March 30, 2003 / Volume 7, Issue 13
An Analysis Of Matthew 24 (Part 5)
Matthew 24:16-20
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Matthew 24:16-18
Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And leet him who is in the field no go back to get his clothes.
Parallel: Mk 13:14-16; Lk 21:21 |
"And now it was that a horrible fear seized upon the seditious, in so much that many of them rain out of the city, as though it were to be taken immediately..."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 2, Chapter 19, Section 6)
"After the calamity had befallen Cestius, many of the most eminent of the Jews swam away from the city, as from a ship when it was going to sink..."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 2, Chapter 20, Section 1)
"Hereupon a great multitude prevented their approach, and came out of Jericho, and fled to those mountainous parts that lay over against Jerusalem, while that part which was left behind was in a great measure destroyed; they also found the city desolate."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 4, Chapter 8, Section 2)
"The people belonging to the church at Jerusalem had been ordered by an oracle revealed to approved men on the spot before the war broke out, to leave the city and dwell in a town of Peraea called Pella."
(Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 3, Section 5)
EVENTUALLY ESCAPE WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE
"...those that were at Jerusalem were deprived of the liberty of going out of the city, for as to such as had a mind to desert, they were watched by the zealots; and as to such as were not yet on the side of the Romans, their army kept them in, by encompassing the city round about on all sides."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 4, Chapter 9, Section 1)
"...he who had escaped the tyrant within the wall, was destroyed by the other that lay before the gates. So that all attempts of flying and deserting to the Romans were cut off, if any had a mind so to do."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 4, Chapter 9, Section 10)
"So all hope of escaping was now cut off from the Jews, together with their liberty of going out of the city."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 5, Chapter 12, Section 3)
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Matthew 24:19
But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
Parallel: Mk 13:15-18; Lk 21:22-23 |
"...children pulled the very morsels that their fathers were eating out of their mouths, and, what was still more to be pitied, so did the mothers do as to their infants; and when those that were most dear were perishing under their hands, they were not ashamed to take from them the very last drops that might preserve their lives."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 5, Chapter 10, Section 3)
"...the upper rooms were full of women and children that were dying by famine..."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 5, Chapter 12, Section 3)
"...snatching up her son, who was a child sucking at her breast, she said, ‘O, thou miserable infant! For whom shall I preserve thee in this war, this famine, and this sedition? ...Come on; be thou my food... As soon as she had said this she slew her son; and then roasted him, and ate one half of him, and kept the other half by her concealed..."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 6, Chapter 4, Section 4)
"For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!'"
(Luke 23:29-30)
Aside from these atrocities which took place, consider also the difficulties one would experience having to flee from the city with young children and nursing infants.
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Matthew 24:20
And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
Parallel: Mk 13:18
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PERIL OF A WINTER FLIGHT
Herod would have marched on to Jerusalem "...unless he had been hindered by the depth of winter. This was the impediment that lay in the way of this his entire glorious progress..."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 1, Chapter 17, Section 6)
Vespasian would have reduced "...the eastern parts of the empire to peace..." but "...winter was his hindrance..."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 4, Chapter 8, Section 1)
Hearing of the troubles in Rome, Vespasian "...as much as his passion excited him to avenge his country...was restrained by the consideration of his distance therefrom, because fortune might prevent him...especially as it was still the winter season..."
(Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 4, Chapter 10, Section 2)
"On account of the cold storms, etc.. To be turned, them from house, and compelled to take up all abode in caverns would be a double calamity."
(Barnes New Testament Notes, Online Bible Millennium Edition)
"Because the streams were then impassable torrents from the heavy rains and the weather cold and wet, hard on homeless people."
(People's New Testament Notes, Online Bible Millennium Edition)
"Because the flight will be so precipitate that it would necessitate much exposure to the weather, sleeping under the open heaven, etc.."
(The Fourfold Gospel, Online Bible Millennium Edition)
PERIL OF A SABBATH FLIGHT
"Nor is it lawful for us to journey, either on the Sabbath day, or on a festival day."
(Josephus, The Antiquities Of The Jews, Book 13, Chapter 8, Section 4)
"So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem as ti began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day."
(Nehemiah 13:19)
"Because then the gates of the city were closed, preventing departure."
(People's New Testament Notes, Online Bible Millennium Edition)
"Jewish tradition limited travel on the Sabbath day to a distance of seven furlongs. The early training of many Christians led them to have scruples about breaking the Sabbath. It is possible that Jesus had these scruples in view, but by no means conclusive, for in fleeing they would need the support and friendship of their Jewish brethren, who would be apt, not only to hinder, but even in those troublous and turbulent days, to show violence to any who openly disregarded the Sabbath. For it must be remembered that the Jews, not being guided by the admonitions of Christ, would regard the sudden flight of the Christians as unnecessarily hasty."
(The Fourfold Gospel, Online Bible Millennium Edition)
"Journeys were prohibited by the law of the Sabbath, Ex. 16:19. The law of Moses did not mention the distance to which persons might go on the Sabbath; but most of the Jews maintained that it should not be more than two thousand cubits. Some supposed that it was seven furlongs, or nearly a mile. This distance was allowed, in order that they might go to their places of worship. Most of them held that it was not lawful to go farther, under any circumstances of war or affliction. Jesus teaches them to pray that it might not be on the Sabbath, because if they should not go farther than a Sabbath-day's journey, they would not be beyond the reach of danger, and if they did, they would be exposed to the charge of violating the law. It should be added, that it was almost impracticable to travel in Judea on that day, as the gates of the cities were usually closed, Neh 13:19-22.
(Barnes New Testament Notes, Online Bible Millennium Edition)
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We will continue to chart through Matthew 24 next week...
Click here for this week's Answering The Atheist
Does God know and see everything? Some Bible texts say yes (Psalm 44:21; 139:7-8; Proverbs 15:3, etc.), other Bible texts say no (Genesis 3:8; 18:20-21; 22:12; Numbers 22:9, etc.). Is there a contradiction?
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