World Peace
Jesus Fulfilled Prophecy in AD 70
Have you ever wondered about those dramatic predictions in the Bible about the end of the world, wars, and a grand return of Jesus? Many people today link them to current news headlines—conflicts in the Middle East, natural disasters, or even plans to rebuild an ancient temple in Jerusalem. But what if those predictions were already fulfilled nearly 2,000 years ago? This idea comes from a close look at one of Jesus’ most famous teachings, found in the book of Matthew, chapter 24.
This article breaks it down simply—even if you’ve never opened a Bible before. It’s written to be easy to follow, and it might just spark your curiosity to explore these ideas more deeply for yourself.
The Scene: A Shocking Prediction
Imagine walking out of a breathtaking building—one of the most impressive structures in the ancient world. That’s what happened with Jesus and his friends (called disciples). They were leaving the grand temple in Jerusalem, a massive, golden-covered complex that was the center of Jewish religious life. The disciples pointed it out proudly: “Look at these huge stones and beautiful buildings!”
Jesus replied with something stunning: “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
If you’re new to the Bible, the temple wasn’t just a church—it was the heart of an entire way of life for the Jewish people. It’s where they believed God’s presence lived on earth, and where they offered sacrifices to connect with him. Saying it would be completely destroyed sounded impossible to them.
The Disciples’ Big Question
Later, sitting on a nearby hill with a view of the city, the disciples asked Jesus privately: “When will this happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
They weren’t asking three separate questions. To them, it was all connected:
- The temple’s destruction
- Jesus fully showing his power as the promised Messiah (the “coming”)
- The end of their current “age” or era
In the original language (Greek), the word for “coming” is *parousia*, which means “arrival” or “presence” in authority—like a king officially taking the throne. The disciples expected Jesus to prove he was the Messiah right in their lifetime, bringing judgment on wrongdoing and starting a new era of God’s rule.
They also spoke of the “end of the age.” This wasn’t about the planet exploding—it was about ending the old system centered on the temple and starting something new.
What Actually Happened: History Confirms the Prediction
Jesus said these things would happen in “this generation”—meaning soon, within the lifetimes of people listening to him. And it did.
In the year AD 70, about 40 years after Jesus spoke these words, Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem. After a brutal siege, they destroyed the city and completely leveled the temple. Historical records (even from non-Christian writers like Josephus) describe how the temple was torn apart stone by stone—soldiers even pried them open looking for melted gold. Not one stone was left on another, exactly as Jesus predicted.
This event ended the old temple-based system forever. Animal sacrifices stopped because there was no temple. The priesthood ended. For Jewish people, it was the close of a long chapter in their history.
The book of Revelation fits right into this picture too. It starts by addressing specific messages to seven real churches in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) that existed back then. The book says the events it describes “must soon take place” and that “the time is near.” It was written primarily for those first-century believers facing tough times, encouraging them that God’s judgment on the old system was coming quickly—in their day.
Remember, the whole Bible wasn’t written directly to us today—it was written to people living thousands of years ago in very different cultures and situations. But it was written *for* us: its truths, lessons, and stories about God are timeless and can guide anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Trusting Christ When Life Falls Apart
Life can feel unbearably unfair sometimes. People lie about you, betray you, or try to destroy your reputation for no good reason. Your world might crumble while those who hurt you seem to get away with it.
In moments like these, Jesus invites us to trust him completely—even when everything is going wrong. He has already proven he is trustworthy: he predicted the temple’s destruction centuries in advance, and it happened exactly as he said.
God is a God of both perfect love and perfect justice. He has given clear commandments—love him, love others, tell the truth, forgive, do no harm—and he takes them seriously. When people break them, he promises there will be consequences. He is a God of wrath against evil, but he asks us not to take revenge ourselves. Instead, we’re told to leave justice in his hands.
It may not happen on our timeline. The punishment might come in this life, or it might wait until the next. But God sees everything, and nothing escapes his notice. Trusting Christ means believing that he will make all things right in the end, even if we don’t see it now. That trust brings an inner peace no circumstance can take away.
