Matthew 24:1

Jesus went out. [Signs of Christ’s Return, Matt. 24:1-51=Mark 13:1-37=Luke 21:5-38. Major comment: Matthew. See Closing Ministry at Jerusalem; Passion Week.] Probably late Tuesday afternoon. Jesus had spent the day teaching in the Temple courts, and had been assailed repeatedly by group after group of the Jewish leaders. Finally, in His last public discourse (ch. 23), He delineated in unmistakable terms the hypocritical character of these “blind guides” (v. 16), and then departed from the Temple courts forever. Matthew’s report of the events of this day are recorded in chs. 21:23 to 23:39. The discourse given privately to some of the disciples on the slope of the Mount of Olives occupies all of chs. 24; 25. Mark and Luke parallel the account in Matthew as far as ch. 24:42.

Leaving the Temple, Jesus and at least four of His disciples made a steep descent to the Kidron Valley, and ascended the slope of the Mount of Olives, which rises some 400 ft. (c. 122 m.) above the Kidron Valley. Being about 300 ft. (c. 91 m.) higher than the Temple, the mountain provides a view of the Temple and the city. See on ch. 21:1; see illustration facing p. 513.

His disciples. Mark (ch. 13:3) identifies these disciples as Peter and Andrew, James and John — the four who had been called from their nets by the shores of Galilee less than two years before (see on Luke 5:1-11).

To shew him. Mark alone gives the words of the disciples, “Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” (ch. 13:1). The Temple was the pride and joy of every Jewish heart. Josephus compares the white stone walls of the Temple to the beauty of a snow-covered mountain (War v. 5.6 [223]), and gives the fabulous size of some of its stones — 45 by 5 by 6 cubits (about 66 by 7 by 9 ft., or 20 by 2.1 by 2.7 m.). The Temple had now been in process of construction for nearly 50 years (see John 2:20), and work on the entire complex of courts and buildings was not completed until about the year A.D. 63 — only seven years before it was totally destroyed by the army of Titus.