Mt 17:20 and 21:21 What mountain?

Post by **_Benjamin Ho** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:13 am

20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Mt 17:20

21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
Mt 21:21

Hi Steve,

I've heard your commentary on Mt 21:21 where you suggested that "this mountain" referred to Jerusalem/Mt Zion.

What mountain, if any, is being referred to in Mt 17:20? Some options I can think of are the same mountain as in Mt 21:21 (i.e. Old Covenant as represented by Jerusalem/Mt Zion), the Mount of transfiguration (used as an example for moutain-moving faith), or Satan's demonic kingdom (according to the context of the disciples' question).