29 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, LUKE XXI. LUKE XXI. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them 30 nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden for fear, and for looking after those things down of the Gentiles, until the times of the which are coming on the earth: for the pow Gentiles be fulfilled. 25 And there shall beers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth [or land] distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the Ver. 29-31. A representation, in prophetic style, of the end, the actual dissolution of the Jewish state; when, as Luke expresses it in plainer language, the Jews should "fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem be trodden down of the Gentiles," &c. This fixes the event referred to. The bold, Asiatic figures here, though frequently mistaken for literal description, are no other than the Old Testament prophets habitually used in predicting the overthrow of a kingdom, or a national revolution. Thus, Isaiah represents the fall of Babylon, by the darkening of the stars, the constellations, the sun and moon, the shaking of the heavens, and the removing of the earth out of her place, (xiii.;) and, again, the destruction of Idumea, by the dissolving of the host of heaven, the rolling of the heavens together as a scroll, and by the falling of the stars like figs from a fig-tree, (xxxiv.;) Ezekiel, the fall of Egypt, by Covering the heavens, and darkening the stars, sun and moon, (xxxii.;) Joel, the devastation of lucusts, by the shaking of the earth and heaven, and the darkening of the sun, moon and stars; and the destruction of Jerusalem, by the turning of the sun into darkness, and the moon into blood, (ii.) (See, also, Ps. xviii.; Dan. viii. 10, &c.) Even the Latin poets, though their usual style is by no means so hyperbolical as that of the Asiatics, run similar figures when describing great Calamities. (See Ovid. Met. xv. 782; Virgil. Georg. i. 462.) Immediately after the tribulation.] and before the end of the generation in which Christ spoke; (see ver. 34.) Accordingly, it is well known that the destruction of the Jewish state, and the dispersion of the people, "led captive into all nations," (A. D. 70,) followed immediately the tribulation just described, and in the life-time of some of the disciples. shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. 25 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth nigh. shall the sun be darkened. . . . heavens shall be shaken;] figures that should probably be taken together, as forming simply the usual imagery in prophecies of similar events, (see above,) and that should not be separately applied, as has often been done, making the sun the Mosaic religion, the moon the Jewish government, &c. &c. Powers of the heavens: same as the hosts or armies of heaven,-a poetical imagery often used by the prophets. -the sign of the Son of man in heaven ;] manifest evidences of his agency, in these judgments from heaven. There may be an allusion, here, to the taunting request the Jews had sometimes made, that he would show them a sign from heaven," (Matt. xvi. 1; xii. 38;) such a sign they might at length discover, in the terrible retribution coming on them. -shall all the tribes of the land, land, ge, a term often applied to Palestine, or to a particular region; seldom to the earth at large. These "tribes" were, of course, the Jews. mourn;] beat their breasts in anguish: such is the force of the original. the Son of man coming. with power and great glory.] His power and glory were seen in the utter destruction of the Jewish state and religion, on the one hand, and on the other, in the rapid diffusion of his truth, after the overthrow of his enemies; see next ver. "Coming in the clouds of heaven," is poetic imagery, often employed by the prophets, in describing signal manifestations of divine providence; (see Deut. xxxiii. 26; Ps. xviii. 9-13; Isa. xix. 1; Dan. vii. 13; Rev. i. 7.) -he shall send his angels,] alluding indirectly, perhaps, to the ministry of his preachers,* the word rendered angels, which sometimes means simply The indirect allusion is favoured by the ambiguity of 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your ownselves that summer is now nigh at hand. 333 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of 34 God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till Ver. 34. Accordingly, Jerusalem was taken, A. D. 70, on the 8th of September, about thirty-seven years after the delivery of this prophecy, while St. John, and probably the greater part of the other apostles, were still alive, as well as multitudes of the first converts and contemporary Jews. With the fall of the city, the conflict ceased, that had raged so long and so terribly; but its scattered embers continued to burn in Judea for about a year and a half afterwards, when they went out in the total extinction or dispersion of the rejected race. which should then spread abroad so widely; though we must not forget that the highly poetic imagery of heavenly powers is still continned, as is evident from the rest of the expressions in this verse. The general fact referred to, in the verse, is manifestly this: that there should be a great and public ingathering of converts, in all nations over the face of the earth, from the time when the Jewish nation should