THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM AND THE END OF THE WORLD FORETOLD 1. Jesus went out] RV 'Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way, and his disciples,' etc. THE BUILDINGS] The magnificent buildings, a mass of marble and gold, were not yet finished (see John 2:20). The rabbis said, 'He w... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE STONE] Josephus, an eyewitness, says 'Cæsar (i.e. Titus) now gave orders to demolish the whole city and temple, except the highest towers and the west wall. All the rest was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make tho... [ Continue Reading ]
OLIVES] A magnificent view of the site of the Temple is obtained from this hill. THE DISCIPLES] viz. Peter, James, John, Andrew (Mk). THESE THINGS] i.e. the overthrow of the Temple. THE END OF THE WORLD] i.e. the Last Judgment. But those who refer the discourse entirely to the destruction of Jerusal... [ Continue Reading ]
GREAT PROPHECY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM, AND THE END OF THE WORLD (Mark 13:8; Luke 21:7). Many of the most serious difficulties of this great discourse disappear when it is realised that our Lord referred in it not to one event but to two, and that the first was typical of the second. This is... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM CHRIST] RV 'I am the Christ,' i.e. the Messiah. The false Messiahs who appeared before the fall of Jerusalem were Simon Magus, Menander, Dositheus, and perhaps Theudas, who raised a rebellion in 45 or 46 a.d.... [ Continue Reading ]
WARS, etc.] There were three threats of war against the Jews by Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, as to the first of which Josephus remarks that the death of Caligula 'happened most happily for our nation in particular, which would have almost utterly perished, if he had not been suddenly slain.' There... [ Continue Reading ]
BEGINNING OF SORROWS] RV 'of travail.' Jewish writers speak frequently of the socalled 'sorrows of the Messiah,' which are to last nine months, and to be the birthpangs of the coming age. They would be a period of internal corruption, and outward distress, famine, and war, of which Palestine was to... [ Continue Reading ]
FALSE PROPHETS] see on Matthew 24:5. Josephus speaks of 'a body of wicked men, who deceived and deluded the people under pretence of divine inspiration, who prevailed with the multitude to act like madmen, and went before them into the wilderness, pretending that God would there show them the signal... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Hebrews 10:25; Revelation 2:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL ENDURE] i.e. shall resist the enticements of false prophets, stand firm in persecution, and not suffer his love of Christ to grow cold. UNTO THE END] viz. of the tribulation; but it may mean unto the uttermost, or, unto death. SHALL BE SAVED] i.e. either literally by flight to Pella (Matthew 2... [ Continue Reading ]
Since the gospel had not been preached to the whole world, or even to the whole Roman world by 70 a.d., as indeed Christ Himself indicated (Matthew 10:23), many suppose that 'the end' here is the last judgment. Those who understand it to refer to the fall of Jerusalem, point out that by that time th... [ Continue Reading ]
The flight of the Christians before the fall of Jerusalem. 15. The abomination of desolation] i.e. the abomination which makes the Temple desolate, by causing God to forsake it (Daniel 9:27). Some definite event is meant, because it is the signal of instant flight (Matthew 24:16). It is to happen be... [ Continue Reading ]
FLEE INTO THE MOUNTAINS] Eusebius says, 'But the members of the Church in Jerusalem, having been commanded before the war in accordance with a certain oracle given by revelation to the men of repute there, to depart from Jerusalem, and to inhabit a certain city of Persea called Pella, all the believ... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT COME DOWN] but escape by the outside staircase, or over the roofs of the houses: see on Matthew 9:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE SABBATH DAY (peculiar to St. Matthew, the Jewish evangelist). Alford says, 'That they were not said as any sanction of observance of the Jewish sabbath is most certain; but merely as referring to positive impediments which might meet them on that day, the shutting of the gates of cities, etc.... [ Continue Reading ]
See Daniel 12:1. Josephus says, 'The multitude of those that perished exceeded all the destructions that either men or God ever brought upon the world.' 'The number of those that perished during the whole siege was 1,100,000.'... [ Continue Reading ]
THOSE DAYS] i.e. of the siege of Jerusalem, which occupied less than five months. NO FLESH] i.e. no inhabitants of the theatre of war, Palestine. BE SAVED] i.e. be left alive. THE ELECT] i.e. the Christians. 23-26. Chrysostom and others, translating then 'afterwards' (which it may mean), refer thes... [ Continue Reading ]
