Matthew 24:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

NIV: Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.

NASB: Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

CSB: As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings.

NLT: As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings.

KJV: And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

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

Leading up to this discourse, Jesus has been teaching and speaking in Israel's temple structure in Jerusalem. He has just completed pronouncing seven "woes" of judgment against Israel's religious leaders: the scribes and the Pharisees (Matthew 23:13). He concluded with a declaration that He was officially abandoning Jerusalem and her children to coming judgment (Matthew 23:37–38). Jerusalem has refused to acknowledge Him as the Messiah and receive His protection.

Now Jesus and His disciples have left the temple and are walking away from it. Despite the serious tone of Jesus' most recent pronouncements, the disciples turn and comment to Jesus about the buildings of the temple. The temple had been extensively renovated in recent years, and historians report that it was known for its beauty and grandeur. Christ will not allow the disciples to miss the point of His recent revelations about the coming judgment on Jerusalem. His prediction will be shocking (Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2).

Matthew 24:1–14 follows Jesus and the disciples out of the temple. This comes after His devastating criticism of the scribes and Pharisees in chapter 23. Christ predicts a moment when the temple will be destroyed without one stone left on another. Later, His disciples ask for more information about these future events. Jesus describes a season in which the world will be in turmoil but that alone will not be proof that the end has come. His disciples will be persecuted, killed, and hated for His name's sake. False prophets will rise and some with them will fall away from the faith.

Jesus makes a dire prediction about the destruction of the temple. Immediately after this, while seated on the Mount of Olives, Jesus responds to a question from the disciples. They ask when judgment will come and what signs will signal His return. Christ describes a season of unimaginable world turmoil and persecution. He points to a specific moment of defilement of the temple, at which point people should run for their lives. Jesus speaks of world-threatening tribulation which will be cut short right before He returns as King and Judge. Since nobody can possibly know when He will return, His followers must live in readiness.

Jesus has just left the temple area, after delivering a blistering criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). After predicting that the temple would be destroyed, He answers their questions about the end times. He speaks of a period when He will be gone from earth and they will be persecuted and killed. The world will be in turmoil, but the gospel will be preached everywhere. Nobody knows exactly when Jesus' return will be completed, so his followers should constantly be prepared. Jesus continues to teach on these themes in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/6/2024 12:28:12 PM