f CXXIII. Jesus foretels the destruction of Jerusalem the second time. See § 101. Matt. xxiv. 1,-43. Mark xiii. 1,-36. Luke xxi. 5,-36.

OUR Lord, in the conclusion of his lamentation over Jerusalem, had declared, that the temple should never be favoured with his presence any more. "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." A resolution of this kind appeared very strange to the disciples, and affected them much. For which reason they stopped him as he was going away, and desired him to see what a fine sumptuous building the temple was: insinuating, that they were surprised to hear him talk of leaving it desolate; that so rich and glorious a fabric was not to be deserted rashly; and that they should all be very happy when he, as Messiah, took possession of it, with the other palaces which of right belonged to him. Matt. xxiv. 1. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple. And his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. Mark xiii. 1. And as he went cut of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones, and what buildings are here. They were going to the mount of Olives, which stood eastward from the city. It was the eastern wall, therefore, of the temple fronting that mountain which the disciples desired their Master to look at, and which, being built from the bottom of the valley to a prodigious height, with stones of incredible bulk, firmly compacted together, made a very grand appearance at a distance. See Joseph. Ant. xv. 14. Bell. vi. 6. The mag nificence of the fabric, however, was not the only topic they descanted upon they spake also of the precious utensils wherewith it was furnished, and of the gifts with which the treasury was enriched. So Luke informs us, xxi. 5. And as some spake of the temple how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, Mark xiii. 2. And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? (Matt. Verily, I say unto you. Luke, The days will come in the which) * there shall not be left one stone

upon

Mark 2. There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.] Josephus, Bell. vii. 9. tells us, that Titus having held a council of his generals, who were for burning the temple, declared, that he would by all means save that edifice, as an ornament to the empire. But one greater than Titus had determined and declared that it should be destroyed. Accordingly the soldiers burnt it without paying any regard to his orders. So Josephus informs us, Bell. vii. 10. where, giving a parti cular account of the destruction of the temple, which was the first part of the city that was taken by the Romans, he says, that "one of the soldiers, moved by a divine impetus, caught some burning materials, and mounting the shoulder of his companion, thrust the fire in at one of the windows." The fire spreading itself, was observed by Titus, who cried

to

upon another, that shall not be thrown down. This superb building, which you behold adorned with huge stones of great beauty, and with costly gifts, shall be razed to the very foundation. In Mr Mede's opinion, the eastern wall was the only part of Solomon's structure that remained after the Chaldeans burnt the temple. Hence the portico built on the top of it, obtained the name of Solomon's porch, or portico, John x. 23.

When the disciples heard their Master affirm, that not so much as one of these huge stones which had mocked the fury of Ne buchadnezzar's army, and survived the envy of time, was to be left upon another, but that they were all to be thrown down, they perceived that the temple was to be demolished. But at this time none of our Lord's followers had the least apprehension that he was to take away the sacrifices, and make such a change in religion as would render the temple of no use. And therefore, hearing him speak of its demolition, they no doubt supposed, that the fabric then standing was too small for the numerous worshippers who should come, when all nations were subjected to Messiah; and thought it was for that reason to be pulled down, in order to be erected on a more magnificent plan, suitable to the idea they had conceived of the greatness of his future kingdom. Entertaining these imaginations, they received the news with pleasure, and fancied to themselves very glorious things as they travelled along. Accordingly, when Jesus was come to the mount of Olives, and had taken a seat on some eminence, from whence the temple, and part of the city could be seen, they drew near, and expressed their joy, by desiring to know when the dẹmolition of the old structure was to happen, and what were to be the signs of his coming, and of the end of the world. Matt. xxiv. 3. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, (Mark, over against the temple) the disciples (Mark, Peter and James, and John and Andrew) came unto him privately, (i. e. while the rest were at a distance on the road, or absent on some occasion or other) saying, (Luke, Master, but when shall these things be?) Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, (Tas ons waguoias) and of the end of the world? By

to the soldiers to extinguish it but they neither regarded his voice, nor the beckoning of his hand. God had determined to destroy this temple, and therefore the counsels and designs, even of Titus himself, the instru ment of this destruction, availed nothing to preserve it. The Jewish Talmud Taanith, ch. 4. and Mamenides Taanith, ch 5. add, "that Turnus (i. e. Terentius) Rufus, one of Titus' captains, did, with a plow-share, tear up the foundations of the temple." So exactly was this passage of our Lord's prophecy fulfilled.

