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Mat 24:29. Εὐθέως δὲ μετὰ τὴν θλίψιν τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐκείνων, κ.τ.λ., but immediately after the affliction of those days, etc.) There are four things to be observed in this passage. (1) Our Lord speaks of the sun being literally darkened, etc. And this phrase frequently occurs in the prophets, concerning the destruction of a nation, and in such cases has a much more literal force than is generally supposed, for where there is a great destruction of men, the beholders of the sun are reduced to a small number; but much more in the present passage has it a literal force, for the whole of our Lord’s language on this occasion is strictly literal; therefore this verse must be also understood literally. (2) The tribulation indicated will be that of the Jewish people, and that for one generation, (3) It is not said, after that tribulation, nor after those days, but after the tribulation of those days, as in Mar 13:24.-ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις μετὰ τὴν θλίψιν ἐκείνην, in those days, after that tribulation. The term, “those days,” refers to Mat 24:22; Mat 24:19; and it is indicated that the tribulation will not be long, but brief in duration; Mat 24:21-22; Mat 24:34. (4) The expression, εὐθέως, quickly (cito), implies a very short delay, since οὔπω, not yet (Mat 24:6) i.e., οὐκ εὐθέως, not quickly (Luk 21:9), is said of the short delay which must precede that tribulation; nay, the passage already cited from St Mark excludes delay altogether. The Engl. Vers. has “immediately.” You will say, it is a great leap from the destruction of Jerusalem to the end of the world, which is represented as coming quickly after it. I reply-A prophecy resembles a landscape painting, which marks distinctly the houses, paths, and bridges in the foreground, but brings together, into a narrow space, the distant valleys and mountains, though they are really far apart. Thus should they who study a prophecy look on the future to which the prophecy refers. And the eyes of the disciples, who had combined in their question the end of the temple and of the world, are left somewhat veiled (for it was not yet the time for knowing; see Mat 24:36), from which cause, imitating our Lord’s language, they with universal consent declared that the end was near at hand. In their progress, however, both prophecy and contemplation (prospectus)[1051] more and more explain things further distant. In which manner also we ought to interpret what is obscure by what is clear, not what is clear by what is obscure, and to venerate in its dark sayings that Divine wisdom which always sees all things, but does not reveal all things at once. Afterwards it was revealed that Antichrist should come before the end of the world; and again Paul joined these two rather nearly together, until the Apocalypse also placed an interval of a thousand years between them. The advent of our Lord, however, actually took place (as far as its commencement was concerned; see Gnomon on Joh 21:22) after the destruction of Jerusalem, and presently, too, inasmuch as no intermediate event was to be mentioned in the present passage; cf. Gnomon on ch. Mat 3:1. The particle ἑυθεως (quickly or immediately) refers to this advent, not absolutely to the darkening of the sun and moon, for that accords with the extent of our Lord’s meaning; so that the meaning is “soon after the tribulation of those days, it will come to pass that the sun shall be darkened,” etc. A similar connection of an adverb[1052] with a verb occurs in Gen 2:17; in the day on which thou shalt eat thereof, it will come to pass that thou shalt die the death; see also Gnomon on ch. Mat 26:64, and Luk 1:48. The expression may also be referred to the mode of speech, so as to mean after that affliction (which the plan of this discourse, and the point of view from which this time is regarded, permit to be subjoined immediately, provided it be indicated that the other things will intervene) the sun shall be darkened, etc. It frequently occurs that adverbs, as in this passage, εὐθεώς, immediately, do not qualify the thing itself, but the language in which it is expressed. Thus, in Mar 7:9, the adverb ΚΑΛῶς, well, and the verb ἀθετεῖτε, ye abolish [Engl. Vers., ye reject], are joined with [a part of] the verb to say [viz. it may be said that], understood: thus, too, in Heb 1:6, the adverb πάλιν, again, is joined with the verb ΛΈΓΕΙ, He saith. In fine, St Luke (Luk 21:24-25) separates the signs in the sun, etc. [from that tribulation] by a greater interval. Some explain εὐθέως as denoting, not the shortness of the interval, but the suddenness of the event after long intervening periods. We must, however, keep to our first interpretation, so indeed that the particle εὐθέως be understood to comprehend the whole space between the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and the end of the world. On such passages there rests, as St Antony used to term it, a prophetical cloudlet. It was not yet the fit time for revealing the whole series of events from the destruction of Jerusalem down to the end of the world. The following is a paraphrase of our Lord’s words, “Concerning those things which will happen after the tribulation of those days of the destruction of Jerusalem, THE NEAREST EVENT which at present it suits My condition to mention, and your capacity to expect, is this, that the sun will be darkened,” etc. Furthermore, it does not follow from this that the expression, ΜΕΤᾺ ΤΑῦΤΑ, after these things, should be understood loosely in Rev 4:1. Where quickness is presupposed from Rev 1:1. Such formulæ are to be understood according to the analogy of the passages where they occur.-ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, the sun shall be darkened) This must be taken literally, of a calamity different from those which have been described before. In the Old Testament, such expressions are used metaphorically, the figure being derived from that which will literally happen at the end of the world.-Ἡ ΣΕΛΉΝΗ Οὐ ΔΏΣΕΙ ΤῸ ΦΈΓΓΟς ΑὐΤῆς, the moon shall not give her light) sc. as she is wont to do both when filling and waning. According to the course of nature, the sun and moon are eclipsed at different times: then, however, they will both be eclipsed at once.-ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐπανοῦ, from heaven) It is not said upon the earth; cf. in Mar 13:25.-ἐκπίπτοντες, falling out. They shall be as though they were not, sc. without light.-ΔΥΝΆΜΕΙς, powers) sc. those firm interchained and subtle powers of heaven[1053] (distinct from the stars) which are accustomed to influence the earth. They are thus denominated by Matthew, Mark, and Luke.-σαλευθήσονται, shall be shaken) an appropriate metaphor from the waves of the sea.[1054]
[1051] Looking further forward, as in the landscape already alluded to, wherein at first sight all the parts might seem projected into the one plane. But the eye, which has gradually come to discern perspective, and to substitute, by the judgment, causes for the visible effects, learns to look further, and to separate by wide distances the foreground and background of the picture.-ED.
[1052] Sc. בְּיו̇ם on the day that.-(I. B.)
[1053] Pro 8:27.-E. B.
[1054] Rev 6:14.-E. B.