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bulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.'

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh

Joel ii. 2. Mal. iv. 1.

nailing them, out of the wrath and hatred they bore to the Jews, one after one way, and another after another, to crosses, by way of jest, until at length the multitude became so great that room was wanting for crosses, and crosses for the bodies." So terribly was their imprecation fulfilled "His blood be on us and on our children." Ch. xxvii. 25. If it be asked how it was possible for so many people to be slain in a single city, it is answered, that the siege of Jerusalem commenced during the time of the passover, when all the males of the Jews were required to be there, and when it is estimated that more than three millions were usually assembled. See Josephus, Jewish Wars, lib. vi. cap. ix. § 3, 4. A horrible instance of the distress of Jerusalem is related by Josephus. The famine during the siege became so great that they ate what the most sordid animals refused to touch. A woman of distinguished rank, having been plundered by the soldiers, in hunger, rage, and despair, killed and roasted her babe, and had eaten one half of him before the deed was discovered. Jewish Wars, lib. vi. cap. 3, $3, 4. This cruel and dreadful act was also in fulfilment of prophecy. Deut. xxviii. 53, 56, 57.

be saved: but 2 for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

2 Isa. lxv. 8, 9. 3 Deut. xiii. 1-3.

Judea would perish. The war, famine, and pestilence, would entirely destroy them. But for the elect's sake. The elect here doubtless means Christians. See Rom. i. 7. Eph. i. 4. 1 Thess. 1. 4. 1 Pet. i. 2. The word elect means to choose. It is given to Christians because they are chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 1 Pet. 1, 2. It is probable that in Jerusalem and the adjacent parts of Judea, there were many who were true followers of Christ. On their account, to preserve them alive, and to make them the instruments of spreading the gospel, Christ said those days should not be lengthened out, and suffered to produce their destruction. It is related by Josephus, Jewish Wars, lib. i. cap. 12, § 1, that Titus at first resolved to reduce the city by famine. He therefore built a wall around it, to keep any provisions from being carried in, and any of the people from going out. The Jews, however, drew up their army near the walls, engaged in battle, and the Romans pursued them, provoked by their attempts, and broke into the city. The affairs of Rome also at that time demanded the presence of Titus there; and contrary to his original intention, he pressed the siege, and took the city by storm, thus shortening the time that would have been occupied in reducing it by famine. This was for the benefit of the elect. So the designs of wicked men, intended by them for the destruction of the people of God, are intended by God for the good of his chosen people. See Isa. x. 7, and my Notes on that verse.

Another thing added by Luke, ch. xxi. 24, was, that "they should be led captive into all nations." Josephus informs us that the captives taken during the whole war amounted to ninety-seven thousand. The tall and handsome young men Titus reserved for triumph; of the rest, many were distributed through the Roman provinces, to be destroyed by wild beasts in theatres; many were sent to the works in Egypt; many, especially those under 23. Lo, here is Christ. The Messiah. seventeen years of age, were sold for The Jews expected the Messiah to deliver slaves. Jewish Wars, lib. vi. cap. 9, § 2, 3. them from Roman oppression. In the 22. Except those days should be short-time of these great calamities they would ened. If the calamities of the siege should be lengthened out. If famine and war should be suffered to rage. No flesh be saved. None of the nations would be preserved alive. All the inhabitants of

anxiously look for him. Many would claim to be the Messiah. Many would follow them. Many would rejoice to believe that he was come, and would call on others, Christians with the rest, to fol

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if 3 it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the de sert; go not forth behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning 4 cometh

25 Behold, I have told you be out of the east, and shineth even fore. unto the west; so shall also the

Ver. 5, 11. 22 Thess. ii. 9-11. Rev. xiii. coming of the Son of man be.

13. 3 John x. 28, 29.

low them. Believe it not. You have evidence that the Messiah has come, and you are not to be deceived by the plausible pretensions of others.

