I was reminded of a meeting with other leaders in my town. There were people from the local Council. Leaders of local charities. Church leaders responsible for food banks and community projects. All of us dependent on volunteers to deliver our services. We were there to talk about the cost of living crisis. We were there to look for opportunities for collaboration. We were there to network. To share information. To encourage each other. To inspire each other.
Encouraging or inspirational stories were in short supply. Clients struggling to pay their bills. Clients struggling with rent and mortgages. Clients dependent on foodbanks who never thought they would need that kind of help. Clients getting into unmanageable debt. Anxiety and stress. Desperate clients stuck in poor accommodation. Families in inadequate refugee and asylum hostels. No end in sight.
Local services stretched beyond their capabilities. Charities trying to stand in the gap but facing desperate challenges with finance and resources. Compassion fatigue amongst volunteers. The clear expectation that this crisis is deepening and no end in sight. It was a bleak picture.
At the end of the meeting, I spoke to a Christian colleague who has huge experience and leads an important local charity. He sensed that the meeting had left me feeling challenged and even depressed.
‘Never forget,’ he said,’ that we have a God who is good. Jesus is much bigger than all of this.’
These are difficult days. I needed that reminder. I need to hold on to that. Maybe you do too.
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” Psalm 20: 7 (NIV)
28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
Mark concludes his record of the Olivet Discourse with two messages. The first paragraph references the fig tree.
The Fig Tree We have seen before that in Scripture, the fig tree may be taken to represent the nation of Israel. In this story we see the first leaves of the fig tree unfurling, heralding the start of summer. The Imagery of the preceding verses shows ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds of glory..’ and drawing together his elect from every corner of the world (Mark 13:26-27). This draws our mind to the second coming of Christ. So, says Jesus, in the same way as you recognise the time of year by the fresh new leaves on the tree, at the right time his people will discern that he, the Son of Man, is coming. Yet when that will actually happen is a divine mystery.
The phrase ‘this generation ‘ will not pass away until these things have taken place *v33) has caused all kinds of confusion. It implies imminence of Christ’s return within a few years of his ascension into heave. To the Jews, a generation was generally understood as representing 38 years (Deuteronomy 2:14). After his death and resurrection, many early followers of Jesus looked back on these comments and they were disappointed. Other followers were passing away. This seemed to mean that Christ’s words were unfulfilled. Many stepped back from the early Church because Christ had still not returned.
However, the Greek word translated here as ‘generation ‘ has much wider meaning beyond the simple concept of a 38 year ‘generation’.
[it…] can also mean “race, stock, family.” On several occasions, Jesus used it to refer to the Jewish nation (Mark 8:12, 38; 9:19), and that is probably how He used it in Mark 13:30. The chosen nation, God’s elect, would be preserved to the very end, and God would fulfill His promises to them. (Wiersbe, p155)
On the other hand, many of those who heard Christ’s words, although obviously not all, did live to see the fall of Jerusalem in 70CE. It is interesting to note that Jerusalem fell approximately 38 years (one Jewish generation) after Christ’s ascension into heaven?
Jesus goes on to say that, in contrast to the transient nature, even of such extraordinary buildings as the Temple and the wider city, he claims the authority to assert that His Word is eternal.
31 Heaven and earth’, says Jesus, ‘will pass away, but my words will never pass away..’
The Day and the Hour..
The second paragraph tells us that no-one, not even the Son, knows the day or the hour. Interestingly this phrase doesn’t appear in either Matthew or Luke. According to Adam Clark, it is absent from some Marcan manuscripts. Whether or not it is accurate and original, Wesley reminds us that Christ – as man – does not have the knowledge or attributes of God as Father. There will be things known to the Father, which are beyond the knowledge of Jesus.
‘as man [Jesus] was no more omniscient than omnipresent. (Collective Wisdom, Wesley, Loc 2483)
This means that Taken together, the whole paragraph leaves us in no doubt of our need for vigilance. This Scripture gives us the assurance that Christ will return, and makes clear that we need to be ready (Matthew includes the parables of the Ten Virgins, the Bags of Gold and the Sheep and the Goats). Like the doorman, left on watch at all hours, this not a time to sleep. Be on your guard – be alert.
