1Cestou z chrámu mu jeden z jeho učedníků řekl: „Mistře, pohleď, jaké kameny a jaké stavby!“ 2Ježíš mu řekl: „Vidíš ty veliké stavby? Nezůstane tu kámen na kameni. Všechno bude zbořeno.“ 3Když se pak posadil na Olivetské hoře naproti chrámu, Petr, Jakub, Jan a Ondřej se ho v soukromí ptali: 4„Řekni nám, kdy to bude. Jaké bude znamení času, kdy se to všechno naplní?“ 5Ježíš jim začal vysvětlovat: „Dávejte pozor, aby vás někdo nesvedl. 6Mnozí přijdou pod mým jménem se slovy: ‚Já jsem Mesiáš‘ a svedou mnohé. 7Až uslyšíte válečný hluk a zprávy o válkách, nestrachujte se, protože se to musí dít. Ale to ještě nebude konec. 8Národ povstane proti národu a království proti království a na různých místech vypuknou zemětřesení a hladomory. To jsou ale jen počátky porodních bolestí. 9Dávejte na sebe pozor. Budou vás vydávat soudům a shromážděním. Budete biti a kvůli mně stanete před vládci a králi, abyste jim vydali svědectví. 10Především ale musí být všem národům kázáno evangelium. 11Když vás budou odvádět a dávat do vězení, nedělejte si předem starosti, co máte říci, ale mluvte, co vám bude dáno v tu chvíli. Nejste to totiž vy, kdo mluví, ale Duch svatý. 12Bratr bratra i otec syna vydá na smrt a děti povstanou proti rodičům a zabijí je. 13Kvůli mému jménu vás budou všichni nenávidět, ale kdo vytrvá až do konce, bude zachráněn.“ 14„Až uvidíte onu ‚otřesnou ohavnost‘, jak stojí, kde by neměla (kdo čte, rozuměj), tehdy ať ti, kdo jsou v Judsku, utečou do hor. 15Kdo bude na střeše, ať neschází do domu, aby si odtud něco vzal. 16Kdo bude na poli, ať se nevrací ani pro plášť. 17Běda bude v těch dnech těhotným a kojícím. 18Modlete se, aby to nebylo v zimě. 19Ty dny totiž budou dny soužení, jaké do této doby nebylo od počátku Božího stvoření a jaké už nikdy nebude. 20Kdyby Hospodin ty dny nezkrátil, nezachránil by se vůbec nikdo. Kvůli svým vyvoleným však ty dny zkrátil. 21Kdyby tehdy někdo řekl: ‚Hle, Mesiáš je tu!‘ anebo ‚Pohleďte, tam je!‘ nevěřte. 22Povstanou totiž falešní mesiášové a falešní proroci a budou dělat divy a zázraky, aby sváděli (kdyby to bylo možné) dokonce i vyvolené. 23Dávejte tedy pozor. Všechno jsem vám řekl předem.“ 24„Ve dnech po onom soužení ‚slunce se zatmí a měsíc nevydá světlo, 25hvězdy budou padat z nebe a nebeské mocnosti se zachvějí.‘ 26Tehdy spatří Syna člověka, jak přichází v oblacích s velikou mocí a slávou. 27Pošle anděly a shromáždí své vyvolené ze čtyř světových stran, od nejzazšího konce země po nejzazší konec nebe. 28Poučte se od fíkovníku tímto podobenstvím: Když jeho větve konečně začnou rašit a nasazovat listí, víte, že léto je blízko. 29Stejně tak, až uvidíte, jak se dějí tyto věci, vězte, že je blízko, že už je ve dveřích! 30Amen, říkám vám, že toto pokolení nepomine, než se to všechno stane. 31Nebe a země pominou, ale má slova nikdy nepominou. 32Ten den a hodinu však nikdo nezná – ani andělé v nebi, ani Syn, jedině Otec. 33Dávejte pozor, bděte. Nevíte totiž, kdy ten čas přijde. 34Je to, jako když člověk odešel na cestu: opustil svůj dům a svěřil správu svým služebníkům. Každému určil jeho práci a vrátnému přikázal, aby bděl. 35Proto bděte. Nevíte totiž, kdy přijde pán domu – zda večer, o půlnoci, za kuropění, nebo za svítání. 36Aby vás snad, když znenadání přijde, nenalezl spící. 37Co říkám vám, říkám všem: Bděte.“
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 We may here see,
I. How apt many of Christ's own disciples are to idolize things that look
great, and have been long looked upon as
sacred. They had heard Christ complain of those who had made the temple a
den of thieves; and yet, when he quitted it, for the wickedness that remained in it, they court him to be as much in love as they were with the stately structure and adorning of it. One of them said to him, Look, Master,
what manner of stones, and what buildings are here, Mark 13:1. We never saw the like in Galilee; O do not leave this fine place.
