The sanction which Christ has attached to this prophecy possesses unusual solemnity: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away,” applicable no doubt to all His words, but specifically spoken of this particular prophecy (ver. 35). Let us therefore approach its consideration with a full regard to the warning sentence with which the Lord has protected this special scripture. The globe on which we walk will pass away; the heavens, as a scroll when it is rolled up; but not a syllable of these utterances of the Lord Jesus shall fall to the ground unfulfilled.
The Christian observes this with devout acceptance. Yet there are parts of the prophecy which, while he cannot refuse them, occasion as he reads considerable perplexity. The conviction that this perplexity may be largely removed by pointing out the true bearing of the prophecy is what prompts these few pages of explanation.
Be it remembered that Matthew's is the Jewish Gospel; that is to say, in Matthew we have with special emphasis the presentation of the Messiah to Israel, and His rejection by that people. Hence that Gospel is the only one in which (chap. 16.) the church is mentioned, because the church was to replace Israel as a testimony upon the earth.
In chap. 23 is the well-known scathing denunciation of religious leaders, with its dread burden, “Woe unto you,” seven times repeated, the typical number of perfectness in scripture (vers. 13, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29), concluding with that heartfelt lament over the beloved city and her people: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee! How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! “adding—and this is of significance— “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Notice that this discourse is not a casual incident in the ministry of Christ, not a mere denunciation of hypocrisy, however vile that may be. It is the Christ's terminal testimony in the midst of Israel. The solemn conclusion of His three years' ministry was the judicial sentence, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” And Jesus went out and was going away. But the disciples, not perceiving the inward meaning of the Lord's words and action, came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. Their hearts were attached to the earthly system of which it was the center. But a temple, however splendid, is of no value when its God is disowned; and Jehovah was there in the person of Jesus, not known, not recognized by the nation; or if recognized, rejected. He leaves the temple with sorrow, and desolate indeed is that which Jehovah forsakes. The Lord's reply then, when His attention was drawn to the magnificence of the buildings, was, “See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
Now, in what follows, the Lord is in the character of prophet according to the word of Moses, “A prophet shall the Lord thy God raise up unto thee of thy brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things” (Deuteronomy 18:1515The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; (Deuteronomy 18:15); Acts 3:2222For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. (Acts 3:22)). Due weight should be given to the capacity in which our Lord is here speaking, for the chapter before us is really prophecy, as defined in its nature as that of Isaiah, Ezekiel, or Daniel.
The disciples came to Him and made these definite inquiries: (1) When shall these things be (that is, the destruction of the temple and connected events)? (2) What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world (more exactly translated the “completion of the age”)? In the first reply to these questions, there is a finger-post for the interpretation of the whole prophecy. The Lord utters a caution which could only apply to those who were in expectation of the Messiah—to Jews. He says, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying I am the Christ, and shall deceive many.” This obviously cannot be a danger to Christians. It can relate only to persons under the influence of Jewish hopes. The Christian knows, indeed, his very existence, religiously, is based upon the facts that the Christ has come, been crucified and buried, that He has risen and ascended to heaven. This being the Christian's creed, a claim to be “the Christ” would be to him simple nonsense. A man must be a Jew to be deceived by such a pretense. But they who are not aware that the Christ has come already, they who have rejected the true one will be especially susceptible to the fictitious claims of a feigned Messiah. Thus in the early part of this prophecy we find Jewish surroundings. The danger indicated is one for Jews; the principal scene is Judea ("let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains"), the temple is in view—abomination standing in the Holy place; the restriction of a Sabbath day's journey is contemplated in the direction to pray that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day (vers. 16-20). Note then, as a first principle in the interpretation of this prophecy, that its bearings are Jewish, not Christian.
If now, this prophecy was future when Christ spoke it, and it does not apply to Christians—where, chronologically, does it come in? To answer this, some little explanation is necessary. The Christian reader will easily recollect that scripture is clear as to Israel being again taken into favor when “the fullness of the Gentiles” shall “be come in” (Romans 11:2525For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25)). But let us look at a few passages which establish this.
