We
have here the substance of that prophetical sermon which our Lord Jesus
preached, pointing at the destruction of Jerusalem, and the consummation of
all things; it was one of the last of his sermons, and not ad populum--to
the people, but ad clerum--to the clergy; it was private, preached
only to four of his disciples, with whom his secret was. Here is, I. The
occasion of his prediction--his disciples' admiring the building of the
temple (ver. 1, 2), and their enquiry concerning the time of the desolation
of them, ver. 3, 4. II. The predictions themselves, 1. Of the rise of
deceivers, ver. 5, 6, 21-23. 2. Of the wars of the nations, ver. 7, 8. 3. Of
the persecution of Christians, ver. 9-13. 4. Of the destruction of
Jerusalem, ver. 14-20. 5. Of the end of the world,
ver. 24-27. III. Some general intimations concerning the time of them, ver.
28-32. IV. Some practical inferences from all, ver. 33-37.
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The
Destruction of the
Temple
Foretold.
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1 And as he went out of the temple, one of
his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what
buildings are here! 2 And Jesus answering said unto him,
Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon
another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the
mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew
asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and
what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
We may here see,
I. How apt many of Christ's own disciples are to idolize things that look great,
and have been long looked upon as sacred. They had heard Christ
complain of those who had made the temple a den of thieves; and yet,
when he quitted it, for the wickedness that remained in it, they court him
to be as much in love as they were with the stately structure and adorning
of it. One of them said to him, "Look, Master, what manner of
stones, and what buildings are here, v. 1. We never saw the like
in
Galilee
; O do not leave this fine place."
II. How little Christ values external pomp, where there is not real purity;
"Seest thou these great buildings" (saith Christ),
"and admirest thou them? I tell thee, the time is at hand when there
shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down,"
v. 2. And the sumptuousness of the fabric shall be no security to it,
no nor move any compassion in the Lord Jesus towards it. He looks with pity
upon the ruin of precious souls, and weeps over them, for on them he has put
great value; but we do not find him look with any pity upon the ruin of a
magnificent house, when he is driven out of it by sin, for that is of small
value with him. With what little concern doth he say, Not one stone shall
be left on another! Much of the strength of the temple lay in the
largeness of the stones, and if these be thrown down, no footstep, no
remembrance, of it will remain. While any part remained standing, there
might be some hopes of the repair of it; but what hope is there, when not
one stone is left upon another?
III. How natural it is to us to desire to know things to come, and the times
of them; more inquisitive we are apt to be about that than about our duty.
His disciples knew not how to digest this doctrine of the ruin of the
temple, which they thought must be their Master's royal palace, and in which
they expected their preferment, and to have the posts of honour; and
therefore they were in pain till they got him alone, and got more out of him
concerning this matter. As he was returning to Bethany therefore, he sat
upon the mount of Olives, over against the temple, where he had a full
view of it; and there four of them agreed to ask him privately, what
he meant by the destroying of the temple, which they understood no more than
they did the predictions of his own death, so inconsistent was it with their
scheme. Probably, though these four proposed the question, yet Christ's
discourse, in answer to it, was in the hearing of the rest of the disciples,
yet privately, that is, apart from the multitude. Their enquiry is, When
shall these things be? They will not question, at least not seem to
question, whether they shall be or no (for their Master has said that they
shall), but are willing to hope it is a great way off. Yet they ask not
precisely the day and year (therein they were modest), but say, "Tell
us what shall be the sign, when all these things shall be fulfilled?
What presages shall there be of them, and how may we prognosticate their
approach?"
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Great Afflictions Foretold.
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5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take
heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in
my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 7
And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such
things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and
there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and
troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But take
heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the
synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and
kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10 And the
gospel must first be published among all nations. 11 But when
they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand
what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be
given you in that hour, that speak 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. 13 And ye
shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall
endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Our Lord Jesus, in reply to their question, sets himself, not so much to
satisfy their curiosity as to direct their consciences; leaves them still in
the dark concerning the times and seasons, which the father
has kept in his own power, and which it was not for them to know;
but gives them the cautions which were needful, with reference to the events
that should now shortly come to pass.
