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The gospel of the kingdom

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14 And this gospel of the king- the prophet, stand in the holy place,
(whoso readeth, let him understand:) An. Olymp.

An. Olymp. dom shall be preached in all the
world for a witness unto all nations;
and then shall the end come.

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16 Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:

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17 Let him which is on the house top not come down to take any thing out of his house:

a Ch. 4. 23. & 9. 35.Rom. 10. 18. Col. 1. 6, 23.

Mark 13. 14. Luke 21. 20.-d Dan. 9. 27. & 12. 11. Dan. 9. 23, 25.

invested the city; and had he persevered in the siege, he
would soon have rendered himself master of it; but when he
unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christ-power of God could accomplish it?
ians took that opportunity to escape. See Eusebius, Hist.
Eccles. lib. iii. c. 5. and Mr. Reading's note there; and see
the note here on ver. 20.

EARTH, and their words unto the END of the WORLD. What
but the wisdom of God could foretell this? and what but the

Verse 14. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world] But notwithstanding these persecutions, there should be an universal publication of the glad tidings of the kingdom, for a testimony to all nations. God would have the iniquity of the Jews published every where, before the heavy stroke of his judgments should fall upon them; that all mankind as it were, might be brought as witnesses against their cruelty and obstinacy in crucifying and reject- || ing the Lord Jesus.

In all the world, tv on an oxovμ. Perhaps no more is meant here than the Roman empire; for it is beyond controversy that πασαν TRY CIXOUMENY, Luke ii. 1. means no more than the whole Roman empire: as a decree for taxation or enrolinent from Augustus Cæsar, could have no influence but in the Roman dominions; but see on Luke ii. 1. Tacitus informs us, Annal. 1. xv. that as early as the reign of Nero, the Christians were grown so numerous at Rome, as to excite the jealousy of the government; and in other parts they were in proportion. However, we are under no necessity to restrain the phrase to the Roman empire, as, previously to the destruction of Jerusalem, the gospel was not only preached in the lesser Asia, and Greece, and Italy, the greatest theatres of action then in the world; but was likewise propagated as far north as SCYTHIA; as far south as ETHIOPIA; as far east as PARTHIA and INDIA; and as far west as SPAIN and BRITAIN. On this point Bishop Newton goes on to say, That there is some probability that the gospel was preached in the British nations by St. Simon the apostle; that there is much greater probability that it was preached here by St. Paul; and that there is an absolute certainty that it was planted here in the times of the apostles, before the destruction of Jerusalem. See his Proofs. Dissert. vol. ii. p. 235, 236. edit. 1758. St. Paul himself speaks Col. i. 6, 23. of the gospel's being come into ALL THE WORLD, and preached TO EVERY CREATURE under heaven. And in his Epistle to the Romans, chap. x. 18. very elegantly applies to the lights of the church, what the Psalmist said of the lights of heaven, Their sound went into all the

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Then shall the end come.] When this general publication of the gospel shall have taken place, then a period shall be put to the whole Jewish œconomy, by the utter destruction of their city and temple.

Verse 15. The abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel] This abomination of desolation, St. Luke (chap. xxi. 20, 21.) refers to the Roman army; and this abomination standing in the holy place, is the Roman army besieging Jerusalem: this our Lord says, is what was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, in the ninth and eleventh chapters of his prophecy; and so let every one who reads these prophecies un derstand them and in reference to this very event, they are understood by the Rabbins. The Roman army is called an abomination for its ensigns and images, which were so to the Jews. Josephus says (War, b. vi. c. 6.) the Romans brought their ensigns into the temple, and placed them over against the eastern gate, and sacrificed to them there. The Roman army is therefore fitly called the abomination, and the abomination which maketh desolate, as it was to desolate and lay waste Jerusalem: and this army besieging Jerusalem, is called by St. Mark, chap. xiii. 14. standing where it ought not, that is as in the text here, the holy place; as not only the city but a considerable compass of ground about it was deemed holy, and consequently no profane persons should stand on it.

