Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 1

Matthew Chapter 24

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

Verses 1-4: This section forms Jesus’ last major discourse and His most prophetic and apocalyptic message of the coming of the end of the world (or the present age). While the message includes a prediction of the imminent fall of Jerusalem, it also goes far beyond to point us to the distant future during which the “times of the Gentiles” will continue until the end of the Great Tribulation.

Jesus then left the city, crossed the Kidron Valley, and went east of Jerusalem to the “mount of Olives” from which He could look down on the temple courtyard. Here His disciples asked Him three questions:

1. “When shall these things be?” the destruction of the temple;

2. “What shall be the sign of thy coming?” Greek parousia, technical term for the coming of the King;

3. “And of the end of the world?” Greek aion, “the age”.

Therefore the entire discourse must be looked upon as answering all three of these questions.

Matthew 24:1 “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to [him] for to shew him the buildings of the temple.”

Jesus went out,... This prophecy was uttered outside the temple on the Mount of Olives (Mat. 24:3), while Luke 21:1-38 was spoken in the temple before He went out (Luke 21:1, 21:27-28).

buildings of the... Herod’s temple—about 500 cubits square, made of white marble—was one of the wonders of the ancient times. This temple was begun by Herod the Great in 20 B.C. and was still under construction when the Romans destroyed it in A.D. 70. At the time of Jesus’ ministry, the temple was one of the most impressive structures in the world, made of massive blocks of stone bedecked with gold ornamentation.

Some of the stones in the temple complex measured 40x12x12 feet and were expertly quarried to fit perfectly against one another. The temple buildings were made of gleaming white marble, and the whole eastern wall of the large main structure was covered with gold plates that reflected the morning sun, making a spectacle that was visible for miles.

The entire temple mount had been enlarged by Herod’s engineers, by means of large retaining walls and vaulted chambers on the South side and Southeast corner. By this means the large courtyard area atop the temple mount was effectively doubled.

The whole temple complex was magnificent by any standard. The disciples’ conversation here may have been prompted by Jesus’ words (in 23:38). They were undoubtedly wondering how a site so spectacular could be left “desolate.”

Having completed His discussions and debates with the religious leaders, Jesus left the temple to return to Bethany (cf. Mat. 26:6) by way of the Mount of Olives (Mat. 24:3).