The document provides context about Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the disciples' subsequent question to Jesus. It summarizes that the disciples privately asked Jesus two questions on the Mount of Olives: 1) when the Temple would be destroyed and 2) what signs would precede its destruction. The Olivet Discourse, found in the Synoptic Gospels, contains Jesus' answer to the disciples' second question about the signs.
2. A Little Look at a Big Question
On the Disciples’ precursor query to the Olivet Discourse
3. The Synoptic Gospels
The first three Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
“Synoptic” is from the Greek synoptikos, “to see with or
together,” in short, a “common-view.”
Areas of similarity are called “parallel passages.”
One of the longest sections of parallel passages is the so
called Olivet Discourse.
4. The Olivet Discourse
The longest, most significant prophetic speech in the
Gospels.
Found in Matt 24:1–25:46; Mark 13; Luke 21:5–21:50.”
In each Synoptic, it comes after the disciples’ question.
In each Synoptic, the question comes after Jesus’ prophecy.
5. Jesus left the temple and was going away,
when his disciples came to point out to him
the buildings of the temple. But he answered
them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I
say to you, there will not be left here one
stone upon another that will not be thrown
down.”
The Lord’s Prophecy (ESV): Matthew 24:1–2
6. And as he came out of the temple, one of his
disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what
wonderful stones and what wonderful
buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you
see these great buildings? There will not be
left here one stone upon another that will not
be thrown down.”
The Lord’s Prophecy (ESV): Mark 13:1–2
7. And while some were speaking of the
temple, how it was adorned with noble
stones and offerings, he said, “As for these
things that you see, the days will come when
there will not be left here one stone upon
another that will not be thrown down.”
The Lord’s Prophecy (ESV): Luke 21:5–6
8. Matthew 24:1–2 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his
disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he
answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to
you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be
thrown down.”
Mark 13:1–2 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples
said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful
buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great
buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will
not be thrown down.”
Luke 21:5–6 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was
adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “As for these things
that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one
stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
9. The Temple of Jerusalem
Also called the “Second Temple” or “Herod’s Temple.”
Recorded to have taken 46 years to build at John 20:20.
One stone in the retaining wall is nearly 12m long & 362t.
The centrepiece of Jewish social and cultic identity.
10. Jesus’ Temple Prophecy
What does Jesus actually say?
Is this all he said?
Is this literal or figurative?
Was this prophecy accurate?
13. As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the
disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell
us, when will these things be, and what will
be the sign of your coming and of the end of
the age?”
The Disciples’ question (ESV): Matthew 24:3
14. And as he sat on the Mount of Olives
opposite the temple, Peter and James and
John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell
us, when will these things be, and what will
be the sign when all these things are about
to be accomplished?”
The Disciples’ question (ESV): Mark 13:3–4
15. And they asked him, “Teacher, when will
these things be, and what will be the sign
when these things are about to take place?.”
The Disciples’ question (ESV): Luke 21:7
16. Matthew 24:3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to
him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will
be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Mark 13:3–4 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,
Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell
us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these
things are about to be accomplished?”
Luke 21:7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be,
and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”
17. The Disciples’ Question(s)
How did the disciples receive Jesus’ statement?
How many of them asked Jesus about it?
How many questions were asked?
Where did they ask and why?
18. Summary
The subject of the disciples’ two-part question was Jesus’
prophecy of the divine destruction of the Temple.
The first part of the question was asking when the Temple
would be destroyed.
The second part of their question was asking what signs from
God would precede the destruction of the Temple.
The Olivet Discourse was the answer to the second part of
their question.
Editor's Notes
[Slide 3: The Synoptic Gospels] _______________________________________
Now, the first of these definitions I want to make sure we all know is the term “Synoptic Gospels” or “Synoptics” for short. [click]
• As you know, there are four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John; the first three are called the “Synoptics.” [click]
• “Synoptic” comes from the Greek adjective synoptikos, which is from two words syn and opsesthai, “to see with or together.” Or, simply, a “common-view.” [click]
• Much of the material in these three concerns the same events in similar order and much of this similar material shares nearly identical wording. The passages with similar events are called “parallel passages.” [click]
• One of the longest sections of parallel passages is the so called Olivet Discourse. [click]
[Slide 4: The Olivet Discourse] ______________________________________
Mark 13 opens with a conversation between Jesus and his disciples* over the Jerusalem Temple. The disciples admire its beauty; Jesus predicts its destruction (see Destruction of Jerusalem); the disciples then inquire about the timing of that event and the “sign” when “all these things” will be fulfilled. A long discourse by Jesus follows, in which are predicted a series of woes (see Blessing and Woe), political disturbances, persecution of believers, an “abomination of desolation” (see below), a time of unprecedented distress and finally the coming of the Son of man.* Interspersed with these are calls for discernment, faithful discipleship,* courageous testimony, endurance and vigilance in the face of deceivers. The last ten verses of the chapter contain two parables* (28–29, 34–36), renewed calls to “watch” (33, 37) and some hotly debated statements about the timing of “these things” (30–32).
