In the last section we looked at the parallel passages of Matthew 24:1-3, Mark 13:1-4, and Luke 21:5-7. If you only look at Matthew 24, it appears the disciples are asking three different questions, and many people take it that way. They understand the disciples to be asking (v3)"Tell us, when will these things be," (when will the temple be torn down?), "and what will be the sign of Your coming, (how will we know when you are coming back?) and of the end of the age?" Most of the popular Christian culture today takes that to mean the end of the world.

But what we see when we compare the parallel passages is that they were only asking one question in three different ways (in each of the three gospels). This is very, very clear in the parallel passages in Luke 21 and Mark 13:4 "Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?" What's the context? They had just been talking about the destruction of the temple. Jesus had said, "…not one stone here will be left upon another." So they are very naturally asking, "when will that happen and what are the signs that will precede it?" Then again in Luke, "Teacher when therefore will these things be and what will be the sign that these things are going to take place?" Again, they're asking, "when is the temple going to be torn down and how will we know when that's about to happen?" Notice that they ask for the sign, singular, just as they did in Matthew! Now let's pick up Jesus’ answer in Matthew 24, starting with verse 4:

Matthew 24: (v4) And Jesus answered and said to them (his disciples), "See to it that no one misleads you (disciples). (v5) For many will come in my name, saying 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. (v6) And you (disciples) will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you (disciples) are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. (v7) For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. (v8) But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. (v9) Then they will deliver you (disciples) to tribulation, and will kill you (disciples), and you (disciples) will be hated by all nations on account of My name. (v10) And at that time (the time of the disciples' tribulation) many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another. (v11) And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. (v12) And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. (v13) But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved. (v14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.

The question is, "The end of what?" What end is Jesus talking about? The answer is the end of the age. It is specifically the end of the Jewish age. Think about it. Does it make sense that if Jesus were answering the question of the disciples, "When is the temple going to be torn down?"; He would say, "There are going to be wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and false prophets and all that, and then the end of the world will come?" No! It doesn’t. Why would Jesus confuse his disciples? Why would he say something that they would not be able to understand? If they could not know about the things going on the world today, why would Jesus answer speaking of events 2000 years in the future? We need to understand context, context, context! What is the context of Matthew 24? The disciples asked when the temple was going to be torn down. What is the sign of the end of the Jewish age? That is what Jesus is answering. Notice that he says "you (disciples), you (disciples), and you (disciples). Who's he talking to? He's not talking to us. We can develop out of the Bible principles that apply to us, but in this particular case, the objective, contextual evidence is that Christ is talking about the destruction of the temple. We need to keep that in mind.

In the book, "The Parousia" (from the Greek word meaning "the coming" or "the appearance"), which was written by Jay Stuart Russell and reprinted in 1983, the premise is that everywhere in the New Testament that refers to "the coming of the Lord" it's not speaking of future events, or about the end of the world, but about Jesus Christ coming in judgment against the ungodly practices in the Jewish temple and bringing to a close the Jewish age. In Matthew remember that Jesus says (v6)And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. (v7)For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

We've been conditioned to believe that these things still lie in our future. But Russell gives us a different picture by quoting extensively from ancient writings, in particular a Jewish historian named Josephus. Russell writes of Matthew 24,

"It is impossible to read this section and fail to perceive it's distinct reference to the period between our Lord's crucifixion and the destruction of Jerusalem. Every word is spoken to the disciples and to them alone. To imagine that the 'you' in this address applies not to the disciples to whom Christ was speaking, but to someone unknown and yet nonexistent in a far distant age is so preposterous a supposition as to not deserve serious notice. That our Lord's words were fully verified during the interval between his crucifixion and the end of the age we have the most ample testimony. False christs and false prophets began to make their appearance at a very early period of the Christian era and continued to infest the land down to the very close of Jewish history. In the procuratorship of Pilate, AD 36 (3 (sic) years after the death of Christ), one such appeared in Samaria and deluded great multitudes. There was another in the procuratorship of Cuspius Fatus, AD 45, during the government of Felix, AD 53-60. Josephus tells us that the country was full of robbers, magicians, false prophets, false messiahs and imposters who deluded the people with promises of great events."

Josephus was a Jewish historian and he writes in The Antiquities that all these events were going on. Josephus was not a Christian. He was writing about the Jews, he was of Jewish extraction. He was a collaborator with the Romans. He's not building up the Christians in any way, but he says that all these things were going on. Russell continues,

"The same authority (Josephus) informs us that civil commotions and international feuds were rife in those days. Especially between the Jews and their neighbors. In Alexandria, in Seleucia, in Syria, in Babylonia, there were violent tumults between Jews and the Greeks, between Jews and the Syrians inhabiting the same cities. Every city is divided into two camps, says Josephus, the Jews and the others. (Josephus goes on and gives examples of cities divided into two camps.) In the reign of Caligula, great apprehensions were entertained in Judea at war with the Romans, in consequence of that tyrant's proposal to place his statue in the temple."

