Adam Clarke knew
that the context demanded that the destruction of Jerusalem, to come
immediately, had to be involved in Matthew 24's purpose and narrative, and
he said this...
This chapter contains a prediction of
the utter destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, and the subversion
of the whole political constitution of the Jews; and is one of the most valuable
portions of the new covenant Scriptures, with respect to the evidence which
it furnishes of the truth of Christianity. Every thing which our Lord foretold
should come on the temple, city, and people of the Jews, has been fulfilled
in the most correct and astonishing manner; and witnessed by a writer who
was present during the whole, who was himself a Jew, and is acknowledged
to be an historian of indisputable veracity in all those transactions which
concern the destruction of Jerusalem. Without having designed it, he has
written a commentary on our Lord’s words, and shown how every tittle was
punctually fulfilled, though he knew nothing of the Scripture which contained
this remarkable prophecy. His account will be frequently referred to in the
course of these notes; as also the admirable work of Bishop Newton on the
prophecies.
Mat 24:2,
There shall not
be left here one stone - These seem to have been the last words he spoke
as he left the temple, into which he never afterwards entered; and, when
he got to the mount of Olives, he renewed the discourse. From this mount,
on which our Lord and his disciples now sat, the whole of the city, and particularly
the temple, were clearly seen. This part of our Lord’s prediction was fulfilled
in the most literal manner. Josephus says, War, book vii. c. 1: “Caesar gave
orders that they should now demolish the whole city and temple, τε πολιν
απασαν και τον νεων κατασκεπτειν, except the three towers, Phaselus, Hippicus,
and Mariamne, and a part of the western wall, and these were spared; but,
for all the rest of the wall, it was laid so completely even with the ground,
by those who dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to
make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited.” Maimonides,
a Jewish rabbin, in Tract. Taanith, c. 4, says, “That the very foundations
of the temple were digged up, according to the Roman custom.” His words are
these: “On that ninth day of the month Ab, fatal for vengeance, the wicked
Turnus Rufus, of the children of Edom, ploughed up the temple, and the places
round about it, that the saying might be fulfilled, Zion shall be ploughed
as a field.” This Turnus, or rather Terentius Rufus, was left general of
the army by Titus, with commission, as the Jews suppose, to destroy the city
and the temple, as Josephus observes.
The temple was destroyed,
1st. Justly; because of the sins of the Jews.
2dly. Mercifully; to take away from
them the occasion of continuing in Judaism: and
3dly. Mysteriously;
to show that the ancient sacrifices were abolished, and that the whole Jewish
economy was brought to an end, and the Christian dispensation introduced.
Mat 24:3 -
Tell us, when shall
these things be? - There appear to be three questions asked here by the
disciples.
1st. When shall these
things be? viz. the destruction of the city, temple, and Jewish state.
2dly. What shall be
the sign of thy coming? viz. to execute these judgments upon them, and
to establish thy own Church: and
3dly. When shall this
world end? When wilt thou come to judge the quick and the dead?
But there are some
who maintain that these are but three parts of the same question, and that
our Lord’s answers only refer to the destruction of the Jewish state, and
that nothing is spoken here concerning the Last or judgment day.
End of the world
- Του αιωνος; or, of the age, viz. the
Jewish economy, which is a frequent accommodated meaning of
the word Αιων, the proper meaning of which is, as Aristotle (De Caelo)
observes, Eternal. Αιων, quasi αει ων continual being: and no words can more
forcibly point out eternity than these. See the note on Gen_21:33.
Mat 24:5 -
For many shall come
in my name -
1.
Josephus says, (War, b. ii. c. 13), that there were many who, pretending
to Divine inspiration, deceived the people, leading out numbers of them to
the desert, pretending that God would there show them the signs of liberty,
meaning redemption from the Roman power: and that an Egyptian false prophet
led 30,000 men into the desert, who were almost all cut off by Felix. See
Act_21:38. It was a just judgment for God to deliver up that people into
the hands of false Christs who had rejected the true one. Soon after our
Lord’s crucifixion, Simon Magus appeared, and persuaded the people of Samaria
that he was the great power of God, Act_8:9, Act_8:10; and boasted among
the Jews that he was the son of God.
2.
Of the same stamp and character was also Dositheus, the Samaritan, who pretended
that he was the Christ foretold by Moses.
3.
About twelve years after the death of our Lord, when Cuspius Fadus was procurator
of Judea, arose an impostor of
the name of Theudas,
who said he was a prophet, and persuaded a great multitude to follow him
with their best effects to the river Jordan, which he promised to divide
for their passage; and saying these things, says Josephus, he deceived many:
almost the very words of our Lord.
4.
A few years afterwards, under the reign of Nero, while Felix was procurator
of Judea, impostors of this stamp were so frequent that some were taken and
killed almost every day. Josephus. Ant. b. xx. c. 4. and 7.
The Second sign, wars
and commotions.
Mat 24:6 -
The next signs given
by our Lord are wars and rumors of wars, etc. - These may be seen
in Josephus, Ant. b. xviii. c. 9; War, b. ii. c. 10; especially as to the
rumors of wars, when Caligula ordered his statue to be set up in the temple
of God, which the Jews having refused, had every reason to expect a war with
the Romans, and were in such consternation on the occasion that they even
neglected to till their land.
Mat 24:7 -
Nation shall rise against nation
- This portended the dissensions, insurrections and mutual
slaughter of the Jews, and those of other nations, who dwelt in the same
cities together; as particularly at Caesarea, where the Jews and Syrians
contended about the right of the city, which ended there in the total expulsion
of the Jews, above 20,000 of whom were slain. The whole Jewish nation being
exasperated at this, flew to arms, and burnt and plundered the neighboring
cities and villages of the Syrians, making an immense slaughter of the people.
