Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 2

 Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

Matthew 24:2 “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

See ye not... Question 142. Next, Mat. 24:3.

There shall not... The 37th New Testament prophecy in Matthew (Mat. 24:2, fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans; Dan. 9:26; Luke 21:20-24). These words were literally fulfilled in A.D. 70. Titus, the Roman general, built large wooden scaffolds around the walls of the temple buildings, piled them high with wood and other flammable items, and set them ablaze. Next, Mat. 24:4.

stone upon another... Josephus says that some stones were 94 feet long, 10 1/2 feet high, and 13 feet wide. There were 162 columns which held up the porches that were 52 feet high. Every stone was removed and a plow run over the place where it stood, fulfilling Mic. 3:12.

The heat from the fires was so intense that the stones crumbled. The rubble was then sifted to retrieve the melted gold, and the remaining ruins were thrown down into the Kidron Valley.

Jesus was speaking prophetically of the destruction of the temple that He loved so well. This was the temple where He had driven the money changers out. He had taught reverence in the house of God, that it should be a House of Prayer.

When Jesus (the Lord of the temple), left, it was desolate. The outward magnificence was gone when the holiness was gone. In less than 40 years, this temple would be destroyed in a bloody battle.

These early Christians, they warned them to flee to Pella, and in doing so, to escape the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus.

What could possibly happen to such impressive buildings, especially to the temple of God? Jesus’ response brought them consternation: Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down. The temple would be destroyed and Jerusalem with it. This, however, prompted the disciples to ask when all this would take place.