Verse 16. Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains] This counsel was remembered, and wisely followed by the Christians afterwards. Eusebius and Epiphanius say, that at this juncture, after Cestius Gallus had raised the siege, and Vespasian was approaching with his army, all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem and fled to Pella, and other places beyond the river Jordan; and so they all marvellously escaped the general shipwreck of their country; not one of them perished. See on ver. 13.

Verse 17. Let him which is on the house top] The houses of the Jews, as well as those of the ancient Greeks and Romans, were flat-roofed, and had stairs on the outside, by which persons might ascend and descend without coming into the house. In the eastern walled cities, these flat-roofed houses usually formed continued terraces from one end of

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provide amply for this. In the twelfth year of Nero, Cestius Gallus, the president of Syria, came against Jerusalem with a powerful army. He might, says Josephus, war, book ii. c. 19. have assaulted and taken the city, and thereby put an end to the war; but without any just reason, and contrary to the expectation of all, he raised the siege and departed. Josephus remarks, that after Cestius Gallus had raised the siege, many of the principal Jewish people, πολλοι των επιφανών

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Verse 18. Neither let him which is in the field return back] || Ioudaiw, forsook the city as men do a sinking ship." VesBecause when once the army of the Romans sits down before || pasian was deputed in the room of Cestius Gallus, who having the city, there shall be no more any possibility of escape, as subdued all the country, prepared to besiege Jerusalem, and they shall never remove till Jerusalem be destroyed. invested it on every side. But the news of Nero's death, and soon after that of Galba, and the disturbances that followed, and the civil wars between Otho and Vitellius, held Vespasian and his son Titus in suspense. Thus the city was not actually besieged in form, till after Vespasian was confirmed in the empire, and Titus was appointed to command the forces in Judea. It was in those incidental delays, that the Christians, and indeed several others, provided for their own safety, by flight. In Luke xix. 43. our Lord says of Jerusalem, thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side. Accordingly, Titus having made several assaults without success, resolved to surround the city with a wall, which was with incredible speed, completed in three days! The wall was thirty-nine furlongs in length, and was strengthened with thirteen forts at proper distances, so that all hope of safety was cut off; none could make his escape from the city, and no provisions could be brought into it. See Josephus, WAR, book v. c. 12.

Verse 19. And woe unto them (alas! for them) that are with child, &c.] For such persons are not in a condition to make their escape; neither can they bear the miseries of the siege. Josephus says the houses were full of women and children that perished by the famine; and that the mothers snatched the food even out of their own children's mouths. See WAR, b. v. c. 10. But he relates a more horrid story than this, of one Mary the daughter of Eliezar, illustrious for her family and riches, who being stripped and plundered of all her goods and provisions by the soldiers, in hunger, rage and despair, killed and boiled her own sucking child, and had eaten one half of him before it was discovered. This shocking story is told War, book vi. c. 3. with several circumstances of aggravation. Verse 20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter] For the hardness of the season, the badness of the roads, the shortness of the days, and the length of the nights, will all be great impediments to your flight. Rabbi Tanchum observes, "that the favour of God was particularly manifested in the destruction of the first temple, in not obliging the Jews to go out in the winter, but in the summer." See the place in Lightfoot.

Neither on the sabbath-day] That you may not raise the indignation of the Jews by travelling on that day, and so suffer that death out of the city, which you had endeavoured to escape from within. Besides, on the sabbath-days, the Jews not only kept within doors, but the gates of all the cities and towns in every place were kept shut and barred, so that if their flight should be on a sabbath, they could not expect admission into any place of security in the land.

Our Lord had ordered his followers to make their escape from Jerusalem when they should see it encompassed with armies; but how could this be done? God took care to

Verse 21. For then shall be great tribulation] No history can furnish us with a parallel to the calamities and miseries of the Jews: rapine, murder, famine, and pestilence within. Fire and sword, and all the horrors of war without. Our Lord wept at the foresight of these calamities; and it is almost impossible for any humane person to read the relation of them in Josephus without weeping also. St. Luke chap, xxi. 22. calls these the days of vengeance that all things which were written might be fulfilled. 1. These were the days in which all the calamities predicted by Moses, Joel, Daniel, and other prophets, as well as those predicted by our Saviour, met in one common centre, and were fulfilled in the most terrible manner on that generation. 2. These were the days of vengeance in another sense, as if God's judgments had certain

False Christs to arise before

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the destruction of Jerusalem.

