Luke 21

Notes

Ver. 11. By fearful sights and great signs from heaven, cannot be intended, as some suppose, the comet hanging over the city like a flaming sword, and other aerial appearances mentioned by Josephus (Bell. Jud. vii. 12), for God had expressly forbidden any regard to these things, Je. 10. 2. Nor can any natural or even supernatural wonder become a true sign to a rational being, without accurate prophetic description going before, or prophetic interpretation at the time of its appearance, without which every attention given to portents and omens is neither more nor less than superstition; and both these essentials are totally wanting in the cases related by Josephus. The really 'fearful sights' were the factious murders amongst the Jews themselves; and the 'great signs from heaven' were the Roman armies encompassing Jerusalem, ver. 20; 'the abomination that maketh desolate standing in the holy place,' as described by the prophet Daniel, and repeated by our Lord himself. C.

Ver. 17. Never was any religion introduced to the world under such repulsive announcements; and especially unacceptable must such announcements have been to disciples accustomed to all the Mosaic promises of national and individual prosperity, and whose imaginations had been fired by the glowing descriptions of the kingdom of Messiah exhibited in the prophets, and which they, instead of interpreting spiritually, had been taught to apply to a temporal sovereignty, eventuating in a universal monarchy, of which the Jews were to be the exalted functionaries, and all heathen people the vassals and tributaries. A religion received and propagated under such a heavy cloud gives sufficient evidence both of the integrity of its Founder and the sincerity of its first converts: while the event of its success, with means the most inadequate, and in the face of obstructions the most formidable, affords an evidence of its divine origin which nothing but the most blinded infidelity could fail to recognize and acknowledge. C.

Ver. 24. Fall by . . . the sword. The numbers who perished by the sword, or its auxiliaries, famine and pestilence, amount, as given by Josephus, to 1,100,000 at Jerusalem, during the siege, where, according to the same historian, who calculated the amount by the number of paschal lambs, there were at least 2,500,000 assembled at the passover; while in other places there perished from the same causes, and about the same time, 347,490 more—and these independent of the uncalculated multitudes who perished in woods, morasses, and caves, in divers places, and in the vaults and sewers at Jerusalem.—Led away captive. The number of Jewish prisoners taken during the war amounted at least to 97,000, besides 11,000 starved through neglect or a sullen refusal of food. Of these captives some were transported to Rome—to grace, according to the barbarous custom of that people, the triumph of the conqueror; others were distributed through the cities of Syria, where many fell in combats in the theatres with wild beasts, or in compulsory conflicts with one another: others were condemned to toil in the Egyptian mines; many, including persons of the first distinction, were sold for the most trifling prices, and about 40,000 were liberated because no one would purchase them. C.

Reflections.—Christ takes exact notice of all our works, particularly those of piety and charity. But who can think of his awful predictions and their exact accomplishment without beholding him at once the Saviour and the God, without considering that the Jewish constitution is now totally destroyed, and a gospel dispensation extending to all the world established on its ruins. God permits men to go on to the most fearful lengths in sin before they bring ruin to themselves. But terrible are the judgments on earth and misery in hell which obstinate despisers of the gospel shall meet with at last.—Christ's faithful ministers and people generally share deep in tribulation. But faith and patience will infallibly carry them through all their difficulties, to his and their honour, and to the confutation of their adversaries. His gracious direction and support attend, and his everlasting free rewards await them. Happy are they who in evil days discern the signs of the times, and with fervent prayer and persevering watchfulness avoid the dangerous snare of earthly cares and pleasures, and so attend on gospel ministration as to be ever ready for the judgment-seat ! We have here no continuing city, but are in jeopardy every hour. Let us therefore watch and be sober, that we may be prepared for every dispensation of Providence, and be ready when our Lord shall come.