David

In Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, and Luke 12:5-6, Jesus tells His disciples (and maybe others) that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed.  They use the word buildings in the plural as the disciples discuss the beauty of the temple, so I believe they are referring to the entire temple complex and not just the main sanctuary.  Jesus spoke this sometime around 30 AD and the temple he was at was built by Herod the Great and completed not even 50 years earlier.  This same temple was later destroyed by the Roman general (and later emperor) Titus in 70 AD.  Keep in mind that this is not the first temple which is the one built by Solomon.

After Jesus told the disciples this they ask Him some questions.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tells us that they first asked the question “When will these things be?”  They are evidently asking when will the temple be destroyed.  As Jews the temple was integral to their religious life, in a way that I don’t understand not being in a similar situation.  It is not surprising then that they would want to know when this temple which is of such importance to them will be destroyed.

The second question recorded in these three Gospels is different in each one.  Matthew tells us that they asked “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”  Mark and Luke each tell us a roughly similar question; “What will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” and “What sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”

In Matthew they are asking two very different questions – one about the destruction of the temple and the other about the sign of Christ’s coming and the end of the age.  However considering the importance of the temple to them and that they ask them together there is obviously some correlation between the two questions in their mind.  Another possible reason that the disciples saw this correspondence is because at least Peter has already acknowledged that Christ is the Messiah.  I don’t know Jewish eschatology, but it seems likely that somehow having the Messiah would make another destroying of the temple different from previous incidents.  Jesus seems to confirm the correlation to some degree by giving one answer.  It is a long answer, but there is no clear division between one question and the other.

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