FALSE CHRISTS, AND FALSE PROPHETS] see on Matthew 24:5; Matthew 24:11. SIGNS AND WONDERS] J. Lightfoot illustrates from the Talmud the magical practices of the Jews. 'The senior who is chosen into the council, ought to be skilled in the arts of astrologers, jugglers, diviners, sorcerers,' etc. 'The... [ Continue Reading ]
(Luke 17:23.) IF THEY] i.e. they who are deluded by false Messiahs. BEHOLD, HE] viz. the Messiah. IN THE DESERT] Some of the false prophets did actually lead out their dupes to the desert. IN THE SECRET (RV 'inner') CHAMBERS] a poetical expression for 'in hiding.' 27, 28. Whether these vv. describe... [ Continue Reading ]
(Luke 17:24) The second advent of the Son of man will be confined to no one locality, but will be manifested instantaneously to the whole universe. But if the reference is to the destruction of Jerusalem, this v. describes the conspicuous and world-renowned nature of the event.... [ Continue Reading ]
A parable or proverb (Luke 17:37). Just as, wherever a carcase may happen to be, eagles or vultures will invariably be found; so at Christ's second coming, wherever a man dead in trespasses and sins is found, there also will Christ be revealed as an avenging judge. Thus 'the carcase' represents the-... [ Continue Reading ]
IMMEDIATELY] RV 'But immediately.' This discourse, in the form in which it has come down to us, seems to place the Second Advent immediately after the fall of Jerusalem. Solutions of the difficulty: (1) Plumptre considers 'the boldest answer as the truest and most reverential,' and finds the explana... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN] As Christ does not explain this sign, it is useless to guess what it will be. In tradition it is the Cross. 'Then shall appear the Cross in the sky, shining more brightly than the sun, to convict the Jews' (Theophylact). This interpretation is already found in the 'Didach... [ Continue Reading ]
Usually explained of the gathering of believers into heaven at the last day. Those who think that the fall of Jerusalem is meant, explain it of the gathering of the heathen into the Church from all quarters of the world after that event, or of the flight of the Christians from all quarters of Palest... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS GENERATION] i.e. Jerusalem will be destroyed within the lifetime of men now living. This literal meaning is not to be evaded, as, for example, by regarding 'this generation 'as the human race, or the Jewish nation, or the Christian Church, or the universe.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT OF THAT DAY] i.e. the Day of Judgment. NOT THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN] RV adds, 'neither the Son,' which, however, RM omits: see on Mark 13:32. 40, 41. The general idea is that, though to human eyes the righteous and the wicked will appear exactly the same, the angels in the judgment will be able to... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE SHALL BE TAKEN] viz. into glory, by the angels. THE OTHER LEFT] viz. for reprobation, or punishment. But if the fall of Jerusalem is meant, the 'taking' means the successful flight from Judæa and Jerusalem; the being 'left' means failure to flee.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOODMAN (RV 'master') OF THE HOUSE] i.e. in the application of the parable, the Apostles, and their successors in posts of authority in the Church. THE THIEF] i.e. on account of the suddenness and unexpectedness of His coming, our Lord: see 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 16:15. Although the sec... [ Continue Reading ]
AN EXHORTATION TO FAITHFULNESS AND WATCHFULNESS ADDRESSED SPECIALLY TO THE APOSTLES AND OTHER CHIEF MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH (Luke 12:39). It appropriately closes the discourse, but whether it really belongs here may be doubted. St. Luke introduces it in a quite different connexion.... [ Continue Reading ]
A FAITHFUL AND WISE SERVANT (RM 'bond-servant')] though referring primarily to the Apostles and ministers of the Church, may be extended to all who have the care of the souls of others, or exercise spiritual influence over 'others (the 'household').... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE COMETH] viz. at the Second Advent, or at the servant's death.... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE HIM RULER] RV 'set him over all that he hath,' i.e. make him great in the future Kingdom of Heaven, and sharer of His own throne. Our Lord implies that in heaven there will be various degrees of authority: cp. Luke 19:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO SMITE] a metaphor for the abuse of authority: cp. Acts 20:29; 1 Peter 5:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
CUT HIM ASUNDER] RM 'severely scourge him,' i.e. consign him, to the place of final punishment.... [ Continue Reading ]