ervening between the Lord's departure and His return in glory. The
absolute certainty of the Christ coming to execute judgment upon the
earth, in the which every soul shall receive according to his deserts,
is the sublime summary of this unparalleled discourse.

ANOTHER SPECIFIC PREDICTION OF THE LORD'S DEATH.

Following the instructions to the apostles at the resting place on
Olivet, and probably in the course of the continued walk toward Bethany
that evening, Jesus reminded the Twelve of the awful fate awaiting Him,
and specified the time of His betrayal and the manner of His death. "Ye
know," He said, "that after two days is the feast of the passover, and
the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified."[1178]

NOTES TO CHAPTER 32.

1. Early Fulfilment of the Lord's Prophecies.--As to the literal
fulfilment of the Lord's predictions relating to the times immediately
following His ascension and down to the destruction of Jerusalem, the
student must be referred to scriptural and other history. Only a brief
summary of the most notable events can be attempted here.

On the matter of wars and rumors or threats of wars, see Josephus,
Antiquities xviii, ch. 9, and Wars, ii, ch. 10. The latter reference is
to the account of the decree issued by Caligula that his statue be set
up and duly reverenced in the temple, in consequence of which the Jews
protested so strenuously that war was declared against them, but was
averted by the death of the emperor. Concerning the death of Caligula,
Josephus remarks that it "happened most happily for our nation in
particular, which would have almost utterly perished, if he had not been
suddenly slain." Other threats of war against the Jews were severally
made by the emperors Claudius and Nero.

Nation rose against nation, as for example, in the assault of Greeks and
Syrians upon the Jews, in the course of which 50,000 Jews were slain at
Selucia on the Tigris, and 20,000 at Caesarea, 13,000 at Scythopolis, and
2,500 at Ascalon. Famine and its attendant pestilence prevailed during
the reign of Claudius, (41-54 A.D.) and such had been specifically
predicted by inspiration, through Agabus (Acts 11:28). The famine was
very severe in Palestine (Josephus, Antiquities, xx, ch. 2). Earthquakes
were of alarming frequency and of unusual severity, between the death of
Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem, particularly in Syria,
Macedonia, Campania, and Achia. See Tacitus, _Annals_, books xii and