MATT. XXIV. be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him under MARK Xiii. no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak 10 ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12 Now, the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son: and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 9 13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my 13 name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 13 15 14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him nor resist. LUKE XXI. 90 And when ye shall see Jerusalem com 11; where the abomination that maketh desolate," or, as the Septuagint renders it, before, what ye shall answer. 15 For I will" the abomination of desolations," is expressgive you a mouth and wisdom, which all ly connected with the desolation of the temyour adversaries shall not be able to gainsay ple and city. Josephus says, (Ant. x. c. xi. 16 And ye shall be betrayed both 7,) that Daniel here foretold the desolation by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and of his country by the Romans, as well as by friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17 And ye shall be hated of Antiochus Epiphanes; and such was probaall men for my name's sake. 18 But there bly the general opinion of the Jews. The shall not a hair of your head perish. 19 In Roman armies were an abomination to the your patience possess ye your souls. Jews, for they were idolaters, and carried with them the ensigns as well as the rites of idolatry; that they also made desolate, needs not be shown. -standing in the holy place;] not in the city itself, but on the ground immediately "compassing' " it, (see Luke,) which also was regarded as holy. Jerusalem was accordingly besieged by the Roman general, Cestius Gallus, in Oct. A. D. 66, who even penetrated into the lower town, and might then, says Josephus, have taken the whole city, had he persevered. But, apprehending treachery, and insidiously dissuaded by some of his officers, he suddenly retreated, to the astonishment of the Jews themselves, (J. War, ii. c. xix. 6-9.) Thus, Jerusalem was spared nearly four years longer, and abundant opportunity afforded the Christians to flee from the city and country; and this was probably the time of their flight, mentioned by Eusebius; (see notes on ver. 13.) by the New Testament writers, and Jewish authors of their day, to a large part merely of the world then known, to the extent of the Roman empire, &c.*. Notwithstanding the scantiness of ecclesiastical records of that age, enough remain to show that, before the destruction of Jerusalem, the gospel was actually preached in almost every province of the Roman empire, and in some countries to the east of it. and then shall the end come,] of which the disciples had inquired, (ver. 3,) the end of Jerusalem and of the Jewish nation. Ver. 15. In this verse, Christ advertises them of the particular event which should betoken the near approach of that end, and be the signal for them to flee. Substituting the plainer language of Luke, for the obscurer expressions of Matthew and Mark, it was when they should "see Jerusalem compassed with armies."—the abomination of desolation] was accordingly, the Roman armies.- -spoken of by Daniel] see Dan. ix. 27; xi. 31; xii. It is the word used in Luke ii. 1,-" There went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed;" where in can, of course, include no more than the Roman empire. It is used also in Acts xi. 28; xix. 27; xxiv. 5; where it must be taken with equal, and sometimes even more, restriction. Josephus repeatedly uses it, when he means to include only the extent of an empire, and some times merely of a province: see Ant. viii. c. xiii 4 where he says that Ahab sent persons over all the world to discover the prophet Elijah; he also makes Obadiah to remind the prophet that the king had sought for him over all the world; though it is evident, from the nature of the case, that no more is meant than the neighbouring countries. Ver. 16. —them which be in Judea, &c. ;] not only those that should be in Jerusalem, but all the Christians in Judea, were then to flee, as it appears from Eusebius (see notes to ver. 13) they actually did. Josephus says that many of the most eminent Jews now when it was going to sink." swam away from the city, as from a ship (J. War, ii. c. xx. 1, and c. xix. 6.) From this time till the overthrow of the city, the whole country lay in all the horrors of a bloody anarchy; (see notes to ver. 21.) Ver. 17, 18. Strong, hyperbolic expressions, urging them to be instant in their flight. let him which is on the house-top not 135 MATT. XXIV. MATT. XXIV. return back to take his clothes. 19 And of the world to this time, no, nor ever woe unto them that are with child, and shall be. 22 And except those days to them that give suck in those days! should be shortened, there should no flesh 20 But pray ye that your flight be not be saved: but for the elect's sake, those in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-days shall be shortened. day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning come down, &c.,] but hasten away. The houses of the Jews, like those in the same country at the present day, had flat roofs, on which the inhabitants spent much of their time; and as these roofs were often connected, they afforded a communication from one part of the city, or village, to another.