Matt. 3. And of the end of the aworld?] Because the disciples joined their Master's coming and the end of the world, with the demolition of the temple, this prophecy has commonly been thought to foretel the destruction of the world also. And in support of this opinion it is alledged,

that

By their Master's coming, the signs of which the disciples asked, it is probable they meant his coming to erect that great secular empire, over which they supposed Messiah was to reign, and of which they imagined he had spoken formerly, when he told them, Matt.

that the disciples connected the two events together, because they fancied that the temple could not fall, unless in the ruins of the world. But they must certainly have known, that Solomon's building had been destroyed by the Babylonians, though erected by the appointment of God, and dig nified with the Schechinah, or visible symbol of the Divine presence. if so, they could hardly think that a temple so much inferior, both in the greatness of its privileges, and the beauty of its fabric, was not to perish, unless in the desolation of the world. In the second place, according to this interpretation of the prophecy, Jesus hath declared, with the greatest solemnity, a thing which no person could be ignorant of. For who did not know, that with the world Herod's temple, and all other buildings, should crumble into pieces? In the third pace, which I think is absolute ly decisive, our Lord himself has forbidden us to understand any part of this prophecy primarily of the destruction of the world; having connect ed all its parts in such a manner, that the things foretold, whatever they are, must have happened in close succession. Matt. xxiv. 29. Immedi ately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun he darkened," &c. Mark xii. 24. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened," &c. Besides, at the conclusion of the whole, he declared, that the generation of men then in being should not die till all was fulfilled. Matt. xxiv. 34. "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, ull all these things be fulfilled." For any interpreter to correct Christ's lane guage here, and say, that in the former passage, immediately after signifies two or three thousand years after; and that in the latter, all these things signifies only some of them, is a liberty which cannot safely be taken with his words. It is true, Mede, Brennius, Markius, Wolfins, Dr Sykes, &. | give another turn to the latter passage, interpreting it of the Jewish na tion continuing a distinct people till the end of the world. But their sense of the word ye is altogether uncommon, as will appear by the fol lowing examples: Exod. i. 6." And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation." Judges ii. 1o. "And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord." Eccles. i. 4. "One generation passeth away, and another cometh; but the earth abideth for ever." See Whithy in Locum. Besides, their interpretation of the passage does not agree with the words immediately preceding, Matt. 33. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things," consequently the darkening of the sun and the moon, &c. "know that is near, even at the door. 34. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." Nor does it seem to be matter of fact. For the Jews are preserved a dis tinct people chiefly by the external mark of circumcision, and by their obstinate adherence to the institutions of Mosts. When they lay aside these, as we know they will do, before the end of the world, namely, at their conversion, they shall no longer continue a distinct peopic, but shall be lost among the rest of mankind, professing the same religion with themselves. They who think the prophecy toretels the end of the world, and the day of judgment, support their opinion likewise by Matt, suiv.35 "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." But an attentive reader will easily see, that these words do not primarily belong to the last judgment; because not the clect

only,

Matt. xvi. 26. "There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." For in this sense they took the phrase on all other occasions, till they received the gifts of the Spirit, and understood the true nature of Messiah's kingdom. They connected the demolition of the temple and the end of the world, or as it should rather be translated, the end of the age *,. (see Whitby in loc.) with their Master's coming, although they had not at that time the least notion of his being to destroy the nation, nor the least + suspicion of any change to be made in religion. By the end of the age, therefore, to happen at his coming, they could mean nothing else but the end of the political economy, or form of government by heathen procurators, which then subsisted; and they would look on their Master's coming to destroy the age, or political constitution of the nation then subsisting, as a very agreeable event. And for the demolition of the temple to happen at the same time, they might think it proper, if they expected a larger and more superb building in its stead, proportionable to the number of Messiah's subjects, who should come up to worship. In any other view, the end of the world, or age, and the destruction of the temple, would have been a most melancholy prospect, and such as the disciples, in their present temper, could not have looked on but with the greatest uneasiness. Therefore, to shew them their mistake, Jesus delivered this wonderful prophecy, the ..general

