You Are Not Alone in Asking About the Temple Destruction and Jesus’ Return

Many Bible readers and scholars wrestle with Jesus’ prophecy about the destruction of the temple and the timing of His return. This study examines why the New Covenant eliminates any theological need or validity for a rebuilt temple.

If Jesus repeatedly told His disciples to “be ready” because His return could happen at any moment, yet the man of lawlessness must stand in the temple first, then His command would have had little value once the temple was destroyed. There must be a temple for that event to occur. This lies at the heart of understanding temple destruction and Jesus’ return.

Internal and External Clues to Temple Destruction and Jesus’ Return

As Jesus left the temple, His disciples pointed out the grandeur of its buildings. Jesus replied:

“Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Later, on the Mount of Olives, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked three questions (Mark 13:3):

1. When will this destruction happen?
2. What will be the sign of your coming?
3. What will be the sign of the end of the age?

Mark notes this was a private conversation. That detail matters. Jesus answered His closest followers—Jews, all of them—who likely assumed the coming kingdom would free Israel from Roman rule.

Jesus’ Warning About Temple Destruction and Jesus’ Return

Jesus warned of coming persecution, the destruction of the temple, and the fall of Jerusalem. He spoke to those alive in that generation (Mark 13:30, Luke 21:32). His advice was clear:

“Pray that you may escape all that is about to happen and stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

Trials Before the Temple Destruction and Jesus’ Return

Jesus warned:

• They would be arrested and brought before governors and kings (Matt 10:17–18, Mark 13:9–10).
• They would be persecuted, imprisoned, and hated (Luke 21:12–13, Matthew 10:21–22, Mark 13:12–13).
• The Spirit would give them wisdom and words their enemies could not resist (Matt 10:19–20, Mark 13:11, Luke 21:14–15).

We Will Suffer Persecution for His Name and His Word

Jesus wants the Four—and by extension all believers—to know that standing with Jesus comes at a cost. He warns of coming suffering (Baptism of Suffering: Mark 10:38, Luke 12:50, Romans 6:3–4), persecution and the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. “Watch for it,” he says. “These things will come and during your lifetime.”

“But take heed to yourselves. Beware of men; for they will deliver you (persecution) up to councils and in the synagogues, before governors and kings and to the Gentiles for my sake for a testimony to them also. They will scourge (persecution) you in their synagogues.” Matt 10:17–18, Mark 13:9–10

In the same way Jesus suffered at the hands of men and was persecuted, so the disciples would also suffer.

“They will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison (suffering). And so you will bear testimony to me (“Stand up for Me.”)” Luke 21:12–13

How Should We Prepare for Such Trials

“But take no thought beforehand. Do not worry about what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you (Matt 10:19–20, Mark 13:11). Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist (Luke 21:14–15). A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master (Matthew 10:24).”

Later, when the religious leaders saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished at their depth of knowledge. They took note that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). We too, by living with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of Jesus and remaining in His Word, will receive a depth of knowledge that will astonish those who oppose the Gospel.

We Will Be Singled Out and Cast Out

“Brother will betray brother to death and deliver up the brother to death—and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:21–22, Mark 13:12–13).”

Temple Destruction and Jerusalem Surrounded

Jesus gave a clear sign:

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know its desolation is near” (Luke 21:20).

He told them to flee without delay. In 70 AD, Roman armies laid siege to Jerusalem. Over a million died. The Temple was destroyed. The warnings of Deuteronomy 28:53, 56–57, 64 came true.

The Abomination of Desolation and Temple Destruction

Jesus referenced Daniel and warned that when they saw the abomination of desolation, they should flee (Mark 13:14). That statement only makes sense to the Four and others of their day if a temple still stood at the time. Which it did—until 70 AD.

The Fig Tree Lesson and Jesus’ Return

“When you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near” (Mark 13:28–29, Luke 21:29–31).

Only days before Jesus sought fruit from a fig tree, found none, and cursed it. Within a day, the tree withered. This incident and the desecration of the temple—turning it from a house of prayer into a marketplace—would still be fresh in the minds of the Four. At his death and resurrection the focus of worship shifted from a physical building to a spiritual temple. The empty fruit offered by the religious leaders of His day was replaced with spiritual fruit from Jesus’ Holy Spirit within us.

What Temple Remains After the Temple Destruction?

Paul and the other writers of the New Testament explain:

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16, 3:17, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16).
We offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).
Jesus referred to His own body as a temple (John 2:21).
We are joined together in Christ as a spiritual temple (Ephesians 2:21–22).

The temple has been destroyed. Our focus is no longer on a physical structure in Jerusalem. Instead, the writers of the New Covenant make it clear that worship now centers on praising in spirit and in truth—with His Holy Spirit living in us and His truth revealed through His Word.

