Matthew 24:21

21 for it will be a time of great suffering, such as never has been from the beginning of the world till now, and assuredly never will be again.

Matthew 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Matthew 24:21 In-Context

19 And alas for the women who at that time are with child or have infants!

20 "But pray that your flight may not be in winter, nor on the Sabbath;

21 for it will be a time of great suffering, such as never has been from the beginning of the world till now, and assuredly never will be again.

22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would escape; but for the sake of God's own People those days will be cut short.

23 "If at that time any one should say to you, `See, here is the Christ!' or `Here!' give no credence to it.