Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/664

 “Many will  come  in  My  name,  saying:  ‘I  am  Christ’,  and they shall  seduce  many. You shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of wars;  nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  kingdom  against  kingdom, and there  shall  be  pestilences,  and  famines,  and  earthquakes  in places. These are  but  the  beginning  of  sorrows. And this  Gospel of the  kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world. And immediately after  the  tribulation  of  those  days,  the  sun  shall  be darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  the  stars  shall fall from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken. And upon  the  earth,  distress  of  nations,  by  reason  of  the  confusion of  the  roaring  of  the  sea  and  of  the  waves; men  withering away for  fear  and  expectation  of  what  shall  come  upon  the whole world.

“Then shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven, and all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  shall  mourn;  and  they  shall  see the Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  great  power and Majesty. He shall  send  His  angels  with  a trumpet  and  a great  voice,  and  they  shall  gather  together  His  elect  from  the four winds,  from  the  farthest  part  of  the  heavens  to  the  utmost bounds of  them. Heaven and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  My word  shall  not  pass  away.”

“Watch therefore”,  said  our  Lord  in  conclusion,  “praying  at all  times  that  you  may  be  accounted  worthy  to  escape  all  these things that  are  to  come,  and  to  stand  before  the  Son  of  Man.”

The Destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Our  Lord’s  discourse  forms  a wonderful  prophecy  about  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  end  of  the world, and  the  signs  which  were  to  herald  both. The destruction  of