The Date

 

 

We talked about Jesus’ return

Though we didn’t know when

But we did know somethings would happen

Just before then.

 

John was clear in his letters

Concerning the things that would happen,

And Jesus as he spoke to his disciples

They felt quite threatened.

 

They were going to lose their temple

And their beloved Jerusalem,

These were two of the major things

That would happen to them.

 

As we gazed at the temple

We just could not believe

That this would happen to our place of worship,

We were quite grieved.

 

As a matter of fact, we quizzed the Master

Concerning the date

And we got the distinct impression

It would be sooner rather than late.

 

 

What really got through to us

Was when he gave us the time frame

That some of us would be alive…

And I thought, “Who could be so insane?”

 

This temple was our life

And it was our connection with God

And, the fact that the Master was leaving

Had already left us in awe.

 

Not long after that unsettling discourse

The Master was crucified

But he rose from triumphantly from the dead

As we ourselves testified.

 

Thereafter we watched him as he ascended

And we thought what he had said,

About the horrid events that were coming

When not all of us would be dead.

 

So that when we heard from John

About his experience on Patmos isle,

We were even more convinced that all these things

Would happen in a relatively short while.

 

We were under intense persecution

From many of our fellow Jews

And they became more and more incensed

As we preached the Good News.

 

The Master warned that they would hate us

Since they had hated him

And just as he had said, their view of him

Became more and more dim.

 

Revelation 17:3

 

The apostle John pointed to seven heads-

The first would have to be Julius Caesar,

Five of had fallen and one was,

Which led to Nero, the present Emperor.

 

Galba Caesar would follow Nero

But would remain only for a short while

And one only need to check Jewish history

In which this matter is filed.

The temple was destroyed in AD 70

And Jerusalem was laid waste,

This happened after Nero Caesar had died

And this can be easily traced.

 

Emperor Nero died in AD 68,

The sixth Caesar on the apostle John’s list

So, the temple would have to be standing;

That we ought not to have missed.

 

It would have to be the second temple

That John had written about,

The one that Herod had refurbished-

Of this there should be little doubt.

 

Revelation 11:1-2

 

He was told to measure the temple

Hence, there must have been one,

Tell me, what would have been the sense

To measure a temple that was gone?

 

The temple must have been standing

When John wrote the book,

Hence, this would have to be before AD 70

Just take another look.

 

Luke 21:24 and Revelation 11:2

 

Then they are the parallel passages

Found in Revelation 11 and Luke 21

In which both Jesus and the Apostle John

Pointed to when the temple would be gone.

 

Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles

Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

The echoing of this in Revelation 11:2

Suggests the temple was standing still.

 

The temple would cease to stand in AD 70

The culmination of a forty-two months attack,

Read Revelation chapter 11 and verse 2

To ascertain this fact.

 

John must have been referring to Jesus

As it pertains to this event,

The accuracy of apostle John’s reference

Could not be mere coincidence.

 

History shows from 67 AD to August AD 70

War was raged on the Holy City,

Therein would be our three and half years

As stated in John’s prophecy.

 

There in is fulfilment of the Gentile’s time

As spoken by both Jesus and John,

Now the spreading of the Gospel could take place

Since the Jewish temple is gone.

  

Matthew 24:13

 

And this gospel of the kingdom

shall be preached in all the world

for a witness unto all nations;

and then shall the end come.

 

The date must have been before AD 70

When the book of Revelation was written,

It must have been when we consider

The period when all these things happened.

 

All these things must happen, said Jesus,

Before the end is come,

The coming judgment on the Jews

And the setting up of the kingdom.

 

Matthew 24:32-33

 

So likewise ye,

when ye shall see all these things,

know that it is near, 

even at the doors.

 

Verily I say unto you,

This generation shall not pass,

till all these things be fulfilled.

 

Revelation 3:9

 

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan,

which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;

behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet,

and to know that I have loved thee.

 

Romans 2:28-29

 

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly;

neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly;

and circumcision is that of the heart,

in the Spirit, and not in the letter;

whose praise is not of men, but of God.

  

John 8:39

 

They answered and said unto him,

Abraham is our father.

Jesus saith unto them, 

If ye were Abraham's children,

ye would do the works of Abraham.

 

Galatians 3:29

 

And if ye be Christ's,

then are ye Abraham's seed,

and heirs according to the promise.

 

Two dates are in contention

For the writing of the book of Revelation,

The more popular date has been AD 95

But AD 65 is gaining in consideration.

 

This earlier date is based on information

As shown in this conversation;

Most of which comes from the book itself-

That book being the book of Revelation.

 

John wrote to seven churches

That were experiencing great persecution

And he addressed the said churches

As “brother and companion in tribulation”. 

 

Matthew 16:28

 

Verily I say unto you,

There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death,

till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

 

That he was sharing in their tribulation

There is therefore no doubt

And the fact that he was still alive

Should bear this all out.

 

John is said to have died in AD 100

At the ripe old age of 93 or 94,

Hence, he was one of them still standing

As Jesus had spoken of before.

 

Stewart Russell © March 10, 2021

Not Easy at All

 

 

One of the hardest things to do

Is to challenge your own beliefs.

 

I received the above quote

From an influential elder

That played a pivotal role in my life

As both pastor and teacher.

 

I found the quote to be true

Especially regarding my beliefs,

I am what I grew up on

And my religion is chief.

 

What I was taught

Especially from my youth

Became my photo lens

For determining truth.

