Chapters like this ought to be deeply interesting to every true Christian. No history ought to receive so much of oar attention as the past and future history of the Church of Christ. The rise and fall of worldly em- pires are events of comparatively small importance in the sight of God. Babylon, and Greece, and Kome, and France, and England, are as nothing in His eyes by the side of the mystical body of Christ. The march of ar- mies and the victories of conquerors are mere trifles in comparison with the progress of the Gospel, and the final triumph of the Prince of Peace. May we remember this in reading prophetical Scripture ! " Blessed is he that readeth." (Rev. i. 3.)
The first thing that demands our attention in the verses before us, is the prediction of our Lord concerning the temple at Jerusalem.
The disciples, with the natural pride of Jews, had called their Master's attention to the architectural splen- dor of the temple. " See/' they said, " what manner of stones and what buildings are here 1"* They re- glory." To interpret that " coming of the Son of Man/'- as the com- ing of the Roman army in judgment on the Jews, apr ' to me positive trifling with Scripture.
The view that our Lord is prophesying of two sieges of Jerusalem, and two tremendous tribulations which would fall especially on the Jews, and of His own second coming as an event which Avould im- mediately follow the second siege, makes the whole chapter plain and intelligible.
All these events ought to be deeply interesting to believers ; and would be especially so to Jewish believers, like the apostles, in whose time the temple was yet standing, the Jewish dispensation not yet put aside, and Jerusalem not yet destroyed.
* It may be well to remark that the temple here spoken of, was, in a certain sense, the third temple in order which had been built at Jerusalem. The first was built by Solomon, and destroyed by
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ceived an answer from the Lord very different from what they expected, a heart-saddening answer, and one well calculated to stir up inquisitive thoughts in their minds. No word of admiration falls from His lips. He expresses no commendation of the design or workman- ship of the gorgeous structure before Him. He appears to lose sight of the form and comeliness of the material building, in His concern for the wickedness of the nation to which it belonged. " Seest thou," He replies, " these great buildings ? There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be cast down."
Let us learn from this solemn saying, that the true glory of a Church does not consist in its buildings for public wor- ship, but in the faith and godliness of its members. The eyes of ourLord Jesus Christ could find no pleasure in look- ing at the very temple which contained the holy of holies, and the golden candlestick, and the altar of burnt offering. Much less, may we suppose, can he find pleasure in the most splendid places of worship among professing Chris- tians, ff His Word and His Spirit are not honored in it. We shall all do well to remember this. We are nati ' 7 inclined to judge things by the outward ap- pearand, like children who value poppies more than corn. We are too apt to suppose that where there is a stately ecclesiastical building and a magnificent ceremonial — ■ carved stone and painted glass — fine music and gorge- ously-dressed ministers, there must be some real religion.
Nebuchadnezzar. The second was built by Ezra and Nehemiah. The third, if it may be so called, was enlarged and almost re-built, about the time of our Lord Jesus Christ's birth, by Herod. The enormous size of the stones used in building it, and the general magnificence of the whole fabric are attested not only by Josephus, but by heathen writers.
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