II. How little Christ values external pomp, where there is not real purity;
Seest thou these great buildings (saith Christ), and admirest thou them? I tell thee, the time is at hand when
there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down, Mark 13:2. And the sumptuousness of the fabric shall be no security to it, no nor move any compassion in the Lord Jesus towards it. He looks with
pity upon the ruin of precious souls, and weeps over them, for on them he has put great value; but we do not find him look with any pity upon the ruin of a magnificent house, when he is driven out of it by sin, for that is of small value with him. With what little concern doth he say,
Not one stone shall be left on another! Much of the strength of the temple lay in the largeness of the stones, and if these be thrown down, no footstep, no remembrance, of it will remain. While any part remained standing, there might be some hopes of the repair of it; but what hope is there, when not one stone is
left upon another? III. How natural it is to us to desire to know things to come, and the times of them; more inquisitive we are apt to be about that than about our duty. His disciples knew not how to
digest this doctrine of the ruin of the temple, which they thought must be their Master's royal palace, and in which they expected their preferment, and to have the posts of honour; and therefore they were in pain till they got him alone, and got more out of him concerning this matter. As he was returning to Bethany therefore, he
sat upon the mount of Olives, over against the temple, where he had a full view of it; and there four of them agreed to
ask him privately, what he meant by the destroying of the temple, which they understood no more than they did the predictions of his own death, so inconsistent was it with their scheme. Probably, though these four proposed the question, yet Christ's discourse, in answer to it, was in the hearing of the rest of the disciples, yet
privately, that is, apart from the multitude. Their enquiry is,
When shall these things be? They will not question, at least not seem to question, whether they shall be or no (for their Master has said that they shall), but are willing to hope it is a great way off. Yet they ask not precisely the day and year (therein they were modest), but say, Tell us
what shall be the sign, when all these things shall be fulfilled? What presages shall there be of them, and how may we prognosticate their approach?
5 Our Lord Jesus, in reply to their question, sets himself, not so much to satisfy their curiosity as to direct their consciences; leaves them still in the dark concerning the
times and
seasons, which the father has
kept in his own power, and which
it was not for them to know; but gives them the cautions which were needful, with reference to the events that should now shortly come to pass.
I. They must take heed that they be not
deceived by the
seducers and
imposters that should now shortly arise (
Mark 13:5,
Mark 13:6);
Take heed lest any man deceive you, lest, having found the
true Messiah, you lose him again in the crowd of
pretenders, or be inveigled to embrace others in rivalship with him. Many shall come
in my name (not in the name of
Jesus ), but saying,
I am the Christ, and so claiming the dignities which I only an entitled to. After the Jews had rejected the true Christ, they were imposed upon, and so
ex posed by many false Christs, but never before; those false Christs
deceived many; Therefore
take heed lest they deceive you. Note, When many are deceived, we should thereby be awakened to look to ourselves.
II. They must take heed that they be not
disturbed at the noise of wars, which they should be alarmed with,
Mark 13:7,
Mark 13:8. Sin introduced
wars, and they come
from men's lusts. But at some times the nations are more distracted and wasted with wars than at other times; so it shall be now; Christ was born into the world when there was a general peace, but soon after he went out of the world there were general wars;
Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And what will become of them then who are to preach the gospel to every nation?
