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Matthew 24:21-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.
Shaun (not his real name) was a young man who had been brought out with his fellow cellmates for Bible study while our church was ministering. He and his friends were set on disproving Christianity. I was thankful to study with each of them that day (and afterwards). Some of the gentlemen brought up their personal reasons for rejecting the Bible. Examples such as alleged Bible contradictions, supposed blatant immorality of the God of the Bible, and belief in extraterrestrial life, were at the top of of the list so far that day. Each had been carefully examined and refuted, and the Bible had stood the test.
As it always has, and as it always will.
But Shaun had an interesting objection. I had just spent time discussing some of the amazing prophecies found in Matthew 24:4-34 which were meticulously fulfilled in the Roman attack on the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. Jesus had made these prophecies forty years earlier (as attested by several archaeological and manuscript evidences), and promised that they would be fulfilled within the timeframe of those people contemporary with Him (Matthew 24:34).
Shaun had actually turned away from his Christian upbringing partly because of this subject. He agreed with me that Jesus had prophesied all of these things, and that they had been fulfilled just like He promised. But then he told me that Jesus was a false prophet, and he would prove it. Here is how the conversation went.
Shaun: Brother Mark, how many people died when the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem?
Mark: The Jewish historian Josephus said that the number was probably around one million. Some people doubt his estimate, but it makes sense to me because it was around an important Jewish holiday when the Romans began their siege. So, there would have been a lot more people present then at other times.
Shaun: Okay. Now, how many Jewish people died in the Jewish Holocaust?
Mark: I believe the number was that somewhere around six million Jews were killed by the Nazis in World War Two.
Shaun: Well, brother Mark, with all due respect: this proves Jesus was a false prophet.
Mark: Really? How so?
Shaun: Jesus said that the destruction of Jerusalem would be the greatest destruction that the world had ever seen, or ever would see (he then proceded to reference Matthew 24:21, M.T.). Since the Jewish Holocaust surpassed the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem by some five million more people-according to your own estimate-then Jesus was a false prophet.
(End Of Relevant Conversation)
Well, how about it?
Did Jesus say that the destruction of Jerusalem would be the greatest devastation that the world ever had, or ever would, see?
Let’s study.
Throughout Matthew 24, Jesus describes the judgments that the Romans would bring upon the city of Jerusalem. It would be a truly horrendous event. During what Jesus calls “great tribulation” that would take place in that generation of people then living, the Lord says that the suffering of that period would be the greatest “since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
Two things here show us that this wording was not meant to be understood literally.
The first is that these words are actually borrowed from the Old Testament. What some well-meaning people do not realize (including Shaun) is that Jesus constantly used language that was drawn from the Old Testament Scriptures to teach His hearers. Those people were generally familiar with the Prophets of old, and would readily and quickly pick up on the verbal clues that Jesus was using in His preaching. As such, the Jewish hearers would understand that the language being employed here was not understood literally. Instead, such terminology had been used numerous times during various Old Testament events when God promised judgment and punishment upon nations that were guilty of terrible and heinous crimes.
For example, look at what Moses records regarding the plague of locusts upon the people of Egypt:
Exodus 10:14-And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them.
Again, regarding the tenth plague:
Exodus 11:6-Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again.
When describing how He would bring judgment on the city of Jerusalem during the time of king Nebuchadnezzar, God declares:
Ezekiel 5:9-And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations.
Notice this last passage especially. This is almost identical to what Jesus says in Matthew 24:21. Both use the same language to describe the destruction of Jerusalem at two different times.