I. They must take heed that they be not deceived by the seducers
and imposters that should now shortly arise (v. 5, 6); "Take
heed lest any man deceive you, lest, having found the true Messiah,
you lose him again in the crowd of pretenders, or be inveigled to
embrace others in rivalship with him. Many shall come in my name (not
in the name of Jesus), but saying, I am the Christ, and so
claiming the dignities which I only an entitled to." After the Jews had
rejected the true Christ, they were imposed upon, and so exposed by
many false Christs, but never before; those false Christs deceived many;
Therefore take heed lest they deceive you. Note, When many are
deceived, we should thereby be awakened to look to ourselves.
II. They must take heed that they be not disturbed at the noise of
wars, which they should be alarmed with, v. 7, 8. Sin introduced wars,
and they come from men's lusts. But at some times the nations are
more distracted and wasted with wars than at other times; so it shall be
now; Christ was born into the world when there was a general peace, but soon
after he went out of the world there were general wars; Nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And what will become of
them then who are to preach the gospel to every nation? Inter arma silent
leges--Amidst the clash of arms, the voice of law is not heard.
"But be not troubled at it." 1. "Let it be no surprise
to you; you are bid to expect it, and such things must needs be, for
God has appointed them, in order to further accomplishment of his purposes,
and by the wars of the Jews" (which Josephus has given us a
large account of) "God will punish the wickedness of the Jews."
2. "Let it be no terror to you, as if your interest were in
danger of being overthrown, or your work obstructed by these wars; you have
no concern in them, and therefore need not be apprehensive of any damage by
them." Note, Those that despise the smiles of the world, and do not
court and covet them, may despise the frowns of the world, and need not fear
them. If we seek not to rise with them that rise in the world, why
should we dread falling with them that fall in the world? 3. "Let it
not be looked upon as an omen of the approaching period of the world, for
the end is not yet, v. 7. Think not that these wars
will bring the world to a period; no, there are other intermediate counsels
to be fulfilled betwixt that end and the end of all things, which are
designed to prepare you for the end, but not to hasten it out of due
time." 4. "Let it not be looked upon as if in them God has done
his worst; no, he has more arrows in his quiver, and they are ordained
against the persecutors; be not troubled at the wars you shall hear of,
for they are but the beginnings of sorrows, and therefore, instead of
being disturbed at them, you ought to prepare for worse; for
there shall also be earthquakes in divers places, which shall bury
multitudes in the ruins of their own houses, and there shall be famines,
by which many of the poor shall perish for want of bread, and troubles
and commotions; so that there shall be no peace to him that goes out
or comes in. The world shall be full of troubles, but be
not ye troubled; without are fightings, within are fears,
but fear not ye their fear." Note, The disciples of Christ, if
it be not their own fault, may enjoy a holy security and serenity of mind,
when all about them is in the greatest disorder.
III. They must take heed that they be not drawn away from Christ, and
from their duty to him, by the sufferings they should meet with for Christ's
sake. Again, he saith, "Take heed to yourselves, v. 9.
Though you may escape the sword of war, better than some of your
neighbours, because you interest not yourselves in the public quarrels, yet
be not secure; you will be exposed to the sword of justice more than
others, and the parties that contend with one another, will unite against
you. Take heed therefore lest you deceive yourselves with the
hopes of outward prosperity, and such a temporal kingdom as you have been
dreaming of, when it is through many tribulations that you must
enter into the kingdom of God. Take heed lest you needlessly expose
yourselves to trouble, and pull it upon your own head. Take heed what
you say and do, for you will have many eyes upon you." Observe,
1. What the trouble is which they must expect.
(1.) They shall be hated of all men; trouble enough! The thoughts of being
hated are grievous to a tender spirit, and the fruits of that hatred
must needs be a constant vexation; those that are malicious, will be mischievous.
It was not for any thing amiss in them, or done amiss by them, that they
were hated, but for Christ's name sake, because they were called by
his name, called upon his name, preached his name, and wrought miracles in
his name. The world hated them because he loved them.
