The Destruction of Pompeii—God’s Revenge?

I understand your question, and why it seems confusing. Try to remember Scripture context. In the Hebrew Bible (The Tanakh, or the Old Testament) there are examples of God warning His People by His prophets of coming judgment if they do not repent and return to the ways of God and godliness, which God had detailed to them through Moses and others. When there was no national repentance, and when the leaders of the people continued to lead them astray from God (usually for selfish political or moral corruption reasons), then God would raise up a foreign army from a pagan nation to cause judgment and punishment of His People. Nevertheless, God would then bring a judgment upon those who attacked His People, IF the invading army rejoiced or gloated over their defeat of the Israelis, thinking that they (the attacking army) had now found more favor with the God of Israel — OR, that they and their god or gods were now more worthy to rule the Land of Israel or the Children of Israel — that is, more worthy of acclaim than God’s Chosen People. THEN, God would punish either that whole nation or that nation’s army. That happened to Assyria when they gloated over the destruction of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. God later had Assyria destroyed by others for their punishment for having rejoiced in the slaughter of many innocents among the populace of the Northern Kingdom. (The North-South split had occurred after the death of Solomon.) So, I hope that explains that juxtaposition somewhat. God will use the enemies of His People to punish His People for great moral and spiritual lapses and any rejection of God’s right to have their obedience to Himself. The same might be said of any nation founded upon a declaration of fidelity to God, such as was done by America’s Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony with the Mayflower Compact (1620).

Pompeii and Herculaneum were primarily brothel pleasure cities for the use of Roman armies when the were home from foreign wars or other activites. At the time of the Vesuvius blowout, the Roman X-Legion (10th Legion) - the Legion which had made war on Jerusalem and destroyed it - was on its R & R visit to those cities. And, it was 9 years (on the Hebrew calendar) from the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Romans believed (after the destruction of Jerusalem) that Rome was now invincible in the sight of all men and every god, and would deserve to rule the whole world henceforth. But, that was not a true perception. It was an egotistical percention. Which the God of Israel blunted that day. Unfortunately, the Romans wrote most of the histories, and they didn’t get the message thar God had sent. The brothels and all the guests and hosts, and male and female prostitues, were all destroyed that day. The Tenth Roman Legion was nearly wiped out in one vast stroke of God’s explosive wrath. The God of Israel DID avenge His People for all their agony and loss. When Rome laid siege to Israel and Jerusalem, the city and the Temple were swollen with about 2.5 million person for a High Feast Day. Fewer than 10,000 survived to go into captivity as slaves. The deaths of those who were innocent (children and babes, etc.) were indeed avenged by the Lord God of Israel. He put His seal of doom and displeasure upon the Roman Tenth Legion and Roman pride on the day He caused Vesuvius to errupt, turning their party into a litteral “blowout!”

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