Matthäus 24:21

21 denn alsdann wird große Drangsal sein, dergleichen von Anfang der Welt bis jetzthin nicht gewesen ist, noch je sein wird;

Matthäus 24:21 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 24:21

For then shall be great tribulation
This is urged as a reason for their speedy flight; since the calamity that would come upon those who should remain in the city, what through the sword, famine, pestilence, murders, robberies would

be such as was not since the beginning of the world, to this time,
no, nor ever shall be.
The burning of Sodom and Gomorrha, the bondage of the children of Israel in Egypt, their captivity in Babylon, and all their distresses and afflictions in the times of the Maccabees, are nothing to be compared with the calamities which befell the Jews in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. Great desolations have been made in the besieging and at the taking of many famous cities, as Troy, Babylon, Carthage but none of them are to be mentioned with the deplorable case of this city. Whoever reads Josephus's account will be fully convinced of this; and readily join with him, who was an eyewitness of it, when he says {m}, that

``never did any city suffer such things, nor was there ever any generation that more abounded in malice or wickedness.''

And indeed, all this came upon them for their impenitence and infidelity, and for their rejection and murdering of the Son of God; for as never any before, or since, committed the sin they did, or ever will, so there never did, or will, the same calamity befall a nation, as did them.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 11.

Matthäus 24:21 In-Context

19 Wehe aber den Schwangeren und den Säugenden in jenen Tagen!
20 Betet aber, daß eure Flucht nicht im Winter geschehe, noch am Sabbath;
21 denn alsdann wird große Drangsal sein, dergleichen von Anfang der Welt bis jetzthin nicht gewesen ist, noch je sein wird;
22 und wenn jene Tage nicht verkürzt würden, so würde kein Fleisch gerettet werden; aber um der Auserwählten willen werden jene Tage verkürzt werden.
23 Alsdann, wenn jemand zu euch sagt: Siehe, hier ist der Christus, oder: Hier! so glaubet nicht.
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