For the first time in American history, a United States president has started a war by himself, without even a nod toward a constitutionally-specified declaration of war by the Congress, and without any attempt to explain the reasons, to either the Congress or the American public, that prompted him to send American sons and daughter to die in a foreign war of choice.
It was left to his Secretary of State to explain, a few days later, that the president decided to join with Israel in an attack against Iran because he was told that Israel would strike Iran anyway, and when Israel did, more Americans would be killed at our bases in Qatar and elsewhere, than would be at risk if he joined with Israel in the planning and execution of the attack.
This is all unprecedented, but the more frightening fact is that this has the potential to explode into a global religious war. Some Jews see this war as a chance to rebuild the temple, to build what would be the Third Temple; the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is one of these Jews. These Zionist Jews are joined in the goal of rebuilding the temple by American Christian Zionists, who believe that the temple must be rebuilt before Christ can return; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is one of those Christian Zionists.
But standing in the way of both Zionist Jews and American Christian Zionists are 2 billion Muslims. The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa (Jerusalem) Mosque complex sit on the temple mount. The Dome of the Rock is the third most holy site in Islam, after Mecca and Medina. To rebuild the temple, the Dome of the Rock would have to be destroyed, which could set off a worldwide religious conflagration.
If the Dome of the Rock were destroyed, Israel and the United States would no longer be able to exploit the Sunni-Shia divide; the Sunni gulf states, which up to now have been American allies, and have been pummeled by Iran, would turn against us. They would be joined by other Musim-majority nations around the world. The results would be catastrophic.
The Temple Sacrifices Have Been Obviated
When Christ died on the cross, the sacrificial system was fulfilled; type had met anti-type, and the Jewish Temple’s system of types and shadows, which had pointed forward to Christ’s great sacrifice on behalf of mankind, no longer had a purpose. To communicate this reality, God supernaturally tore the veil of the temple, the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place, in two from top to bottom at the very moment of Christ’s death. Mat. 27:50-51; Mark 15:37-38; Luke 23:45-46. This moment was an inflection point in the history of the universe, freighted with drama and spiritual significance. Ellen White describes it thus:
When the loud cry, “It is finished,” came from the lips of Christ, the priests were officiating in the temple. It was the hour of the evening sacrifice. The lamb representing Christ had been brought to be slain. Clothed in his significant and beautiful dress, the priest stood with lifted knife, as did Abraham when he was about to slay his son [in the same place]. . . . With a rending noise the inner veil of the temple is torn from top to bottom by an unseen hand, throwing open to the gaze of the multitude a place once filled with the presence of God. In this place the Shekinah had dwelt. Here God had manifested His glory above the mercy seat. No one but the high priest ever lifted the veil separating this apartment from the rest of the temple. He entered in once a year to make an atonement for the sins of the people. But lo, this veil is rent in twain. The most holy place of the earthly sanctuary is no longer sacred.
“All is terror and confusion. The priest is about to slay the victim; but the knife drops from his nerveless hand, and the lamb escapes. Type has met antitype in the death of God’s Son. The great sacrifice has been made. The way into the holiest is laid open. A new and living way is prepared for all. No longer need sinful, sorrowing humanity await the coming of the high priest. Henceforth the Saviour was to officiate as priest and advocate in the heaven of heavens. It was as if a living voice had spoken to the worshipers: There is now an end to all sacrifices and offerings for sin.”
Jesus had hinted that His own body was now the temple that mattered (John 2:19-20; Heb. 10:5; Mat. 26:61, 27:40; Mark 14:58, 15:29), and Paul explained that all Christians, whether Jew or gentile, are joined together in a spiritual temple, a holy temple in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:19-22).
But most Jews rejected all the evidence that the temple sacrifices were at an end. According to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, the Jews also ignored several startling omens, including a star that resembled a sword in the night sky above the city, a comet that stayed in the sky for a year, a prophetic voice warning the inhabitants of Jerusalem to flee the city, the heavy temple gates, which took 20 men to open and shut, opening by themselves at night, and a cow giving birth to a lamb in the temple.
But the prophecies would be fulfilled, no matter how oblivious to their coming doom the Jews remained. Jesus had prophesied that the tree of Judaism would be cursed and cut down, that the tenants who had killed the landlord’s son would themselves be killed and replaced with other tenants, and that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another (Mat. 24:2).
