Matthew 24

Christ foretells the laying waste of the Temple, and of the City Jerusalem, relating the troubles and signes which should happen before and about the same,1. Shews the Prophecy of Daniel concerning the same desolation, and warned his to prepare themselves fro a sudden flight, to escpe this great misery, 15. Gives warning against the seducing of false Christs and false Prophets, 23. Prophecics further of the end of the world, and of his last coming to Judgement, the glory and certainty whereof he describes: shewing the signs which should come to pass about the same, 29. but that the day and hour thereof is known to none but God alone, 36. Compare the times of this coming to the times of Noe, before the Floud, 37 Thereupon exhprts to watchfulness, as well by the similitude of an householder watching against the coming of the thief, 42. as of faithful and of a wicked servant, 45

1. And Jesus went out and departed from the Temple, and his Disciples came to him to shew the building of the Temple. [seeing Christ had foretold in the former Chapter, verse 38. the desolation of the City and Temple, therefore it seems that the Disciples shewed him there buildings, giving thereby to undestand, that they thought it either impossible or pity, that such a glorious building should be laid waste: the greatness, strength, and magnificence of these bulldings, see the Historian Josephus, Antiqu. lib. 15. cap. 4.]

2. And Jesus said unto them, see ye not all these things Verily i say unto you, Here shall not (one) stone be left upon (another) stone. [Gr. no be left stone upon stone] which shall not be broken down. [Gr. loosened]

3. And as he was set on the Mount of Olives, the Disciples went unto him alone, saying Tell us when shall these things be? [Namely, which thou hast said here, and at the end of the fore – going chapter, as well of the laying waste of the City, and the Temple of Jerusalem, as of thy last coming to judgment] and what (shall be) the sign of thy coming, and of the end of world?

4. And Jesus answering, said unto them, Look to it, that no man seduce you

5. For many shall come under my name [Or in, on my name, i.e. giving themselves out for the promised Messiah, like as about that time and afterwards divers did arise. See Acts 5 verse 36,37. and Joseph. Antiq.lib. 18.cap.12. and lib 20. cap. etc. and de bello Judarco, lib.2. cip.12] saying, i am the Christ, and they shall seduce many.

6. And ye shall hear of wars, and runors of wars, Look to it, be not affrighted: for all (those) things, must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [Namely, of all the miseries, and extreamest judgments which should come upon the Jews.]

7. For (one) people shall rise up against (another) people, [Gr. people against people] and (one) Kingdom against (another) kingdom: [Gr. Kingdom against Kingdom]and there shall be famines and pestilence, and carth – quakes in diver places.

8. But all these things (are but) a beginning of pains. [Gr. pangs, like thse of women in Travel. Of all these and miseries, see Josephus, Antiq.lib.20. and de bello Jud. lib.3. etc]

9. Then shall they deliver you over into affliction, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all people for my names sake.

10. And then shall many be offended, [That is, for fear of persecution fall away from me] and shall deliver up one another, and hate one another.

11. And many false Prophets shall araise, and shall seduce many.

12. And because the iniquity, [Gr. trangression of the law] shall be multiplyed, the love [namely, as well to the truth of the Gospel, as to their neighbour] of many shall wax cold.

13. But he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be save.

14. And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, [Gr. the inhabited (world) see the fulfilling hereof, Rom 10 verse 18 Col 1 verse 6.] for witness to all people: and then shall the end come [namely, of the City Jerusalem, and of the Jewish Government.]

15. When therefore ye shall see the abomination of desolation, [That is, the abominable destroying Army of the Romanes, as is expounded, Luke 21:20.] whereof is spoken by Daniel the Prophet, standing in the holy place, [that is, in the holy land of the Jews, round about Jerusalem] he that reads (it) lelet him observe.

16. Then let them that are in Judea, flee up into the mounatins. [Namely, there to hide themselves from the judgemnt.]

17. He that is on the house top, [The Jews were much on the top of their houses, because they were flat above. See Matth 10.27.] let him not come down to take away any thing out of his house.

18. 18 And he that is the field, let him not return back again, to take away his cloaths. [That is, let him loose no time to flee away]

19. But wo to the (women) that are with child, and that gave suck in those days. [Namely,because they will be unsit to flee away speedly, being laden with their fruit or little children.]

20. But pray ye that your flight happen not in the Winter, nor Sabbath. [Beacuse the Winter is unsit for flight, and the Jews might not travel far on the Sabbath. see Acts 1:12. nor provide themselves of things needful for a journey]

21. For then shall be great tribution, such as was not from the beginning of the world, until now; nor yet ever shall be. [For as Josephus testifieth, de bello Jud lib. 4.5,6. and 17. there perished by the sord, famine, and pestilence, within Jerusalem only, eleven hundred thousand men, and above ninety seven thousand men were sold for slaves. The like desolation is not read in any Histories]

22. And id those days should not be shortned, no flesh should be saved: [Were it not that God had caused the plagues of those times to cease, though the Jews had deserved much heavier, there should not one of the Jewish Nation have remained] but for the elects sake [namely, which God had amongst the Jewsh people, and wound always preserve] those dys shall be shortned

23. Then [Namely, after the desolation of Jerusalem, till the end of the world, of which he begins to speak at the 29. verse] if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is the Christ, oe there, [Gr. here] believe it not.

