Not a Stone upon a Stone

One of the most remarkable of the specific declarations in Jesus’ prophecy concerned the temple of Jerusalem. It was not merely to fall into enemy hands, but to be utterly razed, without a stone left resting upon a stone!​—Luke 21:5, 6.

It should be remembered that the temple of Jerusalem was a source of pride not only to the Jews but to the entire Roman Empire. Its beautification and enlargement had been planned and begun by Herod the Great, who was king by appointment of the Roman Senate. It was considered an architectural and artistic masterpiece, and incorporated in its construction the gifts of Jewish proselytes and well-wishers from all over the known world.

Josephus boasted: “Viewed from without the Sanctuary had everything that could amaze either mind or eyes. Overlaid all round with stout plates of gold, in the first rays of the sun it reflected so fierce a blaze of fire that those who endeavored to look at it were forced to turn away as if they had looked straight at the sun.”​—The Jewish War, p. 394.

When, according to Josephus, General Titus held a council of war and determined not to destroy the temple, it might have seemed that Jesus’ prophecy would go unfulfilled. But what happened? Despite this decision, as the battle for the temple raged, an unknown Roman soldier threw a firebrand into the sanctuary and the magnificent temple quickly became an inferno. Of course, this did not level the massive stone blocks of the temple. Were they to be spared?

With the city finally taken and the temple in ashes, Titus “now ordered them to raze the whole City and Sanctuary to the ground,” leaving only some military towers to show the mighty fortifications the Romans had overthrown. Despite the intentions of both the Jews and the general, Jesus’ words came true!

The facts of history testify that the Roman armies under General Titus fulfilled Jesus’ words to the letter just 37 years later, in 70 C.E. A brief review of how that prophecy worked out is very revealing. Here are a few of the details:

Fortification of Pointed Stakes

As to the accuracy of Jesus’ predictions in his prophecy, we refer to this statement: “Your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side.”​—Luke 19:43.

Anyone skeptical about what Jesus foretold in 33 C.E. might well have reasoned: ‘What? Build a wooden fence miles long around Jerusalem over difficult terrain? What about enemy harassment and the need to bring wood from great distances? How foolish to prophesy such a thing!’ But what happened 37 years later?

We learn from Josephus that after the Romans had laid siege to Jerusalem and taken two of its three defending walls, they nevertheless became discouraged. Why? Due to the ferocious resistance of the Jews and the high Roman casualties. “Many indeed felt that with conventional weapons they would never take the City.”​—The Jewish War, translated by G. A. Williamson, Penguin Classics Edition, 1959, p. 296.a

What was Titus to do? The young general, eager for glory, decided that “if he was to combine speed with safety he must build a wall round the entire City.” The work of building the wall became a contest among the different legions and parts of legions, generating great enthusiasm among the soldiers as they raced to finish their sections first. The result?

“The wall measured 4-¹/₂ miles [7 km]. . . . Yet the whole task was completed in three days, though it might well have taken months​—the speed passed belief.” The very “fortification with pointed stakes” Jesus had predicted! And what results did it produce? Destruction! both for the city and its many inhabitants.