What does it mean that "your house is left to you desolate" (Matthew 23:38)?

Just before His death, the Lord wept over Jerusalem, saying, "Your house is left unto you desolate" (Mt.23:38). Notice He called it "your house." Later when shown the buildings of the temple, He told His disciples, "Not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Mt.24:1‑2). Before long this prophecy was fulfilled. Because Israel rejected the Lord of glory, their house was left desolate.

Another proof of the above principle is found in the Lord's attitude, during His life, towards the temple at Jerusalem. The Jews had profaned it in many ways — made it a house of merchandise (John 2) and a den of thieves (Matt. 21), but He still called it His Father's house; and He continued to recognize it as such, until, finally judging it, He said, "Your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Matt. 23:38-39.) And immediately we read that "Jesus went out, and departed from the temple." Until that moment, spite of the abuses and corruptions that had grown up around it, He had borne with His people, and regarded the temple as His Father's house; but now, having judged it and them, the house was desolated by His own departure from it. In the same way — whatever the unfaithfulness of His servants, and however indeed they may corrupt the temple of God — He waits in His long-suffering and grace before He pronounces judgment upon it; and, as also in the case of the Jewish temple, He still treats it as God's house on the earth.

Jerusalem boasted of the beautiful house which was in the midst of her. Jesus had spoken of it earlier as "My Father's house," now He disowns it as "your house," and He leaves it to them desolate and empty. Jerusalem had missed her opportunity, and soon would not see her Messiah until the cry of Psalm 118:26 is heard, which proceeds, "out of the house of the Lord." That cry will not be heard on the lips of Jerusalem until the day of His second advent.

When the Lord Jesus was on earth, at the beginning of His public ministry, He owned the temple as His Father's House (John 2:16), even if 'He had to cleanse it, though in a different manner from Hezekiah (2 Chr. 29:5). Even towards the close of His life on earth, the Lord Jesus, in spite of all the hypocrisy and evil, speaks of the temple as "My House"; but when mourning over the city of Jerusalem, He says, "Your house is left unto you desolate" (Matt. 21:13; 23:38). Although having the name of God's house, the temple had lost its true character, both on account of what was allowed and because of the rejection of the Son of God.

"And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple." For what was it now? A corpse, and no more. "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."* "And His disciples came to Him for to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down" (vers. 1, 2). The hearts of the disciples then, as too often now, were occupied with the present appearances, and the great show of grandeur in God's service; the halo of associations was bright before their eyes. But Jesus passes sentence on all that even they admired on earth. In truth, when He left the temple, all was gone which gave it value in the sight of God. Outside Jesus, what is there in this world but vain show or worse? And how does the Lord deliver His own from the power of tradition and every other source of attraction for the heart? He opens out the communications of His own mind, and casts the light of the future on the present. How often worldliness unjudged in a Christian's heart betrays itself by want of relish for God's unfolding of what He is going to do! How can I enjoy the coming of the Lord if it is to throw down much that I am seeking to build up in the world? A man, for instance, may be trying to gain or keep a status by his ability, and hoping that his sons may outstrip himself by the superior advantages they enjoy. On some such idea is founded all human greatness; it is "the world," in fact. Christ's coming again is a truth which demolishes the whole fabric; because, if we really look for His coming as that which may be from day to day — if we realize that we are set like servants at the door with the handle in hand, waiting for Him to knock (we know not how soon), and desiring to open to Him immediately ("Blessed are those servants!") — if such is our attitude, how can we have time or heart for that which occupies the busy Christ-forgetting world? Moreover, we are not of the world, even as Christ is not; and as for means and agents to carry on its plans, the world will never be in lack of men to do its work. But we have a higher business, and it is beneath us to seek the honours of the world that rejects our Lord. Let our outward position be ever so menial or trying, what so glorious as in it to serve our Lord Christ? And He is coming.

Notice that this discourse is not a casual incident in the ministry of Christ, not a mere denunciation of hypocrisy, however vile that may be. It is the Christ's terminal testimony in the midst of Israel. The solemn conclusion of His three years' ministry was the judicial sentence, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." And Jesus went out and was going away. But the disciples, not perceiving the inward meaning of the Lord's words and action, came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. Their hearts were attached to the earthly system of which it was the centre. But a temple, however splendid, is of no value when its God is disowned; and Jehovah was there in the person of Jesus, not known, not recognised by the nation; or if recognised, rejected. He leaves the temple with sorrow, and desolate indeed is that which Jehovah forsakes. The Lord's reply then, when His attention was drawn to the magnificence of the buildings, was, "See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Israel of old was distinguished from all nations by the fact that God's house was in their midst. There God dwelt. From that house praise was to ascend to God, and testimony flow out to the world. That house was material — “a house … made with hands”. Men, as we know, corrupted the house, turning the house of praise into a house of merchandise and a den of thieves. The Father's house was turned into the house of corrupt Israel, and, as such, God forsook the house, leaving it desolate, to be thrown down by the Gentiles, so that not a stone was left upon a stone (Matthew 23:38; Matthew 24:2).

The temple, exceedingly magnifical, was left desolate (Matt. 23:38). Though the priests were very busy, all was hollow, the substance was gone; but in the upper room (Acts 2:2) the Spirit was the glory. A wretched place comparatively, but the scene of the divine presence. The dove had its home there.

Neither Solomon personally nor his family nor his subjects fulfilled the conditions God set down, so that eventually God withdrew from the temple. Ezekiel records the glory departing in stages (Ezek.8:4; 9:3; 10:18; 11:23). God did bear long with Israel's disobedience, but eventually, as the Lord Jesus said, "Your house is left to you desolate" (Mt.23:38). This was solemnly finalized when the Lord Jesus, the Son over God's house, was rejected and crucified. What could the temple be without its Lord?

However, the Lord's words are not all solemn, stern denunciation. He heart expands in tenderest concern in verse 37, while declaring the fact of Jerusalem's stoning and killing the prophets. His Godhead glory again shines out in His words, "How often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" As the glory of God departed from the temple in Ezekiel's day (Ez.11:23), so that glory would now depart in the person of their true Messiah, for He was about to be crucified. This would leave their house ( not now called God's house) desolate.