Matthew 24:1

Thursday, 5 November 2026

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. Matthew 24:1

“And having departed, the ‘Jesus’, He traversed from the temple, and they approached, the ‘disciples, His’, to exhibit to Him the ‘buildings, the temple’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus finished Chapter 23 with His warning to Jerusalem that they would not see Him again until they should speak, “Having been blessed, the ‘Coming in Name, Lord’.” Chapter 24, a chapter filled with prophecies concerning Israel’s future, begins with, “And having departed, the ‘Jesus’, He traversed from the temple.”

Matthew records this as a point of reference. Jesus had been at the temple. He pronounced woes upon Israel’s spiritual leadership and told the city (meaning its leaders) they would see Him no more until they acknowledged Him as the Christ, coming in the Name of the Lord.

In stating that He has traversed from the temple, it means He will not return there again without that condition being met. While traversing from there, it next says, “and they approached, the ‘disciples, His’, to exhibit to Him the ‘buildings, the temple’.”

A new word is seen here, oikodomé, architecture, but concretely, a structure. It is also used figuratively, such as building one up, as in edification. It is from oikos, a dwelling and usually translated as house or home, and the base of the word dóma, an edifice, but especially a housetop.

Jesus had just proclaimed to Jerusalem that her house was left to her desolate. The disciples understood the meaning of this, having had their first temple, meaning Solomon’s temple, destroyed by the Babylonians. This temple, built by Herod, had been under construction for forty-six years, as noted in John 2:20.

The temple and its complex were massive, beautifully ordained, and built upon a structure that covered an entire mountain (Mount Moriah). Walking from the temple to their next destination at the Mount of Olives, the temple is in open view. Considering it, the disciples surely questioned how something so grand and magnificent could be made desolate.

The amazing size of the stones alone would make this seem impossible. The foundation stones were absolutely enormous. Its largest known stone today is called the Great Stone. It is located underground in the tunnels under the Western Wall. Though probably not visible at the time, it would be known about, being one of the largest single building blocks ever used in human history.

It is over 44 feet long, has a height reaching twelve feet, and is estimated to be between six and fifteen feet thick. Though unknown, its weight is estimated to be between 285 and 570 tons. Its placement would have been the stuff of legends, and anyone there during the construction would still speak about it.

Other massive stones like this were used as described by Josephus. Barnes, citing this, says, “‘In that temple,’ says Josephus, the Jewish historian, ‘were several stones which were 45 cubits in length, 5 in height, and 6 in breadth;’ that is, more than 70 feet long, 10 wide, and 8 high. These stones, of such enormous size, were principally used in building the high wall on the east side, from the base to the top of the mountain. They were also, it is said, beautifully painted with variegated colors.”

With this in mind, the disciples surely could not fathom how such an edifice atop such a massive foundation could be laid waste.

Life application: Man has accomplished many great things throughout the centuries. Massive complexes of stone have been discovered that formed enormous cities. However, within a short amount of time, the archaeological record shows that they were abandoned.

Skyscrapers are constructed, and it seems like they will last forever. And yet, within a short span, they become obsolete and must be taken down. Others may come down because Islamic terrorists fly planes into them. The great achievements of man don’t seem so great at such times.

Some people build empires worth amazing amounts of money. Solomon is often referred to as the richest man who ever lived. He controlled an empire that stretched from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines (1 Kings 4:21). And yet, it was divided during the lifetime of his son, and the wealth of the empire quickly faded into the past.

Those things that seem like they will last forever can be gone in a moment. Empires fade away, riches disappear through a single bad decision, and the effort of a lifetime can be erased by a single earthquake or tsunami.

Despite this, humanity can’t seem to learn the lesson the Bible teaches us. Everything will pass away, but the word of the Lord will stand forever. For those who put their trust in Jesus, we have a permanent foundation that can never be shaken. How much better it is to trust in Jesus than in anything this world can offer.

We are young one moment, and our lives are ending in the next. It is as if a few breaths were taken and we are planning for our funerals. Keep Jesus in your mind and heart always. Fix your eyes on Him, and don’t be pulled away from faithful devotion to Him. This will last forever.

Lord God, may we carefully consider our days, knowing that they are few and evil. Everything we work for will be left to others. Help us to leave a good mark on the world we live in through our devotion to You. May we speak about You, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Truly, this is something that will outlast even the mountains. Help us to be wise in this way. Amen.