Roman Legions

Just a short post today to show you something interesting.

I found this image online. I haven't had the desire to really verify if it is accurate. Take a look.

What it claims to show are the areas of the Roman Empire with a count of the number of legions assigned to secure those areas. Four legions here. Eight legions there. That's a lot of legions!

And I can't believe they coordinated that whole thing without any high-speed communications.

I really am not so much interested in the precise accuracy of the thing. I am more interested in something Jesus said.

It is well after sundown after the Last Supper. Jesus and His remaining companions had retired to the Mount of Olives. Judas had finalized His betrayal. A group of men had arrived to arrest Jesus. John 18 tells us Peter cuts off the ear of the High Priest's servant. Jesus restores the man. Then, Jesus says this:

(MAT. 22: 52-56) 52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

Twelve legions was more than any area of Rome had. It was well more than Judea had.

As an side, there is Jesus, talking again about how He was committed to keeping His covenant and fulfilling the prophets. Just like we saw in the post "One Jot or One Tittle".

That graphic claims to be for the second century. I understand Rome only had about 28 legions at the time Jesus was arrested. Jesus was saying the Father would send Him half the Roman army.

When I looked it up, the number of men in a legion is anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 men. Let's go with that lower number. When we take 12 legions, multiplied by 5,000, we get 60,000. That's a lot of angels! If you think about it, one angel would have done the trick. We have no defense at all against them. When the singular angel of death visited Egypt, they were completely helpless. (Whether that angel was Yahweh Himself is not important right now.) I think the number Jesus mentioned was specifically to make a point.

I just thought this was interesting.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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