prophesied. (See Deut. 28. 53, 56, 57. Alexander's Evidences.) 97,000 were carried captive, of whom 11,000 perished from want.-T No, nor ever. Here is a most emphatic expression, being a triple negative in the Greek. 22. For the elect's sake. Those days of distress should be shortened on account of the Christians (Isa. 1. 9), who are God's elect, "whom He hath chosen" (Mark), and whom He will always regard. If those dreadful horrors should not be stopped before their natural time, none of the nation could be kept alive. The pestilence, famine, and war, would have swept them all away. (Compare Abraham's prayer for Sodom, "for ten's sake," Gen. 18. 32.) 23. Then if any man, &c. As the Jews looked forward for a Messiah, as a temporal Prince and Deliverer, they could easily be imposed upon by false pretenders at such a tine. Here was a warning against any such who should arise and claim to be the Christ for the Messiah had already come. 24. False Christs and false prophets. Such persons did arise, and led many after them. They even pretended to work miracles. Josephus says they were magicians and sorcerers. Their deceptions were so plausible that they 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: Behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. X 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. w Jno.10.28,29. x Zec.9.14. Lu. 17.24,&c. would have prevailed with the Christians-if it had been possible-to draw them from their faith in Christ. 25. I have told you before-that is, beforehand, that they might mark the prediction in its fulfilment. 26. In the desert. This was the plan. The impostors announced that Christ was in the desert, and sought to draw the people out. Josephus, though a Jew, and an enemy of Christianity, and not intending to verify the Scripture, speaks of such. "Many impostors persuaded the people to follow them into the wilderness, promising to work miracles there"one led out thus 4,000 men." 66 Secret chambers. The word means, properly, a store-house, or treasury, and so any private chamber. It is here spoken of the Temple chambers, where they actually looked for the appearing of these false Christs. They were warned against all this device. 27. As the lightning. The true Christ should coME, but suddenly and manifestly as the lightning. He could be known by His works. The coming, here refers immediately to the visitation of Jerusalem—and the language is so constructed, as to include also His final coming for the destruction of the world.- -T The cast. The Roman army entered Judea 28 For y wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens a shall be shaken. y Job 39.30. z Is. 13.10. Eze.32.7. Am.5.20. Ac. 2.20. Re.6.12. a 2Pe.3.10. at the east, and carried its conquests westward. This may be hinted here. 28. For wheresoever. This explains the coming of Christ. It should occur in accordance with established laws, so as to have its explanation in the circumstances. When the people's iniquity was full, and in the fulness of time He should come. And not more naturally did eagles and vultures appear in that country, wherever dead carcasses were cast out in the field, than the coming of Christ in judgment should occur just where and when the guilty transgressors spoken of were found, and when the circumstances were suited. See Job 39. 30. It was more than hinted also, that the Jewish nation were the carcass soon to be a prey for the Roman eagles. 29. The tribulation of those days. The same as alluded to in vss. 19, 21 and 22. The days here intended, are those of the siege in which these tribulations should be suffered. Mark has it, "In those days after that tribulation."- - The sun shall be darkened, &c. This is figurative language. Changes should occur in the government, and ruin should fall upon the cities of the nation, that should be like the putting out of the sun and moon. Fifty years later, under Adrian, occurred the overthrow and complete extirpation of the Jewish people, when they were sold slaves, and utterly driven out from the land of their fathers. Luke adds other particulars. Similar language as с 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man b in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 1 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather b Da.7.13. Re.1.7. c c.16.27. Mar. 13.26. Lu.22. 69. 1 Or, with a trumpet and a great voice. d 1Th.4.16. is found in Isa. 13. 9, 10, where the destruction of Babylon is spoken ofand this very destruction of Jerusalem is foretold by Joel 2. 31, 3. 15, in the same language. There should be a destruction of their ecclesiastical and civil state, and of the rulers of them both, as well as of their chief cities and of the nation. This actually took place. And the language further looks to the final judgment and the universal catastrophes of that day.- - Powers of the heavens. See Deut. 4. 19-all the host of heaven. It 30. The sign of the Son of man. The manifestation and open display of His coming (Luke 17. 30). shall then plainly appear, as by a standard raised in the clouds, that He has come. This alludes to the prophecy in Dan. 7. 13, from which the Jews had expected a visible appearance of the Messiah in the clouds. He attaches the correct meaning to that language which they had mistaken.- -T And then shall all the tribes of the earth. This is applicable both to the people of Judea, in that judgment-and to the world at the final day (Zech. 12. 12).- -T Mourn. The word means to beat the breast in token of sorrow. It occurs in Rev. 1.7. 31. And He shall send His angels. This shows the care that shall be had to the welfare of God's people. As they are His elect, His chosen, so He will choose to defend and deliver them. They shall not suffer harm with the wicked; but their deliver together his elect, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 Now learn a parable of the fig-tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This e Zec.14.5. f Lu.21.29. 1 Or, He. g Ja.5.9. ance shall be certain and manifest. This was also fulfilled in the gathering of the Gentile church by the trumpet of Gospel messengers. See Rev. 2. 1, where the minister is called "the angel of the church of Ephesus." This is also applicable to the last judgment day. See Matt. 25. 31, 32. Christians who are here called Christ's elect, or chosen ones, shall be gathered from the four winds-that is, from the four quarters of the globe (see 1 Chron. 9. 24. Ezek. 37. 9). None of them shall be overlooked. 