(2.) Their own relations shall betray them, those to whom they
were most nearly allied, and on whom therefore they depended for protection;
"They shall betray you, shall inform against you, and be your
prosecutors." If a father has a child that is a Christian, he shall
become void of natural affection, it shall be swallowed up in bigotry, and
he shall betray his own child to the persecutors, as if he were a worshipper
of other gods, Deut. xiii. 6-10.
(3.) Their church-rulers shall inflict their censures upon
them; "You shall be delivered up to the great Sanhedrim at
Jerusalem, and to the inferior courts and consistories in other cities, and
shall be beaten in the synagogues with forty stripes at a time, as
offenders against the law which was read in the synagogue." It is no
new thing for the church's artillery, through the treachery of its officers,
to be turned against some of its best friends.
(4.) Governors and kings shall use their power against them.
Because the Jews have not power to put them to death, they shall incense the
Roman powers against them, as they did Herod against James and Peter; and
they shall cause you to be put to death, as enemies to the empire.
They must resist unto blood, and still resist.
2. What they shall have to comfort themselves with, in the midst of these
great and sore troubles.
(1.) That the work they were called to should be carried on and prosper,
notwithstanding all this opposition which they should meet with in it (v.
10); "The gospel shall, for all this, be published among all
nations, and before the destruction of Jerusalem the sound of it
shall go forth into all the earth; not only through all the nation of
the Jews, but to all the nations of the earth." It is comfort to those
who suffer for the gospel, that, though they may be crushed and borne down,
the gospel cannot; it shall keep its ground, and carry the day.
(2.) That their sufferings, instead of obstructing their work, should
forward it; "Your being brought before governors and kings shall
be for a testimony of them (so some read it, v. 9); it shall
give you an opportunity of preaching the gospel to those before whom you are
brought as criminals, to whom otherwise you could not have access."
Thus St. Paul's being brought before Felix, and Festus, and Agrippa, and
Nero, was a testimony to them concerning Christ and his gospel. Or, as we
read it, It shall be for a testimony against them, against both the
judges and the prosecutors, who pursue those with the utmost rage that
appear, upon examination, to be not only innocent but excellent persons. The
gospel is a testimony to us concerning Christ and heaven. If we receive it,
it will be a testimony for us: it will justify and save us; if not, it will
be a testimony against us in the great day.
(3.) That, when they were brought before kings and governors for Christ's
sake, they should have special assistance from heaven, to plead Christ's
cause and their own (v. 11); "Take no thought before-hand
what he shall speak, be not solicitous how to address yourselves to
great men, so as to obtain their favour; your cause is just and glorious,
and needs not be supported by premeditated speeches and harangues; but whatsoever
shall be given you in that hour, whatsoever shall be suggested to you,
and put into your minds, and into your mouths" (pro re natâ--on the
spur of the occasion), "that speak ye, and fear not the
success of it, because it is off-hand, for it is not ye that
speak, purely by the strength of your own wisdom, consideration, and
resolution, but it is the Holy Ghost." Note, Those whom Christ
calls out to be advocates for him, shall be furnished with full
instructions: and when we are engaged in the service of Christ, we may
depend upon the aids of the Spirit of Christ.
(4.) That heaven at last would make amends for all; "You will
meet with a great deal of hardship in your way, but have a good heart on it,
your warfare will be accomplished, and your testimony finished, and he
that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved," v.
13. Perseverance gains the crown. The salvation here promised is more than a
deliverance from evil, it is an everlasting blessedness, which shall be an
abundant recompence for all their services and sufferings. All this we have,
Matt. x. 17, &c.
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The
Destruction of the Temple Foretold.
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14 But when ye shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not,
(let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judæa flee to
the mountains: 15 And let him that is on the housetop not go
down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of
his house: 16 And let him that is in the field not turn back
again for to take up his garment. 17 But woe to them that are
with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 18 And
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. 19 For in
those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the
creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 20
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved:
but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the
days. 21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is
Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: 22
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and
wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
The Jews, in rebelling against the Romans, and in persecuting the
Christians, were hastening to their own ruin apace, both efficiently and
meritoriously, were setting both God and man against them; see 1 Thess. ii.
15. Now here we have a prediction of that ruin which came upon them within
less than forty years after this: we had it before, Matt. xxiv. 15, &c.
