniel's people as the means by which God would "shatter the power of the holy people" (Daniel 12:7). The world did notice this judgment on the nation of Israel when it occurred, but that didn't mean the entire world was intended to participate in suffering from that particular "great tribulation" period and its "days of vengeance".

 

[Marty]

Mark 13:19 KJV
For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

Does 70AD fit this bill? Even if Jesus is speaking to Jews, it would be a hard case to make in saying 70AD topped the Holocaust. Jesus mentions affliction in creation such as was not from the beginning. So if this was worldwide, who noticed??

Yes they lost the temple for ever and they knew God had left them

 

[prism]

Yes, the conditions in Judea and Jerusalem during AD 66-70 did fit this description. Remember, the disciples were warned in this same Mark 13:14-19 context (as well as the same contexts found in Matthew 24 and Luke 21) that they could escape all those tribulations if they fled Judea and Jerusalem before those "great tribulation" disasters fell upon the nation. Which they did, and for which we have records that show us that around 1-1/4 million heeded this warning by Christ. These all fled the nation and Jerusalem to wait out the war and those "great tribulation" experiences that befell the nation of Israel before the power of the holy people was shattered.


No, it's not a "hard case" at all. You are simply thinking in terms of the levels of bloodshed and body counts. Christ forewarned His own wicked generation of a certain particular type of tribulation, the likes of which had never been before, and would never be again. The demonic spiritual oppression by the entire number of unclean spirits returned to overcome that wicked generation of Israelites in their "last state". The demonic unclean spirits would return in complete, seven-fold numbers more wicked than those which Christ had cast out of Israel's citizens in its "first state" when He had been been among them. Read Christ's dire prediction for that wicked first-century generation of Israelites in Matthew 12:43-45.

Revelation describes this state of affairs in Jerusalem when it says that the city would become "a habitation of devils, and a prison for EVERY unclean spirit" (Revelation 18:2). When you have the ENTIRE demonic realm concentrated in a single city, you then have a kind of tribulation period that is like no other that has ever happened before that time, or would ever happen afterward.


The "great tribulation" period was predicted for just the nation of Judea and the city of Jerusalem in particular (Matthew 24:15-22). Daniel also echoes this in his Daniel 12:1 prediction of unprecedented disasters for his own ethnic people. Daniel also was told by the angel that the consequence of this "time of trouble" was part of "all these things" that would befall Daniel's people as the means by which God would "shatter the power of the holy people" (Daniel 12:7). The world did notice this judgment on the nation of Israel when it occurred, but that didn't mean the entire world was intended to participate in suffering from that particular "great tribulation" period and its "days of vengeance".

Thank you for your opinion.

 

[prism]

Yes they lost the temple for ever and they knew God had left them

If they knew that God had left them, why didn't they rectify the situation?

 

[Josheb]

If they knew that God had left them, why didn't they rectify the situation?

Because God had departed. The question answers itself.

Matthew 23:38
Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

Luke 13:35
Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"

Their house was left to them; it was left to them desolate.

Jeremiah 12:7
I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies.

In the Law there were directions given to address any episode of mold, rot, or decay on a person or in a dwelling.

Leviticus 14:1-57 (excerpted for the sake of space)
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper, then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed...... Then the priest shall take the one male lamb and bring it for a guilt offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before the LORD. Next, he shall slaughter the male lamb in the place where they slaughter the sin offering and the burnt offering, at the place of the sanctuary—for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. The priest shall then take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot........ The LORD further spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: "When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession, then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, 'Something like a mark of leprosy has become visible to me in the house.' "The priest shall then command that they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the mark, so that everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to look at the house. "So he shall look at the mark, and if the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface, then the priest shall come out of the house, to the doorway, and quarantine the house for seven days. The priest shall return on the seventh day and make an inspection. If the mark has indeed spread in the walls of the house, then the priest shall order them to tear out the stones with the mark in them and throw them away at an unclean place outside the city...................


Jesus walked into God's house in Matthew 21 and he found in it infested with animals, their refuse, profiteers, and a complicit Jewish leadership, so he cleaned out the temple...... and left. He went outside the city. He returned the next day and entered the temple area only to find it reinfested. First, the chief priests challenge Jesus' authority, asking, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” Jesus exposed their deceit and foretold of their judgment, "[God] will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the fruit in the proper seasons" (vs. 41). Understanding Jesus was speaking about them, they wanted to arrest him, but they were cowards who feared the crowd's protests. The Pharisees then plot to trap Jesus but, again, he reveals their deceit. Then the Sadducees return to try and confound Jesus, but Jesus exposes their ignorance and incompetence. Hearing Jesus has defeated the Jewish leaders a fourth time, they return to make one more attempt and, once again, Jesus confounds them, exposes their ignorant incompetence, and asserts his sovereignty.

