Jesus Messiah Fellowship
Refuting Larry T. Smith's Heresy
Refuting the Mike Blume Heresy
That All Of Matthew 24 Is Already Fulfilled

Light To The Nations

The Destruction of Jerusalem
Was Matthew 24 Totally Fulfilled In 70AD?
Larry Smith & Michael Blume Say Yes
The Stones Cry Out Against Them and say no!

Judgment Upon Jerusalem
Is Not Completed Yet

by Dr. G. Reckart, Pastor
Copyright 2000, All Rights Reserved

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:2).

Many Bible scholars have taught that this prophecy was totally fulfilled in 70AD, BUT WAS IT?

Did Jesus intend for this prophecy to be fulfilled by 70AD and all the stones thrown down at that time? Is there any evidence that Jesus said the stones would be all thrown down at one time?  Is it possible that the prophecy of Jesus meant simply that "BEFORE" his second coming all these stones would be thrown down? What else could he have meant since all of his prophecies are related in some form to his "coming."  Did he mean only the Temple stones would be thrown down?  No, he meant all the buildings of the temple and the wall surrounding it.  It would matter little how many stones were thrown done in 70AD, how many more torn down by Hadrian, or how many put back up by Julian the apostate and thrown down by a massive earthquake, or how many set back up by the Turks, Arabs, and Jews, and thrown down the last and final time just prior to the second coming of Jesus.  The point is, that before the second coming of Jesus NOT ONE STONE WOULD REMAIN UPON ANOTHER THAT WOULD NOT BE THROWN DOWN!  That is the prophecy and that is how it should be interpreted!  Amillennialist claim Jerusalem in particular is the great whore and not the nation in general as identified in Jeremiah 3:8, Isaiah 57:3, and Ezek 16:1-28.  According to the Amills when Babylon (Jerusalem) fell in Revelation 18:21 in 70AD, the whole City should have ceased for ever.  How then does it exist today? Obviously 70AD is the wrong timing for the fulfillment of Rev 18:21 or Jerusalem would not have been rebuilt and these stones would never have been set back up!

I have read for many years the heresy of the Catholic Preterist that all the stones were thrown down in 70AD. This is their strongest argument that Jesus returned in a secret rapture in 70AD and at that time the first resurrection also occurred.  I absolutely reject the Catholic heresy of these false doctrines.  I reject that Jesus came back in a secret rapture in 70AD.  Some claim he came in Judgment but did not really appear in person.  Some claim his coming with the sound of the trumpet and with angels in Matthew 24:30-31 is not the resurrection and rapture.  These do lie on the word of God.  I reject that the first resurrection occurred in 70AD.  I reject Matthew 24 had been totally fulfilled. And, to give my position some doctrinal standing it was necessary to prove that the prophecy of all the stones being thrown down WAS NOT FULFILLED in 70AD. This being true, the prophecy as Jesus gave it must have been intended to be fulfilled BEFORE his second coming.  Why is this strange?  Are not the other events also observed spread out over time (false christs, wars and rumors of wars, persecution, earthquakes, pestilence, false prophets,  iniquity abounding (getting worse)?  If these are all expected continuing throughout the centuries until all is fulfilled why not the prediction of the casting down of the stones.  The Jews know all these stones were not cast down and they use this to say it proves Jesus was a false prophet.  Denying these stones were cast down does not do the Church any favors.  It may be a sneaky way to keep the amill heresy believeable, but sooner or later Truth will prevail.  If not before the eyes of all men, then in the eyes of the last generation when Jerusalem is shook with a mighty earthquake and the tenth of the city fell.  THIS DID NOT HAPPEN IN 70AD, so it must be future!

How do we know Jesus did not come in a secret rapture in 70AD?  Simple!  All the stones WERE NOT thrown down in 70AD! Today there remain some stones right where they were in the days of Jesus. If all the stones were to be thrown down BEFORE the second coming, and Preterist admit this, and if all the stones were NOT THROWN DOWN in 70AD, then the second coming is still future and will NOT TAKE PLACE until these stones are all thrown down.  Now when will this be? Before the tribulation, mid tribulation, pre-wrath, or at the very end of the tribulation?  That will settle when Jesus is coming back since he is coming back once!

I am now convinced of the post-tribulation second coming of Jesus because the complete judgment and earthquake that brings the final casting down of the stones happens at that time. The total fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus did not take place in 70AD, will not take place BEFORE the pre-trib secret snatch, the mid-trib fly-away, or the pre-wrath air ride out. When Jesus said he would return "AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS" it is obvious he was including in this tribulation the casting down of all the stones.  Therefore he returns AFTER the stones are thrown down and NOT BEFORE! I am also now convinced by Scripture that the prophecy of the thrown down stones would be partially fulfilled in 70AD, more thrown down in 363AD, and totally thrown down just prior to the second coming?

