Destruction of Temple Foretold

This passage we are looking at today and next week is one of the most challenging sections of scripture that you find in Mt24; Lk21 and Mk13; There is a diversity of interpretations offered but don’t let diversity cause division. There is much we can learn from this passage of scripture.

A few view points on this passage.

View one- It is entirely about the return of the Lord and events leading up to that.

View two- It is about the events leading up and including the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D.70.

View three- combines both of these events and they are intermixed within the passage.

You can link this passage along with Jesus teaching in Lk17:22-37 also and that may help get more insight to this passage. My view on this and how these two lessons will be is from the view of the events leading up to A.D.70 and for alluding/foreshadowing of the return of Christ.

Open Story Book to (pgs.125-7); Bible to Mt24:1-28 for today

I do want us to read the entire discourse so to keep everything in context then we will focus on 24:1-28 today; 29-51 next week.

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

I. The Setting for the Discourse

What has just previously transpired. The words of Jesus in the Temple that depict the rejection of Him and the consequences.

Parable of two sons (23:28-32)

Parable of wicked servants (vinedressers) (21:33-46)

Parable of wedding feast (Mt22:1-14)

We also had looked at how Jesus had stopped them all dead in their tracks and they dare not question Him anymore. Then there is the lament and the promise that they would be left in desolation (Mt23:37-39) and that now leads us to our section today.

Filled with their fathers guilt (Mt23:29-32)

Jesus is leaving the temple, not to return there. But this is not the only time God has left the temple. (Eze10:18-19)

Matthew 23:37–38 NASB95

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

Because killed the prophets, etc. (Mt23:33-34)

Ezekiel 10:18–19 NASB95

18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.

What is Jesus declaration about the temple (v.2)?

What are the two questions asked (v.3)?

When will these things happen?

What will be a sign?

In Mark and in Luke the questions are a little different (Mk13:4; Lk21:7)

Mark 13:4 NASB95

4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”

Mark says fulfilled; now look what Luke says

Luke 21:7 NASB95

7 They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

So, do you wonder why they are worded different?

Matthew wrote to mostly Jewish audience - with that in mind the question would be with the destruction of the temple it would be the sign of His coming and the end of the age.

Mark/Luke wrote to mostly Gentiles - and with that it was clearly understood that this had to do with the destruction of the temple and that it was imminent.

Having said that I think you can see that this is in view of the destruction of the Temple that happens in A.D.70 that is the matter before us today. Not the return of the Lord.

II. The Olivet Discourse

Starts with Mt24:4-8

Matthew 24:4–5 NASB95

4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.

Don’t be mislead, don’t be deceived. It was known after the Christ many came claiming to be the Christ. Josephus writes about some of them in his chronicles.

Acts 5:25–26 NASB95

25 But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

So don’t troubled (Mt24:6-7)

Act526-27

Matthew 24:6–7 NASB95

6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

Matthew 24:8 NASB95

8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilence will come, but the end is not yet, it is only the beginning not the end.

Clarify, who is Jesus speaking to? How do you know? (see Mt24:1)

Matthew 24:1 NASB95

1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

So knowing who He is speaking to we need to then look at who He is speaking about in (vv.9-13) the persecutions, hard times that were coming.

You will be killed (v.9)

Some will fall away and betray one another (v.10)

There will be false prophets, deceivers, and they will be effective (v.11)

Look at (v.12) why were these things going to happen?

Lawlessness

Love grows cold

Do you think that is an issue today? What will be the result of it? (Judgment)

But there is hope (Mt24:13-14, Rev2:10)

Matthew 24:13 NASB95

13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

The one who endures, the one who is faithful to the end, is that end of age, NO, it is end of life, their life they will be saved. Obedience is important. This is another example of proof that once saved always saved is not doctrinal strong or accurate.

Revelation 2:10 NASB95

10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Remember when we are faithful what we have coming!

That brings us to the challenge issued to them on what must occur (Mt24:14)

Matthew 24:14 NASB95

14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Gospel preached

Gospel preached to all the nations

Then the end will come, end of what? The temple, the temple sacrifices that were no longer needed since the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as the perfect sacrifice. So the ability for any O.T. worship will be taken away. Spiritually already taken away and nailed to the cross.

Check out (Col2:14-17, Heb8:13; Eph2:14-16) to go with all of this.

Colossians 2:14–15 NASB95

14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

Colossians 2:16–17 NASB95

16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Or how about

Hebrews 8:13 NASB95

13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

You can further look at Eph2:14-16 too, today we have limited time so you can do that on your own.

So, the gospel must be preached to all nations prior to destruction of temple, right? (Rom10:16-18)

Paul says it was!

Romans 10:16–17 NASB95

16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:18 NASB95

18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”

Rom10”18

Or better yet, look at (COl1:23)

Colossians 1:23 NASB95

23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

But they asked for a sign didn’t they? Here is it. (Mt24:15; Dan9:26-27)

Matthew 24:15 NASB95

15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

This prophesy is found

Daniel 9:26 NASB95

Daniel 9:26–27 NASB95

26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

Daniel 9:27 NASB95

27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

Luke explains this abomination of desolation as mentioned in Lk17:22ff and Lk21:20ff , This happened in A.D. 70 when the Roman armies under General Titus destroyed the temple and the city. The stones were torn apart to get the gold that had been melted into the cracks when they lite the temple of fire.

So we have seen the when and the what will happen, how about pressing on to the what they were told to do when it happened

This is covering (vv.16-22) -

What are they told to do (v.16)?

What are they told not to do (v.17)?

What are they told (v.17)?

Don’t do what in (v.18)?

It was going to be perilous times, hard times.

For those who are pregnant or are nursing (v.19)

FOr those who are pregnant

Pray not in winter or on Sabbath (v.20)

There will be great tribulation like never before or again (v.21)

It’s important to keep in context He is speaking to Apostles, Jews about what is going to happen to Jews in Judea. For those that are His they will have the time of tribulation shortened (v.22) - those who heeded the warning and got out!

In Josephus book Jewish Wars it is recorded that this seige took place in the time of the Passover and there were no fewer than 1.1m who perished in Jerusalem, 250k in surrounding areas and 97k taken captive.

A.D.70 there were many Christians who fled, whose tribulation was shortened as God’s elect but the Jews engaged the Romans in an effort to protect the city and the temple.

That leads to Jesus words of warning again (vv.23-28)

Don’t believe, don’t be deceived (vv.23-24)

You have been told you have been warned (v.25)

Don’t go out (v.26)

The judgment is going to be quick, it is going to be swift like lightening (Mt24:27-28)

Matthew 24:27–28 NASB95

27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

So to briefly conclude this.

This judgment is local, it is escapable

From what we have looked at it is not worldwide, inescapable which is characteristic of the Coming of the Lord.

If you want to prepare for next week read (24:29-51)

May we be like the Christians then when the fled at the warning, may we too not be misled by false prophets, rumors of wars, famines or the like, but endure to the end!

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