The Temple in Heaven and Jesus’ Return

The Revelation of Jesus speaks of a temple in heaven (Revelation 3:12, 7:15, 11:1–2, 11:19, 14:15, 14:17, 15:5–8, 16:1, 16:17, 21:22).

Jerusalem as the Great Prostitute and the Timing of Jesus’ Return

Revelation portrays Jerusalem as the Great Prostitute—Babylon the Great—who is cast down while the world looks on (Revelation 11:8, 14:8, 16:19, 17:1–6, 17:18, 18:2–24). Ezekiel gave similar warnings to Samaria and Judah (Ezekiel 16:1–63, 23:1–49), connecting the unfaithfulness of God’s people with false worship. They had defiled themselves with other gods. The same charge is brought against Jerusalem in Revelation.

Final Thoughts on Temple Destruction and Jesus’ Return

Will another temple be built? Possibly by human hands, but such a structure would have no spiritual significance and would represent a rejection of Christ’s completed work.

In fact, it would return to rules and rituals “temple worship”—replacing the blood of Jesus with that of an animal—would be viewed by God as an abomination. The temple Jesus recognizes is in heaven and in His people. Any new earthly temple that denies Christ’s completed work would stand as a monument to rebellion, not faith.

Watch. Be ready. Jesus could come at any moment for His own. This is the message of Jesus during His last week on earth. When in doubt, go with with Jesus and God say.

Additional Resources on Temple Destruction and Jesus’ Return

• BibleHub – Matthew 24 Commentary
• Jewish Virtual Library – The Second Temple
• GotQuestions – What is the Abomination of Desolation?
• See our post on The Role of the Temple in Jewish History
• For a breakdown of Daniel’s prophecy, read Daniel’s 70 Weeks Explained
• Explore more on Jesus’ Return Timeline

Focus Keyword: Temple Destruction and Jesus’ Return

What If Daniel 9:27 Is About Jesus and the Cross?

For years, many have assumed Daniel 9:27 points to a future Antichrist and a rebuilt temple. But what if we’ve missed the greater fulfillment? What if Daniel 9:27 is about Jesus and the Cross? What if Gabriel’s message to Daniel is about Jesus and the Cross—the moment when a new covenant was confirmed—when endless animal sacrifices ended forever? When the temple veil that separated men from God was torn down, opening a way for everyone to come into the presence of God?

In this article, we explore how the events surrounding Jesus’ scourging and beating, mocking and crucifixion would have been viewed by God as an abomination. And how for Jesus to be “set up” and beat up in a “wing of the temple” fmay have fulfilled this pivotal prophecy in full.

Seventy sevens are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy.

This prophecy is for the Jew, Jerusalem, to put an end to their transgressions and sins, atone for their iniquities, usher in righteousness forever, complete all vision and prophecies (no more prophets or new prophetic words) and anoint the Messiah. 

What if Daniel 9:27 is about Jesus and the cross and the Passover lamb? For those who believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah, then He has fulfilled the six objectives listed in Daniel 9:24.

First, Jesus brought an end to transgression for those who believe. At the cross, He broke the power of sin and rebellion. His final cry, “It is finished” (John 19:30), signaled the completion of His mission to deal with human transgression once and for all. As Paul wrote, “He appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

Second, Jesus made an end of sins—not that sin ceased to exist, but that the penalty and power of sin were fully addressed through His atoning sacrifice. John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). And Hebrews 10:12 affirms, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.”

Third, He made atonement for iniquity. This is the heart of the gospel. Jesus became the once-for-all sacrifice that covered and cleansed the guilt of all who believe, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy that “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities… and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5–6). Paul echoes this truth in Romans 3:25: “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith.”

Fourth, Jesus brought in everlasting righteousness. Through His death and resurrection, righteousness is now available to all—apart from the law. “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law… through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:21–22). As Paul writes again, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Fifth, Jesus sealed up vision and prophecy. God’s revelation to humanity reached its climax in Christ. “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets… but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1–2). Jesus is the final and full Word (John 1:1, 14). While some prophecies remain to be fulfilled, no new prophetic word or messenger is needed or will come, save the Two Witnesses. “Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar” (Proverbs 30:6). And Revelation 22:18–19 gives a clear warning about adding further revelation to what has already been given.

Sixth, Jesus anointed as the Most Holy. He is the “Holy One of God” (John 6:69), anointed with the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 10:38). As our eternal High Priest (Hebrews 7:24–25), He entered not a man-made sanctuary, “but into heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence” (Hebrews 9:24). In Jesus, the Most Holy is no longer a location, but a Person—the Word made flesh who tabernacled among us (John 1:14).

So while not every person or nation has yet embraced Him, Daniel 9:24 finds its complete fulfillment in Jesus—for all who believe. He accomplished every part of the prophecy.

