Luke 21

Chap. XXI. Ver. 1—19. ‘Our gracious Lord particularly notices the small oblations which spring from the love of his name in the hearts of his poor people; because men are apt to despise and discourage them: ‘for man looketh at the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh at the heart.’ The spiritual mind will not be satisfied except with a city and a temple, the foundations of which cannot be subverted, and the ornaments of which cannot be removed or defaced; foreseeing the time when ‘the fashion of this world will pass away.’—Instead of curious inquiries and speculations, every wise man will take heed ‘that he be not deceived,’ or led to countenance deceivers, and so add energy to delusion, in the great concerns of eternity.

Whatever calamities may be in the world, or persecutions in the church, ‘before the end come;’ we are sure it will be well with those who serve the Lord, and their very trials shall ‘turn to them for a testimony.’ ’— ‘I. Scott.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XX. Ver. 18. Whosoever shall fall, &c.—Dr. Whitby thinks here is an allusion to two different ways of stoning among the Jews; the former by throwing a person down upon a great stone; the other, by letting a stone fall upon him.—[This is an allusion to the Jewish mode of stoning. The place of stoning was twice as high as a man. From the top of this one of the witnesses struck the culprit on the loins, and felled him to the ground: if he died of this, well; if not, the other witness threw a stone upon his heart, &c. Our Lord seems to refer not only to the dreadful crushing of the Jews by the Romans, but also to their general dispersion to the present day.]—Bagster. Ver. 24. Show me a penny.—[The image was the head of the emperor; the superscription, his titles.

Julius Caesar was the first who caused his image to be struck on the Roman coin; and Tiberius was emperor at this time. ‘This therefore was a denarius of Caesar, and consequently this was responding the tribute required by the Roman government.]—Bagster. angels.” Luke’s expression is stronger; but we understand it to mean only, that in respect of marriage, they are on equal footing. dq Ver. 37. Lord God of Abraham.—[There is a remarkable passage in Josephus, De Maccab, which proves that the best informed among the Jews believed in the immateriality and immortality of the soul, and that the souls of righteous men were in the presence of God in a state of happiness. “They who lose their lives for the sake of God, live unto God, as do Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of the Patriarchs.”

Not less remarkable is a passage in Shemoth Rabba, ‘‘Why doth Moses say, ((Exodus 32:13), Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? R. Abin saith, The Lord said unto Moses, I look for ten men from thee, as I looked for that number in Sodom. Find me out ten righteous persons among the people, and I will not destroy thy people.’ ‘I’ saith Moses, Behold here am I and Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar, Phinehas, and Caleb, and Joshua; but, saith God, there are but seven, where are the other five who are dead? Yes, saith God. Then, saith Moses, If those that are dead do live, remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”’]—Bagster. Chap. XXI. Ver. 8. How it was adorned with godly stones and gifts.—The ‘pabada’ here referred to were consecrated and votive gifts, in which Tacitus speaks of the temple as immensely rich.—[The temple was enriched with the gifts of ages, the offerings of kings and emperors, as well as those of the Jews, which were probably displayed conspicuously in the temple, either by being hung up, or otherwise serving to adorn it.

See Josephus, who among other offerings, particularly specifies the golden vase presented by Herod.]—B. Ver. 8. For many shall come.—[Such were Simon Magus, ((Acts 8:9-10).) Dositheus the Samaritan, Theudas, when Fadus was procurator, and the numerous impostors who arose when Felix was procurator, who ‘‘were apprehended and killed every day.”]—Bagster.—And the time draweth near—Namely, when some of these impostors shall appear. Ver. 9. Not by and by.—(Matthew 24:6), “Not yet immediately follow.”; Ver. 10. Nation shall rise.—[This portended the dissensions, insurrections, and mutual slaughter of the Jews, and those of other nations, who resided in the same cities, in which thousands perished, the open wars of different tetrarchies, and the civil wars in Italy between Otho and Vitellius.]—Bagster.

Ver. 11. Earthquakes—[As that at Crete, Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, Rome, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Colosse, Campania, and Judea.]—Bagster.—Fearful sights.—Josephus, in the preface to his history of the Jewish wars, relates, that a star hung over the city like a sword, and a comet continued a whole year; that the people being at the feast of unleavened bread, at the 9th hour of the night, a great light shone around the altar and temple, and continued an hour; that a cow led to sacrifice brought forth a lamb; that just before sunset chariots and armies were seen all over the country fighting in the clouds, and besieging cities, &c. &c. Ver. 20. Jerusalem compassed with armies—Namely, of the Romans.

See (Daniel 9:26), and Matthew’s reference thereto, ch. xxiv. 15. Ver. 91. Flee to the mountains.—[Accordingly, when Cestius Gallus came against Jerusalem, and unexpectedly raised the siege, Josephus states, that many of the noble Jews departed out of the city, as out of a sinking ship; and, when Vespasian afterwards drew towards it, a great multitude fled to the mountains. And we learn from Eusebius and Epiphanius, that, at this juncture, all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem, and removed to Pella, and other places beyond Jordan; and so escaped the general shipwreck of their country, that we do not read of one who perished in Jerusalem.]—Bagster. Ver. 24. Shall fail, &c.—[Those who perished in the siege were 1,100,000, besides vast numbers who were slain at other times and places; and nearly 100,000 were taken and sold for slaves; and their nation has been dispersed in all countries for upwards of 1700 years, while their city has been trodden under foot of the Romans, Saracens, Mamalukes, Franks, and Turks, who possess it to this day.

]—Bagster.—Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.—Some refer this to the end of the time when the Gentiles shall be allowed to oppress the Jews; others to the time when all the nations of the Campbell, “Will not then known world shall be converted to true Christianity, which St. Paul seems to call ‘the fulness of the Gentiles,’ (Romans 11:25-26). Probably these events may coincide, or nearly so, for nations truly Christian will not express the Ver. 25. Signs in the sun, &c.—So (Matthew 24:8). Josephus mentions several things of this nature in his Jewish wars. Ver. 32. Till all be fulfilled.—See (Matthew 24:34). But we suppose the term all, here, as in many other cases, must not be taken too rigidly. All these things certainly received a partial fulfilment in the destruction of Jerusalem; but we cannot but think many of them have farther aspect, and will receive their full and final accomplishment only at the day of judgment. Ver.

34. Overcharged.—Doddridge, “Overloaded by gluttony and drunkenness.” Ver. 37. In the daytime—(Or, “every day,” which probably refers to the four last days of his life. He taught all day in the light and withdrew every evening, and lodged in Bethany, a town on the eastern declivity of the Mount of Olives.)—Bagster. 1190