Jerusalem's Destruction

We usually associate Jerusalem’s and its temple’s destruction with AD 70 and Titus, Emperor Vespasian’s son, who later became the next Emperor. But the animosity between the Israelites and Rome began much earlier and culminated in the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. Tacitus, a Roman historian, wrote that everything was quiet in Jerusalem during the reign of Emperor Tiberius, i.e., from AD 14 to 37. Caligula became the Emperor in AD 40. He was not as tolerant of religions as his predecessors were. The Israelite-Roman tensions began then. Unlike Pontius Pilate, who made mistakes, other governors weren’t concerned about keeping the peace between the Israelites and Rome. Israel entered a terrible state within years of Jesus’s ascension.

The Lord Jesus knew this and cautioned them as his triumphal entry neared Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). He said,

“Jerusalem, if only you (singular) know what will bring peace in this hour!” (19:42a).

This unfinished statement implied that they didn’t know what would have brought them peace, that was, accepting their kingly Messiah who was marching into their city, and as a result, they would miss an opportunity to bring about peace between them and Rome. Jesus offered Jerusalem a chance for everlasting peace, i.e., they appointed him their king. But they rejected that offer. As a result,

“Now, the peace is hidden from your (singular) eyes” (19:42b).

They would not see peace; instead, they would go through thirty years of turmoil, climaxing in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

“The days are coming for you when your enemies will set up camps around your barricade, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will dash you and your children, and they will leave not a single stone upon one another” (19:43–44a).

That precisely happened between AD 66 and 73, the First Jewish-Roman War. Roman generals and army surrounded Jerusalem, stopped supplies from entering the city, and started people until war broke and nearly 600,000 to 1,100,00 people were killed in Jerusalem alone (according to Tacitus and Josephus). Jerusalem could have avoided all those provided they . . .

“knew the hour of their episkope” (19:44b).

The word episkope is a combination of the preposition epi “over” and skopos “to look” = “to look over.” As such, it stood for anyone who watched over something, like shepherds over sheep or elders over congregations.

The Lord Jesus told Jerusalem that he had come to watch over them. If they had accepted his rule at that hour, they would have escaped the disastrous future. Sadly, they didn’t know (repeated twice in this section, v. 42 and c. 44) and didn’t accept it, even though he rode into town on a donkey after doing three years of miracles, wonders, and signs. As a result, they faced great distress.

Even now, the Lord watches over us. We accept it to avert disasters.