- shall fall:
- This is an allusion to the Jewish mode of stoning. "The place of stoning was twice as high as a man. From the top of this one of the witnesses struck the culprit on the loins, and felled him to the ground. If he died of this, well; if not, the other witness threw a stone upon his heart," etc. Our Lord seems to refer not only to the dreadful crushing of the Jews by the Romans, but also to their general dispersion to the present day. "And he shall be¹ for a sanctuary;ª but for a stoneª of stumblingª and for a rockª of offenceª to bothª the housesª of Israel,ª for a ginª and for a snareª to the inhabitantsª° of Jerusalem.ª ... And manyª among them shall stumble,ª° and fall,ª° and be broken,ª° and be snared,ª° and be taken.ª°" {Isa 8:14-15} + "Thou sawestªª°° tillª that¹ a stoneª was cut outª° withoutª¹ hands,ª which smoteª° the imageª uponª his feetª [that were] of¹ ironª and clay,ª and brake²° them² to pieces.ª°¹ ... Thenª was the iron,ª the clay,ª the brass,ª the silver,ª and the gold,ª broken to piecesª°²° together,ª and becameª° like the chaffª ofª the summerª threshingfloors;ª and the windª carried²° them² away,ª°¹ that² noª¹ placeª was foundª° for them: and the stoneª that¹ smoteª° the imageª becameª° a greatª mountain,ª and filledª° the wholeª earth.ª" {Dan 2:34-35} + "And in the daysª of¹ theseª kingsª shall the Godª of heavenª set upª° a kingdom,ª which¹ shall neverªª be destroyed:ª° and the kingdomª shall notª be leftª° to otherª people,ª [but] it shall break in piecesª° and consumeª° allª theseª kingdoms,ª and itª shall standª° for ever.ª ... Forasmuch asªª¹ thou sawestª° that¹ the stoneª was cut outª° of the mountainª¹ withoutª¹ hands,ª and that it brake in piecesª° the iron,ª the brass,ª the clay,ª the silver,ª and the gold;ª the greatª Godª hath made knownª° to the kingª whatª¹ shall come to passª° hereafter:ªª and the dreamª [is] certain,ª and the interpretationª thereof sure.ª°" {Dan 2:44-45} + "And in that¹ dayª will I makeª°¹ Jerusalemª a burdensomeª stoneª for all¹ people:ª all¹ that burdenª° themselves with it shall be cut in pieces,ª°° though all¹ the peopleª of the earthª be gathered togetherª° against¹ it." {Zch 12:3} + "Andª whenª the¹ timeª of the¹ fruitª drew near,ª° he sentª° his²¹ servantsª toª the¹ husbandmen,ª that they might receiveª° the¹ fruitsª of it.ª" {Mtt 21:34} + "Forbiddingª° usª to speakª° to the¹ Gentilesª thatª they might be saved,ª° to² fill upª° their²¹ sinsª alway:ª forª the¹ wrathª is comeª° uponª themª toª the uttermost.ª" {1Th 2:16}
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