The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-13
LESSON STORY.

LESSON STORY.
On the Tuesday before his crucifxion
on Friday, Jesus had been teaching in the
temple-court. He had predicted the over
throw of Jerusalem, and his own victory
through martyrdom. His heart was op-
pressed with agony. He cried to the Fa-
Their, and received an answer which while
it was as the voice of thunder to others,
was voice of assurance to him Uohn IL:
az. He knew,-what his disciples could
not yet comprehend, that his open minis
try was now closing; that he was speaking
to his unheedful people his valedictory as
visible teacher.
AS Jesus and his disciples were, in the
afternoon, Withdrawing from the temple
court, The disciples directed his attention
to the massive stones of which the temple
was built Their thought was evidently
recurring to his prediction of the speedy
destruction of the national capital. Scan
it be-" they by implication asked, shat
these solid stones can be destroyed" Jo-
sephus tells US that the stones of which the
temple was built were of white marble,
their length being not less than thirty-seven
and-a-half feet, some even forty-ive feet,
while their breadth was eighteen feet, and
thickness twelve feet. We can scarcely
conceive of structure having more
striking visible promise of endurance But
Jesus saw that even these massive stones
would be removed. He saw how his pao-
pie, against his entreaties and warnings,
were clinging TO their false hope of visible
Messianic glory. He foresaw that in their
foolhardy struggle against Rome they
would be utterly crushed. Many reasons
would combine to cause the Romans to
have a special enmity against the temple.
1t was but discernment of the signs of
the times for Jesus to astonish his dis
ciples with the prediction: Hey1Ly say
INTO you, There shall not be Lc/k here one
stone npon another, that shall not be
Mroa0H ao7on.
He went with his disciples out of the
temple-court, never to enter it more. He
passed out of the eastern gate, down into
the Kedron Valley and climbed p Olvet
beyond.
Here, over against the temple, he passed
with his company. He was taking his
farewell view as free man of the splendid
capital of his nation. When be entered il
again he would be in the tolls of his mar
tyrdom. 1t may have been his intent gaza
at the holy city which caused certain of
his disciples to ask of him an explanation
of his ominous predictions they desired
to know when they should look for the
consummaton of the age which he had
prophesied; they wished to be instructed
as to what his coming would be, and what
were to be its signs.
In reply Jesus pronounced the discourse
of which our lesson passage is part. or
this discourse Matthew, Mark and Luke
all give reports; Matthew's however is the
longer and more complete report
This discourse (Matthew chs "a, 2s) has
beer, in its general purport, strangely mis-
understood. Although it is full of special
illusions and local coloring, which clearly
limit its application to the day in which it
was spoken and the then near future, it
has been construed by the socalled ortho-
doxy which is still more fashion than we
sometimes think, as teaching of dramatic
judgment-day yet far in the future. Not
outstanding Jesus said in the same dis
course Matt. "a 34), This generation shall
not pass azOay, Till all these things be &c
eomblisAsa, and Luke (aI: 32) reports that
the words were spoken near the close of
the discourse, it is still believed, and il
many Sunday Schools taught, that Jesus,
under cover of current affairs, was really
speaking Of eschatology or the last things.
1t is still assumed, in some cases with
apparent desperation, that Jesus implied
that the final words of the discourse which
Matthew reports, And these shall go azVdy
into eternal punishment, bit Ute righteous
into cfeyNaIIife, refer to sent nee yet to
be pronounced in the PARKWAY future, after
trial before visible bar of divine justice
and 4 Judge upon visible throne. So
called orthodoxy is largely willing to rest
its case on these words alone, as proving
both deferred and formal judgment day
and that the doom of the wicked will then
be hopeless and endless.
On the latter point it is the Universalis
affirmation, now supported by many of the
best biblical scholars, that the word ai0N
ian, translated Everlasting in t oil
version and eternal in the revised, doe.
not necessarily mean endless, or have IT,
itself any reference to duration. Since III,
day o. +. d. Maurice many biblical schol
airs have declared with him that the wor,
would BE- better translated b. the wore