Is Christianity really…?
...from heaven” (Luke 21:11). Just as Jesus prophesied many strange happenings occurred in the years after his ascension and before the fall of Jerusalem. 1. “A meteor, resembling a sword, (1 Chiron. 21:26) hung over Jerusalem during one whole year. This could not be a comet, for it was stationary and was visible for 12 successive months. A sword, too, though a fit emblem for destruction poorly represents a comet.” (Holford 3) 2. “On the eighth of the month Zanthicus (before the feast of unleavened bread), at the ninth hour of the night, there shone about the altar and circumjacent buildings of the temple a light equal to the brightness of the day, which continued for the space of half an hour. This could not be the effect of lightning, nor of a vivid aurora borealis, for it was confined to a particular spot, and the light shone without interruption for 30 minutes” (Holford 4) 3. “As the High Priests were leading a heifer to the altar to be sacrificed, she brought forth a lamb, in the midst of the temple. Such is the strange account given by historians, Some may regard it as a “Grecian fable” while others may think that they discern in this prodigy a miraculous rebuke of Jewish infidelity and impiety for rejection the antitypical Lamb who had offered Himself as an atonement, “once for all,” and who, by this completely fulfilling their design, had virtually abrogated the Levitical sacrifices. However this may be, the circumstances of the prodigy are remarkable. It did not occur in an obscure part of the city but in the temple, not at an ordinary time, but at the Passover, the season of our Lord’s crucifixion in the presence, not of vulgar merely, but of the High Priests and their attendants, and while they were leading the sacrifice to the altar.” (Holford 5) 4. “About the sixth hour of the night, the eastern gate of the temple was seen to open without human assistance. When the guards informed the curator of this event, he sent men to assist them in shutting it, who with great difficulty succeeded. This gate, as has been observed already, was of solid brass and required twenty men to close it every evening. It could not have been opened by a “Strong gust of wind” or a “slight earthquake” for Josephus says, “it was secured by iron bolts and bars, which were let down into the threshold consisting of one entire stone”. (Holford 6) 5. “Soon after the Passover, in various parts of the country, before the setting of the sun, chariots and armed men were seen in the air, passing around Jerusalem. Neither could this portentous spectacle be occasioned by the aurora borealis, for it occurred before the setting of the sun; nor was it merely the fancy of a few villagers gazing at the heavens, for it was seen in various parts of the country.” (Holford 7) 6. “At the subsequent feast of Pentecost, while the priests were going by night into the inner temple to perform their customary ministrations, they first felt, as they said, a shaking accompanied by and indistinct murmuring, and afterwards voices as of a multitude, saying, in a distinct and earnest manner, ‘Let is depart hence.’ This gradation will remind the reader of that awful transaction that the feast of Pentecost was principally instituted to commemorate. First a shaking was heard; this would naturally induce the priests to listen; an unintelligible murmuring succeeds; this would more powerfully arrest their attention, and while it was thus awakened and fixed they heard, says Josephus, the voices as of a multitude, distinctly pronouncing the words, “Let us depart hence.” And accordingly, before the period for celebrating this feast returned, the Jewish war had commenced, and in the space of three years afterwards, Jerusalem was surrounded by the Roman army, the temple converted into a citadel, and its sacred courts streaming with the blood of human victims.” (Holford 8) Despite the fact that Jesus was not alive at the time of the occurrences and thus would appear to be a fulfillment of his prophesies it is not really solid proof. Any man, when preaching to a multitude of people and wishing to arouse their awe towards himself could have prophesied that such things would happen knowing that if they did not happen he could easily cover up for himself. Though this could be the case, but it is not likely. “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them ‘Do you not see all things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’” (Matthew 24:1-2) It was only40 years later that the beautiful temple walls were splattered with blood and a literal river of blood could be found streaming down the temple steps confirming his prophecy. “As the last and most fearful omen, Josephus relates that one Jesus, the son of Ananus, a rustic of the lower class, during the Feast of Tabernacles, suddenly exclaimed in the temple, ‘A voice from the east a voice from the west a voice against Jerusalem and the temple a voice against bridegrooms and brides a voice against the whole people!’ These words he incessantly proclaimed aloud both day and night, through all the streets of Jerusalem, for seven years and five months together, commencing at a time (A.D. 62) when the city was in a state of peace and overflowing with prosperity, and terminating amidst the horrors of the siege. This disturber having excited the attention of the magistracy was brought before Albinus the Roman governor, who commanded that he should be scourged. But the severest stripes drew from him neither tears nor supplications. As he never thanked those who relieved him, so neither did he complain of the injustice of those who struck him. And no other answer could the could the governor obtain to his interrogatories, but his usual denunciation of ‘Woe, woe to Jerusalem!’ which he still continued to proclaim through the city, but especially during the festivals, when his manner became more earnest and the tone of his voice louder. At length, on the commencement of the siege, he ascended the walls and, in a more powerful voice than ever, exclaimed ‘Woe, woe to this city, this temple, and this people!’ And then, with a presentiment of his own death, added, ‘Woe, woe to myself!’ He had scarcely uttered these words when a stone from one of the Roman engines killed him on the spot” (Holford 9) Part of the last phrase that the son of Ananus voiced was “Woe, woe to the city, this temple, and this people!” One may wonder why God had decided judgement against not only the city of Jerusalem but against the whole nation! The Jews refused to listen to Jesus and repent of their sins, nor did they listen to his commandment to beware of false christs, even when all the dreadful signs were given them especially that of the son of Ananus proclaimed for seven whole years. All this is very ironic considering what the Jewish people said when they released Barabbas the murderer instead of Jesus: “And all the people answered and said ‘His blood be on us and on our children.’” (Matthew 27:25) For this is exactly what happened when se...