27. — [See the Son of man 4X)ming, do,'] These words appear to me to admit of only one signification. They describe a literal, per- sonal coming of that same Jesus Christ, who ascended up in a cloud before the eyes of the disciples from Mount Olivet. (Acts i. 9—12.)
28. — [When these things begin,., come to pass.'] This expression de- serves notice. It shows that although the advent of Christ will be a sudden advent at last, it will have been preceded by sigos and symptoms which all intelligent and lively Christians may observe, however hidden they may be to the world.
[Your redemption.] The word ** redemption " is here used in the same sense as in the following passages. — Rom. viii. 23. Ephes. i. 14 ; iv. 30. It signifies that mil and complete redemp- tion of the believer, which will be accomplished when his body is raised again, and soul and body once more united. From the guilt and power of sin believers are redeemed already. But from all the humbling consequences of sin they will not be com- pletely redeemed until Jesus comes again, ana calls them from their graves at the last day.
29. — [Fig tree and all the trees.] It admits of a question, whether our Lord, by this expression, did not mean the Jewish and Gentile Churches. The fig tree, barren, and cursed for its barrenness, was undoubtedly a figure of the Jewish Church. It seems not impossible that this was in our Lord's mind, when we remember that His curse on the fruitless fig tree had been pro- nounced the very week when He spake this prophecy before us. See also Canticles ii. 11 — 13.
31. — \The kingdom of Ood,..nigh at hand.] There is probably a refei'ence in these words to the mistaken ideas of our Lord's dis- ciples about the kingdom of God. They looked for it to be set up at once, and expected their Master to be its King without delay. Our Lord here teaches them that His kingdom will not be nigh at hand until after\a period of fearful wars and tribula- tion.
32. — [This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled.] The meaning of this sentence is a point on which commentators diiBTer widely. An excellent summary of various opinions will be found in Gerhard's Commentary.
1. Some think that " this generation," means simply " the pre- sent generation of men who were living when our Lord was speaking." This view is a favourite one with many modern protestants, but it is very unsatisfactory. For one thing, nearly forty years passed away before the prophecy before us was even partially fulfilled by the destruction of Jerusalem. For another thing, it seems a most violent straining of the meaning of words to say, that the destniction of Jerusalem at all fulfilled a veiy