The existence of the temple was a perpetual affront to the living Christ, since its daily sacrifices were a tacit denial of the great fact that the True Sacrifice had been offered once and for all. With the death of Christ Judaism had come to an end, but what Jew would ever believe this until he saw that the God who had ordered the temple to be built now permitted it to be destroyed? Add to this, that the sure word of prophecy had said that the Messiah would come while the Second Temple was standing; if this--the Second Temple--should fall, it would be a proof to the Jewish nation that the Messiah _had_ come--and gone!--and that those were wrong who looked for Him in the future. Another point worth noting: so long as the temple stood--that temple in which the apostles themselves were wont to meet for worship--so long would there be on the part of Christianity a temptation to revert to the precepts and rites of the Law. As a matter of fact, in spite of all the writings and labors of Saint Paul to the contrary, a hybrid belief, a Christianized form of Judaism, the heresy called at a later day Ebionism, was already in existence, threatening the purity of the Church’s faith. The development of Christianity required that it should be freed from the bondage of the Law, and how could that freedom be more effectively attained than by the fall of the edifice, which was, as it were, the actual embodiment of that Law? Moreover, had not the Saviour said that some of His own generation should not taste of death till they had seen the fall of the temple? Forty years had now passed since that utterance. If its fall were delayed much longer, would not the Saviour appear as a false prophet? But, unless a miracle were going to happen, must not the destruction of the temple be brought about by human instrumentality? Why not by his own? Was it impious to imagine that he was the agent foreordained to carry out the Divine purpose? He thought of the vision of the flaming torch, and of the Divine voice, crying, “_Burn!_” and he doubted no longer. Rufus put the finishing touch to his determination by a significant remark. “Now if Titus could be persuaded to destroy the temple, to-day would be an appropriate date for it.” “How so?” “By the Jewish calendar to-day is the ninth of the month Ab. On this very day exactly 658 years ago the Chaldeans burnt the first temple.” The very date seemed to be inviting him to the deed! Scarcely had this thought passed through his mind when Rufus exclaimed: “Ah! what light is that? By the gods, a sortie!” His remark was caused by the sight of an immense body of Jews, who, having opened one of the half-burned gates, were issuing noiselessly forth. They were seen, however, not only by Crispus and Rufus, but by the vigilant Roman sentinels. Instantly, the shrill trumpet blast rang out the call to arms, and the legionaries, starting from sleep, grasped their weapons and stood ready for the conflict.