End Piece
There may be differing views of whether the Olivet Discourse offers prophecy of the end times, Christ’s return, or simply the Fall of Jerusalem. I’ve read commentaries by deeply spiritual commentators who take differing views. I have read commentators who use the words of Daniel to carefully calculate dates and times of the fall or Jerusalem or alternatively to prove conclusively that these words refer to the Second Coming.
I’m not qualified to judge the merits in detail or to argue with theologians who have drawn differing conclusions. For myself, I’ve learned to be cautious people who adamantly take sides on matters of theology.
It seems to me that the concept of multiple fulfilment of prophecy fits the Olivet Discourse.
Jerusalem did fall in 70CE
Christ will come again. (As he said he would) (Acts 1)
Jesus (the Son of Man) had not been given the time or the hour, so perhaps it’s not so surprising that we haven’t either.
There are things we can learn from the events of 70CE, but don’t lets waste time trying to second guess the timing for the return of Christ.
The resulting command, then, is not ‘sit down and work out a prophetic timetable’ – always a more exciting thing to do – but ‘keep awake and watch!’ (NT Wright, p185)
Israel Two years ago today, we watched in horror as Israeli citizens in the area known as the Gaza envelope in the southern district of Israel, close to the Gaza border, suffered appalling attacks. A correspondent to the BBC, the father of a child survivor of kidnapping, quite reasonably described this as the greatest attack on Jewish people since the holocaust.
In a few short hours, 4300 rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel. 21 communities were murderously attacked by around 7000 Hamas fighters who had ‘broken out’ of Gaza.
The stories of pain and human suffering which emerged over the following days were horrific and heartbreaking. 1182 people, mostly civilians, died in those attacks, including 38 children. 70 of the casualties were Arab Israeli’s. Words like slaughter and massacre are appropriate. Nearly 3500 more people were injured. There were many reports of beatings and rape. 247 people were kidnapped, trafficked and detained in Gaza, from where many of them will never return.
Nothing can be said or written to justify what happened on that day in October, or the continued suffering of hostages of any other victim.
Tens of thousands of Israeli’s carry the emotional scars of loss, bereavement, uncertainty, and watching the ongoing suffering if people they love. For most, the scars of what happened on that day will never heal. The harsh blanket of despair covers a much wider proportion of humanity than just those who were killed and injured on October 7th.
Along with the people of Israel, and the global Jewish community, we should raise our voices once more in condemnation of the senseless brutality of those attacks. We should remember that every single victim had a name. We should pause today to mourn each and every one. We should pray for those who continue to suffer, and for those who mourn.
Gaza Today marks 2 years since the start of the Israeli response to those brutal attacks. The response has been devastating and unrelenting.
Since October 7th 2023, in response to the Hamas attack, at least 67,000 residents of Gaza have been killed by Israeli action. In many areas of Gaza, the destruction is so severe, that these figures may underestimate the total. 20,000 of those casualties were children – one child for each hour since 7th October 2023. The IDF claim that 12,000 Hamas fighters are amongst the dead, although that figure is unlikely to be confirmed. Words like slaughter and genocide are appropriate. 169,000 people have been injured as a result of Israeli action. It is suggested that up to 40,000 people are facing life changing injuries, with up to 21,000 children permanently disabled. The position for children in Gaza is beyond horrific.
The deliberate targeting of hospitals is a war crime. In Gaza, more than 100 hospitals have been destroyed or damaged beyond use by Israeli bombs. Doctors, including senior surgeons, have been ‘arrested’ and transported to Israel to prevent them treating their own people. Journalists have been specifically targeted and murdered to prevent them communicating the horrors of everyday life in Gaza and the actions of the IDF.
As part of their military operation, Israel have blocked virtually all food, water and medical aid from entering Gaza. These tactics are medieval. They are indefensible. UNICEF figures say that in mid September 2025, 12,500 children (1 in 5 of the population) were acutely malnourished, and by the end of September, 459 people, including 154 children have died of malnutrition. They have starved to death. Many more will die unless they are provided with managed recovery from malnutrition.
