The Coming of Christ.—No. 6.
I WILL now pass to consider that series of discourses commencing in the 24th chapter of Matthew and continued through the 25th chapter. These chapters contain a graphic description prophetically of the utter destruction of the Jewish nation politically, and including its civil, political and religious polity or arrangements; an end of that dispensation; and also the establishing of the Christian dispensation, the kingdom of Heaven; the principles by which its administration was to be conducted, and its results in separating the tares from the wheat, the righteous from the wicked; and the final destiny of each class; and the coming of the Son of Man in their accomplishment. The language of these discourses is most sublime, and the imagery employed has seldom been excelled although much used by the ancient prophets of the Jewish nation. In prophetic language, great commotions upon this earth are often represented under the notion of commotions and changes in the literal heavens. The fall of Babylon is represented by the stars and constellations of heaven withdrawing their light; and the sun and moon being darkened. See Isaiah 13. The destruction of Egypt is portrayed by the heaven being covered, the sun enveloped in a cloud, and the moon withholding her light. See Ezekiel 32. The destruction of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes, by casting down some of the host of heaven and the stars to the ground. See Daniel 8. And the destruction of Jerusalem, by showing wonders in heaven and in earth, darkening of the sun, and turning the moon into blood. See Joel 2: 30, 31, and Acts 2. Lightfoot says, “The Jewish heavens shall perish, and the 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.” In the 23d chapter, Christ had pronounced the most terrible maledictions upon the Jewish nation, especially upon the scribes and Pharisees, and denounced the most severe judgment as about to fall upon them, affirming in the most solemn manner that those judgments shall come upon that generation. Verse 36. In verse 38, Christ told them that their house, their temple was left desolate. God had departed from them, and hence utter ruin was their portion. The disciples who had been listening to those terrible denunciations evidently saw that if those predictions were ever realized it would involve the utter destruction of their nation and their temple. Such a catastrophe to them seemed impossible, when they looked at the solid foundation upon which the temple was built, and the durable materials of which it was constructed. Therefore, as they were leaving the temple, they called the attention of Christ to that fact: “Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here,” as if it were impossible that his predictions could be fulfilled. But in his answer Christ but increased their wonder by saying that there should not be left one stone upon another, that should not be thrown down. 24: 2. These were the last words the Lord spoke in the temple, into which he never again entered. With his disciples he ascended the Mount of Olives, from which they had a full view of the temple. Filled with amazement at their Lord’s predictions, the disciples asked him to tell them “when these things should be; and what should be the sign of his coming, and of the end of the world.” Mark says, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?” Luke, “Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?” Now, nothing is plainer than that the disciples’ questions all related to those maledictions and predictions which Christ had been uttering against the nation and the temple. For he had not said a word about the destruction of the world, the earth, but had denounced the nation of the Jews. The disciples therefore asked him only concerning the calamity, and nothing else. They wished to know by what signs they might know when all those things should be fulfilled, the things of which Christ had been speaking, viz., the destruction of that temple and nation. This was the end of the world, to which they referred in their question, the end of that dispensation, the end of that age. For the word in Greek there used is (αἰῶνος) aionos meaning age—there, the Jewish dispensation. From the last verse of the preceding chapter the disciples doubtless inferred that a coming of the Lord was connected with the dire calamities which Christ has been predicting. But according to their use of Scripture language, they would understand that coming as referring to the providence of God in the overthrow of their nation. That such is the general meaning of the Old-Testament Scriptures when speaking of the coming of the Lord, seems to me cannot be seriously questioned. When, therefore, Christ declared in chapter 23: 39, “Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord,” the disciples if they understood that expression as a prediction of a coming of the Lord, would understand it as predicting some special providence of God indicative of the divine displeasure against that people. Hence, Christ proceeded to answer their interrogations accordingly, viz., when that calamity would take place, and what would be the sign of his coming in that divine providence by which the end of this dispensation would be consummated. In verse 4, Christ warned them against being deceived. “Take heed that no man deceive you,” the disciples, those to whom he was then speaking. As his coming was near at hand, and as they had desired to be informed how they might know when he would come, he cautioned them against their being deceived. “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” It would therefore be necessary for them to be cautious, be on their guard, carefully question every event and phenomena, and compare them with what he told them. Whoever will read the history of the time just preceding the culmination of those direful calamities, in the overthrow of the nation, knows that many did come in the name of Christ—many of those false Christs appeared of which Jesus warned his disciples, and deceived many. How truly was that sign fulfilled to those to whom it was addressed, and for whose benefit it was spoken, the history of those times abundantly proves. In verses 16, 17, 18, “Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.” Such language is absurd when applied to the second advent, but is literally applicable to the siege of Jerusalem. After mentioning various events that would transpire, indicating the near approach of Christ, he again most solemnly cautions the disciples in verse 25, “Behold I have told you;” and then in verse 27 announces his coming as sudden and unexpected, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be;” and verse 28, both the time when the coming would take place and where, “For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” That carcass was the Jewish nation, especially Jerusalem. Hence the time of the coming of the Son of man was at the end of that dispensation, called the end of the world.