Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
In Christ's answer about the end of the world, the sign to flee was the Roman army with its idolatrous standards set up on holy ground outside Jerusalem, and at its appearance those in Judea and in the city were to escape at once to the mountains without hesitation or returning for possessions or clothing. Forty years later when Jerusalem was destroyed, the Christians who heeded that warning escaped without loss of life. That overthrow was only a partial fulfilment and a type and symbol of the world's final destruction by fire, so the command has a more direct application to the last days now at hand. As the siege warned Judean believers to flee, so in the coming crisis when the nation enforces the papal Sabbath by decree, God's people will be warned to leave the large cities, then the smaller ones, for secluded homes among the mountains. Its predictions are being fulfilled today showing Christ's coming is sudden and near, and therefore these prophecies must be studied again and again and brought to believers and unbelievers to rouse those who know the truth from sleep and prepare them for the great conflict.
Historical Warning and Escape
The command belongs to the discourse Christ gave on Olivet shortly before entering Gethsemane in answer to the question about the signs of His coming and the end of the world. In that discourse the destruction of Jerusalem and His coming are described together, and the view reaches forward to the final judgment and the last scenes of earth's history. The answer traces the important events of the world and the church from His first advent to His second.
That survey includes the destruction of Jerusalem, persecution under pagan and papal powers, and signs in the heavens. It also covers the experience of His followers in the interval, foretelling that they would face persecution, humiliation, reproach and suffering from the world's rulers through the ages until Christ should return to deliver them.
The sign that was to start the flight was the setting up of the Roman army's idolatrous standards, the sign of desolation, on holy ground outside the walls of Jerusalem. When that sign of approaching destruction appeared, those in Judea, including those in the city itself, were to flee at once to the mountains. The flight allowed no hesitation, no returning home for possessions, and no leaving work to go back for a garment, lest delay leave them caught in the destruction.
The warning was to be heeded forty years later when Jerusalem was destroyed. The Christians who obeyed it escaped without loss of life, and none of them perished in the city's destruction.
Prophecy for Final Crisis
Jerusalem's overthrow was only a partial fulfillment of the prophecy, a type and symbol of the final ruin by fire that shall overwhelm the world, so the command to those in Judea to flee to the mountains has a more direct application to the last days now at hand. It points to the threshold of great and solemn events just ahead, a crisis such as the world has never witnessed. Yet God's kingdom rules over all, and the program of coming events is in the hands of the Maker who has the destiny of nations and the concerns of His church in His own charge.
The prophecy to which the command belongs sketches history from the start of the present dispensation to the complete restitution of all things. It introduces the church in her warfare and sufferings on the way to her promised redemption, leading to the final triumph of God's people, the destruction of Satan and all his followers, the total and eternal extirpation of evil from the universe, and the renovation of the earth as the everlasting inheritance of the saints. These are prophetic waymarks showing that what was foretold will surely come to pass.
The discourse places the flight within the account of Christ's second coming to the world described in Matthew 24 and 25, when the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven and He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and sends His angels with a great sound of a trumpet to gather His elect from the four winds. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal warning Judean Christians to flee, so in the future crisis when the nation shall enforce the papal Sabbath by decree, God's people will receive warning to leave the large cities, then the smaller ones, for secluded homes among the mountains.
The chapter warns of coming calamities, with wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes in divers places showing the day of the Lord is near and the judgments of God are in the world, and that time is right ahead. Cities whose inhabitants reject God's messages may face judgment and sudden destruction, and when danger from coming judgment is signaled those in the threatened place must flee at once rather than delay. Even the slightest warning leaves no safety in dallying, and destruction coming upon one city should lead people elsewhere to take warning and seek repentance. That flight must be immediate and as fast as possible, with no chance to go down from the housetop through the house for luggage or to pack up goods, so accumulating a great amount of property now will not pay.
Call to Study and Readiness
The prophecies of Matthew 24, to which this flight belongs, are to be studied again and again and brought before all, both believers and unbelievers. They are the sure word of prophecy and the foundation of faith, to be presented and explained by ministers and teachers. In that presentation matters of minor consequence are to be left out in order to set forth present truths that decide eternal destiny. They are to be studied carefully together with Daniel and Revelation and in connection with Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Their predictions are being fulfilled today, and their unmistakable fulfillment shows that Christ's coming is at hand. That coming is sudden and near, though its exact time and what may break forth cannot be told. The signs and instruction given to the disciples were given to help later believers prepare for the great conflict and to warn all to prepare for the revelation of the Son of man. The fulfillment of those signs of the times should rouse those who know the truth from lethargy and sleep and spur them to their work, for questions of eternal importance are before us.
Readiness requires humbling the heart day by day and imparting to others the light received. The outline of what is to come upon the world describes the perils of the last days as now present, when those perishing in sin must be warned with the last message of mercy. Everyone entrusted with means is called to give money to advance gospel work, as in sustaining the work in New York City, instead of spending it in self-gratification unto eternal loss.
The command allows no going into the house to take anything out of it, but requires making way to the mountains as fast as possible without delay for possessions. When wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes in diverse places show the day of the Lord is near and the judgments of God are in the land, that time of flight is right ahead. Because there will be no chance to go down from the housetop through the house for luggage or to pack up goods, accumulating a great amount of property now will not pay. The urgency of fleeing without stopping to collect possessions from houses is a reason to bring up children outside crowded cities, where they have room and land to cultivate. The warning comes as an angel waking sleeping believers and showing them a prepared path, with no time to lose.
