Event · New Testament

The Olivet discourse

Also known as The sermon on the Mount of Olives

After leaving the temple, Jesus told His disciples that not one stone of it would be left on another. Seated on the Mount of Olives, He answered their questions about when this would happen and about His coming, warning of deception and persecution, describing the coming of the Son of Man, and calling them to stay awake and ready.

Why it matters. The discourse ties the judgment on Jerusalem to the hope of Christ's return, and its call to watchfulness leads straight into the night of the Passion.

Primary passages

• Matthew 24:1-14
• Mark 13:24-37

Dates

AD 30 to 33 (approximate) (medium confidence, Passover week of the crucifixion under Pontius Pilate; AD 30 and AD 33 are the leading proposals)

The event belongs to the final week before the crucifixion, which is dated to AD 30 or AD 33 on calendrical grounds. FaithGraph records the range and does not choose.

Witnesses

• Matthew 24:1-25:46
• Mark 13:1-37
• Luke 21:5-36

Chronology confidence: medium

Delivered on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple after Jesus foretold its destruction. All three Synoptics record it; Matthew adds the parables of the ten virgins, the talents, and the sheep and goats. Christians differ on how far the discourse refers to the temple's fall in AD 70 and how far to the return of Christ; FaithGraph describes the passage and notes the debate.

Last reviewed

2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team