The Syrians, in return, destroyed not a less number of the Jews. At Scythopolis
they murdered upwards of 13,000. At Ascalon they killed 2,500. At Ptolemais
they slew 2000, and made many prisoners. The Tyrians also put many Jews to
death, and imprisoned more: the people of Gadara did likewise; and all the
other cities of Syria in proportion, as they hated or feared the Jews. As
Alexandria the Jews and heathens fought, and 50,000 of the former were slain.
The people of Damascus conspired against the Jews of that city, and, assaulting
them unarmed, killed 10,000 of them. See Bishop Newton, and Dr. Lardner.
Kingdom against kingdom - This
portended the open wars of different tetrarchies and provinces against each
other.
1st. That of the Jews
and Galileans against the Samaritans, for the murder of some Galileans going
up to the feast of Jerusalem, while Cumanus was procurator.
2dly. That of the whole
nation of the Jews against the Romans and Agrippa, and other allies of the
Roman empire; which began when Gessius Florus was procurator.
3dly. That of the civil
war in Italy, while Otho and Vitellius were contending for the empire.
It is worthy of remark,
that the Jews themselves say, “In the time of the Messiah, wars shall be
stirred up in the world; nation shall rise against nation, and city against
city.” Sohar Kadash. “Again, Rab. Eleasar, the son of Abina, said, When ye
see kingdom rising against kingdom, then expect the immediate appearance
of the Messiah.” Bereshith Rabba, sect. 42.
The Third sign, pestilence and famine.
It is farther added, that There shall
be famines, and pestilences - There was a famine foretold by Agabus, (Act_11:28),
which is mentioned by Suetonius, Tacitus, and Eusebius; which came to pass
in the days of Claudius Caesar, and was so severe at Jerusalem that Josephus
says (Ant. b. xx. c. 2). many died for lack of food. Pestilences are the
usual attendants of famines: as the scarcity and badness of provisions generally
produce epidemic disorders.
The Fourth sign, earthquakes
or popular commotions.
Earthquakes, in divers
places - If we take the word σεισμοι from σειω to shake, in the first sense,
then it means particularly those popular commotions and insurrections which
have already been noted; and this I think to be the true meaning of the word:
but if we confine it to earthquakes, there were several in those times to
which our Lord refers; particularly one at Crete in the reign of Claudius,
one at Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos. See Grotius. One at Rome, mentioned
by Tacitus; and one at Laodicea in the reign of Nero, in which the city was
overthrown, as were likewise Hierapolis and Colosse. See Tacit. Annal. lib.
xii. and lib. xiv. One at Campania, mentioned by Seneca; and one at Rome,
in the reign of Galba, mentioned by Suetonius in the life of that emperor.
Add to all these, a dreadful one in Judea, mentioned by Josephus (War, b.
iv. c. 4). accompanied by a dreadful tempest, violent winds, vehement showers,
and continual lightnings and thunders; which led many to believe that these
things portended some uncommon calamity.
The Fifth sign, fearful
portents.
To these St. Luke adds
that there shall be fearful sights and great signs from heaven (Luk_21:11).
Josephus, in his preface to the Jewish war, enumerates these.
1st. A star hung over the city like a sword; and a comet continued a whole
year.
2d. The people being
assembled at the feast of unleavened bread, at the ninth hour of the night,
a great light shone about the altar and the temple, and this continued for
half an hour.
3d. At the same feast,
a cow led to sacrifice brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple!
4th. The eastern gate
of the temple, which was of solid brass, and very heavy, and could hardly
be shut by twenty men, and was fastened by strong bars and bolts, was seen
at the sixth hour of the night to open of its own accord!
5th. Before sun-setting
there were seen, over all the country, chariots and armies fighting in the
clouds, and besieging cities.
6th. At the feast of
pentecost, when the priests were going into the inner temple by night, to
attend their service, they heard first a motion and noise, and then a voice,
as of a multitude, saying, Let Us Depart Hence!
7th. What Josephus reckons one of the
most terrible signs of all was, that one Jesus, a country fellow, four years
before the war began, and when the city was in peace and plenty, came to
the feast of tabernacles, and ran crying up and down the streets, day and
night: “A voice from the east! a voice from the west! a voice from the four
winds! a voice against Jerusalem and the temple! a voice against the bridegrooms
and the brides! and a voice against all the people!” Though the magistrates
endeavored by stripes and tortures to restrain him, yet he still cried, with
a mournful voice, “Wo, wo to Jerusalem!” And this he continued to do for
several years together, going about the walls and crying with a loud voice:
“Wo, wo to the city, and to the people, and to the temple!” and as he added,
“Wo, wo to myself!” a stone from some sling or engine struck him dead on
the spot!
It is worthy of remark
that Josephus appeals to the testimony of others, who saw and heard these
fearful things. Tacitus, a Roman historian, gives very nearly the same account
with that of Josephus. Hist. lib. v.
Mat 24:8 -
All these are the
beginning of sorrows - Ωδινων, travailing pains. The whole land of Judea
is represented under the notion of a woman in grievous travail; but our Lord
intimates, that all that had already been mentioned were only the first pangs
and throes, and nothing in comparison of that hard and death-bringing labor,
which should afterwards take place.
From the calamities
of the nation in general, our Lord passes to those of the Christians; and,
indeed, the sufferings of his followers were often occasioned by the judgments
sent upon the land, as the poor Christians were charged with being the cause
of these national calamities, and were cruelly persecuted on that account.
Mat 24:9 -
Then shall they
deliver you up to be afflicted - Rather, Then they will deliver you up
to affliction, εις θλιψιν. By a bold figure of speech, affliction is here
personified. They are to be delivered into affliction’s own hand, to be harassed
by all the modes of inventive torture.
