Matthew 24

Notes

Before the destruction of Jerusalem many false teachers and pretended Messiahs appeared, ver. 2, 4, 5, 11, 23-26. There were many wars, commotions, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, ver. 6, 7. Ministers and other Christians were terribly persecuted; and much apostasy from and decay of religion ensued in many places, ver. 9-13. The gospel was preached through the Roman empire and the nations adjacent, ver. 14. The Roman army invaded and laid siege to Jerusalem, and the Christians fled with the utmost haste to the mountains around Judea, ver. 15-20. That destruction was terrible, ver. 21; especially to mothers, ver. 19; threatened ruin to the whole Jewish nation, ver. 22; and was universal through the whole country, ver. 27, 28. It was foreboded by signs in the heavens, and quite dissolved the constitution of the Jewish church and state, and it occasioned terrible anguish to the carnal Jews to be thus punished by the Messiah, ver. 27-30. It took place while that very generation among whom Christ taught partly survived, ver. 32-35; and was followed by a remarkable spread of the gospel and conversion of lost sinners to Christ, ver. 30, 31. Many of the wicked Jews were preserved for the sake of children who were in their loins, and who were to descend from them after many generations, ver. 22. Ver. 27, 28 may denote the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles, and the gathering of multitudes to Jesus to feed on his flesh and blood; but rather that the Roman army, beginning at the north-east, would, with fire and sword, desolate the whole country of the Jews, and hunt out and destroy them, be where they would; 29, 30 represent the terrible appearances of Jesus' power, in destroying the Jewish church and state, while his ministers should, by the gospel trumpet, gather multitudes of sinners to him; and also his terrible appearance to judgment, while his angels shall gather together his people, and bring them to their honourable seat on his right hand. 37-41. The destruction of Jerusalem, as well as the last judgment, will take place while most men are indulging themselves in sensuality and carnal cares, and are no way provided for it; and of persons in seemingly equal danger, some will be miserably destroyed, and others graciously preserved. 42-51. Since therefore you are so uncertain of the time of this destruction and the last judgment, ye need always to be watching over your hearts and lives that ye may be ready for it, especially as great shall be the gracious and honorary reward of such as are then found faithful and diligent in their proper work; whereas, if any one become carnally secure, and indulge himself in persecuting his fellow-ministers and professors, and in immorality and profaneness, Jesus will surprise him by death or judgment, and he shall be most miserably wretched forever in hell, in company with the most detestable sinners.

Ver. 1. The buildings of the temple. Josephus states that some of the stones of the temple were 45 cubits[≈ 21 m · 67 ft] (that is, between 60 and 70 feet) long, 5 cubits[≈ 2.3 m · 7 ft 6 in] high, and 6 broad; while 162 enormous and splendid pillars adorned the porches. C.

Ver. 2. While Titus was besieging Jerusalem he was most anxious to preserve the temple. But when it was consumed, and the city taken, he ordered the foundations both of temple and city to be utterly razed. And the Jews themselves acknowledge that Terentius Rufus actually ploughed over the place where they stood—hereby fulfilling Mi. 3. 12. C.

Ver. 14. In all the world. Freely throughout the world, and not, as now, confined to Judea.—For a witness to all nations, both that Jesus was the Christ, and that the cup of Jewish iniquity was now full.—Then shall the end (of the Jewish polity) come. C.

Ver. 15. The holy place. Bloomfield understands it to mean the temple—citing, for the use of the phrase, Ac. 6. 13; 21. 38, with the parallel passage, Mar. 13. 14. But the parallel passage in Lu. 21. 20 seems clearly to point to the investment of Jerusalem, and not to the time when the temple had been taken; wherefore 'the holy place' must mean 'the holy city.' See Ps. 46. 4. C.

Ver. 21. The sufferings of the Jews during the siege of Jerusalem, as detailed by Josephus, an eye-witness, are certainly without parallel in human history. A cruel enemy without—more cruel factions within—gnawing famine, and wasting pestilence! And all this horror of darkness without one gleam of relieving light, beyond the desperate, the ferocious courage with which the factions assailed one another, and defended their devoted city against their irresistible enemies. C.

Ver. 22. Shortened—by the conquest of the city, before pestilence had acquired more malignity, and the Romans had been provoked to exterminate rather than to enslave. 1,100,000 Jews perished miserably in the siege, besides the uncounted multitudes destroyed in other cities.—For the elect's sake. That 'remnant, according to the election of grace,' Ro. 11. 5, for whose sake the sparing mercy of God is extended to a rebellious generation. C.