Like the victims of the Hamas attack in Israel, every man, woman and child in Gaza has a family, often extending beyond the borders of Gaza. Once more, there is a great multitude of people who are in agony and despair for the suffering of people they love. Meanwhile, the bombs continue to fall and the numbers of dead and injured continue to rise.
Along with the people of Palestine, we should raise our voices once more in condemnation of the senseless and barbaric attacks visited upon them by Israel under the leadership and direction of Benjamin Netanyahu. We should remember that every single victim had a name, and we should pause today to mourn each and every one. We should pray for those who continue to suffer, and especially for those who mourn.
Peace Process We hope and pray that the current peace process is successful in bringing about a cessation of hostilities, the delivery of aid to Gaza, the release of all of the hostages, and a lasting peace.
It’s difficult to be optimistic.
United States Yesterday, the President of the United States, who believes that he should receive the Nobel peace prize for resolving world conflicts, was asked by a CNN journalist in a ‘text’ interview, what would be the response if Hamas refused to accept his latest peace deal.
’14 When you see “the abomination that causes desolation “ standing where it does not belong, – ‘let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains 15 Let no-one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now – and never to be equalled again.
20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you “Look, here is the Messiah!” or “Look , there he is!” do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard: I have told you everything in advance.
Destruction of the Temple
There are various interpretations of these verses. For some, this prophecy concerns the Second Coming of Christ. We’ll look at that in my next post. in this post, I’m reflecting on the interpretation which concerns the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Run for the Hills!
The first part of this chapter dealt with the coming destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus warned of problems which will arise in the months and years to follow, but said clearly, ‘do not be alarmed!’.
There’s a real change of pace in verse 14, with the exhortation that those who are in Judaea should run for the hills. This reads rather like a fire alarm or tsunami response briefing. Do not stop to pick up your bags. Do not go back for your mobile phone. Abandon your laptop. Get out – do it now!
‘Up until this point they are to stand firm: now, at a given signal, they are to take to their heels.’ (Wright, p180)
There can be no doubt that in verses 14-23 Jesus is delivering a prophecy about the fall of Jerusalem. We know that a brutal invading army will arrive and take control of the city, including the Temple. These events came to pass in 70AD, when the Romans delivered a crushing response to the Jewish uprising of 66-70AD.
In the verses we’re looking at here, Jesus describes the signal to run. He refers to the ‘abomination which causes desolation’ (the NRSV translates this term as the ‘desolating sacrilege’), which will appear in the Temple and bring some kind of disaster on the people of Jerusalem.
‘Jesus doesn’t seem to know precisely what this [abomination] might be, but it sounds like a pagan idol, or an image of another god, in the place of the One true God, set up in the middle of the Temple.’ (Wright p181)
At a time of turmoil in the Roman empire, it was Titus, one day to become Emperor himself, who led the destructive assault on Jerusalem. The brutal invasion, during which thousands of Jews were subjected to brutal beatings, sexual violence and execution, To the Jews of Jerusalem, their experience felt like the end of the world. But in reality, it seems that Jesus is predicting the end of the Temple at Jerusalem. As we would anticipate, his prophecy was horrifically fulfilled in full measure.
End Piece
So how does a prophecy about the fall of Jerusalem speak to us today.
Christ has taught us to listen to his word and put it into practice. He warned us that we will face persecutions of all kinds (eg Luke 21:12). He prayed that we would be given strength to stand firm in our faith. Paul encourages us to stand firm in the face of adversity, in the knowledge that nothing can separate us from his love.
Yet here is an interesting turn in his teaching. As the writer of Ecclesiastes once wrote, there is a time for everything. Jesus now teaches that there is a time to run for safety.
A believer is not to suppose that God will take care of him and provide for his needs if he does not make use of means and the common sense which God has given him as well as other people. Beyond doubt he may expect the special help of his Father in heaven in every time of need. But he must expect it in the diligent use of lawful means. To profess to love God while we idly sit still and do nothing, is nothing better than fanaticism and brings religion into contempt.
