Lecture 3
Lectio 3
False prophets and antichrists
Pseudoprophetae et pseudochristi
24:23 Then if any man will say to you: look, here is Christ, or there, do not believe him. [n. 1941]
24:23 Tunc si quis vobis dixerit: ecce hic Christus, aut illic, nolite credere. [n. 1941]
24:24 For there will arise false Christs and false prophets, and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. [n. 1942]
24:24 Surgent enim pseudochristi et pseudoprophetae, et dabunt signa magna et prodigia, ita ut in errorem inducantur, si fieri potest, etiam electi. [n. 1942]
24:25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand. [n. 1948]
24:25 Ecce praedixi vobis. [n. 1948]
24:26 If therefore they will say to you: behold he is in the desert, do not go out: behold he is in the closets, believe it not. [n. 1949]
24:26 Si ergo dixerint vobis: ecce in deserto est, nolite exire; ecce in penetralibus, nolite credere. [n. 1949]
24:27 For as lightning comes out of the east, and appears even into the west; so will the coming of the Son of man be. [n. 1953]
24:27 Sicut enim fulgur exit ab oriente, et paret usque in occidentem, ita erit et adventus Filii hominis. [n. 1953]
24:28 Wherever the body will be, there will the eagles also be gathered together. [n. 1955]
24:28 Ubicumque fuerit corpus, illic congregabuntur et aquilae. [n. 1955]
24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be moved, [n. 1956]
24:29 Statim autem, post tribulationem dierum illorum, sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellae cadent de caelo, et virtutes caelorum commovebuntur, [n. 1956]
24:30 and then there will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then will all tribes of the earth mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. [n. 1961]
24:30 et tunc parebit signum Filii hominis in caelo, et tunc plangent omnes tribus terrae, et videbunt Filium hominis venientem in nubibus caeli cum virtute multa et maiestate. [n. 1961]
24:31 And he will send his angels with a trumpet, and a great voice, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. [n. 1970]
24:31 Et mittet angelos suos cum tuba et voce magna, et congregabunt electos eius a quatuor ventis, a summis caelorum usque ad terminos eorum. [n. 1970]
24:32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: when its branch is now tender, and the leaves come out, you know that summer is close. [n. 1975]
24:32 Ab arbore autem fici discite parabolam: cum iam ramus eius tener fuerit, et folia nata, scitis quia prope est aestas: [n. 1975]
24:33 So you also, when you will see all these things, know that it is close, even at the doors. [n. 1978]
24:33 ita et vos cum videritis haec omnia, scitote quia prope est in ianuis. [n. 1978]
24:34 Amen I say to you, that this generation will not pass, till all these things will be done. [n. 1979]
24:34 Amen dico vobis, quia non praeteribit haec generatio donec omnia haec fiant. [n. 1979]
24:35 Heaven and earth will pass, but my words will not pass. [n. 1980]
24:35 Caelum et terra transibunt, verba vero mea non praeteribunt. [n. 1980]
24:36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone. [n. 1981]
24:36 De die autem illa et hora nemo scit, neque angeli caelorum, nisi solus Pater. [n. 1981]
24:37 And as in the days of Noah, so will the coming of the Son of man also be. [n. 1985]
24:37 Sicut autem in diebus Noe, ita erit et adventus Filii hominis. [n. 1985]
24:38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, even until that day in which Noah entered into the ark, [n. 1987]
24:38 Sicut enim erant in diebus ante diluvium comedentes et bibentes, nubentes et nuptui tradentes, usque ad eum diem quo intravit Noe in arcam, [n. 1987]
24:39 and they did not know till the flood came, and took them all away; so also will the coming of the Son of man be. [n. 1987]
24:39 et non cognoverunt donec venit diluvium et tulit omnes: ita erit et adventus Filii hominis. [n. 1987]
24:40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. [n. 1989]
24:40 Tunc duo erunt in agro, unus assumetur, et unus relinquetur. [n. 1989]
24:41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two will be in one bed; one will be taken, and one left. [n. 1989]
24:41 Duae molentes in mola: una assumetur, et una relinquetur. Duo in lecto: unus assumetur, et unus relinquetur. [n. 1989]
1940. After the Lord responded to the disciples’ questions about the destruction of the city, here he begins to respond to those which pertain to the second coming. And this coming is a coming for judgment: so it is divided, for
1940. Postquam Dominus respondit interrogationi discipulorum de destructione civitatis, hic incipit respondere his quae ad secundum adventum pertinent. Iste autem adventus est adventus ad iudicium: ideo dividitur, quia
first, he sets forth the signs and manner of the coming;
primo proponit signa et modum veniendi;
second, he treats of the judgment, below, then will the kingdom of heaven be like ten virgins (Matt 25:1).
secundo tractat de iudicio, infra XXV, 1 simile est regnum caelorum decem virginibus.
Concerning the first, he does two things:
Circa primum duo facit.
first, he sets out signs which precede Christ’s coming;
Primo praemittit signa praecedentia Christi adventum;
second, he treats of himself, at and they will see the Son of man coming.
secundo agit de ipso, ibi et videbunt Filium hominis et cetera.
Concerning the first, two things, for two things will precede:
Circa primum duo, quia duo praecedentia erunt,
first, on the part of men, and of the elect;
primo ex parte hominum, et electorum;
second, on the part of the elements, at immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened.
secundo ex parte elementorum ibi statim autem post tribulationem dierum illorum sol obscurabitur et cetera.
Concerning the first, he does two things:
Circa primum duo facit.
first, he sets out a certain warning;
Primo praemittit quamdam admonitionem;
second, the reason for this warning, at for there will arise false Christs and false prophets.
secundo rationem huius admonitionis, ibi surgent enim pseudochristi et pseudoprophetae.
1941. He says therefore, then if any man will say to you: look, here is Christ.
1941. Dicit ergo tunc si quis vobis dixerit: ecce hic est Christus et cetera.
One should note that this then does not name a determinate time, but an indistinct time, for this did not happen immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem, but is expected to happen at the end. A similar thing is said above (Matt 2), that the Lord lived in Nazareth, from which he is called a Nazarene, and there follows: in those dayes came John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea (Matt 3:1), not because he came then, because there were perhaps twenty years between the two times, so it is taken as an indistinct time. So it is here. For in the future many seducers will come, and they shall say that the antichrist is God. Then if any man will say to you: look, here is Christ, or there, do not believe him. That you be not easily moved from your sense, nor be terrified, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by epistle, as sent from us, as if the day of the Lord were at hand (2 Thess 2:2).
Notandum quod ly tunc non dicit tempus determinatum, sed tempus confusum, quia hoc non statim factum est post destructionem Ierusalem, sed expectatur futurum in fine. Simile habetur supra II cap. quod habitavit dominus in Nazareth, unde Nazarenus dicitur, et sequitur: tunc venit Ioannes Baptista praedicans in deserto Iudaeae; non quod tunc venerit, quia fuerunt forte viginti anni inter duo tempora, unde tenetur pro tempore confuso. Sic hic. Futurum enim est quod multi seductores venient, et dicent antichristum esse Deum. Tunc si quis dixerit vobis: ecce hic est Christus, aut illic, nolite credere. II ad Thess. II, 2: non terreamini, neque per spiritum, neque per sermonem, neque per epistolam, quasi per nos missam, quasi instet dies domini.
1942. Then when he says, for there will arise false Christs and false prophets, he gives the reason for the warning. And
1942. Deinde cum dicit surgent enim pseudochristi et pseudoprophetae, assignat rationem admonitionis. Et
Sentences Commentary
On Reasons for the Faith