Jesus’ disciples marveled at the buildings of Herod’s temple.
As the friends of Jesus walked through the courtyards of Herod’s Temple, they boasted of what they saw to the Lord. And in their boasts, they revealed a strong sense of national pride in the beautiful buildings. And there were very good reasons to be proud of the temple and the buildings that surrounded the Holy Place. It was stunning and magnificent. It was the center point of the Nation of Israel. Though the Jewish people were subjects of the Roman Empire, they were proud of their temple. And they should have been.
But despite their pride, in some ways, it wasn’t even theirs. Historians labeled it Herod’s Temple. Moses, per God’s instruction, built the tabernacle. That served as the template for the eventual temples that were to follow. King David tried to build the first temple and made the necessary preparations. But the Lord told him to wait. His son, Solomon, built the first temple on the older, and a smaller temple mount.
The first Temples
The scriptures correctly ascribe that first structure as God’s house. Historians label it Solomon’s Temple. But the Jews were unfaithful, and as God’s prophets predicted, they were taken into captivity by Assyria and Babylon. After seventy years, Cyrus granted their freedom and return to the land. Ezra, Nehemiah, and others organized a disjointed attempt to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem. The rebuilt temple never reached the glory and national pride that Solomon’s first temple achieved.
Herod, a pagan leader appointed by Rome, did what the Jews failed to do. Many of the post-captivity prophets chastised the Jewish people for that failure. They were granted the freedom to rebuild their temple. But their fear of enemies and a lack of devotion to God caused the temple rebuild to go slowly. Herod finished the job, and thus he received the credit for it.
But what about Jesus’ prophecy that not one stone would remain sitting upon another?
Herod’s Temple, not one stone upon another
Jesus said that not one stone would sit upon another. The entire structure of the temple and its surrounding buildings would face utter destruction.
Did that happen? Historians confirm that it did. Josephus, a Jewish historian working on behalf of Rome provided the world with a first-hand account of the destruction. But if anyone doubts that claim, they can visit the temple mount today. They won’t find one stone of Herod’s Temple sitting upon another. Not only that, they won’t find one stone of Herod’s Temple anywhere on the temple mount.
Please make a careful study of the picture below. In the picture, we see an artist’s rendition of the Temple and the buildings that surrounded the temple. All of those buildings, structures, and the House of God were completely destroyed when the Roman legions attacked Jerusalem in AD 70.
When the disciples and the Lord walked out of the temple area, this was the topic of discussion.
Everything we see in this picture was left in utter shambles, as the Lord predicted.
The wailing wall was not Herod’s Temple
The wailing wall is just a wall. People should stop using it as a reason to question the validity of Jesus’ prophecy found in the Olivet Discourse.
Crowds gather at the wailing wall to pray. Jews and Gentiles revere this site. It represents the remains of what is left of God’s temple during the days of Jesus. But the wailing wall was not part of the temple nor the buildings of the temple. The wailing wall was and is nothing more than a wall that held back dirt and stone.
Jesus’ prediction that not one stone would lie upon another was fulfilled in AD 70. That argument is settled.
In this fictional story, we read of a modern-day Samuel who is forced to make tough choices.
And while he falters, his friends are dying.
Let me know what you think.