Jesus' Warning To Flee Jerusalem When Armies Surround It

Jesus shocked everyone by telling them a day would come when they would have to flee Jerusalem.

Little Leah loved to visit the big, beautiful temple in Jerusalem with her family. The stones were beautiful and shiny, and the buildings reached high into the sky! One sunny day, as Jesus was leaving the temple with his friends, one of them pointed and said, "Teacher, look! Aren't these stones amazing? Look at these buildings, they are so strong!"

Jesus looked at the temple with kind eyes, but he shook his head a little. "Yes, they are beautiful now," he said gently. "But a time is coming when not a single one of these stones will be left on top of another. They will all be knocked down."

Leah and Jesus' friends were very surprised. "When will that happen?" asked Peter, his brow furrowed with concern. "And how will we know when it's time?"

Read more about Jesus' prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel

Jesus told His followers about the things that would happen at the time of Jerusalem's destruction

Jesus sat down with them on the Mount of Olives, where they could see the whole city. He told them that many things would happen before that time. There would be whispers of trouble, like a faraway storm. But then, he said something that sounded a little strange.

The Lord also warned that the "abomination of desolation" would stand in the holy place

"When you see something called the 'abomination of desolation' standing where it shouldn't be," Jesus explained, his voice serious but calm, "that will be the sign. Remember what the wise man Daniel wrote about long ago. When you see this, everyone in Judea must run to the mountains as fast as they can!"

He told them it would be so important to leave quickly that if someone was on the roof, they shouldn't even go inside to grab their favorite toy. If someone was working in the fields, they shouldn't turn back to get their coat.

Leah imagined people rushing away, just like when a big rainstorm suddenly starts. Jesus looked sad as he thought about people who were expecting babies or had tiny little ones. It would be a very hard time for them to run.

"Pray," Jesus told them, "that this doesn't happen in the cold of winter, when it's hard to travel." He explained that this time of trouble would be more difficult than any time the world had ever seen before.

Wailing Wall. Jerusalem in Israel

One day many years later, Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem

Years went by. Leah grew older, and the followers of Jesus remembered His words. They told their children and their friends about the warning. They  also watched all the time for any strange signs in Jerusalem.

Then, one day, they saw something that made their hearts beat fast. Armies, with their clanging swords and marching feet, surrounded the city of Jerusalem. It was a sight that felt wrong and scary, just like Jesus had described.

The believers remembered Jesus' warning about the "abomination of desolation." They knew this was the sign! Quickly, they started to leave Jerusalem. Some climbed down from their rooftops, others left their fields, just as Jesus had told them. They didn't stop to gather their belongings but hurried towards the safety of the mountains.

The believers in Jesus were safe during the Roman invasion

Because they listened to Jesus' words and acted quickly, they were safe when the great trouble came to Jerusalem. The beautiful temple, just as Jesus had said, was eventually destroyed. But those who believed in Jesus and heeded his warning were protected.

It was a powerful reminder that even when things look strong and safe, it's important to listen to wise words and be ready to act when the time comes.

We Can Trust Jesus' Words About Future Events

Over the past weeks we learnt about the ways in which Jesus truthfully foretold the events about the destruction of Jerusalem. He also warns that there is punishment for sinners in hell when they die and that He came to save us from that destruction.

Jesus spoke many time about a time coming when the world will end. He said that people will be separated into two groups - sinners and the righteous. He will judge the sinners for their sins and sentence them to a lake of fire forever.

All who believe Jesus can escape by choosing His gift of salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved from hell and the lake of fire. He will wash your sins away and never remember them again.

He'll also write your name in the Book of Life and give you eternal life. All the people who believe in the Lord Jesus live righteously because His Spirit dwells in our spirits. 

Read more about how to receive eternal life. 

Flags of Israel

Jesus Warns His Followers To Flee Jerusalem During The Future Invasion By Armes - Mark 13  

Mar 13:1

Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

Mark 13: 2

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Mark 13: 3

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,

Mark 13: 4

“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

Mark 13:14

“So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’[fn] spoken of by Daniel the prophet,[fn] standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Mark 13:15

“Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.

Mar 13:16

“And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

Mark 13: 17

“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

Mark 13:18

“And pray that your flight may not be in winter.

Mark 13:19

“For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.

Simple References:

• The Disciples Admire the Temple - Mark 13:1.
• Jesus Predicts the Temple's Destruction - Mark 13:2.
• The Disciples Ask About the Timing and Signs - Mark 13:3-4.
• Jesus Warns His Followers To Flee Jerusalem During The Future Invasion By Armies - Mark 13.
• The Sign of the 'Abomination of Desolation' - Mark 13:14.
• The Urgency to Flee - Mark 13:15-18.
• A Time of Great Trouble - Mark 13:19.

Jesus' Warning To Flee Jerusalem When Armies Surround It by mossmercedes1