Did Jesus actually predict this event? In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus made predictions with specific details regarding the desolation of Jerusalem and the Temple (Luke 19:41–44; 21:5–24). The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple did occur in AD 70.
Now, the unbeliever may pass over these predictions as being written after the event and that these things are another thing placed into the mouth of Jesus by the writers of the Bible. Many skeptics believe that Jesus’s predictions were written after AD 70 implying via the prejudice of skepticism that this record is written by false witnesses. However, some critical scholars recognize that Jesus did make these predictions in Mark 13 where Jesus urged prayers that the destruction of Jerusalem not come in the winter when the destruction actually came in August (Mark 13:18). Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s Gospels contain this prediction, and eyewitnesses testified that Jesus said these words.
The Evidence that Jesus Predicted Jerusalem’s Destruction
To historically show that these predictions existed before AD 70, one should first look at where these predictions in detail from the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke was written before Luke’s other work “Acts of the Apostles,” and this is key to knowing if Jesus’s predictions as found in Luke 19:41–44 and 21:5–24 are real. The Gospel of Luke is presented in the first sentence of Acts, which presents a review of Luke’s Gospel (Acts 1:1-4). Acts is significant because it concludes with the Apostle Paul under house arrest (Acts 28:30–31) in about AD 60–62 before his death in AD 65–66. If Acts was written after 70, then why did Luke not reveal what happened to Paul in trial and even his death? If Acts ended with Paul’s death and even Peter’s, then the dating of Acts could have been after the desolation of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, but this is not the case though James’s and Stephen’s deaths are recorded. Acts ends with mentioning Paul’s house arrest lasting two years implying knowledge of Paul’s release and nothing further (28:30). Luke does not tell what happened in Paul’s trials in Rome when the rest of the book has covered Paul’s trials in detail. The fact that Acts ends without resolution concerning Paul’s trials and without mentioning his death is very important in showing that Acts was written before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and so the predictions in Luke’s earlier writing of the Gospel of Luke would have been before the event of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Along with all of this, Acts presents an optimistic view of the government of Rome, which would have changed by the Neronian persecution to start in AD 64–65. This also helps affirm the existence of Jesus’ predictions prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
One more piece of evidence is that Paul who died in about AD 65–66 quotes the Gospel of Luke calling it Scripture (1 Tim 5:18; cf. Luke 10:7). Luke must have been written before Paul’s death in AD 65–66.
Details of Jesus’s Predictions
Because Luke wrote his Gospel before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, Luke presented the details of what Jesus predicted. Luke contains two passages of Jesus’s predictions of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in Luke 19:41–44 and 21:5–24.
In Luke 19:41–44, Jesus predicted:
*The enemies of Jerusalem would build an embankment around it (19:43).
*Jerusalem would be closed in on every side (19:43).
*Jerusalem would be leveled to the ground with no stone upon stone (19:44).
In Luke 21:5–24, Jesus predicted:
*The buildings of the temple would be thrown down (21:5-6).
*People would hear of wars along with nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (21:9-10).
*There would be earthquakes, famines, and pestilences. (21:11)
*Apostles and disciples would be around at the beginning of the signs of these things, and they would even be persecuted in the persecution to come before these signs came to completion (21:12).
*Some of these disciples would die before these signs came to pass (21:16).
*Some of the disciples would see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then desolation is near (21:20).
*Many would die by sword or be taken captive unto all the nations (21:24).
*Jerusalem would be trampled underfoot by Gentiles (21:24).
History Attests the Fulfillment of Jesus’s Predictions
The Roman record written by the Jewish historian, Josephus, confirms these events. Josephus was at the capture of Jerusalem. The predictions were fulfilled that the enemies of Jerusalem would build an embankment around it (19:43), and Jerusalem would be closed in on every side (19:43). The Jewish historian, Josephus, confirmed this truth in his history (War of the Jews 6.8.1). The Temple being thrown down and made desolate is confirmed by Josephus too (War of the Jews 6.4.7; 6.5.1–2; 6.6.1; 7.1.1). Jerusalem would be leveled to the ground with not one stone upon another (19:44). The buildings of the temple would be thrown down (21:5–6). This was the greatest desolation that the world had known until this time (War of the Jews 6.10.1; 7). Josephus presents clearly that the only parts of the city left were three towers while the rest of the city and the Temple were completely leveled.