be destroyed. It would be a time of relief, of "redemption," to the Christians, as Luke expresses it, so that they should look up, and lift up their heads." -with a trumpet of great sound;] imagery taken from the custom of the Jews to call the people together, or to proclaim their jubilee, &c. by the sound of trumpet; (Lev. xxv. 9; Num. x. 2; Judg. iii. 27, vi. 34.) —from the four winds the other; i. e. from every quarter throughout the world. Ver. 32, 33. To illustrate, more familiarly, how promptly "the end" would follow the knoweth no one;] (see Mark.) Christ did signs he had specified, and with what cer- indeed know that it would be before the end tainty the disciples might trace its approach, of that generation, (see ver. 34,) but still the Christ now frames a parable from the fig-precise time was unknown. tree, which abounded on the mount of Olives, Ver. 37-39. It would be, however, like the where they were sitting. -know that it is near, &c.; viz. the coming of the Son of man, or, as Luke says, "the kingdom of God;" which, though already begun, was not to come with power, till the overthrow of the Jewish polity; (see Matt. xvi. 27, 28; Mark viii. 38, ix. 1; Luke ix. 26, 27, &c.*) Ver. 35. A form of vehement assertion; the meaning of which according to the most approved interpreters, is, "Heaven and earth shall sooner pass away, than my word." See Matt. v. 18, for a similar form. See Rosenmüller, Kuinoel, &c. messengers; so it is indeed translated in Mark i. 2: Luke v. 21, 27, ix. 52; James ii. 25; and so it is often used in the Septuagint. Dr. Warburton says "this prophecy doth not respect Christ's second coming to judgment, but his first, in the abolition of the Jewish policy, and the establishment of the Christian: that kingdom of Christ which commenced on the total ceasing of the theocracy. For, as God's reign over the Jews entirely ended with the abolition of the templeservice, so the reign of Christ, in spirit and in truth, had Ver. 36. of that day and hour;] i. e. the precise time.. The phrase ought to be taken thus, as a whole, instead of separating the two terms, day and hour, as some have done. then its first beginning. This was the true establishment of Christianity; not that effected by the donations or conver sions of Constantine Till the Jewish law was abolished, over which the Father presided as King, the reign of the Son could not take place; because the sovereignty of Christ Jews, transferred and more largely extended. This, there over mankind was that very sovereignty of God over the fore, being one of the most important eras in the economy of grace, and the most awful revolution in all God's religious dispensations, we see the elegance and propriety of the terms in question to denote so great an event, together with the destruction of Jerusalem by which it was effected. For, in the old prophetic language, the change and fall of principalities and powers, whether spiritual or civil, are signified by the shaking heaven and earth, the darkening the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars; as the rise and es tablishment of new ones are by procession in the clouds of heaven, by the sound of trumpet, and the assembling together of hosts and congregations." Div. Leg, vol. ii. b. iv. sect. 4, quoted by Bp. Newton. LUKE XXI. MATT. XXIV. 42 Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to sunite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not MARK Xiii. riage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed 39 them all: 30 Even thus shall it be in the day 34 For the Son of man is [or, It is] as a 45-47 when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the house-man taking a far journey, who left his top, and his stuff in the house, let him not and to every man his work, and commandhouse, and gave authority to his servants, 40 come down, &c. 34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one fore: for ye know not when the master of ed the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therebed; the one shall be taken, and the other the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, shall be left. 36 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.] LUKE XXI. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at 42-44 any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth, [or, on the face of the whole days of Noah, in one respect, viz. it would come unexpectedly on the people, notwithstanding the abundant warnings, and overtake them unprepared. Accordingly, we find in every stage of the Jewish war, as related by Josephus, that the multitude were confident of ultimate success, continuing, with a des-ed in the preceding verses, and to signify, in perate infatuation, to trust in their impostors general, how critical and difficult would then and false Messiahs, one after another, who be the chance of escape. -Two women shall promised them the miraculous protection of be grinding at the mill.] It was then, as now, Heaven. "Now, what did most elevate the custom in the East for women to grind them in undertaking this war," says Jose- the bread-stuffs by hand-mills. These conphus, "was an ambiguous oracle that was sisted of two circular stones fitted together, found also in their sacred writings, that about of which the upper one had a hole in the that time, one from their country should become | centre to admit the