When the Messiah came, He fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies of His first coming. That included betrayal by a friend (Psalms 55 and 69), a judicial murder (Isaiah 53), and death by crucifixion (Psalm 22), and many other things which the reader search out and see for himself.

At first the common people among the Jews enthusiastically accepted the Messiah, but their leadership opposed Him, and arranged His murder, exactly as predicted in the Old Testament. They then worked ruthlessly to suppress Christianity, and anyone involved. Some believed in their Messiah, but the majority were intimidated into submission … even to this day.

Then other paths to worldly power were pursued

Still wanting that worldly preeminence that was promised them, but unwilling walk in righteousness and truth, many Jews turned to dark deeds for preeminence and power. That included the occult, revolutions, and oppressing and exploiting those gullible goyim the people of the nations whenever they felt they could get by with it.

Then the Jews met with a series of cataclysmic
judgments from God

As with most nations in history, many judgements for the sins of peoples come in smaller setbacks and desolations. Beyond such things, three huge disasters are spoken of for the Jews. Two have already happened, and one is yet to come.

The first was the destruction of Judah
and Jerusalem in 586 BC

After centuries of patient warning being sent to them through God’s servants the prophets, God finally brought the hammer down. First the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered and deported in 722 BC, never to return to their land.

“Yahweh rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.”
2Kgs 17:20

All of which had been predicted by God’s prophets, whom the people and ruler had rejected. Then came total desolation and deportation of Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC, after multiple rejected opportunities to turn around.

The second great desolation was the
fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD

Zechariah forecast these things, Zech 10:9-10. Also Rabbi Jesus warned,

“20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein. 22 For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”
Lk 21:20-22

Jesus further predicted in 30 AD,

“They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Lke 21:24

Which is exactly what has happened over the last two thousand years. Still unwilling to accept these answers, the disastrous second century AD Bar-Cochba revolts only dug their hole deeper.

Why did this happen?

“… because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”
Lk 19:44

They had plenty of evidence. But they just didn’t want to believe and follow.

The third tragedy is yet to come.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901