Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple
(Matt. 24:1, 2; Luke 21:5, 6 )
(Mark 13:1-6 NKJV) “(1) Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” (2) And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
(Matt. 24:3–14; Luke 21:7–19 )
(3) Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, (4) “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” (5) And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. (6) “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.”
V1 “Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”
Jesus’s discourse is presented on Tuesday of the Holy Week. This disciple pointed out the sheer beauty of the Temple as ordered by King Herod.
Barnes writes: “The entrance into the temple itself was from the court “of the priests,” by an ascent of twelve steps. The “porch” in front of the temple was 150 feet high and as many broad. The open space in this perch through which the temple was entered was 115 feet high and 37 broad, without doors of any sort. The appearance of this, built, as it was, with white marble, and decorated with plates of silver, from the Mount of Olives was exceedingly dazzling and splendid. Josephus says that in the rising of the sun it reflected so strong and dazzling an effulgence that the eye of the spectator was obliged to turn away. To strangers at a distance, it appeared like a mountain covered with snow, for where it was not decorated with plates of gold it was extremely white and glistening.”
V2 “And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
Jesus foretells the Temple’s destruction. The foundation stones are all that remain, except for broken stones and rubble from the destruction by the army of Titus in 70 AD. Jesus ministering as a prophet tells the future of the Temple. This is the second Temple which was built by Nehemiah and Ezra and beautified and enlarged by Herod (John 2:20).
V3 “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately…”
After hearing this and the greater crowd of people dismissed, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him in private a question. It is good to ask questions, for Jesus has the answers. In one sense, this is prayer.
V4 “…Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”
They wanted to know when this destruction would take place and what sign is there, that is, how will we recognize it as the time gets closer to the fulfillment? The timing is found in Daniel 9:26.
V5 “And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you.”
The first thing Jesus teaches them is to be wary of being deceived.
The greatest deceiver is satan: (2 Corinthians 11:14 NKJV) “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” His deception of Eve was by twisting the truth. The serpent’s words had truths, but it added some words and said them in a way to make one doubt.
There is truth or a lie. Truth is reality. God is the God of Truth (Exodus 34:6, Deuteronomy 32:4, and John 14:6). The standard of truth is the Bible (Psalms 33:4,
Psalms 119:160, and John 17:17).
We can be deceived by ignorance. A misinterpretation of a truth is also a lie. We believe lies because we are curious, flattered, like sinful pleasures, and/or look to a person to be correct regardless of what they say.
“Of all forms of deception, self-deception is the most deadly, and of all deceived persons, the self-deceived are the least likely to discover the fraud.” ~ Aiden Wilson Tozer
V6 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.”
The greatest deception is a person claiming to be the Messiah. Jesus has many authenticating signs that He is the Messiah.
Comments:
(Wuest Word Studies): “Swete says: “Such impostors came upon the basis of the name, holding out a false Messianic hope, claiming powers which belonged to the true Christ, even if they did not assume the title.” The word “name” is used here to designate all that the Messiah is in His Person and His work. These impostors claimed to possess all that.”
(Holman Commentary) “Jesus taught that popular religious leaders will claim to be the Messiah and have solutions for the problems of life. Jesus warned his disciples not to be deceived by these impostors.”
We learn:
- We are warned about deceivers.
- We have the truth.
- We must be aware of what we are reading and listening to.
Questions:
- What is your truth?
- Do you speak and live the truth?