Matthew 22:41-46
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: "What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David." He *said to them, "Then how does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying, "The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I put yout enemies beneath your feet.'? If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is he his son?" No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

Jesus then turned to the crowds and said,

Matthew 23:1-39 (again excerpted for the sake of space)
"The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them....... Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in..... Woe to you..... woe to you..... Woe to you..... Woe to you..... Woe to you..... Woe to you..... Woe to you..... Woe to you..... Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth..... Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!"


Jesus found the house of God infested and cleaned it out according to the Law of Moses. He then returned to it, and upon inspecting it, he found the infestation had returned within a single day! The Law required that dwelling be destroyed.

Matthew 24:1-2
Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."

And that is exactly what happened. They did not repent because their house was desolate. Two days later they'd killed the Son of God. Three days after that he'd risen from the grave and the new covenant, the covenant promises first spoken to Abraham and his seed (Jesus) was fulfilled. Within the lifetime of those who'd killed Jesus and the apostles, Israel was razed. The purging of corruption from Israel was not limited to that one building, though. God sent his wrath on the entire land and the nation itself was destroyed. Nothing like that had happened to Israel before, and nothing like that has happened to it since then.

 

[TMSO]

Yes, the conditions in Judea and Jerusalem during AD 66-70 did fit this description. Remember, the disciples were warned in this same Mark 13:14-19 context (as well as the same contexts found in Matthew 24 and Luke 21) that they could escape all those tribulations if they fled Judea and Jerusalem before those "great tribulation" disasters fell upon the nation. Which they did, and for which we have records that show us that around 1-1/4 million heeded this warning by Christ. These all fled the nation and Jerusalem to wait out the war and those "great tribulation" experiences that befell the nation of Israel before the power of the holy people was shattered.

Except that this is wrong. What does Matthew 24 clearly state?
"“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains."

Now, give the history of 70AD, if they waited until this point, they would all be dead. However, look at Luke 21:
"“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near."
"21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled."

Notice how different these two passages are. It is clear that we are talking about two completely different situations here. The Christians avoided the fate of those in Jerusalem, according to Josephus, because they listened to the prophet and fled. When? When they saw the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem. Why? Because this is what Jesus said... in Luke. The abomination of desolation didn't occur because the temple was destroyed before Titus could do anything. He had plans that were thwarted by the fire and destruction of the temple. Foiled by God. Why? It wasn't the prophesied time.

Also note what is said by Jesus in Luke:
"Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven."

How about Matthew?:
"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. "

Luke does not say this. The passage in Luke above is followed immediately by:
"12“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. "
This persecution lasted until the fourth century, long after 70AD. Therefore, Matthew cannot be 70AD, because Luke is speaking of AD70.

Luke (local, Israel-centric):
"23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." The Great Diaspora that occurred after AD 70, and written on the stone tablets of history. So again, Luke is speaking of AD70.

Matthew (global):
"21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 ;Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. "
Great here speaks of the extensive nature of the tribulation (given the Greek). What Jesus is saying is that there has never been a tribulation as extensive, as globally inclusive as this great tribulation to come. WW I and WW II weren't even close. While the US participated in those wars, the US itself was untouched (other than Pearl Harbor, which was allowed to occur by Roosevelt to force the US into the war.)

Revelation describes this state of affairs in Jerusalem when it says that the city would become "a habitation of devils, and a prison for EVERY unclean spirit" (Revelation 18:2). When you have the ENTIRE demonic realm concentrated in a single city, you then have a kind of tribulation period that is like no other that has ever happened before that time, or would ever happen afterward.

There is no evidence that this Babylon is not actually Baylon, the center of pagan religions in ancient history.

The "great tribulation" period was predicted for just the nation of Judea and the city of Jerusalem in particular (Matthew 24:15-22). Daniel also echoes this in his Daniel 12:1 prediction of unprecedented disasters for his own ethnic people. Daniel also was told by the angel that the consequence of this "time of trouble" was part of "all these things" that would befall Daniel's people as the means by which God would "shatter the power of the holy people" (Daniel 12:7). The world did notice this judgment on the nation of Israel when it occurred, but that didn't mean the entire world was intended to participate in suffering from that particular "great tribulation" period and its "days of vengeance".

Great is not speaking to the quality of tribulation, but to the extent. (Greek is weird) Luke 21 is clearly stated to be local to the land and people of Israel. Matthew 24 is global in reach and extent. It will be so extensive that no place on Earth will be left untouched. It will be more extensive then any other event/time in the history of the world up to Jesus, or after. I used to believe the great tribulation spoke to quality, in which case it could be local, however, the Greek doesn't make it that simple at all. It speaks to extent. The Great War (WW I) was called the Great War due to its extent and ferocity, the extent being foremost. The whole world will suffer, however the focus of all that is happening is still Israel due to the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel. The Antichrist will be in Israel, in the temple, blaspheming God and crying out boasts against God. He will be declaring himself to be God. Satan's aim is to destroy Israel that God's promises fall flat, and God loses.

 

[3 Resurrections]

Except that this is wrong. What does Matthew 24 clearly state?
"“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains."

Now, give the history of 70AD, if they waited until this point, they would all be dead. However, look at Luke 21:
"“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near."

The saints fled Jerusalem and Judea IN AD 66 (NOT in AD 70). AD 66 was when Cestius Gallus and the Roman army first came to surround the city. The soldiers got to the point of contact with the temple gate and were setting up to undermine it and burn it (the abomination "standing where it ought not"), but Cestius decided to withdraw his army at that point for no reason whatever (except that God had ordained this withdrawal for the benefit of His saints). The Zealot armies left Jerusalem and gave chase to the retreating Romans all the way to Beth-Horon where they defeated them. This gave any believers inside the city of Jerusalem and those in Judea a precious few days in which to flee to the mountains before the Zealot armies returned and locked the gates of the city again, trapping everyone inside for the duration of the war.

Great here speaks of the extensive nature of the tribulation (given the Greek). What Jesus is saying is that there has never been a tribulation as extensive, as globally inclusive as this great tribulation to come.

The actual words Christ used were a great tribulation "SUCH AS" had never been or ever would be again. This is a TYPE of tribulation - unprecedented before then, and never to be duplicated again. Jesus never used the words "as extensive" or "globally inclusive" in speaking of this "great tribulation" and its "days of vengeance". Those are your words, not Christ's. The particular TYPE of tribulation was the Satanic element of the ENTIRE realm of evil angelic beings which came to oppress Jerusalem's inhabitants at that time, just as Christ had predicted for His own wicked generation of Israelites in Matthew 12:43-45. No city or nation had ever experienced this before, and never would experience this at any time in history after that. The "vengeance" of the "great tribulation" was upon Israel itself (not the entire world) - for the crime of betraying and murdering their own Messiah.

There is no evidence that this Babylon is not actually Baylon, the center of pagan religions in ancient history.

There certainly is evidence in Revelation for "that great city" (which was nicknamed "Babylon" in Rev. 17:18) to be the old city of Jerusalem. John had already in Revelation 11:8 referred to "the great city" as the location where our Lord was crucified. "Babylon" was old first-century Jerusalem, without a doubt. As Revelation 18:2 predicted, that city of Jerusalem / aka "Babylon" became a habitation of devils, and a prison for EVERY unclean spirit during those last days before God shattered the power of the holy people and tore down the temple to the last stone.

Luke 21 is clearly stated to be local to the land and people of Israel. Matthew 24 is global in reach and extent.

Both Luke 21 and Matthew 24 are the very same occasion of Christ addressing the disciples' questions. If you believe Luke 21 to be clearly a "local to the land and people of Israel" set of disasters, then Matthew is likewise stating the very same thing concerning Christ's discourse on this single occasion.

But I would agree that the world at large was also featured in some of these first-century disasters, even in the Luke 21 prediction. For instance, in Luke 21:26, men's hearts would fail them for fear "and for looking after those things which are coming on the EARTH ("OIKOUMENE" - meaning the known world at large, not just the land of Israel, which would have used the "tes ges" term instead).

All those earthquakes in "divers places", the famines across the Roman empire, and the various kingdoms of the empire engaged in warfare against each other were recorded to have taken place during this first-century period surrounding the AD 66-70 Jewish Roman war. There were certainly global disasters aplenty to go around during this tempestuous period - not just in the land of Israel alone which was scheduled for the specific "days of vengeance" of the "great tribulation" before their overthrow.

The Antichrist will be in Israel, in the temple, blaspheming God and crying out boasts against God.

This single Antichrist coming out of the many antichrists (which 1 John 4:18-19 said were already present back then) has already come and gone long ago back in AD 66. This Antichrist's name was Menahem, and this Zealot leader brought his army into the temple and presented himself as the King of Israel in that temple, as recorded in Josephus. This title "King of Israel" uniquely belonged only to Jesus Christ the Messiah, and Menahem was attempting to present himself as being the fulfillment of that prophesied "Messiah the Prince" which Daniel had predicted would come. Menahem was slain in AD 66, shortly after his attempt to exalt himself over all the other false Messiah claimants. The appearance of scripture's Antichrist is not a modern-day threat which we are to anticipate in our future.