Our Lord's great prophecy, and its parallels throughout the Bible, harmonized and expounded

Front matter

r oY

,0-

"oV*

Preface

To the Reader:

From the title page you will learn something respecting the nature and importance of the subjects discussed in this Treatise. The author cannot rationally hope to prevail with all his readers to adopt his views and methods of expounding portions of Scripture, which have been the subject of so much disputation and perplexity. He does hope, however, to awaken additional interest in the important subjects brought under notice, and to excite increased attention to those prophecies whose fulfillment must greatly affect the destiny of the whole world.

Be apprised, Reader, before you proceed further, of one trait in the character of this work : you will find that the author does not attempt to explain mysteries, or to defend disputed positions, by merely advancing his own opinions. He will, in every important instance, cite you to the law and to the testimony. You will meet with some disclosures that are sufficiently startling, and with some arguments and illustrations which are entirely new. And you will perceive that the whole matter has been treated with originality and independency. There is but little borrowed from other writers ; but what there is, is duly credited. The earnest, prayerful effort of the author has been to be right — exactly right — in all

IV PREFACE.

matters pertaining to the great subject in hand, so far as God has deemed it wise to reveal the truth to men. The author has all along proceeded upon the supposition, that God designed the Holy Scriptures for the benefit of mankind ; and that, for this reason, they may be understood.

Of the origin of this work, something, perhaps, should be known. The peculiar features of the Harmony, and the governing principle and arguments of the Exposition, are not new to the author : they are the result of several years' research and reflection. Indeed, it has been the principal subject of inquiry and investigation for several years. f The preparation of the work for the press, however, has been hurried : too much hurried, probably, for the author's personal good, or for the popularity of his publication. It has all been written within the last twelve months. And the labor of composing has been continually interrupted — sometimes for several weeks together — by much personal illness, by almost continual family affliction, by unusually heavy pastoral labors, by a number of calls for extra lectures and addresses, at home, and in other places ; not to mention the perplexities and delays occasioned by a change of residence, and the necessary additions to ordinary ministerial labor, in closing up the affairs of one charge and beginning those of another.

A large proportion of the work has been composed while the majority, perhaps, of its readers were quietly slumbering. With these facts before him, the candid, and especially the Christian, reader will not fail to make some allowance for such errors and imperfections as must, in the nature of things, more or less mar the productions of human wisdom. Let the critic remember that the golden rule applies to " all things whatsoever ;" and, consequently, it must apply to criticism.

PREFACE. V

Finally, Header, if you would derive most advantage from the perusal of this work, be earnestly advised, (1.) To read the whole work through, in the order in which it is composed ; for you will find that all the parts sustain a close relation, and in some cases, the connection is very important. (2.) Endeavor to understand the author's position and meaning in every place. (3.) Be sure to read the Notes, — especially those in the Appendix — in their appropriate connections. (4.) Do not, on any account, fail to examine the synopsis of Josephus' History of the Jewish War, when you come to the place where it is referred to. (5.) And certainly you ought to keep your Bible open before you, and refer to it as often as a complete comprehension of the quotations and references may require ; never forgetting that, after all, it is not what man may say, but what God has said, that will prove decisive in human controversy. (6.) Need it be said to Christians — in reference to such important subjects — examine carefully, patiently, prayerfully ; desiring and seeking to be divinely enlightened ?

CHAPTER I. Principal subject — The Harmony

Differs from others — When first designed — How originated — Effect of Transpositions — xvii. chap, of Luke — Relation of the several Records to each other — Matthew's record adopted as the principal one — Reasons — Why neither of the Evangelists was inspired to preserve the whole Discourse — "Wise Design — Testimony — How applied to Prophecy — Perfection m Imperfection — Design of Mystery — Relation of Parts to the "Whole — Illustrations, Page 31

Chapter II

Principal subject — The Transposition op Luke xvn. 31-33.

