What is the meaning of Matthew 24:21? For at that time Jesus has just warned, “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel…” (Matthew 24:15). • The phrase fixes the moment: immediately after that desecration and the ensuing flight to safety (vv. 16–20). • This is the same decisive hour Daniel foresaw: “At that time Michael will arise… and there will be a time of distress” (Daniel 12:1). • Revelation later looks back and labels it “the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14), tying the timeline together. Jesus is not speaking in vague terms but marking a particular, literal stage of redemptive history that will unfold exactly as foretold. there will be great tribulation • “Tribulation” is pressure, anguish—here on a global, intensified scale. • Jeremiah called it “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), signaling Israel’s central place in the storm. • Zechariah 13:8–9, Revelation 6–16, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12 describe judgments, persecution, deception, and cosmic upheaval that match Jesus’ forecast. • Believers reading this can take comfort from His promise to shorten those days “for the sake of the elect” (Matthew 24:22), highlighting God’s protective hand even in wrath. unseen from the beginning of the world until now • Jesus compares the coming crisis to every catastrophe since creation—Noah’s flood (Genesis 6–8), the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7–12), the Babylonian siege (Lamentations), even A.D. 70. None reach the scale or severity He is predicting. • This wording underscores literal uniqueness; it is not merely “as bad as it gets,” it is categorically worse. • Daniel used identical language: “such as has never occurred since the nations came into existence” (Daniel 12:1), confirming that Jesus is amplifying Daniel’s prophecy, not replacing it. and never to be seen again • The anguish has a God-ordained limit. Once completed, that level of suffering will never recur. • Revelation 20:1–6 pictures Christ’s millennial reign following these events, a period of peace proving that the tribulation will not repeat. • Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 echo the promise of global harmony afterward, reinforcing the finality of this tribulation. • Because it is unrepeatable, believers can be sure God’s judgment will fully and finally deal with evil, clearing the way for Christ’s visible kingdom. summary Matthew 24:21 is Jesus’ sober announcement of a future, unparalleled season of judgment that follows the abomination of desolation and precedes His return. It will eclipse every prior disaster, yet it will be strictly limited and never repeated. Knowing this, we can trust God’s timeline, rest in His protection for His people, and look forward with certainty to the righteous reign that will follow. |
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