24. Fuise Christs. Persons claiming to bethe Messiah. False prophets. Persons claiming to be the prophet spoken of by Moses, Deut. xviii. 15; or persons pretending to declare the way of deliverance from the Romans, and calling the people to follow them. See ver. 5. ¶ Shall show great signs and wonders. That is, shall pretend to work miracles. Shall so nearly resemble prophets in their miraculous power, as to render it difficult to detect the imposture. Josephus represents the false Christs and prophets that appeared, as magicians and sorcerers. He says they led the people out into the deserts, and promised to work miracles to deliver them. Ant. lib. xx. cap. 8. § 6. If possible, would deceice, &c. So nearly would their pretended miracles resemble true miracles, as to render it difficult to detect the imposition; and so much so that if it were possible they would persuade even true Christians that they were the Messiah. But that was not possible. They would be too firmly established in the belief that Jesus was the Christ, to be wholly led away by others. Christians may be sometimes led far astray; they may be in doubt about some great doctrines of religion; they may be perplexed by the cavils and cunning craftiness of those who do not love the truth, but they cannot be wholly deceived, and seduced from the Saviour. Our Saviour says that if this were possible, it would be done then. But it was not possible.

25. Behold, &c. Mark adds, ch. xiii. 23, "take ye heed." The reason why he told them before, was that they might be on their guard, and be prepared for those ealamities.

4 Zech. ix. 14. Luke xvii. 24-30.

26. Behold, he is in the desert. The Jews had formed the expectation that the Messiah would appear suddenly, from some unexpected quarter. Hence many would be looking to the desert places, expecting that he would come from them. Accordingly, most of the impostors and pretended prophets led their people into the deserts. Go not forth. Do not follow them. They will only deceive you. In secret chambers. Concealed in some house, or some retired part of the city. Many would, doubtless, pretend that the Messiah was concealed there, and either for the purpose of encouraging or deceiving the people, would pretend that they had discovered him.

27. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, &c. This is not designed to denote the quarter from which he would come, but the manner. He does not mean to affirm that the Son of man will come from the east, but that he will come in a rapid and unexpected manner, like the lightning. Many would be looking for him in the desert, many in secret places. But he said it would be useless to be looking in that manner. It was useless to look to any particular part of the heavens to know where the lightning would next flash. In a moment it would blaze in an unexpected part of the heavens, and shine at once to the other part. So rapidly, so unexpectedly, in so unlooked for a quarter would be his coming. See Luke x. 18. Zech. ix. 14. The coming of the Son of man. It has been doubted whether this refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, or to the coming at the day of judgment. For the solution of this doubt, let it be remarked: 1. That those two events are the principal scenes in which our Lord said he would come, either in person or in judgment. 2. That the destruction of Jerusalem is described as his

28 For' wheresoever the carcase | stars shall fall from heaven, aud is, there will the eagles be gathered the powers of the heavens shail together. 2 be shaken :

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29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the

1 Job xxxix. 30. 2 Deut. xxviii. 49. Amos ix. 1-4 3 Isa. xiii. 10. Ezek. xxxii. 7. Amos v. 20. Acts ii. 20. Rev. vi. 12.

coming, his act for their great crimes. 3. That these events, the judgment of Jerusalem and the final judgment, in many respects greatly resemble each other. 4. That they will bear, therefore, to be described in the same language. And, 5. Therefore, that the same words often include both events, as properly described by them. The words, therefore, had doubtless a primary reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, but such an amplitude of meaning as also to express his coming to judgment. See my Introduction to Isaiah, § 7, 3.

28. Wheresoever, &c. The words in this verse are proverbial. Vultures and eagles easily ascertain where dead bodies are, and come to devour them. So with the Roman army. Jerusalem is like a dead and putrid corpse. Its life is gone, and it is ready to be devoured. The Roman armies will find it out, as the vultures do a dead carcass, and will come around it to devour it. This proverb also teaches a universal truth. Wherever wicked men are, there will be assembled the instruments of their chastisement. The providence of God will direct them there, as the eagles are directed to a dead

carcass.

This verse is connected with the preceding by the word for, implying that this is a reason for what is said there, that the Son of man would certainly come to destroy the city, and that he would come suddenly. The meaning is, he would come by means of the Roman armies, as certainly, as suddenly, and as unexpectedly, as whole flocks of vultures and eagles, though unseen before, suddenly find their prey, see it at a great distance, and gather in multitudes around it. Travellers in the deserts of Arabia tell us that they sometimes witness a speck in the distant sky, which for a long time is

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man 5 in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and 6 they shall see the Son of man coming in the

4 2 Pet. iii. 10. 5 Dan. vii. 13. Rev. i. 7. Ch. xvi. 27. Mark xiii. 26. Luke xxii. 69.

scarcely visible. At length it grows larger, it comes nearer, and they at last find that it is a vulture that has from an immense distance seen a carcass lying on the sand. So keen is their vision, and so aptly does this represent the Roman armies, though at an immense distance, yet spying, as it were, Jerusalem, a putrid carcass, and hastening in multitudes to destroy it.

