Jerusalem

Why would such a prophecy include the destruction of the city God so loved throughout the Old Testament period?  What actually happened in 34 A.D. that could be considered a fulfillment of this prophecy?  And what does this teach us about how God works with each of us?

But during the last seven years of this prophecy, even though Messiah Jesus came exactly when it was prophesied He would come, in 27 A.D., and when He was "cut off," putting an end to animal sacrifices, in 31 A.D., exactly when it was prophesied He would, His own people rejected Him and even instigated His crucifixion. John 1:11

After Jesus rose from the dead He sent His disciples back to Jerusalem to tell the inhabitants of that city that was so endeared to His heart for so many years, that even though they had rejected Him and instigated His crucifixion He still loved them and would forgive them if they would repent and accept Him as the Messiah sent by God for their eternal salvation. Acts 1:8; 2:36-39  But as the disciples of Jesus began to share this good news, the Jewish leaders and people in general resisted even to the point of murdering those who proclaimed it.

The turning point came when Stephen, an early Christian, was stoned to death by the inhabitants of Jerusalem for proclaiming this good news. Acts 7:57-60  This event sparked a general persecution against all Christians in Jerusalem and seemed to mark a final rejection of Jesus by the Jewish nation. Acts 8:1  The next major event recorded in the Bible was the conversion of a prominent Jewish zealot, Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, called by God to take the gospel specifically to the Gentile world within which the Christian church would finally take root and thrive. Acts 9:1-15  And while no date was specifically assigned to this cluster of events that occurred within just a few months of each other and that marked the rejection of Christianity by the Jews and the establishment of Christianity among the Gentiles, various Bible commentators have placed this event around 34 A.D.–the end of the 490 year prophecy!

Once the Jewish nation as a whole officially rejected Jesus as the Messiah, they continued to look for the "real" messiah who would lead them, as they hoped, in a victorious armed rebellion against Rome.  And as self-proclaimed messiahs arose and instigated such political rebellions against Rome, Rome naturally resisted.  Finally, in 70 A.D. and 135 A.D., Roman armies leveled Jerusalem and expelled the Jews from their sacred city once again–"desolating" and "destroying" Jerusalem as had been predicted by both Daniel and Jesus. Daniel 9:26,27; Matthew 24:15  It was a phased-in destruction which began with the Jews' final rejection of Jesus in 34 A.D. and continued in stages through Jerusalem's ultimate desolation in 135 A.D.

This portion of the prophecy raises a vital question: Were the Jews destined to reject the Messiah and to have their city destroyed because Daniel had prophesied that it would turn out this way?

No!  God would have loved to have had the results turn out differently from what they did.  Such prophecies of doom are to be understood more as warnings than as guaranteed outcomes.  The ultimate purpose of such prophecies is to bring about the desired change, without which the prophetic warning of doom will indeed come true. Jeremiah 18:5-11  God's total commitment is to our salvation, and only if we reject His every effort to save us will He then reluctantly and grievingly, based on His respect for our free choice, release us into the path of sin's ultimate, destructive consequence. Matthew 23:37-39

God's love for us is unconditional; His purposes for our best interests, uncompromising; His commitment toward our ultimate salvation, unrelenting.  But He will not force us.  We are free to accept or to reject His love for us, His willingness to forgive us, His invitation for us to be in an ever deepening relationship with Him, His offer for us to play an important role ourselves in His commitment to share His love with others.  Would you like to respond to that opportunity right now?

Home | Real Audio | Real Video | PDF Outline | Contact | Prayer