Caput 24 Chapter 24 Dies Novissimi The End Times Lectio 1 Lecture 1 Signa dierum novissimorum Signs of the end times 24:1 Et egressus Iesus de templo ibat. Et accesserunt discipuli eius, ut ostenderent ei aedificationes templi. [n. 1906] 24:1 And Jesus having come out of the temple, went away. And his disciples came to show him the buildings of the temple. [n. 1906] 24:2 Ipse autem respondens dixit illis: videtis haec omnia? Amen dico vobis, non relinquetur hic lapis super lapidem, qui non destruatur. [n. 1907] 24:2 And he answering, said to them: do you see all these things? Amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that will not be destroyed. [n. 1907] 24:3 Sedente autem eo super Montem Oliveti, accesserunt ad eum discipuli secreto, dicentes: dic nobis, quando haec erunt, et quod signum adventus tui et consummationis saeculi? [n. 1908] 24:3 And when he was sitting on Mount Olivet, the disciples came to him privately, saying: tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the consummation of the world? [n. 1908] 24:4 Et respondens Iesus dixit eis: videte ne quis vos seducat. [n. 1911] 24:4 And Jesus answering, said to them: take heed that no man seduce you. [n. 1911] 24:5 Multi enim venient in nomine meo dicentes, ego sum Christus, et multos seducent. [n. 1911] 24:5 For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ, and they will seduce many. [n. 1911] 24:6 Audituri autem estis praelia et opiniones praeliorum, videte ne turbemini: oportet enim haec fieri, sed nondum est finis. [n. 1912] 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [n. 1912] 24:7 Consurget enim gens in gentem, et regnum in regnum, et erunt pestilentiae, et fames, et terraemotus per loca. [n. 1914] 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in places. [n. 1914] 24:8 Haec autem omnia initia sunt dolorum. [n. 1914] 24:8 Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows. [n. 1914] 24:9 Tunc tradent vos in tribulationem, et occident vos, et eritis odio omnibus gentibus propter nomen meum. [n. 1915] 24:9 Then they will deliver you up to be afflicted, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. [n. 1915] 24:10 Et tunc scandalizabuntur multi, et invicem tradent, et odio habebunt invicem. [n. 1917] 24:10 And then many will be scandalized, and will betray one another, and will hate one another. [n. 1917] 24:11 Et multi pseudoprophetae surgent, et seducent multos: [n. 1919] 24:11 And many false prophets will rise, and will seduce many. [n. 1919] 24:12 et quoniam abundabit iniquitas, refrigescet caritas multorum. [n. 1920] 24:12 And because iniquity has abounded, the charity of many will grow cold. [n. 1920] 24:13 Qui autem perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit. [n. 1920] 24:13 But he who will persevere to the end, he will be saved. [n. 1920] 24:14 Et praedicabitur hoc evangelium regni in universo orbe in testimonium omnibus gentibus, et tunc veniet consummatio. [n. 1921] 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom, will be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then will the consummation come. [n. 1921] 1903. Supra posita est multiplex provocatio Iudaeorum; nunc ponitur praeparatio per instructionem discipulorum Christi. Instruuntur autem de periculis. Et 1903. Above, the manifold provocation of the Jews was set out; now the preparation of Christ’s disciples through instruction. And they are in instructed about dangers: primo ponitur interrogatio discipulorum; first, the disciples’ questioning is set down; secundo responsio Christi, ibi et respondens Iesus dixit eis. second, Christ’s response, at and Jesus answering, said to them. Circa primum duo. Concerning the first, two things: Primo ponitur occasio interrogationis; first, the occasion of the questioning; secundo interrogatio, ibi sedente autem eo super Montem Oliveti et cetera. second, the questioning, at and when he was sitting on Mount Olivet. 