- his clothes;] properly his tunic or robe,-a loose, flowing garment thrown over the other dress, but laid aside in the labours of the field. Ver. 19, 20. -woe unto them that, &c.,] because their condition would be am impedíment to their flight, and expose them to peculiar distress in the general commotion. that your flight be not in the winter,] when subsistence would be difficult. Snow often falls in the hill-country of Palestine, and the cold is sometimes so great as to endanger life. -neither on the Sabbath-day,] when the traditions of the Jews did not allow them to travel more than about two thirds of a mile, except on extraordinary occasions; nor even then, without many hindrances. Ver. 21. For then, &c. ;] i. e. from that time onwards, till the actual destruction of the city; for this, it is said, in verse 29, was to take place "immediately after the tribulation," &c. If the compassing of Jerusalem by armies, (ver. 15,) was the attack made by Cestius, (A. D. 66,) this "tribulation," it would seem from the order of the prophecy, must have been in the four following years, including the final siege of the city, and ending with its capture, Ă. D. 70. At any rate, the whole of this period was one of indescribable distress, with the Jews; Galilee and Samaria ravaged by Vespasian, (A. D. 67,) and nearly 100,000 of the inhabitants put to the sword, so that many villages were utterly depopulated; Perea invaded and conquered, (A. D. 68;) and, more wretched than all, Judea, under a reign of terror surpassing even at of the French revolution, was invaded by MARK Xiii. the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 20 And except that the Lord had shortened 22 those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. LUKE XXI. the house, let him not come down to take it 18 away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.] the Idumeans from without, distracted with the fiercest, bloodiest factions within, overrun by immense hordes of robbers and murderers, (A. D. 67, 68,) who openly committed their massacres in the very streets of the cities and villages; and, at length, the country subdued by Vespasian, in A. D. 69. Then came the siege of Jerusalem, with its unequalled horrors. From March, A. D. 70, to the following September, multitudes without number, who had come up to the feast of the Passover, were caged within the narrow circuit of the walls, butchered by the swords of the mad factions within, as well as of the Romans without; or wasting away under a famine that at length drove mothers to devour their own children. More than one million perished in the siege and capture of the city. (J. War, b. ii. c. xx. to b. vi. c. ix.) Josephus says, "It appears to me that the misfortunes of all men, from the beginning of time, sink in comparison with those of the Jews." "Neither did any other city ever suffer such misery, nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness." (J. War. Pref. 4, v. c. x. 5.) from the beginning of the world.] World,-kosmos. Ver. 22. Had not this tribulation been brought to a speedy end, all the inhabitants, Christians who had fled to the mountains, as well as Jews who remained behind, must have perished by famine or slaughter; as will be evident to every reader of Josephus. for the elect's sake,] the believers, who are so often, in the New Testament, called the elect, or chosen. those days shall be shortened.] Accordingly, the Jews themselves madly hastened the end of the struggle, by their mutual slaughters and devastations. After the unexpected retreat of Cestius, “there were disorders and civil wars in every city; and all those that were at quiet from the Romans, turned their hands one against another." J. War, iv. c. iii. 2.) While Titus was advancing to Jerusalem, the three factions within the city were daily butchering each other, and burning the store-houses of provisions; "as if," says Josephus, they had done it on purpose to serve the Romans, [Parallel with ver. 23, 26, 27, 28, of 23-26 Matt. is Luke xvii. 23, 24, 37. 3 And they shall say to you, See here! or, See there! 27 go not after them, nor follow them. 24 For as the lightning that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so also shall the .... MATT. XXIV. unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. MARK Xiii. even the elect. 23 But take ye heed: behold 25 I have foretold you all things. 24 But in those days, after that tribulation, 29 the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. 25 And the stars of LUKE XXI. Son of man be in his day. 25 But first must the siege of Jerusalem, (A. D. 70,) a false by destroying what the city had laid up prophet persuaded the people that "God against the siege, and by thus cutting off the commanded them to ascend the temple, and nerves of their own power. So they that they should receive signs of their deliwere taken by means of the famine, which it verance;" but the temple was burned that was impossible they should have been, unless very day, and all his followers perished. they had prepared the way for it by this pro- Josephus also says, that, in the siege, "there cedure." (War, v. c. i. 4.) They continued was a great number of false prophets subornthis work of self-destruction, even during the ed by the tyrants to impose on the people, siege, slaying great numbers, and burning who announced to them that they should wait entire streets. (J. War, v. c. iii-vi.) Final- for deliverance from God; and this was in ly, they deserted their