We are told that four of His disciples, aroused no doubt by His warning prediction about the temple, ap- plied to Him for further information. " Tell us," they said, " when shall these things be ? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled ?"
The answer which our Lord gives to these questions, begins at once with a prediction of coming false doctrine and coming wars. If His disciples thought He would promise them immediate success and temporal prosperity in this world, they were soon undeceived. So far from bidding them expect a speedy victory of truth, He tells them to look out for the rise of error. " Take heed lest any man deceive you. — Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ." So far from bidding them expect a general reign of peace and quietness, He tells them to prepare for wars and troubles. " Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. — There shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles : these are the beginnings of sorrows."
There is something deeply instructive in this opening of our Lord's prophetical discourse. It seems like the key note of what His Church is to expect between His first and second advents. It looks as if it were specially intended to correct the mistaken views, not only of His apostles, but of the vast body of professing Christians in every age. It looks as if our Lord knew well that man is always catching at the idea of a" good time coming," and as if He would give us plain notice that there will be no " good time" till He roturns. It may not be pleasant to us to hear such tidings. But it is in strict accordance with what we read in the prophet Jeremiah 5