I was especially interested in this because the Catholic Preterist in their heresies make this prophecy of Jesus to come fully to pass in 70AD with a secret rapture and the resurrection at that time. We do not have one verse of Scripture that says this is true.  We have two direct Scriptures that it is false and that is in 2Tim. 2:17-18:

"And their word will eat as doth a canker; of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some."

Workers putting back up stones thrown down Part of the wall to the The 70AD doctrine of a secret snatch and resurrection is clearly the heresy of Hymenaeus and Philetus. The 70AD rapture and resurrection are assumed to be true because the Preterist in the Catholic Church and her Protestant daughters want the doctrine of Hymenaeus and Philetus to be interpreted to be finalized by 70AD. It is a known fact that the Papacy and her Protestant daughters do not give up traditions easily.  The Catholic Church, and Protestants like the Lutherans and Presbyterians, refused to have the book of Revelation officially added to the Cannon of Scripture until the Council of Trent, They refused to accept the Revelation because of their heretical doctrine that the whole book was fulfilled by 70AD.  They did not want anyone to read the book of Revelation and give out an interpretation that the events were future.

My doctrine is that to be far from Rome is to be nearer to God, to be close to Rome is to be far from God.  So, I reject the Papal heresy that the book of Revelation has already been fulfilled.  I also reject that Matthew 24 has already been fulfilled. I will contend that the fullness of the Matthew 24 prophecy was not completed in 70AD although a large portion of the walls and stones were thrown down at that time.

Pastor Bob Jones captured this photo in 1998 showing some stones not thrown down.

The Temple of Herod
The Temple that was built by Herod the Great was upon either the foundation laid in the days of Solomon or Nehemiah.  In the days of Nehemiah not all the walls were destroyed. Herod remodeled the Temple and Jerusalem.  In the time of Jesus, along with the walls there was a fortress that the Romans used known as the Tower of Antonia. All of this is what Jesus said would be thrown down ("see all these things").  Josephus, the Jewish historian accurately describes Jerusalem, the temple, the wall, and the tower of Antonia. He was our eyewitness and wrote about the destruction of Jerusalem.  

Let the followers of Jesus get one clear point.  Jerusalem below is not our mother.  Mount Moriah is not our salvation. Jesus saved no one or nothing there.  The most HOLY PLACE in Jerusalem is not Mount Moriah and the Temple but Mount Calvary.  God did not pour out his wrath upon the New Testament Church but upon Mount Moriah and the Temple.  If the Church can go through the great judgment of God in 70AD, and they not be the target, why do some think the Church cannot endure until the end of the great tribulation when it is not the target but the antichrist, Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple mount are the target?

Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives
The view of old Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives where Jesus would give his teaching in Matthew 24 was beautiful. There is no other place in Jerusalem to view the city like this.  The Mount of Olives is to the East of the present Golden Gates. In the days of Jesus and the Apostles a person would look West to view the beloved city. There could be seen the rectangular walls made of large stones perfectly laid one upon another.  The walls of the city enclose the Temple, several buildings, many homes, and the tower of Antonia. Around the Temple there are other walls known today as the Haram esh-Sharif (the Noble Enclosure). The stones of the lower courses in those walls are "STILL" in their exact positions as they were in the days of Jesus. They are STILL one on top of the other and do not appear to have been moved from their original alignments. These lower stones are clearly from the era of Herod's temple, and in some places on the eastern side the large stones were laid by someone before Herod's remodel job, perhaps by Nehemiah. It is now known from excavations and archaeological digs that there are more hundreds of these stones still in the SAME place as they were in the time of Herod and Jesus.  Did the prophecy of Jesus fail?  What then is the interpretation of this?

While the Jewish Department of Antiquity has allowed archaeological research in this area they have not made public the number of these stones still one on top of the other.  Part of the problem is that prior to Jerusalem being destroyed, the Romans build dirt ramparts along the side of the walls in an effort to bring their battering rams closer to beat against them.  These mounds of dirt covered up a number of courses of the stones that were visible when Jesus made his prophecy. On the inside of the walls, debris from the burned out structures and dirt also piled up and many of the lower concourses escaped being thrown down at that time. With extensive excavations this dirt and debris has been removed and now for the first time in nearly 2000 years most of these stones are now exposed and visible ready for judgment.  At the site of the Western Wall (called the "Wailing Wall") there are seven ancient courses that can be seen.  There are about 450 original Herodian stones still there one on top of the other. In addition to this, there are eight more courses of these original stones underneath the ground.  The bottom of these reach down to the actual ground level in the time of Jesus.  While we cannot count the next stones in the prophecy of Jesus, there are yet nine more courses of foundation stones beneath these. If just one part of the "Wailing Wall" could be laid bare, we would be able to count nearly 1,250 stones still right on top of each other right where they were in the days of Jesus (Meir Ben-Dov, Mordechai Naor, Zeev Aner, "The Western Wall," pp.61, 215).

