4,5 pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be is sometimes contended that here are three Ver. 4. Take heed, &c.] not to be deceived by the impostors who were soon to appear, as foretold in the next verse. Ver. 5. many shall come in my name, &c.] before that end, (ver. 6,) which was the But should this be admitted, and should we even grant what some contend for, that in the text the disciples used the term in this rare sense, still it would not materially affect the interpretation of this chapter and the following For it is evident that whatsoever the disciples understood by the end of the world, or age, it was something which the supposed would take place when the temple, &c, should be destroyed; and that their inquiry was meant to bedited to the time and circumstances of that event, and to no other period. In this sense only, did Mark and Lake understand their question; in this sense only, did Christ reply to it throughout the conversation; and in this sense only does he repeat the expression, "the end:" see ver. 6, 13, 14, and the corresponding passages in Mark and Luke. MATT. XXIV. ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and MARK Xiii. shall hear of wars, and rumours of wars, be LUKE XXI. 9 But when ye shall hear of wars, and com- 6 Ver. 6. wars and rumours of wars;] see notes on the next verse. -be not troubled,] when ye hear of these wars, &c., as if "the end," about which you have inquired, were then to take place; "for these things must first come to pass, but the end is not immediately," (Luke.) Ver. 7. For nation shall rise..... against kingdom;] occasioning those "rumours of wars," ver. 6. The terms, nation and kingdom, were sometimes applied, by the Jews, to any state, province, or even separate municipal district. In fulfilment of these predictions, it appears that from about A. D. 48, onwards, Palestine was in a state of constant agitation. First, the Jews were alarmed by the threatening of war from the emperor Caligula, (A. D. 48.) The same year, a tumult broke out at Jerusalem, in which the Roman soldiers were attacked; also, the Galileans and people of Judea on the one hand, and the Samaritans on the other, rose against each other, but were quelled by the Roman troops. The country was filled with bands of robbers, who openly carried on their murders even in the cities; such was the public disorder! In A. D. 54, a massacre took place between the Jews and Syrians, in Cesarea, and a body of Roman troops was sent against them. Thus the outrages increased, till, in A. D. 66, an extensive revolt of the Jews broke forth throughout Palestine. They slaughtered the Roman garrison at Masada; new massacres 133 LUKE xxi. divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights, and great signs shall there 9 be from heaven. 12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute at Cesarea and Jerusalem were followed by their laying waste the province of Perea, and the cities of Tyre, Cesarea, Samaria, and Askelon; while, on the other hand, the Syrians ravaged Scythopolis, &c. (Jos. Ant. xviii. c. viii. 1, 2. War, ii. c. x.-c. xviii. Ant. xx. c. v. and vi.)—there shall be fumines, and pestilences, and earthquakes.] Accordingly, there were, in A. D. 45, and onwards, famines in Palestine, (foretold, Acts xi. 28,) which were so severe, particularly at Jerusalem, that many perished with hunger, (Jos. Ant. xx. c. ii. 5. c. v. 2.) Of pestilences and earthquakes in Palestine, at this time, we have no account in history, unless we include Josephus's notice of an earthquake in A. D. 67, (War, iv. c. iv. 5,) which seems, however, too late a period, (see ver. 8.) As earthquakes, however, are not unfrequent in Palestine, and as pestilences are the usual concomitants of famines, we may suppose there were some of which no mention has been preserved.* Ver. 8.—these are the beginning of sorrows;] the earlier and less aggravated evils. Sorrows: an allusion, in the original, to labourpains. Ver. 9. Then,] i. e. in those times; partly before, as well as after, according to Luke. ―shall they deliver you, &c.] All this took place, as is well known from the book of Acts. ye shall be hated of all nations, &c. ;] not only by the Jews, but by the Gentiles also. That this, too, was verified, see Acts and the Epistles. LUKE XXI. you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and tament sense, is to be induced to evil; (see Ver. 11.-false prophets, &c.] See note on ver. 5. Probably, however, false teachers among professed Christians are here meant ; of whom we have abundant mention in the Epistles of the New Testament, written just before the siege of Jerusalem. Ver. 12. Many Christians, on seeing the apostasy and treachery of their brethren, (ver. 10,) would grow discouraged, and suspicious of each other. Ver. 13. he that hall endure unto the Ac end;] neither overcome by persecution, nor deceived by the false teachers, nor discouraged by the defections of others, but who shall continue faithful until the end," concerning which ye inquired, (ver. 3,) &c. shall be saved;] i. e. preserved, rescued from these dangers; or, as Luke expresses it, "there shall not a hair of your head perish." cordingly, Eusebius says that "the people of the church at Jerusalem, by the command of a divine revelation given to their principal men before the war, removed from the city, and dwelt at a certain town beyond the Jordan, called Pella; so that those who believed in Christ forsook Jerusalem, and holy men abandoned the royal city itself, and the whole land of Judea." (Hist. Eccl. iii. 5.) Thus, they were saved; and after the dispersion of I retain the term "earthquakes," because such is the their bitter persecutors, the Jews, a period of usual meaning of the original word found here, and in Mark relief and prosperity awaited them: as Christ and Luke; but it might possibly be rendered commotions. told them, (according to Luke xxi. 28,) to Two remarks mere: 1. I have confined the allusions, in look up," when they should see the end of the text, to Palestine: in other countries, this period was marked with wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, the Jewish nation, "and lift up your heads; of which many commentators avail themselves. 