Inter arma silent leges- Amidst the clash of arms, the voice of law is not heard. But
be not troubled at it. 1. Let it be no
surprise to you; you are bid to expect it, and
such things must needs be, for God has appointed them, in order to further accomplishment of his purposes, and by the
wars of the Jews (which Josephus has given us a large account of) God will punish the
wickedness of the Jews. 2. Let it be no
terror to you, as if your interest were in danger of being overthrown, or your work obstructed by these wars; you have no concern in them, and therefore need not be apprehensive of any damage by them. Note, Those that despise the smiles of the world, and do not court and covet them, may despise the frowns of the world, and need not fear them. If we seek not to rise with them that
rise in the world, why should we dread falling with them that fall in the world? 3. Let it not be looked upon as an omen of the approaching period of the world, for the
end is not yet, Mark 13:7. Think not that these
wars will bring the world to a period; no, there are other intermediate counsels to be fulfilled betwixt that end and the end of all things, which are designed to prepare you for the end, but not to hasten it out of due time. 4. Let it not be looked upon as if in them God has done his worst; no, he has more arrows in his quiver, and they are
ordained against the persecutors; be not troubled at the wars you shall hear of, for they are but
the beginnings of sorrows, and therefore, instead of being disturbed at
them, you ought to
prepare for worse; for there shall also be
earthquakes in divers places, which shall bury multitudes in the ruins of their own houses, and there
shall be famines, by which many of the poor shall perish for want of bread, and
troubles and commotions; so that there shall be no peace to him that
goes out or
comes in. The world shall be full of
troubles, but
be not ye troubled; without are
fightings, within are
fears, but
fear not ye their fear. Note, The disciples of Christ, if it be not their own fault, may enjoy a holy security and serenity of mind, when all about them is in the greatest disorder.
III. They must take heed that they be not
drawn away from Christ, and from their duty to him, by the sufferings they should meet with for Christ's sake. Again, he saith,
Take heed to yourselves, Mark 13:9. Though you may escape the
sword of war, better than some of your neighbours, because you interest not yourselves in the public quarrels, yet be not secure; you will be exposed to the
sword of justice more than others, and the parties that contend with one another, will unite against you.
Take heed therefore lest you
deceive yourselves with the hopes of outward prosperity, and such a temporal kingdom as you have been dreaming of, when it is
through many tribulations that
you must enter into the kingdom of God. Take heed lest you needlessly expose yourselves to trouble, and pull it upon your own head.
Take heed what you say and do, for you will have many eyes upon you. Observe,
1. What the trouble is which they must expect.
(1.) They shall be
hated of all men; trouble enough! The thoughts of
being hated are grievous to a tender spirit, and the fruits of that hatred must needs be a constant vexation; those that are
malicious, will be
mischievous. It was not for any thing amiss in them, or done amiss by them, that they were
hated, but for Christ's name sake, because they were called by his name, called upon his name, preached his name, and wrought miracles in his name. The world hated them because he loved them.
(2.) Their own
relations shall
betray them, those to whom they were most nearly allied, and on whom therefore they depended for protection; They
shall betray you, shall inform against you, and be your prosecutors. If a father has a child that is a Christian, he shall become void of natural affection, it shall be swallowed up in bigotry, and he shall betray his own child to the persecutors, as if he were a worshipper of other gods,
Deut 13:6-
Deut 13:10.
(3.) Their
church-rulers shall inflict
their censures upon them; You shall be
delivered up to the great Sanhedrim at Jerusalem, and to the inferior courts and consistories in other cities, and shall be
beaten in the synagogues with forty stripes at a time, as offenders against the law which was read in the synagogue. It is no new thing for the church's artillery, through the treachery of its officers, to be turned against some of its best friends.
(4.)
Governors and
kings shall use their power against them. Because the Jews have not power to put them to death, they shall incense the Roman powers against them, as they did Herod against James and Peter; and they shall
cause you to be put to death, as enemies to the empire. They must resist unto blood, and still resist.
2. What they shall have to comfort themselves with, in the midst of these great and sore troubles.
(1.) That the work they were called to should be carried on and prosper, notwithstanding all this opposition which they should meet with in it (
Mark 13:10);
The gospel shall, for all this, be
published among all nations, and before the destruction of Jerusalem the
sound of it shall
go forth into all the earth; not only through all the nation of the Jews, but to all the nations of the earth. It is comfort to those who suffer for the gospel, that, though they may be crushed and borne down, the gospel cannot; it shall keep its ground, and carry the day.
(2.) That their sufferings, instead of obstructing their work, should forward it; Your being
brought before governors and kings shall be for
a testimony of them (so some read it,
Mark 13:9); it shall give you an opportunity of preaching the gospel to those before whom you are brought as criminals, to whom otherwise you could not have access. Thus St. Paul's being brought before Felix, and Festus, and Agrippa, and Nero, was a testimony to them concerning Christ and his gospel. Or, as we read it, It shall be for a testimony
against them, against both the judges and the prosecutors, who pursue those with the utmost rage that appear, upon examination, to be not only innocent but excellent persons. The gospel is a testimony to us concerning Christ and heaven. If we receive it, it will be a testimony for us: it will justify and save us; if not, it will be a testimony
against us in the great day.
