“Your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:38). And Jesus accompanied by the twelve, left the temple. He had made his last appeal. He had spoken his last warning to the nation and its leaders.
As they were leaving, one of the apostles, Peter probably (see Notes), less oppressed by the solemnity of the occasion than he should have been, enthusiastically (or perhaps in an effort to persuade his Lord to go back on his sombre pronouncement) drew attention to some of the impressive features of that noble assembly of buildings: “Master, see what manner of stones, and what buildings!” Matthew’s text seems to carry the idea: ‘You ask me to look and admire. Instead I ask you to look and lament.’
There was some excuse for pride. For nearly fifty years (John 2:20) royal revenue and national effort had combined to make this temple the most majestic erection in the world. It had double cloisters, profuse ornamentation of red and white marble, great monolithic columns, and elegant decorations such as the great candelabrum and the golden vine, provided by Herod, which had bunches of grapes as tall as a man. Since the temple was still unfinished, it is not unlikely that there were some recent additions calling forth special admiration.
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Author: Harry Whittaker
Keywords: Olivet, Olivet prophect, Mount Olivet, Mount of Olives, end of the age, return of Jesus, return of Christ
Bible reference(s): Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21
Source: Studies in the Gospels.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.