2 Though for your redemption draweth nigh.” I have applied these predictions thus in minute detail, yet, as a general rule, a prophecy, like a parable, should be interpreted more in the gass, and not by taking every par Ver. 10. To be offended, in the New Tes ticular separately. Eve in these 6th and 7th verses, the correct way, perhaps, would be, to take the wars, rumours of wars, nation rising against nation, &c., famines, pesti lences and earthquakes, as denoting only in general a time of great public commotion and distress. 66 Ver. 14. this gospel of the kingdom:] of Christ's kingdom, or reign. -shall be peached in all t world,] before that end come; (see Mark.) World, in the original, oikoumene,—a word which was frequently applied, MATT. XXIV. he 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 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. 15 14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him 15 LUKE XXI. before, what ye shall answer. 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18 But there shall not a hair of your head perish. 19 In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem com by the New Testament writers, and Jewish tuthors 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 Bation. MATT. XXIV. stand.) 16 Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the house-top not come down to take anything out of his house 18 Neither let him which is in the field MARK Xiii. that readeth understand,) then let them that 16 be in Judea flee to the mountains: 15 And 17 let him that is on the house-top not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take anything out of his house: 16 And let him 18 that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. 17 But woe to them 19 LUKE XXI. passed with armies, then know that the de- Ver. 15. In this verse, Christ advertises though it is evident, from the nature of the case, that no more is meant than the neighbouring countries. 135 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 21 countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are 19 written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that 21 give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon 17 this people. [Parallel with ver. 17 and 18 of Matt. is Luke xvii. 31. In that day he which shall be upon the house-top, and his stuff in 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. MARK Xiii. the beginning of the creation which God 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 Ver. 19, 20. -woe unto them that, &c.,] own children. More than one million perishbecause their condition would be am impedí- ed in the siege and capture of the city. (J. ment to their flight, and expose them to pecu- War, b. ii. c. xx. to b. vi. c. ix.) Josephus liar distress in the general commotion. that says, It appears to me that the misfortunes your flight be not in the winter,] when sub- of all men, from the beginning of time, sink sistence would be difficult. Snow often falls in comparison with those of the Jews." in the hill-country of Palestine, and the cold"Neither did any other city ever suffer such is sometimes so great as to endanger life. misery, nor did any age ever breed a genera-neither on the Sabbath-day,] when the tra- tion more fruitful in wickedness." (J. War. ditions of the Jews did not allow them to tra- Pref. 4, v. c. x. 5.) from the beginning of vel more than about two thirds of a mile, ex- the world.] World,-kosmos. cept 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, A. 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 that of the French revolution, was invaded by 66 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, MATT. XXIV. MATT. xxiv. 23 Then if any man shall say unto unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe 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. it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before, [literally, I have foretold you.] 26 Wherefore, if they shall say [Parallel with ver. 23, 26, 27, 28, of 23-26 Matt. is Luke xvii. 23, 24, 37. 23 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 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 elect.] 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 Ixi. 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 Roman standards; much less, any reference signs." Another impostor (about A. D. 60) to the direction in which the Roman army seduced a multitude, "promising them free-approached, from east to west,-which indom and deliverance from the miseries they deed does not appear to have been the course 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 it took. the coming of, &c.] parousia. The Jews were accustomed to call any interposiof divine Providence, an appearing (epipha neia) or coming (parousia) of God. |