Ye shall be hated of all nations
- Both Jew and Gentile will unite in persecuting and tormenting
you. Perhaps παντων των εθνων means all the Gentiles, as in the parallel
places in Mar_13:9-11, and in Luk_21:12-15, the Jewish persecution is mentioned
distinctly. Ye shall be delivered up to Councils and be beaten in Synagogues,
and ye shall stand before governors and kings for my name’s sake - be not
anxiously careful beforehand what ye shall speak - for ye are not the speakers,
but the Holy Spirit will speak by you - I will give you utterance and wisdom,
which all your adversaries shall not be able to contradict or resist. We
need go no farther than the Acts of the Apostles for the completion of these
particulars. Some were delivered to councils, as Peter and John, Act_4:5.
Some were brought before rulers and kings, as Paul before Gallio, Act_18:12,
before Felix, Acts 24, before Festus and Agrippa, Acts 25. Some had utterance
and wisdom which their adversaries were not able to resist: so Stephen, Act_6:10,
and Paul, who made even Felix himself tremble, Act_24:25. Some were imprisoned,
as Peter and John, Act_4:3. Some were beaten, as Paul and Silas, Act_16:23.
Some were put to death, as Stephen, Act_7:59, and James the brother of John,
Act_12:2. But if we look beyond the book of the Acts of the Apostles, to
the bloody persecutions under Nero, we shall find these predictions still
more amply fulfilled: in these, numberless Christians fell, besides those
two champions of the faith Peter and Paul. And it was, as says Tertullian,
nominis praelium, a war against the very name of Christ; for he who was called
Christian had committed crime enough, in bearing the name, to be put to death.
So true were our Savior’s words, that they should be hated of all men for
his Name’s sake.
But they were not only
to be hated by the Gentiles, but they were to be betrayed by apostates.
Mat 24:10 -
Then shall many
be offended, and shall betray one another - To illustrate this point,
one sentence out of Tacitus (Annal. l. xv). will be sufficient, who, speaking
of the persecution under Nero, says, At first several were seized, who confessed,
and then by Their Discovery a great multitude of others were convicted and
executed.
Mat 24:11 -
False prophets - Also were to
be raised up; such as Simon Magus and his followers; and the false apostles
complained of by St. Paul, 2Co_11:13, who were deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. Such also were Hymeneus and Philetus,
2Ti_2:17, 2Ti_2:18.
Mat 24:12 -
The love of many
shall wax cold - By reason of these trials and persecutions from without,
and those apostasies and false prophets from within, the love of many to
Christ and his doctrine, and to one another, shall grow cold. Some openly
deserting the faith, as Mat_24:10; others corrupting it, as Mat_24:11; and
others growing indifferent about it, Mat_24:12. Even at this early period
there seems to have been a very considerable defection in several Christian
Churches; see Gal_3:1-4; 2Th_3:1, etc.; 2Ti_1:15.
Mat 24:13 -
But he that shall
endure - The persecutions that shall come - unto the end; to the destruction
of the Jewish polity, without growing cold or apostatizing - shall be saved,
shall be delivered in all imminent dangers, and have his soul at last brought
to an eternal glory. It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished
in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius
Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon
have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably
raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape. See Eusebius,
Hist. Eccles lib. iii. c. 5, and Mr. Reading’s note there; and see the note
here on Mat_24:20 (note).
Mat 24:14 -
And this Gospel
of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world - But, notwithstanding
these persecutions, there should be a universal publication of the glad tidings
of the kingdom, for a testimony to all nations. God would have the iniquity
of the Jews published every where, before the heavy stroke of his judgments
should fall upon them; that all mankind, as it were, might be brought as
witnesses against their cruelty and obstinacy in crucifying and rejecting
the Lord Jesus.
In all the world, εν ολη τη οικουμενη.
Perhaps no more is meant here than the Roman empire; for it
is beyond controversy that πασαν την οικουμενην, Luk_2:1, means no more than
the whole Roman empire: as a decree for taxation or enrolment from
Augustus Caesar could have no influence but in the Roman dominions; but see
on Luke 2:1 (note). Tacitus informs us, Annal. l. xv., that, as early as
the reign of Nero, the Christians were grown so numerous at Rome as to excite
the jealousy of the government; and in other parts they were in proportion.
However, we are under no necessity to restrain the phrase to the Roman empire,
as, previously to the destruction of Jerusalem, the Gospel was not only preached
in the lesser Asia, and Greece, and Italy, the greatest theatres of action
then in the world; but was likewise propagated as far north as Scythia; as
far south as Ethiopia; as far east as Parthia and India; and as far west
as Spain and Britain. On this point, Bishop Newton goes on to say, That there
is some probability that the Gospel was preached in the British nations by
St. Simon the apostle; that there is much greater probability that it was
preached here by St. Paul; and that there is an absolute certainty
that it was planted here in the times of the apostles, before the
destruction of Jerusalem. See his proofs. Dissert. vol. ii. p. 235,
236. edit. 1758. St. Paul himself speaks, Col 1:6, Col 1:23, of the
Gospel’s being come into All The World, and preached To Every Creature under
heaven. And in his Epistle to the Romans, Rom 10:18, he very elegantly
applies to the lights of the Church, what the psalmist said of the lights
of heaven. Their sound went into All The Earth, and their words
unto the End of the World. What but the wisdom of God could foretell this?
and what but the power of God could accomplish it?
Then shall the end
come - When this general publication of the Gospel shall have taken place,
then a period shall be put to the whole Jewish economy, by the utter
destruction of their city and temple.
Mat 24:15 -
The abomination of desolation, spoken
of by Daniel - This abomination of desolation, St. Luke, (Luk_21:20,
Luk_21:21), refers to the Roman army; and this abomination standing in the
holy place is the Roman army besieging Jerusalem; this, our Lord says, is
what was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, in the ninth and eleventh chapters
of his prophecy; and so let every one who reads these prophecies understand
them; and in reference to this very event they are understood by the rabbins.
The Roman army is called an abomination, for its ensigns and images, which
were so to the Jews. Josephus says, (War, b. vi. chap. 6), the Romans brought
their ensigns into the temple, and placed them over against the eastern gate,
and sacrificed to them there. The Roman army is therefore fitly called the
abomination, and the abomination which maketh desolate, as it was to desolate
and lay waste Jerusalem; and this army besieging Jerusalem is called by St.
