Matthew Poole and continuators on Mark 13

2 And Jesus answering, said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

The perishing nature of the splendid, and gay things of this World, are sitter objects for the meditation of such as are Christs Disciples, then the Splendour and Magnificence of them, especially when they are the priviledges of a sinful People▪ Sin will undermine, and blow up the most Famous structures. It is a good thing for Christians not to set their hearts upon them. See the Notes on Matth. 24.1. v.

Marginal references: Luke 19.44.

4 Tell us, When shall these things be, and what shall be the sign when all th[illegible: 2 letters]e things shall be fulfilled.

Matthew puts two things more into the Question, What shall be the sign of thy coming? and of the end of the World? The best of Men have a great curiosity to know futurities, things that shall hereafter come to pass. All the other part of this Chapter is spent by our Saviour in an answer to these three Questions, (according to St. Matthew) or this one Question, according to Mark and Luke. Some have attempted curiously to distinguish, betwixt the signs intended by our Saviour, as relating to each Period. But certainly those Interpreters do judge best, that think our Saviour intended to let them know, That the Destruction of Hierusalem, should be a Type of the Destruction of the World, at the last Day, and that the same things should go before the one, and be Signs of it, that should go before the other. And whoso readeth the History of Iosephus, of what happened before the Destruction of Hierusalem, and after this time, will find that there were few or none of these Signs, that are here mentioned, but came to pass, before the dreadful Destruction of that so Famous Place, yet we must doubtless look for many, if not all the same things to come to pass, before the General Destruction of the World in the last Day.

Marginal references: Mat. 24.3. Luke 21.5.

6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ: and shall deceive many.

See the Notes on Matth. 24.4.5. This is the first Sign, fulfilled before the Destruction of Hierusalem in part▪ and which hath been fulfilling ever since, and probably before the Day of Judgment, the number of such Impostors will increase.

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines, and troubles: These are the beginnings of sorrows.

Matthew adds Pestilences. Luke saith▪ Pestilences, and fearfull sights, and great Signs from Heaven. See the Notes on Matth. 24.6.7.8. Here are two or three more Signs put together! Wars and rumours of Wars, great commotions in Nations, which tho they may be at other times, yet probably may be more extraordinary before the Day of Judgment. 2. Famines, Pestilences and Earthquakes. 3. Fearful Sights and Apparitions in the Air, and the Heavens. Such there were (as Iosephus tells us) before the Destruction of Ierusalem; and tho these things be seen before the last day, yet it is most probable they will be greater before the day of Judgment, than at any time before; and for fearful sights, and great Signs from Heaven, they ordinarily go before some great Judgment of God upon places, and therefore the observation of them by the Heathen, (as we learn by Livy and others) seems but to be a piece of natural Religion, and Christ giving these things as Signs of the approaching ruine, first of Jerusalem, then of the World, will make thinking Christians behold the[illegible: 1 letter] with a Relig[illegible: 1 letter]ous fear, tho not to undertake to expound them particularly or Prophecy upon them. Certainly we ought to look upon them, as prognosticating some great work of God, and usually of Judgment upon Sinners.

Marginal references: Or▪ pains of a woman in travel.

9 But take heed to your selves: For they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten, and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

This so far as concerneth those to whom Christ spake, can only be a Sign of the Destruction of Ierusalem, but so far as it concerneth others, it is also a Sign of the end of the World. It is the fifth Sign he gives them. The Persecution of the Ministers of Christ and the Saints of God, for the Preaching, and profession of the Gospel. See the Notes on Matth. 24.9.

Marginal references: Matth. 10.17.18. Luke 21.12.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

I am prone to think that our Lord gives this not only as a Sign of the Destruction of Ierusalem, but of the end of the World, and the latter principally, for before the Destruction of Ierusalem, (which was in less then forty years after Christs Death) the Gospel was not Preached to a[illegible: 1 letter]l Nations, otherwise then as All signifies very many. And I do think that all places shall have the Gospel Preached to them, before the Day of Judgment, after another manner then either it was possible, it should be Preached to them within forty years, after the Death of Christ, or then many places have had it Preached amongst them to this Day. For tho the Holy Scriptures, and Ecclesiastical Historians, give us a something large account of the Gospel being Preached in Europe, Asia, and in Africa, yet we have little account from any of them, of its being Preache[illegible: 1 letter] in America. I am not wholly ignorant of what those writers tell us, of Thomas the Apostle his Preaching to the Indians and of Trumentius and his Colleague, but they are very few Preachers that any stories give an account of, gone to the Indians, whither I believe the Gospel must go before that Christ comes to Judgment.

Marginal references: Matth. 24.14▪

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought before hand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

See the Notes on Matth. 10.19.20. By take no Thought, he means take no anxious thoughts to disquiet your selves.

Marginal references: Luke 12.11.12 & 21.14.

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

This is but an amplification of the fifth Sign, given us v. 9. viz. a furious Persecution, eminently made good in the Iewish Persecution, before the Destruction of Ierusalem. In the Pagan Persecution, for 300 years after Christ. In the Popish Persecutions at this Day. See the Notes on Matth. 24.10.