32, 33. A parable. This was spoken to show the nearness of these events, so far as they relate to the destruction of Jerusalem. The disciples had asked of the time in vs. 3. Here is a parabolical answer. The sprouting of the fig-tree and the putting forth of leaves would show that summer is nigh. So you can even now observe the indications of this event being near-that is, the destruction foretold, or, as Luke has it, "the kingdom of God (21. 31) is nigh at hand"-His coming with power and glory. These tokens which He had given them, should show that it was even at the doors. 34. This generation. (See ch. 23. 36.) A generation of men is understood to cover a space of thirty to forty years, which was the time that elapsed before the city was destroyed, or about forty years. Lest they should put off the evil day, He assured generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven h and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were h Ps.102.26. Is.51.6. i Zec.14.7. 1Th.5.2. them how imminent was the destruction which should come upon their land, and that there were none of these things which people then living should not experience. This does not forbid an extension of the prophecy to the last judgment day. For the language has a secondary reference to that event, and that alone exhausts the meaning. The judgment immediately referred to, should occur within that generation. Some, as John the Evangelist, doubtless lived to see these things come to pass. The last judgment is substantially passed upon all at death. 35. Heaven and earth, &c. God's immutability is beyond the steadfastness of the natural world. This language is proverbial. Nothing seems more permanent than the solid earth. So we say a thing shall not occur while the world stands, or the world shall pass away sooner. See Matt, 5. 18. The material world shall finally pass away; but God's words shall not pass away or fail. God's truth cannot possibly fail. "Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar." 36. Knoweth no man. This is to declare, in the strongest language, that the precise time is unknown. Mark adds, "neither the Son," that is, as man. It is utterly hidden from human knowledge. 37. As the days of Noe. Here He likens His coming, to the judgment that occurred in the days of Noah by before the flood, they were eat-ing of the Son of man be. ing and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not, until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming j Ge.6.2. the flood. (Noe is the Greek.) Their coming destruction should be equally sudden and surprizing to the unbelieving Jews, as also the final coming to judgment should surprize the unbelieving world. 38. For. The people in Noah's time, though so abundantly forewarned, were giving attention to worldly things, and indulging in common gratifications up to the very day of the flood, as though nothing would occur. See 1 Pet. 3. 20. 39. Knew nol-the real truth of the case, until they experienced the destruction. So far did they persist in their wilful ignorance and unbeliefand so it should be with the Jewish nation. 40. Then shall two be in the field. So Christ's coming whether to the Jewish nation then, or to the world hereafter, should overtake men at their accustomed avocations, and so it should break up connexions without a moment's warning and so, the providence of God should distinguish, and take one and leave another, sparing His people, and sweeping away the wicked from their side. The doctrine of distinguishing grace is here also taught. 41. At the mill. Mills among the Hebrews were driven by the hand; and two persons, commonly women, were employed in the operation. It was laborious work, and belonged to the 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore; for ye k Lu. 12.39,40. Re.3.3; 16.15. lowest maid-servants. See Job 31. Matt. 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. know not what hour your Lord | to give them 1 meat in due seadoth come. son ? m 43 But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, That our Lord here makes a transition and proceeds to speak of His final coming at the day of judgment, appears from the fact, that here the parallel reports of Mark and Luke end, and that which in Luke is parallel to this paragraph (Luke 12. 39), has obvious reference to this final coming at the last day. And that it has here the same reference is apparent from the subsequent warnings, and their intimate connexion with Matt. 25. 31-46. See Robinson's Harmony-Notes. The destruction of Jerusalem was a proper emblem of the dissolution of the world, and the warnings which had just been delivered in reference to impending national judgments, would naturally lead to a caution against a more awful surprize by His coming at the final day. 47 Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler" over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming: 49 And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 1 Je.3.15. m c.13.52. n c.25.21. 44. Be ye also ready. That is, be fully prepared, so as not to be taken by surprize-because death will come without warning, even as a thief. 1 Thess. 5. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Rev. 3. 3. A deathbed is no place for preparation. And none can count on having timely notice. Commonly we find that men are called to eternity in most unexpected times and ways. See Luke 21. 36; 12. 36. 45-47. Who then. This duty of vigilance and diligence is illustrated by the case of a servant in his master's absence. A faithful servant looks out for the master's return, and acts in his absence as though he were there, or would any moment appear. A wicked servant takes advantage of the delay, and abuses his trust. The good servant is rewarded by his master's increased confidence. The evil servant represents the careless professor or minister, who acts as though God would not see him, or call him to account. These acts here mentioned indicate dishonesty and cruelty 43. But know this. As with a man whose house is robbed, he would certainly have watched, if he had known the hour when it would be, so every one that is overtaken by Christ's coming, if he had known the time-worthy of severest punishment. of it would have watched. There is really every motive for watchfulness; and here is exposed the folly of that man who does not watch, merely because he does not know the time. This would rather be a reason for keeping constant watch-and this is urged by our Lord in the next verse. Professing Christians or ministers may act so unfaithfully, when they forget their Lord and His promised return.- -¶ Wise-discreet-prudent. -T Household-family of servants. Provisions were distributed monthly. 50. When he looketh not for him. Be |