Why Was The Second Temple Destroyed?

The First Temple (Solomon's Temple)

Solomon built the first temple in Jerusalem around 957 BC, a magnificent house for the Lord. But tragically, it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC because of the sins of Israel's kings and people.

“On the seventh day of the fifth month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned the Lord's temple, the king's palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses. The whole Chaldean army with the captain of the guards tore down the walls surrounding Jerusalem.”

“All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord's temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem. But the Lord, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God's messengers, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, until the Lord's wrath was so stirred up against his people that there was no remedy.”

The people's sins were so severe that Scripture says they were worse than the Canaanites whom God had driven out before them:

“But they did not listen; Manasseh caused them to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. The Lord said through his servants the prophets, 'Since King Manasseh of Judah has committed all these detestable acts—worse evil than the Amorites who preceded him had done—and by means of his idols has also caused Judah to sin...'”

The Seventy Years of Exile

God had warned through Jeremiah that because of Israel's persistent rebellion, they would be exiled for seventy years:

“This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation'—this is the Lord's declaration—'the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.'”

“For this is what the Lord says: 'When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place.'”

During His earthly ministry, Jesus prophesied the complete destruction of the Second Temple:

“As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. He replied to them, 'Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.'”

“Jesus said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another—all will be thrown down.'”

“As some were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 'These things that you see—the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.'”

Earlier, Jesus had made a statement that was misunderstood by many but pointed to His resurrection:

“So the Jews replied to him, 'What sign will you show us for doing these things?' Jesus answered, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.' Therefore the Jews said, 'This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?' But he was speaking about the temple of his body.”

Jesus was speaking of His own body—His death and resurrection. This was the true temple that would replace the physical building.

The Temple Was Temporary

The physical temple served a temporary purpose in God's redemptive plan. It was the place where sacrifices for sin were offered continually, but those sacrifices could never permanently remove sin:

“With these things prepared like this, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.”

“Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. Otherwise, wouldn't they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Jesus now serves as our High Priest in the true, heavenly temple—not a copy made by human hands:

“Now the main point of what is being said is this: We have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not man.”

“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that he might now appear in the presence of God for us.”

“And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Jesus intercedes for believers before the Father:

“But because he remains forever, he holds his priesthood permanently. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.”