1904. Occasio fuit duplex. Praenuntiatio destructionis templi, quam quidem praenuntiationem fecit facto et verbo, quia egressus est de templo. Supra cap. proximo. Ecce relinquetur vobis domus vestra deserta; et hoc ostendit, quia exivit; unde quia corporaliter exivit, ideo ostendit quia spiritualiter; Io. VIII, v. 59: Iesus autem abscondit se, et exivit de templo. Cum peccator non vult corrigi, exit dominus ab eo; Thren. I, 6: egressus est a filia Sion omnis decor eius. 1904. There was a twofold occasion. The prediction of the temple’s destruction, which indeed he predicted by deed and by word, for he came out of the temple. Above, behold, your house will be left to you, desolate (Matt 23:38); and he demonstrates this, for he left. So since he left bodily, he showed that he left spiritually; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple (John 8:59). When a sinner does not wish to be corrected, the Lord leaves him; and from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed (Lam 1:6). 1905. Tunc ponitur interrogatio, ibi et accesserunt ad eum discipuli secreto, dicentes; 1905. Then the questioning is set out, at the disciples came to him privately, saying; secundo responsio, ibi ipse autem respondens et cetera. second, the response, at and Jesus answering, said to them. 1906. Ita ibat. Sed tunc accesserunt discipuli, ut ostenderent aedificationes templi, ut videret quam pulchra est domus, quam decora; unde in alio loco, scilicet Mc. XIII, 1, habetur: vide quales lapides et quales structurae. 1906. Thus he went away. But then his disciples came to show him the buildings of the temple, that he might see how beautiful the house is, how splendid; hence in another place, namely Mark, it says: behold what manner of stones and what buildings are here (Mark 13:1). Sed quaerit Origenes: nonne alias ibi fuerat, et nonne bene sciebat? Solvit quod non petebant ut eum docerent, vel quasi nesciret, sed ut remedium inveniret destructioni. Ita Christianus est templum Dei, ut habetur ad Phil. II, discipuli autem sunt intercessores, ne destruatur templum hoc. But Origen asks: had he not been there before, and did not he know the temple well? He answers that they were not asking in order to teach him, or as though he did not know, but that he might find a remedy for the destruction. Thus Christ is God’s temple, as is said, and the disciples are intercessors lest this temple be destroyed (Phil 2). 1907. Tunc respondet Dominus: videntur vobis ista magna? Is. XXIII, 9: Dominus exercituum cogitavit hoc ut detraheret superbiam omnis gloriae et cetera. Unde subdit amen dico vobis, non relinquetur hic lapis super lapidem. 1907. Then the Lord responds: do you see all these things? The Lord of hosts has designed it, to pull down the pride of all glory (Isa 23:9). Hence he adds next, amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that will not be destroyed. Estne hoc verum? Tempore Chrysostomi non adhuc totum evenerat, sed sperabatur quod veniret. Vel potest dici quod non vult dicere nisi quod destrueretur. Vel dicendum quod sicut secundum Dei provisionem aliquando restauratum est templum, sic secundum Dei provisionem, incipiente confirmatione legis novae, destructum est templum, ne sacrificia fiant in templo. Unde si non fuisset destructum, multi facti Christiani caeremonias facerent, et ad templum redirent: unde dispensatione divina factum est ut destructum sit. Et hoc habetur Lc. XXI, 6, ubi de templo dicitur: venient dies, in quibus non relinquetur lapis super lapidem, qui non destruatur. Sic etiam contingit quod aliquis aedificatus per bonas virtutes, si cadat per aliquod peccatum mortale, si negligens fuerit et non sollicitus, totaliter cadit et destruitur; Ps. CXXXVI, 7: exinanite, exinanite usque ad fundamentum in ea. And is this true? In the time of Chrysostom it had not entirely come to pass, but it was hoped that it would come. Or it can be said that he meant to say only that it would be destroyed. Or one should say that just as in God’s providence the temple was at one time restored, so also in God’s providence, as the confirmation of the new law was beginning, the temple was destroyed, lest sacrifices be made in the temple. Hence if it had not been destroyed, many of those made Christians would have performed the ceremonies, and returned to the temple. So in the divine dispensation it happened that it was destroyed. And this is said, where it says about the temple, the days will come in which there will not be left a stone upon a stone that will not be thrown down (Luke 21:6). So also it happens that a man built up by good virtues, if he falls through some mortal sin, if he is negligent and not solicitous, falls entirely and is destroyed; raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof (Ps 136:7). Unde vult dicere quod non solum templum, sed etiam pertinentia, quae erant umbra, ut habetur ad Hebr. X, 1: umbram habens lex futurorum bonorum. Hence he wishes to say that not only the temple would be destroyed, but also those things pertaining to the temple, which were shadows, as is said, the law having a shadow of the good things to come (Heb 10:1). 