And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him: Master, behold what manner of stones and what buildings are here.
και εκπορευομενου αυτου εκ του ιερου λεγει αυτω εις των μαθητων αυτου διδασκαλε ιδε ποταποι λιθοι και ποταπαι οικοδομαι
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The Lord had often mentioned the devastation of Jerusalem, as seen in the statement, ‘your house is left unto you desolate,’ (Matt. 23:38). The disciples were astonished that such an impressive and magnificent structure could come to ruin, prompting them to point out the remarkable beauty of the temple to Him.
Who is unaware of the way Israel thrived in ancient times amidst all the kingdoms of the world? What splendid royal palaces stood in Jerusalem! What fortifications and towers! What an awe-inspiring structure was the temple! The disciples of Christ recognized this as truly remarkable, and, marveling at the sights before them, as the Gospel records, they sought to draw the Lord’s attention, inquiring, “Look at these buildings and works.” However, the Lord, addressing those who were captivated by their present grandeur, revealed the foretold desolation and ruin of these splendid places, warning that soon there would be nothing left for them to behold.
Even during His own suffering, the women followed Him, mourning the miscarriage of justice against Him, for they were unaware of the future restoration of the house. But the Lord admonished them to refrain from lamenting over His tribulations, as they were not deserving of tears. Instead, He urged them to reserve their weeping until the moment that truly warranted grief, when the city would be surrounded by adversaries and the suffering would become so severe that those who had not yet given birth would be deemed fortunate. In this, He alluded to the horrific circumstance of consuming their own children, saying that in those days, the womb that was barren would rejoice (Luke 23:29).
And where are those royal residences now? Where is the temple? Where are the walls? Where are the watchtowers? Where is the kingdom of Israel? Scattered here and there, the Israelites now inhabit all corners of the earth. With the collapse of all this, the royal palaces lay in ruins. It seems to me that the Lord forewarned concerning these events, not merely to recount what would inevitably happen, knowing the hearers would learn through experience without divine forewarning. Rather, it served to strengthen their faith in the profound truths that He imparted. For the manifestation of one truth serves as evidence for another. If a farmer speaks on the efficacy of seeds, an inexperienced listener may doubt; yet, if the farmer demonstrates the vitality of just one seed from the measure, it stands as a testimony to the efficacy of all. Once a person witnesses a single grain of wheat, barley, or any other seed planted in the soil producing stalks, they will no longer doubt the potential of the others, bolstered by that one example.
This warning (Matt. 23:37-39) deeply affected the disciples, who accepted its truth yet felt a burden for Jerusalem and struggled to reconcile it with their expectations of the Messiah's reign. Upon leaving the temple, as they admired its grandeur visible from the Mount of Olives, the Lord disclosed to them that all of its magnificence would be completely destroyed. Curious to learn more, the disciples later approached Him alone on the Mount of Olives to inquire about the timing of this catastrophic event.
Given that they had not witnessed the inauguration of the Messiah's kingdom as anticipated, and because they saw no indications of the end of the current order— which, according to Jewish belief, would be completely transformed with the arrival of the Messiah— they collectively asked about the signs that would reveal when His kingdom would commence and when the end of the age would arrive.
The Evangelists Matthew and Mark distinctly outline the time and place of the event: it occurred while Jesus Christ was departing from the temple with His disciples on a Tuesday. In contrast, Luke merely mentions the context of Christ's discourse. This discourse was framed by Jesus concluding His condemnation of the Pharisees and scribes, warning of the temple in Jerusalem being abandoned by Him and foretelling its destruction (Matt. 23:38). This proclamation not only troubled the disciples, who revered Jehovah and His dwelling, but also left them baffled: how could the eternal stones of the temple be brought to ruin (Mk. Lk.)? They marveled at how its magnificent structures, esteemed around the world (Mt. Mk.), secured by abundant resources (Lk.), could face such devastation.