Now here is one of the greatest weapons against the preterist interpretation of Matthew 24 and  their view on Bible prophecy. If we were to excavate the soil that presently hides these stones that were visible in the Temple in the days of Jesus and surrounded the entire Haram esh-Sharif, there must be a several hundreds of Herodian and pre-Herodian stones STILL IN THE VERY PLACE they were 2000 years ago!   Now, did Jesus give a false prophecy?  The Jews claim he did and use the evidence of these stones to make it.  Why do they feel smug and proud to make this accusation?  Because Preterist who have had control of interpretation of prophecy for 1700 years through the chair of the Pope along with Protestant Churches, have repeatedly said that the prophecy of Jesus came to pass in 70AD.  They must say this to make true their false doctrine of Jesus returning and the first resurrection occurring in 70AD.  But, we now know that several thousand stones in the four walls of the Haram esh-Sharif survived Titus' destruction of Jerusalem.  What does this suggest to us?  It must be that Jesus did not mean the stones would all come down at one time, but would be totally thrown down before his return. That some were thrown down in 70AD would be a partial fulfillment but not the total fulfillment. There must then be a future time when what remains will come down.  When?  I believe this is during the last judgment upon Jerusalem immediately after the testimony of the two witnesses when a tenth of Jerusalem will FALL (Revelation 11:3)!

This is hard for many to accept.  We want so much for all the judgment of God against the antichrist Jews and the temple to be in the past. We want so much for there to be nothing in the future but peace for Jerusalem and Jews to return to God through Jesus the Messiah. Many believe God will turn back to the Jews and help them rebuild the temple, help them reactivate the law, and help them get a red heifer to start offering up animal sacrifices again.  I am saying all of this cannot be true if indeed the prophecy of Jesus was not fulfilled in 70AD and will be finalized just prior to the second coming.  Just the opposite is true.  If the antichrist hated of Jews continues and is carried into a rebuilt temple, then the judgment of God is not over.  Jews should be concerned and aware of this.  They have only themselves to blame and hurt if they reject the final plea of God through his two witnesses.

This being true, then God will not return upon Israel, the rebuilding of the temple will not be blessed by God, and God will not be in support of a red heifer or any other animal sacrifices.  This then explains why the Jewish antichrist will be God's target and also the rebuilt temple out of which he will rule over the world.  It explains why the false prophet who calls fire down from heaven will be the target of God's judgment also.  It explains also why a tenth of the city of Jerusalem falls after the two witnesses are caught up.  All of this points to the time when the stones come in memory before the Lord God and he fully tears them down.  Matthew 24 should then be viewed in a futurist interpretation and not that it was fulfilled in 70AD. This being the case, all that is done in Israel on Mt. Moriah still has judgment pronounced against it.

Some other facts from Josephus

"And truly, the very view itself was a melancholy thing; for those places which were adorned with trees and pleasant gardens, were now become desolate country every way, and its trees were all cut down. Nor could any foreigner that had formerly seen Judaea and the most beautiful suburbs of the city, and now saw it as a desert, but lament and mourn sadly at so great a change. For the war had laid all signs of beauty quite waste. Nor had anyone who had known the place before, had come on a sudden to it now, would he have known it again. But though he [a foreigner] were at the city itself, yet would he have inquired for it" (War VI.1,1).

Hadrian tore down even more stones when he ordered what remained of Jerusalem in 135AD to be torn down.  He decreed that it be plowed and fulfilled Micach 3:12.  He then ordered a new city built and a new pagan temple erected on the very site of the ancient temple.  What they did not do was dig down and remove the dirt and debris that covered stones not thrown down.  They built on top of what remained and preserved them for the last days judgment of God. You may now go to Jerusalem and go down several feet and walk on the ancient street.  You can actually see stones that were not thrown down. What do we have here?  We see that what Titus did not tear down, Hadrian thought he would complete.  But there were stones under debris and covered up by dirt that would not be thrown down in 70AD or 135AD nor yet in 363AD under Julian the apostate.  The stones not thrown down and that remain in place one upon another will be thrown down just prior to the second coming of the Lord Jesus.  Anyone who claims the prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled in 70AD are simply lying.

