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Matthew 24:32-42
And from the fig
tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the
leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you
shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors.
Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these
things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not
pass. But of that day and hour no one knoweth, not the angels of
heaven, but the Father alone.
And as in the days of Noe, so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, even till that day in which Noe
entered into the ark, And they knew not till the flood came, and took
them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. Then two
shall be in the field: one shall be taken, and one shall be left. Two
women shall be grinding at the mill: one shall be taken, and one shall
be left. Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord
will come.
Mark 13:28-33
Now of the fig
tree learn ye a parable. When the branch thereof is now tender, and the
leaves are come forth, you know that summer is very near. So you also
when you shall see these things come to pass, know ye that it is very
nigh, even at the doors. Amen I say to you, that this generation shall
not pass, until all these things be done.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. But
of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor
the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray. For ye know not
when the time is.
Luke 21:29-36
And he spoke to
them in a similitude. See the fig tree, and all the trees: When they
now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh;
So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that
the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen, I say to you, this generation
shall not pass away, till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to
yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and
drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you
suddenly. For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face
of the whole earth.
Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before
the Son of man.
Commentary
by St. John Chrysostom
Forasmuch as He
had said, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days;" but they
sought of this, after how long a time it should be, and desired to know
in particular the very day, therefore He puts also the similitude of
the fig tree, indicating that the interval was not great, but that in
quick succession would occur His advent also. And this He declared not
by the parable alone, but by the words that follow, saying, "know that
it is near, even at the doors."
Whereby He foretells another thing also, a spiritual summer, and a calm
that should be on that day (after the present tempest) for the
righteous; but to the sinners the contrary, winter after summer, which
He declares in what follows, saying, that the day shall come upon them,
when they are living in luxury
But not for this intent only did He put forward this about the fig
tree, in order to declare the interval; for it was possible to have set
this before them in other ways as well; but that he might hereby also
confirm His saying, as assuredly thus to come to pass. For as this of
the fig tree is of necessity, so that too. For thus, wherever He is
minded to speak of that which will assuredly come to pass, He brings
forward the necessary courses of nature, both Himself, and the blessed
Paul imitating Him. Therefore also when speaking of His resurrection,
He saith, "When the corn of wheat hath fallen into the earth, except it
die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit."Whereby also the blessed Paul being instructed uses the same
similitude,"Thou fool," he saith, "that which thou sowest is not
quickened, except it die."
After this, that they might not straightway return to it again, and
say, "When?" he brings to their remembrance the things that had been
said, saying, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled!"All these things. What things? I
pray thee. Those about Jerusalem, those about the wars, about the
famines, about the pestilences, about the earthquakes, about the false
Christs, about the false prophets, about the sowing of the gospel
everywhere, the seditions, the tumults, all the other things, which we
said were to occur until His coming. How then, one may ask, did He say,
"This generation?" Speaking not of the generation then living, but of
that of the believers. For He is wont to distinguish a generation not
by times only, but also by the mode of religious service, and practice;
as when He saith, "This is the generation of them that seek the Lord."
For what He said above, "All these must come to pass,"and again, "the
gospel shall be preached,"this He declares here also, saying, All these
things shall surely come to pass, and the generation of the faithful
shall remain, cut off by none of the things that have been mentioned.
For both Jerusalem shall perish, and the more part of the Jews shall be
destroyed, but over this generation shall nothing prevail, not famine,
not pestilence, not earthquake, nor the tumults of wars, not false
Christs, not false prophets, not deceivers, not traitors, not those
that cause to offend, not the false brethren, nor any other such like
temptation whatever.
Then to lead them on more in faith, He saith, "Heaven and earth shall
pass away, but my words shall not pass away;"that is, it were more easy
for these firm, fixed, and immoveable bodies to be blotted out, than
for ought of my words to fall to the ground. And he who gainsays these
things, let him test His sayings, and when he hath found them true (for
so he surely will find them) from what is past, let him believe also
the things to come, and let him search out all things with diligence,
and he will see the actual events bearing witness to the truth of the
prophecy. And the elements He hath brought forward, at once to declare,
that the church is of more honor than Heaven and earth, and at the same
time to indicate Himself by this also to be maker of all. For since He
was speaking of the end, a thing disbelieved by many, He brought
forward Heaven and earth, indicating His unspeakable power, and showing
with great authority, that He is Lord of all, and by these things
rendering His sayings deserving of credit, even with those who are much
given to doubt.
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
Heaven,neither the Son,but the Father." By saying, not the angels, He
stopped their mouths, that they should not seek to learn what these
angels know not; and by saying, "neither the Son," forbids them not
only to learn, but even to inquire. For in proof that therefore He said
this, see after His resurrection, when He saw they were become over
curious, how He stopped their mouths more decidedly. For now indeed He
hath mentioned infallible signs, many and endless; but then He saith
merely, "It is not for you to know times or seasons." And then that
they might not say, we are driven to perplexity, we are utterly
scorned, we are not held worthy so much as of this, He says, "which the
Father hath put in His own power."And this, because He was exceedingly
careful to honor them, and to conceal nothing from them. Therefore He
refers it to His Father, both to make the thing awful, and to exclude
that of which He had spoken from their inquiry. Since if it be not
this, but He is ignorant of it, when will He know it? Will it be
together with us? But who would say this? And the Father He knoweth
clearly, even as clearly as He knoweth the Son; and of the day is He
ignorant? Moreover, "the Spirit indeed searcheth even the deep things
of God,"and doth not He know so much as the time of the judgment? But
how He ought to judge He knoweth, and of the secrets of each He hath a
full perception; and what is far more common than that, of this could
He be ignorant? And how, if "all things were made by Him, and without
Him was not even one thing made,"was He ignorant of the day? For He who
made the worlds,it is quite plain that He made the times also; and if
the times, even that day. How then is He ignorant of that which He
made?
