Introducing the Second Advent
Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" Matt. 24:1-3, NKJV.
Matthew 24:1 has Jesus leaving the Temple for the last time. The disciples, having heard Him pronouncing it "forsaken and desolate" (Matt. 23:38, RSV), seemingly point out that the Temple looks just fine to them.
And a fine-looking building it was. Josephs, the first-century Jewish historian, writes that the outward face of the Temple "was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight, and, at the first rising of the sun, reflected back a very fiery splendour, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun's own rays." At a distance, he continues, the Temple appeared "like a mountain covered with snow; for, as to those parts of it that were not gilt, they were exceeding white." (Wars 5. 6. 6)
The Temple was not only majestic; it was also massive. Josephus, in one place indicates that some of the stones were 25 cubits (a cubit is 18-20 inches) long, 8 in height, and about 12 in breadth (Antiquities 15. 11. 3). In another place he tells us that other stones were up to 45 cubits (67-75 feet) in length (Wars 5. 5. 6). With those facts in mind, it is no wonder that the disciples experience shock when Jesus tells them that the massive Temple, one of the architectural wonders of the ancient world, would be totally destroyed, without one stone being left upon another.
To his followers such an event signaled the end of the world. The Temple was the focus of their earthly existence. And they couldn't even imagine a world without the great Jerusalem Temple. The disciples, seeking clarification, later ask Jesus three questions: (1) When will the Temple be destroyed? (2) What will be the sign of His return (3) What will be the sign of the end of the age?
Jesus does not seek to correct their false understanding on the sequence of those events. In fact, His answer mixes the two events and their signs to such an extent that it is well-nigh impossible to disentangle them.
With Matthew 24 and its teachings on the second coming of Jesus we have come to a crucial aspect of the gospel story. We need to keep our eyes and ears open as we journey through Matthew 24 and 25.
Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" Matt. 24:1-3, NKJV.
Matthew 24:1 has Jesus leaving the Temple for the last time. The disciples, having heard Him pronouncing it "forsaken and desolate" (Matt. 23:38, RSV), seemingly point out that the Temple looks just fine to them.
And a fine-looking building it was. Josephs, the first-century Jewish historian, writes that the outward face of the Temple "was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight, and, at the first rising of the sun, reflected back a very fiery splendour, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun's own rays." At a distance, he continues, the Temple appeared "like a mountain covered with snow; for, as to those parts of it that were not gilt, they were exceeding white." (Wars 5. 6. 6)
The Temple was not only majestic; it was also massive. Josephus, in one place indicates that some of the stones were 25 cubits (a cubit is 18-20 inches) long, 8 in height, and about 12 in breadth (Antiquities 15. 11. 3). In another place he tells us that other stones were up to 45 cubits (67-75 feet) in length (Wars 5. 5. 6). With those facts in mind, it is no wonder that the disciples experience shock when Jesus tells them that the massive Temple, one of the architectural wonders of the ancient world, would be totally destroyed, without one stone being left upon another.
To his followers such an event signaled the end of the world. The Temple was the focus of their earthly existence. And they couldn't even imagine a world without the great Jerusalem Temple. The disciples, seeking clarification, later ask Jesus three questions: (1) When will the Temple be destroyed? (2) What will be the sign of His return (3) What will be the sign of the end of the age?
Jesus does not seek to correct their false understanding on the sequence of those events. In fact, His answer mixes the two events and their signs to such an extent that it is well-nigh impossible to disentangle them.
With Matthew 24 and its teachings on the second coming of Jesus we have come to a crucial aspect of the gospel story. We need to keep our eyes and ears open as we journey through Matthew 24 and 25.
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