Matthew 24:21 (1st century historical fulfillment?)
Matthew 24:20 - Flight on a Sabbath (1st century historical understanding?):Click here Matthew 24:21
Matthew 24:22 - Days shortened (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:21: "For at-that-time there-will-be (a) great affliction such-as has not taken-place since (the) beginning (of the) world until now, nor ever will-take-place."
1st century audience?
Jesus said in Matthew 24:20-21: "BE-PRAYING that YOUR flight may not take-place (in) winter, nor (on a) Sabbath. FOR AT-THAT-TIME there-will-be (a) GREAT AFFLICTION".
Jesus here commanded specifically His 1st century disciples to "BE-PRAYING" (Matthew 24:20) about "YOUR" (Matthew 24:20) flight, "FOR AT-THAT-TIME there-will-be (a) GREAT AFFLICTION" (Matthew 24:21).
Jesus addressed here His 1st century disciples, as 18 verses earlier "THE DISCIPLES came to Him privately, saying, “Tell US" (Matthew 24:3) and "having-responded, Jesus said (to) THEM" (Matthew 24:4) these things.
Local context?
Jesus said in Matthew 24:16: "let the (ones) in JUDEA BE-FLEEING to the mountains". Jesus here introduced a local context of JUDEA specifically.
4 verses later, Jesus mentioned in that context to pray for the timing to BE-FLEEING to not be on a certain timing, as He said to "be-praying that your FLIGHT may not take-place (in) winter, nor (on a) Sabbath. FOR at-that-time there-will-be (a) GREAT AFFLICTION" (Matthew 24:20-21).
So here the "GREAT AFFLICTION" (Matthew 24:21) was to happen in the context of their FLIGHT as they were to BE-FLEEING JUDEA specifically. The disciples here could BE-FLEEING from JUDEA "to the mountains" (Matthew 24:16) to find safety from that "GREAT AFFLICTION" (Matthew 24:21).
For more information on "fleeing to the mountains":
Matthew 24:16 - Flee to the mountains (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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1st century events
Jesus said in Matthew 24:20-21: "there-will-be (a) GREAT AFFLICTION such-as has not taken-place since (the) beginning (of the) world until now".
Around AD 66, the First Jewish-Roman War started, after that the Romans attacked the Jewish people in JUDEA. This war led to a GREAT AFFLICTION for the Jewish people at that time, even leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple around three and a half years later around AD 70.
The 1st century historian Josephus recorded in his preface of the First Jewish-Roman War that this war had been the "GREATEST" of all "in a manner of those that ever were heard of".
The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":
Preface 1: "Whereas the war which the Jews made with the Romans has been the greatest of all those, not only that have been in our times, but, in a manner, of those that ever were heard of; both of those wherein cities have fought against cities, or nations against nations."
Jesus said specifically in Matthew 24:21 that "there-will-be (a) GREAT AFFLICTION such-as has not taken-place SINCE (the) BEGINNING (of the) WORLD until now".
The 1st century historian Josephus recorded about the First Jewish-Roman War that the destructions exceeded all the destructions that men or God "EVER brought upon the WORLD". Referring to the destruction of Jerusalem around AD 70 by the Roman during that same war, he wrote that neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries "FROM the BEGINNING of the WORLD".
The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":
(6.4.9): "Accordingly, the multitude of those that therein perished exceeded all the destructions that either men or God ever brought upon the world."
(5.10.5): "[N]either, did any other city ever suffer such miseries . . . from the beginning of the world"
"Nor will ever take place?"
Jesus said in Matthew 24:20-21 that "there-will-be (a) GREAT AFFLICTION such-as has not taken-place since (the) beginning (of the) world until now, NOR EVER WILL-TAKE-PLACE".
Similar language can be found elsewhere in the Bible, and may be idiomatic in nature (to declare the GREATNESS of something).
For example, it was written about "Solomon" (1 Kings 3:10): "I have given to you an understanding and WISE heart; there has not been (anyone) like you before you, and AFTER YOU THERE SHALL NOT ARISE (ONE) LIKE YOU" (1 Kings 3:12).
Yet later in Matthew it is written that Jesus was now GREATER than Solomon, reminding about a woman in the time of Solomon that "she-came from the ends (of) the earth to-hear the WISDOM (of) Solomon, and behold — (a) GREATER (one than) Solomon (is) here" (Matthew 12:42).
Another example, in 2 Kings it is written about "Hezekiah" (2 Kings 18:1) that "He hoped in the LORD God of Israel; and AFTER HIM THERE WAS NONE LIKE TO HIM AMONG (THE) KINGS OF JUDAH, nor among the ones having been before him" (2 Kings 18:5).
It is written 5 chapters later about another person who was "KING Josiah" (2 Kings 23:24) who was also a KING of JUDAH, and about him it was written that "There was no KING like him before him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses; and AFTER HIM THERE DID NOT RISE (ANY) LIKE TO HIM" (2 Kings 23:25).
An early Christian author said specifically that Jesus was showing "the GREATNESS of the calamity" before quoting what Jesus said in Matthew 24:21.
In the 4th century, a Christian author named Chrysostom wrote in "Homilies on Matthew":
Homily 76: "Then, to show again the greatness of the calamity, He says, Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. [Matthew 24:20-21]"
Early Christian author
An early Christian author referred to the GREAT TRIBULATION as what happened around the time of the First Jewish-Roman War.
In the 4th century, a Christian author named Chrysostom wrote in "Homilies on Matthew":
Homily 76: "'Pray ye', says He [Jesus]; 'for then shall be tribulation, such as never was, neither shall be'. [...] study the writings of Josephus, and learn the truth of the sayings. For neither can any one say, that the man [Josephus] being a believer, in order to establish Christ's words, has exaggerated the tragical history. For indeed He was both a Jew, and a determined Jew, and very zealous, and among them that lived after Christ's coming. What then says this man? That those terrors surpassed all tragedy, and that no such had ever overtaken the nation."
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