Concerning Jesus’s prediction of nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, Josephus again presented these things (Wars of the Jews Preface 2; Book 6). This is proven thoroughly and seen in the fact of the Jewish rebellion that led to this destruction. Also interesting is that from June 68 to December 69 there was a civil war for Rome. AD 69 is known as “the Year of Four Emperors” when Rome went into civil war following the death of Nero. As a result of the instability of Rome, there were many other rebellions from Gauls, Germans, Sarmatians, Parthians, and Armenians (War of the Jews 7.4, 7). The unrest between the nations of the world at this time is very unique.
There would be earthquakes, famines, and pestilences (Luke 21:11). There was a famine during Caesar Claudius’ reign (Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews 20.2.1, 3, 5,). This famine is also mentioned in the prediction by Agabus in Acts 11:28. Philostratus records earthquakes during the time period in Chios, Miletus, Samos, and Smyrna. Tacitus mentions earthquakes in Laodicea and Rome under Nero, and other earthquakes in Colossi and Hierapolis (The Annals 12, 14). The philosopher Seneca records an earthquake at Campania. Suetonius records an earthquake in Rome during the reign of Galba. Josephus writes of great earthquakes in Judea in the years just before the desolation of Jerusalem when the ground made a great noise, which earthquakes also happened during a great storm with winds, lightnings, and thunder like never heard before in Judea (Wars of the Jews 4.4.5). The famine that went along with the Roman siege of Jerusalem was also very great in that many people starved to death (Wars of the Jews 5.10.2–3; 6.9.2–4).
Now, the rest of these predictions are left confidently to implication like the taking of captives when Josephus is one himself. There are obvious deaths that would occur in such an event as recorded by Josephus. Certainly, many living in the world at this time might have thought that the world was coming to an end especially if one knew the Old Testament prophecies and, or being familiar with Jesus’s predictions.
Conclusion
The occurrence of these things together in predictions by Christ before the desolation of Jerusalem and the Temple proves Christ, God, His Word, and His greatest institution, the Church. Though many skeptics will admit these predictions of Jesus, they also pass it off as just a lucky guess and lie saying that Jerusalem got sacked every few decades, which is not true. Josephus presented that Jerusalem had been taken five times and made desolate only once before by Nebuchadnezzar and now by Rome (Wars of the Jews 6.10.1). The destruction of Jerusalem was not something that happened every generation or every other century.
Who could possibly have predicted when Jerusalem would meet such desolation as Jerusalem in AD 70? Certainly, a person who was truly guided by supernatural knowledge would have. Jesus claimed to have such knowledge being God and Christ. What is also very interesting is the note of Eusebius, the Christian historian. Eusebius noted that all Christians were warned and escaped to Pella (History of the Church 3:5). The Gnostic Epiphanes confirmed this too. Jesus gave a warning to the disciples to warn those who are in Judea and in Jerusalem to leave (Luke 21:21). This is another amazing miracle!
The Breath of God 
I was not speaking of the entire rebuilding of the wall though I did suggest it since the base of Robinson’s arch would have been rebuilt.
As for the street, it ran along the wailing wall of the temple base does not prove that the wall was not destroyed to its base. Clearly the wall was an addition to the temple base, “The foundations of the massive retaining walls built by Herod to create the podium on which the Temple stood, are visible to this day; the best known section is the Western Wall,…”
It was the buildings that were destroyed.
Mark 13:1-2, “And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’ (2) And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.'”
Matthew 24:1-2, “Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. (2) But he answered them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.'”
Luke 21:5-6, “And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, (6) ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.'”
God bless.
Dear Scott,
Thank you for your response. This string had been dormant for so long, I didn’t know if anybody would notice my note.
