I have a riddle for you. What does the offering of Isaac have in common with the destruction of Jerusalem? The simple answer is that Jerusalem and more specifically, the temple, had become Isaac. Maybe we should go back to the story of Abraham offering Isaac. It’s a difficult passage, isn’t it? This story has become a sticking point for many people. And it is confusing. In Jeremiah 7:31 God said, “They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, and it did not come into my mind” (NASB). And yet, he commanded Abraham to offer up the son of the promise. Okay, what? And how is this like the destruction of the temple?
In Luke 21:20-24 we have come to the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem. How will they know when the Temple is going to be destroyed? When they see Jerusalem encircled by armies, well, that will be a pretty good indicator. Then you will know that the desolation has drawn near. The word “near” can mean spatially or temporally. And maybe what Jesus is saying is that when they see this army surrounding the holy city they will know that the desolation has descended upon them. In Mark and Matthew this is called the Abomination of Desolation and refers to Daniel 9:27. One source claims that Luke makes no reference to Daniel. Well, the term desolation seems to connect with Daniel. Clearly, the historical reference is to 66-70 AD. Josephus tells us that the Romans did indeed encircle Jerusalem.
When you understand this, it is time for those in Judea to flee to the mountains. Several Old Testament passages mention the mountains as a place of refuge in times of invasion (see Judges 1:34; 6:2; 1 Samuel 23:19; 26:1; Jeremiah 16:16; 50:6; Lamentations 4:19). Those who are in the midst of the city must get out. Not too long after the siege began, Nero killed himself and this caused political unrest in Rome. This resulted in a relaxation, not the end, of the siege. It is standard for people to seek a way to leave a besieged city. And they are often successful for one reason or another. The Christian Eusebius reports that the Jerusalem Christians fled to Pella. He is reporting after the fact, but he clearly suggests that the Christians were prepared and fled as soon as opportunity presented itself.
This destruction of Jerusalem is about the days of punishment; it is about the fulfillment of all that has been written. Many will go to Hosea 9:7 here, and there is a close parallel in wording. The Hosea passage is a warning to Israel: the days of punishment have arrived. They are deserving of this punishment. This seems to be what Jesus is saying here. This destruction; this siege by the Roman army; is about deserved punishment. It may be tempting to merely blame those horrible Romans. But Jesus wants them to know, just as Hosea wanted his people to know, that God is punishing their rebellion. This encircling and destruction; this 66-70 AD historical devastation; is God’s punishment.
This will be especially horrible for pregnant and nursing women. One source claims that in Mark this is about the necessity to flee, but the emphasis here is more general. Well, I’m not sure we can divorce the need to flee in the midst of an invading army from Luke’s account. The reality, is that fleeing and hiding in the mountains will be more difficult for pregnant and nursing women. God’s wrath is about to descend upon his people. They will fall by the sword. Josephus tells us that 1,100,000 fell by the sword. This is most likely an exaggerated figure. He also reported that 97,000 were captured and made part of Titus’ triumphal procession in Rome. The arch commemorating this Triumph still stands in Rome. Jerusalem will be trampled until the times of the Gentiles is completed. This has generated a lot of discussion. It seems likely that the times of the Gentiles being completed refers to their punishment. There is this pattern in the Old Testament. God warns the Israelites that they will be punished by an invading army, who, in turn, will be punished (see Isaiah 10; 13-14; 33; 47; Jeremiah 50-51; Daniel 9:26-27). Rome will not go unpunished.
Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, which seems to go against the very commandments of God. Maybe, Abraham became so attached to the son of promise that he neglected the promiser. The Israelites were guilty of the same thing with the Temple and with Jerusalem. So, they are told to flee Jerusalem. Don’t run to it. It cannot save you. The question for us is, “What are we in danger of sitting on the throne of our heart, where God alone should be reigning?” Flee from everything that is not God then.