These prophecies were fulfilled by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD and in two subsequent Jewish rebellions, called the Diaspora Revolt and the Bar Kohba Revolt. Yes, the Jews rebelled against Rome three times in the space of 70 years. Only the certainty, born of irrational zealotry, that a conquering warrior Messiah would throw off the Roman yoke could have blinded the Jews to the astonishingly self-destructive nature of these repeated rebellions against Rome. But, having rejected the true Messiah, the Jews turned to violence.
The First Jewish War: The Temple Destroyed
The first Jewish War began in 66 AD in Caesarea, the Roman coastal city built by Herod the Great. It grew out of a property dispute involving a synagogue, a dispute that culminated in the pagan sacrifice of a bird at the threshold of the synagogue on a Sabbath day. The rebellion spread to Jerusalem after the Roman procurator, Gessius Florus, helped himself to funds from the temple treasury.
The governor of Syria, Cestius Gallus, was sent to quell the rebellion; he besieged Jerusalem in 66 AD, but unaccountably lifted the siege and retreated to the coast. On the way, at Beth Horon, the Jewish rebels severely mauled the Twelfth Legion, inflicting almost 6,000 casualties.
Ellen White tells us that God overruled events so that the Christians, knowing well Christ’s warning about the abomination of desolation (Mat. 24:15-17; Luke 21:20-24; Mark 13:14-16) could heed that warning and leave the city:
“Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. Christ had given His disciples warning, and all who believed His words watched for the promised sign. [quotes Luke 21:20-21] After the Romans under Cestius had surrounded the city, they unexpectedly abandoned the siege when everything seemed favorable for an immediate attack. . . . But God’s merciful providence was directing events for the good of His own people. The promised sign had been given to the waiting Christians, and now an opportunity was offered for all who would, to obey the Saviour’s warning. Events were so overruled that neither Jews nor Romans should hinder the flight of the Christians. Upon the retreat of Cestius, the Jews, sallying from Jerusalem, pursued his retiring army; and while both forces were thus fully engaged, the Christians had an opportunity to leave the city. At this time the country also had been cleared of enemies who might have endeavored to intercept them. At the time of the siege, the Jews were assembled at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus the Christians throughout the land were able to make their escape unmolested. Without delay they fled to a place of safety—the city of Pella, in the land of Perea, beyond Jordan.
The next year, 67 AD, Vespasian was sent to put down the rebellion, and he rolled up most of Israel, moving from north to south, but before he could quell the rebellion in Jerusalem, chaos and civil war broke out in the Roman Empire. Nero was ejected from power in 68 AD, and 69 AD became the “year of the four emperors,” Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and finally Vespasian. The suppression of the Jewish revolt was not resumed until 70 AD, when Vespasian sent his son Titus to deal with Jerusalem.
Titus’ siege of Jerusalem was a long and hard-fought affair, lasting five months. The Jews frequently counter-attacked and inflicted severe casualties on the Romans. By the end, the Roman legionaries were in no mood to grant quarter, or to preserve cultural artefacts or architecture. Titus did not want the temple destroyed—it was one of the greatest buildings of the ancient world—but the Jews had turned the temple precincts into a formidable fortress. In the end, the temple was destroyed by fire.
As to why nothing was left standing, there are several theories. One is that the Romans did not want the Jews, should they counter-attack, to again use the temple as a defensive fortress. Another is that they believed treasure was hidden in its walls, prompting them to tear down those walls to get at the treasure. A third is that the fire was so intense that it melted the gold plating on the walls, the molten gold running into cracks between the blocks; the Romans later prised the blocks apart to get at the gold.
But, whatever the reason, Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled to the letter: not one stone was left upon another. “Both the city and the temple were razed to their foundations, and the ground upon which the holy house had stood was ‘plowed like a field.’ Jeremiah 26:18 [citing Micah 3:12].” Great Controversy, p. 35.2
According to Josephus, a million Jews were killed during the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, and another hundred thousand sold into slavery. Yet, astonishingly, not even this epochal national catastrophe, which Jesus and Daniel called “the abomination the causes desolation,” would force the raging Jews into submission to Rome.
Masada
The extreme anti-Roman Jewish rebels were called the Zealots, but the Zealots were too moderate to suit a group of Jewish assassins called the Sicarii, so the Sicarii formed their own group. While Christ was still alive, between 27 and 31 AD, Herod the Great had built a combination fortress and palace, called Masada, in an impregnable position atop a mesa, perhaps for use as a last redoubt in the event the Jews ever successfully rebelled against him.
