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Author: Stephen Weller
565 words, 3 minutes read time

The Beginning of the “Olivet Discourse”

Scripture: Matthew 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 21:5-6

With the previous lesson we finished section 184. With this lesson we begin a new section about the destruction of the temple and the end of the age.

^{Mt 24:1} Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple, ^{Lk 21:5} how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings. ^{Mk 13:1} One of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”

From John 12:36b, we read, “When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.” That statement connects with “Jesus left the temple and was going away.” This much is clearly happening on Tuesday, very possibly in the morning. In Mark 13:3 we learn that Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives, which is on the road from Jerusalem to Bethany where Jesus and the disciples went to stay each evening. It is possible that it is now early Tuesday after noon.

The statement that Jesus “departed and hid himself from them” seems to indicate that Jesus managed to remove himself and his disciples from the public and somehow managed to go and be alone on the Mount of Olives. In looking ahead in the harmonization narrative, we find Jesus teaching his disciples, and probably not the general public. This teaching is often referred to as the “Olivet Discourse” because Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives and taught. This discourse is the fifth one recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. These five discourses encompass the most comprehensive collection of instruction by Jesus found anywhere in Scripture and are found at chapters 5 – 7; 10; 13; 18 – 20; and 24 – 25.

As Jesus and the disciples were leaving the temple the disciples point out to Jesus the buildings of the temple and how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings. The size and beauty of Herod the Great’s Temple Mount exceeded that of most of the seven wonders of the world. The disciples were truly impressed with the wonder of the structure. The “wonderful stones” may be a reference to their size. Today one of those original stones still exists there and is estimated to weigh as much as 570 tons. The decor of the buildings was wonderful.

^{Mk 13:2} And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings, ^{Lk 21:6} these things that you see? ^{Mt 24:2} Truly, I say to you, ^{Lk 21:6} the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Those great buildings that the disciples were admiring, Jesus said would be torn down, not leaving one stone upon another, which may be a metaphor for total destruction or the complete destruction of the temple building itself. It can’t refer to the complete Temple Mount because some of it still exists today. What Jesus is saying, is that destruction is coming as God was displeased with the lack of fruit being produced there.

Conclusion

Jesus and the disciples seem to be off by themselves as Jesus begins to teach about the near and distant future in what is known as the “Olivet Discourse.”