14“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.15Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out.16Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.17How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!18Pray that this will not take place in winter,19because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
20“If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.21At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.22For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.23So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
“ ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light, 25the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
26“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
Alternative Readings of this Prophecy
We’ve seen that there are various interpretations of these verses. Many people see in these verses, particularly vv 17-23, a direct prophecy of the brutal fall of Jerusalem which took place in 70AD (see Olivet Discourse 4). In this post, I’m reflecting on the alternative reading of this prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ.
The Second Coming of Christ
Scripture tells us that Christ was crucified. He died. He was buried. He rose from the dead and during his resurrection was seen regularly over a period of 40 days. At the end of this period, he was taken up into heaven. At the moment of his resurrection, Christ declared that he would return.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
It is this predicted event, the ‘coming back’ of Jesus (v11), which is referred to as the Second Coming of Christ.
The phrase ‘abomination that causes desolation’ leads us directly to the prophecies of Daniel, which are closely referenced in the words of Revelation, which in turn speak of the return of Christ.
The connection between this prophecy and the anticipated future return of Christ is not new. From the very beginning, followers of the risen Christ believed that this prophecy heralded his imminent return. This is strongly implied in Matthew’s version of this discourse, which includes the phrase 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (Matthew 24:34), yet this has greater application when taken to refer to the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. The verses which follow affirm that no-one will know the time or the hour of his return (Mark 13:32-34), and Jesus confesses that nobody – even the Son, knows the hour of His return (Mark 13:32; Matthew 24:36).
So, do we now have a problem. If this prophecy is to be regarded as referring to the return of Christ, how do we respond to those who believe that it relates to the destruction of the Temple?
Single Fulfilment
There are those who contend that any prophecy can have only a single fulfilment. And so there are those for whom this prophecy must apply either to the fall of Jerusalem, of to the second coming, but cannot apply to both..
Dual Fulfilment
It seems to many commentators that the broad context of this section of Scripture is the destruction of the Temple. In the first verses of Mark 13, we have seen that Jesus appears to be prophesying the fall of Jerusalem. We have seen that this came to pass in 70AD, when the Roman Titus brutally crushed the Jewish uprising. This reading can suffice throughout the Olivet Discourse, and there are those who believe that this is the only valid interpretation. However, the latter part of the narrative under review here, can be taken to make the case that the current verses also speak of the Second Coming of Christ.
Multiple Fulfilment
For completion, some writers assert that there can legitimately be multiple fulfilments of prophecy, and this is an obvious case for consideration.
In addition to the widely discussed Fall of Jerusalem and the Second Coming of Christ, the original prophecy of Daniel relating to the ‘Abomination which causes desolation’, which is referenced in these verses by Jesus, some writers point to an earlier ‘fulfilment’. In 167BCE, Antiochus Epiphanes IV entered Jerusalem and set up a statue of the Greek god Zeus in the Temple, and sacrificed a pig on the altar.
And then, of course, there are those who regard the presence of the Al Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and Dome of the Spirit on the ancient Temple Mount in Jerusalem as the most clear and powerful fulfilment of Daniel’s and Christ’s prophecy. The identification of these Islamic places of worship as ‘the Abomination’ is even explored by some Islamic writers. (Note: Construction of the Islamic sites started in around 638CE under the UmayyadCaliphate)
End Piece
In researching this section, I’ve been disappointed that some major evangelicals will state firmly that this prophecy relates only to the fall of Jerusalem, whilst others insist that it relates in its exclusively to the second coming of Christ (eg John Macarthur). Whilst the preceding sentence greatly oversimplifies the position of both Christian theological thinkers and writers, my point is simply that I am always counsel caution when anyone claims to have identified the truth about Jesus, and suggests that those who disagree with them are in the wrong.
For myself, I am comfortable to find that I am in good company when I say that it seems to me that this particular prophecy can have more than one fulfilment. It seems to me that this prophecy fits well with Antiochus Epiphanes IV desecration of the Temple in 167BCE, and the fall of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in 70CE, when the Temple was thoroughly desecrated and ultimately destroyed. It is as possible that Christ was predicting the future Second Coming at a date as yet unknown.
This is a prophecy which transcends a single moment in history.
There is an apocryphal story which was sometimes told in Stalin’s Russia.