A principal difficulty in expounding the Lord's prophetic Discourse — Two classes of Interpreters — Perplexity of the Orthodox Divines — Fanciful Expositions — How to detect the Transposition — "Which record should be corrected — Are Luke xvii. and Matt. xxiv. parallel? — "Which record is most complete — The Saviour's method of Teaching — "When the Apostles were inspired — Character of the first References to the subjects of the great Prophetic Discourse — Other Transpositions — The Question at issue, . . 39

CHAPTER III. Principal subject — The Interrogations

State of the case — How Christ began his Discourse — How many things were comprised in the Questions proposed — What is indicated by the different forms in which the Inquiries are preserved — Impressions of the Disciples — Why three events were blended in their Inquiries — How they obtained their impressions — What probably occasioned the Difference in recording

Till CONTENTS.

the Inquiries — Importance of considering this — Cause of Indefiniteness of many Expositions of this Discourse — The true method of Reasoning — Illustrations, 45

Chapter IV

Principal subject — Preliminary Considerations relating to the Exposition.

"When the Disciples were fully Inspired — Their liability to mistakes, previously to their Inspiration — Examples — Principal Design of Christ's final Discourses — A principal Error of the Disciples — Jewish understanding of the Prophecies — Examples — Facts to be considered — Leading Themes of the first Gospel Preachers — The Kingdom — The Judgment — The End of the world — Impression of the two sons of Zebedee — "When the Kingdom of Messiah was expected to begin — Origin of that Expectation — Christ's Object in giving the Discourse forming the subject of this Treatise — State of the case summarily exhibited — Why Christ did not previously correct the Errors of his Disciples — Divine method of Instruction, 52

CHAPTER V. Principal subject — Theory of Exposition

Benefits of a Theory — Illustrations from Ancient Philosophy — Great names — Preparatory advisements — Character of the Theory of Exegesis — How to obtain a correct Theory — The case stated — What the Saviour designed — Illustrative Parable — Radical Mistake — How occasioned — Principal elements of the true Theory — Difficulties — What is attempted — General bearing of the Exposition — Origin of Universalism — Universalist and Orthodox Exegesis compared — Test of Truth and Error, 63

CHAPTER I. Principal subject — Destruction of the Temple

Why Christ's attention was directed to the Temple — General form and extent of the Temple — Why Herod's was called the Second Temple — Stones in the wall — Adornments — Why called Gifts — Improbability of the prediction — The Romans trying to save the Temple — How the destruction began — Two days' Conflagration — Council Debate — The Ptomans in the

CONTENTS. IX

Inner Court — Storming the Temple — The Holy of Holies on fire — Desperation of the Jews — Astonishment of the Romans — Progress of the flames — Titus in the Holy of Holies — Last effort to save the building — How the Prediction was finally fulfilled, 69

Chapter II

Principal subject — Calamities of the Jews previously to the Siege of Jerusalem.

Supposition of the disciples concerning the Coming of Christ, and of the End of the World — Design of our Lord's Discourse — Caution against Deceivers — Source of danger — Impostors claiming to be the Christ that was crucified — Plausibility of their pretensions — Wars and Rumors of Wars — Progress in the commotions — Character of Christ's Predictions — Famines and Pestilences — Earthquakes — Singular Comments — Objections — Criticisms — Literal and figurative Language — Earthquakes in divers places — Signs in the heavens — Fearful sights on the earth — Indications — An Army in the clouds — The Supernatural Voice — The wonderful Warning — Something still worse — Affecting Illustration, 78

Chapter III

Principal subject — Sufferings of Christians previously to the Siege of Jerusalem.

Correction of the Record — Illustrations — Beginning of the Persecution — Progress — Saul of Tarsus — Different forms of Jewish persecution — Persecution by others — Chronological accuracy of the Prophecy — Persecution overruled for good — Why the Jews persecuted — Why the Heathen — Peter before the Sanhedrim — Stephen — Paul before the Rulers — God's design in permitting Persecution — Good result of the Appeal to Caesar — Comfort in suffering — Why forbidden to premeditate — Perversion of a text — When we may, and when we may not, premeditate — What is meant by Taking no thought — Nature of Apostolic Inspiration — What is meant by giving them a Mouth and Wisdom — Examples — Curious way to resist Logic — An Orator in Chains — Beginning of Apostacy in the Church — Treachery — Progress of Apostacy — Terrible Result — Pattern Age of the Church — The World and the Church at variance — What is meant by not a Hair of the head perishing — How to possess our souls in Patience, . 95

Chapter IV

Principal subject — Corruption and Declension of the Church.

