A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Mark · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
ANd as he went out of the Temple, one of his Diſciples ſaith unto him, Maſter, ſee what manner of ſtones, and buildings are here. 2. And Jeſus anſwering ſaid unto him, ſeeſt thou theſe great buildings? there ſhall not be left one ſtone upon another, that ſhall not be thrown down. 3. And as he ſat upon the mount of Olives, over againſt the Temple, Peter, and James, and Andrew asked him privately. 4. Tell us when all theſe things ſhall be, and what ſhall be the ſign when all theſe things ſhall be fulfilled.
See in Matth. 24. Note, Nature would foreknow even the evil to come.
5. And Jeſus anſwering them, began to ſay, Take heed leſt any man deceive you. 6. For many ſhall come in my name, ſaying, I am Chriſt, and ſhall deceive many.
6. Many ſhall pretend that they are ſent to reſtore the Jewiſh Kingdom, and draw in people to their deſtruction.
7. And when ye ſhall hear of Wars, and and rumors of Wars, be ye not troubled: for ſuch things muſt needs be, but the end ſhall not be yet. 8. For nation ſhall riſe againſt nation, and Kingdom againſt Kingdom: and there ſhall be earthquakes in divers places, and there ſhall be famines, and troubles: theſe are the beginnings of ſorrows.
8. Many commotions muſt go before the de…ruction.
9. But take heed to your ſelves: for they ſhall deliver you up to counſels, and in the Synagogues ye ſhall be beaten; and ye ſhall be brought before Rulers and Kings for my ſake for a teſtimony againſt them.
9. I allow you by lawful means to keep your ſelves out of their hands; but I foretel you that their Councils will condemn you, and in their Synagogues they will ſcourge you like Malefactors, and caſt you out, and you ſhall be brought before ſuch as Herod, Agrippa, and the Roman Procurators, to anſwer for being Chriſtians. That your teſtimony may evince againſt them, that they heard the Goſpel, and did not obey it.
10. And the Goſpel muſt firſt be publiſhed among all nations.
10. Before their deſtruction, the Goſpel muſt be ſpread and publiſhed abroad, both to Jews and Gentiles.
11. But when they ſhall lead you and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye ſhall ſpeak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatever ſhall be given you in that hour that ſpeak ye, for it is not ye that ſpeak, but the Holy Ghoſt.
11. Tho you may be diſcouraged for want of matter, boldneſs or utterance, let not this trouble you; for I promiſe you the preſent help of my Spirit.
12. Now the brother ſhall betray the brother to death, and the father the ſon, and children ſhall riſe up againſt their parents, and ſhall cauſe them to be put to death. 13. And ye ſhall be hated of all men for my name ſake: but he that ſhall endure unto the end, the ſame ſhall be ſaved.
12.13. Your kindred themſelves ſhall be your enemies, and ſhall not ſpare your very lives: And the vulgar of all ſorts ſhall be ſeduced to take you for the plagues of the World, and commonly mention you as a hateful ſort of men: But bear all this patiently: Truſt God, and hold out to the end, and you ſhall be ſaved from all this and more.
14. But when ye ſhall ſee the abomination of deſolation, ſpoken of by Daniel the Prophet ſtanding where it ought not (let them that readeth underſtand) then let them who be in Judea flee to the mountains. 15. And let him that is on the houſe top not go down into the houſe, neither enter therein to take any thing out of his houſe. 16. And let him that is in the field, not turn back again to take up his garment.
14. But when you ſhall ſee the Roman Enſigns ſet up againſt Jeruſalem, like Antiochus's deſolating abomination, mentioned by Daniel, (expect not that I ſhould ſpeak more plainly to you, to enrage the Roman power), then ſpeedily be gone, and ſhift for your ſelves, and be glad, tho you loſe your goods, if you ſave your lives.
17. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give ſuck in thoſe days. 11. And pray ye that your ſlight be not in the winter. 19. For in thoſe days ſhall be affliction, ſuch as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created to this day, neither ſhall be.