‘In Russia,’ the story goes, ‘it was often said that if there is an accident and three people are killed it is a tragedy. Yet if tens of thousands of people are deported or executed, that’s a statistic.’
Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo. The list, right now, seems endless. Our news feeds are full of horrific news, often presented as statistics. How easily we can become de-sensitised by statistics. We easily overlook the fact that behind every death, every injury is a real person. Therein lies the real tragedy.
Behind every individual number is a personal story. A maelstrom of physical and emotional trauma f or the victim, their family and their community.
As Christ wept over Jerusalem, so must we pray and stand up for nations and cities in their time of need. Christ looked upon the needy crowd and had compassion on them, and in our day so must we. Yet Christ dealt with individuals. He touched, blessed, encouraged and healed real people. And so must we.
Christ didn’t deal with statistics. He loved people for who they were. And so must we.
When times are really bad, you will discover who your real friend is. It will be someone in whom you have invested time and energy. Someone to whom you have given space and time. You have confided in them – your hopes, your fears, your burdens: You have made time to listen to them. They have put up with you They have challenged you Sometimes they have chided you. Occasionally, you will have felt let down by them and you may even have turned your back on them But later, when you felt the time was right, they have welcomed you back. Their friendship has been strong. Their love has been profound. They have encouraged you. You have walked together through good times and bad. That is the friend who will be there for you. The One who will stand with you.
When you need them most, may you have such a friend as this. May His name be Jesus.
Utterly disgusted today by the death of highly respected journalist Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues who have been a key source of honest reporting from the heart of Gaza City. Al-Sharif has been reporting the true horror faced by the Palestinian people in the face of the Israeli onslaught and genocide.
His assassination comes as Israel prepares to launch their assault on and occupation of the City. One of the strongest and most reliable voices on the ground has been silenced.
Israeli media describes al-Sharif as a terrorist leader, proudly declaring him to have been successfully ‘eliminated’ by the IDF.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
‘On Sunday, 10 August, an Israeli strike killed six media professionals in Gaza, five of whom currently work or formerly worked for the Qatari media outlet Al Jazeera and one freelance journalist. The strike, which has been claimed by the Israeli army, targeted Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, whom it accuses, without providing solid evidence, of “terrorist affiliation.” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this disgraceful tactic, which is repeatedly used against journalists to cover up war crimes, while the army has already killed more than 200 media professionals. RSF calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to stop this massacre.’
‘In the minutes before he was killed, Al Sharif said on social media, “If this madness does not end, Gaza will be reduced to ruins, its people’s voices silenced, their faces erased – and history will remember you as silent witnesses to a genocide you chose not to stop.”‘
Five other men were killed alongside al-Sharif. Israel has given no indication of why they were targeted. Like every one of the 63,000 Palestinians killed in this conflict, each of them had a name and a family.
Correspondent Mohammed Qraiqea
Video reporter Ibrahim al-Thaher
Assistant cameraman Mohamed Nofal
Freelance journalist: Moamen Aliwa
Freelance journalist, Mohammed al-Khaldi,
Freelance reporters Mohammed Sobh, Mohammed Qita, and Ahmed al-Harazine were all injured in the same attack.
14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. 20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
24 “But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky.
These verses have been interpreted and abused in all sorts of ways. They have been used alongside other scriptures to create a sense of urgency, even panic, about the imminence of the end times, by pointing at various contemporary ‘abominations’. I grew up during the Cold War, and as a teen, I was personally taught, absurdly, that the USSR was the ‘abomination’ which. along with the threat of war, presaged the end of the world. Whilst that was distorted theology, it’s easy to find modern day candidates for the title of the ‘abomination’. But that’s not what these verses are about.
These words do not directly prophecy the end of the world. They do prophecy the end of an era. The prophecy was given by Christ. As we will see, it has been fulfilled.
Context Matters..
As ever, context matters. Let’s start by reminding ourselves that this prophecy comes as part of Christ’s response to a question from his disciples about the timing of the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:1-4). We can see Verses 5-13 as saying to the disciples, and vicariously to us, don’t panic when bad things happen. There was a developing theme. ‘Don’t be discouraged – Be on your Guard – Stand Firm’. Yet here, suddenly, there’s a change of mood – a change of pace. There is a time, we learn, to flee to the mountains! There is a time, it seems, to run for your life!