Think about this. The temple was the pinnacle of the Jewish faith. The temple was the place of the altar of sacrifice that allowed one to get rid of sins, to repent of sins. The temple was the place where God's Ark of the Covenant had been and where God himself had dwelled. Now this Roman emperor (who considered himself a god, and whom the Roman people considered a god), wants to put his statue in the temple. He wants to be equivalent with God. Is it any wonder the Jewish people got upset? Russell continues quoting Josephus,

"In the reign of the emperor Claudius, AD 41-54, there were four seasons of great scarcity. (Remember, Jesus said there was going to be famine). In the fourth year of his reign, the famine in Judea was so severe that the price of food became enormous and great numbers perished. Earthquakes occurred in each of the reigns of Caligula and Claudius. (He gives a footnote where those things are documented). Such calamities the Lord gave his disciples to understand would precede the end. But they were not its immediate antecedence, they were the beginning of birth pangs. But the end is not yet."

We in American Christianity have a kind of cultural myopia, a cultural nearsightedness. Most people today don't have the benefit of knowing history. We constantly think in terms of our immediate culture, without bothering to learn what was actually going on in the time immediately after Christ, in the time when the apostles were writing. When we do look at history, we see that there were wars and rumors of wars. In fact, there was incredible upheaval. There were also false prophets and false messiahs, people coming and proclaiming "I am the Christ." There were major earthquakes and major famines. But all these things were merely the beginning of birth pangs, Jesus says.

Jesus goes on in verse 15…

(v15) "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), (v16) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; (v17) let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; (v18) and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. (v19) But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! (v20) But pray that your flight (the disciples) may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; (v21) for then (when you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place) there will be a great tribulation, such as had not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.

Here is where we run across the famous term "The Great Tribulation." The popular teaching is that the Great Tribulation hasn't happened yet. The Great Tribulation is yet to come, because obviously there hasn't been anything that terrible that has happened in the past, has there? Yet, when you stop and read about some of the terrible things that went on during that particular period of time, it is incredible.

If you look at Matthew 24 15-22, Mark 13 14-20 and Luke 21:20-24 laid out in parallel form, you will note that Mark 13:14 reads, "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." In Luke 21:20 Jesus is quoted as saying, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. (v21)Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…"

What is the abomination of desolation spoken of in Daniel? What group of people is Jesus talking to? He is speaking to the disciples. What group is Jesus talking about? He is speaking about the Jewish people; the apostate Jews; the unbelieving Jews. What land or country is Jesus talking about? He is speaking about Israel. Again, he's talking about the destruction of the temple. He saying all these things are going to come upon Israel. What does Luke tell us about what the "abomination of desolation" is? Luke 21:20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand."

How many have seen the movies Ben Hur and The Robe? What did the Roman legion march around carrying before them? What was on the banners on their standards? An Eagle! What was the eagle to the Romans? It was a god. They were carrying the banner of one of their gods before them. The eagle was the god of the Roman army. Now what do you think the Jews would call Roman banners in the temple in Jerusalem? Abomination! The abomination of desolation. The temple was being desolated by other gods. I believe that is what Jesus is referring to.

Jesus says in Matthew 24:21, "…for then (When is the then? Some time in the future? No, it is when the siege of Jerusalem happens. Jesus is in effect saying, "During the siege of Jerusalem, when you disciples see the Roman army surrounding the temple…" then there will be a great tribulation, such as had not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.

Is Jesus talking about something that's going to happen in the future? No. He's talking about something that's going to happen to the people in the time of the apostles.

Let's step back for just a moment and think about the circumstances. When the Roman army invaded the land of Judea, what did the Jews do? They all went to seek refuge in Jerusalem. We think of Jerusalem as a fairly small city, but it was pretty big in those days. Do you have any idea how many people were in Jerusalem under siege by the Roman army? There were over two million people! According to Josephus, about two million people were killed in that two year siege. We're talking about two million people in a very tiny space with very little food and very little water for two years.

You might ask, "Was this really the greatest tribulation that ever occurred in history? Bear in mind there are several other places in the Scriptures that use the same kind of hyperbolic language. The same phrase is applied to other events in history, saying nothing ever happened this bad and nothing ever will again. This language is used to convey the idea of something unbelievably horrible! It doesn't necessarily mean the very worst in all of history in every conceivable sense, but rather that it ranks in the very worst kind of category.

A second point to consider is this. What is the worst crime that has ever occurred? The death of Jesus Christ; the crucifixion of the Messiah, God's Son! What deserved the greatest tribulation, the greatest outpouring of God's wrath?

