The Worst Calamity Of the Biblical Age:
The Destruction of Jerusalem
*Because You Asked -- Sermon 2**3*
Was It Really The Worst Calamity?
In terms of spiritual calamity, there would be competition, such as Adam's sin, or the idolatry of Israel.
In terms of physical calamity, what could be worse?
The division of the empire was a bad political calamity but did not have the lasting effect as the destruction of Jerusalem.
The flood was worldwide and ushered in a new dispensation but has only four chapters plus a few scattered verses that speak to it.
The tower of Babel affects humanity to this day (in ethnicity and language) but was swiftly and easily remedied by God and turned to His glory.
The destruction and rebuilding of Jerusalem covers large portions of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, virtually all of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and all of Daniel, Haggai, Obadiah, Joel, Zechariah, and Malachi. In addition, Esther is about the exile period, Ezra and Nehemiah are about the rebuilding, and Lamentations is entirely about the destruction of the city. Thus, without understanding the destruction of Jerusalem at least 14 books of the Hebrew Scriptures would be, in whole or part, almost impossible to understand. These books compose 35% of the Hebrew Scriptures.
What The Bible Says
First, some background
Jerusalem became the capital city under King David, a little over 3,000 years ago.
About 400 years later (601 BC), Jehoiakim, King of Judah, who had been paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, quit paying and aligned Judah with Egypt, Babylon's arch-enemy.
In 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Jehoiakim died in the siege, and his son Jehoiachin became King. The city fell three months later. Nebuchadnezzar pillaged the city, took Jehoiachin and about 10,000 others to Babylon, but allowed the Kingdom to remain as a vassal state. Zedekiah, uncle to Jehoiachin, was made the vassal King.
In 590 BC, Zedekiah also refused to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, who then laid siege to the city in 589 BC. This siege is described in 2 Kings 25.
Vv. 1-2 -- The timing: the ninth through the eleventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Jeremiah 39-44 gives detail.
Vv. 3-4 -- The conditions described, and the King flees for his life.
Vv. 5-7 -- The judgment of King Zedekiah. Ezekiel's prophecy of Ezekiel 12:13 is fulfilled.
Vv. 8-12 -- The final destruction of the city. Solomon's Temple was destroyed, the people were either killed, taken captive, or fled. Only the poor of the land (v. 12) remained.
Vv. 13-17 -- The description of the items of Solomon's Temple.
Vv. 18-21 -- The death of the remaining leading citizens.
Vv. 22-26 -- Judah under the Governor, Gedaliah, and his murder, followed by a flight to Egypt.
Vv. 27-30 -- After 36 years Jehoiachin is released from prison in Babylon.
Note about 2 Kings 25: the chapter is so similar to 2 Kings.
How It Lasts To This Day
To this day, Jerusalem is a contested city, and Jerusalem as capital of Israel has been the number one geopolitical debate of our lifetime.
To this day, the 9th Day of Av is a day of remembrance of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Jewish people (2 Kings 25:3). On this day of fasting, the Jewish people go to the synagogue and read the book of Lamentations.
On the same day (9th of Av) the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its second Temple, in A.D. 70. The Temple has never been rebuilt.
In the tribulation, it comes down to two cities: Babylon and Jerusalem. And Jerusalem wins!
Ultimately, a New Jerusalem will be prepared“pearly gates" and “streets of gold."
The sad fact is that Jerusalem did not need to fall. This calamity had more warning than perhaps any other event in world history, and certainly more prophetic warning.
Sadder still, the New Jerusalem will be missed by million even though it is being offered as a free gift, through Jesus Christ.
