A

PLAIN COMMENTARY

ON THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER OF

St. Mark's Gospel.

1 CHRIST foretelleth the destruction of the Temple: 9 the persecutions for the Gospel: 10 that the Gospel must be preached to all nations: 14 that great calamities shall happen to the Jews: 24 and the manner of His coming to Judgment: 32 the hour whereof being known to none, every man is to watch and pray, that we be not found unprovided, when He cometh to each one particularly by death.

XIII. AND as He went out of the Temple, one of His Disciples saith unto Him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

Our LORD was departing from the Temple for the last time, when this remark was made to Him by one of the Blessed Company who attended Him. The solemnity of the occasion has been pointed out in the note on St. Matthew xxiv. 1. It is easy to understand that, from the words He had last uttered, the Disciples may have "caught some general impression and dark foreboding of the fate which awaited the Temple: and it seems to have been in consequence of those expressions that, as He was in the act of departing from it, they made

a St. Matt. xxiii. 36 to 39.

the remark on its beautiful structure, as if to express their surprise, or to win His commiseration." The immense size of the magnificent white stones to which the Disciples called our SAVIOUR'S attention, is noticed by Josephus. He says they were twenty-five cubits long, eight cubits high, and twelve broad. Some of the stones he says were forty cubits (that is, sixty feet) long.

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.

Not only was the Temple consumed by fire to its very foundations, but the soil received afterwards the customary marks of subjection. Zion was 'ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem became heaps, and the mountain of the House as the high places of the forest". "Where is now that great City?" (asked a Jew, immediately after the taking of Jerusalem :) "It is now demolished to the very foundations, and preserves no monument of itself but the camp of those who have destroyed it, which still dwells upon its ruins. Some unfortunate old men also lie upon the ashes of the Temple. I cannot but wish that we had all died before we had seen the foundations of our Holy Temple dug up after so profane a manner." See more in the note on St. Matthew xxiv. 2.

The prediction in the text, which our Blessed

b Micah iii. 12, which is quoted by Jer. xxvi. 18.

LORD had also delivered on a former occasion, though fully in accordance with the tenor of His recent discourses and teaching 4,-may well have perplexed the Disciples. Not only did it seem unlikely that such a magnificent structure as the second Temple should experience such a total overthrow as their Divine Master predicted, but they may have called to remembrance a sure word of Prophecy which proved at least that a period of great glory had been reserved, in the deep counsels of GOD, for that very Temple ;-"The desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this House with Glory, saith the LORD of Hosts..... The Glory of this latter House shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of Hosts: and in this place I will give Peace, saith the LORD of Hosts." Little did they realize the solemn truth that already had 'the Glory' come, and 'departed ƒ !' -that the Incarnate SoN was the true Shekinah, who had suddenly come to His Temple", and had now crossed its threshold for the last time!

And as He sat upon the mount of Olives 3 over against the Temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and

c St. Luke xix. 44.

d Consider St. Matth. xxi. 41, 43: xxii. 7: xxiii. 37 to 39.

e

Hag. ii. 7, 9.

* See the note on St. John i. 14.

h See the note on St. John ii. 15.

f 1 Sam. iv. 21.

what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

St. Mark is the only Evangelist who mentions the number and the names of the Disciples who came to CHRIST as He sat on the Mount, with this memorable question. Their Divine LORD was sitting over against the Temple,'-the chief object, it may well be thought, of their solicitude. But the question they addressed to Him, St. Mark only partially records. The Reader will do well to refer to what has been already offered on this subject in the note on St. Matthew xxiv. 3. 5 And JESUS answering them began to say, 6 Take heed lest any man deceive you: for many shall come in My name, saying, I am CHRIST and shall deceive many.

Thus then our LORD begins His. reply with a general prophecy of Antichrist, who was to precede the destruction of Jerusalem; as we know that he will (in some far more signal manner) precede the end of the World. This is the first 'sign when all these things shall be fulfilled,' with which He supplied His Church. It is mentioned again in verses 21, 22; which places seem to be distinctly referred to by St. John, in his Epistle *. See more in the note on St. Matthew xxiv. 5.

i See 2 Thess. ii. 1 to 10, and the places referred to in the note on St. Matth. xxiv. 26.

* 1 St. John ii. 18: iv. 3. Compare 2 St. John ver. 7.

And when ye shall hear of wars and 7 rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise 8 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.

These verses will be found discussed in the notes on St. Luke xxi. 11, and St. Matthew xxiv. 8.

But take heed to yourselves: for they 9 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.

That is, 'That you may bear witness of My Religion in their presence! All which was fulfilled in the recorded history of the Eleven Apostles m,—of St. Paul",—and of the other Disciples. But, as it has been truly remarked, we must understand this part of our LORD's prophecy, (which He had already delivered in His Charge to the Twelve P,) as relating "not so much to those sufferings of the Apostles and their first followers which are related in the Acts, as to those general

Burton. Compare St. Luke xxi. 13, and note.

m Acts iv. 3: v. 18, 40: xii. 4, &c.

n 2 Cor. xi. 24, 25, &c.

P St. Matth. x. 17, 18.

• Acts vii. 59, &c.