1 4. He foretells, that his difciples and followers would be brought before Kings and Governors for his name fake, and would fuffer many hardships, and that fome of them would be put to death. 5. He intimates, that among his followers there would be great declenfions, and that they would betray each other. 6. He foretells, that there would be famines, and peftilences, and earthquakes in divers places. 7. He fpeaks of wars and tumults in many places, preceding the final ruin of the Jewish nation, and as preludes of it. 8. He likewife fays, that at that time, and before it, would appear many falfe prophets and impoftors, by whom many would be deceived; and he warns men against hearkening to them. 9. He declares, that all these things would come to pass, before the end of that age, or generation of men. 10. He forewarns and advises those who regarded their own welfare, to flee out of Judea and Jerufalem, when they perceived the near approach of the calamities which had been spoken of by him. Which they might know, when they should see the Roman armies, with their idolatrous enfigns, ftanding where they ought not, that is, near Jerufalem, or in the land of Judea. Of all these feveral things I propofe to fhew the fulfilment: though not exactly in the order in which they have been juft now mentioned. IV. THE DATES OF SOME EVENTS; NAMELY, THE COMMENCEMENT &c. Before I enter upon the hiftory of the fulfilment of these predictions, it may be of use to obferve, in general, the dates of fome events. The war began, as Jofephus fays, in the fecond year of the government of Geffius Florus, who fucceeded Albinus, fucceffor of Porcius Feftus, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, in the month of May, in the twelfth year of the Emperor Nero, and the feventeenth year of the reign of Agrippa, mentioned Acts xxv and xxvii. that is, in the month of May, in the year of our Lord 66. "The + Temple was burnt on the tenth day of the month of Auguft [in the year of Chrift 70], the fame day and month on "which it had been burnt by the King of Babylon." Which Jofephus repeats again afterwards. ‡ The * Καὶ δὴ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλαβεν ὁ πόλεμος δευτέρῳ μὲν ἔτει τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς Φλώρα, δωδεκάτῳ δὲ τῆς Négavos apps. Ant. 1. 20. x. I. καὶ προσελάμβανε τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ πόλεμος δωδεκάτῳ μὲν ἔτει τῆς Νέρωνος ἡγεμονίας, ἑπτακαιδεκάτω δὲ τῆς Αγρίππα βασιλείας, Αρτεμισία μηνός. De B. J. 1. 2. cap. xiv. 4. † Παρήν δ' ἡ εἰμαρμένη χρόνων περιόδος ἡμέρᾳ δεκάτη Λώς μηνός, καθ ̓ ἂν καὶ τὸ πρότερον ὑπὸ τῶ τῶν Babehavior BaciRENG Eoln. De B. J. 1. 6. iv. 5. † Θαυμάσαι δ ̓ ἄν τις ἐν αὐτῇ τῆς περιόδε τὴν ἀκρίβειαν· καὶ μῆνα γῶν, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ ἡμέραν ἐπετήρησε τὴν αὐτὴν, ἐν ᾗ πρότερον ὑπὸ Βαβυλωνίων ὁ ναὸς ἐνεπρήσθη. . . ἢ γέγονεν ἔτει δευτέρῳ τῆς Οὐεσπσιακ ἡγεμονίας. Ib. 58. The City was taken on the eighth day of September, in the fecond year of the reign of Vefpafian, or the year of Chrift 70. That was the end of the fiege of Jerufalem, which began, as the fame author + obferves feveral times, about the fourteenth day of the month Nifan, or our April. The war therefore lafted four years and four months, comprting from May 66, to September in the year 70. And the fiege lafted about five months, computing from the 14th day of April to the eighth of September, in the year 70. If we carry on our computation to the taking of the caftle of Maffada, which happened in the year 73 (as we fhall fee hereafter), the war lafted seven years. V. THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION STANDING IN THE HOLY PLACE. I think it proper here alfo to take notice of our Lord's expreffions concerning the fign, whereby the approach of these calamities might be difcerned. Matt. xxiv. 15, ró. "When ye there"fore fhall fee the abomination of defolation, ... ftand in the "holy place; then let them which be in Judea flee to the moun"tains." Mark xiii. 14. "When ye fhall fee the abomination of "desolation standing where it ought not... then let them which are "in Judea flee to the mountains. Luke xxi. 20. "And when ye "fhall fee Jerufalem compaffed with armies, then know, that the defo"lation thereof is nigh." By "the abomination of defolation, or the abomination that "maketh defolate," therefore, is intended the Roman armies, with their enfigns. As the Roman enfigns, especially the eagle, which was carried at the head of every legion, were objects of worship; they are, according to the usual style of Scripture, called "an abo"mination." By" ftanding in the holy place, or where it ought not," needs not to be understood the temple only, but Jerufalem alfo, and any part of the land of Ifrael. ་་ There are