Ver. 30. Coming in the clouds. The import of this coming may be gathered from Is. 26. 21; 35. 4; 66. 15, 16; Mal. 3. 1, 2, 3, in all which it is a coming by national judgments upon them that forget God. C.

Ver. 31. Angels. Literally, messengers, whether human or spiritual. These angels are, in the commencement of the prophetic series, his ministers, with the gospel trumpet warning men to flee from the wrath to come, Eze. 33. 7, gathering the elect into one in Christ Jesus, Ep. 1. 10. But that they and their work may be also typical of other angels, and another gathering to another and greater judgment, is not to be denied. C.

Ver. 34. This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. The subjunction of this statement immediately after the prophecy by three evangelists (see Mar. 13. 30; Lu. 21. 25) puts the idea of any dislocation of the narrative totally out of the question. Nor is it possible, upon any Scripture authority, to interpret 'this generation of the Jewish nation, or the Christian church, in continuance Wherefore the conclusion seems inevitable that the previous prophecy describes directly the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish state, even should that be considered typical of other and greater events. C.

Ver. 36. Knoweth no man, &c. Consequently, not even 'the Son of man' as such; for being truly man, He. 1. 14, 16, 17, he was as such ignorant of all future events but such as the Father was pleased to reveal to him; see Ac. 1. 7. Our Lord, having 'two distinct natures in one person,' could truly speak of himself under the character of either, or of both, as united in one person, just as, with perfect truth, we can speak of ourselves and say, in respect of one nature (the body), 'we shall die,' and, in respect of another nature (the soul), 'we shall never die;' yet, in all this, each man so constituted is one person. C.

Ver. 40, 41. From comparing ver. 40 and 41 with 43, it will be evident that the coming foretold in ver. 39 is a coming to national judgment. May not the meaning therefore of ver. 40 and 41 be elicited thus:—1. The judgment, sudden and unexpected as the flood of Noe, will sweep over the fields, or rural districts, which had escaped in former judgments, as well as over the cities, which had hitherto been the principal scenes of destruction; see 2 Ki. 24. 10-14; 25. 11, 12. 2. It will extend to the female as well as to the male population, which is not generally the case even in the most sanguinary wars. 3. It will not be confined to the rich, the political, and military classes, but will extend to the poor in the parsuit of the most peaceful avocations. 4. The two descriptions it seems impossible to refer, as some do, to the final judgment, in which 'all nations' are to be gathered before the Son of man; whereas in these descriptions 'one is taken and another left,' which will not accord with ch. 25. 46, in which all are alike judged according to their works. 5. The general use of παραλαμβάνω in Matthew is to 'take along with' the taker; see Mat. 4. 5, 8; 12. 45; 17. 1. Does not the prophecy therefore foretell that fully one-half of the most peaceable male and female population will be taken away captive by their invaders, while the remainder shall be left friendless and destitute, the victims of poverty and pestilence? C.

Reflections.—Even real saints are often puffed up with the external and quickly fading glories of religion. But how manifest is the omniscience of our Redeemer, who could so circumstantially foretell the events which befell the Jews and the nations around! And wonderfully has God proved him the Messiah by fulfilling his predictions upon his opposers. Yea, for the confirmation of our faith, Josephus, one of them, was almost miraculously saved, and inclined to give us the history of the fulfilment. Novelties in religion are always to be suspected; and inconceivable are the arts by which Satan and his instruments labour to deceive men, pervert the gospel, and dishonour Christ. But great is the mercy that leads God to watch over and guide his people. What an awful scene of misery hath sin made our earth! Even men, more savage than ravenous beasts, unnaturally hunt out and destroy one another. How dreadful then must hell be, where men meet in all the rage of their lusts! It is a great mercy that, though we must never flee from duty, we may and ought to flee from danger. What time my heart is overwhelmed, Lord, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I! And since the same preludes and descriptions can serve for both, let all the noted catastrophes of nations lead me to the serious consideration of, and preparation for, the last judgment! Thrice happy are they who, in times of trial, are preserved in Christ, and kept faithful and lively when iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold; and happy are they who discover greater regard to God's ordinances than to their own ease. For graciously shall they at last be crowned with glory and honour. But dreadful will it be if, after we have been intrusted with offices and gifts, we should be found, in death or judgment, unfaithful in using them: none shall share a more certain or deeper damnation. There is great need of constant watchfulness, constant acting as under Christ's eye, constant readiness for eternity! How slothful is my heart if Jesus' repeated admonitions do not awaken me!