False Prophets — Two classes of them — Influence upon the Church — Consolation and Warning — What preserves the Church — Difficult Text —

X CONTENTS.

Strange Salvation — Curious Comment — The Truth finally discovered — A true Exposition — Import of the term "World — Examples — How extensi vely the Gospel was Preached in the Apostolic Age — Meaning of The End — Erroneous Impression — Explanation — Design of the Prophecy — Anew Explanation — When, and How, the Jewish Dispensation was consummated — The Beginning and the Ending — Objects of that Dispensation — Its effect upon common Providence — Error of the Jews — How corrected by Christ — Objection — Answer, 115

CHAPTER V. Principal subject — Flight of the Christians

Progressive order of the Prophecy — What is indicated by the Inquiries which led to the Prophecy — When did the Christians flee from Jerusalem? — Difficulty in determining — Strange blunders in quoting History — What was the Signal for beginning the Flight — Abortive efforts to determine — The Source of Information — Probable time of the Flight — Three Considerations — Interesting Parenthesis — Further Information concerning the Flight — Two Aspects of the Signal — Wisdom of Christ's Admonition — Benefit to Christians of all countries — Description of the Flight — Regulations of the Flight — How the Families were preserved — Our Lord's Prophecy partly a Compilation — Why those days were called Days of Vengeance

— How long they were to continue — An important consideration — Condition of Women with young Children — Time of the Year when the Flight occurred — Why not on the Sabbath — Numbers Destroyed and taken Captive during the War — The Elect for whose sake those days were shortened, 130

CHAPTER VI. Principal subjects — False Christs and False Prophets

Renewed appearance of Impostors -r- Why so successful — Two-fold Caution

— Simon Magus — Menander, his Successor — Claims to be Jesus Christ — Character of the Signs and Wonders wrought by the Impostors — Why the Jews, who were imposed upon by false Miracles, did not credit the true — • Illustration from modern Infidelity — Modern Wonder-workers — Deceiving the Elect — Import of the phrase, "If it be possible" — Facts in the case — Origin and Names of the principal Heresies during the Primitive Times — Origin of the False Christs and False Prophets — Two ways in which they appeared — Why Christ was expected in " the Secret Chambers" — Use of Josephus' History , 155

Chapter VII

Principal subjects — The Coming- of Christ, and the History of Jerusalem since the Eoman War.

Does the 27th verse refer to the Romans ? — Opinions of eminent Divines — The Issue announced — How the question is to be settled — The Passage

CONTENTS. XI

examined — Its designed use — Things to be considered — The single bearing of the Illustration — The Carcass and the Eagles — Two Applications — How one could be taken and another left — An important Emendation of Matthew's Record — Position of the passage from Luke — Destruction and Dispersion of the Jews — Different from previous Dispersions — Jerusalem in the possession of the Gentiles — Import of the expression, "Trodden down of the Gentiles" — The city in the times of Constantine — Julian the Apostate — His attempt to defeat the fulfillment of the Prophecy — Result — How the city is to be in the possession of the Gentiles — Import of the expression, "Times of the Gentiles," 165

Chapter VIII

Principal Subject — Darkening the Sun, &c. Various Interpretations Reviewed.

The Figurative Theory not very Ancient — Influence of a Mistake — Nature of the Argument — Plan of the Argument — Two Branches of the Figurative Theory — The Difference — Double Sense Theory — Robinson's — Arguments used in sustaining the Figurative Theories — Examination and Refutation — Review of "Whitby — What led him into his Peculiar Views — Difficulties of Error — Whitby against Grotius and Whiston — Newton's Theory — The Argument on " Immediately after the Tribulation of those days," reviewed — Josephus — Facts — Appeal to Logic — Conclusion — The Argument relating to the Figurative Language of the Old Testament considered — The Prophecy of Joel — The Question Settled — An Exegetical Curiosity — Peter's Reference to the Prophecy of Joel — How did he understand it? — Other specimens from the Old Testament — An important Fact in the case — Origin and Proprieties of Metaphorical Language, . 189

Chapter IX

Principal subject — Darkening of the Luminaries, and the attending circumstances.

