The Destruction of Jerusalem (Part 2)
By David Padfield

Matthew 24 is one of the most abused passages in the Bible. Premillennialists use this chapter as a springboard for all sorts of fanciful teaching and wild speculation. In this article, we want to examine the context of the chapter and observe its application to Jerusalem's destruction in 70 A.D. This is the conclusion of the article begun in the January issue.

Great Tribulation
Jesus warned His disciples that when the Roman army arrived, those in Judea should flee to the mountains: "Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24:17-21)

It is amazing how many people today try to apply these words to our Lord's future return. What possible difference would it make if Jesus returns on Saturday or Sunday? What difference could it make if He comes in winter or summer? However, if you were fleeing from an invading army, it would make a great deal of difference, for the gates of the city would be closed on the Sabbath day, and there would be no way to escape. Fleeing from an invading army would be a lot easier if you did not have a nursing baby.

People sometimes underestimate the severity of the attack on Jerusalem. Josephus tells how Roman soldiers "went in numbers into the lanes of the city, with their swords drawn, they slew those whom they overtook, without mercy, and set fire to the houses wither the Jews were fled, and burnt every soul in them, and laid waste a great many of the rest; and when they were come to the houses to plunder them, they found in them entire families of dead men, and the upper rooms full of dead corpses, that is of such as died by the famine; they then stood in horror at this sight, and went out without touching anything. But although they had this commiseration for such as were destroyed in that manner, yet had they not the same for those that were still alive, but they ran every one through whom they met with, and obstructed the very lanes with their dead bodies, and made the whole city run down with blood, to such a degree indeed that the fire of many houses was quenched with these men's blood." (The Wars of the Jews, 6:8:5)

Over one million Jews died in the destruction of Jerusalem; another 97,000 were carried away as slaves.

The Stars Will Fall From Heaven
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Matthew 24:29) Premillennialists often use this passage to prove that Matthew 24 is talking about the return of Christ, instead of the destruction of the holy city. They often say, "Just look outside at night -- the stars are still in the heavens right now."

To those who are unfamiliar with prophetic language, the premillennialists sometimes sound convincing. However, a short trip through the Old Testament will show that similar language was used to describe the falls of monarchs and nations. Examine the following examples of God's righteous judgment and see how he describes the falls of national leaders:

The Sign of the Son of Man
In Matthew 24:30, Jesus said, "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Please notice that Jesus did not say, "And then shall appear the Son of Man in heaven" or "Then shall appear the sign in the heaven(s) of the Son of Man." The phrase is literally: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven" (Berry's Interlinear). The phrase "in heaven" denotes the locality of the Son of Man, not the locality of the sign.

The destruction of Jerusalem itself served as a sign of the fact that the Son of Man was ruling in heaven, because it was the fulfillment of His prediction (cf.Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

Not One Stone Left Upon Another
At the very beginning of His Olivet discourse, as He looked at the temple, Jesus said, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matthew 24:2)

Titus, the Roman general, did not want to destroy the temple. In a speech to the city's Jewish defenders, he said, "I appeal to my own army, and the Jews that are now with me, and even to you yourselves, that I do not force you to defile this sanctuary; and if you will but change the place whereon you will fight, no Roman shall either come near your sanctuary, or offer any affront to it; nay, I will endeavor to preserve you your holy house, whether you will or not." (The Wars of the Jews, 6:2:4)

However, after the Romans took the city, Titus "gave order that they should now demolish the entire city and temple but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited." (The Wars of the Jews, 7:1:1) Truly, the prophet's words came to pass, "Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest." (Micah 3:12)

Wars and Rumors of Wars
Jesus warned His disciples, "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." (Matthew 24:6)

Significant Contrasts
The disciples received sign after sign so they would know in advance about Jerusalem's destruction. Warnings were given so the people could flee during those abnormal times when a limited, local judgment from God would fall upon Jerusalem.

We now look for our Lord's final return, "But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." (Matthew 24:26) Jesus will return during normal times and without prior warning. Instead of a limited judgment upon a rebellious nation, "all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats." (Matthew 25:32)

Suggested Reading for Further Study

I hope you keep this entire series regarding the Destruction of Jerusalem-Matthew 24. Brother Padfield has done an excellent job of showing the error associated with this false doctrine. On his web site, you can request copies of the debate mentioned above. He is the local preacher at the Zion Church of Christ in Zion, Illinois. His website address is www.padfield.com

Sadly, the majority of the major Protestant religious organizations in our country have accepted this false doctrine. It's especially popular among many of the major television evangelists--Oral Roberts, Kenneth Copeland, Jimmy Swaggart, John Hagee, Benny Hinn, and of course the TBN network. If you closely examine the context of both Matthew 24 and 25, you will see that the Premillennial theory does not fit the subject matter under discussion. (KMG)


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