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at once discredited. When the date-setting bug gets into any Bible teacher’s head it is all up with-him. This disease is weil nigh incurable. The shifts and twists they will resort to to get around our Lord’s clear teaching on this point would be amusing if they were not so pathetic and sad. Our Lord Himself, as a man, in order to set us an example to follow His steps, and to em phasize-the utter folly of setting dates, vol untarily put aside all knowledge of the dale. The Father only knew. Our duty is not to try to fix the date, “which the Father has set within his own authority” (Acts 1:7 R. V.), but to “watch” and “pray” at all sea sons that we may be ready whenever He comes (cf. Luke 21:36 R. V.). The first two verses tell what occurred two days before the Passover, but the anointing of Jesus (vs. 3-11) occurred six days before the Passover (John 12:1). But in the account here the Jewish plot which occurred four days later than the anointing is mentioned because the anger of Judas Is cariot at Mary and our Lord was the inci dent that led directly to the .betrayal. We have here an awful picture of the blackness of the human heart and the depths of in iquity to which, it can go. Jesus does not forget in these supreme hours of His life the friends He loved, Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He will have for his own heart’s joy and still more for the confirmation of their faith a few more times of communion with them. There is something inexpressibly touching about those evenings in Bethany during the last week of our Saviour’s life on earth. There was no one else at this gathering who brought such joy to the lonely, aching heart of Jesus as did Mary. She above all others had listened to Him, understood Him, be- Monday, August 16. Mark 14:1, 2. Tuesday, August 17. Mark 14:3-5.
Jerusalem, A. D. 70. But there is a greater day of tribulation for the Jew coming when they have been gathered back in Jerusalem and all the kings of the earth and their armies are gathered together against Jeru salem' (Rev. 16:14-16; 19:19-21). There are lessons in the passage for us Gentiles as well as for the Jew, especially the lesson of not being misled by “false Christs and false prophets,” even though they back up their false doctrines and blasphemous claims by “wonderful healings” and other “signs and wonders” that would almost lead “the elect” astray. The stage in our Lord’s Second Coming here described is not when He comes in the air to receive His own, all true believers in Christ, who are caught up to meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:16, 17), but after that when He comes with the Church to deal with Israel and the nations. The “elect” here spoken of are Israel whom “the angels” gather from every quarter of the earth. The Church is not “gathered” by the angels but caught up from all parts of the earth “to meet the Lord in the air.” The catching up of the Church precedes “the tribulation” ; the gathering together here mentioned comes “after that tribula tion.” The “tribulation” itself as we saw yesterday (vs. 14-23) and as appears from many Scriptures, is itself Jewish. At the end events will ripen very rapidly, just as the first putting forth of young leaves in the fig tree shows “that the summer is nigh,” “even at the doors” (cf. Matt. 24:33, and read “Notes” on that passage) ; and the “generation” then living will “not pass away, until all things be accomplished.” Saturday, August 14. Mark 13:24-31.
Sunday, August. IS. Mark 13:32-37.
Of the exact time of Christ’s return no one knows, not even the angels; and there fore, any teacher who seeks to set dates is
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