(3.) That, when they were brought before kings and governors for Christ's sake, they should have special assistance from heaven, to plead Christ's cause and their own (
Mark 13:11);
Take no thought before-hand what he shall speak, be not solicitous how to address yourselves to great men, so as to obtain their favour; your cause is just and glorious, and needs not be supported by premeditated speeches and harangues; but
whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, whatsoever shall be suggested to you, and put into your minds, and into your mouths (
pro re nat- on the spur of the occasion ), that
speak ye, and fear not the success of it, because it is
off-hand, for
it is not ye that speak, purely by the strength of your own wisdom, consideration, and resolution, but it is
the Holy Ghost. Note, Those whom Christ calls out to be advocates for him, shall be furnished with full instructions: and when we are engaged in the service of Christ, we may depend upon the aids of the Spirit of Christ.
(4.) That heaven at last would
make amends for all; You will meet with a great deal of hardship in your way, but have a good heart on it, your warfare will be accomplished, and your testimony finished, and
he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved, Mark 13:13. Perseverance gains the crown. The salvation here promised is more than a deliverance from evil, it is an everlasting blessedness, which shall be an abundant recompence for all their services and sufferings. All this we have,
Matt 10:17, etc.
14 The Jews, in rebelling against the Romans, and in persecuting the Christians, were hastening to their own ruin apace, both efficiently and meritoriously, were setting both God and man against them; see
1Thes 2:15. Now here we have a prediction of that ruin which came upon them within less than forty years after this: we had it before,
Matt 24:15, etc. Observe,
I. What is here foretold concerning it.
1. That the Roman
armies should make a descent upon Judea, and invest Jerusalem, the holy city. These were the
abomination of
desolation, which the Jews did
abominate, and by which they should be made
desolate. The country of thine enemy is called
the land which thou abhorrest, Isa 7:16.
Therefore it was an abomination, because it brought with it nothing but desolation. They had rejected Christ as an
abomination, who would have been their
salvation; and now God brought upon them an abomination that would be their
desolation, thus spoken of by Daniel
the prophet (
Dan 9:27), as that by which this sacrifice and offering should be made to cease. This army stood
where it ought not, in and about the
holy city, which the heathen ought not to have approached, nor would have been suffered to approach, if Jerusalem had not first profaned the crown of their holiness. This the church complains of,
Lam 1:10, The
heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into the congregation; but sin made the breach, at which the glory went out, and the abomination of desolation broke in,
and stood where it ought not. Now, let
him that readeth this,
understand it, and endeavor to take it right. Prophecies should not be too plain, and yet intelligible to those that search them; and they are best understood by comparing them first with one another, and at last with the event.
2. That when the Roman
army should come into the country, there would be no safety any where but by quitting the country, and that with all possible expedition. It will be in vain to
fight, the enemies will be too hard for them; in vain to
abscond, the enemies will find them out; and in vain to
capitulate, the enemies will give them no quarter; a man cannot have so much as his life given him for a prey, but by
fleeing to the mountains out of Judea; and let him take the first alarm, and make the best of his way. If he be
on the house-top, trying from thence to discover the motions of the enemy, and spies them coming, let him not
go down, to take any thing out of the house, for it will occasion his losing of time, which is more precious than his best goods, and will but encumber him, and embarrass his flight. If he be in the field, and there discover the approach of the enemy, let him get away as he is, and not
turn back again, to take up his garment, Mark 13:16. If he can save his life, let him reckon it is a good bargain, though he can save nothing else, and be thankful to God, that, though he is cut short, he is not cut off.