Julian the Apostate
Julian was born in 331AD and killed in 363AD. He was Roman emperor for two years from 361-363AD. In his youth Julian was a Christian.  With his teenage years came also a new liberality in his sexuality and he became an apostate. Being condemned by Christian virtues and teachings he sought acceptance among the pagans. He rejected Christianity and became a bitter enemy. Because the Jews were also bitter enemies and in league with the pagans against the Christians, Julian found himself surrounded by Talmudic Jews who encouraged him in his hatred of Jesus Christ. One of the elements of Jewish hatred was the prophecy of Christ that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Catholic Preterist pointed out that according to their theory this had been fulfilled in 70AD. Julian's hatred became so intense against Christ that he determined to undo the prophecy of Jesus by having the temple and Jerusalem rebuilt. His hatred grew to the extreme of near insanity.  He hated the Cross and the Christian teaching that the sacrifice and blood of Jesus replaced all animal sacrifices.   Pagans still sacrificed animals and Jews would also when they could (Kaparrot at Passover). He thought to destroy the blood and sacrifice of Christ and either came upon or was Jewish led to the scheme that in rebuilding the temple he would also assist in the re-establishing of animal sacrifices. This of course pleased the Jews. The message of a decree to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem was rushed throughout the Roman empire. The Rabbis encouraged a holy pilgrimage.  Men and women, Jews and pagan Gentiles, went to Jerusalem to begin and complete the new project.

In the year 363AD the emperor, the other pagans, and all the Jews, regarded every other undertaking as secondary in importance to this. The pagans were well-disposed towards the Jews because of the emperors decree, and wanted to assisted them in this enterprise, because they reckoned upon its ultimate success, and hoped by this means to falsify the prophecies of Christ (Since Jesus in the New Testament had prophesied the destruction of the Temple, its rebuilding would make of him a false prophet). Besides this motive, the Jews themselves [relying on the sympathy of Julian] were impelled by the consideration that the time had arrived for rebuilding their Temple. With Jews and pagans on their way to Jerusalem, Julian the apostate went on a war campaign against the Persians.

As soon as the Jews and the pagans began to shovel dirt from the foundations and from around parts of the wall yet standing, a great wind storm arose and blew away all their tools and covered back up the trenches they had dug.  The day following they obtained more tools and went back to work.  They uncovered again part of the foundation cleared away even more dirt; it is said that on the following day when they were about to lay the cornerstone upon the first foundation, a great earthquake occurred, and by the violent shaking of the earth, stones were thrown down and some stones were actually puked up from the depths. Those Jews and pagans who were engaged in the work were wounded, as well as some standing around gawking. The houses and public porticos, near the site of the Temple, into which many workers had run to hide, were also suddenly thrown down. Hundreds were caught thereby and crushed to death, some perished immediately, others were found half dead and mutilated with hands, legs, and feet severed, others were injured in other parts of the body.  This did not stop the stubborn Jews or the pagans.  They rejected that this could be from God to stop them from rebuilding what he had torn down.

When God caused the earthquake to cease, the Jews and the pagans who survived, again returned to their task, partly because such was the edict of the emperor, and partly because they were themselves interested in the undertaking against Christ and Christianity.

The Jews, I believe, were just partially mad; for, instead of regarding the massive wind storm and the unexpected earthquake as a manifest indication that God was opposed to their rebuilding the Temple, they proceeded to recommence the work a third time. They had scarcely returned to the undertaking, when fire burst suddenly from the foundations of the Temple, and devoured their tools and several of the Jews and pagans screaming in agony were burned to cinders.

These facts were related with great fear. Some maintain that the flame burst from the interior area of the Temple where the holy of holies once stood, as the workmen were striving to lay a foundation in that area. While others say that the fire proceeded - directly up out of earth around all the foundation.

The final chapter of this judgment, is that on the same day and at the same moment the fire came up out of the foundation, Julian the Apostate was killed in battle.  As the life-blood of the emperor was pouring out of his wounds it was reported that he saw a vision of Jesus sitting upon his heavenly throne.  Looking up into the face of his hated enemy, Julian spoke his last words before going to hell: "THOU HAS CONQUERED, O' GALILAEAN"!

What is the conclusion?  There were stones thrown down and also thrown or "puked up" out of the ground where they had rested since the days of Jesus.  The prophecy of Jesus continued to be fulfilled.  

What do we see today? Once again the foundation of the temple has been uncovered and stones being set up. In December 2000 the Temple Mount Faithful claim they will lay the cornerstone for the rebuilding of the third temple. What will urge them on is that this time since the judgment is delayed until the end of the tribulation, they will think God has canceled his judgments and now favors them.  By this means they shall deceive the world that God has turned upon them to bless once again. And when the false christ comes, goes into the new temple, and fire is called down upon animal sacrifices, the whole world will go mad to worship and follow this man of sin.  But the stones will still cry out.  The judgment of God lingers until the two witnesses complete their prophecy and then the stones will be cast down for a last and final time in a massive earthquake to be felt over nearly the whole world (Rev 16:19-21, the great city is the same great city of Rev 11:8).