Thus

29. Shall the sun be darkened, &c. The images here used, are not to be taken literally. They are often used by the sacred writers to denote any great calamities. As the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars would be an inexpressible calamity, so any great catastrophe, any overturning of kingdoms or cities, or dethroning of kings and princes, is represented by the darkening of the sun and moon, and by some terrible convulsion in the elements. the destruction of Babylon is foretold in similar terms, Isa. xiii. 10; and of Tyre, Isa. xxiv. 23. The slaughter in Bozrah and Idumea is predicted in the same language, Isa. xxxiv. 4. See also Isa. 1. 3; Ix. 19, 20. Ezek. xxxii. 7. Joel iii. 15. To the description in Matthew, Luke has added, ch. xxi. 25, "there should be distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming upon the earth." All these are figures of great and terrible calamity. The roaring of the waves of the sea denotes great tumult and affliction among the people. Perplexity means doubt, anxiety, not knowing what to do to escape. Men's hearts should fail them for fear, or by reason of fear. Their fears would be so great as to take away their courage and strength.

30. The sign of the Son of man. The evidence that Christ is coming to destroy

great glory.

clouds of heaven with power and and they shall gather together his elect 3 from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

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31 And he shall send his angels 1 with a great sound of a trumpet, Or, with a trumpet and a great voice. 21 Thess.

iv. 16.

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those who have died, and been raised up, 1 Cor. xv. 52, 1 Thess. iv. 17; by bringing the affairs of the world to a close, receiv ing the righteous to heaven, Matt. xxv.' 34, 1 Cor. xxv. 57; and by sending the wicked, however numerous or however strong, down to hell. Matt. xxv. 41, 46. John v. 29. Great glory. The word

the city of Jerusalem. It is not to be denied, however, that this description is applicable also to his coming at the day of judgment. The disciples had asked him, ver. 3, what should be the sign of his coming, and of the end of the world. In his answer, he has reference to both events, and his language may be regarded as descriptive of both. At the destruc-glory here means the visible display of his tion of Jerusalem, the sign or evidence of his coming was found in the fulfilment of these predictions. At the end of the world, the sign of his coming will be his personal approach with the glory of his Father and the holy angels. Matt. xxvi.

honour and majesty. This glory will be manifested by the manner of his coming, Matt. xxvi. 64; by the presence of the angels, Matt. xxv. 31; and by the wonders that shall attend him down the sky.

31. And he shall send his angels. AnLuke xxi. 27. Acts i. 11. 1 Thess. gels signify literally messengers. Luke vii. v. 16. All the tribes of the earth mourn. 24; ix. 52. The word is often applied to This is, either all the tribes or people of inanimate objects, or to any thing that the land of Judea shall mourn at the great God employs to rescue his people from calamities coming upon them, or all the danger. Psa. civ. 4. But it most comnations of the world shall wail when he monly refers to the race of intelligences comes to judgment. All the wicked shall more exalted than man, who are employed mourn at the prospect of their doom. often in the work of man's rescue from Rev. i. 7. The cause of their wailing at ruin, and in his salvation. Heb. i. 14. In the day of judgment shall be chiefly that either of these senses, it might here refer to they have pierced, killed, rejected the deliverance granted to the people of God Saviour, and that they deserve the con- in the calamities of Jerusalem. It is said demnation that is coming upon them. that there is reason to believe that not Zech. xii. 10. John xix. 37. And one Christian perished in the destructhey shall see the Son of man. The Lord tion of that city, God having in various Jesus coming to judgment. Probably this ways secured their escape, so that they refers more directly to his coming at the fled to Pella, where they dwelt when last day, though it may also mean that the city was destroyed. But the lanthe evidence of his coming to destroy guage seems to refer rather to the end Jerusalem shall then be seen. In the of the world; and no doubt its principal clouds of heaven. He ascended in a application was intended to be to the cloud. Acts i. 9. He shall return in gathering of his elect, at the day of like manner. Acts i. 11. The clouds of judgment. With a great sound of a heaven denote not the clouds in heaven, trumpet. The jewish assemblies used to but the clouds that appear to shut heaven, be called together by the sound of a or the sky, from our view. With power. trumpet, as ours often are by bells. Lev. Power, manifest in the destruction of Je- xxv. 9. Num. x. 2. Judg. iii. 27. rusalem, by the wonders that preceded it, Hence when they spoke of convening an and by the overturning of the temple and assembly, they spoke also of doing it by city. In the day of judgment, power sounding a trumpet. Our Saviour speakmanifest by consuming the material world, ing to Jews, used language to which they 2 Pet. iii. 7, 10, 12; by raising the dead, were accustomed, and described the asJohn v. 29, 30, 1 Cor. xv. 52; by chang-sembling of the people at the last day, in ing those who may be alive when he shall | language which they were accustomed to come; that is, making their bodies like use in calling assemblies together. It is