Please consider two things: First of these is Jesus prediction, “Jerusalem would be leveled to the ground with not one stone upon another.” The question of foundation stones would not be included in this prediction for two reasons. First foundation stones are usually large stones placed next to each other, not one stone upon another. Second, foundation stones can be under ground level, although this is not usual because under ground foundations can present a drainage problem.
The wall is neither of these. It is above ground. Herod built a street at the base of the wall at ground level. The street and wall were both definitely in existence at the time of Jesus’ prediction.
So we are left with the question of if the wall was ever destroyed, then rebuilt. Please refer to this website published by Israel ministry of foreign affairs. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early%20History%20-%20Archaeology/Jerusalem%20-%20the%20Herodian%20Street%20Along%20the%20Western
Please find the reference to “Robinson’s Arch”. This arch no longer exists. It supported a stairway that led from the street level to the level of the temple base. What does exist is the attachment on the wall for the arch. I believe the architectural term is an impediment.
The point is that if the wall was destroyed and rebuilt, then the only way that the impediment would be there would be if the arch was rebuilt too, but it was not. This is proof that there was never a rebuilding of the wall because there has never been a destruction of it.
Ultimately, you are trying to say that Jesus’ prediction has been fulfilled, even though you have no evidence to show that it is so. I am not saying that his prediction will never come true, it just has not yet.
I criticize those who want his prediction to be fulfilled and will argue so even when the evidence says otherwise. I am trying to be gentle in written word, but I submit that when you discuss a prediction that came from the mouth of Jesus, there is no such thing as a detail that isn’t important. If Jesus said every stone, then every last stone is of great importance.
Hey Calvin,
Friend, I know where you are coming from the end times, but there is more to this. May I suggest a study of Revelation 17:9-11 (https://godsbreath.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/essential-verses-of-revelation/).
When and why was the wailing wall built? Herod built the wall to extend the platform of the temple base in around 20BC. Who knows how much of the wall was buried? Most of the now exposed wall was rebuilt. In fact, the whole wall may have been destroyed, but later rebuilt with the same stones, which the wailing wall is dated by its stones. Also, the base of the Western wall was completely covered that is underground. Also, this is not to mention the whole temple base was not destroyed, which you could have mentioned. Was the temple base also considered part of the city by Jesus that would be leveled? If the base of the wailing wall was to be destroyed this would include the temple base, and this would mean that a house is not leveled until its foundation are broken up and removed. That’s a stretch. Did Jesus mean that Rome would dig up Jerusalem and all underground passages to displace every stone? Even for the end times, that would be an extreme interpretation. The truth is the wailing wall is a portion maybe existing or a rebuilt portion of the temple base that is existing today, but it does not stand in contrast to Jesus’ predictions fulfillment in the 1st century.
I ask this with as much gentleness in written word that I can write. Do you not find it strange that you agree that all of this occurred in the 1st century with exception to a ambiguous detail?
Even if you still disagree, God bless.
In Luke 19:44 Jesus states, “Jerusalem would be leveled to the ground with not one stone upon another.”
The Western Wall in Jerusalem “Wailing Wall” is still standing. These are the original stones one on top of the other that were there when Jesus made this prediction. Logically the destruction that the Romans accomplished is not the destruction that Jesus predicted. Logically, that that destruction has not happened yet.
Perhaps more must occur before we need to be concerned with the end times ;-)
Since Bible scholars never point this fact out, perhaps they are so focused on finding predictions that are proven true that they don’t notice obvious issues that contradict their interpretation. In other words, they are not to be trusted.
Rich,
I edited your first sentence. I thought that it would be better than deleting your whole comment. I find that phrase offensive though I know that you did not mean it to be.