24. For there shall false Christ, and false Prophets arise, and shall shew great signs and wonders, [As is testified of Antichrist, 2 Thess2.9. Rev 13. verse 11, &c.] so that (if were possible) they should seduce even the elect. [This is said to be impossible, not respect of the will or power of the elect in themselves: but in respect of the immutability od Gods decree concerning them, and his powerful keeping of them against seduction, according to his promises, of which he cannot repent. See John 10:28. Romans 8:29,30. 1 Pet.1.5.]

25. Behold, i have foretold (it) you

26. Therefore if they shall say unto you, Behold he is in the wilderness, go not forth: Behold (he is) in the inner – chambers, believe it not.

27. For like as the Llighting goeth forth from the East, [Gr. from the rising, namely, of the Sun] and shineth unto the West; [Gr. the setting] so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [namely , with great swiftness and brightness]

28. For where the dead carcass shall be, there the Eagles will be gathered together, [Of this Proverb, usuall with the Hebrews, see Job 39.33. and hereby is taught , that where Christ with his death and passion is rightly preached, there the faithful will gather together; as likewise in the last Judgment they ill be gathered unto Christ, to abide always with him, 1 Thess 4.16,17. John 17:24. Some understand this Proverb of the desolation of the Jewish people, which should be understood by the dead carcass, and the Romanes by the Eagles; as the Chaldeans are, Hhabbak.1 verse 8.]

29. Straightway after the tribulation of those days, [Namely , which the Tyrants and Antichrist shall have brought upon the church of God] the Sun shall be darkned, and the Moon shall not give her shining, and the Stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens [that is, the powerful or strong heavens] shall be moved. [namely, like as the Sea is moved up and down.]

30. And then (there) shall appear in the heaven the sign of the Son of man; [that is, the sign of his glory, wherewith he shall appear in the clouds. see Mark 13 ver. 26. Luke 21:27] and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, [or lament. Gr. fro anguish strike upon the breast] and shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the heaven, with great power and glory.

31. And he shall send forth his Angels with a trumpet of great sound, [Gr. voice. Otherwise, with a trumpet and a great sound] and they shall gather together his elect out of the four winds, [that is, bring them together form all the four corneror quarters of the world; whish they shall know by their gloried bodies and otherwise] from (the one) utmost (part) of the heaven to (the other) utmost (part) of the same

32. Andlearn this similitude from the fig – tree; when his branchs is now tender, [or sappy, when the sap or spring comes into it] and the leaves spont forth, then ye know that the Summer id nigh.

33. Even so likewise ye, when ye shall see all thse things, then know that (it) is near, before the door, [or he namely Christ and his coming.]

34. Verily i say unto you, This generation [Namely, of the people of the Jews; or this age] shall in no wise pass, (or perish) until all these things shall be come to pass.

35. The heaven and the earth shall pass away [or perish. How this shall be done , is declared, 2 Pet 3.10.] but my words hall in no wise pass away.

36. But of that day and hour knoweth no ma, no not the Angels of the heavens, by my Father only.

37. And as the days of Noe (were) so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38. For as they were in the days before the floud, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, [that is, living securely and caenally without the fear of God, Jude verse 12.] until the day in which Noah went into the Ark.

39. And knew it not until the floudcame, and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

40. Then shall there be two in the field, the one shall be received [Namely, by God, amongst his elect] and the other [Gr. the one] shall be left. [namely, with the reprobates in everlasting damnation,]

41. There shall two (women) grindin in the mill, [Or grind in the mill – house, grinding and baking in those Countries used muct to be done by the women, or she – slaves, which used Querns or hand mills for this purpose] the one shall be received and theother shall be left.

42. Watch therefore, for ye know not in what hour your Lord shall come.

43. But know this, that if the Lord of the house [or father of the house] had known in what night – watch the thief would come, [that is, in what part of the night which was divied into four watchhes, see Matth 14.25.] he would have watched, and would not have let his house be digged thorow.

44. Therefore be ye also ready, for in what hour ye think not, shall the Son of man come.

45. Who is then the faithful and prudent servant, [To this servant the Apostles and Ministers od the Gospel are principally compared, who dispence the spiritual food of the soul] whom his Lord hath set over his house hold, to give them (their) meat in due season.

46. Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord coming shall find so doing.

47. Verily i say unto you, that he shall set him over all goods (or over all that he hath)

48. But if that evil servant should say in his heart, My Lord delayeth to come:

49. And should begin to smite (his) fellow – servants, [that is, to do them wrong] (or oppress them) and to eat and drink with the drunkards

50. The Lord of that servant shall come at the day, in which he doth not expext (him) and the hour which he knoweth not.

51. And shall sever him, [Otherwise, cut him in two: Some think that here is alluded to such grievous punishments, as we read of, 1 Sam 15. verse 33 and Daniel 3:19. But by that which follows it seems to be understood of the separation of him from his family, to be punished afterwards] nd appoint his portion with the hypocrites. [that is, these which seem well to acquit themselves before the eyes of their Masters; but in their absence do the contrary] There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.