The trigger for this panicked departure seems to be the ‘appearance of the abomination that causes devastation, standing where it does not belong.’ (v14). Again, context matters. The place where the Abomination should not be standing is very specifically the Temple at Jerusalem. This is a prophecy by Christ, and it was to be fulfilled within a few years of his death and resurrection.
In his reply to the Disciples, Jesus used language drawn from the Book of Daniel. These words would be familiar to the disciples, and their application here would be alarming. Daniel 11:31 and 12:11 refer to the invasion of Jerusalem by an invading army, and the disruption of worship in the Temple. Pagan invaders will, according to Daniel’s prophecy, set up an ‘abomination’. When these days approach, says Jesus, just get out of there – to run.
Daniels prophecies describe exactly what happened in Jerusalem just 40 years later.
Prophecy Fulfilled..
In drawing on the Old Testament prophecies of Daniel, these verses become a prophecy of Christ, relating specifically to the Temple in Jerusalem. So, how was that prophecy fulfilled?
Emperor Titus
In 66CE, there was a Jewish uprising against the Roman occupiers. This led to serious unrest and ultimately to war between Rome and the Jews. Many false prophets emerged, as Jesus said they would, promising victory for Israel over Rome. The ill fated war ended in 70CE with the arrival of future emperor Titus in Jerusalem. The brutality of the invading army to put down the rebellion defies description. They destroyed the city, murdering and plundering with genocidal zeal. They set fire to the Temple and the entire city. They razed Temple Mount to the ground, utterly destroying the Temple itself. Scarcely one stone remained upon another.
Jesus uses the words of Isaiah to describe the horror of these days:
24 “But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky.
The prophecies of Isaiah had seen fulfilment generations earlier, yet Jesus uses them himself to describe the horrors of the sacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple to come.
In the build up to these events, there had been a moment of opportunity to get out – to run to the mountains. Those men, women and children who remained in Jerusalem faced destruction, starvation, and in most cases violent death.
This then, ‘is not a prophecy of the end of the world […] but it was the end of their world.’ (NT Wright, p181) For the people of Jerusalem, of that generation, their way of life, and their way of worship, was utterly devastated.
End Piece..
So, since we are saying that this prophecy was fulfilled nearly 2000 years ago, what do we learn? What is Christ saying to us through these verses today?
‘It is vital to read this passage as containing Jesus’ prophecies, fulfilled 40 years later, against the Temple. That is what Mark, at least, believes this whole chapter is about. But we should not suppose that there are no messages for our own day, nearly 2000 years later. Where human societies and institutions set themselves up against the gospel and its standards, producing arrogant and dehumanising structures, deep injustices and radical oppression, there may once more be a place for prophets to denounce and to warn, and for God’s people to get out and run. If we do not find ourselves in that position we should be grateful; but we should remember to pray for those, even today, who do.’ (NT Wright, p182)
Reflecting on these comments from NT Wright, do any contemporary ‘human societies and institutions‘ come to mind? There are so many that it might seem overwhelming. However, we are to remember Christ’s earlier teaching:
Amongst so may situations which come to my mind, I find myself praying once more for my brothers and sisters in the Palestinian Christian community in Gaza, who, alongside their Muslim neighbours, are innocently caught in an endless and utterly avoidable cycle of devastating brutality, hunger and pain. For them, running is not an option.
I was recently challenged by a Christian friend to explain why, over the last couple of years, I have attended a number of rallies in central London in support of the people of Palestine.
This post is my response.
A Disclaimer!
First, let’s be clear about something. Any large demonstration attracts people of diverse views. Some views expressed at these events are inconsistent with my own. I do not, for example support Hamas, and I do not advocate their political views or in any way support their strategic objective to destroy Israel. However, I am appalled by the deliberate actions of the Israeli government, directed towards the civilian population of Palestine, and in particular Gaza.