feveral things in Jofephus, which will confirm this interpretation." Pilate," fays he," the Prefect of Judea, fending "his army from Cefarea, and putting them into winter-quarters at "Jerufalem, brought the carved images of Cefar, which are in the enfigns, into the city, in violation of the Jewish laws; fince our law forbids the making of images. For which reason the "former governors were wont to come into the city with enfigns deftitute of thefe ornaments. Pilate was the first who fet up images in Jerufalem. And he did it privately, the army making "their entrance in the night time. But as foon as the people knew "it, they went in a large body to Cefarea, making earneft fupplica"tions, that the images might be removed.... And at length "Pilate 、 sk I 2 * Καλῶ μὲν ἔτως Ἱεροσόλυμα ἔτει δευτέρῳ τῆς Οὐεσπασιανός ἡγεμονίας, Γορπιαία μηνὸς ὀγδόη. Πα 1. 6. cap. x. in. De B. J. 1. 5. cap. iii. 1. cap. xiii. 7. 1. 6. cap. ix. 3. "Pilate gave orders for bringing back the images from Jerufalem to "Cefarea." And not long after that, Vitellius, Prefident of Syria, received orders from Tiberius to attack Aretas, king of Petra. Whereupon he was going to march through Judea. "But fome of their "chief men waited on him, and entreated him, not to lead his "army through their country, becaufe it was contrary to their "laws, that any images fhould be brought into it, whereas there were a great many in his army. And he hearkened to them, altered his intention, and marched his troops another way." Our Lord's difciples and followers therefore might well be alarmed as foon as they faw Roman armies, with their idolatrous enfigns, appear in an hoftile manner in any part of the land of Ifrael: but as they approached to Jerufalem, the danger would be more imminent and preffing. And as men unwillingly leave their native country, and their accustomed habitations, and removals are always attended with dangers and difficulties, our Lord recommends flight in very urgent terms, left any of those who loved him, and refpected his doctrine, fhould partake in the dreadful calamities of the fiege. VI. How THE SEVERAL EVENTS, FORETOLD TO PRECEDE THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM, CAME TO PASS. THE GOSPEL PREACHED ALL OVER THE WORLD. We now obferve fome events fpoken of by our Lord, which would precede the great calamity coming upon the Jewish nation. 1. One is, that "the doctrine of the Gospel" fhould be preached throughout the Roman Empire, and in other places adjoining to it. "And this gofpel of the kingdom," fays he, "fhall be preached "in all the world, for a witnefs to all nations. And then shall the "end come." Matt. xxiv. 14. "And the Gospel must first be publifhed to all nations." Mark xiii. 10. And however unlikely that might feem when thofe words were fpoken by our Lord, they were verified. The Epiftles of the New Teftament, ftill extant, and written to Chriftians in divers cities and countries, are a ftanding monument of it. For they are fent to believers at Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephefus, Philippi, Coloffe, Theffalonica, and the Hebrews; all written by St. Paul. And the Epiftles of the Apoftle Peter are directed to Chriftians refiding in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia. And the four Gofpels, and the Acts of the Apoftles, afford evidence, that there were numerous converts to the faith of Jefus. For they were written for the ufe of fuch. St. Paul fays, Rom. xv. 19. that from Jeru"falem, and round about unto Illyricum, he had fully preached the "Gospel of Chrift." He reminds the Romans, i. 18. that their "faith was fpoken of throughout the whole world." To the Coloffians he obferves, that the Gospel had been preached to every "creature Antiq. 1. 18. cap. v. 3 "creature under heaven," ch. i. 23. and see ver. 6. The prediction therefore of that great event had been accomplished within the limits of the time affigned for it. And Tacitus bears witness, that the Chriftian religion, which had its rife in Judea, had fpread into many parts, and had reached Rome itself, where the profeffors of it were numerous, and many of them underwent grievous torments in the reign of Nero, about the year of our Lord and afterwards. 