Matthew 24: 17-22
Overloaded as a part-time student at Colorado Christian University along with my work as the Biblical Studies tutor in the fall of 2010, I wanted to learn about the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., in order to support a point I intended to make in a research paper for my “History of Christianity” class. Having an open hour one morning, I went into a “study room” at the CCU Library and read about the disaster detailed by the ancient historian Josephus from one of his writings entitled The Jewish War.
The disaster there in 70 A.D. was horrible. The rampage by the Roman military involved the murder of a least 1,100,000 Jewish people. And the temple was demolished. I could only read so much about the savage attack.
In the 24th chapter of Matthew, Jesus foretold that Jerusalem would be ransacked. Jesus was right.
Regarding the disaster, Jesus made a huge claim. Jesus said, “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again” (Matthew 24:21).
How can this be? So much tragedy has happened in human history since the Fall of humankind due to the disobedience to God by Adam and Eve.
Such a claim by Jesus may be one reason why certain people think such a disaster has not even happened yet, which is their rationale for dislodging this passage from its’ context and then applying it to the end times tribulation.
I make a strong suggestion: Jesus was referring to the fall of Jerusalem, and all the horror that fall entailed, as well as the result of the displacement of the Israelites from their homeland for 1,878 years. In losing their homeland, Israelites were susceptible to future tragedies. The Holocaust was an ultimate tragedy for the displaced Jewish people, and an ultimate tragedy in the entire history of humankind. I think the pain and suffering caused by the fall of Jerusalem was being tied in with the pain and suffering of other events, especially the Holocaust, in the wake of the Israelites being ripped out of their homeland.
The Scripture support for this is found where Luke records this same discourse by Jesus. Now Luke added some statements by Jesus, while also leaving out some statements which Matthew recorded.
Luke recorded: “…Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). What is this period? Did it end in 1948 when the Jewish people finally had part of their homeland re-established? Or will it not take place until the rescue of the Israelites by the Messiah, which will complete the “end times” tribulation? I do not know.
Yet I do not think that period ended with the fall of the Roman Empire, because Jerusalem continued to be under Gentile control.
The Hebrew people have been through uncalculated tragedy in their history.
* The fall of the ten northern tribes of Israel in 722-721 B.C was horrible.
* The fall of Jerusalem to Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. was horrible.
* The fall of Jerusalem between 66/67 A.D. and 73/74 A.D., still stands as a central tragedy in Israelite history, because of the death and because of the displacement.
* The Holocaust was a central tragedy in all humankind.
* Today there is still tragedy in the realm of what was ancient Israel.
* Finally, there is going to be a final battle in Israel during the end times tribulation, as was detailed by the prophet Zechariah.
Yet Jesus, God the Son, offers healing and hope!!!
* Regarding the Babylonian exile, God did a miracle so the Hebrew people could return home. In 536 B.C., Hebrews had the decree from King Cyrus of Persia to go home. And many did.
* Regarding the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Jesus, God the Son, offered a warning for Jewish people to flee the rampage by the Roman military. And there were Jewish people who survived the fury of the Roman military.
* Regarding 1948, God did a miracle so the Jewish people could regain some of their homeland after being absent for 1,878 years.
* And regarding the end times tribulation, Jesus will descend from heaven to rescue the Jewish people from an attack which will be carried out by a joint military endeavor involving every nation.
Thanks to Jesus, suffering is one day going to end for every single person who turns to Him!! Thanks to Jesus, He is going to bring about an everlasting change in heaven and on earth.
Hunter Irvine
