1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 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.”
Chapters 24 and 25 comprise Jesus’ fifth and final discourse; we call this discourse the Olivet Discourse. This presentation is entirely prophetic. Most of the description is about the time of the Tribulation.
24:1
Then [following the judgments of chapter 23] Jesus went out and departed from the temple,
Jesus and His disciples left the temple area and began to climb the Mount of Olives. He had just pronounced judgment on the temple (23:38). The glory had departed from the temple (Ezek 9:3; 10:4; 11:23).
and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.
The buildings of Herod’s temple were a wonderful site. The disciples wanted to talk about its physical beauty. Herod began building this temple is 20 B.C. and it was still under construction in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed it. It was made of gleaming white limestone. The eastern wall was covered with gold plates.
24:2
And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things?
As they walked up the Mount of Olives Jesus asked His disciples to look down at the beauty of the architecture of the temple below them.
Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
The Roman army fulfilled these words in A.D. 70 when Titus ordered the destruction of the temple. They threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. The destruction of the temple was so complete that its exact location is not known to this day.
PRINCIPLE:
The glory can depart from a ministry.
APPLICATION:
Churches that treat their pastor or staff poorly over a long period of time may find themselves set aside by God. Pastors or staff that constantly abuse their local churches may find their ministries rendered inoperative. Churches that are no longer faithful to the Word of God will be set aside. They will all find that the “glory has departed” from their ministry, as in the book of Ezekiel.