Mark, Mar_13:14, standing where it ought not, that is, as in the text here,
the holy place; as not only the city, but a considerable compass of ground
about it, was deemed holy, and consequently no profane persons should stand
on it.
Mat 24:16 -
Then let them which
be in Judea flee into the mountains - This counsel was remembered and
wisely followed by the Christians afterwards. Eusebius and Epiphanius say,
that at this juncture, after Cestius Gallus had raised the siege, and Vespasian
was approaching with his army, all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem
and fled to Pella, and other places beyond the river Jordan; and so they
all marvellously escaped the general shipwreck of their country: not one
of them perished. See on Mat_24:13 (note).
Mat 24:17 -
Let him which is on the house top
- The houses of the Jews, as well as those of the ancient
Greeks and Romans, were flat-roofed, and had stairs on the outside, by which
persons might ascend and descend without coming into the house. In the eastern
walled cities, these flat-roofed houses usually formed continued terraces
from one end of the city to the other; which terraces terminated at the gates.
He, therefore, who is walking on the house top, let him not come down to
take any thing out of his house; but let him instantly pursue his course
along the tops of the houses, and escape out at the city gate as fast as
he can.
Any thing - Instead
of τι, any thing, we should read τα, the things; which reading is supported
by all the best MSS., versions, and fathers.
Mat 24:18 -
Neither let him
which is in the field return back - Because when once the army of the
Romans sits down before the city, there shall be no more any possibility
of escape, as they shall never remove till Jerusalem be destroyed.
Mat 24:19 -
And wo unto them
(alas! for them) that are with child, etc. - For such persons are not
in a condition to make their escape; neither can they bear the miseries of
the siege. Josephus says the houses were full of women and children that
perished by the famine; and that the mothers snatched the food even out of
their own children’s mouths. See War, b. v. c. 10. But he relates a more
horrid story than this, of one Mary, the daughter of Eliezar, illustrious
for her family and riches, who, being stripped and plundered of all her goods
and provisions by the soldiers, in hunger, rage, and despair, killed and
boiled her own sucking child, and had eaten one half of him before it was
discovered. This shocking story is told, War, b. vi. c. 3, with several circumstances
of aggravation.
Mat 24:20 -
But pray ye that your flight be not
in the winter - For the hardness of the season, the badness of the roads,
the shortness of the days, and the length of the nights, will all be great
impediments to your flight. Rabbi Tanchum observes, “that the favor of God
was particularly manifested in the destruction of the first temple, in not
obliging the Jews to go out in the winter, but in the summer.” See the place
in Lightfoot.
Neither on the Sabbath-day
- That you may not raise the indignation of the Jews by travelling
on that day, and so suffer that death out of the city which you had endeavored
to escape from within. Besides, on the Sabbath-days the Jews not only kept
within doors, but the gates of all the cities and towns in every place were
kept shut and barred; so that their flight should be on a Sabbath, they could
not expect admission into any place of security in the land.
Our Lord had ordered
his followers to make their escape from Jerusalem when they should see it
encompassed with armies; but how could this be done? God took care to provide
amply for this. In the twelfth year of Nero, Cestius Gallus, the president
of Syria, came against Jerusalem with a powerful army. He might, says Josephus,
War, b. ii. c. 19, have assaulted and taken the city, and thereby put an
end to the war; but without any just reason, and contrary to the expectation
of all, he raised the siege and departed. Josephus remarks, that after Cestius
Gallus had raised the siege, “many of the principal Jewish people, πολλοι
των επιφανων Ιουδαιων, forsook the city, as men do a sinking ship.” Vespasian
was deputed in the room of Cestius Gallus, who, having subdued all the country,
prepared to besiege Jerusalem, and invested it on every side. But the news
of Nero’s death, and soon after that of Galba, and the disturbances that
followed, and the civil wars between Otho and Vitellius, held Vespasian and
his son Titus in suspense. Thus the city was not actually besieged in form
till after Vespasian was confirmed in the empire, and Titus was appointed
to command the forces in Judea. It was in those incidental delays that the
Christians, and indeed several others, provided for their own safety, by
flight. In Luk_19:43, our Lord says of Jerusalem, Thine enemies shall cast
a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side.
Accordingly, Titus, having made several assaults without success, resolved
to surround the city with a wall, which was, with incredible speed, completed
in three days! The wall was thirty-nine furlongs in length, and was strengthened
with thirteen forts at proper distances, so that all hope of safety was cut
off; none could make his escape from the city, and no provisions could be
brought into it. See Josephus, War, book v. c. 12.
Mat 24:21 -
For then shall be great tribulation
- No history can furnish us with a parallel to the calamities
and miseries of the Jews: - rapine, murder, famine, and pestilence within:
fire and sword, and all the horrors of war, without. Our Lord wept at the
foresight of these calamities; and it is almost impossible for any humane
person to read the relation of them in Josephus without weeping also. St.
Luke, Luk_21:22, calls these the days of vengeance, that all things which
were written might be fulfilled.
1.
These were the days in which all the calamities predicted by Moses, Joel,
Daniel, and other prophets, as well as those predicted by our Savior, met
in one common center, and were fulfilled in the most terrible manner on that
generation.
2.
These were the days of vengeance in another sense, as if God’s judgments
had certain periods and revolutions; for it is remarkable that the temple
was burned by the Romans in the same month, and on the same day of the month,
on which it had been burned by the Babylonians. See Josephus, War, b. vi.
c. 4.
Mat 24:22 -
Except those days should be shortened
- Josephus computes the number of those who perished in the siege at eleven
hundred thousand, besides those who were slain in other places, War, b. vi.
c. 9; and if the Romans had gone on destroying in this manner, the whole
nation of the Jews would, in a short time, have been entirely extirpated;
but, for the sake of the elect, the Jews, that they might not be utterly
destroyed, and for the Christians particularly, the days were shortened.
