A little while, and you shall not see me: and again, a little while, and you shall see me, because I go to the Father.
All Commentaries on John 16:16 Go To John 16
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
A little while, and ye shall not see Me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father. For in a few hours I shall die on the cross, and be buried, but in three days I shall rise again, and manifest Myself to you with great joy, for I shall shortly afterwards ascend into heaven, and sit at the right hand of the Father. For I shall not be detained by death, but shall conquer it in My own Person, and with you overcome it also. So S. Chrysostom, Cyril, Leontius, Theophylact, Euthymius, &c, S. Augustine, Bede, and Maldonatus explain it otherwise. I shall abide with you for forty days only, and then after My ascension ye will see Me no more, then after another "little time," ye will see Me again, in the day of judgment, and the general resurrection, when I shall take you both in body and soul into heaven with Myself, I will bless and glorify you. For I go to My Father, to reign with Him in glory until that time. And this whole period, though one of many thousand years, is but like a small point compared with the eternity of God.
Hear S. Augustine (in loc.): "The whole space which the present age of the world passes through is but a little while. As the same Evangelist says ( 1 John 2:18), "It is the last hour."" And further on, "This "little while" seems long to us, because it is yet going on. But when it is ended, we shall feel how short it has been. Let not then our joy be like that of the world, of which it is said "the world shall rejoice." Nor let us be sorrowful, and without joy, in our travailing with this longing desire, but as the Apostle says, "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation," because she who is in travail (to whom we are compared) rejoices more at the child which will be born of her, than she sorrows for her present suffering." Hence the Psalmist and after him2Peter iii8 , One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, &c.