1908. Posita occasione, ponitur interrogatio. Et debemus notare quod exivit et ivit ad Montem Oliveti, et significat Ecclesiam, in qua olivae uberes sunt plantatae; Ps. LI, 10: ego sicut oliva fructifera. Et inde instruit discipulos. Dixerat destruendum templum, ideo tria quaerunt. Primum de templo; secundum de adventu; tertium de fine saeculi. Unde dicunt dic nobis quando haec erunt, scilicet consummatio tuae comminationis; et de adventu tuo: et quod signum adventus tui; item de fine saeculi: et consummationis saeculi. 1908. The occasion being set down, the questioning is set down. And we should notice that he left and went to the Mount of Olives; and this signifies the Church, on which fertile olive trees are planted; I, as a fruitful olive tree (Ps 51:10). And then he instructed the disciples. He had said that the temple was to be destroyed, so they ask three things: first, about the temple; second about the coming; third, about the end of the age. Hence they say, tell us when will these things be, namely the consummation of your threats; and about your coming: and what will be the sign of your coming; likewise about the end of the age, and of the consummation of the world? In Luca solum tangitur de una quaestione, scilicet de destructione Ierusalem, quia non credebant quod deberet destrui nisi post adventum secundum; unde dicebant, Act. I, 6: si in tempore hoc restitues regnum Israel? In Marco XIII, 3, dicitur quod solum miserunt Petrum, et Ioannem, et Iacobum, et Andream; quia isti primo vocati sunt, et magis habebant fiduciam accedendi ad eum. In Luke, only one question is touched upon, namely about the destruction of the temple, because they did not think that it should be destroyed until after the second coming (Luke 21:5); hence they said, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6). In Mark, it says that they sent only Peter and John and James and Andrew, because these were the first ones called, and had more confidence to approach him (Mark 13:3). In quo habemus exempla, quod illi qui diutius Deo adhaerent in contemplatione, sunt Deo magis familiares; Deut. XXXIII, 3: et qui appropinquant pedibus eius, accipient de doctrina eius. In which we have an example, that those who cling to God a long time in contemplation are more familiar with God; and they who approach to his feet, will receive of his doctrine (Deut 33:3). 1909. Isti discipuli quaesierunt de adventu, et iste duplex est. Ultimus, qui est ad iudicandum; et iste erit in consummatione saeculi. De isto habetis Act. I, 11: quemadmodum vidistis eum ascendentem in caelum, ita veniet. Alius est adventus confortans mentes hominum, ad quos venit spiritualiter. Infra videbunt filium hominis venientem in nubibus, idest in praedicatoribus, quia per praedicatores venit Deus in hominum mentes. Unde dubium est ad quid debet referri. Tamen dicit Augustinus quod totum debet referri ad adventum spiritualem. Aliqui vero quod ad secundum adventum. Quidam autem exponunt de destructione Ierusalem, et de ultimo adventu. 1909. The disciples asked about the coming, and this is twofold. There is the last coming, which is for the sake of judging, and this will happen at the consummation of the age. About this you have, this Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, will so come, as you have seen him going into heaven (Acts 1:11). The other is his coming as the one who comforts the minds of men, to whom he comes spiritually. Below, they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds (Matt 24:30), i.e., in the preachers, for God comes into the minds of men through preachers. Hence it is uncertain to what it should be referred. Augustine says that the whole thing should be referred to the spiritual coming. But some say that it should be referred to the second coming, and some explain it as about the destruction of Jerusalem, and the last coming.