Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 24:31

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Mark saith, Ch. 13.26.27. And then shall they see the Son of Man, coming in the Clouds with great Power and Glory. 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. Luke saith, Ch. 21.27. And then they shall see the Son of Man, coming in a Cloud with great Power and Glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your Heads, for your Redemption draweth nigh. Interpreters are also divided about these Words, as about the former, some understanding them concerning the Destruction of Ierusalem, and Judging that by the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, is probably meant some Prodigy, or some Comet seen before that Destruction, which should be of that Nature as it should make the Iews (here called the Tribes of the Earth) to mourn, they by the Angels and Trumpet mentioned, v. 31. understanding the Ministers of the Gospel, who after the Destruction of Ierusalem, should go and preach the Gospel over all the World, and so gather in the Elect into the Gospel-Church. But I cannot agree this Sense, and I said the most Interpreters expound these Words of the last Judgment; what is meant by the sign of the Son of Man, all are not so well agreed, two of the Evangelists say only the Son of Man: Matthew mentions, first the appearance of the sign of the Son of Man, then the Son of Man himself, probably it signifieth some great Prodigy, that shall be seen before that great and Terrible day. Those things which incline me to think, that the day of Judgment, not the Destruction of Ierusalem, is that which is spoken of in these Verses, is, 1. That all the Phrases are such as the Scripture useth, to express Christ's coming to the last Judgment. His coming in the Clouds of Heaven, Math. 26.64. Rev. 1.7. the Tribes of the Earth mourning, Rev. 1.7. his coming with the Angels, and the sound of a Trumpet. Math. 25.31. Mar. 8.38. 1 Cor. 15.52. 1 Thes. 4.16. His sending his Angels to gather the Elect, Mat. 13.49. 2. The Tribes of the Earth mourning, seems to signifie more then the twelve Tribes of Israel. 3. That which Luke hath, Look up, and lift up your Heads, for the day of your Redemption draweth nigh; seemeth hardly applicable to the Destruction of Ierusalem, rather to the Redemption of the Body mentioned, Rom. 8.23. For the Gospel before this time was carried to the Gentiles: Nor do I know, that that is any where called Redemption. Those things which have led some learned Interpreters to expound, v. 29, 30, 31. of the Destruction of Ierusalem, are, I conceive, those Particles, Immediately after the Tribulation of those days, v. 29. and the Particle then, v. 30. together with v. 34. where our Saviour saith: This Generation shall not [illegible: 1 word] till all these things be fulfilled. But the term Immediately after the Tribulation of those days, may signifie not only the Destruction of Ierusalem, but that and all the Calamities of those days, that should follow that, to the end of the World: And it is very usual for Prophetical Scriptures to speak of things to come long after, as if they were presently to come to pass, Deut. 32.35. and the day of Iudgment is ordinarily spoken of, as if it were at hand, 1 Thes. 4.15. Ia. 5.8. 1 Ioh. 2.18. both to denote the certainty of it, and to keep us from Security, and to let us know that a Thousand years in Gods sight, are but as one day, 2 Pet. 3.8. for the 34. v. we shall give the Sence of it in its Order.

Marginal references: Chap. 13.41.; Or, [illegible: 1 word] Trumpet, [illegible: 1 word] a great [illegible: 1 word].