life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. viii. 38, 39.)
Notes. Luke XXI. 10—19.
10. — [Then said he unto them.] The part of the prophecy com- meDciDg here, and extending to the nineteenth verse, appears to admit of a double interpretation. Primarily it applies to the wars connected with the taking of Jerusalem, and the afflictions of Christians after our Lord's death until the end of the Jewish dispensation. Secondarily it applies to the times immediately pi'eceding the second advent of Christ and the end of the world.
[N^ation shall rise, de.] The times preceding the last Jewish war and destruction of Jerusalem were remarkable for repeated iDsurrections, and a most disturbed state of things in Judaea, and the countries immediately around Judaea. The " time of the end " just preceding our Lord's second advent, will in like manner, be a time of war, confusion and disorder among the nations of Christendom.
11. — [Earthquakes.., famines.,. pestilences.] These visitations of God were remarked to be specially frequent and severe in the last days of the Jewish dispensation. In particular, myriads died from famine and pestilence at Jerusalem during the siege, before the city was taken.
[Feafful sights and great signs.] The following note of Bishop Pearce, deserves reading. " Josephus has given us a very par- ticular account of the prodigies of this kind which preceded the destruction of Jerusalem. He speaks of a flaming sword seen over the city, and of a comet which appeared there for a twelve- moDth. He mentions a light, which for the space of half an hour, shone so bright in the night between the temple and the altar, that it seemed as if it was noon-day. He takes notice also, of what eye-witnesses had related to him, that chariots and armed troops were seen fighting in the sky upon a certain day. He adds, that on the day of Pentecost, when the priests entered into the inner temple, they heard a great noise and voice as of a multitude, crying out *let us depart hence.' The substance of this account is also given by Tacitus the Roman historian."
There seems no reason to doubt the correctness of this report of Josephus. At any rate, being an unconverted Jew, he had no intention of oonnrming the statements contained in the Gospels.