II Kings 24-25

“And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down” (25:9).  Though God promised to bless the world through Israel, his special people, there was no magic about Jerusalem’s Temple and its rich contents; Nebuchadnezzar destroyed them all.  God’s presence in Jerusalem could not be manipulated by a people who had rejected Him.  Due to idolatry, immorality, and the murder of innocents (24:4), God removed his hand of protection.

The glory of Jerusalem was not in its golden Temple, but in the people’s relationship with God.  God allowed them to lose everything so that one day, a “remnant” might turn back to Him.