There are a few theories.  One is that it was the Romans under Titus.  He attacked the Jews, surrounded Jerusalem, and then he and his soldiers destroyed the city, killing many Jews and selling many more into slavery.  Hal Lindsey promoted this basic story in The Late, Great Planet Earth and lots still promote it, mainly because it brings “The Romans” into the discussion and supports the idea that “The Antichrist” will come from a Revived Roman Empire.

 

Some think it WASN’T really the Romans, and for good cause.  Titus DID NOT want the Temple destroyed.  It was a beautiful piece of work, and his apparent intention was to preserve it and perhaps re-dedicate it to some Roman god.  He ordered his troops to forebear and they did; one does not disobey a direct order from one’s commanding officer, and especially in the Roman army. 

 

But Titus had a few mercenaries helping him in his effort to subdue Jerusalem, and these were soldiers hired from the surrounding nations, many and perhaps all of them had no real warm feelings for their Israelite neighbors.  As mercenaries, their loyalty was primarily to gold, and the belief that there was gold in Jerusalem for the taking highly motivated their subsequent aggressive behavior.  They ignored Titus’ order and disassembled the Temple stone by stone.  If it was Arab mercenaries who actually destroyed the city and the sanctuary, we could then expect some non-Jewish middle eastern “prince” to come on the scene in the last days.  Should we expect an Arab “Antichrist”?

 

The scripture says it was “the people of the prince who is to come” and the only prince antecedent to this phrase is Messiah the Prince.  This ruffles a few eschatological feathers because if “The prince” in this passage is Messiah, a major theme of many modern “prophecy” books is destroyed.  Plus, at first blush the conclusion seems totally unreasonable; that it was The JEWS who destroyed the city and the sanctuary. 

 

But were the Jews culpable?  All the Romans wanted was peace:  the “Pax Romana.”  You could get away with a lot in the Empire, but they really didn’t like riotous behavior.  They didn’t like rebellion or insurrection.  And as Flavius Josephus documents, these were a hot-headed people, “righteously indignant” about just about anything that came from Caesar.  Or more properly: “SELF-righteously” indignant, much like today’s social justice warriors.  “We are right, everyone else is wrong, God is on our side, and regardless of appearances or resources or anything else, we MUST prevail!  Whatever we do is morally justifiable!”

 

My conclusion: it was Christ-hating, self-righteous, Jewish SJW’s who destroyed the city and the sanctuary.  These were the people of The Prince who came and was rejected by those He came to save.  The toxicity of a “social justice” mindset is as strong today as it ever was, and perhaps the U.S. is the next theater where this toxicity will be fully manifested.

 

Steve