In 66 AD, the Sicarii overcame the Roman garrison of Masada with the aid of a ruse, tricking the soldiers into letting them into the fortress. Josephus reports that the Sicarii raided nearby Jewish villages including Ein Gedi, where they massacred 700 women and children.
Over 900 of these Sicarii held out until 73 AD. This force kept a Roman legion under Lucius Flavius Silva occupied for years in building a massive siege ramp up to the level of the fortress walls. The remains of that feat of Roman engineering can still be viewed at the site to this day, almost 2,000 years later.
When the Romans’ ramp reached the level of the walls and brought their siege engines to bear, Eleazer, the Sicarii leader convinced his followers to kill their families and commit suicide. Only two women and five children survived to tell the story. The site, near the southwestern shore of the Dead Sea, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Israel.
The Second Jewish War: Diaspora Revolt
In 115 AD, the Jews started simultaneous rebellions in Libya, Egypt, and Cypress. The Jews waited until Emperor Trajan was engaged in a war with the Parthians, and then rose against the empire in several imperial provinces at once. The Jewish violence was directed mainly against the native people of these territories, not the Romans. Contemporary authors such as Cassius Dio and Eusebius paint a picture of extreme violence.
According to Cassius Dio, the Jews of Cyrenaica (Libya), led by a man named Lukuas, killed without restraint, and engaged in shockingly violent and cruel behavior, including cannibalism and mutilation, using their victims' skin and entrails to make clothing and belts, and staging gladiatorial and wild beast shows with their captives as the victims. The destruction of pagan temples and other buildings in Libya is well attested from archaeological evidence. Cassius Dio states that 220,000 were killed, although it is not clear whether that number were killed in Cyrenaica alone, or also included Egypt, where the rebellion spread.
According to Eusebius, the war in Egypt started when the Jews suddenly attacked their Greek neighbors. The Jewish force from Cyrenaica, led by Lukuas, joined with the Egyptian Jews, and began to plunder the countryside. The Jewish forces were well-organized and well able to overcome any resistance other than battle-hardened Roman legions. Some historians believe the Sicarii were part of this force, which destroyed cities and districts throughout Egypt.
On Cyprus, the Jewish rebels, led by a man named “Artemion,” attacked everyone else on the island, killing some 240,000 inhabitants. Eusebius' Chronicon states that the Jews destroyed the major port city of Salamis. Orosius asserting that "all the Greek inhabitants of Salamis were killed."
Although Cassius Dio does not mention Judea being involved in the Diaspora Revolt, epigraphic and literary evidence indicate that something called the "Kitos War" took place during this time. Hippolytus reports that a legion under Trajan erected idols of Kore (Persephone) and Serapis (an Egyptian god) on the temple mount, and this might have caused unrest, but the revolt was of little consequence compared to the enormous carnage in Cyrenaica, Egypt and Cyprus. The name “Kitos War” is a reference to Lusius Quietus, whom Trajan made governor of Judea, and would have been tasked with quieting the territory.
The Roman Empire reached its greatest extent under Trajan, who was fighting in Mesopotamia to extend Rome’s boundaries. Egypt was a major source of grain for Rome and other provinces, and had to be secured. Trajan sent his leading general, Quintus Marcius Turbo, to put down the Jewish revolt. Turbo arrived in Egypt by early 117 AD with two Roman legions; his legions suffered severe losses, which he was forced to make good by instituting conscription of local population.
Not surprisingly, Turbo came to see his mission as the eradication of all Jews from the affected areas, "to destroy the [Jewish] nation entirely, but if not, at least to crush it and stop its presumptuous wickedness.” This led to the near-total annihilation of the Jews in Cyrenaica, Cyprus, and much of Egypt. The rebellion was largely suppressed by the autumn of 117 AD, although pockets of resistance persisted into 118 AD. Several modern scholars have concluded that Zionism was at least a partial motivation for the Diaspora Revolt.
The Bar-Kokhba Revolt: The Tunnel Jews
The Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 AD) was led by Simon bar Kokhba; he founded an independent Jewish state in Judaea that lasted more than three years. The revolt was ultimately crushed by the Romans, resulting in the near-depopulation of Judea, through the death, enslavement, or displacement of the Jewish population.
The Jews planned this revolt more carefully than the 66 AD revolt. They could not match Rome in conventional warfare, so they planned a guerilla war. They dug hundreds of underground hideout complexes, which were used both as civilian refuges and staging areas for guerilla attacks. As of 2022, archaeologists have identified 439 of these underground complexes at 252 sites, all dated between the “Kitos War” and bar Kokhba Revolt. The most sophisticated systems featured long tunnels, rock-cut chambers, and escape routes leading outside village limits.