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22 And except those days should be false prophets, and shall shew great
signs and wonders; insomuch that, "if An. Olymp.
it were possible, they shall deceive the

An. Olymp. shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those
days shall be shortened.

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23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Be24 For there shall arise false Christs, and hold, he is in the desart; go not forth: be

a Isai. 65. 8, 9. Zech. 14. 2, 3.- - Mark 13. 21. Luke 17. 23. & 21. 8. Deut. 13. 1. ver. 5. 11. 2Thess. 2. 9, 10, 11. Rev. 13. 13.

John 6. 37. & 10. 28, 29. Rom. 8. 28, 29, 30. 2 Tim. 2. 19.

periods and revolutions; for it is remarkable that the temple was burnt by the Romans on the same month, and on the same day of the month, on which it had been burned by the Babylonians. See Josephus, WAR, book vi. c. 4.

it was the common artifice of these impostors to shew signs and wonders, onμɛa xai tegata; the very words used by Christ in this prophecy, and by Josephus in his history: ANT. book xx. c. 7. Among these Simon Magus, and Dositheus, mentioned before; and Barcocab, who, St. Jerom says, pretended to vomit flames. And it is certain these and some others were so dexterous in imitating miraculous works, that they deceived many, and such were their works, that if the elect, the chosen persons, the Christians, had not had the fullest evidence of the truth of Christ's mission and miracles, they must have been deceived too: but having had these proofs, they could not possibly be deceived by these impostors. This is simply the meaning of this place; and it is truly astonishing that it should be brought as a proof for the doctrine (whether true or false is at present out of the question) of the necessary and eternal perseverance of the saints! How abundant the Jews were in magic, divination, sorcery, incantation, &c. see proved by Dr. Lightfoot on this place.

Verse 22. Except those days should be shortened] Josephus computes the number of those who perished in the siege at eleven hundred thousand, besides those who were slain in other || places, war, book vi. c. 9.; and if the Romans had gone on destroying in this manner, the whole nation of the Jews would in a short time have been entirely extirpated: but for the sake of the elect, the Jews, that they might not be utterly de- || stroyed, and for the Christians particularly, the days were shortened. These, partly through the fury of the zealots on one hand, and the hatred of the Romans on the other; and partly through the difficulty of subsisting in the mountains, without houses or provisions, would in all probability have been all destroyed, either by the sword or famine, if the days had not been shortened. The besieged themselves helped to shorten those days by their divisions and mutual slaughters; and by fatally deserting their strong holds, where they never could have been subdued, but by famine alone. So well fortified was Jeru- Verse 26. If they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desart] salem, and so well provided to stand a siege, that the enemy Is it not worthy of remark that our Lord not only foretold the without could not have prevailed, had it not been for the fac-appearance of these impostors, but also the manner and cirtions and seditions within. When Titus was viewing the fortifications after the taking of the city, he could not help ascribing his success to God. "We have fought," said he, " with God on our side; and it is God who pulled the Jews out of these strong holds, for what could machines, or the hands of men avail against such towers as these?" WAR, book vi. c. 9.

Verse 23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ] Our Lord had cautioned his disciples against false Christs and prophets before, ver. 11.; but he seems here to intimate that there would be especial need to attend to this caution about the time of the siege. And in fact many such impostors did arise about that time, promising deliverance from God; and the lower the Jews were reduced, the more disposed they were to listen to such deceivers. Like a man drowning, they were willing to catch even at a straw while there was any prospect of being saved. But as it was to little purpose for a man to take upon him the character of the Christ, without miracles to avouch his divine mission, so

Verse 25. Behold, I have told you before.] That is, I have forewarned you.

cumstances of their conduct? Some he mentions as appearing in the desart. Josephus says, ANT. b. xx. c. 7. and WAR, b. ii. c. 13. That many impostors and cheats persuaded the people to follow them to the desart, promising to shew them signs and wonders done by the providence of God. An Egyptian false prophet, mentioned by Josephus, ANT. b. xx. c. 7. and in the Acts, chap. xxi. 38. led out into the DESART four thousand men, who were murderers, but these were all taken or destroyed by Felix. Another promised salvation to the people, if they would follow him to the DESART, and he was destroyed by Festus, ANT. b. xx. c. 7. Also one Jonathan, a weaver, persuaded a number to follow him to the DESART, but he was taken and burnt alive by Vespasian. See WAR, b. vii. c. 11.