These, partly through the fury of the zealots on one hand, and the hatred
of the Romans on the other; and partly through the difficulty of subsisting
in the mountains without houses or provisions, would in all probability have
been all destroyed, either by the sword or famine, if the days had not been
shortened. The besieged themselves helped to shorten those days by their
divisions and mutual slaughters; and by fatally deserting their strong holds,
where they never could have been subdued, but by famine alone. So well fortified
was Jerusalem, and so well provided to stand a siege, that the enemy without
could not have prevailed, had it not been for the factions and seditions
within. When Titus was viewing the fortifications after the taking of the
city, he could not help ascribing his success to God. “We have fought,” said
he, “with God on our side; and it is God who pulled the Jews out of these
strong holds: for what could machines or the hands of men avail against such
towers as these?” War, b. vi. c. 9.
Mat 24:23 -
Then if any man
shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ - Our Lord had cautioned his disciples
against false Christs and prophets before, Mat_24:11; but he seems here to
intimate that there would be especial need to attend to this caution about
the time of the siege. And in fact many such impostors did arise about that
time, promising deliverance from God; and the lower the Jews were reduced,
the more disposed they were to listen to such deceivers. Like a man drowning,
they were willing to catch even at a straw, while there was any prospect
of being saved. But as it was to little purpose for a man to take upon him
the character of the Christ, without miracles to avouch his Divine mission,
so it was the common artifice of these impostors to show signs and wonders,
σημεια και τερατα; the very words used by Christ in this prophecy, and by
Josephus in his history: Ant. b. xx. c. 7. Among these Simon Magus, and Dositheus,
mentioned before; and Barcocab, who, St. Jerome says, pretended to vomit
flames. And it is certain these and some others were so dexterous in imitating
miraculous works that they deceived many; and such were their works, that
if the elect, the chosen persons, the Christians, had not had the fullest
evidence of the truth of Christ’s mission and miracles, they must have been
deceived too: but, having had these proofs, they could not possibly be deceived
by these impostors. This is simply the meaning of this place; and it is truly
astonishing that it should be brought as a proof for the doctrine (whether
true or false is at present out of the question) of the necessary and eternal
perseverance of the saints! How abundant the Jews were in magic, divination,
sorcery, incantation, etc., see proved by Dr. Lightfoot on this place.
Mat 24:26 -
If they shall say unto you, Behold,
he is in the desert - Is it not worthy of remark that our Lord not only
foretold the appearance of these impostors, but also the manner and circumstances
of their conduct? Some he mentions as appearing in the desert. Josephus says,
Ant. b. xx. c. 7, and War, book ii. c. 13: That many impostors and cheats
persuaded the people to follow them to the desert, promising to show them
signs and wonders done by the providence of God, is well attested. An Egyptian
false prophet, mentioned by Josephus, Ant. b. xx. c. 7, and in the Acts,
Act_21:38, led out into the Desert four thousand men, who were murderers,
but these were all taken or destroyed by Felix. Another promised salvation
to the people, if they would follow him to the Desert, and he was destroyed
by Festus, Ant. b. xx. c. 7. Also, one Jonathan, a weaver, persuaded a number
to follow him to the Desert, but he was taken and burnt alive by Vespasian.
See War, b. vii. c. 11.
As some conducted their
deluded followers to the Desert, so did others to the secret chambers. Josephus
mentions a false prophet, War, b. vi. c. 5, who declared to the people in
the city, that God commanded them to go up into the temple, and there they
should receive the signs of deliverance. A multitude of men, women, and children,
went up accordingly; but, instead of deliverance, the place was set on fire
by the Romans, and 6,000 perished miserably in the flames, or in attempting
to escape them.
Mat 24:27 -
For as the lightning cometh out of
the east, and shineth even unto the west - It is worthy of remark that
our Lord, in the most particular manner, points out the very march of the
Roman army: they entered into Judea on the East, and carried on their conquest
Westward, as if not only the extensiveness of the ruin, but the very route
which the army would take, were intended in the comparison of the lightning
issuing from the east, and shining to the west.
Mat 24:28 -
For wheresoever
the carcass is - Πτωμα, the dead carcass. The Jewish nation, which was
morally and judicially dead.
There will the eagles
- The Roman armies, called so partly from their strength
and fierceness, and partly from the figure of these animals which was always
wrought on their ensigns, or even in brass, placed on the tops of their ensign-staves.
It is remarkable that the Roman fury pursued these wretched men wheresoever
they were found. They were a dead carcass doomed to be devoured; and the
Roman eagles were the commissioned devourers. See the pitiful account in
Josephus, War, b. vii. c. 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, and 11.
Mat 24:29 -
Immediately after
the tribulation, etc. - Commentators generally understand this, and what
follows, of the end of the world and Christ’s coming to judgment: but the
word "immediately" shows that our Lord is not speaking of any distant event,
but of something immediately consequent on calamities already predicted: and
that must be the destruction of Jerusalem. “The Jewish heaven shall
perish, and the sun and moon of its glory and happiness shall be darkened
- brought to nothing. The sun is the religion of the Church; the moon is the
government of the state; and the stars are the judges and doctors of both.
Compare Isa_13:10; Eze_32:7, Eze_32:8, etc.” Lightfoot.
In the prophetic language, great
commotions upon earth are often represented under the notion of commotions
and changes in the heavens: -
The fall of Babylon
is represented by the stars and constellations of heaven withdrawing their
light, and the sun and moon being darkened. See Isa_13:9, Isa_13:10.
The destruction of
Egypt, by the heaven being covered, the sun enveloped with a cloud, and the
moon withholding her light. Eze_32:7, Eze_32:8.
The destruction of
the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes is represented by casting down some of the
host of heaven, and the stars to the ground. See Dan_8:10.
