verses to those events, (8-11) and at verse 12 goes back to tell us what shall be "before all these things."

In fact, these two discourses, taken together, are occupied with three great subjects, 1. The Destruction of

Jerusalem: 2. The Coming of Christ in Glory: and 3. The events immediately preceding that coming. In Matt.

and Mark, Jesus enlarges on the events that shall immediately lead up to His coming in glory. He foretells

the four great characteristics of the beginning of these last events:-- "Wars" (the Red horse of the second

seal, Rev. vi. 4), "Pestilences" (the Black horse of the third seal, Rev. vi. 5, 6), "Famines" (the Pale horse of

the fourth seal, Rev. vi. 7, 8), and "Earthquakes" (the sixth seal, Rev. vi. 12). He speaks of the witnessing

gospel (Rev. vi. 2), and refers to a great event foretold by Daniel as a sure sign of the approaching end. The

tribulation then rapidly deepens until it reaches its culminating point, and then (Matt. xxiv. 29, 30)

"IMMEDIATELY after the tribulation of those days... they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of

Now in St. Luke, as I have said, there is little or nothing about these awful and final events. In Luke xxi. 8, 9,

the Lord refers to them, but pointedly says "the end is not by and by" (R.V. "the end is not immediately.")

Then in verse 10 and 11, He bears us rapidly forward to the end, and almost anticipates verse 25. Thus,

having thrust the whole of those closing events into these fours verses, the Lord suddenly turns back,

saying (verse 12) "But, BEFORE all these things," and enlarges on the nearer, and then impending woe of

the city of Jerusalem. And when He says in verse 24 "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until

the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled," the events which shall be the fulfilling of these very times form the

chief subject of the discourse in Matt. xxiv. and Mark xiii., which refers to that future siege (enlarged on in

sermon No. vii.).3

Thus of these two prophecies, part has been already literally fulfilled (Luke xxi. 12-24); and part remains to be

also as literally fulfilled.

The great fact, however, which stands out most prominently in these prophecies, the evidence of which is

absolutely overwhelming, is this:-- that our Lord leaves no room for any Millenium of happiness and peace

before He comes.

There is no controversy as to the literal fulfilment of Luke xxi. 12-24. For Jerusalem was literally "compassed

by armies" (verse 20); the stones of its Temple and walls were literally thrown down, (though some of them

were 60 feet long, by 8 feet high, and 10 feet abroad); and Jerusalem is literally "trodden down of the

Gentiles" (verse 24). But language is utterly useless, if the word "UNTIL" does not mean that a time shall

come when Jerusalem shall be no more trodden down! and when those "times" shall have no end! And we

are all agreed, that those "times" have not yet come to an end! We all know what mighty efforts have been

made to end them; what wars have been waged; what crusades have been undertaken to end these "times."

But all in vain. Jerusalem is still "trodden down of the Gentiles." No power has been able to end the period

of Gentile supremacy. But when God's time has come to end it, no power on earth, nor all the powers

combined shall be able to prolong those "times" by a single day!

Now, let us remember that in Matt. and Mark, the Lord takes up the prophecy just when these "times of the

Gentiles" are about to close with the last of Daniel's seventy hebdomads. He enlarges on the determined

desolations (Dan. ix. 26, 27), and describes a time of future trouble to which the former cannot be compared.

He says (Matt. xxiv. 29) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days;" and Mark. xiii. 24, "In those days,

after that tribulation;" and Luke xxi. 25, when the "times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs

in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea

and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are

coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken, and THEN shall they see the Son of Man

The word "immediately" marks off the prophecy in M att. from that recorded in Luke, where we have

instead long "times of the Gentiles" following on the siege of Jerusalem.