Observe,
I. What is here foretold concerning it.
1. That the Roman armies should make a descent upon Judea, and invest
Jerusalem, the holy city. These were the abomination of desolation,
which the Jews did abominate, and by which they should be made desolate.
The country of thine enemy is called the land which thou abhorrest,
Isa. vii. 16. Therefore it was an abomination, because it brought
with it nothing but desolation. They had rejected Christ as an abomination,
who would have been their salvation; and now God brought upon them an
abomination that would be their desolation, thus spoken of by Daniel the
prophet (ch. ix. 27), as that by which this sacrifice and
offering should be made to cease. This army stood where it ought not,
in and about the holy city, which the heathen ought not to have
approached, nor would have been suffered to approach, if Jerusalem had not
first profaned the crown of their holiness. This the church complains of,
Lam. i. 10, The heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst
command that they should not enter into the congregation; but sin made
the breach, at which the glory went out, and the abomination of desolation
broke in, and stood where it ought not. Now, let him that readeth
this, understand it, and endeavour to take it right. Prophecies
should not be too plain, and yet intelligible to those that search them; and
they are best understood by comparing them first with one another, and at
last with the event.
2. That when the Roman army should come into the country, there would
be no safety any where but by quitting the country, and that with all
possible expedition. It will be in vain to fight, the enemies will be
too hard for them; in vain to abscond, the enemies will find them
out; and in vain to capitulate, the enemies will give them no
quarter; a man cannot have so much as his life given him for a prey, but by fleeing
to the mountains out of Judea; and let him take the first alarm, and
make the best of his way. If he be on the house-top, trying from
thence to discover the motions of the enemy, and spies them coming, let him
not go down, to take any thing out of the house, for it will occasion
his losing of time, which is more precious than his best goods, and will but
encumber him, and embarrass his flight. If he be in the field, and there
discover the approach of the enemy, let him get away as he is, and not turn
back again, to take up his garment, v. 16. If he can save his
life, let him reckon it is a good bargain, though he can save nothing else,
and be thankful to God, that, though he is cut short, he is not cut off.
3. That it would go very hard at that time with poor mothers and nurses (v.
17); "Woe to them that are with child, that dare not go into
strange places, that cannot shift for themselves, nor make haste as others
can. And woe to them that give suck, that know not how either to
leave the tender infants behind them, or to carry them along with
them." Such is the vanity of the creature, that the time may often be,
when the greatest comforts may prove the greatest burthens. It would
likewise be very uncomfortable, if they should be forced to flee in the
winter (v. 18), when the weather and ways were bad,
when the roads would be scarcely passable, especially in the mountains to
which they must flee. If there be no remedy but that trouble must come, yet
we may desire and pray that, if it be God's will, the circumstances of it
may be so ordered as to be a mitigation of the trouble; and when things are
bad, we ought to consider they might have been worse. It is bad to be forced
to flee, but it would have been worse if it had been in the winter.
4. That throughout all the country of the Jews, there should be such
destruction and desolation made, as could not be paralleled in any history (v.
19); In those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the
beginning of time; that is, of the creation which God created,
for time and the creation are of equal date, unto this day, neither shall
be to the end of time; such a complication of miseries, and of such
continuance. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans was very
terrible, but this exceeded it. It threatened a universal slaughter of all
the people of the Jews; so barbarously did they devour one another, and the
Romans devour them all, that, if their wars had continued a little longer, no
flesh could have been saved, not one Jew could have been left alive; but
in the midst of wrath God remembered mercy; and, (1.) He shortened the
days; he let fall his controversy before he had made a full end.
As a church and nation the ruin was complete, but many particular persons
had their lives given them for a prey, by the storm's subsiding when it did.
2. It was for the elects' sake that those days were shortened; many
among them fared the better for the sake of the few among them that
believed in Christ, and were faithful to him. There was a promise, that a
remnant should be saved (Isa. x. 22), and that God would not, for his
servants' sakes, destroy them all (Isa. lxvi. 8); and these promises
must be fulfilled. God's own elect cry day and night to him, and
their prayers must be answered, Luke xviii. 7.
II. What directions are given to the disciples with reference to it.
1. They must shift for the safety of their lives; "When you see
the country invaded, and the city invested, flatter not yourselves with
thoughts that the enemy will retire, or that you may be able to make your
part good with them; but, without further deliberation or delay, let them
that are in Judea, flee to the mountains, v. 14. Meddle not with
the strife that belongs not to you; let the potsherds strive with the
potsherds of the earth, but do you go out of the ship when you see it
sinking, that you die not the death of the uncircumcised in
heart."
2. They must provide for the safety of their souls; "Seducers
will be busy at that time, for they love to fish in troubled waters, and
therefore then you must double your guard; then, if any man shall say
unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or, Lo, he is there, you know he
is in heaven, and will come again at the end of time, to judge the world,
and therefore believe them not; having received Christ, be not
drawn into the snares of any antichrist; for false Christs,
and false prophets, shall arise," v. 22. When the gospel
kingdom was in the setting up, Satan mustered all his force, to oppose it,
and made use of all his wiles; and God permitted it, for the trial of
sincerity of some, and the discovery of the hypocrisy of others, and the
confusion of those who rejected Christ, when he was offered to them. False
Christs shall rise, and false prophets that shall preach them up;
or such, as, though they pretend not to be Christs, set up for prophets,
and undertake to foretel things to come, and they shall show signs
and lying wonders; so early did the mystery of iniquity begin
to work, 2 Thess. ii. 7. They shall seduce, if it were possible,
the very elect; so plausible shall their pretences be, and so
industrious shall they be to impose upon people, that they shall drawn away
many that were forward and zealous professors of religion, many that were
very likely to have persevered; for nothing will be effectual to secure men
but that foundation of God which stands immovably sure, The Lord knoweth
them that are his, who shall be preserved when the faith of some is
overthrown, 2 Tim. ii. 18, 19. They shall seduce, if it were possible,
the very elect; but it is not possible to seduce them; the election
shall obtain, whoever are blinded, Rom. xi. 7. But, in
consideration hereof, let the disciples be cautious whom they give credit to
(v. 23); But take ye heed. Christ knew that they were of the elect,
who could not possibly be seduced, and yet he said to them, Take
heed. An assurance of persevering, and cautions against apostasy, will
very well consist with each other. Though Christ said to them, Take heed,
it doth not therefore follow, that their perseverance was doubtful, for they
were kept by the power of God; and though their perseverance was secured,
yet it doth not therefore follow, that this caution was needless, because
they must be kept in the use of proper means. God will keep them, but they
must keep themselves. "I have foretold you all things; have
foretold you of this danger, that, being fore-warned, you may be fore-armed;
I have foretold all things which you needed to have foretold to you,
and therefore take heed of hearkening to such as pretend to be prophets, and
to foretel more than I have foretold." The sufficiency of the scripture
is good argument against listening to such as pretend to inspiration.
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The
Afflictions of the Jews Foretold.
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24 But in those days, after that tribulation,
the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven
shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man
coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then
shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four
winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
These verses seem to point at Christ's second coming, to judge the world;
the disciples, in their question, had confounded the destruction of
Jerusalem and the end of the world (Matt. xxiv. 3), which was built
upon a mistake, as if the temple must needs stand as long as the world
stands; this mistake Christ rectifies, and shows that the end of the
world in those days, those other days you enquire about, the day of
Christ's coming, and the day of judgment, shall be after that
tribulation, and not coincident with it. Let those who live to see the
Jewish nation destroyed, take heed of thinking that, because the Son of man
doth not visibly come in the clouds then, he will never so
come; no, he will come after that. And here he foretels,
1. The final dissolution of the present frame and fabric of the world; even
of that part of it which seems least liable to change, the upper part, the
pure and more refined part; The sun shall be darkened, and the moon
shall no more give her light; for they shall be quite outshone by the
glory of the Son of man, Isa. xxiv. 23. The stars of heaven, that
from the beginning had kept their place and regular motion, shall fall as
leaves in autumn; and the powers that are in heaven, the heavenly
bodies, the fixed stars, shall be shaken.
2. The visible appearance of the Lord Jesus, to whom the judgment of that
day shall be committed (v. 26); Then shall they see the Son of man
coming in the clouds. Probably he will come over that very place where
he sat when he said this; for the clouds are in the lower region of the air.
He shall come with great power and glory, such as will be suited to
the errand on which he comes. Every eye shall then see him.
3. The gathering together of all the elect to him (v. 27); He shall send
his angels, and gather together his elect to him, to meet him
in the air, 1 Thess. iv. 17. They shall be fetched from one end of the
world to the other, so that none shall be missing from that general
assembly; they shall be fetched from the uttermost part of the earth,
most remote from the places where Christ's tribunal shall be set, and shall
be brought to the uttermost part of heaven; so sure, so swift, so
easy, shall their conveyance be, that there shall none of them miscarry,
though they were to be brought from the uttermost part of the earth one way,
to the uttermost part of the heaven another way. A faithful Israelite shall
be carried safely, though it were from the utmost border of the land of
bondage to the utmost border of the land of promise.
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When
her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is
near: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things
come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. 30
Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these
things be done. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my
words shall not pass away. 32 But of that day and that
hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the
Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye
know not when the time is. 34 For the Son of man is as a
man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his
servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to
watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of
the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the
morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
We have here the application of this prophetical sermon; now learn to
look forward in a right manner.
I. "As to the destruction of Jerusalem, expect it to come
very shortly; as when the branch of the fig-tree becomes soft,
and the leaves sprout forth, ye expect that summer will come shortly,
v. 28. When second causes begin to work, ye expect their effects in
their proper order and time. So when ye see these things come to pass,
when ye see the Jewish nation embroiled in wars, distracted by false Christs
and prophets, and drawing upon them the displeasure of the Romans,
especially when ye see them persecuting you for your Master's sake, and
thereby standing to what they did when they put him to death, and repeating
it, and so filling up the measure of their iniquity, then say that their ruin
is nigh, even at the door, and provide for yourselves accordingly."
The disciples themselves were indeed all of them, except John, taken away
from the evil to come, but the next generation whom they were to train up,
would live to see it; and by these instructions which Christ left behind him
would be kept from sharing in it; "This generation that is now
rising up, shall not all be worn off before all these things come to
pass, which I have told you of, relating to Jerusalem, and they shall begin
to take effect now shortly. And as this destruction is near and within ken,
so it is sure. The decree is gone forth, it is a consummation determined,"
Dan. ix. 27. Christ doth not speak these things, merely to frighten them;
no, they are declarations of God's fixed purpose; "Heaven and earth
shall pass away, at the end of time; but my words shall not pass away
(v. 31), not one of these predictions shall fail of a punctual
accomplishment."
II. "As to the end of the world, do not enquire when it will
come, for it is not a question fit to be asked, for of that day, and that
hour, knoweth no man; it is a thing at a great distance; the exact time
is fixed in the counsel of God, but is not revealed by any word of God,
either to men on earth, or to angels in heaven; the angels
shall have timely notice to prepare to attend in that day, and it shall be
published, when it comes to the children of men, with sound of trumpet; but,
at present, men and angels are kept in the dark concerning the
precise time of it, that they may both attend to their proper services in
the present day." But it follows, neither the Son; but is there
any thing which the Son is ignorant of? We read indeed of a book which was
sealed, till the Lamb opened the seals; but did not he know what was in it,
before the seals were opened? Was not he privy to the writing of it? There
were those in the primitive times, who taught from this text, that there
were some things that Christ, as man, was ignorant of; and from these
were called Agnoetæ; they said, "It was no more absurd to say
so, than to say that his human soul suffered grief and fear;" and many
of the orthodox fathers approved of this. Some would evade it, by saying
that Christ spoke this in a way of prudential economy, to divert the
disciples from further enquiry: but to this one of the ancients answers, It
is not fit to speak too nicely in this matter--ou
dei panu akribologein, so Leontius in Dr. Hammond,
"It is certain (says Archbishop Tillotson) that Christ, as God, could
not be ignorant of any thing; but the divine wisdom which dwelt in our
Saviour, did communicate itself to his human soul, according to the divine
pleasure, so that his human nature might sometimes not know some things;
therefore Christ is said to grow in wisdom (Luke ii. 52), which he could not
be said to do, if the human nature of Christ did necessarily know all things
by virtue of its union with the divinity." Dr. Lightfoot explains it
thus; Christ calls himself the Son, as Messiah. Now the Messiah, as such,
was the father's servant (Isa. xlii. 1), sent and deputed by him, and as
such a one he refers himself often to his Father's will and command, and
owns he did nothing of himself (John v. 19); in like manner he might
be said to know nothing of himself. The revelation of Jesus Christ
was what God gave unto him, Rev. i. 1. He thinks, therefore, that we
are to distinguish between those excellencies and perfections of his, which
resulted from the personal union between the divine and human nature, and
those which flowed from the anointing of the Spirit; from the former flowed
the infinite dignity of his perfect freedom from all sin; but from the
latter flowed his power of working miracles, and his foreknowledge of things
to come. What therefore (saith he) was to be revealed by him to his church,
he was pleased to take, not from the union of the human nature with the
divine, but from the revelation of the Spirit, by which he yet knew not
this, but the Father only knows it; that is, God only, the Deity; for
(as Archbishop Tillotson explains it) it is not used here personally,
in distinction from the Son and the Holy Ghost, but as the Father is, Fons
et Principium Deitatis--The Fountain of Deity.
III. "As to both, your duty is to watch and pray. Therefore the
time is kept a secret, that you may be engaged to stand always upon your
guard (v. 33); Take ye heed of every thing that would
indispose you for your Master's coming, and would render your accounts perplexed,
and your spirits so too; watch for his coming, that it may not at any
time be a surprise to you, and pray for that grace which is necessary
to qualify you for it, for ye know not when the time is; and you are
concerned to be ready for that every day, which may come any day."
This he illustrates, in the close, by a parable.
1. Our Master is gone away, and left us something in trust, in charge, which
we must give account of, v. 34. He is as a man taking a far
journey; for he is gone to be away a great while, he has left his
house on earth, and left his servants in their offices, given authority
to some, who are to be overseers, and work to others, who are to be
labourers. They that have authority given them, in that had work
assigned them, for those that have the greatest power have the most business;
and to them to whom he gave work, he gave some sort of authority,
to do that work. And when he took his last leave, he appointed the porter
to watch, to be sure to be ready to open to him at his return; and in
the mean time to take care to whom he opened his gates, not to thieves and
robbers, but only to his Master's friends and servants. Thus our Lord Jesus,
when he ascended on high, left something for all his servants to do,
expecting they should all do him service in his absence, and be ready to
receive him at his return. All are appointed to work, and some
authorized to rule.
2. We ought to be always upon our watch, in expectation of his return, v.
35-37. (1.) Our Lord will come, and will come as the Master of the
house, to take account of his servants, of their work, and of the
improvement they have made. (2.) We know not when he will come; and
he has very wisely kept us at uncertainty, that we might all be always
ready. We know not when he will come, just at what precise time; the Master
of the house perhaps will come at even, at nine at night; or it
may be at
midnight
, or a cock-crowing, at three in the morning, or perhaps not
until six. This is applicable to his coming to us in particular, at our
death, as well as to the general judgment. Our present life is a night,
a dark night, compared with the other life; we know not in which watch of
the night our Master will come, whether in the days of youth, or middle age,
or old age; but, as soon as we are born, we begin to die, and therefore, as
soon as we are capable of expecting any thing, we must expect death. (3.)
Our great care must be, that, whenever our Lord comes, he do not find us
sleeping, secure in ourselves, off our guard, indulging ourselves in
ease and sloth, mindless of our work and duty, and thoughtless of our Lord's
coming; ready to say, He will not come, and unready to meet
him. (4.) His coming will indeed be coming suddenly; it will be a
great surprise and terror to those that are careless, and
asleep, it will come upon them as a thief in the night. (5.) It is therefore
the indispensable duty of all Christ's disciples, to watch, to be
awake, and keep awake; "What I say unto you four (v. 37),
I say unto all the twelve, or rather to you twelve, I say unto
all my disciples and followers; what I say to you of this generation, I say
to all that shall believe in men, through your word, in every age, Watch,
watch, expect my second coming, prepare for it, that you may be found in
peace, without spot, and blameless."
