Venerable Bede

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“For the greatest cause of destruction to the Jewish people was, that after slaying the Saviour, they also tormented the heralds of His name and faith with wicked cruelty.” 

(On Mark 13:2)
“But it was ordered by Divine power that after that the grace of the faith of the Gospel was made known through the world, the temple itself with its ceremonies should be taken away; lest perchance some one weak in the faith, if he saw that these things which had been instituted by God still remained, might by degrees drop from the sincerity of the faith, which is in Christ Jesus, into carnal Judaism.”

“Again, when the Lord left the temple, all the edifice of the law and the framework of the commandments were destroyed, so that nothing could be filled up by the Jews; and now that the head has been taken away, all the limbs fight one against the other.” (Mark 13:2, cited by Aquinas in Golden Chain)

(On Mark 13:6)
“For many came forward, when destruction was hanging over Jerusalem, saying that they were Christs, and that the time of freedom was now approaching. Many teachers of heresy also arose in the Church even in the time of the Apostles; and many Antichrists came in the name of Christ, the first of whom was Simon Magus, to whom the Samaritans, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, listened, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” [Acts 8:10]

Wherefore also it is added here, “And shall deceive many.”  Now from the time of the Passion of our Lord there ceased not amongst the [p. 257] Jewish people, who chose the seditious robber and rejected Christ the Saviour, either external wars or civil discord.

Wherefore it goes on: “And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled.”  And when these come, the Apostles are warned not to be afraid, or to leave Jerusalem and Judaea, because the end was not to come at once, nay was to be put off for forty years.  And this is what is added: “for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet,” that is, the desolation of the province, and the last destruction of the city and temple.  It goes on: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Mark 13:6, Ibid.)

(On Mark 13:7-8)
“Now it is on record that this literally took place at the time of the Jewish rebellion. But “kingdom against kingdom,” the pestilence of those whose word spreads as a canker, dearth of the word of God, the commotion of the whole earth, and the separation from the true faith, may all rather be understood of heretics who, by fighting one against the other, bring about the triumph of the Church.” (Mark 13:7-8, Ibid.)

(On Mark 13:9)
“The Lords shews how Jerusalem and the province of Judaea merited the infliction of such calamities, in the following words: “But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten.”   For the greatest cause of destruction to the Jewish people was, that after slaying the Saviour, they also tormented the heralds of His name and faith with wicked cruelty.” (Mark 13:9, Ibid.)

(On Mark 13:10)
“Ecclesiastical historians testify that this was fulfilled, for they relate that all the Apostles long before the destruction of the province of Judaea were dispersed to preach the Gospel over the whole world, except James the son of Zebedee and James the brother of our Lord, who had before shed their blood in Judaea for the word of the Lord. Since then the Lord knew that the hearts of the disciples would be saddened by the fall and destruction of their nation, He relieves them by this consolation, to let them know that even after the casting away of the Jews, companions in their joy and heavenly kingdom should not be wanting, [p. 259] nay that many more were to be collected out of all mankind than perished in Judaea.” (Mark 13:10, Ibid.)

(On Mark 13:14; Matthew 24:15)
“When we are challenged to understand what is said, we may conclude that it is mystical. But it may either be said simply of Antichrist, or of the statue of Caesar, which Pilate put into the temple, or of the equestrian statue of Adrian, which for a long time stood in the holy of holies itself. An idol is also called abomination according to the Old Testament, and He has added “of desolation” because it was placed in the temple when desolate and deserted.” (Mark 13:14, Ibid.)

“It is on record that this was literally fulfilled, when on the approach of the war with Rome and the extermination of the Jewish people, all the Christians who were in that province, warned by the prophecy, fled far away, as Church history relates, and retiring beyond Jordan, remained for a time in the city of Pella under the protection of Agrippa, the king of the Jews, to whom mention is made in the Acts, and who with that part of the Jews, who chose to obey him, always continued subject to the Roman empire. ([p. 261] ; Mark 13:14, Ibid.)

“Because after the founding of the Church of Christ, Judaea was to be punished for her treachery, the Lord fitly, after praising the devotedness of the Church in the person of the poor widow, goes out of the temple, and foretold its coming ruin, and the contempt in which the buildings now so wonderful were soon to be held.

Wherefore it is said, “And as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples saith unto Him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”  (Marc., iv, 42)

“But it was ordered by Divine power that after that the grace of the faith of the Gospel was made known through the world, the temple itself with its ceremonies should be taken away; lest perchance some one weak in the faith, if he saw that these things which had been instituted by God still remained, might by degrees drop from the sincerity of the faith, which is in Christ Jesus, into carnal Judaism.”

“Again, when the Lord left the temple, all the edifice of the law and the framework of the commandments were destroyed, so that nothing could be filled up by the Jews; and now that the head has been taken away, all the limbs fight one against the other.” (Quoted in Catena Aurea)

(On Matthew 24:34)
“By generation He either means the whole race of mankind, or specially the Jews.” (Quoted in Catena Aurea)

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