You’re right the content of Acts does not prove Luke to be written before 70AD, but the lack of content concluding Paul and Peter’s lives does. I assume you are saying that scribes cut this out to make this point. You are absolutely wrong about the Scriptures being edited even in the last 700 years or even to the 2nd century manuscripts of Luke and Acts, and before this you cannot know. It can’t be any clearer from reading that the writers of the New Testament were 1st century writers. You speak of theories derived by infidels that not only lack proof, but stand in contrast to actual manuscripts. There’s no evidence to your claim that Luke was edited. The fact that earliest manuscripts of Luke and Acts are 2nd century shows that editors from the 2nd century and later did not even exist, and before the 2nd century, such a claim is simply biased conjecturing. The beginning of Acts could not have been edited, since there are no gaps in the continuation of thoughts. It’s good that you read footnotes, but many footnotes concerning dating are arguable and depending on your Bible, which was certainly translated by non-inspirationalists and maybe even non-believers, so their conjectures would be presented in the footnotes.
Regarding the memories of the Apostles being able to accurately present actual events, then you would be right, but in believing the Scriptures, Jesus told the Apostles, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). The Apostles did not need their memory. I appreciate you presenting your beliefs that the Apostles were dramatizing their beliefs since most non-believers usually never present their conjectures. Your theory means the writers and editors are giving false witness, which they believe is a sin and that they would be held accountable before God on judgment in their beliefs. That’s very contradicting even for one person not to mention 7 or more. For believing writers and editors of the Bible to lie like this implies great corruption. How were the writers corrupt? What did they desire to accomplish? Again, this is conjecture. The New Testament writers are clearly sincere as you should know from reading. They were not dramatizing their beliefs. In fact, such a conjecture is absurd. On top of this, you do not explain how your theory does not conflict with Paul quoting the Gospel of Luke as Scripture or Acts’ optimistic perception of Rome. These also affirm the Gospel of Luke’s existence before 70 AD.
You’re right about the earthquakes being common and the national conflicts which I also pointed out. I think everyone recognizes that, but it is the occurrence of all the many things together that is certainly undeniable and unique to the fact that Jesus did make these predictions. Why do you address only those common things mentioned by Jesus and yet neglect that that Rome did build an embankment around Jerusalem, the city was enclosed on every side, the stones of the city were not left upon another, the buildings were thrown down, and this was an unstable time of much death and trails? Remember that this is not just a sacking or destruction, but a desolation, which clearly did occur. Since such is laughable, please make one prediction of one city to be attacked in the next 50 years, give detail how this would occur, who will do it, and the specific level of destruction at one key site in the city. Or you could predict that no cities will be attacked in the next 50 years.
Josephus was a Jew when he wrote about the desolation of Jerusalem and mentioned nothing nor had any apparent knowledge of Jesus’ predictions.
So, you think Jesus predicted the end of the world being within that generation. It’s rare to find someone who would step out on such a weak limb. Luke 21:33 is a general statement about the end of heaven and earth. It doesn’t say when. (Moses’ days were literal days in time.)
Isaiah 17 does not say what you have quoted below. Damascus was made ruins by Assyria, and like Jerusalem, it was rebuilt. I can’t find your translation of an eternal destruction.
Keep reading the Bible. I know an atheist who did the same more than 4 times before 10 years later being converted by his reading.
Would it be hypocritical of me to say “– — —“?! I couldn’t believe how much faulty logic I found in this article.
First of all, the content of Acts in no way “proves” that Luke was written before the fall of Jerusalem. Many bits and pieces of the Bible were updated by scribes over the centuries to include so-called predictions of future events that had actually occurred several hundred years ago. Even the footnotes in my own Bible say that Luke was written in the last third of the first century AD. Now, I now you’ll say that leaves 3 years of leeway, but c’mon. Let’s be real here. I don’t know about you, but I can’t quote word for word anything that happened to me nearly 40 years ago, yet that happens consistently in the gospels. It’s time for everyone to admit that the authors, who weren’t even the apostles who get credit, were just dramatizing their own beliefs. Anyway, back to my point. The fact that Acts doesn’t reveal anything about Paul’s death does NOT prove that Luke was written prior to AD 70. At best, it shows that Acts was updated to include a refence from Luke at some point in the first couple centuries AD.
I think it’s pretty safe to assume the destruction of Jerusalem at a time when they were already occupied by the Romans and Jesus was trying to start a revolution. Maybe that’s just me.
