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Matthew 24:3, Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?”

In their response to Jesus’ statement regarding the destruction of the temple, the disciples asked when these things were going to happen.  The only writer to record His response was Luke.  Jesus quickly answers their question.

Here is the sign Jesus gave them about the destruction of the city.  “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.” (Luke 21:20).  He then told Jewish believers to flee the city when they saw this happening.  In the year 68 A.D. a Jewish revolt broke out against the Romans resulting in the Roman general, Cestus Gallus, surrounding Jerusalem with his army. The question has to be asked: if the city was surrounded how could Jewish believers escape while the Roman army had the city surrounded?  Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum provides the answer in his book The Footsteps of the Messiah. 

            Then Cestus Gallus noticed that his supply lines were not secure.  He

             did not have enough supplies to maintain an extended siege, so he lifted 

             the siege in order to go back to Caesarea.  On the way, he was attacked 

             by Jewish forces and killed.  Temporarily, the city was no longer surrounded 

             by the armies, so every single Jewish believer was able to leave Jerusalem.

             

In 70 A.D. Jerusalem was again surrounded by the Romans and destroyed.  The Jewish historian, Josephus, estimates that nearly one million Jews were killed and one hundred thousand more were taken captive.  Yet, Jewish believers were alive because they had obeyed the words of Jesus.

Luke 21:24b states, And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  This began with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and continues to this day.  Jerusalem will not be free from being “trampled on by the Gentiles” until Jesus Christ returns as the “King of kings and Lord of lords”.

Question one has been answered.

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