Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 24:1-2

"And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way; and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. But he answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." — Matthew 24:1-2 (ASV)

The King, having finished His final discourse in the temple, left it, never to return. Jesus went out and departed from the temple. His ministry there was ended. As His disciples moved away with Him towards the Mount of Olives, they called His attention to the great stones of which the temple was constructed and the costly adornments of the beautiful building. To them the appearance was glorious, but to their Lord it was a sad sight.

His Father’s house, which ought to have been a house of prayer for all nations, had become a den of thieves and would soon be utterly destroyed. Jesus said to them, “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Josephus tells us that Titus at first tried to save the temple, even after it was set on fire, but his efforts were of no avail, and at last he gave orders that the whole city and temple should be levelled, except a small portion reserved for the garrison. This was so thoroughly done that the historian says that “There was left nothing to make those that came there believe it had ever been inhabited.”

We sometimes delight in the temporal prosperity of the Church as if it were something that must certainly endure, but all that is external will pass away or be destroyed. Let us only reckon that to be substantial which comes from God and is God’s work. “The things which are seen are temporal.”

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciple came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

The King, having finished his first discourse in the temple, left it, never to return: Jesus went out, and departed from the temple.

His ministry there was ended. As his disciples moved away with him towards the Mount of Olives, they called his attention to the great stones of which the temple was constructed, and the costly adornments of the beautiful building. To them the appearance was glorious; but to their Lord it was a sad sight. His Father's house, which ought to have been a house of prayer for all nations, had become a den of thieves, and soon would be utterly destroyed: Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Josephus tells us that Titus at first tried to save the temple, even after it was set on fire, but his efforts were of no avail; and at last he gave orders that the whole city and temple should be leveled, except a small portion reserved for the garrison.

This was so thoroughly done that the historian says that there was nothing to make those that came there believe it had ever been inhabited. We sometimes delight in the temporal prosperity of the Church as if it were something that must certainly endure; but all that is external will pass away or be destroyed. Let us only reckon that to be substantial which comes from God, and is God's work. The things which are seen are temporal.