3. That it would go very hard at that time with poor mothers and nurses (
Mark 13:17);
Woe to them that are with child, that dare not go into strange places, that cannot shift for themselves, nor make haste as others can. And
woe to them that give suck, that know not how either to leave the tender infants behind them, or to carry them along with them. Such is the vanity of the creature, that the time may often be, when the greatest comforts may prove the greatest burthens. It would likewise be very uncomfortable, if they should be forced to flee
in the winter (
Mark 13:18), when the
weather and
ways were bad, when the roads would be scarcely passable, especially in the mountains to which they must flee. If there be no remedy but that trouble must come, yet we may desire and pray that, if it be God's will, the circumstances of it may be so ordered as to be a mitigation of the trouble; and when things are bad, we ought to consider they might have been worse. It is bad to be forced to flee, but it would have been worse if it had been
in the winter. 4. That throughout all the country of the Jews, there should be such destruction and desolation made, as could not be paralleled in any history (
Mark 13:19);
In those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of time; that is,
of the creation which God created, for time and the creation are of equal date,
unto this day, neither shall be to the end of time; such a complication of miseries, and of such continuance. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans was very terrible, but this exceeded it. It threatened a universal slaughter of all the people of the Jews; so barbarously did they devour one another, and the Romans devour them all, that, if their wars had continued a little longer,
no flesh could have been saved, not one Jew could have been left alive; but in the midst of wrath God remembered mercy; and, (1.) He
shortened the days; he let fall his controversy before he had
made a full end. As a church and nation the ruin was complete, but many particular persons had their lives given them for a prey, by the storm's subsiding when it did. 2. It was
for the elects' sake that those days were shortened;
many among them fared the better for the sake of the
few among them that believed in Christ, and were faithful to him. There was a promise, that
a remnant should be saved (
Isa 10:22), and that God would not, for his servants' sakes,
destroy them all (
Isa 65:8); and these promises must be fulfilled. God's own
elect cry day and night to him, and their prayers must be answered,
Luke 18:7.
II. What directions are given to the disciples with reference to it.
1. They must shift for the safety of
their lives; When you see the country invaded, and the city invested, flatter not yourselves with thoughts that the enemy will retire, or that you may be able to make your part good with them; but, without further deliberation or delay,
let them that are in Judea, flee to the mountains, Mark 13:14. Meddle not with the strife that
belongs not to you; let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth, but do you go out of the ship when you see it sinking, that you die not the
death of the uncircumcised in heart.
2. They must provide for the safety of
their souls; Seducers will be busy at that time, for they love to fish in troubled waters, and therefore then you must double your guard;
then, if any man shall say unto you,
Lo, here is Christ, or,
Lo, he is there, you know he is in heaven, and will come again at the end of time, to judge the world, and therefore
believe them not; having received
Christ, be not drawn into the snares of any
antichrist; for
false Christs, and
false prophets, shall arise, Mark 13:22. When the gospel kingdom was in the setting up, Satan mustered all his force, to oppose it, and made use of all his wiles; and God permitted it, for the trial of sincerity of some, and the discovery of the hypocrisy of others, and the confusion of those who rejected Christ, when he was offered to them.
False Christs shall
rise, and false prophets that shall preach them up; or such, as, though they pretend not to be Christs, set up for
prophets, and undertake to foretel things to come, and they shall
show signs and lying
wonders; so early did the
mystery of iniquity begin to
work, 2Thes 2:7. They
shall seduce, if it were possible, the very elect; so plausible shall their pretences be, and so industrious shall they be to impose upon people, that they shall drawn away many that were forward and zealous professors of religion, many that were very likely to have persevered; for nothing will be effectual to secure men but that foundation of God which stands immovably sure,
The Lord knoweth them that are his, who shall be preserved when the faith of some is overthrown,
2Tim 2:18,
2Tim 2:19. They
shall seduce, if it were possible, the very elect; but it is not possible to seduce them; the
election shall obtain, whoever are
blinded, Roma 11:7. But, in consideration hereof, let the disciples be cautious whom they give credit to (
Mark 13:23); But
take ye heed. Christ knew that they were of the
elect, who could not possibly be
seduced, and yet he said to them,
Take heed. An assurance of persevering, and cautions against apostasy, will very well consist with each other. Though Christ said to them,
Take heed, it doth not therefore follow, that their perseverance was doubtful, for they were kept by the power of God; and though their perseverance was secured, yet it doth not therefore follow, that this caution was needless, because they must be kept in the use of proper means. God will keep them, but they must keep themselves.
I have foretold you all things; have foretold you of this danger, that, being
fore-warned, you may be
fore-armed; I have foretold
all things which you needed to have foretold to you, and therefore take heed of hearkening to such as pretend to be prophets, and to foretel more than I have foretold. The sufficiency of the scripture is good argument against listening to such as pretend to inspiration.