2. And ye indeed say that ye know even His substance,but that the Son
not even the day, the Son, who is always in the bosom of the Father;
and yet His substance is much greater than the days, even infinitely
greater. How then, while assigning to yourselves the greater things, do
you not allow even the less to the Son, "in whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge."But neither do you know what God is
in His substance, though ten thousand times ye talk thus madly, neither
is the Son ignorant of the day, but is even in full certainty thereof.
For this cause, I say, when He had told all things, both the times and
the seasons, and had brought it to the very doors ("for it is near," He
saith, "even at the doors"), He was silent as to the day. For if thou
seek after the day and hour, thou shall not hear them of me, saith He;
but if of times and preludes, without hiding anything, I will tell thee
all exactly. For that indeed I am not ignorant of it, I have shown by
many things; having mentioned intervals, and all the things that are to
occur, and how short from this present time until the day itself (for
this did the parable of the fig tree indicate), and I lead thee to the
very vestibule; and if I do not open unto thee the doors, this also I
do for your good.
And that thou mayest learn by another thing also, that the silence is
not a mark of ignorance on His part, see, together with what we have
mentioned, how He sets forth another sign also. "But as in the days of
Not they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
until the day that the flood came, and took all away; so shall also the
coming of the Son of Man be."And these things He spake, showing that He
should come on a sudden, and unexpectedly, and when the more part were
living luxuriously. For Paul too saith this, writing on this wise,
"When they shall speak of peace and safety, then sudden destruction
cometh upon them;" and to show how unexpected, He said, "as travail
upon a woman with child."How then doth He say, "after the tribulation
of those days?" For if there be luxury then, and peace, and safety, as
Paul saith, how doth He say, "after the tribulation of those days?" If
there be luxury, how is there tribulation? Luxury for them that are in
a state of insensibility and peace. Therefore He said not, when there
is peace, but "when they speak of peace and safety," indicating their
insensibility to be such as of those in Noah's time, for that amid such
evils they lived in luxury.
But not so the righteous, but they were passing their time in
tribulation and dejection. Whereby He shows, that when Antichrist is
come, the pursuit of unlawful pleasures shall be more eager among the
transgressors, and those that have learnt to despair of their own
salvation. Then shall be gluttony, then revellings, and drunkenness.
Wherefore also most of all He puts forth an example corresponding to
the thing For like as when the ark was making, they believed not, saith
He; but while it was set in the midst of them, proclaiming beforehand
the evils that are to come, they, when they saw it, lived in pleasure,
just as though nothing dreadful were about to take place; so also now,
Antichrist indeed shall appear, after whom is the end, and the
punishments at the end, and vengeance intolerable; but they that are
held by the intoxication of wickedness shall not so much as perceive
the dreadful nature of the things that are on the point of being done.
Wherefore also Paul saith, "as travail upon a woman with child," even
so shall those fearful and incurable evils come upon them.
And wherefore did He not speak of the ills in Sodom? It was His will to
introduce an example embracing all men,and disbelieved after it was
foretold. So therefore, as by the more part the things to come are
disbelieved, He confirms those things by the past, terrifying their
minds. And together with the points I have mentioned, He shows this
also, that of the former things also He was the doer. Then again He
sets another sign, by all which things He makes it evident, that He is
not ignorant of the day. And what is the sign? "Then shall two be in
the field; one shall be taken, and one left. Two women shall be
grinding at the mill, one shall be taken, and one left. Watch
therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."And all these
things are both proofs that He knew, and calculated to turn them from
their inquiry. So for this cause He spake also of the days of Not, for
this cause He said too, "Two shall be on the bed," signifying this,
that He should come upon them thus unexpectedly, when they were thus
without thought, and "two women grinding at the mill," which also of
itself is not the employment of them that are taking thought.
And together with this, He declares that as well servants as masters
should be both taken and left, both those who are at ease, and those in
toil, as well from the one rank as from the other; even as in the Old
Testament He saith, "From him that sitteth upon the throne to the
captive woman that is at the mill."For since He had said, that hardly
are the rich saved, He shows that not even these are altogether lost,
neither are the poor saved all of them, but both out of these and out
of those are men saved, and lost.
And to me He seems to declare, that at night will be the advent. For
this Luke too saith.Seest thou how accurately He knows all things?
After this again, that they may not ask about it, He added, "Watch
therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." He said not,
"I know not," but, "ye know not." For when He had brought them well
nigh to the very hour, and had placed them there, again He deters them
from the inquiry, from a desire that they should be striving always.
Therefore He saith, "Watch," showing that for the sake of this, He did
not tell it.
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