We’re All One Essence: A Path to Real Peace Now
Here’s where it gets truly hopeful. If Jesus’ big prophecy about the temple, his “coming” in power (as judge), and the “end of the age” was fulfilled in AD 70—and if Revelation’s dramatic visions were meant for those seven churches back then—then God already came in the way many Jewish people were expecting a Messiah to come: bringing justice and establishing his kingdom.
Jesus proved his words were true when everything happened just as he said. The old era (the Old Covenant) ended, and a new one began—one where God’s presence isn’t limited to a building, but available to anyone through faith in Jesus.
In the Old Covenant (the Old Testament system), there was no immediate “heaven” after death. The righteous went to a waiting place often called Sheol or Abraham’s bosom (see Luke 16:19-31), awaiting the Messiah’s full victory.
With Jesus’ death and resurrection, everything changed. He opened the way to immediate heaven for those who trust and follow him (John 14:6; Hebrews 9:15). Now there is heaven or hell, and it depends on how we live our lives: whether we accept Jesus’ gift, repent, and choose to love and obey God. Salvation is offered to everyone, Jew or Gentile, based on faith and a changed heart (Romans 10:12-13; Galatians 3:28). We’re all one essence—one human family, sharing the same divine spark, with no walls or divisions.
Many wonder about the dramatic language of Jesus “coming on the clouds” (Matthew 24:30) and expect a future literal, physical return. But throughout the Old Testament, when God said he would “come on the clouds” in judgment, it was symbolic of his sovereign power and authority—not a physical descent anyone could see with their eyes. For example:
- Isaiah 19:1: “See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him...” (God didn’t literally ride a cloud to Egypt; it described his judgment through the Assyrians.)
- Psalm 104:3: God “makes the clouds his chariot”—poetic imagery for his rule over creation.
- Similar language appears in judgments against Israel (Isaiah 13-14) and other nations.
Jesus used the same prophetic style to describe his coming in judgment on Jerusalem in AD 70—proven, powerful, and complete, just without a bodily appearance.
This beautiful truth can change how we see religion and the world today. Instead of:
- Fighting over religious differences
- Waiting for another dramatic “second coming” to fix everything
- Trying to rebuild a temple or force modern events to match ancient prophecies
...we can drop the end-times panic and embrace the peace that comes from knowing the prophecy is already fulfilled.
Jews and Christians (and everyone else) could come together in this shared history: The promised Messiah arrived as Jesus, his power was proven in AD 70, and now we live in the new era he ushered in. No need to recreate the past or wait for a future catastrophe.
World peace starts right here, in everyday lives. It’s up to each of us to choose how we live. Jesus freed us from the old rules and sacrifices—we’re no longer bound by that system. Now we have a simple, powerful choice: follow his teachings or go our own way.
His teachings are straightforward and life-giving: love God, love your neighbor as yourself, forgive those who hurt you, speak truth kindly, and turn away from hatred or revenge. When we truly repent—changing our mind and direction by turning from harmful ways toward goodness, apologizing to those we’ve hurt, and making restitution (repaying what was stolen or restoring what was damaged as much as possible)—we open the door to real peace inside and out, and to a forever relationship with God.
On the flip side, if we choose bitterness, lies, or trying to destroy others—like spreading false stories in a group chat to ruin someone’s life just because they didn’t want to be close friends—we’re choosing a path that leads to pain now and eternal separation from God later (often called “hell”).
True world peace won’t come from governments or waiting for some future event. It comes when more and more people choose Jesus’ way: forgiving instead of gossiping, reconciling instead of retaliating, and building others up instead of tearing them down. One changed heart at a time, neighborhoods heal, communities thrive, and the ripple spreads.
We’re all one essence—connected, equal, and called to live in heaven-on-earth peace right now. The story of Jesus and the fulfilled prophecy invites every one of us to step into that reality today. It’s a message worth exploring deeper, one that has brought hope and transformation to countless lives. If it resonates, let it inspire you to live differently—starting with the people around you.
