Why 2000 Years Ago
Once a man was born, he or she starts to his or her life, taking it as his or her own.
However, a man has too little knowledge about himself and this universe. He doesn't even know why he had to be born at certain time in a certain environment.
No one can choose time and a place where he is to be born. But once he was born, he starts to live as if his life were his own.
It is a big mistake. There must be somebody that decides when and how who should be born. Then life and a life of one who was born without knowing anything must belong to that someone.
Nonetheless, as Christ Jesus is God, He must have decided when and how He was born as a human being. He is the only exception. God decided one day to be born as Jesus in Israel 2000 years ago. But why? That must be the greatest theme of human study on history and religion.
332 Alexander the Great conquers the Persians, beginning the Hellenistic rule of Judea.
167 Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) ransacks Jerusalem, prohibits Torah practice, sets up the
“Abomination of Desolation” in the Temple. Maccabean revolt begins.
164 Temple recaptured and rededicated. Origin of Hanukkah celebration (Jn 10:22).
142 Hasmonean dynasty rules Jerusalem.
63 Roman army under Pompey conquers Judea.
40 Parthians conquer Judea.
37 Herod regains Jerusalem.
20 Herod begins reconstruction and expansion of the Temple.
1 Birth of Christ.
AD
7 Caesar Augustus appoints Caponius Procurator. Removed judicial authority
from Judea: “The Scepter departed from Judah.”
28-32 Ministry of Jesus. Crucifixion under Herod Antipas. The tragedy of all history
(Mt 23: 37-39). National blindness decreed (Lk 19:40ff;Rom 11:25). Destruction
of Jerusalem predicted. The Diaspora begins (Lk 21:24). SEE LUKE 3:1
37-41 Roman emperor Caligula attempts to have his image established in the Temple.
66-73 Jewish revolt against the Romans.
70 Fall of Jerusalem: Second Temple destroyed by Titus. Not mentioned in the Gospels
nor in the epistlesnor in the epistles; this would have been used in apologetic arguments; significant
evidence for being written prior to a.d. 66. Also, Qumran evidences, et al.
73 Last stand of the Jewish revolt at Masada.
90 Council of Jabneh (Jamnia) redefines Judaism.
132 Bar Kochba revolt; destroys the 12th Legion; begin rebuilding the Temple.
135 Romans crush the Jewish revolt. Hadrian orders Jerusalem plowed under. He builds
Aelia Capitolina on the ruins with a temple to Jupiter built over the site of the Jewish
Temple. Names Israel “Palestina.”
313 Emperor Constantine legalizes Christianity throughout the Roman Empire; moves his
capital to Byzantium “Constantinople”).
378 Emperor Theodosius makes Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.http://faithbibleministriesblog.com/2013/11/15/a-3500-year-chronology-of-israel/
Indeed without God's sending Himself as a human being to Judea 2000 years ago, Judaists should have been just dispersed in territories of the Roman Empire or to Africa and Asia. They would have continued their faith in Yahweh, however, without any impact on other races and tribes. In corners of the world Judaists should have survived just as a minor and rootless religious group. In 2000 years they should have become minimal.
On the other hand, after the collapse of the Roman Empire expected at the time to happen some time in centuries after Caesar, Europe would not have had a binding factor, the Catholic Church, without the emergence of Christ Jesus. So, various European tribes should have been divided without common religion. They should have been sheer strangers to one another. Cultural unification of Europe must have been impossible. And, there would have been no Middle Ages, Renaissance, and eventually Industrial Revolution.
So, Christ Jesus came to this world at the right time among Judaists.
But Christianity failed. So, Islam was given to Arabs and others. And, it passed 1400 years since the establishment of Islam. It must be enough.
So, I think something must happen today 2000 years after the birth of Jesus.
Anyway we have to realize that the sole owner of our lives is God. Our lives are possessed by God. We are living a life entrusted to us by God, though it essentially belongs to God.
So, we have to report to God how we have lived after our death. And most of us would have to plead ignorance as our excuse for neglecting God in our life. But I think God will not simply accept it.
Each of our lives is not truly ours but God's. We have a duty to live a life according to God's will.
Incidentally, it seems that the ancient Greek Civilization was loved by God. So, the God used Alexander the great to have him prepare some territories east of Jerusalem for expansion of Judaism, Christianity or, in case, Islam. The history centering around the birth of Jesus must start directly from the era of Alexander the Great to the time when Christianity gained a sure foothold in Europe with the Roman Empire accepting it as its state religion.
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Luk 11:17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.