corn, and was, by means governor of the habitable earth. The Jews took this prediction to belong to themselves in particular, and many of the wise men were thereby deceived in their determination.... However, it is not possible for men to avoid fate, although they see it beforehand. But these men interpreted some of these signals according to their own pleasure, and some of them they utterly despised, until their madness was demonstrated, both by the taking of the city, and their own destruction." J. War, b. vi. c. v. 4. —so shall also the coming (paronsia) of the Son of man be;] i. e. so unexpectedly. of a handle, rapidly moved around on the lower, which was fixed. The word women should not have been italicised by our translators, since it is sufficiently implied in the original. Ver. 42-44. From all the considerations just stated, it became the urgent duty of the disciples to "watch," so that the event might not take them unawares, as it would the people at large; (see Luke.) If a householder, who knew in what part of the night the thief was to come, would watch to prevent his house from being broken open, still more ought the disciples to be constantly vigiVer. 40, 41. Here are two cases, very lant, since, as he had already told them, (ver. strongly stated, to illustrate the idea express- | 36,) the precise time was unknown. Ver. 45-51. In this parable, Christ proceeds to illustrate the consequences that would result to his disciples themselves, from their fidelity on the one hand, or from their infidelity on the other. Should they continue, like devoted servants, faithful to their responsible trost, till his coming, here described, they would then be blessed and honoured. Their devotion to him, and their faithfulness to their charge, would lead them of course to heed the admonitions he had just given them, to "watch," and to take the precautions of safety he had enjoined. But if any of them, like evil servants, should grow negligent after a while, and begin to think that his coming was not at hand, (since it did not take place immediately,) and should give themselves up to the lusts of the world, the day would come upon them suddenly and unawares, as on the unbelievers, and they would share the fate of the Jews. They would have their "portion with the hypocrites" of that age, notwithstanding their profession of his name. shall cut him asunder,] or, perhaps, shall cut him off, discard him, as some interpreters render it. there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth;] a phrase which Christ had often used to describe the dreadful sufferings of the Jews; (see Matt. viii. 22; xiii. 42, 50; xxii. 13.) REMARK. It can hardly be necessary to remind the reader, that the division of chapters and verses is a modern invention, and that the text originally stood in one unbroken mass. Accordingly, this 25th chapter was criginally attached to the end of the 24th, without any break or mark of distinction. That it is but a continuation of the same discourse, appears from its having no proper beginning of its own; and from its referring, at the very commencement, to some particular time just mentioned; and also from the fact that, according to the combined testimonies of Mark and Matthew, both the 24th and MATT. XXV. 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bride 25th chapters were spoken by Christ on the same day.* In explaining the 24th chapter, we had important help from the parallel records of Mark and Luke. We must now forego such assistance; for both Mark and Luke omit what is contained in this 25th chapter of Matthew. Indeed, if we look back, we shall see that they already began to abbreviate their records as they drew near that point in Christ's discourse which answers to the end of the preceding, or 24th chapter; for Luke leaves out the two parabolical illustrations there introduced, and Mark but just glances at them. It seems to have been their plan to give only what may be called the body of the prophecy, and to pass by the parables and amplifications, which, though useful for the purpose the understanding of the general subject. of fuller illustration, were not essential to Hence, probably, their omission of the three parables in this 25th chapter, as well as of the two shorter parables in the end of the 24th chapter. Ver. 1. Then, &c.;] at that time, i. e. the time of which he had just been speaking so largely, in chap. xxiv.,-the time of the de-. struction of the Jewish state. Many interpreters suppose that here the discourse takes onwards to the consummation of all things! a sudden leap, over some thousands of years, a supposition that sets at nought all the laws of coherence in discourse, besides being forbidden by the express reference to time with which the verse begins. shall the kinghere, however, its subjects, his professed addom of heaven;] Christ's kingdom; meaning herents; just as we often use the term kingdom. -be likened unto ten virgins;] his dom for the people belonging to such kingdisciples, like these virgins, would all indeed all knew that it was at hand;) but, like these look for the coming of their Lord, (for they virgins, again, some of them would be foolish, and some of them wise, in their manner of providing for the crisis. The wise would have all things in readiness to meet the event. The foolish would be so negligent in 66 Mark, having closed his