strong holds; so that order to keep them from deserting." (War, when Titus took the city, and beheld the vi. c. v. 1, 2.) One reason why these prestrength of its fortifications, he exclaimed, tended deliverers, or Messiahs, were so readi "We certainly have had God for our assistant ly believed, was, the strong persuasion among in this war, and it was no other than God the Jews at this time, that their Messiah was who drove the Jews out of these fortifications; then to appear. (Jos. War, vi. c. v. 4.) for what could the hands of men, or any ma--if possible, they shall deceive the very clect.] chines, do towards overthrowing these tow-There was no natural impossibility of their ers!" (J. War, vi. c. ix. 1.) Ver. 23. Then,] in the time of that tribulation; or, perhaps, reverting indefinitely to the whole period thus far described, as preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. deceiving the Christians; otherwise Christ would not have taken so much care to forewarn his disciples. He "foretold" them, in order to secure them against such deception. Ver. 27, 28. His coming would not be like Ver. 24-26. We have accounts of many that of these false Christs, merely in the desuch impostors in Judea, at the period refer- sert, or secret chambers, so that it could be red to. An Egyptian false prophet (about A. said, lo here, or there; but, like the lightning D. 58) led 4000 out into "the desert," (Acts which lights up the whole horizon, (see xxi. 38;) and also persuaded a multitude in Luke,) his coming would be over all the face Jerusalem to go with him to the mount of of the land. Or, to change the figure, whitherOlives, whence he would make the walls of soever the carcass of the Jewish nation exthe city fall down at his command. (Jos. tended abroad, to the same extent would his Ant. xx. c. viii. 6.) In the same passage, coming be seen, like a multitude of eagles Josephus mentions other impostors, who pre-devouring the dead body. There is, perhaps, vailed on many to follow them into "the de- no allusion intended to the eagles on the sert," where they would show "wonders and signs." Another impostor (about A. D. 60) seduced a multitude, "promising them freedom and deliverance from the miseries they were under, if they would but follow him as far as the desert." (Ant. xx. c. viii. 10.) In all these cases, the deluded followers were slain or dispersed by the Roman troops. In Roman standards; much less, any reference to the direction in which the Roman army approached, from east to west,-which indeed does not appear to have been the course it took. the coming of, &c.] purousia. The Jews were accustomed to call any interposiof divine Providence, an appearing (piphaneiu) or coming (parousiu) of God. 13 waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them 30 Ver. 29-31. A representation, in prophetic style, of the end, the actual dissolution of the Jewish state; when, as Luke expresses it in shall the sun be darkened. . . . heavens plainer language, the Jews should fall by shall be shaken;] figures that should probably the edge of the sword, and be led away cap- be taken together, as forming simply the tive into all nations, and Jerusalem be trod- usual imagery in prophecies of similar events, den down of the Gentiles," &c. This fixes (see above,) and that should not be separatethe event referred to. The bold, Asiatic ly applied, as has often been done, making figures here, though frequently mistaken for the sun the Mosaic religion, the moon the literal description, are no other than the Old Jewish government, &c. &c. Powers of the Testament prophets habitually used in pre-heavens: same as the hosts or armies of dicting the overthrow of a kingdom, or a na- heaven,-a poetical imagery often used by the tional revolution. Thus, Isaiah represents prophets. the fall of Babylon, by the darkening of the stars, the constellations, the sun and moon, the shaking of the heavens, and the removing of the earth out of her place, (xiii.;) and, again, the destruction of Idumea, by the dissolving of the host of heaven, the rolling of the heavens together as a scroll, and by the falling of the stars like figs from a fig-tree, (xxxiv.;) Ezekiel, the fall of Egypt, by Covering the heavens, and darkening the stars, sun and moon, (xxxii.;) Joel, the devastation of lucusts, by the shaking of the earth and heaven, and the darkening of the sun, moon and stars; and the destruction of Jerusalem, by the turning of the sun into darkness, and the moon into blood, (ii.) (See, also, Ps. xviii.; Dan. viii. 10, &c.) Even the Latin poets, though their usual style is by no means so hyperbolical as that of the Asiatics, run similar figures when describing great Calamities. (See Ovid. Met. xv. 782; Virgil. Georg. i. 462.) Immediately after the tribulation,] and before the end of the generation in which Christ spoke; (see ver. 34.) Accordingly, it is well known that the destruction of the Jewish state, and the dispersion of the people, "led captive into all nations," (A. D. 70,) followed immediately the tribulation just described, and in the life-time of some of the disciples. -the sign of the Son of man in heaven;] manifest evidences of his agency, in these judgments from heaven. There may be an allusion, here, to the taunting request the Jews had sometimes made, that he would show them a sign from heaven," (Matt. xvi. 1; xii. 38;) such a sign they might at length discover, in the terrible retribution coming on them. -shall all the tribes of the land, land, ge,-a term often applied to Palestine, or to a particular region; seldom to the earth at large. These "tribes" were, of course, the Jews. -mourn;] beat their breasts in anguish such is the force of the original. the Son of man coming... with power and great glory.] His power and glory were seen in the utter destruction of the Jewish state and religion, on the one hand, and on the other, in the rapid diffusion of his truth, after the overthrow of his enemies; see next ver. Coming in the clouds of heaven," is poetic imagery, often employed by the prophets, in describing signal manifestations of divine providence; (see Deut. xxxiii. 