Visible Remains of the Temple

From ancient records we can glean some information about visible remains of the Temple after its destruction. Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea (A.D. 260-340) testified that he could still see the remains of the sanctuary. He said that the large stone blocks were hauled away to build sanctuaries and theaters. During this period of exile the city was visited by a pilgrim known as the traveler of Bordeaux. He gave the following testimony in A.D. 333:

At the side of the Sanctuary, there is a pierced stone. Jews visit there once a year, pour oil over it, lament and weep over it, and tear their garments in token of mourning. Then they return home.

Early church father John Chrysostom wrote:

The Jews began uncovering the foundations by removing masses of earth, intending to go ahead and build ...You can see the bared foundations if you visit Jerusalem now...Some of its parts (sanctuary) are razed to the ground.

The Jews were allowed to enter the city only one day a year during this period of exile. In A.D. 392 the Christian leader Jerome wrote concerning this day:

On the anniversary of the day when the city fell and was destroyed by the Romans, there are crowds who mourn, old women and old men dressed in tatters and rags, and from the Top of the Mount of Olives this throng laments over the destruction of its Sanctuary. Still their eyes flow with tears, still their hands tremble and their hair is disheveled, but already the guards demand pay for their right to weep. (Ref. 7)

In the sixth century the Pilgrim of Piacenze mentions the ruins of the Temple of Solomon. From these accounts we can deduce that there were at least some visible remains of the Temple foundation through the sixth century.

What the Modern Visitor Now Observes
We see stones set back up by the Turks, Arabs, and Jews.  We see even more stones set back up by the Jews since 1948. All this as to say, we will build again what God has torn down. We see today what the Jews and Arabs have rebuilt.  As digging continues we are starting to see some stones again that were seen by Jesus and the Apostles.  We are seeing relic stones of a past abomination of desolation come back into view and upon them yet remains an unfinished prophecy of Jesus that not one stone will remain upon another.  The same anger of God that caused the first partial destruction in 70AD and that stopped the temple building in 363AD will be revived and Jerusalem will be judged again.  This time it will be a finished work. The city of seven hills, one of which had a wound by a sword and did live again in 1948 will receive its full and final judgment at the very end of the tribulation. Mount Moriah is scheduled for the wrath of God! Then at last, the prophecy of Jesus concerning all the stones being thrown down will be completely fulfilled. The stones that escaped being thrown down in 70AD and in 363AD, and those being piled back up now to show God they will build what he destroyed, ...will be cast down.  And if Babylon is indeed a name symbolic of the empire of the antichrist and this is finalized in Jerusalem as we see in the prophecy of John, then Revelation 18:21 will show us the final throwing down of the stones.

"And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon (Confusion) be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all."

We now know that the identity "Babylon" is code for meaning "Confusion" and is applied to Jerusalem in Isa. 24:10.  Therefore we are confident that "Babylon" or the city of "Confusion" is called "that great city" and is Jerusalem  We know that it is this city will be thrown down with violence.  The question is does Jerusalem qualify as this city?  If not, why does it receive the wrath of God after killing the two witnesses?  Rome is not guilty of this!  The two witnesses do not testify in Rome!  Therefore Mystery Babylon is really Mystery Confusion and it is Jerusalem.  Now all we need is some proof that Jerusalem is "the great city."

"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of THE GREAT CITY, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified" (Revelation 11:8).

Pastor Bob Jones captures photo of fallen stones
To the rear part of these walls were not thrown down

Please note that Jerusalem is called Sodom and Egypt to identify the spiritual of the returned Jews at the time these two witnesses are killed.  That the Lord used these evil names of Sodom (sexual immorality) and Egypt (bondage) to characterize Jews, Israel, and Jerusalem shows they are not considered holy, godly, righteous, and deserving his blessings.  Also, in a prophecy by Isaiah as mentioned in Romans 9:27, to use the term "Sodom and Gomorrah" meant not only their sexual depravity but that God left them NO SEED REMAINING to whom he would grant repentance or grace. To call Jerusalem Sodom during the 42 months or 1,260 days the two witnesses prophesy is to give all the world a signal that destruction from God was scheduled upon Jerusalem and no seed of this apostasy would be granted repentance or grace.  This then is contrary to the opinion of Covenant Dispensationalist that God is restored to the Jews and they are being blessed to rebuild the temple and reactivate the Law with animal sacrifices.  There is no way Jerusalem can escape being Sodom and Mystery Babylon (Confusion).  This being accurate, we can see why the two witnesses prophesy in Jerusalem.  Ancient Babylon and Rome are not where they prophesy. Their target is the rebuilt temple (the stones) and not ancient Babylon or the Vatican. Instead, for 42 months or 1,260 days the Jewish antichrist and a Jewish false prophet who are running the whole beast operation right in the nation of Israel are the objects of God's wrath.  This will demand that the final judgment come to pass and the stones that escaped being thrown down in 70 and 363AD are now scheduled to be thrown down with violence as we see predicted above in Revelation 18:21.