chapter that is parallel with the 24th of Matthew, resumes his narrative in these words: After two days was the feast of the Passover and of unlea vened bread; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast-day," &c (Mark xiv. 1, 2, compare xiii) So, too, Matthew, having closed both his 24th and 25th chapters, proceeds thus: "And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, [viz those in the 24th and 25th chapters,] he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the peo ple, unto the palace of the high-priest, who was called Caiaphas, and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day," &c. (Matt. xxvi. 1-5. See, also, Luke xxii. 1-6, compare xxi.) Accordingly, both the 24th and 25th chapters were spoken two days before the Passover. of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together 141 MATT. XXV. groom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out, [literally, are going out.] their precautions, that it would overtake them but half prepared; and then it would leave no time to complete their arrangements, but involve them in the common calamity. Hence the urgency of the injunction, "Watch, therefore," (this is the point, the moral, of the whole parable,) "for ye know neither the day nor the hour," (ver. 13.) Such appears to be the idea signified. Ver. 2.-five... were wise, and five were foolish.] The whole number is thus divided into two equal parts; probably because this was the simplest manner of division, in framing the parable; and not that such would be the ratio between the numbers respectively of the wise and foolish disciples. Ver. 3, 4. The lamps, say some, represented their profession; the oil, divine grace-a puerile mode of interpreting! as though the parable must of course "run on all-four," or involve a significant representation in every separate member. Now, in all parables, there are many particulars necessary to the frame-work of the story, which have nothing directly corresponding in the subject signified; and, here, the lamps and oil are probably introduced only because they belonged to the equipage of a nuptial procession, and because the exclusion of the foolish virgins, in the present case, turned partly on them. The reference, or moral, should always be deduced from the tenor of the parable taken as a whole, and not from the minute parts. Ver. 5, 6. While the bridegroom tarried, c.] the meaning is, that his "tarrying' was the occasion of their growing drowsy and falling asleep. His "coming" is put forward to a later hour, (midnight), than was, perhaps, usual. This gave time for the slumbering of the virgins, and the going out of the unfed lamps; and it made it necessary that there should be the more urgent haste when he did appear. All these circumstances are probably to be regarded as significant in relation only to the delay of Christ's coming, (which seeming delay, is repeatedly spoken of,-xxiv. 6, 48; xxv. 19,) and to the importance of constant readiness. The coming of Christ, here signified, did not take place till about thirty-seven years after the delivery of this prophecy. MATT. XXV. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch, therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Ver. 7. We observe, once for all, that the general features of this parable were taken from contemporary Jewish customs. We have, indeed, but little direct and positive information of the manner in which the Jews solemnized their marriages; yet we gather, out of a mass of second-hand statements, presumptive evidence, hints, &c., that it was a frequent practice for the bridegroom to conduct the bride home, at evening, with attendants bearing flambeaux. When arrived at his house, the train was admitted to the nuptial feast, and the door shut against strangers. Ver. 8, 9. The conversation here, between the two parties, as well as the following circumstance of the foolish virgins going to buy, &c., appears to have no other bearing on the significance of the parable, than to present, in a stronger light, the importance of complete preparation, by showing that if this were neglected till the crisis arrived, it would then be useless to seek help from others, or to make up for previous remissness. Ver. 10-12. —and the door was shut ;] as appears to have been the custom on such occasions. I know you not:] since they did not enter with his train, he regarded them as strangers, and they were to fare as strangers. As to the historical facts signified in these verses, the vigilant Christians would "be saved," received into a state of security, at the coming of their Lord to destroy the Jews. (See note on Matt. xxiv. 13.) It would be to them a time of "redemption," when they should "look up, and lift up their heads." (See note on Matt. xxiv. 31, and the parallel place in Luke.) On the other hand, the negligent Christians, who should not take the necessary precautions in season, would of course share in the ruin of the Jews. Ver. 13. Watch, therefore; for, &c.] Here is the point at which the whole parable aims; the point which he had so earnestly enforced in the 24th chapter, thus: "Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your lord doth come;" and, again, "therefore, be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." (xxiv. 42, 44.) ye know neither the day nor the hour] of the time he had just been speaking of, in the |