Stones to be Thrown Down

From: Messages of God's Love: 1944

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Mark 13:1-4¹And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! ²And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. ³And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? (Mark 13:1‑4)

As Jesus and the disciples were leaving the Temple, one of them said to Him,

“Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

The Temple building then was not the one for which King David provided the beautiful stones (1 Chron. 29:2²Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. (1 Chronicles 29:2)), but it was built on the same site with very large stones; there were porches with high pillars, and no doubt was a beautiful building.

But even the disciples did not seem to understand that those great stones and all inside, were not meant simply to be admired, but to teach all who looked at the Temple, that the Lord of all the earth was to be honored there. The stones taught of His wisdom and power for He had created them.

But most of all, God had said He would meet with His people there, and speak with them. They could come there in sorrow or joy and pray to Him; even a stranger, one of another nation, could come there to pray, or if the people were in trouble in a far land, they were to pray with their faces toward the Temple. (2 Chron. 6:5,29,32,38⁵Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel: (2 Chronicles 6:5)
²⁹Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house: (2 Chronicles 6:29)
³²Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; (2 Chronicles 6:32)
³⁸If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: (2 Chronicles 6:38); Dan. 6:10¹⁰Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. (Daniel 6:10)).

It was there that the scrolls of the Scriptures were kept and copied, and read to the people, and where they praised God with music.

Sacrifices of animals could be offered no other place and all the men of the nation were to go there three times a year to feasts (Deut. 12:13,14¹³Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: ¹⁴But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee. (Deuteronomy 12:13‑14); Deut. 16:16¹⁶Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: (Deuteronomy 16:16)).

So no matter how far away people of Israel lived, the Temple, or House of God in Jerusalem, was the most important place on earth to them. And we can understand the sorrow of the disciples when Jesus said to them,

“Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

When God sent His Son Jesus to that nation, as the prophets had said. He came to the Temple (Mal. 3:1¹Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)), and must have been there many times. He told them God’s words, and that He was from God, and proved be His wisdom and miracles that He was the promised Messiah. Yet the leaders would not believe Him, and were soon to have Him put to death.

That was why the great Temple would be broken down. The Lord Jesus fulfilled in His death all the sacrifices, and those who trust Him, come to God by Him (Heb. 9:14¹⁴How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)).

It is not written that Jesus told the disciples when the Temple would be destroyed, only that it surely would take place. After His return to Heaven the disciples went to the Temple to speak to people. The last mention of the building was when Paul was there (Acts 21:30³⁰And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. (Acts 21:30)). But from history by men, we know that Temple was entirely broken down in battle in A. D., and many people made slaves. That was about 35 years after Jesus said those words.

The Jewish people have never since had a temple in Jerusalem. The building now on that hill is in honor to a false prophet and called the Mosque of Omar.

ML 06/25/1944

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