17. It will be an increaſe of miſery to all that are h…ndred in flight: For the affliction of thoſe days will be unparallel'd.
20. And except the Lord had ſhortned thoſe days, no fleſh ſhould be ſaved: but for the elects ſake whom he hath choſen he hath ſhortned the days.
20. Thoſe calamities ſhall not deſtroy all; but God hath ſome choſen ones whom he will preſerve.
21. And then if any man ſay to you, Lo here is Chriſt, and lo he is there, believe him not. 22. For falſe Chriſts, and falſe Prophets ſhall riſe and ſhall ſhew ſigns and wonders, to ſeduce, if it were poſſible, the very elect. 23. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
21. The miſerable Jews will follow divers that will pretend they are ſent to be their Saviours: But I warn you, Truſt none ſuch.
24. But in thoſe days, after that tribulation, the Sun ſhall be darkned, and the Moon ſhall not not give her light. 25. And the ſtars of Heaven ſhall fall, and the powers that are in Heaven ſhall be ſhaken. 26. And then ſhall they ſee the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.
See Matth. 24.29, 30.
27. And then ſhall he ſend his angels, and ſhall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermoſt part of the earth to the uttermoſt part of heaven.
See Matth. 24.31.
28. Now learn a parable of the fig tree: when his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that ſummer is near. 29. So ye in like manner, when ye ſhall ſee theſe things come to paſs, know that it is nigh even at the doors. 30. Verily I ſay to you that this generation ſhall not paſs till all theſe things be done. 31. Heaven and earth ſhall paſs away, but my words ſhall not paſs away.
29.30. Expect the deſtruction of Jeruſalem when ye ſee theſe ſigns: And doubt not of my Word: Some now alive ſhall live to ſee it. (It was not 40 years.)
32. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man no not the angels which are▪ in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
32. But theſe things not coming diſcernibly, as effects of natural cauſes, neither Angels, nor Chriſt as man can foretel juſt the day and hour, becauſe they depend on the meer will of God.
33. Take you heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
33. It is kept unknown to you, that you may watch and pray, and be ſtill prepared.
34. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his houſe, and gave authority to his ſervants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35. Watch ye therefore (for ye know not when the maſter of the houſe cometh, at even or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning.) 36. Leſt coming ſuddenly he find you ſleeping. 37. And what I ſay to you, I ſay to all, Watch.
34. So long ſhall Chriſt be out of ſight that he will ſeem to men as one in a far Country: But ſee that you do the work he ſet you, and watch for his coming in a wakeful prepared ſtate continually. This is my charge to you and to all.
Note, It occaſioneth great perplexity to the Readers here and Matth. 24. that the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and the final coming of Chriſt, ſeem to be ſet ſo near together, as if the latter were to come ſoon after the former. V. 24. [In thoſe days] or [Immediately]; which cauſeth them to expound the latter part allegorically, as meaning only the great commotions in Judaea: Which ſeemetth a very hard expoſition of Chriſts coming with his Angels viſibly in the Clouds, and gathering his Elect from the four ends of Heaven, &c. The apparition to Conſtantine, and the powerful deliverance of the Chriſtians from Heathen rage is leſs harſh than this. But 1. things of greateſt diſtance may be quickly ſet together in Writing; and the queſtions may occaſion the Conjunction. 2. Chriſt ſpake for all Ages as well as for them. 3. A thouſand years with the Lord is as one day. 4. And it is undeniable that the Writers gave us not juſt all the words that Chriſt ſpake. For 1. he ſpake in Caldee, and they tranſlate them into Greek 2. In this and other inſtances, their words oft differ among themſelves. 3. They profeſs to omit much that Chriſt ſaid. 4. They place his words oft in divers orders. Therefore we muſt not gather any thing from a word, or from the omiſſion of a clauſe, which contradicteth the ſcope of the Text, and the certain truth.