Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/666

 tried to  steal  out  at  night  to  search  for  herbs  and  roots,  but  such  as were  surprised  were  scourged  and  crucified  by  the  Romans,  and  before long the  crosses  on  which  they  were  put  to  death  stood  like  a forest round the  Roman  camp. To prevent  any  attempt  at  escape  from  the doomed city,  and  to  ensure  its  reduction  by  starvation,  Titus  caused  a wall  to  be  built  all  round  it. The famine  was  so  great,  that  the  inhabitants devoured  the  most  loathsome  things,  old  leather,  mouldy  hay, and even  cow-dung. One mother  killed  and  ate  her  own  child  I Added to the  famine,  there  raged  a devastating  plague,  and  in  the  course  of seven  weeks  no  less  than  716,000  dead  bodies  were  carried  away  or thrown  over  the  walls  into  the  enemy’s  camp.

After the  storming  of  Fort  Antonia,  the  attack  was  directed  against the mount  on  which  the  Temple  was  built. After vain  efforts  to  take the Temple  by  storm,  Titus  commanded  that  its  gates  and  colonnade of cedar  wood  should  be  set  on  fire. He wished  to  save  the  actual Temple, but,  in  the  excitement  of  the  battle,  a soldier  threw  a burning brand into  the  Sanctuary,  and  soon  the  glorious  Temple  was  a heap of ruins. The fight  was  so  furious  that  blood  flowed  literally  in  streams down the  steps  of  the  Temple. Finally, the  upper  city  on  Mount  Sion was taken. Every Jew  whom  the  conquerors  met  was  cut  down,  and the houses  with  their  inhabitants  within  were  burnt. For two  days and two  nights  the  conflagration  lasted,  and  on  the  third  day  nothing remained of  the  holy  city  but  a heap  of  ashes.

Over a million  people  perished  during  the  siege,  and  97,000  were carried away  into  captivity  and  slavery. The ruins  of  the  city  and  of the  Temple  were  cleared  away  and  the  ground  levelled. As our  Lord foretold, there  did  not  remain  one  stone  upon  another. And the  Jews were scattered  over  the  face  of  the  earth.

In the  year  363  A.  D.,  the  Roman  emperor,  Julian  the  Apostate, wished to  rebuild  the  Temple,  in  order  to  bring  to  nought  the  prophecy of Jesus;  but  an  earthquake  shattered  what  foundations  remained,  and fire was  vomited  from  the  earth,  killing  many  heathen  and  Jewish  workmen and  making  the  place  unapproachable;  so  that  the  work  had  to be  given  up. Not long  afterwards  Julian  was  killed  in  an  expedition against the  Persians,  and  he  died  with  these  words  on  his  lips:  “Galilean (meaning  our  Lord),  Thou  hast  conquered.”

The Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ.  His  prophecy  about  the  destruction of Jerusalem,  which  was  so  exactly  fulfilled,  is  a proof  of  His  Divinity, for only  God  could  foreknow  all  that  would  occur  both  before  and  at the  destruction  of  the  holy  city.

The End  of  the  World.  The  exact  fulfilment  of  our  Lord’s  words about the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  is  a pledge  that  what  He  foretold about the  end  of  the  world  and  His  second  coming  will  be  equally fulfilled. The signs  which  will  precede  the  end  of  the  world  will  be similar  to  those  which  preceded  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem:  wars, sedition, and  earthquakes. The Gospel  will  first  be  preached  to  all