you up to be afflicted, and shall 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. i Jno.16.2. Ac.7.59. j c.13.21. 8. Sorrows. This term signifies the pangs of childbirth, to which severe afflictions and judgments are frequently compared in the scriptures -also in other writers. 9. Then. Luke has it, "before these things." The persecutions of the Christians commenced shortly after Christ's ascension, and continued after the city's destruction. others were convicted and slain. Such shall be the bitterness and seve rity that shall prevail. Many, to save themselves, will prove treacherous to their fellow-professors-not only deserting them, but handing them over to their persecutors. Luke says " that this shall be done by parents and brethren, and kinsfolk and friends." And the hatred against Christians would be such as to destroy all natural affection. Phygellus and Hermogenes forsook Paul (2 Tim. 1. 15). Hymeneus and Philetus were apostates (2 Tim. 2. 17, 18). 11. Many false prophets. Of such also, Josephus is found to testify. Many such appeared during the siege, predicting help from God, to embolden the Jews, and make them obstinate. Deliver you up, &c., i. e. to the authorities. Mark has it, "to councils" or the Sanhedrim.- - To be afflicted, literally to tribulation, to be tried and punished-" -"and ye shall be beaten in the synagogues, and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake," &c.; and all this shall be for a testimony in behalf of the gospel and against the persecutors (Mark 13. 9). These things hap12. And because iniquity. A caupened after our Lord's resurrection, tion to the disciples. This is menand are recorded in the Acts of the tioned in this way to show that those Apostles. Peter and John suffered times of persecution should be calcuimprisonment (Acts 4. 3). So did lated to overthrow the faith of some, Paul and Silas (Acts 16. 24), and and, if possible, destroy the love and they were beaten (16. 23). James trust of the very elect. The general was killed by Herod (Acts 12. 2). prevalence of iniquity (literally lawPeter was put to death in the perseeu-lessness,) would be such as to discountion under Nero, before the destruction of Jerusalem, as Christ forewarned (John 21. 18). It was also considered a crime to be a Christian, and adherence to Christ was a sufficient cause for persecution to death. 10. Shall be offended. Many shall be turned away from this religion, because of its trials, and many who had professed to follow Christ should fall away and desert His cause.-Betray one another. Tacitus states that in Nero's persecution, several were seized at first who confessed, and by their information a multitude of tenance Christianity, and it would have a fearful effect upon the love of many, which would wax (or grow) cold on this account. So the fear of persecution and of desertion by friends, would cool the ardor of Christians. 13. He that shall endure, &c. No Christian professor could expect salvation unless he endured to the end. Luke adds encouragements and exhortations. "There shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls." This however is a principle of universal appli you up to be afflicted, and shall kill i you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many bei offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. i Jno.16.2. Ac.7.59. j c.13.21. 8. Sorrows. This term signifies the pangs of childbirth, to which severe afflictions and judgments are frequently compared in the scriptures -also in other writers. 9. Then. Luke has it, "before these things." The persecutions of the Christians commenced shortly after Christ's ascension, and continued after the city's destruction. others were convicted and slain. Such shall be the bitterness and severity that shall prevail. Many, to save themselves, will prove treacherous to their fellow-professors-not only deserting them, but handing them over to their persecutors. Luke says" that this shall be done by parents and brethren, and kinsfolk and friends." And the hatred against Christians would be such as to destroy all natural affection. Phygellus and Hermogenes forsook Paul (2 Tim. 1. 15). Hymeneus and Philetus were apostates (2 Tim. 2. 17, 18). 11. Many false prophets. Of such also, Josephus is found to testify. Many such appeared during the siege, predicting help from God, to embolden the Jews, and make them obstinate. Deliver you up, &c., i. e. to the authorities. Mark has it, "to councils" or the Sanhedrim.- - To be afflicted, literally to tribulation, to be tried and punished-" and ye shall be beaten in the synagogues, and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake," &c.; and all this shall be for a testimony in behalf of the gospel and against the persecutors (Mark 13. 9). These things happened after our Lord's resurrection, and are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Peter and John suffered imprisonment (Acts 4. 3). So did Paul and Silas (Acts 16. 24), and they were beaten (16. 23). James was killed by Herod (Acts 12. 2). Peter was put to death in the perseeu-lessness,) would be such as to discountion under Nero, before the destruction of Jerusalem, as Christ forewarned (John 21. 18). It was also considered a crime to be a Christian, and adherence to Christ was a sufficient cause for persecution to death. 