only, but all men whatsoever, are to be summoned to the bar of Christ. They rather refer to the conversion of the world. See the paraphrase of the passage. Indeed, as the things which befel the Jewish nation, viz. their bondage in Egypt, their deliverance from that bondage, their passage through the Red Sea, their abode in the wilderness forty years, till that servile abject spirit which they had contracted in the house of bondage was worn off, the sacrifices and oblations prescribed them, their entering into Canaan through Jordan, &c. were all typical, representing the methods by which God delivers mankind from the bondage of sin, and conducts them into heaven, I will not deny that the destruction of the nation may prefigure the dissolution of the world. At the same time, I think the reasons offered above, forbid us to interpret the prophecy primarily of that destruction.

* Συντέλεια το αιώνος may easily admit of this signification here, seeing that in other passages it denotes the end of the Mosaic economy. Thus, Heb. ix. 26. But now once in the end of the world ( curIXUM THY a) hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,” I Cor. x. 11. "And they are written for our admonitioni upon whom the ends of the world are come" (λN TWY KIWYWY).

+ That the disciples at this time were far from thinking the temple was to be destroyed, or that any change was to be made in religion, is evident from Acts vi. 13. where we are told the Jews considered the bare mentioning of such things as blasphemy. "And they set up false witnesses, which said, This man (Stephen) ceases not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say, that Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered."

general scope of which was to make them sensible, that his com- ~ ing in his kingdom would be followed, not with the exaltation of the Jews to universal empire, but with their destruction, and 1 to point out to them the signs by which they might foresee the approach of that destruction.

The disciples having asked the time of their Master's coming in his kingdom, and the signs of the destruction of the temple, he answered by pointing out both the more remote and the more immediate signs of these events. He began with the more remote signs, telling them, that before his coming false Christ's should arise and deceive many, and that the time of their appearing was at hand. Luke xxi. 8. And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived, for * many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; (Matt. Mark, and shall deceive many) and the time draeth near. These false Christs began to appear soon ofter our Lord's death, but they multiplied as the national calamities increased. (See Matt. xxiv. 11, 24.)-go ye not therefore after them. This caution was far from being unnecessary, because though the disciples were to see their Master ascend into heaven, they might take oc casion from the prophecy he was now delivering, to expect that he would appear again on earth, and so were in danger of being seduced by the false Christs that should arise. The next sign mentioned in the prophecy is the wars and commotions which should arise in the countries round Judea. 9. But † 'when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, (Matt. Mark, wars, and ru mours of wars) be not terrified at the prospect of these calamities: for (Mark, all) these things must first come to pass they must come to pass a considerable time before the destruction of the na tion. Accordingly it is added, But the end is not by and by." The end of the age or Jewish dispensation, and the demolition of the temple, will not be immediately on the back of these things. Having mentioned the more remote signs of this catastrophe,

our

Luke 8. Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ.] Such was Simon Magus, mentioned in the Acts, as bewitching the people of Samaria with his sorceries, not many days after our Lord's ascension; "to whom the Samaritans gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, that he was the great power of God," Acts viii. 10, 11. This man, after his conversion to Christianity, deluded numbers with another sort of deceit; for Irenæus tells us, adv. Hier. c. 20. "That he declared he was the person who among the Jews appeared as the Son of God, and was conceived to have suffered in Judea, but had not really done so :" that is, in the words of the prophecy, he came in Christ's name, pretending to be Christ. Such also was Dositheus, Simon's contemporary, who, as Origen tells us, contr. Cels. lib. 1. pretended to be the Christ foretold by Moses, and the Son of God. See on Matt. xxiv. 24.

+ Luké 9. When ye shall hear of wars and commotions.] Among other wars, the news of which might terrify the Jews, that with which they were threatened by the emperor Caius, for not admitting his statue into the temple, is here foretold. It blew over, however, by Caius's death; so that, as our Lord predicted, the end was not by and by.