2. CHRIST'S DISCIPLES PERSECUTED IN MANY PLACES. Our Lord alfo fays to his difciples, in his prophetical difcourfes concerning the coming calamities upon Judea: Before all these "things they will lay their hands upon you, and perfecute you, de"livering you to the fynagogues, and into prifons, being brought "before kings and rulers for my name fake.... And fome of you "fhall they cause to be put to death. And ye will be hated of all men for my name fake." Luke xxi. 12. and 16, 17. And to the like purpose in the other Evangelifts. The full accomplishment of these things is well known to Chriftians from the book of the Acts, and the Epistles of the New Testament. The Apoftles of Jefus met with great difficulties in preaching the Gospel. And the converts made by them were expofed to many fufferings. Peter and John, and all the Apostles, were brought before the Jewish Council, and were imprifoned, and beaten, and farther threatened; Acts iv. Stephen, an eminent disciple, and Evangelift, fuffered death by ftoning, ch. vi, vii. James, the brother of John, was beheaded by king Agrippa; who alfo fhut up Peter in prifon, with intention to put him to death also. But he was miraculously delivered, ch. xii. Paul was kept in prifon two years in Judea, and afterwards as long at Rome. He pleaded before Felix and Feftus, Roman governors in Judea, and king Agrippa the younger, as well as before the Jewish Council at Jerufalem; xxi-xxviii. And there is good reafon to believe, that he was brought before Nero himself. Many of his fufferings and dangers are enumerated in 2 Cor. xi. 23-33. They who received the doctrine taught by the Apostles had also their fhare of afflictions and trials. Paul, whilft he was their enemy, "made havock of the church, entering into every houfe, and haling men and women committed them to prifon. And when they were put to death, he gave his voice against them: ... he punifhed them in every fynagogue, and perfecuted them even into strange cities." Acts viii. 3. and xxvi. 10, 11. And in his Epiftle to the Hebrews he obferves to them, "that they had endured a great fight of afflic"tions, partly whilft they were made a gazing-ftock both by re66 proaches and afflictions; and partly whilft they became companions "" of See that fully proved in the fecond volume of the Supplement to the "Credibility," &c. p. 250, &c. "of those who were so used and that they had joyfully taken the "fpoiling of their goods;" ch. x. 32-34. And Agrippa before mentioned began with "laying his hands upon certain of the church," Acts xii. 1. And that the believers fuffered afflictions in other places befide Judea, is manifeft from 2 Theff. i. 3-6. James ii. 5-7. 2 Pet. iv. 12-19. And the Jews at Rome, whom Paul fent for to come to him, fay: "As concerning this fect, we know that every " where it is fpoken against." Tacitus confirms the truth of these predictions of our Lord. He has given a particular account of the fufferings of many Chriftians at Rome, before the defolations of Judea. In the tenth year of Nero, the 64th of our Lord, there happened a great fire at Rome. Nero was fufpected to have fet it on fire himself. "For* fuppreff"ing that common rumour, Nero procured others to be accused, "and inflicted exquifite punishments upon those people, who were "in abhorrence for their crimes, and were commonly known by the name of Chriftians." And he fays, "that they were condemned, "not so much for the crime of burning the city, as for their enmity "to mankind." Thus Tacitus bears witnefs, not only to their undeserved sufferings, but also to the reproaches they underwent, agreeably to what our bleffed Lord had faid, "that they would be hated of all men for his name fake." However, these innocent fufferers had their fupports. For their unerring Mafter, all whose words were true, has faid: "Bleffed are ye, when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of evil against you falfely for my fake." 3. DECLENSIONS AMONG HIS FOLLOWERS. Farther, our Lord intimates, that before the full accomplishment of his predictions concerning the miferies coming upon the Jewish nation, there would be declenfions of zeal among his own profeffed difciples and followers. "And then shall many be offended, and fhall betray one another; "and because iniquity will abound, the love of many will wax "cold;" Matt. xxiv. 10, 12. And fee Mark xiii. 12, 13. and Luke xxi. 16. What is faid of this matter in the Gofpels may be verified from the Epiftles of the New Teftament. The whole Epiftle to the Hebrews is an argument to ftedfaftnefs, implying the great danger of apoftafy from the faith, or of abatements of zeal for it: "Let us," fays he, "hold faft the profeffion of our faith without wavering. And let us confider one another, to provoke unto love and good "works, not forfaking the affembling of ourselves together, as the << manner of fome is." Heb. x. 23, 25. and onwards to ver. 39. And ch. xii. 12. "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees." In ch. vi. 4-9. he fhews the great guilt, " and Ergo abolendo rumori Nero fubdidit reos, et exquifitiffimis pœnis affecit quos per fiagitia invifos, vulgus Chriftianos appellabat. Igitur primo correpti qui fatebantur, deinde indicio eorum multitudo ingens, haud perinde crimine incendii, quam odio humani generis 44 convicti funt, &c." Ann. 15. c. 14. |