What Josephus saw
Josephus mentions the destruction of the Temple and all the City of Jerusalem. He gave no reference whatever to the Haram esh-Sharif or that Titus let part of those walls remain close to the towers. Scholars are now certain that in the subsequent centuries after 70AD there were probably another 5,000 stones that had remained on the upper courses of the four walls that have been thrown to the ground by massive earthquakes. What must be seen by Bible students is that Titus allowed the burned out rectangular walled Haram esh-Sharif to remain. And, I believe this was God ordained for a future purpose.

What was predicted upon Jerusalem:  "He shall send HIS armies and destroy those murderers and burn up their city (Matthew 22:7). It is possible that the "burning up" judgment was to be different than the final casting down of all the stones judgment.  It is possible that 2,000 or more years separates the two. While Titus was a pagan emperor, yet God used him as his weapon of judgment in the same manner Nebuchadnezer was used (see Jeremiah 25:9).  It now appears that the destruction of Jerusalem would begin in 70AD and stones thrown down.  Then more were thrown down in subsequent years when Julian the apostate tried to build the temple.  And finally the remaining will be thrown down at the time the tenth part of the city falls at the end of the tribulation.  Now some believe the word "tenth" also signals the tithe and in the sense of it being holy.  And that in saying the tenth part fell was the same as saying the holy part fell.  One thing is certain, there will be a final judgment upon Jerusalem and when it is over there will be nothing left standing on Mount Moriah. THEN, the prophecy of Jesus will be complete and totally fulfilled.  What this means then, is that the second return of Jesus and the casting down of all the stones DID NOT take place in 70AD!  Thus, the preterist and the covenant dispensationalist are in heresy when they say all the stones were thrown down in 70AD. The Jews are in error saying that Jesus is a false prophet and proof is that all the stones were not cast down in 70AD.  I am saying that the Jews are judging Jesus and his words wrong.  He did not say all the stones would be cast down in 70AD.

If the Haram esh-Sharif is considered part of the Temple Mount (notice I did not say the temple), then this means that Titus did not destroy all the outer walls surrounding the Temple from the middle and lower courses down. Some say the wailing wall was not part of the temple and therefore any stones remaining here cannot be considered in the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus.  Yet Jesus indicated all the buildings on the temple mount would be torn down, this includes the Tower of Antonia.  And "if" the wailing wall was part of that structure, it must still be torn down to fulfill the prophecy of Jesus:

"And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!  And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down" (Mark 13:1-2).

The plural "buildings" surely indicates more then the one temple building.  It also includes the whole of the temple mount, the wall surrounding it, and everything built upon it.  This includes the Roman tower of Antonia that was along the north wall. There are attempts to claim the wailing wall site was actually a part of the tower of Antonia.  We know this is false because the tower of Antonia was along the north wall not the western wall.  Any claims then that christian women came to the tower of Antonia at this western wailing wall and dumped their sanitary napkins and other garbage is false.  If they did dump their garbage here, it was not because it was the site of Antonia but rather a portion of the wall that was never thrown down.  Was the tower of Antonia then at the location of the wailing wall or on the north wall?  It cannot be located at both places?  Again, it would matter nothing where Antonia was located if the word "buildings" in the plural meant all the stone structures on the temple mount.

The Romans left over 10,000 stones in place around the Temple. Modern scholars from Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religions now know that Titus left nearly 10,000 stones around the Temple in place.  Perhaps what Josephus saw was from the top of the dirt rampart and the debris and thought this was the same as totally razzed right to the ground.  In one sense he was right, but since he knew nothing of the prophecy of Jesus he would not have been technical about his description.  But Jesus was technical.  He said: "see all these things." Meaning as they then saw them stone upon stone, not one of those stones they then saw would remain one on top of the other.  

Another item of interest here is that there were three towers located in the wall of Jerusalem. Josephus tells us this: "When he [Titus] entirely demolished the rest of the city, and overthrew its walls, he left these towers [the three towers mentioned above] as a monument of his good fortune, which had proved [the destructive power of] his auxiliaries, and enabled him to take what could not otherwise have been taken by him" (War VI.9,1).

We have Josephus telling us that Titus destroyed the walls and we found out some were left from the middle down to the bed rock.  Now Josephus tells us Titus left the three towers as a monument of his good will to the Jews.  While we must confess that there is no historical record that Titus did leave these three towers, we have no reason to believe that he did not.  What do we have then?  That as I have stated in this study, that some stones came tumbling down after the 70AD partial destruction. The three towers Titus let remain are not standing today and this proves my contentions are correct that after 70AD more stones were cast down to continue in the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus.