24 These verses seem to point at Christ's second coming, to judge the world; the disciples, in their question, had confounded the
destruction of Jerusalem and the
end of the world (
Matt 24:3), which was built upon a mistake, as if the temple must needs stand as long as the world stands; this mistake Christ rectifies, and shows that the
end of the world in those days, those other days you enquire about, the day of Christ's coming, and the day of judgment, shall be
after that tribulation, and not coincident with it. Let those who live to see the Jewish nation destroyed, take heed of thinking that, because the Son of man doth not visibly come in the clouds
then, he will never
so come; no, he will come
after that. And here he foretels,
1. The final dissolution of the present frame and fabric of the world; even of that part of it which seems least liable to change, the upper part, the pure and more refined part;
The sun shall be darkened, and the
moon shall no more
give her light; for they shall be quite outshone by the glory of the Son of man,
Isa 24:23. The
stars of heaven, that from the beginning had kept their place and regular motion, shall fall as leaves in autumn; and the
powers that are in heaven, the heavenly bodies, the fixed stars,
shall be shaken. 2. The visible appearance of the Lord Jesus, to whom the judgment of that day shall be committed (
Mark 13:26);
Then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds. Probably he will come over that very place where he sat when he said this; for the clouds are in the lower region of the air. He shall come with
great power and glory, such as will be suited to the errand on which he comes.
Every eye shall then see him.
3. The gathering together of all the elect to him (
Mark 13:27); He shall
send his angels, and
gather together his elect to him, to
meet him in the air, 1Thes 4:17. They shall be fetched from one end of the world to the other, so that none shall be missing from that
general assembly; they shall be fetched
from the uttermost part of the earth, most remote from the places where Christ's tribunal shall be set, and shall be brought to the
uttermost part of heaven; so sure, so swift, so easy, shall their conveyance be, that there shall none of them miscarry, though they were to be brought from the uttermost part of the earth one way, to the uttermost part of the heaven another way. A faithful Israelite shall be carried safely, though it were from the utmost border of the land of bondage to the utmost border of the land of promise.
28 We have here the application of this prophetical sermon;
now learn to look forward in a right manner.
I. As to the
destruction of Jerusalem,
expect it to come very
shortly; as when the
branch of the fig-tree becomes soft, and the
leaves sprout forth, ye expect that summer will come shortly,
Mark 13:28. When second causes begin to work, ye expect their effects in their proper order and time. So when
ye see these things come to pass, when ye see the Jewish nation embroiled in wars, distracted by false Christs and prophets, and drawing upon them the displeasure of the Romans, especially when ye see them persecuting you for your Master's sake, and thereby standing to what they did when they put him to death, and repeating it, and so filling up the measure of their iniquity, then say that their
ruin is nigh, even at the door, and provide for yourselves accordingly. The disciples themselves were indeed all of them, except John, taken away from the evil to come, but the next generation whom they were to train up, would live to see it; and by these instructions which Christ left behind him would be kept from sharing in it;
This generation that is now rising up, shall not all be worn off before
all these things come to pass, which I have told you of, relating to Jerusalem, and they shall begin to take effect now shortly. And as this destruction is near and within ken, so it is sure. The decree is gone forth, it is a
consummation determined, Dan 9:27. Christ doth not speak these things, merely to frighten them; no, they are declarations of God's fixed purpose;
Heaven and earth shall pass away, at the end of time; but
my words shall not pass away (
Mark 13:31), not one of these predictions shall fail of a punctual accomplishment.
