The Second Temple in Jerusalem stood for approximately 585 years before its destruction in 70 CE by the Roman Empire. Approximately 40 years before the destruction of the Second Temple (also known as Herod's Temple), the Jewish Sages had observed and recorded some very unusual events in The Talmud. It just so happens that these events line up perfectly with the time that Yeshua was crucified and was resurrected.
As I have stated in several previous posts, there is no word in the Hebrew language for "coincidence". The fact that these events were quite possibly recorded by the very same people who denied their Jewish Messiah is extraordinary. One thing to take note of is the fact that The Sanhedrin was the Jewish Court that convicted Yeshua illegally, as they tried him at night, which was against their own laws.
"And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?
Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.”
And they all left him and fled.
And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him,
but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together."
Mark 14:48-53
"Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance."
Luke 22:52-54
"So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.
First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year."
John 18:12-13
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.
But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.
Matthew 26:53-57
Here is what the Jewish Writings actually say about conducting Trials at Night:
"In cases of monetary law, the court judges during the daytime, and may conclude the deliberations and issue the ruling even at night. In cases of capital law, the court judges during the daytime, and concludes the deliberations and issues the ruling only in the daytime." - Talmud (Sanhedrin 32a:7)
“Let a capital offence be tried during the day, but suspend it at night.”—Mishna, Sanhedrin
“The reason why the trial of a capital offense could not be held at night is because, as oral tradition says, the examination of such a charge is like the diagnosing of a wound—in either case a more thorough and searching examination can be made by daylight.”—Maimonides, Sanhedrin III
The following quotes from The Talmud really speak for themselves, thus I see no reason to go into further detail on this particular post.
Jurisdiction was Removed from The Sanhedrin
"It was stated: Forty years before the Temple was destroyed, criminal jurisdiction was removed from Israel, and in the days of Simeon ben (Šetaḥ) civil jurisdiction was removed. Rebbi Simeon ben Ioḥai said, praised be the Merciful, for I am not intelligent enough to judge." - Talmud (Sanhedrin 1:1-9)
Sanhedrin was Exiled:
"Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei, said to them the following statements that were passed down to him by his father: One hundred and eighty years before the Second Temple was destroyed, the evil Roman Empire stretched forth over Israel and ruled over them. Eighty years before the Temple was destroyed, the Sages decreed impurity on the land of the nations and on glass vessels. Forty years before the Temple was destroyed, the Sanhedrin was exiled from the Chamber of Hewn Stone and sat in the store near the Temple Mount." - Talmud (Avodah Zarah 8b:11)
"He sent to them: This is what my father said: One hundred and eighty years before the Temple was destroyed, the evil kingdom of Rome invaded Israel. Eighty years before the Temple was destroyed, they decreed impurity on the land of the nations and on glass vessels. Forty years before the Temple was destroyed, the Sanhedrin was exiled from the Chamber of Hewn Stones and sat in the stores on the Temple Mount. With regard to the last statement, the Gemara asks: What are the halakhic ramifications of this statement? Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Avdimi said: To say that they no longer judged cases of fines. The Gemara wonders: Does it enter your mind that they no longer judged cases of fines? Even several generations after the Temple was destroyed they continued to judge cases of fines in Eretz Yisrael. Rather, emend and say: That they no longer judged capital cases. The authority to impose the death penalty was stripped from the Sanhedrin, and therefore they willingly left the Chamber of Hewn Stone. Since the Sanhedrin no longer convenes in its designated place, the halakha is that it no longer has the authority to judge capital cases (Tosafot)." - Talmud (Shabbat 15a:9)
The Sins on Yom Kippur were no longer forgiven:
The Temple Menorah no longer burned continually:
The Temple Doors would open by themselves:
"Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: The ordinance was with regard to the strip of crimson wool used on Yom Kippur. As it is taught in a baraita: At first they would tie a strip of crimson wool to the opening of the Entrance Hall of the Temple on the outside. If, after the sacrificing of the offerings and the sending of the scapegoat, the strip turned white, the people would rejoice, as this indicated that their sins had been atoned for. If it did not turn white they would be sad. When the Sages saw that people were overly distressed on Yom Kippur, they instituted that they should tie the strip of crimson wool to the opening of the Entrance Hall on the inside, where only a few could enter to see it." - Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 31b:13)
"But people would still peek and see it, and once again, if it turned white they would rejoice, and if it did not turn white they would be sad. Therefore, the Sages instituted that they should tie half of the strip to a rock near the place where the one who sent the scapegoat stood and half of it between the horns of the scapegoat, so that the people would not know what happened to the strip until after the conclusion of Yom Kippur. This ordinance was instituted by Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai." - Talmud - (Rosh Hashanah 31b:14)
"And it is taught in a baraita: During the forty years before the Second Temple was destroyed the strip of crimson wool would not turn white; rather, it would turn a deeper shade of red. And we learned in the mishna: When the Temple was destroyed Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai instituted his ordinances. This shows that Rabban Yoḥanan lived and taught Torah after the destruction. Therefore the ordinance of the crimson wool must have been made while Rabban Yoḥanan was still studying Torah, before he instituted any ordinances. The Gemara asks: And the other Sage, Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak, what would he answer? According to him, that ordinance was instituted during those forty years that he studied Torah. He was then a student sitting before his teacher, and he said a matter, i.e., he suggested this ordinance, and his reasoning made sense to the Sages, and his teacher established it in his name. Consequently, it is counted as one of Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai’s ordinances." - Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 31b:17)
"The Sages taught: During the tenure of Shimon HaTzaddik, the lot for God always arose in the High Priest’s right hand; after his death, it occurred only occasionally; but during the forty years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple, the lot for God did not arise in the High Priest’s right hand at all. So too, the strip of crimson wool that was tied to the head of the goat that was sent to Azazel did not turn white, and the westernmost lamp of the candelabrum did not burn continually." - Talmud (Yoma 6:3-5)
"It was stated: “Forty years before the Temple was destroyed was the Eastern light extinguished, and the shiny strip became red, and the lot of the Name came up in the left hand. They were locking the doors of the Temple hall in the evening and in the morning they found them open. Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai addressed it: ‘Temple hall, why do you frighten us? We know that in the end you will be destroyed, as it was said64, Lebanon65, open your doors so fire may consume your cedars.’” - Talmud (Yoma 6:3-6)
Much Love and Blessings!
חסד ושלום עליכם והרבה אהבה וברכות
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