And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
And what I say unto you - this discourse, it will be remembered, was delivered in private,
I say unto all, Watch - anticipating and requiring the diffusion of His teaching by them among all His disciples, and its perpetuation through all time.
The closing words of the discourse, as given by Luke, Luke 21:34-36, are remarkable. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be over-charged" [barunthoosin], or 'weighted down х bareethoosin (G916),' "with surfeiting" х kraipalee (G2897)] - 'debauchery,' or its effects; "and drunkenness" - meaning all animal excesses, which quench spirituality; "and cares of this life" - engrossing the interest, absorbing the attention, and so choking spirituality: "and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare" - a trap catching them when least expecting it - "shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always" - the two great duties which, in prospect of trial, are always enjoined - "that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." These warnings, though suggested by the need of preparedness for the tremendous calamities approaching, and the total wreck of the existing state of things, have reference to a Coming of another kind, for judicial vengeance of another nature and on a grander and more awful scale-not ecclesiastical or political but personal, not temporal but eternal-when all safety and blessedness will be found to lie in being able to "STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN" in the glory of His Personal appearing.
The 9 concluding verses of Matthew's account (Mark 24:43-51) are unique to that Gospel, but are in the same strain of warning to prepare for His Second Coming and the Final Judgment. "But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of. And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." On this whole passage, see the notes at Luke 12:35-40; Luke 12:42-46, which is almost identical with it; and on the last words, see the note at Matthew 13:42.
In Luke's account (Luke 21:37-38) the following brief summary is given of our Lord's proceedings until the fifth day (or the Thursday) of His last week: "And in the daytime" х tas (G3588) heemeras (G2250)] - 'during the days' - "He was teaching in the temple; and at night" х tas (G3588) nuktas (G3571)] - 'during the nights' - "He went out and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives" - that is, at Bethany.
Remarks:
(1) In the destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter extinction of all that the Jews prided themselves in, on the one hand; and in the preservation, on the other, of the little flock of Christ's disciples, and their secure establishment and gradual diffusion, as now the only visible kingdom of God upon earth-we see an appalling illustration of those great principles of the divine government: "Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." "Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." (Psalms 37:10-11; Malachi 4:1-2; Matthew 15:13.) Every spiritual edifice that is not built of living stones has the rot in it, and will sooner or later crumble down. Like the house built upon the sand, the storm of divine indignation will sweep it away. Only he that doeth the will of God abideth forever (1 John 2:17). "Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee" (Romans 11:20-21).
(2) We here see the falsity of that shallow view of prophecy which used to be so generally accepted, and even yet is advocated by too many who speak contemptuously of all study of unfulfilled prophecy-that it was designed exclusively for the benefit of those who live after its fulfillment, to confirm their faith in the inspiration by which it was uttered, and generally, in the religion of which it forms a part. Certainly this was not the primary object of our Lord's prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem; because throughout He gives it forth expressly as a directory in prospect of it, for the guidance of those who heard it. "Take heed lest any man deceive you: for many shall come in my name, etc. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be not troubled. When ye shall see the abomination, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (LET HIM THAT READETH UNDERSTAND,) then let them which be in Judea flee, etc.
False Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. Now learn a parable of the fig tree: So ye, in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, known that it is night, even at the doors." And if this prophecy was intended directly for those who lived before its fulfillment, why not others? Even the darkest prophecy-the Apocalypse-bears on its face throughout a reference to those who should live, not after, but before its accomplishment-to forewarn them of coming dangers, to indicate at least the general nature of them, to prepare and animate them to encounter these, and to assure them of the ultimate safety and triumph of Christ's cause and the glorious reward awaiting the steadfast followers of the Lamb. It is the rashness and dogmatism of the students of prophecy, and the fantastic principles which have often been applied to the interpretation of it, that have scared away sensible Christians and grave theologians from this study, despairing of success. But let us take heed of being thus spoiled of so precious a portion of our Scripture inheritance; missing the blessing pronounced on those who read and keep what is written in prophecy (Revelation 1:3), and disobeying our Lord's own solemn injunction: "Whose readeth let him understand" (Mark 13:14).
(3) As temperance in animal indulgences is indispensable to that wakefulness and elevation of spirit which fits us for welcoming Christ when He comes, so that spirit of excess which goes to the utmost lawful indulgence wars against the soul, leaving it a prey to surprises even the most fatal (Luke 21:34-36; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Peter 2:11).
(4) In whatever providential events Christ may come to us (Revelation 3:3; Revelation 16:15) - even in the summons to "depart and be with Him, which is far better" - it is to His Personal Appearing the second time, without sin unto salvation," that the hearts of believers must ever supremely rise; nor is it a healthy state of soul to stop short of this-as most certainly it is not scriptural. Let us, then, "love His appearing."