A dilemma for prophecy experts
These facts present a major problem for Preterist, Partial-Preterist, and covenant dispensational prophecy gurus.  The bulk of Matthew 24 does not apply to the pre-70AD era or that generation.  It does not apply to Jews "only" as covenant dispensationalist an amillennialist teach.  Matthew 24 was given to the Church into the hands of the Apostles as were other New Testament truths. For covenant dispensationalist or amillennialist to say Matthew 24 deals with Jews and Israel only and the Church has no place in the chapter is false. It is heresy to remove the Church from the scope of two questions asked by the Apostles: 1.) what is the sign of thy coming; and 2.) and of the end of the world. If the Church is clearly a part of these two questions it is only Scriptural to conclude the first part also concerns the Church. Those who are honest Biblical students will easily see that these three questions INCLUDE THE CHURCH AND GENTILE CONVERTS. Accepting this truth requires us to shift our attention to events in Matthew 24 and the starting of the time-clock after Jesus spoke his prophecy.  The fulfillment of what he prophesied might be several years and the events separated by many years: 1.) when shall these things be (what is the time-clock time frame); 2.) the sign of thy coming (what earthly signs will we have); and 3.) and the end of the world (when will this take place).

Amillennialist are trying hard to claim the wailing wall and the stones remaining there were a part of the Roman tower of Antonia and not in fact a part of the western wall of the temple compound.  Anyone with the mind of a gnat can look at the maps and see that the Tower of Antonia is on the northern wall and the wailing wall is on the western wall.  The amillennialist will have to devise some other deception or scheme to find a reason why the stones that remained one on top of another in this location were not a part of the western wall surrounding the temple compound.  With this solved, we need a new focus on the text of Matthew 24:  

We should have three distinct shifts of our attention to WHEN these "start" and are then completely fulfilled? We must now shift our attention to #1.) when shall these things be and #2.) the sign of thy coming.  Then we can shift our focus to the endtimes to the tribulation period at the close of which Jesus said he would return "after the tribulation of those days."  

For covenant dispensationalist to claim Paul introduced a new second coming doctrine, a never heard of "secret fly-away rapture," that is in no way the same as the second coming prophesied by Jesus, shows the wresting and struggling of covenant dispensationalist to corrupt the Word of God and introduce a false teaching that is in every way just as manufactured as the concept of the three-person trinity.  These covenant dispensationalist also claim all the stones were thrown down in 70AD because it helps their doctrine that God the Father is the husband of Israel and God the Son is the husband-in-waiting of the Church: two Gods and two wives.  This is overlayed upon Bible prophecy that God the Father cannot return to the Jews until God the Son gets his bride the Church out of the earth.  So, in their scheme, there must be a secret snatch before the tribulation if God the Father is going to use the seven years of the tribulation (time of the alleged Jacob's trouble) to get back Israel his whore wife.  Covenant dispensationalist have Israel as the predestinated purpose of the creation.  While true Apostolics have the Church as the predestinated purpose of the creation (see Eph. 1:1-11).  Both cannot be true.  If the Bible is right then covenant dispensationalist are in a great heresy, a mind-altering delusion, and this may cause many souls to be lost.

Covenant dispensationalist and the Preterist have a hard time explaining the existence of gigantic stones still one upon another showing that Titus did not totally destroy the walls of the Temple or all that was on the walls around the city. Covenant dispensationalist and Preterist have one thing in common, they both believe the next event is the rapture or secret snatch of the Church.  The dispensationalist believe in a future millennial and the Preterist do not.  The dispensationalist believe the judgment is after the millennial and the Preterist believe it is after the Church is raptured. Both covenant dispensationalist and the Preterist believe all the judgment of God against Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple mount are in the past.  Your Bible says there are horrible and terrible judgments yet to come.  In light of the fact that the stones mentioned in the prophecy of Jesus has not fully been fulfilled, we await with prayerful faith in the completion of all the stones being thrown down.  To we true Post-Tribs, there remains a final judgment against Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple mount and not one stone will be left upon another!

Many Christian who visit Jerusalem and see these walls and stones are shocked. They were told they were all thrown down.  When they go home they dismiss the whole thing and consolidate their attention on the secret rapture and getting out of here.  I have asked some of these tourist about these walls and stones.  Most did not even pay attention to the tour guides telling them that these stones are the very ones Jesus and the Apostles saw.  And yet others standing in these groups heard those words.  What happened?  It appears the words were shut out just as they will be when this study is read.  Now the Jews on the other hand use this evidence to say that if this one prophecy of Jesus is invalid, then his whole ministry and life were false.

Perhaps one of my greatest objections to the 70AD heresy, is that the Catholic Preterist make Jesus into a false Prophet to the glee of antichrist Jews and pagan Gentiles.  By claiming that the prophecy of all the stones being thrown down came to pass in 70AD and it did not makes Jesus a false prophet.  I object to this charge by Jews and the heresy of the Preterist to make their charge against Jesus appear to have validity.

