DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE
Opening Prayer
Thank you, Lord God, for your guidance and protection, even when I don’t sense your presence.
Read LUKE 21:5–24
Jesus Tells of the House of God
5 Some people were talking about the house of God. They were saying that the stones were beautiful and that many gifts had been given. Jesus said, 6 “As for these things you see, all these stones will be thrown down. Not one will be left on another.” 7 They asked Jesus, “Teacher, when will this take place? What are we to look for to show us these things are about to happen?” 8 He said, “Be careful that no one leads you the wrong way. For many people will come in My name. They will say, ‘I am the Christ.’ The time is near. Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and fighting in different places, do not be afraid. These things have to happen first, but the end is not yet.”
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Nations will have wars with other nations. Countries will fight against countries. 11 The earth will shake and break apart in different places. There will be no food. There will be bad diseases among many people. Very special things will be seen in the sky that will make people much afraid.
12 “But before all this happens, men will take hold of you and make it very hard for you. They will give you over to the places of worship and to the prisons. They will bring you in front of kings and the leaders of the people. This will all be done to you because of Me. 13 This will be a time for you to tell about Me. 14 Do not think about what you will say ahead of time. 15 For I will give you wisdom in what to say and I will help you say it. Those who are against you will not be able to stop you or say you are wrong.
16 “You will be handed over by your parents and your brothers and your family and your friends. They will kill some of you. 17 All men will hate you because of Me. 18 Yet not one hair of your head will be lost. 19 But stay true and your souls will have life.
Days of Trouble and Pain and Sorrow
20 “When you see armies all around Jerusalem, know that it will soon be destroyed. 21 Those in the country of Judea must run to the mountains. Those in the city must leave at once. Those in the country must not go into the city. 22 People will be punished in these hard days. All things will happen as it is written.
23 “It will be hard for women who will soon be mothers. It will be hard for those feeding babies in those days. It will be very hard for the people in the land and anger will be brought down on them. 24 People will be killed by the sword. They will be held in prison by all nations. Jerusalem will be walked over by the people who are not Jews until their time is finished.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
Outward beauty may please our eyes, but inner beauty shines brightest.
Think Further
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London, and the Petronas Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur are examples of city symbols today. In the first century, the temple of Jerusalem was the icon of the city. Every pilgrim to Jerusalem was deeply impressed by it. However, Jesus was not impressed by what he saw there. On the day after he entered Jerusalem, he cleansed the temple.1 Later on, the disciples commented about the beauty of the temple, leading Jesus to predict its destruction (v. 6).
The destruction of the first temple by the Babylonians was etched in the culture of the Jews in the first century. None of them could comprehend how God would allow this to happen again. Jesus then explained to the disciples the signs of when the temple might be destroyed (vv. 8–24). There would be false prophets, wars, and persecution (vv. 9–18). The exhortation to ‘Watch out’ and ‘Stand firm’ (vv. 8, 19) emphasizes how much Jesus wanted the disciples to be prepared for the disaster and not to be caught unaware and be led astray.
In 70 AD, the temple was destroyed by the Roman armies. Today, on the western edge of the platform of the temple, huge stones that were thrown down during the destruction are still visible—truly ‘not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down’ (v. 6).
The warnings of Jesus speak to us today. As we look at the external beauty of our lives, we may think that all is well with us but, if we are honest with ourselves as we take a hard look deep within, what will we find? Are we like those religious leaders during the time of Jesus who refused to repent of their sins? Or are we prepared to keep watch and stand firm at all times?
Apply
May we examine our lives so that we will not drop our guard and be complacent.
Closing prayer
Loving Savior, help me to live a life of faith, of truth, and expectancy. Thank you that you have given me all that I need to be obedient and pleasing to you as I wait for your return.
1 Luke 19:45, 46
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