Foretelling the Destruction of Jerusalem 

On Tuesday, April 4, 30 CE, on the same day that the Sanhedrin would vote unanimously to impose the death sentence upon both Jesus and Lazarus, Jesus and the apostles were leaving the Jerusalem temple on their way to the Gethsemane camp. During their departure, Matthew pointed out the temple construction and said, "Master, observe what manner of buildings these are. See the massive stones and the beautiful adornment; can it be that these buildings are to be destroyed?" As they approached Olivet, Jesus said, "You see these stones and this massive temple; verily, verily, I say to you: In the days soon to come there shall not be left one stone upon another. They shall all be thrown down." As the apostles walked behind the Master, these remarks depicting the destruction of the sacred temple piqued their interest; they could not imagine any event short of the end of the world that would cause the temple to be destroyed.

To avoid the crowds passing through the Kidron Valley toward Gethsemane, Jesus and his companions planned to climb up the western slope of Olivet for a short distance before following a trail to their private camp near Gethsemane. As they turned to leave the road leading to Bethany, they saw the temple, which was illuminated by the rays of the setting sun; and while they lingered on the mount, they saw the lights of the city appear and beheld the beauty of the illuminated temple. There, under the mellow light of the full moon, Jesus and the twelve sat. The Master spoke with them, and Nathaniel eventually asked, "Tell us, Master, how shall we know when these events are about to come to pass?"

In response to Nathaniel's question, Jesus said, "Yes, I will tell you about the times when this people shall have filled up the cup of their iniquity; when justice shall swiftly descend upon this city of our fathers. I am about to leave you; I go to the Father. After I leave you, take heed that no man deceive you, for many will come as deliverers and will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, be not troubled, for though all these things will happen, the end of Jerusalem is not yet at hand. You should not be perturbed by famines or earthquakes; neither should you be concerned when you are delivered up to the civil authorities and are persecuted for the sake of the gospel. You will be thrown out of the synagogue and put in prison for my sake, and some of you will be killed. When you are brought up before governors and rulers, it shall be for a testimony of your faith and to show your steadfastness in the gospel of the kingdom. And when you stand before judges, be not anxious beforehand as to what you should say, for the spirit will teach you in that very hour what you should answer your adversaries. In these days of travail, even your own kinsfolk, under the leadership of those who have rejected the Son of Man, will deliver you up to prison and death. For a time, you may be hated by all men for my sake, but even in these persecutions, I will not forsake you; my spirit will not desert you. Be patient! doubt not that this gospel of the kingdom will triumph over all enemies and, eventually, be proclaimed to all nations."

Jesus paused as he looked down at the city. The Master realized that rejecting the spiritual concept of the Messiah, as well as clinging persistently and blindly to the material mission of the expected deliverer, would soon bring the Jews into direct conflict with the powerful Roman armies and that such a contest could only result in the Jewish nation's final and complete destruction. When his people rejected his spiritual bestowal and refused to accept the light of heaven that so mercifully shone upon them, they sealed their fate as independent people with a unique spiritual mission on earth. Even Jewish leaders later acknowledged that it was this secular concept of the Messiah that directly contributed to the turmoil that ultimately led to their demise.

Because Jerusalem was to become the cradle of the early gospel movement, Jesus did not want its teachers and preachers to perish in the terrible overthrow of the Jewish people that would accompany Jerusalem's destruction; thus, he gave these instructions to his followers. Jesus was very concerned that some of his disciples would become involved in the upcoming revolts and thus perish with Jerusalem.

Then Andrew asked: "But, Master, if the Holy City and the temple are to be destroyed, and if you are not here to direct us, when should we forsake Jerusalem?" Jesus said, "You may remain in the city after I have gone, even through these times of travail and bitter persecution, but when you finally see Jerusalem being encompassed by the Roman armies after the revolt of the false prophets, then will you know that her desolation is at hand; then must you flee to the mountains. Let none who are in the city and around about tarry to save aught, neither let those who are outside dare to enter therein. There will be great tribulation, for these will be the days of gentile vengeance. And after you have deserted the city, this disobedient people will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all nations; and so shall Jerusalem be trodden down by the gentiles. In the meantime, I warn you, be not deceived. If any man comes to you, saying, ‘Behold, here is the Deliverer,’ or ‘Behold, there is he,’ believe it not, for many false teachers will arise and many will be led astray; but you should not be deceived, for I have told you all this beforehand."

The apostles sat in silence in the moonlight for a long time, as the Master's astounding predictions sank into their bewildered minds.

Just forty years after the crucifixion of Jesus, the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and crucified thousands upon thousands, day by day, of the Jewish race. Thanks to Jesus' warning, practically all the believers fled Jerusalem when the first legion of Roman troops arrived, escaping to Pella in the north. A harvest was reaped from the seeds that were sown on the terrible day when the religious and government leaders murdered Jesus to protect their own power. The path of evil eventually leads to self-destruction.

The Jewish nation, as a group, paid the terrible price of rejecting the Prince of Peace. Since that day in history, individuals have continued to seek and find God in all the nations, including Israel. Jesus’ love for the individual knows no boundaries.

The inevitable downfall of Jerusalem was not merely a political event but a spiritual lesson on the perils of ignoring divine guidance. The Jews' adamant expectation of a militant Messiah to overthrow their Roman oppressors was a tragic misinterpretation that ignored the peaceful and spiritual nature of Jesus' teachings. By clinging to this militant expectation, they set themselves on a collision course with the immense power of Rome, which could only end in their societal and spiritual decimation.

Jesus, knowing the catastrophic events that would unfold due to these misinterpretations, sought to prepare his followers. He instructed them to remain vigilant and to flee the city when they saw the encroaching Roman legions, emphasizing the importance of spiritual preservation over temporal power or geographical location. His prophecies and instructions were aimed at safeguarding the spiritual future of his teachings and ensuring the spread of his message of peace and redemption.

The destruction of Jerusalem thus serves as a profound reminder of the consequences of neglecting spiritual truth in favor of temporal power. Jesus’ foresight allowed his followers to escape physical harm and continue spreading his teachings, affirming that the kingdom of God is not tied to any earthly city but is a pervasive realm of the spirit, accessible to all across the globe who embrace his message of unconditional love and peace.