As some conducted their deluded followers to the DESART, so did others to the secret chambers. Josephus mentions a false prophet, war, b. vi. c. 5. who declared to the people in the city, that God commanded them to go up into the temple,

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and there they should receive the signs of deliverance. A lations of heaven withdrawing their light; and the sun and multitude of men, women, and children, went up according-moon being darkened. See Isa. xiii. 9, 10.

ly; but instead of deliverance, the place was set on fire by the Romans, and 6,000 perished miserably in the flames, or in attempting to escape them.

Verse 27. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west] It is worthy of remark, that our Lord, in the most particular manner, points out the very march of the Roman army: they entered into Judea on the EAST, and carried on their conquests WESTWARD, as if not only the extensiveness of the ruin, but the very route which the army would take, were intended in the comparison of the lightning issuing from the east, and shining to the west.

Verse 28. For wheresoever the carcase is] Twμa, the dead carcase. The Jewish nation, which was morally and judicially dead.

There will the eagles] The Roman armies, called so partly from their strength and fierceness, and partly from the figure of these animals which was always wrought on their ensigns. It is remarkable, that the Roman fury pursued these wretched men wheresoever they were found. They were a dead carcase doomed to be devoured; and the Roman eagles were the commissioned devourers. See the pitiful account in Josephus, war, b. vii. c. 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, and 11.

Verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation, &c.] Commentators generally understand this and what follows, of the end of the world, and Christ's coming to judgment: but the word immediately shews that our Lord is not speaking of any distant event, but of something immediately consequent on calamities already predicted; and that must be the destruction of Jerusalem. "The Jewish heaven shall perish, and the sun and moon of its glory and happiness shall be darkened-brought to nothing. The sun is the religion of the church; the moon is the government of the state; and the stars are the judges and doctors of both. Compare Isai. xiii. 10. Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8, &c." Lightfoot.

In the prophetic language, great commotions upon earth are often represented under the notion of commotions and changes in the heavens :

The fall of Babylon is represented by the stars and constel

The destruction of Egypt, by the heaven being covered, the sun envelloped with a cloud, and the moon withholding her light. Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8.

The destruction of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes, is represented by casting down some of the host of heaven, and the stars, to the ground. See Dan. viii. 10.

And this very destruction of Jerusalem is represented by the prophet Joel, chap. ii. 30, 31. by shewing wonders in heaven and in earth-darkening the sun, and turning the moon into blood. This general mode of describing these judgments, leaves no room to doubt the propriety of its application in the present case.

The falling of stars, i. e. those meteors which are called falling stars by the common people, was deemed an omen of evil times. The heathens have marked this:

Sæpe etiam stellas, vento impendente videbis
Præcipites cœlo labi, noctisque per umbram
Flammarum longos à tergo albescere tractus.

VIRG. Geor. i. ver. 365.

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Dryden.

He first the fate of Cæsar did foretell, And pitied Rome, when Rome in Cæsar fell: In iron clouds conceal'd the public light, And impious mortals found eternal night. Verse 30. Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man] The plain meaning of this is, that the destruction of Jerusalem will be such a remarkable instance of divine vengeance, such a signal manifestation of Christ's power and glory, that all the Jewish tribes shall mourn, and many will, in consequence of this manifestation of God, be led to acknowledge Christ and his religion. By rns yns, of the land, in the text, is evidently meant here, as in several other places, the land of Judea and its tribes, either its then inhabitants, or the Jewish people wherever found.

