AND JESUS WENT OUT, AND DEPARTED FROM THE TEMPLE,.... He not only went out of it for that time, but took his final leave of it, never to return more to it; having foretold its desolation, which he, in part, by so doing, immediately fulfilled: this the disciples observing, and being intent on the out... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, SEE YE NOT ALL THESE THINGS?.... "These great buildings", as in Mark; all these goodly stones, so beautiful and large, and so firmly put together: VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, THERE SHALL NOT BE LEFT HERE ONE STONE UPON ANOTHER, THAT SHALL NOT BE THROWN DOWN; or broken, as Muns... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS HE SAT UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES,.... Which was on the east of the city of Jerusalem a, "over against the temple", as Mark says, and where he could sit and take a full view of it; for the wall on the east side was lower than any other, and that for this reason; that when the high priest burnt... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM,.... Not to indulge their curiosity, but to instruct them in things useful to be known, and which might be cautions to them and others, against deceivers; confirm them in the faith of himself, when they should see his predictions accomplished; and be directions... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MANY SHALL COME IN MY NAME,.... by his orders, or with delegated powers and authority from him; but should assume the name of the Messiah, which was peculiarly his, to themselves; and take upon them his office, and challenge the honour and dignity which belonged unto him: SAYING, I AM CHRIST, A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL HEAR OF WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS,.... This is the second sign of the destruction of Jerusalem: it is observable that this, and some of the following signs, are given by the Jews, as signs of the Messiah's coming; whereas they were forerunners of their ruin, for the rejection of him who... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 7 FOR NATION SHALL RISE AGAINST NATION, AND KINGDOM AGAINST KINGDOM,.... This seems to be a distinct and third sign, foreboding the general calamity of the Jews; that there should be not only seditions and intestine wars, in the midst of their country, but there should be wars in other nations,... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THESE ARE THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS,.... They were only a prelude unto them, and forerunners of them; they were only some foretastes of what would be, and were far from being the worst that should be endured. These were but light, in comparison of what befell the Jews, in their dreadful destructi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THEY DELIVER YOU UP TO BE AFFLICTED,.... Our Lord proceeds to acquaint his disciples, what should befall them in this interval; and quite contrary to their expectations, who were looking for a temporal kingdom, and worldly grandeur, assures them of afflictions, persecutions, and death; th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEN SHALL MANY BE OFFENDED,.... That is, many who had been hearers of the apostles, and professors of the Christian religion; who were highly pleased with it, and were strenuous advocates for it, whilst things were tolerably quiet and easy; but when they saw the apostles, some of them beaten, a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY FALSE PROPHETS SHALL RISE,.... Out of, from among the churches of Christ; at least under the name of Christians; for false teachers are here meant, men of heretical principles, pretending to a spirit of prophecy, and to new revelations, and a better understanding of the Scriptures; such as... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BECAUSE INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND,.... Meaning, either the malice and wickedness of outrageous persecutors, which should greatly increase; or the treachery and hatred of the apostates; or the errors and heresies of false teachers; or the wickedness that prevailed in the lives and conversations of so... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT SHALL ENDURE TO THE END,.... In the profession of faith in Christ, notwithstanding the violent persecutions of wicked men; and in the pure and incorrupt doctrines of the Gospel, whilst many are deceived by the false teachers that shall arise; and in holiness of life and conversation, ami... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM,.... Which Christ himself preached, and which he called and sent his apostles to preach, in all the cities of Judah; by which means men were brought into the kingdom of the Messiah, or Gospel dispensation; and which treated both of the kingdom of grace and glory, and p... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN YE THEREFORE SHALL SEE THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,.... From signs, Christ proceeds to the immediate cause of the destruction of Jerusalem; which was, "the abomination of desolation", or the desolating abomination; or that abominable thing, which threatened and brought desolation upon the cit... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN LET THEM WHICH BE IN JUDEA,.... When this signal is given, let it be taken notice of and observed; let them that are in the city of Jerusalem, depart out of it; or who are in any other parts of Judea, in any of the towns, or cities thereof; let them not betake themselves to Jerusalem, imagining... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HIM WHICH IS ON THE HOUSETOP,.... Who should be there either for his devotion or recreation; for the houses of the Jews were built with flat roofs and battlements about them, which they made use of both for diversion and pleasure, and for private meditation and prayer, for social conversation, a... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER LET HIM WHICH IS IN THE FIELD,.... Ploughing, or sowing, or employed in any other parts of husbandry, or rural business, RETURN BACK TO TAKE CLOTHES; for it was usual to work in the fields without their clothes, as at ploughing and sowing. Hence those words of Virgil e. "Nudus ara, sere nu... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WOE UNTO THEM THAT ARE WITH CHILD,.... Not that it should be criminal for them to be with child, or a judgment on them; for it was always esteemed a blessing to be fruitful, and bear children: but this expresses the miserable circumstances such would be in, who, by reason of their heavy burdens,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT PRAY YE THAT YOUR FLIGHT BE NOT IN THE WINTER,.... When days are short, and unfit for long journeys, and roads are bad, and sometimes not passable, through large snows, or floods of water; and when to dwell in desert places, and lodge in mountains, must be very uncomfortable: wherefore Christ di... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEN SHALL BE GREAT TRIBULATION,.... This is urged as a reason for their speedy flight; since the calamity that would come upon those who should remain in the city, what through the sword, famine, pestilence, murders, robberies, c. would BE SUCH AS WAS NOT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD, TO T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EXCEPT THOSE DAYS SHOULD BE SHORTENED,.... That is, those days of tribulation which commenced at the siege of Jerusalem; and therefore cannot refer to the times before it, and the shortening of them by it, which were very dreadful and deplorable through the murders and robberies of the cut-throa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN IF ANY MAN SHALL SAY UNTO YOU,.... Either at the time when the siege shall be begun, and the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place; or during the days of tribulation, whilst the siege lasted; or after those days were shortened, and the city destroyed, and the Roman army was gone... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THERE SHALL ARISE FALSE CHRISTS, AND FALSE PROPHETS,.... Such as the above mentioned: these false Christs had their false prophets, who endeavoured to persuade the people to believe them to be the Messiah, as Barcochab had Akiba, who applied many prophecies to him. This man was called Barcochab,... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE. Meaning not before in this discourse, though he had in Matthew 24:5 signified also, that false Christs, and false prophets should arise, but before these things came to pass; so that they had sufficient notice and warning of them, and would be inexcusable if they were... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE IF THEY SHALL SAY UNTO YOU,.... Any of the false prophets, or the deluded followers of false Christs: BEHOLD, HE IS IN THE DESERT, GO NOT FORTH: that is, should they affirm, that the Messiah is in such a wilderness, in the wilderness of Judea, or in any other desert place, do not go out o... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS THE LIGHTNING COMETH OUT OF THE EAST,.... The eastern part of the horizon, AND SHINETH EVEN UNTO THE WEST; to the western part of it, with great clearness; in a moment; in the twinkling of an eye, filling the whole intermediate space; SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE; which mus... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHERESOEVER THE CARCASS IS,.... Not Christ, as he is held forth in the Gospel, crucified and slain, through whose death is the savour of life, and by whom salvation is, and to whom sensible sinners flock, encouraged by the ministry of the word; and much less Christ considered as risen, exalted,... [ Continue Reading ]
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS,.... That is, immediately after the distress the Jews would be in through the siege of Jerusalem, and the calamities attending it; just upon the destruction of that city, and the temple in it, with the whole nation of the Jews, shall the following thin... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 30 AND THEN SHALL APPEAR THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN IN HEAVEN,.... Not the sound of the great trumpet, mentioned in the following verse; nor the clouds of heaven in this; nor the sign of the cross appearing in the air, as it is said to do in the times of Constantine: not the former; for though... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL SEND HIS ANGELS,.... Not the angels, i.e. ministering spirits, so called, not from their nature, but their office, as being sent forth by God and Christ; but men angels, or messengers, the ministers and preachers of the Gospel, whom Christ would call, qualify, and send forth into all th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW LEARN A PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE,.... Take a similitude, or comparison from the fig tree, which was a tree well known in Judea; and the putting forth of its branches, leaves, and fruit, fell under the observation of everyone: WHEN ITS BRANCH IS YET TENDER; through the influence of the sun, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
