tlie kingdom of GK)d is come." — ^Neither the first spiritual king* dom which began under the Gospel, nor the second glorious kingdom which shall begin at the second advent, were intended by God to be ushered in by such clear unmistakeable signs, that no one could fail to see them, aud do room be left for unbelief.
Those who maintain that all prophecies in the book of Re- velation, were meant to be ^Ifilled so manifestly that no one could doubt their fulfilment, — and that Eevelation is therefore entirely unfulfille4 as yet, because interpreters of it have hitherto not explained it satisfactorily, would do well to mark our Lord's language in this verse. It appears somewhat damaging to their theory.
[The kingdom of Ood is within you!] This expression again is interpreted two ways. Some hold with our translators, that the word "within" means, "in your hearts and consciences. The kingdom of God is an inward and i^iritual thing, and not an external and visible thiug." — Others hold with our marginal reading, that "within," means "among you." The kingdom has already begun in the midst of your nation. My disciples have already joiued it and become its first subjects. While you are waiting, my spiritual kingdom has already been set up. I decidedly adhere to this last view.
22. — [He said unto His disciples.] Let it be noted that our Lord here turns away from the Pharisees and addresses His own disciples.
[The days will come^ So!\ This expression is somewhat ob- scure. Stella thinks it refers to the time of our Lord's second advent, and that it describes the misery of the unconverted in that day, desiring to have one day of Gospel offers granted to them, when it is too late. — I rather regard it as describing the whole state of the believing church, during the interval between the first and second advents of Christ, and specially the state of the apostles, and our Lord's immediate followers after His ascension. How much they would long for one of the happy days, when they bad their Master visibly among them, we can easily conceive. The expression is like that in Matthew, " The days shall come when the bridegroom shall be taken away, and then shall they fast." (Matt. ix. 15.)
23. — [They shall say^ see here^ rfc] This verse contains a warning to the disciples not to be moved by rumours of Messiah having come id glory, and the kingdom having been set up. Such rumours we know from history, abounded from the thne of our - Lord's ascension till the taking of Jerusalem. False ekrists and false prophets were continually arising. The warning is un- questionably meant to apply to the times immediately preceding the second advent. False christs, false prophets, and pretender(% to divine commission may be expected in the latter days, and believers must be on their guard against them.