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gathered from all parts of the earth where they are scattered. The word heaven is here used to denote the visible heavens or the sky, meaning that through the whole world he would gather them. See Deut. iv. 32. Psa. xix. 1-6.

32. Now learn a parable. See Note, ch. xiii. 3. The word here means rather an illustration. Make a comparison, or judge of this as you do respecting a figtree. Fig tree. This was spoken on the mount of Olives, which produced not only olives, but figs. Possibly one was near when he spoke this. When his branch, &c. When the juices return from the roots into the branches, and the buds swell and burst, as if tender, and too feeble to contain the pressing and expanding leaves. When you see that, you judge that spring and summer are near.

not certain, however, that he meant that this would be literally so, but only to indicate the certainty that the world would be assembled together. Similar language is often used, when speaking of the judgment. 1 Cor. xv. 52. 1 Thess. iv. 16. A trump, or trumpet, was a wind instrument, made at first of the horns of oxen, and afterwards of rams' horns, cut off at the smaller extremity. In some instances it was made of brass, in the form of a horn. The common trumpet was straight, made of brass or silver, a cubit in length, the larger extremity shaped so as to resemble a small bell. In times of peace, in assembling the people, this was sounded softly. In times of calamity, or war, or any great commotion, it was sounded loud. Perhaps this was referred to when our Saviour said, with a great sound of a trumpet. They shall gather together his elect. 33. So likewise ye, &c. In the same Elect. See Note on ver. 22. The word manner, when you see what I have premeans Christians; the chosen of God. dicted, the signs around Jerusalem, then If this refers to the destruction of Jeru- know that its destruction is at hand. salem, it means, God shall send forth his Is near. Luke says, ch. xxi. 28, 31, messengers, whatever he may choose to "that your redemption draweth_nigh," employ for that purpose, signs, wonders, and "the kingdom of God is nigh at human messengers, or the angels them- hand." Your deliverance from the selves, and gather Christi uns into a place dangers that threaten the city approaches, of safety, so that they shall not be de- and the kingdom of God will be set up stroyed with the Jews. If it refers to the in the earth; or your everlasting relast judgment, as it doubtless in a primary demption from sin and death will come or secondary sense does, then it means at the day of judgment, and his eterna! that he will send his angels to gather his kingdom is to be established in the heavens. chosen, his elect, together from all places. Matt. xiii. 39, 41-43. This shall be done before the living shall be changed. 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. From the four winds. That is, from the four quarters of the globe: east, west north, and south. The Jews expressed those quarters by the winds blowing from them. See Ezek. xxxvii. 9. See also Isa. xliii. 5, 6. From one end of heaven, &c. Mark says, ch. xiii. 27, "from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven." The ex pression denotes that they shall be

34. This generation, &c. This age; this race of men. A generation is about thirty or forty years. The destruction of Jerusalem took place about forty years after this was spoken. See Note, ch. xvi. 28. Till all these things, &c. TiA these things shall receive a full accomplishment. Till events shall take place that shall be a complete fulfiment, if there were nothing further intended. does not mean to exclude here the reference to the judgment, but to say that the destruction of Jerusalem would be such as to make appropriate the words of

He

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