50: Great Tribulation (Mt 24:15-28) - The Judgment of Jerusalem - part 3

The GREAT TRIBULATION - if you grew up when I grew up and was taught what I was taught, then you likely think of how Christians are ‘promised’ rapture to heaven while all hell breaks out on earth during the 7-year ‘Great Tribulation’, as is taught in the LEFT BEHIND books & movies.

But WHERE does this phrase come from? It comes from 3 New Testament texts - Revelation2:22, 7:14, and…here in Matthew 24.

Last week might have left you shell-shocked, especially if you’ve never read Matthew 24 in context nor have been familiar with the significance of..

Antiochus IV nor Judas Maccabees.

We noted that the abomination of desolation, referring to what Antiochus did to God’s Temple & God’s people in 168 BC, was a FUTURE PROPHECY for Daniel’s audience in around 530 BC, but…

It was FULFILLED PROPHECY for the 1st century Apostles who remembered this event every year during the celebration of Hanukkah.

Jesus now pointed His 1st century apostles to a FUTURE EVENT that was similar & yet much worse than the PAST EVENT.

Matthew 24:15–16 (NIV) So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

But Luke’s Gospel takes a different angle here.

Luke 21:20–21 (NIV) When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.

WHY the difference in Luke’s language? Why doesn’t Luke use “abomination of desolation” like Matthew & Mark do? You ask great questions! Here’s what I think.

Luke is deciphering this Jewish language for his Gentile audience…like we might do for the Chinese person when someone says, “It’s raining cats and dogs”. We would clarify what that phrase means: “He means, it’s raining REALLY hard.”

So too, Luke helps us understand what Jesus is talking about: The “abomination of desolation standing in the holy place” (Mt 24:15, Mk 13;14) is Jewish language for Jerusalem being surrounded by armies who come to destroy the city & its temple.

And, as mentioned last week, THAT occurred in AD 70, when General Titus and his Roman troops finally broke through the walls after 5 1/2 months of besieging the city. More on that in a few moments.

So, “the abomination that causes desolation” is imagery referring to “Jerusalem being surrounded by armies” - that was FUTURE prophecy for the 1st century followers of Jesus,

but it is FULFILLED prophecy for anyone after it occurred in A.D. 70 - including US!

Growing up, I heard NOTHING about this. Every time I heard this passage it was being used to point to a FUTURE TEMPLE, yet to be constructed - that would later be destroyed.

But in the Biblical text we have been reading from, there is NO MENTION of a rebuilt temple and that makes sense because the focus of this conversation on the Mount of Olives was about the destruction of the Temple that stood in their day.

So now we dig in where we left off, with what is again - some of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted texts in all of Scripture, as we talk about…

Great Tribulation - what it is and what it isn’t, is it PAST or FUTURE? Let’s find out.

PRAY

Let’s read a big chunk of is, then we will double back on investigate how to rightly interpret it.

Matthew 24:15–28 (NIV) v15-16 So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

v17-20 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

v21-22 For then there will be great distress [“great tribulation” - ESV, NAS LSB], unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

v23-25 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.

v26-28 So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Let’s dig in.

Matthew 24:15–16 (NIV) So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

And so it would be, says Jesus, that when the 1st century disciples see this event occurring, they are to flee to the mountains. Jesus warns THEM because when THEY see it, THEY can escape.

Jesus continues.

Matthew 24:17–20 (NIV) Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

Why would that stuff matter? It might not matter in OUR day, as pregnant women and nursing mothers speed off in the minivans or SUVs.

But IN JESUS’ DAY, pregnant women and nursing mothers wouldn’t make good time traveling even if they could ride the back of a donkey. They have to take breaks to rest from the watermelon in their bellies & others would have to stop to feed babies. When you’re running from an invading army, this would mean probable capture or death.

In OUR DAY it wouldn’t matter if it’s winter because our vehicles have good tires & a/c units that help us stay comfortable while traveling.

But IN JESUS’ DAY, traveling in the cover of darkness during winter would mean bitter cold & no fires to stay warm, as to not give away your position.

And why would it matter if this flight away from the city of Jerusalem happened on a Sabbath? And if this is applied to most Gentiles, this wouldn’t matter at all, since most Gentiles are mowing their yards on a Saturday.