I do, on the other hand, support an organisation called ‘Christians for Palestine’, a small but strong group which is rooted in the Anglican Church in the UK, with supporters in most other denominations. The stated aim is to bring Christians together to join peace marches and protests for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. That, in a nutshell, explains why I have been on these marches. We normally meet before the event in a local Church or a park for prayer before joining the demonstration.
I’m frustrated by the views of some evangelicals. As Christian’s, their narrative seems to go, we should unquestioningly stand firmly with Israel. Israel is God’s chosen people. Palestine is currently their enemy. Israel, they will say, is engaged in spiritual warfare against Islam. From there, they jump to the assertion that the only viable position for a Christian is to offer absolute support to Israel.
This argument feels extraordinarily naive and simplistic. It is profoundly and dangerously flawed. It takes no account of God’s love for mankind which permeates Scripture.
7th October 2023
First things first. The events of 7th October 2023 were unspeakably evil. 1200 innocent people were murdered, and more than 250 kidnapped and taken back into Gaza. 75 of those hostages have died, some of them as a result of Israeli action. 148 have been released. The remainder are still in Gaza, either living or dead. The actions of Hamas on that day were wrong. They were disgusting. They were evil. They constitute a war crime.
Israel has the right to defend itself. They have the right to exercise military force to recover the remaining hostages in Gaza.
However… The Israeli Response
There is, of course, a big fat ‘however’.
Since 7th October 2023, more than 56,000 people have died in Gaza as a result of military action by Israel. Nearly 17,000 of those deaths were children (under the age of 16). We know that many more bodies lie unrecovered under the rubble cause by mass bombing and the deliberate or reckless targeting of civilian residential areas and infrastructure, including hospitals.
Behind these appalling statistics of deaths, lies an unspoken and largely uncounted number of men, women and children who have been injured and emotionally scarred by this ongoing horror.
Reuters reported that by January 2025, 60% of buildings across Gaza had been destroyed, with very few completely undamaged. The bombings continues.
A small and unconfirmed proportion of those killed were active Hamas combatants. The overwhelming majority of them were not.
Nothing in the events of 7th October 2023 justifies the extent of death and destruction, or the ongoing abuse and harassment of the civilian population of Gaza at the direction of the Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu.
Where’s the aid?
We now have the most extreme restrictions over civilian aid, with reliable reports that the majority of Palestinians now lack the basics of food, clean water and medicine. This is not the time to argue about whose fault that is. It is the time to do something about it.
People are dying of starvation and dehydration. People are being gunned down by Israeli forces whilst they are trying to collect food and water from aid collection points.
“Since 27 May [2025], more than 500 Palestinians have been killed and at least 3,000 injured by Israeli forces while trying to access aid, either at or on route to GHF distribution points, or while attempting to approach the very few other aid convoys delivered by the UN or NGOs, according to OHCHR.”
“And to add to the dystopian horror show, children are also being killed and injured trying to reach aid – aid they have a right to.”
All this is avoidable, and it is obscene.
Enough!
For me, the only Christian response has to be to cry ‘enough!’ Of course, achieving a lasting peace is far more complex than it sounds. But it must surely start with a ceasefire. It must start with allowing food, water and medicine to people who are malnourished and dying.
Every nation should condemn the avoidable humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. In November 2024, they did.
A resolution was brought to the UN Security Council for a full and unconditional ceasefire. It was universally supported. Almost. Every member was in favour. Except one. The resolution was vetoed by the United States.
Conclusion..
I am an evangelical. I try to base my views and conclusions on the Bible.
Scripture tells us that the kingdom of Israel had good kings, with whom God was pleased. But they also had bad kings, with whom he was not. Benjamin Netanyahu is not a king, but he is the worst of leaders. His conduct is ruthless, immoral and disgusting. It is offensive to any right reading of Scripture. He is responsible for the death of civilians on a vast scale. He is directing and presiding over preventable starvation and genocide. He is a war criminal.
In the face of all this we feel helpless. Apart from raising our voices and writing blog posts, there seems so little that we can do. Of course we can pray, and we must, but there are moments when we can also stand up and be counted.
So, I end with a question to my evangelical Christian friends who continue to stand unquestioningly alongside the government of Israel: ‘Yes, I was there. Where were you?’
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