Matthew 24

Christ foretells the destruction of the temple, Matthew 24:1 , Matthew 24:2 . His disciples inquire when and what shall be the sign of this destruction, Matthew 24:3 . Our Lord answers, and enumerates them - false Christs, Matthew 24:5 . Wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, Matthew 24:6-8 . Persecution of his followers, Matthew 24:9 . Apostasy from the truth, Matthew 24:10-13 . General spread of the Gospel, Matthew 24:14 . He foretells the investment of the city by the Romans, Matthew 24:15-18 . The calamities of those times, Matthew 24:19-22 . Warns them against seduction by false prophets, Matthew 24:23-26 . The suddenness of these calamities, Matthew 24:27 , Matthew 24:28 . Total destruction of the Jewish polity, Matthew 24:29-31 . The whole illustrated by the parable of the fig-tree, Matthew 24:32 , Matthew 24:33 . The certainty of the event, though the time is concealed, Matthew 24:34-36 . Careless state of the people, Matthew 24:37-41 . The necessity of watchfulness and fidelity, illustrated by the parable of the two servants, one faithful, the other wicked, Matthew 24:42-51 ;

This chapter contains a prediction of the utter destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, and the subversion of the whole political constitution of the Jews; and is one of the most valuable portions of the new covenant Scriptures, with respect to the evidence which it furnishes of the truth of Christianity. Every thing which our Lord foretold should come on the temple, city, and people of the Jews, has been fulfilled in the most correct and astonishing manner; and witnessed by a writer who was present during the whole, who was himself a Jew, and is acknowledged to be an historian of indisputable veracity in all those transactions which concern the destruction of Jerusalem. Without having designed it, he has written a commentary on our Lord's words, and shown how every tittle was punctually fulfilled, though he knew nothing of the Scripture which contained this remarkable prophecy. His account will be frequently referred to in the course of these notes; as also the admirable work of Bishop Newton on the prophecies.