Distressed and confused, they (Mk. one of the disciples, Lk. some of them) appealed to the Lord, urging Him to appreciate the temple's beauty and splendor, questioning whether all of it must come to an end. In reply, Christ predicted the complete destruction and obliteration of the temple. Later, when Christ and the twelve disciples reached the Mount of Olives, He withdrew with them from the crowds. There, Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mk.) inquired, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?” (Mt.) This inquiry illustrates that the disciples had such a profound understanding rooted in the Old Testament that they believed the fall of Jerusalem signified the end of the world. They also associated this event with the second, glorious return of Christ, possibly drawing from His prior statements (Matt. 23:38-39), in which He, after predicting the temple's desolation, simultaneously assured of His future glorious manifestation to those forsaken.
As Jesus departed from the temple and approached the Mount of Olives, His disciples accompanied Him, deeply affected by the events of the day. Their hearts were still anchored in their Jewish aspirations for the glorious reign of the Messiah and their hoped-for significance within that kingdom. They anticipated the imminent establishment of this kingdom. However, the day’s occurrences had left them on the brink of disillusionment. Jesus’ sharp rebuke of the Pharisees and the spiritual leaders was a last effort to inspire repentance, yet it seemed to further harden their sinful hearts. The very crowd that had hailed Him as the Messiah just days earlier had turned indifferent upon hearing of His impending crucifixion.
The disciples were warned of impending trials: they would face persecution, and some would even meet death by crucifixion. Moreover, the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, a source of pride for the faithful, was prophesied to fall into ruin, and their Lord, Jesus, would no longer walk among them until the culmination of history. Questions swirled in their minds regarding the establishment of the anticipated Messianic kingdom; could it truly come to pass amidst so many foretellings? Would it not coincide with the culmination of the age and Jesus’ glorious return? Though they struggled to make sense of their confusion, they could not bear the weight of their despair in silence and felt compelled to speak privately with their Master. One of the apostles directed Jesus' gaze to the grandeur of the temple, exclaiming, "Look at these stones and buildings! Will all this truly be destroyed?" Meanwhile, the other apostles engaged in discussions about enhancing the temple with precious stones and costly offerings, expressing their sorrow for the structure and longing for uplifting words regarding its future.
Finally, the Savior exited the temple; however, the disciples were reluctant to leave the Old Testament temple, grappling with an unclear grasp of the prophecy recently pronounced. Despite their subconscious recognition of its daunting reality, they felt a sense of compassion and once again urged their Master to consider the temple, almost as if seeking to reaffirm the prophecy concerning its destiny. Christ responded succinctly to the disciple who spoke, saying, "See these great buildings? All these will be destroyed, so that not one stone will be left upon another." Following this definitive proclamation, there was no room for misunderstanding regarding the prophecy, and the disciples, weighed down by profound thoughts, followed their Master out of the temple.
The context for this profound prophetic dialogue from the Lord is provided in the Gospel of Mark. It is noted that this remarkable prophetic exchange is recounted with greater frequency in Mark than in Matthew. The Gospel of Matthew presents an overview in which the disciples highlight the splendor of the temple structures, leading to their inquiry on the Mount of Olives regarding the timing of the prophecy concerning their destruction. Mark, however, details that not all of the Lord's disciples engaged in this conversation. Initially, one disciple drew attention to the temple's buildings, followed by four of His closest disciples who sought to understand the timeline for the prophecy's fulfillment, thus prompting this elevated and majestic discourse from the Lord.
The evangelists are not in conflict; rather, one provides a more specific account than the other, who speaks more generally.
Considering that the Apostle Andrew is mentioned alongside three of the Lord's most trusted followers, it is reasonable to speculate that it was he who pointed out the magnificence of the temple structures. The phrase “What stones” underscores the extraordinary nature of the temple's construction, as described by Flavius, with stones measuring approximately 25 cubits in length, 12 in breadth, and 8 in thickness. The sheer scale of these stones might lead one to believe such a monument could endure for centuries, making the concept of its destruction a challenging notion to accept.
The term “And what buildings” aligns with Matthew 23:1. The inquiry “When these things shall be—when all these things shall be accomplished” receives a more definitive expression in Matthew, thereby drawing attention to their individual implications as indicated by Mark. Specifically, “when these things shall be” pertains to the desolation of Jerusalem, while “when all these things shall be accomplished” refers to the second coming of Christ and the end of the age, inquiring about the signs that would indicate these events.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 19 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS