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Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
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Matthew Henry |
M A R K.
CHAP. XIII.
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,
II. The predictions themselves,
1. Of the rise of deceivers,
2. Of the wars of the nations,
3. Of the persecution of Christians,
4. Of the destruction of Jerusalem,
5. Of the end of the world,
III. Some general intimations concerning the time of them,
IV. Some practical inferences from all,
| 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?”
| 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,
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,
(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,”
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,
&c.
| 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
Now here we have a prediction of that ruin which came upon them within
less than forty years after this: we had it before,
&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,
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 endeavor 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,
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,”
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,
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.
| 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
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,
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.
| Watchfulness Inculcated. |
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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,
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,”
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 pany 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,
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,
(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.”
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