8 And He
said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many
will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’
Therefore do not go after them. 9 But
when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things
must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” 10 Then He
said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom. 11 And
there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences;
and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. 12 But
before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you,
delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought
before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. 13 But
it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. 14 Therefore
settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will
answer; 15 for
I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able
to contradict or resist. 16 You
will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they
will put some of you to death. 17 And
you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 18 But
not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19 By
your patience possess your souls.
Commentary
Vs. 8 And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.”
In this section the Lord Jesus Christ answers their question about when the destruction of the Temple would be. Now in this He does so by first foretelling several things, most importantly He begins by warning them of false Christ’s and false prophets that would arise before His Second Coming.
For its not the Temple’s destruction they were to look for, (nor is it its later rebuilding), it’s the Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Coming that we are to patiently wait on and look for. Therefore, Jesus says when false Christ’s arise declaring themselves to be Himself, or false prophets arise saying ‘The time has drawn near.’ We are not to go after them because only cults and deceivers are born out of them.
Vs. 9 “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
Having warned us of false Christ’s and prophets that will arise before His Second Coming Jesus now tells us not to be terrified when we hear of wars and rumors of wars as if one of these events signifies the end. For a He says “…these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
Vs. 10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”
Now as almost to strengthen that the end will not come immediately, He now says that, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Thus, there will be prolonged periods of war around the world arising after His Ascension and before His Second Coming.
Vs. 11 “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”
Now verse eleven seems to signify the great upheaval in the heavens and earth that will be taking place before Christ’s Second Coming. With great earthquakes in various places, and starvation and disease on earth. And fearful sights and great signs in heaven which will precede the Day of the Lord.
Vs. 12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.”
Having looked into the future, Jesus now returns to the present and what is about to befall not only His disciples then, but all disciples in every generation before His return will be subject to hostility and persecution and imprisonment for our faith in Him. Even saying that some of us will be delivered up to synagogues and prisons, (thus judged and sentenced by religious tribunals and counsels), or brought before kings and rulers (as offenders of the state) for Christ’s Name sake.
Vs. 13-15 13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. 14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
Now with our being arrested and tried by religious and or secular rulers being foretold us, Jesus now also tells us not to meditate on how we will answer them. Thus, we are not to premediate on how we will defend either ourselves or our faith in Him before them. For Jesus Promises that He will give us both a mouth and wisdom which none of our adversaries will be able to contradict or resist (vs. 15). The words then that we will speak will be given us by His Holy Spirit.
Vs. 16-19 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19 By your patience possess your souls.
Here Jesus foretells us that our mistreatment and betrayal will not only come from lawful authorities, but even our once most beloved and trusted family members and friends (i.e. parents, relatives, brothers, friends) will be betray us, and even put some of us to death. Now this is not a new thing with the Gospel, for saints and prophets down through the ages have also had to endure the same (consider Job 6:15; Psalm 38:11; 69:7-12; Prov. 24-26; 2 Sam. 23:1-7 (vs. 5); Jer. 9:4-5; 12:5-6; Luke 11:45-51; Heb. 11:32-40 etc.). Nonetheless Jesus Promises us that not a hair of our head will be lost (vs. 18). Thus, neither mistreatment, persecution, nor death shall be able to separate us from the love of God which we have In Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior (Rom. 8:31-39; 2 Peter 3:10-13). Therefore, Jesus concludes by saying, “By your patience possess your souls.” Vs. 19 That is we who truly believe in Him will not fall away when bad, or evil or unjust things happen to us, because justice doesn’t come for us in this life, but in the life to come, when we are justified by Him before all (consider Isaiah 54:17, 25).
Commentary
Vs. 8 And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.”
In this section the Lord Jesus Christ answers their question about when the destruction of the Temple would be. Now in this He does so by first foretelling several things, most importantly He begins by warning them of false Christ’s and false prophets that would arise before His Second Coming.
For its not the Temple’s destruction they were to look for, (nor is it its later rebuilding), it’s the Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Coming that we are to patiently wait on and look for. Therefore, Jesus says when false Christ’s arise declaring themselves to be Himself, or false prophets arise saying ‘The time has drawn near.’ We are not to go after them because only cults and deceivers are born out of them.
Vs. 9 “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
Having warned us of false Christ’s and prophets that will arise before His Second Coming Jesus now tells us not to be terrified when we hear of wars and rumors of wars as if one of these events signifies the end. For a He says “…these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
Vs. 10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”
Now as almost to strengthen that the end will not come immediately, He now says that, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Thus, there will be prolonged periods of war around the world arising after His Ascension and before His Second Coming.
Vs. 11 “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”
Now verse eleven seems to signify the great upheaval in the heavens and earth that will be taking place before Christ’s Second Coming. With great earthquakes in various places, and starvation and disease on earth. And fearful sights and great signs in heaven which will precede the Day of the Lord.
Vs. 12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.”
Having looked into the future, Jesus now returns to the present and what is about to befall not only His disciples then, but all disciples in every generation before His return will be subject to hostility and persecution and imprisonment for our faith in Him. Even saying that some of us will be delivered up to synagogues and prisons, (thus judged and sentenced by religious tribunals and counsels), or brought before kings and rulers (as offenders of the state) for Christ’s Name sake.
Vs. 13-15 13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. 14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
Now with our being arrested and tried by religious and or secular rulers being foretold us, Jesus now also tells us not to meditate on how we will answer them. Thus, we are not to premediate on how we will defend either ourselves or our faith in Him before them. For Jesus Promises that He will give us both a mouth and wisdom which none of our adversaries will be able to contradict or resist (vs. 15). The words then that we will speak will be given us by His Holy Spirit.
Vs. 16-19 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19 By your patience possess your souls.
Here Jesus foretells us that our mistreatment and betrayal will not only come from lawful authorities, but even our once most beloved and trusted family members and friends (i.e. parents, relatives, brothers, friends) will be betray us, and even put some of us to death. Now this is not a new thing with the Gospel, for saints and prophets down through the ages have also had to endure the same (consider Job 6:15; Psalm 38:11; 69:7-12; Prov. 24-26; 2 Sam. 23:1-7 (vs. 5); Jer. 9:4-5; 12:5-6; Luke 11:45-51; Heb. 11:32-40 etc.). Nonetheless Jesus Promises us that not a hair of our head will be lost (vs. 18). Thus, neither mistreatment, persecution, nor death shall be able to separate us from the love of God which we have In Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior (Rom. 8:31-39; 2 Peter 3:10-13). Therefore, Jesus concludes by saying, “By your patience possess your souls.” Vs. 19 That is we who truly believe in Him will not fall away when bad, or evil or unjust things happen to us, because justice doesn’t come for us in this life, but in the life to come, when we are justified by Him before all (consider Isaiah 54:17, 25).
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
No comments:
Post a Comment