Thirdly, not only were there two million people killed in Jerusalem, but more millions were killed in the country of Judea during the Jewish Wars in AD 66-70, which lasted 3-1/2 years.

Read what Josephus has to say regarding that time.

"Now of those that perished by famine in the city, the number was prodigious. And the miseries they underwent were unspeakable, for if so much as a shadow of any kind of food did anywhere appear, a war was commenced presently and the dearest friends fell to fighting with one another about it, snatching from each other the most miserable supports of life. Nor would men believe that those who were dying had no food, but the robbers would search them when they were expiring. (Here are people dying, and other people are going through their robes and searching their body to see if they were faking death and if they had any food on them.) Lest anyone should have concealed food in their bosoms and counterfeited dying, many of these robbers gaped for want and ran about stumbling and staggering along like mad dogs, reeling against the doors of houses like drunken men. They would also in the great distress they were in, rush into the very same house 2-3 times in one and the same day. (They didn't even remember what houses they had been in.) Moreover their hunger was so intolerable, that it obliged them to chew everything, while they gathered such things as the most sordid animals would not touch and endured to eat them. Nor did they at length abstain from girdles and shoes and the very leather which belonged to their shields, they pulled off and gnawed. The very wisps of old hay became food to some, and some gathered up fibers and sold a very small weight of them for 4 drachma. (These people were ripping the leather off their shields and eating their shoes because the famine was so severe.) But why do I describe the shameless impudence that the famine brought on men and their eating inanimate things? But I am going to relate a matter of fact, the like that which no history relates either among the Greeks or barbarians. (Remember Josephus is a Jewish historian, not a Christian. He's writing about things that he saw, people he interviewed during this period of time.) It is horrible to speak of it and incredible when heard. I have indeed unwillingly admitted this calamity of ours and I might not seem to deliver what is so portentous to posterity but I have innumerable witnesses to it in my own age. And besides my country would have had little reason to thank me for suppressing the miseries that this woman underwent at this time.

There was a certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan, her name was Mary. Her father was Eleazer… what food she contrived to save had also been carried off by the rapacious guards who came every day running in to her house for that purpose. But this poor woman came into very great passion and by the frequent reproaches and imprecations she cast at these villains, she had provoked them to anger against her. But none of them either out of the indignation she had raised against her self or out of the commiseration of her case would take away her life. And if she found any food, she perceived her labors were for others and not for herself. It had now become impossible for her to find any way to find any more food, while the famine pierced through her very bowels and marrow but also her passion was fired to a degree beyond the famine itself. She then attempted a most unnatural thing, and snatching up her son who was a child sucking at her breast she said, 'Oh you miserable infant. For whom shall I preserve you in this war? For famine, for this Sedition? As to the war with the Romans, if they preserve our lives we will be slaves. This famine will also destroy us. She slew her son and roasted him and ate one-half of him, and kept the other half by her concealed.

Upon this the Seditious came in presently and smelling the horrible scent of this food they threatened her that they would cut her throat immediately if she did not share them what food she had gotten ready. She replied that she had saved a very fine portion of it for them and uncovered what was left of her son. Hereupon they were seized with a horror and amazement of mind and stood astonished at the sight when she said to them, 'This is mine own son and what hath been done was mine own doing. Come, eat of this food for I have eaten of it myself.' They were sickened and they left. Upon which the whole city was full of this horrid action immediately and while everybody laid this miserable case before their own eyes they trembled, as if this unheard of action had been done by themselves. So those that were thus distressed by the famine were very desirous to die and those already dead were esteemed happy because they had not lived long enough either to hear or see such miseries."

You see, we tend to think in terms of our own culture; our own time. We don't think in terms of what was actually going on when two million people were shut up in a very small space for two years. They were killing each other. They were selling scraps of straw for food and gnawing the very leather from their shields.

A huge percentage of the population of Palestine and virtually all of Jerusalem were destroyed. David Chilton in his book Paradise Restored quotes Josephus, as I recall, that 2.1 million were killed in Jerusalem over the two year period of the siege. They literally had bodies heaped in the streets and the people would climb over the piles of bodies searching the corpses for food. We think in terms of the tribulation not yet coming, because we don't understand that it was a terrible, terrible situation.

Remember that Jesus is still speaking to the disciples when He says,

Matthew 24:22 And unless those days had been cut short, no lives would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short. (v23) Then if anyone says to you, "Behold, (disciples) here is the Christ,' or 'There he is,' do not believe him. (v24) "For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. (v25) "Behold, I have told you in advance."

There were many false christs during this period of time. They were pretending to be the Messiah, the Christ. Josephus verifies the fact that there were many throughout the land who were saying, "Here I am, follow me." So it's really important for us to know who the real Christ is. It's not somebody who simply says 'I am,' but it is the One of whom the Scriptures testify.