Matthew 24:1-3 Signs of Christ’s Return

Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”

When Jesus said that the temple would be thrown down, it was a prophetic reference to the destruction of the temple that would occur in AD 70. The temple was the center of Jewish life, so they felt that surely this would be a sign of the end. Earlier in this gospel, Jesus told the temple leaders that the temple would be torn down and raised up in three days. He was referring to himself as the temple who would be crucified and raised from the dead on the third day. New Testament theology recognizes the believer as the temple for the Holy Spirit and this temple is not made of stone, but of flesh, which is the sign for the New Covenant where God’s Law would be written on our hearts and not on tablets of stone.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, let us always be preparing and watching for your return. Let us not grow complacent in our time of waiting, but awaiting You as our blessed hope, and seeking to see you face to face again. In Your holy name I pray Amen.