Thank you for looking but I find it difficult that you believe those who dismiss the first christian who undertook to write down the history of the church while believing Ireneus, the only one who wrote John was sentenced under Dominitian, who also wrote that Jesus died in his fifties. Other ancient sources say it was under Nero. It’s easier to dismiss Iraeneus who was wrong. Why don’t you doubt those who choose to cast aspersions on Eusebius? There are those who say the entire Biblical accounts are doubtful. We don’t believe them either.
I agree but why wouldn’t God want to rescue his own out of that judgement but instead leave them to suffer too? And it’s a fact that Roman armies surrounded the city and then left. Since the source even named city they fled to, why doubt this account? It all fits. Jesus told them Jerusalem would be destroyed. He loved them enough to tell them how to avoid this destruction. In your view he didn’t but punished them along with the rebellious Jews. Why doubt this beautiful account of a prophesy happening, believed to be about to happen and Christians believing the teaching of Jesus so strongly that they acted upon it at great cost. It’s a beautiful example of faith. Would you really prefer to believe God just let his own suffer with no escape?
And that leaves to a question, if a modern future army is going to surround Jerusalem connected to the Antichrist, how is anyone going to flee? And if it’s a worldwide problem, where are they going to flee to?
Well I went to university and we had to find original sources not opinion pieces from encyclopedias. Those are sometimes opinion pieces, sometimes verified and sometimes not. If you read in wikipedia pieces about christian matters, you can tell what the author believed. This m and it’s not information but an opinion.
I never said God let His own suffer with no escape as God will always make a way where there seems to be no way.
Here is my take on what you have asked me.
Jesus foretells the destruction of the Temple in Matthew 24:1-2 but he never said when it would happen as it was yet future and happened in 70AD
Now when you read the rest in Matthew 24:4-8 Jesus is speaking about the beginning of sorrows and continue in vs. 9 Jesus said: Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. So some who heed his warning to flee will be kept safe while others that are His own that did not flee His warning will die a martyr's death if they do not renounce Christ.
Further down in vs. 15 the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel has been debated for years. Some believe it was in 70AD while others believe it will be the time during the end of days when the son of perdition takes his seat on that very Temple mount of God for 3 1/2 years causing all to take the mark of this beast or die a martyr's death, 2Thessalonians 2:1-4, but we know from scripture there will never be another Temple built on that very spot where the second one use to stand.
During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times. In the end of days Israel will be attcked one last time.
The abomination will be that of a New World Order with a singular governmental power that controls all economic, political, military, educational, environmental and religious authority that takes its seat in Jerusalem, Isaiah 14:12, 13; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. This new government is a Global power giving false hope to the entire world as even the very elect of God will be deceived if possible, Matthew 24:24.
To answer your question about where will we flee to I believe you will find your answer in Rev 12. John is shown a great sign in heaven as he sees a vision of a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. The sun is representative of the glory and brilliance of Gods righteousness that surrounds her and protects her. Under her feet the moon which is illustrative of eternity, light, Gods faithfulness in His Son Jesus who is the greater light of the gospel age as Jesus being the light of the world that shines in darkness, but the darkness can not comprehend the light, Psalms 72:5-7; Isaiah 2:3-5; Jeremiah 31:35-37; Isaiah 30:26-33; John 1:1-5.
The woman is symbolic of Israel and the congregation of Gods people as she wears a crown of twelve stars which represents the twelve tribes of Israel that have repented of their arrogance as they felt they deserved Gods favor, but yet kept killing the prophets God sent to them, including the very Messiah they were waiting for. This is when the times of the Gentiles began as God went to them to take Himself a people that were humbled enough to receive salvation as God had mercy on them, Matthew 23:37-39; Acts 15:14; Romans 11:25-27.
The true congregation of God can be symbolized here as a mother that has all here children gathered in one place for safety which in this case is under the wings of the almighty God, Psalms 91. She cries out like a woman in labor as the pain of her persecutions has become too great to bear as she waits to be delivered from her persecutors, 2 Timothy 4:18; 2 Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:13.
The woman here represents the true congregation of God that flees to the wilderness for 1290 days just as Jesus forewarned her to do so in Matthew 24:15, 16. Jesus said when you see the abomination that causes desolation stand in the holy place Jesus is speaking about the son of perdition (the beast out of the earth, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Rev 13) taking a literal seat in Jerusalem on the very Temple Mount of God where the Dome of the Rock presently stands.
The world cries out for a savior but rejects the one already given to them as they fall prey to that which comes under Satan’s control that is even secretly working in the world today. Jesus warned us to flee into the mountains/wilderness from this abomination and not to enter in and be yoked with the darkness as there is no communion with light and darkness, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. This will be the greatest time of faith as we rely on God to supply our need like He provided for Moses and the Israelites that wondered out in the dessert after their exodus.
