The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 435

of the pree£1nce of God, but oonld not be with e. reference to its use among the Jew■ recognized at. once u the eign of the Son of in oalling the assembly s.nd giving the man. (4) We come to what hu been the alarm. Of oouree, the ooourrence is super- almost unh-ereal interpretlltion of the natural. It is, indeed, as great a miracle Fatben and 01trly commentators, who 1111.w for a eound to be heard simultaneously in in the eign the croee of Obrist, which is both hemispheres as it is for Christ to be indeed the eneign and etllndard of the seen at the same moment by all dweller■ on gospel. Nothing, equally with thie, can cha- the globe. This is a matter to be believed, racterize the Son of man, the emblem of bis not explained. Shall gather together bis humiliation and bis triumph. Then. When eleot. The angel■ will infallibly select these they behold this sign in the sky, and know from the mass of men, either by spiritual unmistakably that Christ in pereon is insight or Divine direction. The eleot are about to appear. Shall all the tribes of the not Israelites alone, but true believers of earth mourn ( 1<01/,ov-rai, •hall beal th,; breast). all nations (see ver. H e.nd John xvii. 20, Not alone the Jews, looking on him whom 21). These are first oolleoted, s.nd then the they pierced, shall bewail their blindness reprobate a.re summoned, according to oh. and impenitence (Zeoh. xii. 10-H ; Isa.. xxv. 41. From the four winds. The four liii.), but all the nations, the ra.cee and cardinal points, i.e. from every qua.rter of peoples who have rejected him whom they the earth. Four is the number of the world ought to have received. The croBB shows or the universe. From one end . . . the that he died for them, though they profited other; literally,/rom the end, of t1ui heat1ene not by hie eaarifice ( comp. Rev. i 7 ; vi 15- unto their enda, B.B Dent. iv. 82-a parallel 17). They shall see (lii/,oV'ra', an echo of to the preceding clause. From horizon to the preceding 1<01/,0,,..a,). The sign is horizon, though this expression, ta.ken lite- followed by the advent of Christ in person. ra.lly, ie not extensive enough. Com.iilg in the clouds of heaven. Some have Ver. 32.-Learn a parable ( ,.~., wa.pa/JoA/w) taken "clouds " to mean angels, compa.ring of ( &.ro) the fig tree ; better, from the jig tru eh. ni. 27; but there is no need for oon- 1.earn ita parable. Learn ye the leBBon s:nering the term here to be metaphorical. which this tree can tee.oh you; though, 'l'lle accompa.n.im.ents of the theophaniee are indeed, it might teach other lessoDB than always thus anno'IIDced (see Pa. xviii 10- the one which Christ would enforce. When 12 ; Isa. xi.x. l ; Dan. vii 13, etc.; eh. his (ita) bra.nob is yet tender (1/1111 . . • xxvi 64). He thus claims to be the God -yl,,.,,..., a;,rtz'A.os, ill flOID become tender). This of whom these words are continually used, refers to the new shoots of unripened wood. anc:1 he leaves his hearers to gather that he Putteth forth leaves ( ,.;. rt,67,Aa, ita lea."68). will come visibly, not spiritually to indi- Copyists and editors vary between '"r/>ufi, vidual souls or Churches, but manifestly to subj. aor. passive, e.nd b,,pt,p, active. The the whole of mankind., whether quick or Vulge.te bas the passive, et folia nata. risen. With power. In his full omnipotence. Summer is nigh. The fruit of the fig tree Oum mrtute multa (V ulgate). The expression appears before the leaves, as we lee.mad in must not be ta.ken as denoting the attendant the story of the withered fig tree (oh. xiti. angels ; they are named in the next verse. 19), which the Lord may he.ve bad in mind It denotes that he who on earth met with when he gave this illustration. Did he naught but pain and humiliation should be intend to symbolize the revive.I of the life displayed to the same earth with that of the withered Jewish race in the time of splendour and majesty which essent.is.lly the end? belonged to him. Ver. 33.-Bo likewiB& ye {oil,-~ ,cal {Jµ.~ir, Ver. 31.-Ris angels, As the executors of ao alBo ye, emphatic). As surely B.B buds hie will, to bring before his throne all who and leaves prove the coming ofsummer, so Lave to be judged. They have the same ye, who have been ta.nght,ma.y gather from office in the parable of the tares and the the ful.fil.ment of the signs mentioned (vers. wheat (eh. xiii. 41). With a. great sound 15-22, etc.) the approach of the end. Know ofa trumpet (µ.no. tTrlAw,rros tf,~nis µ.eyr1A11s, that it is near (g.,., irr6s iu,-,.,). The which may also mean, VJith a trumpet of subject is not expressed, but it must be the , great souna). Some manuscripts, with the Son of ma.B ( ver. 30), so that the rendering Yulgate, read," with a trumpet and a. great ought to be, he u near. Many, however, voice ; " others, "with a great trum:11et," take the underatood nominative to be the emitting "voice " All, however, agrte in judgment., or the kingdom of God, or the asserting the em1>loyment of the trumpet on occurrences la.et spoken of. At the doors ; ae t! is momentous occasion (comp. l Cor. xv. J l!.8. v. 9, on the very threshold., e.nd there• 52 ; l Thess. iv. 16). The term may be fore a.bout to enter. met.r.phorica.l for a voice exceeding loud Ver. 34.-Thi■ generation, Our Lord's (comp. Rev. i 10; iv. 1); but it is more assertion has given rise to sceptical obser- probably to be ta.ken in the obvious seDBe, vations, as if his prophecy ho.d. foiled_ en, xuv. l-61.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 441