10. Shall be offended. Many shall be turned away from this religion, because of its trials, and many who had professed to follow Christ should fall away and desert His cause. Betray one another. Tacitus states that in Nero's persecution, several were seized at first who confessed, and by their information a multitude of 12. And because iniquity. A caution to the disciples. This is mentioned in this way to show that those times of persecution should be calculated to overthrow the faith of some, and, if possible, destroy the love and trust of the very elect. The general prevalence of iniquity (literally law tenance Christianity, and it would have a fearful effect upon the love of many, which would wax (or grow) cold on this account. So the fear of persecution and of desertion by friends, would cool the ardor of Christians. 13. He that shall endure, &c. No Christian professor could expect salvation unless he endured to the end. Luke adds encouragements and exhortations. "There shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls." This however is a principle of universal appli unto the end, the same shall be the world for a witness unto all saved. nations; and then shall the end come. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all o c.28.19. Ro.10.18. Re.14.6. cation. Those that fall and endure only for a while, cannot expect to be saved. The promise is " to him that overcometh" (Rev. 3. 12). 14. This Gospel. All the world, means the whole Roman empire, as referring to that time, and in its more extended application, means the entire globe. În its narrower and wider sense, it is true. The offer of salvation would first be made to them in every part of the world where they should he dispersed, so that by all, their punishment should be acknowledged just. The Gospel of the kingdom, is the gospel of Christ, who sets up the kingdom of grace upon earth. This shows them the kind of universal kingdom He is to have and the wide extent to which it should be promulgated. 15 When ye, there This message of grace was first to be preached for a testimony or witness to all nations concerned. It was to bear a special witness or manifestation of God to the world. To the Roman empire, it was to go forth as a witness, before the Romans should be embattled with the Jews in the destruction of the city and temple; and to the then known world it was to go abroad within thirty years after the crucifixion (see Rom. 1. 8; 15. 2428), and before the final coming of Christ and the end of the world, it was to be universally made known. 128. THE SIGNS OF CHRIST'S COMING DESTROY JERUSALEM. THIRD Mount of Olives. ΤΟ day. Matt. 24.15-42 15. Daniel (12. 11) speaks of the abomination that maketh desolate, in connexion with the abrogation of the legal services. The abomination set up was to be the sign of final desolation to Jerusalem. And the allusion of the prophet and of this passage is to the standards of the Roman armies, which bore idolatrous ensigns-eagles. The images of the emperor were carried in front and treated with divine honours; and Josephus relates that in Jerusalem sacrifice was paid by the Romans to their idols after the conquest of the city. (See cut.) In the holy place-" where it ought not" (Mark)-i. e., in the temple (see Isa. 60. 13. Acts 6. 13; 21. 28). "When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with these (heathen) armies" (Luke 21 20), as was predicted by Daniel long ago to occur in a specified time.- -¶Whoso read eth-i.e. the prophecy. This calls attention to the fulfilment. 16. Then let them, &c. These warnings indicate the suddenness of the destruction, and the haste which should be made in flight. Here were directions for the escape of the Christians. These directions were followed, and it is believed that not a single Christian perished in the siege. (Eusebius.) They were to flee to the mountains as was often done for security, and they were not to delay for any articles of furniture or clothing, but to hasten their escape. Many fled to Pella and elsewhere, beyond Jordan, and were safe. A warning is here included of the suddenness of death and the last judgment, 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And wo unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great q Lu.23.29. r Da.12.1. and of our need of timely preparation. 17. Not come down. (See figure ch. 19.) The houses were so constructed that by an outside stairs persons could get from the house-tops to the street without entering the house. Mark has it, "not go down into the house, neither enter therein." 18. His clothes. They always laid aside or left behind their upper garments when at work. 20. But pray ye. Though the particulars were ordered, they might pray, and ought, for all such things as would relieve their flight. Two seasons they should specially deprecate. -T The winter. The winter because of the cold and the state of the roads, and the short days.¶ The sabbath day-they would be restricted in their journeyings on that day more than on others, either by the Jewish law limiting the distance to five furlongs (Exod. 16. 29), or by the gates of the cities being closed (Nehem. 13. 1922), or by their religious scruples or engagements. We may pray for easy circumstances in our death. 21. Great tribulation. (See Luke 21. 24.) The destruction of the city took place during the passover feast, when some three millions of people were usually gathered there from all Judea. Josephus relates that in the siege about 1,100,000 perished, and the whole city ran with blood, and altogether in and about Jerusalem, there were slain fully a million three hundred and fifty thousand. Famine prevailed with all its horrors. Women ate their own children, as was |