But IN JESUS’ DAY, traveling on the Sabbath was thought to be limited to 3/4 of a mile. If you followed that man-made law, you’re not getting away on a Sabbath. You might end up stopping somewhere close to the Roman soldiers who want to kill you.

This language of pregnant women and childless women reminds me of a conversation that Dr. Luke notes between Jesus and women crying for Him as He carried the cross toward the place He was going to die.

Luke 23:28–31 (NIV) Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

If they chop down when the tree is green - vibrant alive - killing their own Messiah, then how much worse will it be when the tree is dry and wilting - when difficult days are here?

Jesus was speaking of an event that was coming within THEIR LIFETIME, when rather than considering women with children BLESSED by God, people would be thankful that they didn’t have little children to take care of an ultimately watch them brutally die. That’s why they would pray for death - wanting rocks to crush them rather that have to face the fury of the Roman army (this language is later used in Revelation as well - Rev 6:16).

All of this also fits with what Dr. Luke records when Jesus first entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday - less than a week before His crucifixion.

Luke 19:41–44 (NIV) As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Finally, Dr. Luke adds even more clarity to what Jesus said during the Olivet Discourse, and why followers of Jesus needed to get out of Jerusalem before it was too late. Look at Luke & Matthew compared side-by-side.

Luke 21:23–24 (NIV) How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Notice that the great distress is in the land of Israel & God’s wrath against the unbelieving people of Israel who rejected their Messiah.

Now back to Matthew where Jesus says…

Matthew 24:21–22 (NIV) For then there will be great distress [great tribulation - ESV, NAS, LSB], unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

Notice that Jesus is still referring to the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. This great distress - what other translations call “great tribulation” - is local to the land of Judea, not the world.

And it was going to be awful, according to Jesus. He uses familiar hyperbolic language used in the Scriptures referring to God’s judgment (Ex 11:6, Eze 5:9) - exaggeration to make a point - “unequaled…and never to be equaled again”.

And for those who mistakenly claim this “great tribulation” is a FUTURE EVENT - that the “great tribulation” occurs AFTER followers of Jesus are raptured - there’s a major speed bump to deal with -

that these days would be cut short for WHO? The elect - Jewish followers of Jesus.

And then Jesus comes back to the warning He had issued earlier.

Matthew 24:23–25 (NIV) At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.

Who is YOU throughout this talk?

YOU is referring to the apostles - 1st century followers of Jesus. And Jesus warns that when all this comes about there will be many who claim to be the messiah to lead the people of Jerusalem out of this mess.

Matthew 24:26 (NIV) So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

There will be false messiahs who will claim they can bail them out of this mess, but there will be no life boat for people to climb into. Once the besiegement starts, death is imminent.

Matthew 24:27–28 (NIV) For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

The first part of this sounds awesome! Jesus (the Son of Man) is coming! But is this referring to the 2nd coming of Jesus? Could be, but I don’t think so. Instead, this is the coming Jesus promised would occur before the persecuted apostles finished going through the towns of Israel - as Jesus brings judgment against their enemies (Mt 10:23).

This next phrase is certainly IS referring to judgment on Jerusalem: Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. This is the picture of death.

A few years ago a deer was hit on 90 and thrown into a ditch at the edge of our property. I was thinking about what to do with it as I didn’t want the smell of death wafting across my yard for days. Later as I drove home from work, the vultures where having a dinner party. The next day…the carcass was GONE!

Everybody understands, where vultures circle & land, there is DEATH. This is exactly what Jesus is referring to. He was coming to bring Judgment & DEATH to Jerusalem. Although Jesus WILL one day visibly return, and there will be NO DOUBT Who He is, this text is referring to His unmistakable judgment - like a lightning flash that sends people to seek shelter.

And today we end up where we started, with Jesus telling His followers to make sure to get out of Jerusalem as they see the army surrounding the city.

Matthew 24:15–16 (NIV) So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Remember that the typical response to invasion was for people in the country to get to a fortified city and there was no city better fortified than Jerusalem with its great walls.