In Christ's answer about the end of the world, the sign to flee was the Roman army with its idolatrous standards set up on holy ground outside Jerusalem, and at its appearance those in Judea and in the city were to escape at once to the mountains without hesitation or returning for possessions or clothing. Forty years later when Jerusalem was destroyed, the Christians who heeded that warning escaped without loss of life. That overthrow was only a partial fulfilment and a type and symbol of the world's final destruction by fire, so the command has a more direct application to the last days now at hand. As the siege warned Judean believers to flee, so in the coming crisis when the nation enforces the papal Sabbath by decree, God's people will be warned to leave the large cities, then the smaller ones, for secluded homes among the mountains. Its predictions are being fulfilled today showing Christ's coming is sudden and near, and therefore these prophecies must be studied again and again and brought to believers and unbelievers to rouse those who know the truth from sleep and prepare them for the great conflict.
Historical Warning and Escape
The command belongs to the discourse Christ gave on Olivet shortly before entering Gethsemane in answer to the question about the signs of His coming and the end of the world. In that discourse the destruction of Jerusalem and His coming are described together, and the view reaches forward to the final judgment and the last scenes of earth's history. The answer traces the important events of the world and the church from His first advent to His second.
That survey includes the destruction of Jerusalem, persecution under pagan and papal powers, and signs in the heavens. It also covers the experience of His followers in the interval, foretelling that they would face persecution, humiliation, reproach and suffering from the world's rulers through the ages until Christ should return to deliver them.
The sign that was to start the flight was the setting up of the Roman army's idolatrous standards, the sign of desolation, on holy ground outside the walls of Jerusalem. When that sign of approaching destruction appeared, those in Judea, including those in the city itself, were to flee at once to the mountains. The flight allowed no hesitation, no returning home for possessions, and no leaving work to go back for a garment, lest delay leave them caught in the destruction.
The warning was to be heeded forty years later when Jerusalem was destroyed. The Christians who obeyed it escaped without loss of life, and none of them perished in the city's destruction.
Prophecy for Final Crisis
Jerusalem's overthrow was only a partial fulfillment of the prophecy, a type and symbol of the final ruin by fire that shall overwhelm the world, so the command to those in Judea to flee to the mountains has a more direct application to the last days now at hand. It points to the threshold of great and solemn events just ahead, a crisis such as the world has never witnessed. Yet God's kingdom rules over all, and the program of coming events is in the hands of the Maker who has the destiny of nations and the concerns of His church in His own charge.
The prophecy to which the command belongs sketches history from the start of the present dispensation to the complete restitution of all things. It introduces the church in her warfare and sufferings on the way to her promised redemption, leading to the final triumph of God's people, the destruction of Satan and all his followers, the total and eternal extirpation of evil from the universe, and the renovation of the earth as the everlasting inheritance of the saints. These are prophetic waymarks showing that what was foretold will surely come to pass.
The discourse places the flight within the account of Christ's second coming to the world described in Matthew 24 and 25, when the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven and He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and sends His angels with a great sound of a trumpet to gather His elect from the four winds. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal warning Judean Christians to flee, so in the future crisis when the nation shall enforce the papal Sabbath by decree, God's people will receive warning to leave the large cities, then the smaller ones, for secluded homes among the mountains.
The chapter warns of coming calamities, with wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes in divers places showing the day of the Lord is near and the judgments of God are in the world, and that time is right ahead. Cities whose inhabitants reject God's messages may face judgment and sudden destruction, and when danger from coming judgment is signaled those in the threatened place must flee at once rather than delay. Even the slightest warning leaves no safety in dallying, and destruction coming upon one city should lead people elsewhere to take warning and seek repentance. That flight must be immediate and as fast as possible, with no chance to go down from the housetop through the house for luggage or to pack up goods, so accumulating a great amount of property now will not pay.
Call to Study and Readiness
The prophecies of Matthew 24, to which this flight belongs, are to be studied again and again and brought before all, both believers and unbelievers. They are the sure word of prophecy and the foundation of faith, to be presented and explained by ministers and teachers. In that presentation matters of minor consequence are to be left out in order to set forth present truths that decide eternal destiny. They are to be studied carefully together with Daniel and Revelation and in connection with Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Their predictions are being fulfilled today, and their unmistakable fulfillment shows that Christ's coming is at hand. That coming is sudden and near, though its exact time and what may break forth cannot be told. The signs and instruction given to the disciples were given to help later believers prepare for the great conflict and to warn all to prepare for the revelation of the Son of man. The fulfillment of those signs of the times should rouse those who know the truth from lethargy and sleep and spur them to their work, for questions of eternal importance are before us.
Readiness requires humbling the heart day by day and imparting to others the light received. The outline of what is to come upon the world describes the perils of the last days as now present, when those perishing in sin must be warned with the last message of mercy. Everyone entrusted with means is called to give money to advance gospel work, as in sustaining the work in New York City, instead of spending it in self-gratification unto eternal loss.
The command allows no going into the house to take anything out of it, but requires making way to the mountains as fast as possible without delay for possessions. When wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes in diverse places show the day of the Lord is near and the judgments of God are in the land, that time of flight is right ahead. Because there will be no chance to go down from the housetop through the house for luggage or to pack up goods, accumulating a great amount of property now will not pay. The urgency of fleeing without stopping to collect possessions from houses is a reason to bring up children outside crowded cities, where they have room and land to cultivate. The warning comes as an angel waking sleeping believers and showing them a prepared path, with no time to lose.