Matthew 24:1 - 2

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The passage recorded in chapter 23 took place in the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews were very proud of the architecture of this building. It had taken 46 years to build this temple, it is not the temple built by Solomon, or the temple which was built during the reconstruction of Jerusalem at the end of the seventy years of captivity. This temple was called Herod's temple and the time to build it is mentioned in John 2:20.

Jesus' disciples called to his attention the wonderful appearance of the architecture of the temple.

Jesus uses this opportunity to make an important prediction. He made the statement none of the stones of the buildings would remain erected on each other. Luke in his gospel gives a more detailed account of the disaster.

Luke 19:43 – 44 (43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”)

Jesus had warned the Jews about the consequences of not accepting His kingdom, the fact they would kill and persecute the righteous individuals who would be spreading the gospel and setting up the kingdom. It is for this reason the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed after the Jews rebellion against Caesar.