In the very scripture already quoted, the Lord intimates the possibility of a future repentance of Israel, in the words, “Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:3939For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23:39)). But in writing to the saints at the great center of Gentile power, Rome, Paul deals elaborately with the present position nationally of Israel towards Christianity, and announces their future. Not to follow all the verses through, the gist of his argument is this: First, as to the Gentiles, God was found of them that sought Him not, and was made manifest unto them that asked not after Him. As to Israel, Jehovah's testimony against them was, “All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Romans 10:20, 2120But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. (Romans 10:20‑21)). The apostle then shows that notwithstanding the national rejection of Messiah, grace still saves some. “There is a remnant according to the election of grace” (11:5). And this is true at the present time. Rare as is the conversion of a Jew, the Christian rejoices to know that there is still, here and there, one and another whom grace enlightens and saves from among the Jews. But nationally they are cast away (ver. 15). Paul intimates, however, that the fall of the Jews nationally is not hopeless. “Have they stumbled that they should fall (that is, finally)? God forbid” (ver. 11). Then he states in ver. 25, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved” (vers. 25, 26). That is, there is a day coming in which Israel will be saved as a whole—as Israel; contrastedly with the present time, when a mere remnant is saved, who, by their very conversion cease to be Jews, and become merged in the church, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision (Colossians 3:1111Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:11)).
Before quoting the next scripture let us remember the character of the present time. What is it? Israel nationally laid aside; the gospel accepted mainly by Gentiles with, however, a remnant from Israel; and Jew and Gentile united into one body in Christ (Ephesians 2:12-1612That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (Ephesians 2:12‑16)).
This sheds great light on the very interesting seventh chapter of the Revelation. The church, in the type of the seven churches, is seen on earth in the second and third chapters—but in Laodicea the very profession is spued out of Christ's mouth. The ecclesiastical period is closed, and in the next chapter (4.), the translation to heaven has taken place, the church being seen in heaven under the figure of the twenty-four elders, and thenceforth in the Book the church never again appears on earth. But the course of the world rolls on. Now in chap. 7 of the Revelation, divine dealings with Israel are resumed. What we have, however, is not as yet Israel saved as a whole but a numbered company out of that nation. Accordingly, the winds of judgment are held in restraint, that they should not hurt the earth neither the sea nor the trees, until the sealing of a definite, and elect, remnant of the twelve tribes of Israel (vers. 1-8). A hundred and forty-four thousand are sealed out of all the tribes of the children of Israel, that is, twelve thousand from each specified tribe. Alongside of this is a companion picture of a great multitude; not now a definite number, but a saved multitude whom no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and tongues (vers. 9-17).
Many have thought these two companies represented the church, but they are really in direct contrast with it. In the church “there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek” (Romans 10:1212For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (Romans 10:12)). Here we find two distinct and separate groups: Israelites saved as such, and Gentiles as Gentiles. Of this Gentile multitude we shall see something later. At present the passage shows us very clearly the sealing of an elect remnant of Israel after the church has been taken to heaven and is there seen under the figure of twenty-four elders.
As then the Lord's prophecy in Matthew relates to Israel, and Israel as Israel is laid aside while the church is on earth, it follows that the prophecy must apply to the time when the people of Israel come again under the divine dealings towards the end of the age, and after the completed church has been safely housed in heaven. A mountain of misunderstanding is removed by seeing that Matthew 24 does not relate to the church-period or to the saints now upon earth. Chronologically, it follows that period.
We have before us, therefore, in our chapter, what is abundantly prophesied of in other scriptures, namely, a godly remnant in a time yet future, having Jewish aspirations and Jewish surroundings: the hope of the Messiah in their hearts, the temple in existence (ver. 15), and other Judaic elements as already pointed out. All this is confirmed when we recall that though the Lord's death “as a sacrifice for sin” was, in grace, made available for all men ("I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me,” John 12:3232And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32)), yet His personal mission was to Israel only: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:2424But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 15:24)). Rejected by the people, He gathers around Him a remnant whose hearts He has touched; and in the instructions of our chapter, He treats them as identical in principle with the remnant of the last days. Hence He says, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars.” That is, He addresses them as representatively the Jewish remnant of the last days. It is impossible to get a clear apprehension of prophecy, unless the church-period is seen to be a hiatus between the breaking off of Jewish connections and their resumption in the last days. The same principle explains Matthew 10:2323But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Matthew 10:23), a verse which has puzzled many. The Lord was sending out the twelve apostles to preach, and He says, “Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come.” Now the Son of man at that time was there, so that it must be His future coming that is in view. The explanation is, that identity is supposed between the preaching of the kingdom then, and that predicted in Matthew 24:1414And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14), and which continues from that time on until the coming of the Son of man. In the interval of the church, Jewish things would be laid aside, and the remnant would become merged in the church— “the Lord added together daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:4747Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47)), and this company is spoken of in chap. v. 11 and onwards as “the church.” But this when our Lord was here, was not yet, and meantime, having the remnant around Him, He furnishes them with instruction which would hold good for the last days, instruction which probably the actual remnant of the future will use and profit thereby.
[E. J. T.]
(To be continued)