26; Ps. xviii. 9-13; Isa. xix. 1; Dan. vii. 13; Rev. i. 7.) -he shall send his angels,] alluding indirectly, perhaps, to the ministry of his preachers,* the word rendered angels, which sometimes means simply *The indirect allusion is favoured by the ambiguity of 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your ownselves that summer is now nigh at hand. 33 3 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of 34 God is nigh at hand. 22 Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till which should then spread abroad so widely; though we must not forget that the highly poetic imagery of heavenly powers is still continued, as is evident from the rest of the expressions in this verse. The general fact referred to, in the verse, is manifestly this: that there should be a great and public ingathering of converts, in all nations over the face of the earth, from the time when the Jewish nation should be destroyed. It would be a time of relief, of "redemption," to the Christians, as Luke expresses it, so that they should look up, and lift up their heads." -with a trumpet of great sound;] imagery taken from the custom of the Jews to call the people together, or to proclaim their jubilee, &c. by the sound of trumpet; (Lev. xxv. 9; Num. x. 2; Judg. iii. 27, vi. 34.) —from the four winds. the other; i. e. from every quarter throughout the world. Ver. 34. Accordingly, Jerusalem was taken, thirty-seven years after the delivery of this A. D. 70, on the 8th of September, about prophecy, while St. John, and probably the greater part of the other apostles, were still alive, as well as multitudes of the first converts and contemporary Jews. With the fall of the city, the conflict ceased, that had raged so long and so terribly; but its scattered embers continued to burn in Judea for about a year and a half afterwards, when they went out in the total extinction or dispersion of the rejected race. Ver. 35. A form of vehement assertion; the meaning of which according to the most approved interpreters, is, "Heaven and earth shall sooner pass away, than my word." See Matt. v. 18, for a similar form. See Rosenmüller, Kuinoel, &c. Ver. 36. of that day and hour;] i. e. the precise time. The phrase ought to be taken thus, as a whole, instead of separating the two terms, day and hour, as some have done. the-knoweth no one ;] (see Mark.) indeed know that it would be before the end Christ did of that generation, (see ver. 34,) but still the precise time was unknown. Ver. 32, 33. To illustrate, more familiarly, how promptly "the end" would follow signs he had specified, and with what certainty the disciples might trace its approach, Christ now frames a parable from the figtree, which abounded on the mount of Olives, where they were sitting. know that it is near, &c.; viz. the coming of the Son of man, or, as Luke says, "the kingdom of God;" which, though already begun, was not to come with power, till the overthrow of the Jewish polity; (see Matt. xvi. 27, 28; Mark viii. 38, ix. 1; Luke ix. 26, 27, &c.*) messengers; so it is indeed translated in Mark i. 2: Luke vii. 24, 27, ix. 52; James ii. 25; and so it is often used in the Septuagint. Dr. Warburton says "this prophecy doth not respect Christ's second coming to judgment, but his first, in the abolition of the Jewish policy, and the establishment of the Christian: that kingdom of Christ which commenced on the total ceasing of the theocracy. For, as God's reign over the Jews entirely ended with the abolition of the templeservice, so the reign of Christ, in spirit and in truth, had Ver. 37-39. It would be, however, like the then its first beginning. This was the true establishment of Christianity; not that effected by the donations or conver sions of Constantine Till the Jewish law was abolished, over which the Father presided as King, the reign of the Son could not take place; because the sovereignty of Christ over mankind was that very sovereignty of God over the fore, being one of the most important eras in the economy Jews, transferred and more largely extended. This, there of grace, and the most awful revolution in all God's religious terins in question to denote so great an event, together with dispensations, we see the elegance and propriety of the the destruction of Jerusalem by which it was effected. For, palities and powers, whether spiritual or civil, are signified in the old prophetic language, the change and fall of princi by the shaking heaven and earth, the darkening the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars; as the rise and es tablishment of new ones are by procession in the clouds of heaven, by the sound of trumpet, and the assembling to gether of hosts and congregations." Div. Leg. vol. ii. b. iv. sect. 4, quoted by Bp. Newton. |