Verse 31. He shall send his angels] Tous ayyeλous, his messengers, the apostles, and their successors in the Christian ministry.

With a great sound of a trumpet] Or, a loud sounding trumpet-the earnest affectionate call of the gospel of peace, life,

and salvation.

Shall gather together his elect] The Gentiles, who were now chosen or elected, in place of the rebellious obstinate Jews, according to our Lord's prediction, Matt. viii. 11, 12. and Luke xiii. 28, 29. For the children of the kingdom (the Jews, who were born with a legal right to it, but had now finally forfeited that right by their iniquities) should be thrust out. It is worth serious observation, that the Christian religion spread and prevailed mightily after this period: and nothing contributed more to the success of the gospel, than the destruction of Jerusalem happening in the very time and manner, and with the very circumstances, so particularly foretold by our Lord. It was after this period, that the kingdom of Christ began, and his reign was established in almost every part of the world.

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man to appear in heaven.

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31 And he shall send his angels A. M. 4033. 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.

1 Cor. 15. 52. 1 Thess. 4. 16.- d Or, with a trumpet, and a great voice.

At Ascalon, 2,500. At Ptolemais, 2,000. At Alexandria, 50,000. At Joppa, when taken by Cestius Gallus, 8,400. In a mountain called Asamon, near Sepporis, above 2,000. At Damascus, 10,000. In a battle with the Romans at Ascalon, 10,000. In an ambuscade near the same place, 8,000. At Japha, 15,000. Of the Samaritans on mount Gerizim, 11,600. At Jotapa, 40,000. At Joppa, when taken by Vespasian, 4,200. At Tarichea, 6,500. And after the city was taken, 1,200. At Gamala, 4,000, besides 5,000 who threw themselves down a precipice. Of those who fled with John of Gischala, 6,000. Of the Gadarenes, 15,000 slain, besides countless multitudes drowned. In the village of Idumea, above 10,000 slain. At Gerasa, 1,000. At Macharus, 1,700. In the wood of Jardes, 3,000. In the castle of Masada, 960. In Cyrene, by Catullus the governor, 3,000. Besides these, many of every age, sex, and condition, were slain in the war, who are not reckoned; but of those who are reckoned, the number amounts to upwards of 1,357,660, which would have appeared incredible, if their own historian had not so particularly enumerated them. See Josephus, war, book ii. c. 18, 20. book iii. c. 2, 7, 8, 9. book iv. c. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9. book vii. c. 6, 9, 11. and Bp. Newton, vol. ii. p. 288–390.

Many also were led away captives into all nations. There were taken at Japha 2,130. At Jotapa, 1,200. At Tariches, 6,000 chosen young men, who were sent to Nero; others sold to the number of 30,400, besides those who were given to Agrippa. Of the Gadarenes were taken 2,200. In Idumea above 1,000. Many besides these were taken in Jerusalem, so that, as Josephus says, the number of the captives taken in the whole war, amounted to 97,000. Those above seventeen years of age, were sent to the works in Egypt, but most were distributed through the Roman provinces, to be destroyed in their theatres by the sword, and by the wild beasts; and those under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves. Eleven To St. Matthew's account, St. Luke adds, chap. xxi. 24. thousand in one place perished for want. At Cæsarea, Titus, They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away like a thorough-paced infernal savage, murdered 2,500 Jews, captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down in honour of his brother's birthday and a greater number by the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. The at Berytus in honour of his father's. See Josephus, WAR, b. number of those who fell by the sword was very great. ELE- vii. c. 3. s. 1. Some he caused to kill each other: some were VEN HUNDRED THOUSAND perished during the siege. Many thrown to the wild beasts; and others burnt alive. And all were slain at other places, and at other times. By the com- this was done by a man who was stiled The darling of manmand of Florus, the first author of the war, there were slain kind! Thus were the Jews miserably tormented, and distriat Jerusalem 3,600, Jos. WAR, b. ii. c. 14. By the inhabit- buted over the Roman provinces; and continue to be distressants of Casarea, above 20,000. At Scythopolis, above 13,000.ed and dispersed over all the nations of the world to the pre

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