But Jesus had warned his apostles who would later warn their disciples: “When this happens, don’t go into the city! As a matter of fact, get out of the state of Judea!”

And there’s a twist to the story.

In A.D. 68 Vespasian, Nero’s general killed many Jews on his way to besiege Jerusalem, but hearing of Nero’s suicide and civil war erupting, returned to Rome. During that time 3 Roman emperors (Galba, Ortho and Vitrello) took the throne and died in less than 1 year.

The fourth-century Christian & historian Eusebius records what Christians did before the Romans returned:

The people of the church in Jerusalem were commanded by an oracle given by revelation before the war to those in the city … to depart and dwell in one of the cities of Perea which they called Pella. [1]

Sadly, many others in the surrounding regions fled TO THE CITY seeking protection within its walls.

During that time, Vespasian became Emperor and his son, Titus, marched to Jerusalem, in April of A.D. 70, 3 days before Passover began, the Romans began to besiege the city. Josephus describes the people as leaving the city “as swimmers deserting a sinking ship.”

After a 5 month besiegement, Titus and his Roman forces destroyed the city and the Temple, slaughtering priests and peasants alike.

Josephus, the Jewish historian who was a part of the Roman besiegement, writes that 1.1 million were killed and 97,000 were taken prisoner (Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 6.9.3).

Many died from fighting the Romans beyond Jerusalem's walls.

But many more died from plague, famine, infighting, and suicide before the Romans entered - even throwing dead bodies over the walls as there was no where to bury them.

Others tried to escape the city. Josephus records that many who attempted to flee were caught whipped, tortured, and then crucified near the city walls - about 500 Jews each day! [2]

THIS…THIS is the Great Tribulation that Jesus was talking about - something that would occur within the lifetime of the apostles He spoke with on top of the Mount of Olives.

What’s the mean for US?

FEET2FAITH

Be prepared for persecution. We KNOW that we too will face persecution - Paul says this will happen for anyone who wants to live Godly (2 Tim 3:12). Be ready for REJECTION even when you do what is RIGHT.

Be prepared for false teaching. We also know that there have been and will be FALSE MESSIAHS & FALSE PROPHETS. We must know WHO Jesus really is and KNOW what Jesus really says.

Be prepared for Jesus to return. We know that a FUTURE JUDGMENT IS COMING. Jesus WILL RETURN, but until He does, we must be faithful to FOLLOW JESUS & SHARE JESUS with others. Judgment IS coming for people in the future - a real judgment in hell.

________________

R. Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 301.

Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987).

Discussion Questions

Have you ever heard of “the great tribulation”? How is what you have learned different than what Jesus talked about in the Scriptures we covered today?

Read Matthew 24:15-16 & Luke 21:20-21. How does comparing Matthew’s Gospel (written for Jews) and Luke’s Gospel (written for Gentiles) help give us insight into what Jesus meant by ‘abomination of desolation’?

Read Matthew 24:17-20. Have you ever considered how this would affect 1st century Jews versus 21st century Gentiles? Why is it so important for us to consider the audience Jesus was speaking to before transplanting His warnings into our culture?

Read Luke 19:41-44, 21:23-24, & 23:28-31. How does reading these passages help give us more clarity to the fact that Jesus was talking about judgment coming to 1st century Jerusalem - not 21st century Jerusalem?

Read Matthew 24:21-22. So far, has there been any talk of a rapture of the Church before the “great tribulation/distress” in the Biblical text? Has there been any insight in the Biblical text to make us look beyond the 1st century audience yet? If not, then why do so many people dismiss the context and apply this language to something coming in OUR future?

Read Matthew 10:23 & 24:23-28. How would 1st century Jews know the difference between the coming of Jesus & the claims of the false messiahs/prophets? What kind of ‘coming’ was Jesus referring to - His 2nd coming or something different? How does this challenge your previous perspective on this passage regarding the “great tribulation” and the “coming of the Son of Man”?

Before today, have you ever heard about the significance of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70? If this IS a fulfillment of what Jesus said would happen (see Mt 24:1-3), why has there been so little focus on the historical fulfillment?

What does God want YOU to do with what we studied today? Consider looking back at our FEET2FAITH challenges.

How can we pray for/care for one another this week? (Pray for one another.)