And this very destruction
of Jerusalem is represented by the Prophet Joel, Joe_2:30, Joe_2:31, by showing
wonders in heaven and in earth - darkening the sun, and turning the moon
into blood. This general mode of describing these judgments leaves no room
to doubt the propriety of its application in the present case.
The falling of stars,
i.e. those meteors which are called falling stars by the common people, was
deemed an omen of evil times. The heathens have marked this: -
Saepe etiam stellas, vento impendente videbis
Praecipites coelo labi, noctisque per umbram
Flammarum longos a tergo albescere tractus
Virg. Geor. i. ver. 365
And oft before tempestuous winds arise
The seeming stars fall headlong from the skies,
And, shooting through the darkness, gild the night
With sweeping glories, and long trails of light
Dryden
Again the same poet thus sings: -
Sol tibi signa dabit: solem quis dicere falsum Audeat?
Ille etiam coecos instare tumultus
Saepe monet: fraudemque et operta tumescere bella
Ille etiam extincto miseratus Caesare Romam,
Cum caput obscura nitidum ferrugine texit,
Impiaque aeternam timuerunt saecula noctem
Ibid. ver. 462
The sun reveals the secrets of the sky,
And who dares give the source of light the lie?
The change of empires often he declares,
Fierce tumults, hidden treasons, open wars
He first the fate of Caesar did foretell,
And pitied Rome, when Rome in Caesar fell:
In iron clouds concealed the public light,
And impious mortals found eternal night
Dryden
Mat 24:30 -
Then shall appear the sign of the
Son of man - The plain meaning of this is, that the destruction of Jerusalem
will be such a remarkable instance of Divine vengeance, such a signal manifestation
of Christ’s power and glory, that all the Jewish tribes shall mourn, and
many will, in consequence of this manifestation of God, be led to acknowledge
Christ and his religion. By της γης, of the land, in the text, is evidently
meant here, as in several other places, the land of Judea and its tribes,
either its then inhabitants, or the Jewish people wherever found.
Mat 24:31 -
He shall send his
angels - Τους αγγελους, his messengers, the apostles, and their successors
in the Christian ministry.
With a great sound
of a trumpet - Or, a loud-sounding trumpet - the earnest affectionate
call of the Gospel of peace, life, and salvation.
Shall gather together his elect -
The Gentiles, who were now chosen or elected, in place of the rebellious,
obstinate Jews, according to Our Lord’s prediction, Mat_8:11,Mat_8:12, and
Luk_13:28,Luk_13:29. For the children of the kingdom, (the Jews who were
born with a legal right to it, but had now finally forfeited that right by
their iniquities) should be thrust out. It is worth serious observation,
that the Christian religion spread and prevailed mightily after this period:
and nothing contributed more to the success of the Gospel than the destruction
of Jerusalem happening in the very time and manner, and with the very circumstances,
so particularly foretold by our Lord. It was after this period that the kingdom
of Christ began, and his reign was established in almost every part of the
world.
To St. Matthew’s account,
St. Luke adds, Luk_21:24, They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shalt
be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down
by the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. The number
of those who fell by the sword was very great. Eleven Hundred Thousand perished
during the siege. Many were slain at other places, and at other times. By
the commandment of Florus, the first author of the war, there were slain
at Jerusalem 3,600, Josephus. War, b. ii. c. 14. By the inhabitants of Caesarea,
above 20,000. At Scythopolis, above 13,000. At Ascalon, 2,500. At Ptolemais,
2,000. At Alexandria, 50,000. At Joppa, when taken by Cestius Gallus, 8,400.
In a mountain called Asamon, near Sepporis, above 2,000. At Damascus, 10,000.
In a battle with the Romans at Ascalon, 10,000. In an ambuscade near the
same place, 8,000. At Japha, 15,000. Of the Samaritans, on Mount Gerizim,
11,600. At Jotapa, 40,000. At Joppa, when taken by Vespasian, 4,200. At Tarichea,
6,500. And after the city was taken, 1,200. At Gamala, 4,000, besides 5,000
who threw themselves down a precipice. Of those who fled with John, of Gischala,
6,000. Of the Gadarenes, 15,000 slain, besides countless multitudes drowned.
In the village of Idumea, above 10,000 slain. At Gerasa, 1,000. At Machaerus,
1,700. In the wood of Jardes, 3,000. In the castle of Masada, 960. In Cyrene,
by Catullus the governor, 3,000. Besides these, many of every age, sex, and
condition, were slain in the war, who are not reckoned; but, of those who
are reckoned, the number amounts to upwards of 1,357,660, which would have
appeared incredible, if their own historian had not so particularly enumerated
them. See Josephus, War, book ii. c. 18, 20; book iii. c. 2, 7, 8, 9; book
iv. c. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9; book vii. c. 6, 9, 11; and Bp. Newton, vol. ii. p.
288-290.
Many also were led away captives into
all nations. There were taken at Japha, 2,130. At Jotapa, 1,200. At Tarichea,
6,000 chosen young men, who were sent to Nero; others sold to the number
of 30,400, besides those who were given to Agrippa. Of the Gadarenes were
taken 2,200. In Idumea above 1,000. Many besides these were taken in Jerusalem;
so that, as Josephus says, the number of the captives taken in the whole
war amounted to 97,000. Those above seventeen years of age were sent to the
works in Egypt; but most were distributed through the Roman provinces, to
be destroyed in their theatres by the sword, and by the wild beasts; and
those under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves. Eleven thousand
in one place perished for want. At Caesarea, Titus, like a thorough-paced
infernal savage, murdered 2,500 Jews, in honor of his brother’s birthday;
and a greater number at Berytus in honor of his father’s. See Josephus, War,
b. vii. c. 3. s. 1. Some he caused to kill each other; some were thrown to
the wild beasts; and others burnt alive. And all this was done by a man who
was styled, The darling of mankind! Thus were the Jews miserably tormented,
and distributed over the Roman provinces; and continue to be distressed and
dispersed over all the nations of the world to the present day. Jerusalem
also was, according to the prediction of our Lord, to be trodden down by
the Gentiles. Accordingly it has never since been in the possession of the
Jews. It was first in subjection to the Romans, afterwards to the Saracens,
then to the Franks, after to the Mamalukes, and now to the Turks. Thus has
the prophecy of Christ been most literally and terribly fulfilled, on a people
who are still preserved as continued monuments of the truth of our Lord’s
prediction, and of the truth of the Christian religion. See more in Bp. Newton’s
Dissert. vol. ii. p. 291, etc.