The Jewish fighters would hide in the tunnels, emerge to carry out sneak attacks on the Romans, then disappear back into their underground networks. Upon finding one of the narrow tunnel instances, the Romans would be forced to send a single man into the tunnel, armed with a torch and a gladius. This is strongly reminiscent of the Viet Cong’s use of tunnels in the Vietnam War; many an American “tunnel rat” went into those holes alone, armed with a flashlight and a .45 automatic, knowing that death might be waiting around any corner.
Coins issued by Simon bar Kokhba called him “Nasi,” a Hebrew term often translated as "prince" or "president.” The influential Rabbi Akiva endorsed Bar Kokhba as the messiah, although not all rabbis agreed. Bar Kokhba led from the front, and expected others not to shirk, personally managing discipline and logistics. Although charismatic, he could be harsh to anyone he felt was not doing his duty. He was a strict observer of the Sabbath, tithes and offerings, and keeping the Jewish feasts, including Sukkot (the feast of tabernacles, or booths).
The coins also feature the Temple's façade, demonstrating that restoring the Temple and its services was a key goal of bar Kokhba’s movement. Also depicted on the coins are grapevines, palm trees, musical instruments such as harps and trumpets, and Temple vessels, including amphorae and jugs. Coins from the first year also feature the inscription "Eleazar the priest," suggesting that bar Kokhba was preparing for the Temple's reconstruction by appointing a High Priest to officiate once the temple was restored.
Much evidence indicates that bar Kokhba persecuted the Christians in Judea. Justin Martyr, in “First Apology” (36.1) states that Christians who refused to acknowledge bar Kokhba's authority and join his cause were subjected to "dreadful torments." Similarly, Eusebius states that Christians suffered "all kinds of persecutions" and were killed by the rebels for refusing to support bar Kokhba's campaign against Roman forces. Historian Shaye J. Cohen suggests that the persecution of Christian Jews may have stemmed from Bar Kokhba's messianic aspirations, observing that he "could not abide the messianic claims of another."
To put down the rebellion, Hadrian appointed Sextus Julius Severus, in command of six full legions, plus auxiliaries and elements of six additional legions (a force far larger than Titus commanded in 70 AD). Hadrian personally directed operations for a time, and the Roman made a thorough job of reducing the towns and villages of the countryside.
As of 2020, some 22,000 bar Kokhba coins had been found in Israel, but only four within Jerusalem itself. This suggests that bar Kokhba, not wanting a repeat of the disaster of 70 AD, might never have tried to hold Jerusalem. Recall that in 70 AD, the siege began when the population of the city was swollen by Passover; the lack of provisions caused great suffering, and by the end of the siege, the occupants were reduced to cannibalism.
In 135 CE, the fortified stronghold of Betar, the rebels' center of resistance, was captured and destroyed, and Simon bar Kokhba was killed. Many rebels and refugees sought shelter in caves, particularly in the Judaean Desert, but Roman troops besieged these hideouts, cutting off supplies and starving, killing, or capturing those inside.
Although Rome inevitably won, the war was very costly, both in money and in lives lost. Some historians argue that the Ninth Legion disappeared from history because it was wiped out in suppressing the bar Kokhba revolt.
Over half a million Jews were killed, with many others enslaved or exiled. Judea was largely depopulated of Jews, and the spiritual center of Jewish life shifted to Galilee and the diaspora. Rome imposed temporary bans on circumcision and Sabbath observance. The province of Judaea was renamed Syria Palaestina, and Jews, on pain of death, were excluded from living in the vicinity of Jerusalem, being allowed only one visit per year. The city was repopulated with gentiles.
Judaism changed as a result of the bar Kokhba Revolt. Rabbinic Judaism adopted a cautious, non-revolutionary stance, and the fervor for self-appointed Messiahs cooled. The center of Rabbinic Judaism shifted outside the Roman Empire, which is why the Babylonia Talmud is larger and more influential than the Jerusalem Talmud. Whereas Christianity had typically been viewed as a sect of Judaism, the divide between Judaism and Christianity was deepened and clarified to the Romans.
The actions of the Jews after 34 AD, the extreme violence they displayed during the three “Jewish Wars,” are very clearly indicative that God’s Spirit was completely withdrawn from that nation. Which is why both Jews and American “Christian” Zionists would just as soon the history be forgotten.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Mat. 24:37