Preliminaries — Plan of the Argument — "The Tribulation of those days" — The days defined — Important Consideration — An Omitted Verse — How long the Time is to last — Conclusion of this branch of the Argument- Darkening the Luminaries — An Error of the Literalists — Nature of Metaphorical Language — Where is the Original ? — How the Scriptures speak to men — Important Distinction — The Prophecy of Joel and of Christ compared — The specific Time and Circumstances of Darkening the Luminaries — Parallel Predictions — Parallelism of Times and Events — Gog and Magosr — Objection, that St. John describes the great Battle as taking place after the Millenium — John and Ezekiel Harmonized — Different Expositions compared 230

XII CONTENTS.

Chapter X

Principal subject — The Coming of Christ. Examination of

SEVERAL RELEVANT SUBJECTS.

How the Subject is Introduced — Erroneous Interpretations — Two Forms of the Interpretation — "Whitby's — Newton's — The first Reviewed — Logic versus History — The second Reviewed — Injurious Tendencies — Animadversions — Objection founded on Scripture Precedents — Great Mistake — Important Difference — Old Testament Metaphors — Objection founded on Christ's Declaration to the High Priests, Matt. xxvi. 64 — Objection founded on Christ's remark concerning John, ch. xxi. 22 — How difficult to defend Error — Objection founded on Christ's Declaration that some should not die till they had seen him coming in his kingdom, Matt. xvi. 27 — True Interpretation — Dissimilarity between that Passage and the one under comment — How David Typified Christ — Two Kingdoms, or the same in two different Dispensations, 249

Chapter XI

Principal subject — The Coming of Christ. Review of the Figurative Theory.

Remarkable Exposition — Its Objectionable Character — Defectiveness, even if the Text be Figurative — Common Rules of Interpretation Reversed — No Parallel Texts, with one exception, in the Old Testament — The Point to be proved — No Historic Proof of the Figurative Theory — Inconsistent with Christ's Mediatorial Offices — A Word for Universal] sts — Character of the Mediatorial Dispensation — Fatal Results — Self-contradiction — Variance with the "Words of Christ — Ingenious Evasion — Singular Logic — Embarrassment of Commentators — How Occasioned — Dr. Tower's Opinion — Dr. Campbell's — Dr. Mede's — Tense of the Saviour's words, 271

Chapter XII

Principal subject — Judgment Advent of Christ. The true

Exposition.

Order of Events — Sign of the Son of Man — Distinguished from Christ himself — "Where it will appear — Its Kature — Difference between a Sign and a "Wonder — The Sign the occasion of universal Mourning — The Reason — Effect upon the Jews — A day of salvation to them — The Reason — A Scene of mourning among the Jews — Occasion and Result — Literal Coming of Christ — Scoffers, and their Excuse — Believers, and their Danger — The Personal Coming Proved — Source of the knowledge of the Thessalonians — Design of the Parables in connection with the Prophecy — Christ's application of the Parables — The Judgment at his Coming — Extent of Time embraced in the Prophecy — Conclusion of the Prophecy, 291

CONTENTS. Xlll

Chapter XIII

Principal subject — Gathering the Elect. Review of various Expositions.