Do you see how Jesus was simply using the same language found throughout the Old Testament to describe the judgments of God? Indeed, this same type of exaggerated language is found in several passages throughout the Old Testament. Storms provides much more detailed documentation of this:
“Once one grasps the dimensions of what occurred in 70, one realizes that the savagery, cruelty, and the monstrosities that occurred were beyond comparison. Also, never so high a percentage of one city’s population was destroyed. Everyone was either killed or sold into slavery. As noted earlier, approximations are that 1,100,000 people were killed and 100,000 were enslaved. It may well be, however, that the statement in verse 21 is deliberately hyperbolic, a stock saying for an indescribably horrendous time. In other words, it may be proverbial, designed to emphasize how truly horrible an event it was. Biblical scholars have long recognized that oracles of judgment are often couched in language that is universal and radical. “Such judgment is often framed in terms of prophetic hyperbole, a common apocalyptic device used by the writers of Scripture.” 39 Take a moment and carefully read these texts from the Old Testament and note the verbal parallels with our Lord’s statement in Matthew 24: 21. I think you will readily see that Jesus is simply employing the terminology widely known in the ancient world for horrific judgment and intense calamity. Neither those who used these terms in the Old Testament nor Jesus himself ever intended for such language to be pressed in such a way that it precluded the possibility for subsequent periods of equal or even more intense judgment to occur. For example (be careful to note the italicized words): “There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again.” (Exod. 11: 6) “Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.” (Exod. 9: 18) “The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again.” (Exod. 10: 14; cf. Joel 1: 1-4) “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.” (Joel 2: 2) “And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.” (a reference to the impending Babylonian captivity; Ezek. 5: 9; cf. Matt. 24: 21) “He has confirmed his words which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.” (Dan. 9: 12) “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time.” (Dan. 12: 1) Look also at similar terminology in the following two texts: “He [Hezekiah] trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.” (2 Kings 18: 5) “Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.” (2 Kings 23: 25) These texts and this unique phraseology prompt Gary DeMar to make this point: In 2 Kings 18: 5 it is written of Hezekiah that there would be no king after him who would show the same devotion to the Lord as he showed. When we get an assessment of Josiah’s reign, which follows Hezekiah’s reign, we are informed that “there was no king like him who turned to the Lord.” How can Hezekiah’s reign be the greatest (even considering the reign of a future king like Josiah) and Josiah’s reign be the greatest (even considering the reign of a past king like Hezekiah)? Is this a contradiction? There are no contradictions in the Bible. The phraseology is obviously hyperbolic, emphasizing complete devotion to the Lord and His law. 40” (Sam Storms, Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative, 256-258 (Kindle Edition): Oxford eBooks Ltd.)
The second thing to consider is that Jesus was obviously not saying that the destruction of Jerusalem was the worst judgment in history, or that it would literally be the greatest judgment in the world, since He then goes on and discusses Noah and the judgment of all nations before God at the Second Coming!
Matthew 24:37-39-But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matthew 25:31-32, 46-When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats…And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
In the days of Noah, only eight people were saved (cf. 1 Peter 3:18-21; 2 Peter 2:5), which was a much greater judgment that what took place in A.D. 70! The same is true with the Day of Judgment at the end of time!
Jesus used language borrowed from the Old Testament that His hearers would be familiar with in order to express the terrible events that would come upon the Jewish people as a result of their rejecting Him. As horrible as these events were, they pale in comparison to the Day when Christ will judge all the nations of the world.
So, what to take away from all of these things?
First, take a moment and consider the amazing ways that the Bible has withstood the attacks of the ages from various sources. It truly is the Word that will endure forever. This should be enough to impress anyone who truly considers how it is so hated, and yet still stands.
Second, consider the possibility that much of what people believe the New Testament teaches may have an Old Testament background that can provide greater meaning and understanding that what is often accepted and taught. Just because a teaching or practice is widely received does not necessarily make it correct. We must all be willing to consider new information in our continuing growth in the “grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
Finally, let us reflect on the sobering fact that there is a Day of Judgment approaching. May we do what we can to prepare ourselves for that Day. The Bible tells believers in Jesus’ atoning death, burial, and resurrection on the third day as the Son of God who have repented of their sins (Acts 9:1-11):
Acts 22:16-And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Likewise, backsliding Christians are exhorted:
1 John 1:9-If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Lord, help us to heed Your Word and to keep growing as we study and learn. Amen.