On the “predictions” of Jesus, I have to mention first and foremost how often earthquakes occur around the world. Trying to “prove” these predictions by mentioning a handful of earthquakes within a few hundred miles of the middle east really doesn’t do anything to support your case. I checked the US Geological Survey website tonight. Just in the last week, around the world, there have been 131 earthquakes worldwide that registered above 2.5. It’s not even remotely uncommon for an eathquake to occur.
And predicting that nation would rise against nation and kingdom would rise against kingdom. Whew. Way to take a bold stance. It’s not like that had been happening consistently for the previous 1000+ years in the region or anything. LOL.
And yes, we can confidently predict that ONE PERSON (Josephus) who believed in Christianity would report that all of Jesus’ predictions came true prior to and during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. In 2000 years, if you read a book from George Bush, I’m sure it will correctly “predict” everything he believes about Iraq too. For the record, Jesus never predicted WHEN Jerusalem would be destroyed. He just said that it would happen. I could predict that Jerusalem will be destroyed again, and it will probably happen sometime in the next couple hundred years. Does that make me a prophet or just someone who’s paying attention to the signs of the times?
One thing I don’t see mentioned in here is that Jesus predicted the end of the world before the end of the lives of the apostles. Luke 21:32-33: “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” This was after telling the apostles about all the earthquakes, pestilence, and nations rising against nations. I’m not sure what Jesus’ definition of “this generation” was, but I’m pretty sure it has long since passed by without a destruction of the world. Unless he’s working under Moses’s definition of “days” which seem to be close to a billion years each.
As false predictions go, that ranks right up there with Isaiah 17:1-2. “An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city, and will become a heap of ruins. Her cities will be deserted for ever; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.” And yet, Damascus is one of the oldest continuously lived-in cities in the world.
My initial impression after a recent re-reading of the Bible is that it reads like an astrology book. It contains just enough fact and history mixed with a boat-load of vague references and generalities that it SEEMS like it’s saying something relevant even though it really isn’t. The more I read the Bible, the less believable it is.
You’re right, Braden. I miss typed, so I changed my statement above. I was thinking of who caused the desolation and did not think about it being misinterpreted that Rome was the city being desolated, which I do not believe to be the case in Luke 21, Matthew 24, and Mark 13. I believe that this is clearly Jerusalem.
I lean towards Jerusalem because the city was taken over and practically closed down to where nothing could get in or out. Things got so bad that women were eating their own children to stay alive. That sounds like desolation to me. I think it also ties in well with other things that Christ says about no stone of the temple being left on another. The fall of Rome wouldn’t occur until LONG after the deaths of the apostles. Plus, none of the Christians perished in the fall of Jerusalem, showing that they took Revelation, Christ, and possibly Hebrews to heart and evacuated prior to Jerusalem’s fall.
The abomination of desolation in Daniel is very questionable either way by just reading Daniel, but I think Christ makes it clear that the desolation would be done by Rome to Jerusalem. Antiochus Epiphanes’ assault upon the Jews did not cause a desolation though for which even Josephus admits. It was a horrible time for the Jews until the Maccabean revolt broke the back of the Seleucid Empire for which I believe led to their downfall.
Regarding Hebrews 10:25’s reference to the day, I’m not convinced regarding the interpretation of prediction of the desolation in this passage, but it is absolutely clear what Paul was talking about in the following verses is the desolation. Isn’t it strange that Clement of Rome refers to the temple being intact and quotes from Hebrews? This again shows another fulfilled prediction.
Very insightful. I’ve also heard a theory that Revelation was a coded message to those in Jerusalem predicting its fall. The fact remains that no Christian perished in the fall of Jerusalem.
I wonder if Daniel was predicting the abomination of desolation faced prior to the Maccabbean revolt and Christ was predicting the fall of Jerusalem, but both with similar wording. Would that be accurate?
Also note Hebrews 10:23-25. My grandfather poses the very realistic possibility that the “Day drawing near,” could be the day that Jerusalem falls. My paper on apostasy noted that. I can send it to you if you like.