Mat 24:32 -
Learn a parable
of the fig-tree - That is, These signs which I have given you will be
as infallible a proof of the approaching ruin of the Jewish state as the
budding of the trees is a proof of the coming summer.
Mat 24:34 -
This generation
shall not pass - Η γενεα αυτη, this race; i.e. the Jews shall not cease
from being a distinct people, till all the counsels of God relative to them
and the Gentiles be fulfilled. Some translate η γενεα αυτη, this generation,
meaning the persons who were then living, that they should not die before
these signs, etc., took place: but though this was true, as to the calamities
that fell upon the Jews, and the destruction of their government, temple,
etc., yet as our Lord mentions Jerusalem’s continuing to be under the power
of the Gentiles till the fullness of the Gentiles should come in, i.e. till
all the nations of the world should receive the Gospel of Christ, after which
the Jews themselves should be converted unto God, Rom_11:25, etc., I think
it more proper not to restrain its meaning to the few years which preceded
the destruction of Jerusalem; but to understand it of the care taken by Divine
providence to preserve them as a distinct people, and yet to keep them out
of their own land, and from their temple service. See on Mar_13:30 (note).
But still it is literally true in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem.
John probably lived to see these things come to pass; compare Mat_16:28,
with Joh_21:22; and there were some rabbins alive at the time when Christ
spoke these words who lived till the city was destroyed, viz. Rabban Simeon,
who perished with the city; R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, who outlived it; R. Zadoch,
R. Ismael, and others. See Lightfoot.
The war began, as Josephus says, Ant.
b. xx. c. 11. s. 1, in the second year of the government of Gessius Florus,
who succeeded Albinus, successor of Porcius Festus, mentioned Act_24:27,
in the month of May, in the twelfth year of Nero, and the seventeenth of
Agrippa, mentioned Acts 25 and 26, that is, in May, a.d. 66.
The temple was burnt
August 10, a.d. 70, the same day and month on which it had been burnt by
the king of Babylon: Josephus, Ant. b. xx. c. 11. s. 8.
The city was taken
September 8, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, or the year of
Christ 70. Ant. b. vi. c. 10.
That was the end of
the siege of Jerusalem, which began, as Josephus several times observes,
about the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, or our April. See War, b. v.
c. 3. s. 1, c. 13. s. 7; b. vi. c. 9. s. 3.
Dr. Lardner farther
remarks, There is also an ancient inscription to the honor of Titus, “who,
by his father’s directions and counsels, had subdued the Jewish nation and
destroyed Jerusalem, which had never been destroyed by any generals, kings,
or people, before.” The inscription may be seen in Gruter, vol. i. p. 244.
It is as follows: -
Imp. Tito. CaesarI. DIvI. VespasianI. F
Vespasiano. Aug. Pontifici. Maximo
Trib, Pot. X. Imp. XVII. Cos. VIII. P. P.
Principi. Suo. S. P. Q. R
Quod. Praeceptis. Patris. ConsiliIsque. et
AuspiciIs. Gentem. Judaeorom. domuit. et
Urbem. Hierosolymam. Omnibus. ante. se
Ducibus. Regibus. Gentibusque. aut. frustra.
Petitam. aut. omnino. intentatam. delevit.
For this complete conquest of Jerusalem,
Titus had a triumphal arch erected to his honor, which still exists. It stand
on the Via Sacra, leading from the forum to the amphitheatre. On it are represented
the spoils of the temple of God, such as the golden table of the show-bread,
the golden candlestick with its seven branches, the ark of the covenant,
the two golden trumpets, etc., etc.; for a particular account see the note
on Exo_25:31. On this arch, a correct model of which, taken on the spot,
now stands before me, is the following inscription: -
Senatus
Populusque Romanus
DIvo Tito. DIvI Vespasiani.
F
Vespasiano Augusto.
“The Senate and People
of Rome, to the Divine Titus, son of the Divine Vespasian; and to Vespasian
the Emperor.”
On this occasion, a
medal was struck with the following inscription round a laureated head of
the emperor: - IMP.erator J.ulius CAES.ar VESP.asianus AUG.ustus. P.ontifex
M.aximus, TR.ibunitia, P.otestate P.ater P.atrice CO.nS.ul VIII. - On the
obverse are represented a palm tree, the emblem of the land of Judaea; the
emperor with a trophy standing on the left; Judea, under the figure of a
distressed woman, sitting at the foot of the tree weeping, with her head
bowed down, supported by her left hand, with the legend Judaea Capta. S.enatus
C.onsultus. at the bottom. This is not only an extraordinary fulfillment
of our Lord’s prediction, but a literal accomplishment of a prophecy delivered
about 800 years before, Isa_3:26, And she, desolate, shall sit upon the ground.
Mat 24:36 -
But of that day
and hour - Ωρα, here, is translated season by many eminent critics, and
is used in this sense by both sacred and profane authors. As the day was
not known, in which Jerusalem should be invested by the Romans, therefore
our Lord advised his disciples to pray that it might not be on a Sabbath;
and as the season was not known, therefore they were to pray that it might
not be in the winter; Mat_24:20. See on Mar_13:32 (note).
Mat 24:37-38 -
As the days of Noah
- they were eating and drinking - That is, they spent their time in rapine,
luxury, and riot. The design of these verses seems to be, that the desolation
should be as general as it should be unexpected.
