Matthew 24:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

NIV: For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again.

NASB: For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again.

CSB: For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn't taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again.

NLT: For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.

KJV: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

NKJV: 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.

Jesus has been describing the need for those in Jerusalem to run for the hills—to flee immediately—when the sign of the abomination of the temple takes place (Matthew 24:15). There won't be time for grabbing supplies. Pregnant and nursing mothers will suffer enormously. He has told His disciples to pray that they will not need to run in winter or on the Sabbath (Matthew 24:16–20).

Here, Christ refers to the era marked by this act of violation as a "great tribulation." He says the horrors of this time will be the worst of all human history.

Those who believe Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70 point to the Roman siege, genocide of the Jews, and demolishing of the temple. Many Jewish people did run for the hills, some successfully. Historians report that the community of Christians living in Jerusalem at the time did escape to Pella, which is east of the Jordan River and about 65 miles from Jerusalem. Historians describe the suffering of those days in Jerusalem as epic in its terror. The siege itself led to disease and famine, with tales of mothers eating their own children to survive. Once the walls were breached, the Romans were savage in their slaughter of the Jewish people as they laid waste to the great city.

However, in those events, the temple was violated after most of the other events had occurred. It did not happen first, allowing people to see it as a warning sign and then run. As violent as those days were, they did not threaten to wipe out all of mankind (Matthew 24:22).

More likely is that Jesus is referring to the last years (Matthew 24:14) prior to His second coming (Revelation 19:11–15).

Matthew 24:15–28 begins with a warning to all in Jerusalem to flee to the mountains when the abomination that will bring desolation to the temple stands in the holy place. This will be a terrible time, especially for those who are particularly vulnerable. That tribulation will be worse than anything ever, though another tribulation will come right before Jesus' return. It will be cut short to save some of humanity and for the sake of the elect, all those who truly believe in Christ. When He returns, everyone will know.

Jesus makes a dire prediction about the destruction of the temple. Immediately after this, while seated on the Mount of Olives, Jesus responds to a question from the disciples. They ask when judgment will come and what signs will signal His return. Christ describes a season of unimaginable world turmoil and persecution. He points to a specific moment of defilement of the temple, at which point people should run for their lives. Jesus speaks of world-threatening tribulation which will be cut short right before He returns as King and Judge. Since nobody can possibly know when He will return, His followers must live in readiness.

Jesus has just left the temple area, after delivering a blistering criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). After predicting that the temple would be destroyed, He answers their questions about the end times. He speaks of a period when He will be gone from earth and they will be persecuted and killed. The world will be in turmoil, but the gospel will be preached everywhere. Nobody knows exactly when Jesus' return will be completed, so his followers should constantly be prepared. Jesus continues to teach on these themes in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.