Let’s examine what the text actually says about the prince, setting aside later interpretations, and look at the nouns and pronouns of Daniel 9:26-27.

“… until the Anointed One (an anointed one), the ruler comes, there will be…”
“… the people of the ruler who will come will destroy…”
“And he will make a firm [a] covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing (extremity, edge) of abominations (detested thing) [will come] one who makes desolate (to be desolated or appalled) even until a complete destruction, one (destruction?) that is decreed (to cut, sharpen, decide), is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

In Hebrew narrative, when you introduce a character with a title and use that same title again, you’re referring to the same person—this is basic grammar, not interpretation

For centuries, many have assumed that Daniel 9:27 refers to a future Antichrist defiling a rebuilt Jewish temple. But what if we’ve been reading something into the text that isn’t there?

The original Hebrew never uses the word Temple in this verse. That detail alone invites a fresh look. What if the true abomination wasn’t the desecration of a building, but the appalling treatment of Jesus, God’s Son, and His death (destruction). What if the one that is decreed (by God’s will) is “poured out” in death and Jesus’ death brings the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem?  Daniel writes:

And after the sixty-two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, and nothing (remains) for Him (to do).

What if Daniel 9:27 is about Jesus and the cross, not a future temple? “Shall be one who makes desolate.” This phrase is derived from מְשֹׁמֵם (məshōmēm)  and is a participle form of the Hebrew root שָׁמֵם (shamem), which means:

• To devastate
• To lay waste
• To cause horror or astonishment
• To make uninhabitable
• To leave in ruin, desolate

This word is often used in the prophets when describing:

• Total destruction of a city or land,
• Spiritual defilement (especially when tied to idolatry or sacrilege),
• Judgment from God resulting in abandonment and ruin.

Jesus says:

“Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:1–2 ) “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)

Note who brings or incites this destruction—not Jesus or the Antichrist, but the religious leaders of His day. They are the ones who reject Jesus as their Messiah. They are the ones who turn Him over to the ruler of the people to come. They are the ones who invite God’s wrath that leads to the destruction of their Temple, Jerusalem, and nation. Daniel 9:27… hum…?

“Would that you, even you (Jerusalem), had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Now read with fresh eyes how Daniel foresaw what Jesus prophesied over Jerusalem and the Temple.

And the people of a prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end shall be with a flood, and until the end, war—desolations are decreed.

Who brings desolations? That is the question and controversy.

In reading Daniel 9:25–27 this way, we see that the abomination of desolation echoes back to the days of the Maccabees, when the Seleucid ruler—a Hellenistic Greek king—Antiochus IV Epiphanes defiled the Temple by forcing priests to sacrifice swine on the altar and eat unclean meat—an abominable act that desecrated the holy place.

But note how Jesus and the Gospel writers never connect Daniel 9:24-27 with Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabees. There is perhaps a reference to Antiochus IV Epiphanes in Daniel, but that prophecy is found in Daniel 11:28-31.

Where Will (Did) the Abomination of Desolate Occur?

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and they smote him with their hands. (John 19:1–3)

In the middle of the “seven“—three and a half years into Jesus’ ministry—on the prophesied day, Roman soldiers led Jesus inside the governor’s palace—the Praetorium. There they mocked Jesus, flogged Him until his back back ran red with blood, beat Jesus with his staff, hit him with their fists, and spit on Him.  All this took place in a “palace” attached to the Temple Mount: a wing and extremity of the Jewish center of worship. There, the Messiah—the Son of God—became the sacrificial Lamb of God. Daniel 9:27

Roman soldiers knelt before Him, jeering in mockery, “Hail, King of the Jews.” This grotesque parody of worship, staged in the shadow of the Holy of Holies, became the ultimate rejection of the true Messiah—delivered up by His own people. From the Father’s perspective, this was the abomination. Daniel 9:27

Forty years later Roman soldiers would complete the desolation of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, but the city’s downfall began that Friday morning before Passover.

Jesus rose from the tomb on Sunday morning and put an end to sacrifice, offerings, and sin. By His shed blood, He ushered in everlasting righteousness and atoned for wickedness. He sealed up all vision, prophecy, and the Law. He is the anointed “most holy.”

And He is coming back—perhaps sooner than we think. Daniel 9:27

Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation. Zephaniah 2:4

Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. (Zephaniah 2:4)

The word of the Lord is against you, O land of the Philistines. Zephaniah 2:5

I will destroy you. No inhabitant will be left. Zephaniah 2:5

The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah. Zephaniah 2:7

In the houses of Ashkelon the house of Judah shall lie down at evening. Zephaniah 2:7

For the Lord their God will be mindful of of His people and restore their fortunes. Zephaniah 2:7