Mat 24:40-41 -
Then shall two men - two women -
one shall be taken, and the other left - The meaning seems to be, that
so general should these calamities be, that no two persons, wheresoever found,
or about whatsoever employed, should be both able to effect their escape;
and that captivity and the sword should have a complete triumph over this
unhappy people.
Two women shall
be grinding - Women alone are still employed in grinding the corn in
the east; and it is only when despatch is required, or the uppermost millstone
is heavy, that a second woman is added. See Wakefield, and Harmer, Obs. vol.
i. 253. That they were formerly thus employed, see Exo_11:5, and the note
there. See also Isa_47:2.
Mat 24:42 -
Watch therefore
- Be always on your guard, that you may not be taken unawares,
and that you may be properly prepared to meet God in the way either of judgment
or mercy, whensoever he may come. This advice the followers of Christ took,
and therefore they escaped; the miserable Jews rejected it, and were destroyed.
Let us learn wisdom by the things which they suffered.
Mat 24:43 -
If the good man
of the house had known - “As a master of a family who expected a thief
at any time of the night, would take care to be awake, and ready to protect
his house; so do ye, who know that the Son of man will come. Though the day
and hour be uncertain, continue always in a state of watchfulness, that he
may not come upon you unawares.” Wakefield.
Mat 24:51 -
Cut him asunder - This refers
to an ancient mode of punishment used in several countries. Isaiah is reported
to have been sawed Asunder. That it was an ancient mode of punishment is
evident from what Herodotus says: that Sabacus, king of Ethiopia, had a vision,
in which he was commanded μεσους διαταμειν, to cut in two, all the Egyptian
priests, lib. ii. And in lib. vii. where Xerxes ordered one of the sons of
Pythius μεσον διαταμειν, to be cut in two, and one half placed on each side
of the way, that his army might pass through between them. See Raphelius
also, in his notes from Herodotus and Polybius. This kind of punishment was
used among the Persians: see Dan_2:5, Dan_3:29. Story of Susanna, v. 55,
59. See also 2Sa_12:31, and 1Ch_20:3. It may also have reference to that
mode of punishment in which the different members were chopped off seriatim,
first the feet, then the hands, next the legs, then the arms, and lastly
the head. This mode of punishment is still in use among the Chinese. But
we find an exact parallel among the Turks, in the following passage from
W. Lithgow’s Travels, p. 153. London 4th. edit. “If a Turk should happen
to kill another Turk, his punishment is thus: After he is adjudged to death,
he is brought forth to the market place; and a blocke being brought hither
of four foot high, the malifactor is stript naked, and then laid thereon
with his belly downward; they draw in his middle together so small with running
cords that they strike his body a-two with one blow: his hinder parts they
cast to be eaten by hungry dogs kept for the same purpose; and the forequarters
and head they throw into a grievous fire, made there for the same end. And
this is the punishment for manslaughter.”
This is the very same punishment, and for the same offense, as that mentioned
by our Lord, the killing of a fellow servant - one of the same nation, and
of the same religion.
SUMMARY of MATTHEW 24
The reader has no doubt observed, in
the preceding chapter, a series of the most striking and solemn predictions,
fulfilled in the most literal, awful, and dreadful manner. Christ has foretold
the ruin of the Jewish people, and the destruction of their polity; and in
such a circumstantial manner as none else could do, but He, under whose eye
are all events, and in whose hands are the government and direction of all
things. Indeed he rather declared what he would do, than predicted
what should come to pass. And the fulfillment has been as circumstantial
as the prediction. Does it not appear that the predicted point was so literally
referred to by the occurring fact, by which it was to have its accomplishment,
as to leave no room to doubt the truth of the prediction, or the certainty
of the event by which it was fulfilled? Thus the wisdom of God, as also his
justice and providence, have had a plenary manifestation.
But this wisdom appears, farther, in
preserving such a record of the prediction, and such evidence of its accomplishment,
as cannot possibly be doubted. The New Testament, given by the inspiration
of God, and handed down uncorrupted from father to son, by both friends and
enemies, perfect in its credibility and truth, inexpungable in its evidences,
and astonishingly circumstantial in details of future occurrences, which
the wisdom of God alone could foreknow - that New Testament is the record
of these predictions. The history of the Romans, written by so many
hands; the history of the Jews, written by one of themselves; triumphal arches,
coins, medals, and public monuments of different kinds, are the evidence
by which the fulfillment of the record is demonstrated. Add to this the preservation
of the Jewish people; a people scattered through all nations, yet subsisting
as a distinct body, without temple, sacrifices, or political government;
and who, while they attempt to suppress the truth, yet reluctantly stand
forth as an unimpeachable collateral evidence, that the solemn record, already
alluded to, is strictly and literally true! Who that has ever consulted the
Roman historians of the reigns of Vespasian and Titus, the history of Josephus,
and the 24th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel, and who knows any thing of
the present state of the Jews over the face of the earth, or even of those
who sojourn in England, can doubt for a moment the truth of this Gospel,
or the infinite and all-comprehensive knowledge of Him who is its author!
Here then is one portion of Divine Revelation that is incontrovertibly and
absolutely proved to be the truth of God. Reader! if he, who, while he predicted
the ruin of this disobedient and refractory people, wept over their city
and its inhabitants, has so, minutely fulfilled the threatenings of his justice
on the unbelieving and disobedient, will he not as circumstantially fulfill
the promises of his grace to all them that believe? The existence
of his revelation, the continuance of a Christian Church upon earth, the
certainty that there is one individual saved from his sins by the grace of
the Gospel, and walking worthy of his vocation are continued proofs and evidences
that he is still the same; that he will fulfill every jot and tittle of that
word on which he has caused thee to trust; and save to the uttermost all
that come unto the Father by him. The word of the Lord endureth for ever;
and they who trust in him shall never be confounded.
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