The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman army under Titus, an event Les teaches God sovereignly permitted because Israel rejected their Messiah.
The Roman army under Titus tore down Herod's temple stone by stone, and Les teaches that God sovereignly permitted it because Israel rejected their Messiah and King. Jesus had predicted that not one stone would be left on another. The destruction ended the temple's role in Israel's religious life and sent the surviving Jewish people into dispersion.
Matthew 24:2 — Jesus explicitly predicts the temple will be thrown down so that no stone remains on another.
Daniel 9:26 — Daniel describes a coming people who will destroy both the city and the sanctuary.
Jesus directly predicted the temple's destruction when He said, "See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Matthew 24:2). Daniel likewise records, "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined" (Daniel 9:26). These two passages directly tie the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple to prophecy.
Les points to the historical event: the temple stood until 69/70 A.D., about 40 years after the crucifixion. The book of Acts covers that whole 40 years, and during that time believing Jews were still law-keepers and temple-goers.
Les identifies the Roman general Titus and the Roman army as the destroyers of Jerusalem and the sanctuary. The Romans came against the city, devastated it, and dismantled Herod's temple stone by stone. Les notes that this was not the same kind of destruction as Nebuchadnezzar's burning of Solomon's temple, which was mostly cedar and burned like a matchbox. He also points to Daniel 9:26, saying the Roman people are the ones from which the Antichrist will come — or at least the old Roman empire — and that this verse describes the destruction of the city and sanctuary.
Les says God sovereignly permitted the Roman army under Titus to come in and destroy the temple and the city and uproot the Jewish people into the dispersion. The underlying cause was Israel's rejection of their Messiah and their King, and their continued rejection of the Old Testament promises. By the end of the 40-year period from Pentecost, Israel was still adamant in unbelief. The 40 years was a period of testing, and at its end God permitted the destruction.
Les places the destruction at 69 or 70 A.D. He says the temple remained part of Israel's religious scene until then. Using a 29 A.D. crucifixion date, he counts a 40-year period from the crucifixion to the temple's destruction and Israel's dispersion. He says the book of Acts covers that entire 40-year period.
Yes. Les says the temple was at full capacity during Christ's ministry — Josephus records as many as a million animals sacrificed per year. In the book of Acts, believing Jews who recognized Jesus as Messiah were still law-keepers. Nobody told them to stop going to the temple or stop keeping the Law. As late as Acts 22, Paul describes Ananias as "a devout man after the Law" even though he was a believer.
Ishmael vs. Isaac: The Allegory of Law and Grace Explained
of Cornelius, "...by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe." Then come down to verse 9, and puts no difference between us and them. Now don't you know that was a tough thing for Peter to say? Peter was like every other Jew.
Roman Soldiers Tore Down Herod's Temple Stone by Stone
Les describes how the Roman soldiers dismantled Herod's temple stone by stone, reportedly looking for gold hidden between the building stones.
God Sovereignly Permitted Rome Because Israel Rejected Messiah
Les says God sovereignly permitted the Roman army under Titus to destroy the temple and the city because Israel rejected their Messiah and King.
Titus Destroyed Jerusalem and the Sanctuary
Les identifies Titus the Roman general as the one who destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and connects Daniel 9:26 to the Roman people.
Destruction After 40 Years of Testing
Les says the destruction came at the end of a 40-year period of testing, when Israel was still adamant in unbelief, so God permitted Rome to destroy the city and temple.
Jesus Predicted No Stone Would Remain
Les shows that Jesus' prophetic words in Matthew 24:2 — not one stone left on another — were literally fulfilled by the Romans dismantling the temple rock by rock.
Temple Stood Until 69/70 A.D.; Acts Covers the 40 Years
Les says the temple was not removed from Israel's scene until 69/70 A.D., about 40 years after the crucifixion, and that the book of Acts covers that period.
Temple Was Full Speed Ahead; Believers Still Kept the Law
Les shows that the temple was fully operational in Christ's day and that believing Jews in Acts still kept the Law and attended the temple until the destruction.
Matthew 24:2: And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Jesus said this while pointing to the temple complex, directly predicting that the temple stones would all be thrown down.
Daniel 9:26: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
This verse connects the destruction of Jerusalem and the sanctuary to a coming prince's people.
The Roman army under Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. Les says the Romans dismantled Herod's temple stone by stone, reportedly because soldiers had heard gold was hidden between the building stones.
Les places the destruction in 69 or 70 A.D., about 40 years after the crucifixion. The temple remained in Israel's religious scene until then, and the book of Acts covers that 40-year period.
Les teaches God sovereignly permitted the Roman destruction because Israel continued to reject the Old Testament promises, their Messiah, and their King. After a 40-year period of testing, Israel was still adamant in unbelief.
Yes. In Matthew 24:2, Jesus said there would not be left one stone upon another. Les connects this directly to the Romans' literal stone-by-stone dismantling of the temple.
Yes. Les says it was going full speed at the time of Christ, and in the book of Acts believing Jews remained law-keepers and temple-goers. Even Ananias in Acts 22 was still a devout man after the Law.
Watch the Teaching: Ishmael vs. Isaac: The Allegory of Law and Grace Explained