II. As to the
end of the world, do not enquire when it will come, for it is not a question fit to be asked, for of
that day, and
that hour, knoweth no man; it is a thing at a great distance; the exact time is fixed in the counsel of God, but is not revealed by any word of God, either to
men on earth, or to
angels in heaven; the angels shall have timely notice to prepare to attend in that day, and it shall be published, when it comes to the children of men, with sound of trumpet; but, at present,
men and
angels are kept in the dark concerning the precise time of it, that they may both attend to their proper services in the present day. But it follows,
neither the Son; but is there any thing which the Son is ignorant of? We read indeed of a book which was sealed, till the Lamb opened the seals; but did not he know what was in it, before the seals were opened? Was not he privy to the writing of it? There were those in the primitive times, who taught from this text, that there were some things that Christ, as man, was
ignorant of; and from these were called
Agnoetae; they said, It was no more absurd to say so, than to say that his human soul suffered grief and fear; and many of the orthodox fathers approved of this. Some would evade it, by saying that Christ spoke this in a way of prudential economy, to divert the disciples from further enquiry: but to this one of the ancients answers,
It is not fit to speak too nicely in this matter -
ou dei panu akribologein , so Leontius in Dr. Hammond, It is certain (says Archbishop Tillotson) that Christ, as God, could not be ignorant of any thing; but the divine wisdom which dwelt in our Saviour, did communicate itself to his human soul, according to the divine pleasure, so that his human nature might sometimes not know some things; therefore Christ is said to grow in wisdom (
Luke 2:52), which he could not be said to do, if the human nature of Christ did necessarily know all things by virtue of its union with the divinity. Dr. Lightfoot explains it thus; Christ calls himself the Son, as Messiah. Now the Messiah, as such, was the father's servant (
Isa 42:1), sent and deputed by him, and as such a one he refers himself often to his Father's will and command, and owns he
did nothing of himself (
John 5:19); in like manner he might be said to
know nothing of himself. The revelation of Jesus Christ was what
God gave unto him, Revel 1:1. He thinks, therefore, that we are to distinguish between those excellencies and perfections of his, which resulted from the personal union between the divine and human nature, and those which flowed from the anointing of the Spirit; from the former flowed the infinite dignity of his perfect freedom from all sin; but from the latter flowed his power of working miracles, and his foreknowledge of things to come. What therefore (saith he) was to be revealed by him to his church, he was pleased to take, not from the union of the human nature with the divine, but from the revelation of the Spirit, by which he yet knew not this, but
the Father only knows it; that is, God only, the Deity; for (as Archbishop Tillotson explains it) it is not used here
personally, in distinction from the Son and the Holy Ghost, but as the Father is,
Fons et Principium Deitatis -
The Fountain of Deity. III. As to both, your duty is to
watch and pray. Therefore the time is kept a secret, that you may be engaged to stand always upon your guard (
Mark 13:33);
Take ye heed of every thing that would indispose you for your Master's coming, and would render your accounts
perplexed, and your spirits so too;
watch for his coming, that it may not at any time be a surprise to you, and
pray for that grace which is necessary to qualify you for it, for
ye know not when the time is; and you are concerned to be ready for that
every day, which may come
any day. This he illustrates, in the close, by a parable.
1. Our Master is gone away, and left us something in trust, in charge, which we must give account of,
Mark 13:34. He is
as a man taking a far journey; for he is gone to be away a great while, he has
left his house on earth, and left his servants in their offices, given
authority to some, who are to be overseers, and
work to others, who are to be labourers. They that have
authority given them, in that had
work assigned them, for those that have the greatest
power have the most
business; and to them to whom he gave
work, he gave some sort of
authority, to do that work. And when he took his last leave, he
appointed the porter to watch, to be sure to be ready to open to him at his return; and in the mean time to take care to whom he opened his gates, not to thieves and robbers, but only to his Master's friends and servants. Thus our Lord Jesus, when he
ascended on high, left something for all his servants to do, expecting they should all do him service in his absence, and be ready to receive him at his return.
All are appointed to work, and some authorized to rule.
2. We ought to be always upon our watch, in expectation of his return,
Mark 13:35-
Mark 13:37. (1.) Our Lord
will come, and will come as the
Master of the house, to take account of his servants, of their work, and of the improvement they have made. (2.) We know not
when he will come; and he has very wisely kept us at uncertainty, that we might all be always ready. We know not
when he will come, just at what precise time; the
Master of the house perhaps will come
at even, at nine at night; or it may be
at midnight, or a
cock-crowing, at three in the morning, or perhaps not until six. This is applicable to his coming to us in particular, at our death, as well as to the general judgment. Our present life is a
night, a dark night, compared with the other life; we know not in which watch of the night our Master will come, whether in the days of youth, or middle age, or old age; but, as soon as we are born, we begin to die, and therefore, as soon as we are capable of expecting any thing, we must expect death. (3.) Our great care must be, that, whenever our Lord comes, he do not
find us sleeping, secure in ourselves, off our guard, indulging ourselves in ease and sloth, mindless of our work and duty, and thoughtless of our Lord's coming;
ready to say, He will not come, and
unready to meet him. (4.) His coming will indeed be
coming suddenly; it will be a great
surprise and
terror to those that are careless, and asleep, it will come upon them as a thief in the night. (5.) It is therefore the indispensable duty of all Christ's disciples, to
watch, to be awake, and keep awake;
What I say unto you four (
Mark 13:37), I
say unto all the twelve, or rather to
you twelve, I say unto all my disciples and followers; what I say to you of this generation, I say to all that shall believe in men, through your word, in every age,
Watch, watch, expect my second coming, prepare for it, that you may be found in peace, without spot, and blameless.