 

Being very trusting

Of my pastors and teachers,

To accept without question:

Was a desirable feature.

 

Back then it was declared

To be the written Word,

Thus, to question or disagree

Would have been absurd.

 

So, I drank it all up

And passionately preached it too

Just like I was taught

And probably, so did you.

 

Such that when I was forced

Those beliefs to defend,

I was quick to the draw

And only too eager to offend.

 

 

A dispensationalist to the core

And of the pre-tribulation too:

Nothing was ever allowed

To vanquish those views.

 

Jesus was coming soon

Meant of the imminent kind

And for me that definitely had to be

During my lifetime.

 

From 1948 to the present

Jesus was expected to appear;

Israel becoming a nation

Signaled the end was near.

 

 This is over a generation ago

Yet most still hold to it,

Therein lies the problem

When belief becomes an edict.

 

Traditions are so strong

Re the hold they have on us

That when they are proven wrong

In them we still put our trust.

 

It is critically important

Our beliefs stand upon the Word

And not necessarily

What for ages we have heard.

 

Time does not alter fact

Neither can it change the Word,

God’s Word stands forever

Regardless of what you heard.

 

Challenge your beliefs, I say,

In the light of God’s Holy Writ,

Find out if they are biblically based

Or just an uninformed habit.

 

Much of what we believe

We are afraid to put to the test

For fear that if it be found in error

It would rob us of our zest.

 

I could never face my church

If I find out that I was wrong

So, let me hold on to my beliefs

And continue to appear strong.

 

To challenge my own beliefs

Requires me to be honest

And to accept what the Bible says

In the event they fail the test.

 

It requires me to be loving

In how I share that truth,

Not in a condescending manner

Even when displaying the proof.

 

I must also be faithful

To the clarity of God’s Word

And to present it as it truly is

Even if friends are disturbed.

 

It requires me to be humble;

The Spirit must hold full sway,

It is he that reveals the Holy Word

And tells me what to say.

 

One of the hardest things to do

Is to challenge your own beliefs:

However, when one is able to do just that

It can bring tremendous relief.

 

Stewart Russell © August 29, 2020

 

Poor Porky Pig

  

 

This is the narrative

Of poor Porky Pig

Who lived on a small farm

And danced a jig.

 

Nary a day’s work

Had he ever done

But danced his life away

Just having fun.

 

‘Twas the only animal

That never worked,

Farmer must really like him

Or was a jerk.

 

Fowlie gave eggs

And the cow her milk,

The sheep and goats chimed in

Being of similar ilk.

 

 

But Porky Pig

Just ate and ate and ate

Feeling smug and important

And even great.

 

Porky Pig felt

He was the favourite

And he grunted and danced

Out of habit.

 

But Farmer had a plan

Porky didn’t know

For had Porky been aware

His eating would slow.

 

All animals had work

Porky had none

And in his assured ignorance

He had fun.

 

Destiny slaughter house

One day coming soon,

When Porky Pig will be removed

From his miry lagoon.  

 

Unaware of this

He continues to eat on,

Eating throughout each day

Beginning at dawn.

 

 

“Farmer must like me,”

He thinks to himself,

“Given how he takes great care

Of my portly health.”

 

And who would not?

Dear old Porky Pig

For you are an assured investment

Fattening for the kill.

 

Many a table will benefit

From your demise

And your portly flesh will be

A culinary surprise.

 

Enjoy it while it lasts

And do your portly jig

For farmer is only fattening you,

Fattening for the kill.

 

A word to the wise

If you see what I mean

For there is something from this

You and I can glean.

 

There is many a ruse

Fattening us for the kill

But hopefully we are more wise

Than poor Porky Pig.

 

Stewart Russell © May 7, 2026

 

How Do We Judge?

 

 

How do we judge?

Notice I said we

For I am also including myself

In this company.

 

The company of believers

That is: the born again

That’s been wonderfully saved

In Jesus’ name.

 

Not the world at large

So, don’t be confused,

Thus, bear in mind my gravity;

I don’t mean to amuse.

 

 

Everybody judges:

Both saved and unsaved,

This is naturally human beings

And how we behave.

 

But the born again

Is where my focus is at,

How do we judge, I ask again,

Can you tell me that?

 

Notice I said judge,

You may say assess

But if you make them synonyms

You’ve flunked the test.

 

We do not assess,

We are jury and judge

And when we give our verdict,

We do not budge.

 

 

 

Clearly the above

Does not spell assess

And what is even more, we judge

According to the flesh.

 

How is it possible, you ask,

Being in the Spirit

But the flesh is still very present

And shows up as a habit.

 

Let us be honest

As we are expected to be,

The flesh wars against the Spirit

Whenever we are angry.

 

None of us is perfect

On account of the flesh

And sometimes we fail miserably

When facing a test.

 

Sometimes in a dispute

We tend to take a side,

As in a friend or family member

Whose guilt we try to hide.

 

 

We jump to conclusions

With little evidence

And often the first side we hear

Determines our bent.

 

Prejudging is prevalent,

One look tells me so,

I can see that he is the guilty one,

Just by looking, I know.

 

She would never do that

But he would for sure,

He’s been in the church for years

But wicked to the core.

 

Most of our judging

Is according to the flesh

Thus, I am guilty and so are you

So, it is here I rest.

 

 

Judge not says the Word

And here’s the reason why:

The flesh will often get in the way

And this we can’t deny.

 

Stewart Russell © October 31, 2024