Marginal references: Matth. 10 22.

20 And except that the Lord had shortned those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elects sake whom he hath chosen, he hath shortned the Days.

See the Notes on Matth. 24.15.16.17. where we have before opened all these passages. This Sign doth manifestly relate to the Destruction of Ierusalem, and can have no relation to the end of the World. In our Notes on Matth. 24. we have shewed what is ment by the Abomination of Desolations, and to what place in Daniel it refereth. Luke expoundeth it, Ch. 21.20. when you shall see Ierusalem compassed with Armies, the Roman Armies. Abominable for the Idols that in them were worshipped. The Sign was this, when you shall see the Roman Armies besieging Ierusalem, be assured God will soon deliver it into their hands, what ever vain hopes Men may suggest of their holding out, or driving them away. Let every one of you with all Imaginable expedition shift for your selves. God will surely deliver up the City, when that time comes. And before the taking of the City, he tells them, there shall be such affliction (by reason of their intestine Factions and divisions, as never any People experienced. As to these things. See the Notes on Matth. 24.15.16, &c.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

See the Notes on Matth. 24.23, 24.25. The History of Iosephus, and those Roman Historians, who did write the History of those times, that went immediately before the Destruction of Ierusalem, and give us account of the taking of that City, are the best commentary on these verses. It hath been often said, That the Jews were in expectation of a Messias, and are so still. But by him they understood not a Person, who should be God-man, and save his People from their Sins, and set up a spiritual Kingdom in the World, but a secular Prince, who should come of the house of David, and restore them to their civil Liberties. So that the name of Christ, was a fair name to patronize any Rebellious Faction, where the Leader would arrogate it to himself, (especially if he could pretend to the house of David,) near the Destruction of Ierusalem, several Persons used these arts to draw People after them to defend themselves, and to stand up for their Liberties. Our Saviour having discerned his Disciples tinctured with this common error of the Nation, and knowing what would come to pass, gives his Disciples warning, to avoid these delusions, and not to run after such pretenders, to their Ruin and Destruction.

Marginal references: 2 Pet. 3.1[illegible: 1 letter].

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven.

The usage of these Phrases, of the darkening the Sun, and the Moon, and the falling of the Stars, to signifie the ruin of Nations, and changes wrought in them, as in Isaiah 13.10. as to the Destruction of Babylon, and Ezek. 32.7. to express the change the Providence of God made, by the Destruction of Egypt, as also to signifie the change made in the World, by setting up the Gospel, to which purpose they are used by Ioel ch. 2.31. hath given Interpreters a Latitude, to Intrprete these verses, with relation to the Destruction of the Iews, which made a great change, as to the Jewish Church and State. 2. And with reference to the change made by setting up the Gospel Church. But the 26, and 27 verses incline me rather to Interprete them of the end of the World. For tho those other expressions are used to express great Changes and Mutations, yet it is not said of any of them. Then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds, with great Power, and Glory. And then shall he send his Angels, &c. Which Phrases do so agree with those other Texts, where Christs second coming to Judgment is expressed certainly, that I cannot but think our Saviour speaks here with reference to that. See Matth. 13.41. 1 Cor. 15.52. 1 Thes. 4.16. Rev. 1.7.

31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

See the Notes on Matth. 24.42.33.34. where we met with the same things, almost Word for Word. So, as more Words need not be repeated here in the explication of these verses.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

See the Notes on Matth. 24.36.42. Idea latet ultimus Diss ut observentur omnes Dies. God hath concealed from us the knowledge of the last Day, that we might watch all our Dayes. See the Notes on Matthew, in what sense Christ▪ saith, he did not know the last Day, and hour. Watching is opposed to Sleeping, there is a natural Sleep, and a spiritual Sleep, of which the Apostle speaks Rom. 13.11. Eph. 5.14. the latter is here principally intended to which the Watching here commanded is opposed, and signifies an industrious diligent care, to keep our selves from Sin▪ upon a prospect of the last Judgment, and the consideration of the incertainty of the particular year, or day when it shall be. Together with such a bodily Watching, as may be subservient unto that end, and fit us for Prayer, but the Watching principally intended, is a striving against Sin, which is the spiritual Sleep, and thus it is expounded by Luke ch. 21.36. compared with v. 34.35.

37 And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch,

In the Greek, those Words, For the Son of Man is, are not, but those, or some such like, are necessarily to be understood, to make up the sense. The Watching here again twice c[illegible: 1 letter]lled for is the same with that before mentioned. The sense of these verses is the same as before, the incertainty of the time, when Christ cometh to Judgment, should oblige all Men to be diligent and indu[illegible: 2 letters]rious, to keep themselves from Sinning, that they may be ready at what time so ever he cometh. He mentions only the four parts of the Night, having spoken of Sin, under the notion of Sleeping, and Holiness, under the notion of Watching.