Defenders of the 70AD rapture heresy have seen this problem so they have revised their statements.  They now say Jesus did not mean all the walls of Jerusalem or all of Jerusalem for that matter, but rather he was speaking about the inner Temple the actual shrine. This answer is not valid if we take Jesus at his word. His prophecy clearly says that one stone would not rest on another in the Temple, its buildings, and the outer wall which included the three towers ("see these things," "things" is plural and includes all that they saw, walls of the city, the temple, the towers, and even the viaducts and aqueducts).

http://www.templemount.org/wilson1.html

Conclusion:
Matthew 24 should be re-examined with a futurist view beginning at the moment Jesus spoke the words until the end of the age.  During this time period the prophecy of Jesus will be fulfilled.  The preterist heresy should be totally rejected even if it is called "partial preterist." We should expect for the conclusion of Jesus' prophecy concerning the casting down of the stones to be finalized at the end of the tribulation time period just before the second coming of Jesus. The first resurrection is future. And the Millennial will yet be a time of the glorious rule of Jesus Messiah upon the earth.

What do Preterist believe?

The Law did not end at Calvary but in 70AD
Salvation was a mixture of Law and Grace until 70AD
The time of the Gentiles did not begin until 70AD
We have no New Testament it was all fulfilled except Revelation chapters 20, 21, and 22, by 70AD
The Joel prophecy and Holy Ghost outpouring ended in 70AD
Acts 2:38 plan of faith and grace salvation ended in 70AD
All the epistles were for those to be raptured or resurrected in 70AD
The Gospel the Apostles and Paul preached prior to 70AD is not the plan of salvation "after" 70AD
Those before 70AD were in the Kingdom but the Kingdom ceased in 70AD
Those who were not ready in 70AD had a second chance after the secret rapture
The Gentile Church began in 70AD
The Apostles and all the early saints were raptured or resurrected in 70AD
The second coming of Jesus was spiritual and occurred in 70AD
To endure until the end in Matthew 24:13 is to endure until 70AD
The first resurrection of Revelation 20 is already past
There is no future antichrist or false prophet who certifies him
There is no mark of the beast, the mark is just the mark(s) of sin
There is no future tribulation
There are no future events in the seals, trumpets, or vials
The sun will not turn dark or the moon turn into blood

All prophecies contain "idioms" that need kabbalistic interpretation
There is no future pre, mid, pre-wrath, or post tribulation rapture.
There is no millennial. The millennial is not 1,000 actual years but is identical with the church age
All that remains is the next coming of Jesus followed by the judgment

What do the covenant dispensationalist believe

Only the ceremonial law ended at Calvary the rest of Moses' law is binding as works upon the church.
Jews can still be saved by law keeping and circumcision (they quote Acts 15 & Acts 21).
Gentiles are saved by the Gospel of Grace but should keep the law also for a good salvation.
Israel is the wife of God the Father and will be restored during the great tribulation (time of Jacob's trouble).
The Church is the bride of God the Son.
Israel is plan "A" and the predestinated purpose of the creation.
The Church is an accident and plan "B" after the Jews rejected the Kingdom.
All the stones in the wall, temple, and towers of Jerusalem were thrown down in 70AD.
Matthew 24 does not concern the Church all the events there are for Israel.
Paul received a new gospel on a secret rapture that Jesus did not reveal in Matthew 24.
There are two second comings, one before the tribulation (the secret invisible rapture of Paul), and one after the tribulation the public and visible second coming Jesus predicted in Matthew 24.
The pre-tribulation rapture doctrine is a trinity doctrine, Oneness Apostolic pre-tribs just strip the trinity language out.
God is restoring Israel to the holy land and he will fight for them against the nations and the antichrist.
During the tribulation Jews can be saved without the blood of Jesus Christ and Acts 2:38. They are saved through animal blood sacrifices.
God the Father takes his wife Israel to the New Earth to dwell happily ever after.
God the Son takes his bride/wife to the New Jerusalem to dwell happily ever after.
God the Father will visit God the Son and the Bride-Church and sit in the Son's throne while he visits.
God the Son can go visit God the Father and his wife Israel and sit down in the Father's throne.
The Gentile bride-Church can never go visit Israel the wife of God the Father (eternal segregation based upon racism).



NAMES/TERMS GIVEN TO THIS FALSE DOCTRINE
A) The heresy of
Hymenaeus and Philetus (The resurrection is past)
B) Augustine 70AD Doctrine
C) The Catholic Church Preterist doctrine
D) Realized Eschatology (doctrine of completed last things)
E) Fulfilled Eschatology
F) Covenant Eschatology
G) Reconstructionism
H) Dominionism
I) Catholic--Calvin/Luther Preterist, Partial Preterist "Amillennial Kingdom Now" heresy
J) The Max King heresy
K) The John Bray heresy

L) The Larry Smith heresy
M) The Michael Blume heresy
N) Apostolic Preterism (Apostolic Preterist)
 


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