SO LIKEWISE YE, WHEN YE SHALL SEE ALL THESE THINGS,.... That are mentioned above, relating to the signs of the destruction of the temple and city, and the destruction itself, with all those several things that should directly take place upon it; this is an accommodation of the above parable, similit... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS,.... Not the generation of men in general; as if the sense was, that mankind should not cease, until the accomplishment of these things; nor the generation, or people of the Jews, who should continue to be a people, until all were fulfilled; nor... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAVEN AND EARTH SHALL PASS AWAY,.... This is either an assertion, which will be true at the end of time; not as to the substance of the heavens and earth, which will always remain, but as to the qualities of them, which will be altered: they will be renewed and refined, but not destroyed; the bad q... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT OF THAT DAY AND HOUR KNOWETH NO MAN,.... Which is to be understood, not of the second coming of Christ, the end of the world, and the last judgment; but of the coming of the son of man, to take vengeance on the Jews, and of their destruction; for the words manifestly regard the date of the sever... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AS THE DAYS OF NOE WERE,.... So Noah is usually called Noe by the Septuagint: the sense is, as were the practices of the men of that generation, in which Noah lived, so will be the practices of the men of that age, in which the son of man comes; or as the flood, which happened in the days of Noa... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS IN THE DAYS THAT WERE BEFORE THE FLOOD,.... Not all the days before the flood, from the creation of the world; but those immediately preceding it, a century or two before it: THEY WERE EATING AND DRINKING, MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE: not that these civil actions of life were criminal in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KNEW NOT UNTIL THE FLOOD CAME,.... That is, they did not advert or give heed to what Noah said to them about it: they slighted and despised his warnings; they did not believe, that what he said of the flood was true; they had notice of it, but they would not know it, and therefore God gave them... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL TWO BE IN THE FIELD,.... About their proper business, of husbandry, ploughing, or sowing, or any other rural employment: THE ONE SHALL BE TAKEN; not by the preaching of the Gospel, into the kingdom of God, or Gospel dispensation; though such a distinction God makes, by the ministry of th... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO WOMEN SHALL BE GRINDING AT THE MILL,.... Though the word women is not in the Greek text, yet it is rightly supplied by our translators, as it is in the Persic version; for the word rendered grinding, is in the feminine gender, and was the work of women, as appears both from the Scripture, Exodus... [ Continue Reading ]
WATCH THEREFORE,.... Since the time of this desolation is so uncertain, and since it will come upon the Jews unawares, and some wilt escape, whilst others perish; for the words are plainly an inference from what precedes, and clearly relate to things going before, and are not a transition to a new s... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT KNOW THIS,.... Or you do know this: this may be illustrated by supposing a case well known to men, and in which common prudence would direct a man how to behave: THAT IF THE GOOD MAN OF THE HOUSE, or householder, or master of the family, HAD KNOWN IN WHAT WATCH THE THIEF WOULD COME; whether at... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE BE YE ALSO READY,.... Or prepared for the coming of the son of man; which as it is said to be like a thief in the night, expresses the suddenness of it, may excite to watchfulness and readiness; which readiness is to be understood, not of a readiness to do the will and work of God, though... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO THEN IS A FAITHFUL AND WISE SERVANT,.... The Vulgate Latin adds, "do you think?" and is a question put to the disciples, which they might apply to themselves: in Luke 12:42, it is spoken in answer to a question of Peter's, in relation to the above exhortation, whether it was spoken to them, or t... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED IS THAT SERVANT WHOM HIS LORD, WHEN HE COMETH,.... Whether in a way of judgment, as against Jerusalem; or at death, when he comes to remove him out of time, into eternity; or at the day of judgment, when he, the righteous judge, will give the crown of righteousness to him: SHALL FIND SO DOI... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU,.... Nothing is a greater truth, more certain, or to be depended on, than this; all such wise, faithful, diligent, and industrious servants may expect it: THAT HE, SHALL MAKE HIM RULER OVER ALL HIS GOODS; will honour him with greater gifts, bestow a larger degree of Gospel lig... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AND IF THAT EVIL SERVANT,.... Or should there be an evil servant, an unwise and faithless one, who though he may have gifts and talents, yet destitute of the grace of God; and though he may be in the highest post and office in the church of God for sometimes wicked and graceless men are in such... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL BEGIN TO SMITE HIS FELLOW SERVANTS,.... By abusing the power lodged in him, usurping a dominion over their faith, and imposing on their consciences things which Christ has never commanded; vexing and burdening them with trifling rites and ceremonies, and other unnecessary things; wounding,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD OF THAT SERVANT,.... Not by redemption and grace, but by creation and profession; SHALL COME IN A DAY WHEN HE LOOKED NOT FOR HIM, AND IN AN HOUR THAT HE IS NOT AWARE OF: suddenly and unexpectedly: such was his coming in wrath and vengeance on the Jewish nation; and such is his coming often... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL CUT HIM ASUNDER,.... The Persic version renders it, "he shall separate him from himself": he shall separate soul and body by death; he shall take away all his gifts and talents from him; and remove him from his place and office, and from the church of God, and communion of the saints, and... [ Continue Reading ]