Christians fear ‘end of times’ after site of Jesus’s death is closed | World | News
The church marks the sites where many believe Jesus was crucified, laid to rest and resurrected (Image: Nick Brundle Photography via Getty Images)
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to the unprecedented closure of the site of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion during one of the most sacred periods of the year, sparking online speculation about biblical prophecies and the emergence of the Antichrist.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, believed to be the location where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, has been shut down during Holy Week following reports that debris from Iranian ballistic missiles fell near the ancient shrine.
Israeli authorities ordered the closure of the 1,700-year-old church due to concerns for the safety of worshippers during the final week of Lent, leading up to Easter.
The church is considered the holiest site in Christianity and has been a significant pilgrimage destination since its construction by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in the fourth century.
Photographs circulated by police reportedly show fragments on rooftops near the church and cordoned-off areas in the Al-Aqsa compound. However, there were no casualties and no significant damage at either holy site, according to reports.
Christians light candles and pray at the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ is believed to have been crucified (Image: undefined)
Holy Week typically sees the Old City teeming with thousands of pilgrims for solemn processions and the lively, candle-lit Holy Fire ceremony. In peak years, as many as 10,000 people gather on Holy Saturday alone.
This time, the doors are closed, breaking with tradition in a city that has maintained worship through wars, uprisings and centuries of turmoil.
The closure has sparked a flurry of speculation online, with some highlighting Revelation’s apocalyptic imagery – a ‘holy city’ trampled, upheaval and a sinister ‘beast’ often associated by believers with the Antichrist.
However, biblical scholars warn against jumping from ancient visions to today’s headlines, maintaining such passages are widely interpreted as symbolic or rooted in early Christian struggles, not a literal news feed for modern events.
The closure has sparked a flurry of speculation online (Image: Getty Images)
The Holy Sepulchre anchors Easter traditions across the Orthodox world – including Greece’s Holy Fire, flown out to Athens and distributed nationwide. With the church closed, ceremonies have been left in uncertainty and the faithful let down.
Constructed on the site of an earlier Roman temple, the church has survived invasions, fires and repeated reconstructions.
Officials have not stated when the church will reopen. Those planning pilgrimages or Easter breaks are being urged to monitor official travel guidance and local announcements closely.
