The Talmud records that for 40 years before the Temple’s destruction (c. 30 AD onward), four signs failed to occur: the scarlet thread no longer turned white, the western lamp of the menorah no longer burned, the lot for God no longer came up in the right hand, and the Temple doors opened by themselves. These signs were interpreted as bad omens. The timing is striking.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה קוֹדֶם חוּרְבַּן הַבַּיִת לֹא הָיָה גּוֹרָל עוֹלֶה בְּיָמִין, וְלֹא הָיָה לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל זְהוֹרִית מַלְבִּין, וְלֹא הָיָה נֵר מַעֲרָבִי דּוֹלֵק. וְהָיוּ דַּלְתוֹת הַהֵיכָל נִפְתְּחוֹת מֵאֲלֵיהֶן, עַד שֶׁגָּעַר בָּהֶן רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי. אָמַר לוֹ: הֵיכָל הֵיכָל! מִפְּנֵי מָה אַתָּה מַבְעִית עַצְמְךָ? יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי בְּךָ שֶׁסּוֹפְךָ עָתִיד לֵיחָרֵב, וּכְבָר נִתְנַבֵּא עָלֶיךָ זְכַרְיָה בֶּן עִדּוֹא: ״פְּתַח לְבָנוֹן דְּלָתֶיךָ וְתֹאכַל אֵשׁ בַּאֲרָזֶיךָ״,
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. And the doors of the Sanctuary opened by themselves as a sign that they would soon be opened by enemies, until Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai scolded them. He said to the Sanctuary: Sanctuary, Sanctuary, why do you frighten yourself with these signs? I know about you that you will ultimately be destroyed, and Zechariah, son of Ido, has already prophesied concerning you: “Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars” (Zechariah 11:1), Lebanon being an appellation for the Temple.


