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The Destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.

All three of the synoptic Gospels record Jesus as predicting the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). This was described with apocalyptic imagery which was almost identical to that which described the destruction of Babylon in the Old Testament (note Isa. 13).

What is most interesting is that a number of non-Christian sources testify to the supernatural signs which accompanied the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. What follows below is a summary of what they wrote.

Testimony of the Roman Historian Tacitus

The Roman historian Tacitus wrote in his book The Histories of Tacitus (Book 5, paragraph 13) the following description:

Prodigies had indeed occurred, but to avert them either by victims or by vows is held unlawful by a people which, though prone to superstition, is opposed to all propitiatory rites.​ Contending hosts were seen meeting in the skies, arms flashed, and suddenly the temple was illumined with fire from the clouds. Of a sudden the doors of the shrine opened and a superhuman voice cried: “The gods are departing”: at the same moment the mighty stir of their going was heard.​ Few interpreted these omens as fearful; the majority firmly believed that their ancient priestly writings contained the prophecy that this was the very time when the East should grow strong and that men starting from Judea should possess the world.​

This comment by Tacitus is fascinating, for he has nothing to gain personally by recording them. In fact, while he acknowledges their validity as real events, he dismisses their spiritual significance.

Testimony of the Jewish Historian Josephus

Then there is an extract from the non-Christian Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus. What follows below is Josephus’ own description of ‘seven signs’ which were observed before the temple in Jerusalem were destroyed:[1]

‘Thus were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers, and such as belied God Himself; while they did not attend, nor give credit, to the signs that were so evident and did so plainly foretell their future desolation; but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see, or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them.

Flavius Josephus goes on to list seven supernatural signs or ‘prophetic portents’ which he said were observed by everyone before the temple’s destruction:

1. Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city.
2. And a comet, that continued a whole year.
3. Thus also, before the Jews rebellion, and before those commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on the eight day of the month Xanthicus (Nissan), and at the ninth hour of the night, so great a light shone round the altar and the holy house, that is appeared to be bright daytime; which light lasted for half an hour. This light seemed to be a good sign to the unskilful, but was so interpreted by the sacred scribes, as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it.
4. At the same festival also, a heifer, as she was led by the high priest to be sacrificed, brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple.
5. Moreover, the eastern gate of the inner court of the temple, which was of brass, and vastly heavy, and had been with difficult shut by twenty men, and rest upon a basis armed with iron, and had bolts fastened very deep into the firm floor, which was then made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of its own accord about the sixth hour of the night. Now, those that kept watch in the temple came here upon running to the curtain of the temple, and told him of it: who then came up thither, and not without great difficulty, was able to shut the gate again. This also appeared to the vulgar to be a very happy prodigy, as if God did there by open to them the gate of happiness. But the men of learning understood it, that the security of their holy house was dissolved of its own accord, and that the gate was opened for the advantage of their enemies. So these publicly declared, that this signal foreshadowed the desolation that was coming upon them.
6. Besides these a few days after the feast on the 21^st day of the month Artemisius (Jyar), a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I supposed the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related to those who saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armour were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities. Moreover at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner court of the temple, as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, ‘Let us remove hence’.
7. But, what is still more terrible, there was one Jesus the son of Ananus, a plebeian and a husbandman, who, four years before the war began, and at a time when the city was in great peace and prosperity, came to that feast whereupon it is our custom for everyone to make tabernacles to God in the temple, began on a sudden cry aloud, ‘A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!’ This was his cry as he went about by day and by night, in all the lanes of the city. However, certain of the most eminent of the populous had great indignation at this dire cry of his, and took up the man, and gave him a great number of severe stripes; yet did not he either say anything for himself, or anything peculiar to those who chastised him, but still he went on with the same words which he cried before. Hereupon our rulers supposing, as the case proved to be, that this was a sort of divine fury in the man, brought him to the Roman procurator; where he was whipped till his bones were laid bare; yet did he not make any supplication for himself, nor shed any tears, but turning his voice to the most lamentable tone possible, at every stroke of the whip his answer was, ‘Woe, woe to Jerusalem!’ And when Albinus (for he was then our procurator) asked him who he was, and whence he came, and why he uttered such words; he made no manner of reply to what he said, but still did not leave off his melancholy ditty, till Albinus took him to be a madman, and dismissed him. Now, during all the time that passed before the war began, this man did not go near any of the citizens, nor was seen by them while he said so; but he every day uttered these lamentable words, as if it were his premeditated vow, ‘Woe, woe, to Jerusalem!’ Nor did he give ill words to any of those who beat him every day, nor good words that gave him food; but this was his reply to all men, and indeed no other than a melancholy presage of what was to come. This cry of his was the loudest at the festivals; and he continued this ditty for seven years and five months, without growing hoarse, or being tired therewith, until the very time that he saw his presage in earnest fulfilled in our siege, when it ceased; for as he was going round upon the wall, he cried out with his utmost force, ‘Woe, woe, to the city again, and to the people, and to the holy house!’ And just as he added at the last, ‘Woe, woe, to myself also!’ There came a stone out of one of the engines, and smote him, and killed him immediately; and as he was uttering the very same presages, he gave up the ghost.’

Theological Significance of A.D. 70

As Christians we do not often acknowledge just how theologically significant this event is. For a good over view of the temple’s important place in Old Testament spiritually, see the following video here and this slightly longer one here.

What this short study has shown though, is that there were many supernatural signs which appeared in the heavens at the time of the temple’s destruction which supernaturally testified to its being a truly cataclysmic event. Neither Tacitus nor Josephus was a Christian, but the writings of both of them testify to the historical fact that what Jesus predicted would happen was true.

– Mark Powell

[1] This is taken from his book The Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 5, Section 3.