Matthew 24:15 – 22

Destruction of Jerusalem 2

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.

18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

These verses are still part of the destruction of Jerusalem. Verses 4 through 26 discuss the events preceding the fall of Jerusalem.

The “abomination of desolation” refers to the Roman army because its presence and its effects will bring a state of desolation on the city of Jerusalem.

The prophecy mentioned by Jesus in verse 15 is found in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 9:27 (Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”)

And

Daniel 11:31 (And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.)

Jesus is continuing the prediction of Daniel when He talks of the pagan destructive Roman army being present in the holy land of Jerusalem. It was considered a desecration of the holy place for it to be there.

In Mark 13:14 ( “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee tot the mountains. ) Jesus used the words regarding the Roman army, “standing where it ought not.”

The presence of this Roman army was to be a sign to the followers of Christ to leave Jerusalem for their own safety. The Historian Eusebius in his book on the history of the church said this in chapter 5,

"But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed [guaranteed as safe] to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell In a certain town of Perea called. Pella."

In those days the houses were row houses built with common walls continuing the length of the street and with flat roofs so if a person saw the Roman army he or she was to not go back down into the house to retrieve any belonging but to flee over the roofs of the connecting houses to the wall and leave Jerusalem if possible before being killed by the Romans.

A person working out in the fields should not go back to his home in the city to get anything but should flee immediately to a place of safety.

Of course pregnant women who were near their due date or women who would need to stop to care for their babies would be in a disastrous condition and could not flee quickly from the city.

In verse 20 Jesus expresses the desire for them that they do not have to deal with winter weather, which in that climate can have cold and snow or freezing conditions to deal with which would hinder the flight of those fleeing the destruction.

Jesus mentions the possible problem of fleeing on the Sabbath day because of the Rulers of the Jews inflicting punishment for those who travel farther than what they have set as a “Sabbath Day's Journey” which is about one thousand yards. This not found in the Law of Moses but was part of the traditions which the Jewish hierarchy set much of their religious rules. Jesus was not condoning it but knew it would hinder those trying to leave Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.

Many historians verify the truth Jesus speaks in verse 21 regarding the suffering the people of Jerusalem felt. But Josephus, the Jewish historian who wrote for the Romans. (He was not a Christian so he has not personal reason for verifying Jesus prophecy here in verse 21) He writes in his book 'Wars of the Jews,' about the suffering. He tells of the various factions of the Jews who fought among themselves and even destroyed their opponents provisions causing much hunger and misery, there was much violence as robbers tried to steal food from those who had some, even torturing and murdering to get the food others had. There was conditions of parents taking their children's food and children taking their parents food. They ate corn which had not been ground and uncooked and they searched sewers and manure piles, they ate hay, old shoes and leather.

In verse 22 Jesus shows the compassion He has for His followers, the war against Jerusalem would not stretch out indefinitely so that the suffering would come to an end as soon as the purpose for it had been accomplished. The word elect refer to those who had become Christians whether they were Jew or Gentile. It is for their sake that the conflict would be brought to an end after a short duration.