Applied by some to the Escape of Christians from Judea — Objection founded on the Chronology of the Events — Objection from its being unwarranted by the Language of the Text — Also from its conflict with Christ's own Declaration — Difference between the Comment objected to and the Words of Christ — Encouragement of Sceptics — The passage applied to the Call of the Gentiles — Keview — Misapplication of Texts — Erroneous Impression — The Issue taken — Limitation of the Gospel to the Jews — When the Gentiles were called — How extensively the Gospel prevailed previously to the Fall of Jerusalem — St. Paul's Testimony — Eusebius' — Mosheim's — > Surprising Statement — When the Gospel Kingdom began — Result of the Fall of Jerusalem — State of the Church subsequently — Professor Stuart's Opinions — His method and spirit of treating the passage — Is it a literal Trumpet? — Extremities of the Heavens — Whence are the Elect to be gathered? — Difference between Accuracy and Literality — God's Trumpet — Can the Dead hear ? — Illustrations, 306

CHAPTER XIV. Principal subject — Gathering the Elect

The True Exposition — A Universal Gathering — Who are the Elect? — Applied to believing Gentiles — Scripture Proofs — Election of the Gentiles — To what Privileges — For what Reason — Applied to the Israelites — Scripture Proofs — Reason of their Election — Chosen as a People — By an everlasting Covenant — They should be preserved Forever — St. Paul's View — Two great Divisions of the Elect — Relation of the two — Relation of the two-fold Gathering — How the dead will be Gathered — Design of the Resurrection — Hope of the ancient Saints — Who will be raised at the first Resurrection — The Elect in two Conditions — God's purpose to gather them all — When — Where — Why — How — Views of the Apostolical Church — Gathering of those who will be alive at the coming of the Lord — The final Assembly — Examples of Gathering of the Elect — Design of the Transfiguration on the Mount, 320

Chapter XV

Principal subject — Gathering the Elect. The subject

APPLIED TO THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS.

The point to be established — Prophecies of Jeremiah, identifying the People, their Restoration, Rebuilding of Jerusalem, Christ under the name of David, the New Covenant, <fcc. — Further Quotations referring to the People, the Time, the Event, the Extent, Ac. — Confirmation by Hosea — Prophecies of Isaiah, relating to the Branch, the Ensign, the Gathering, the Union, the

XIV CONTENTS.

Conversion, the Great Battle, the Signs in the Heavens, the Destruction of the "Wicked, the Judgment of Satan, the Resurrection of the Saints, the Coming of the Lord, the New Heavens and Earth, <fcc. — Prophecies of Ezekiel, relating particularly to Christ's Reign over Israel, the Renewal of Palestine, the Conversion and Restoration, the happy Results, <fec. . . . 340

CHAPTER XVI. Principal subject — Gathering the Elect

Applied to the Restoration of the Jews — Reasons for continuing the Subject — Ezekiel's Vision of the Dry Bones — Design, and Substance of the Vision — God's own Interpretation — Figurative Language not used to interpret Figurative — Final Union, Gathering, and Blessedness of Israel — A Kingdom under the reign of Messiah — The Battle of Gog and Magog — Referred to in other parts of the Bible — Interpretation — Prophecy of Zechariah — The Great Battle — The Lord Revealed — The Victory — Prophecy of Amos — The Tabernacle of David raised up — Happy Condition of the People — Prophecy of Moses — The History and Prophecy blended — True conversion, and real Restoration — St. Paul's Reasoning — Synopsis of the Argument — Twenty -nine Particulars in the Argument — The Conclusion — Angelic Agency in Gathering the Elect — Examples — How the present Dispensation will be terminated, 363

Chapter XVII

Principal subjects — Redemption of the Saints. " This Generation" — Renovation of the Earth and Heavens.

Change in the character of the Discourse — Redemption drawing nigh— - Nature of the Redemption — When and How it will be effected — The Fig-tree — The Kingdom of God — The Parables all relate to One Period — Nature of the Period — Hope of the Saints — " This Generation" — Newton's Definition — Whitby's Review — New Testament use — Divine principle of Government — Dr. Clarke's View — Opinion of Dr. Tower — Of Mr. Mede — Wolfius — Dr. Sykes — Ancient Divines — English Definitions — Passing away of the Earth and Heavens — Use of the declaration — Ignorance of the Time — Appropriate Duty — Nature of the Advent — Pre-Millenial — Proofs- Indications — Condition of the Glutton, the Drunkard and the Worldlyminded — Unexpectedness of the Event — Consequence, , 381