T. J. Geddert, “Apocalyptic Teaching,” ed. Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 21.
The Olivet Discourse is
• The longest, most significant prophetic speech in the Gospels.
• Found in Matt 24:1–25:18; Mark 13:1–14:6; Luke 21:6–21:50.”
• In each Synoptic, it comes after the disciples’ question.
• In each Synoptic, the question comes after Jesus’ prophecy. [click]
John 20:20 - The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”
Herod’s work began in 20/19 B.C., and except for matters of detail and added adornment was completed within a decade. Those additional matters, however, occupied the Jews for almost all of the years between c. 10 B.C. and the outbreak of the revolt in A.D. 66, in part by design: Such labor provided jobs for many who would otherwise have been unemployed.
M. O. Wise, “Temple,” ed. Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1992), 812.
Still, it was rebuilt, and when Herod … came to build the structure whose beauty was proverbial throughout the Roman world, practically speaking it was the Temple of Zerubbabel that he tore down and replaced.
Wise, “Temple”, 812.
According to the Ritmyers’ recent study of the archeological remains, the Temple Mount retaining wall measured 1,590 [484m] feet on the west, 1,035 feet [315m] on the north, 1,536 feet [458m] on the east and 912 feet [277m] on the south; it thus approximated a rhomboid equivalent in area to thirty-five [US] football fields.
M. O. Wise, “Temple,” ed. Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 812.
Keener: In fact, some of these stones from the retaining wall still remain, and are rather conspicuous, most of them between two and five tons, but one, nearly forty feet long, is close to 400 tons.
Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009), 562.
The great Temple would be razed to the ground.
Conversations in the Bible are not necessarily verbatim.
Not literal, see last slide, to curtail accusations of “prophecy from the event.”
Occurred in AD 70 & documented by a non-Christian eyewitness (Flavius Josephus).
The single greatest verified prophecy in the Bible.
This prophecy would have been simply astonishing to the disciples. Luke expands it to all Jerusalem (Luke 21:24)
vaticinium ex eventu ("prophecy from the event“) // metaphoric allusion (Hag 2:15)?
Keener: Finally, those writing a retroactive prophecy after an event might be more likely to report the prophecy with literalistic accuracy rather than with hyperbole; some stones were left standing on others (Danker 1972: 198; Kaufman 1981: 115; cf. the language of Hag 2:15). In fact, some of these stones from the retaining wall still remain, and are rather conspicuous, most of them between two and five tons, but one, nearly forty feet long, is close to 400 tons. One “prophesying” after the event might have taken better account of the concrete evidence against one’s literal claim (Sanders 1993: 257).
Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009), 562.
1. (1) Now, as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be objects of their fury (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other such work to be done) Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne, and so much of the wall as enclosed the city on the west side. (2) This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison; as were the towers also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valor had subdued; (3) but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. (4) This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind.
Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), 750.
Sproul: Herod’s temple was magnificent, to say the least. The temple’s stones were as large as sixteen feet [[4.87m - jk]] long and eight feet [[2.43m - jk]] high. In the first century, if there was any building that seemed impregnable, it was the temple in Jerusalem. When Jesus made this prediction, the Jewish people would have considered Him either a lunatic or a prophet endowed with supernatural knowledge.
Sproul, R. C. Are These the Last Days? (Orlando, FL; Sanford, FL: Reformation Trust; Ligonier Ministries, 2014), 5.
Captured soon after Vespasian arrived in A.D. 67 to direct Roman efforts against the revolutionaries, Josephus became a collaborator with the Romans, serving as an interpreter during the siege of Jerusalem. In this Josephus was typical, as the Romans frequently preferred to entice conquered elites to act as their agents, granting in return positions of privilege. Josephus thereby earned the enmity of many Jews. After the war Josephus lived in Rome, where Vespasian granted him a pension and made him a Roman citizen (Josephus Life 76 §422–26).
David P. Nystrom, “Josephus,” ed. Ralph P. Martin and Peter H. Davids, Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), 599.
This prophecy would have been simply astonishing to the disciples.
That it was prophecy – actually going to happen – a singularly momentous event signalling the end of the Mosaic Covenant.
They all had similar questions – Mark mentions Peter, James and John. Why?
Two basic parts of one question – a literary composite question made up of the most important (significant) questions that Jesus answers! That is, the second part is there because Jesus didn’t answer the first, so he told them the next best thing to know about the destruction.
On the Mount of Olives (see Ezek 11:23), in private (seditious talk – Mark 14:55–59)?
