But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Christ spoke these words on the Mount of Olives shortly before Gethsemane in answer to questions about the destruction of the temple, the sign of His coming, and the end of the world. He warned believers who would have to flee Judea and Jerusalem to pray that their escape would not come in winter or on the Sabbath day. About forty years later His followers heeded that warning when Jerusalem was besieged, fleeing to the mountains without traveling in winter or on the Sabbath, and none of them perished in the city's destruction. The warning shows the Sabbath remained sacred and binding after Christ's death and resurrection, for He who made it did not abolish it, nail it to His cross, or announce another day in its place. That overthrow of Jerusalem was only a partial fulfillment and stands as a type of the final ruin by fire that shall overwhelm the world, so the prophecy has a more direct application to the last days and calls all to study its signs, watch and be ready, for the Son of man comes in an hour they think not.
Setting and Immediate Fulfillment
The instruction belongs to the discourse recorded in Matthew 24-25, spoken from the Mount of Olives shortly before Gethsemane. It was given in answer to the disciples' questions about the destruction of the temple, the sign of His coming, and the end of the world. That discourse blends the destruction of Jerusalem with the final judgment. It traces important events in the history of the world and the church from Christ's first advent to His second, including Jerusalem's destruction, persecution, signs in the heavens, and His coming in His kingdom. It describes the persecution and suffering His followers would face from His departure until His return in power and glory. It was given both for the disciples and for those who would afterward believe, living in the last scenes of earth's history, to instruct them about the signs of the times and help them prepare for the great conflict.
The verse warns believers facing flight from Judea and Jerusalem to pray that their escape not come in winter or on the Sabbath day. The warning was to be heeded about forty years later, at the fall and destruction of Jerusalem when the city was besieged. Christ's followers obeyed by leaving the city and fleeing to the mountains, escaping from the besieged city without traveling in winter or on the Sabbath. None perished in the city's destruction.
The ruin of Jerusalem warned of in the prophecy received a partial fulfillment in the overthrow of Jerusalem. That ruin was a symbol of the final ruin by fire that shall overwhelm the world. The prophecies of that ruin have a more direct application to the last days.
Sabbath Remains Binding
The prayer that flight from Judea and Jerusalem not fall on the Sabbath treats that day as sacred and binding after death and resurrection. The warning looked forward about forty years beyond ascension to the destruction of Jerusalem, and for those forty years the disciples were to pray that their escape would not come on that day. When the city was besieged, followers were able to leave and flee to the mountains without traveling in winter or on the Sabbath. The Sabbath so honored was still the creation Sabbath, and the command to pray thus upholds the continuing obligation of the Sabbath commandment.
He who made the Sabbath did not abolish it in dying and did not nail it to His cross. No new Sabbath was announced in its place. The fourth commandment retained its claim forty years afterward at the fall of Jerusalem.
His death confirms rather than sets aside the unchanging character of the law. The fourth commandment and the seventh-day Sabbath therefore continue to hold their claim upon His followers and upon the human family as long as heaven and earth remain.
Prophecy and Final Preparation
Matthew 24 is the great prophecy of the history of the present dispensation through to the complete restitution of all things. It begins with the church in warfare and suffering on the way to promised redemption. It dwells especially on the thrilling and momentous closing scenes of this world's history, 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.
Matthew 24-25 describes Christ's second coming to the world with power and great glory to send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and gather His elect from the four winds. Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but the Father only. As in the days of Noah before the flood men were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the flood came and took them all away, so believers must watch and be ready, for in such an hour as they think not the Son of man comes. Blessing and rulership over all goods await the faithful and wise servant found giving meat in due season, while cutting asunder and a portion with the hypocrites with weeping and gnashing of teeth await the evil servant who says in his heart that his lord delays his coming and smites his fellow servants and eats and drinks with the drunken. This portrayal of the condition of the church at Christ's coming is to arouse earnest zeal in the true believer.
The prophecies of Matthew 24, including this verse, must be studied and brought to the attention of all. Ministers and teachers must present these prophecies to those they instruct, leaving matters of lesser consequence, because the truths they contain decide the eternal destiny of souls. They are to be explained to people as part of the sure word of prophecy. Their predictions are being fulfilled in the present time, and their unmistakable fulfillment shows that Christ's coming is at hand and calls the church to arouse.
The verse belongs to what Christ foretold while on earth to His disciples about the signs of the times that precede His revelation in heaven. Those signs were given to instruct those who would afterward believe and to warn people to prepare for the revelation of the Son of man in heaven and to help them prepare for the great conflict. Indifference to them is sinful, while discerning them in this age of the world calls for reaching a higher standard, with watchfulness and readiness so that day does not overtake believers unexpectedly. The verse is connected with the perils of the last days and the shortness of time.
The ruin of Jerusalem warned of in the prophecy received a partial fulfillment in the overthrow of Jerusalem and was a symbol of the final ruin by fire that shall overwhelm the world, with a more direct application to the last days. Its warning now stands on the threshold of great and solemn events and a crisis such as the world has never witnessed. In that crisis comes the assurance that God's kingdom rules over all, that the program of coming events is in the hands of the Maker, and that the destiny of nations as well as the concerns of His church are in His own charge.
Christ spoke these words on the Mount of Olives shortly before Gethsemane in answer to questions about the destruction of the temple, the sign of His coming, and the end of the world. He warned believers who would have to flee Judea and Jerusalem to pray that their escape would not come in winter or on the Sabbath day. About forty years later His followers heeded that warning when Jerusalem was besieged, fleeing to the mountains without traveling in winter or on the Sabbath, and none of them perished in the city's destruction. The warning shows the Sabbath remained sacred and binding after Christ's death and resurrection, for He who made it did not abolish it, nail it to His cross, or announce another day in its place. That overthrow of Jerusalem was only a partial fulfillment and stands as a type of the final ruin by fire that shall overwhelm the world, so the prophecy has a more direct application to the last days and calls all to study its signs, watch and be ready, for the Son of man comes in an hour they think not.
Setting and Immediate Fulfillment
The instruction belongs to the discourse recorded in Matthew 24-25, spoken from the Mount of Olives shortly before Gethsemane. It was given in answer to the disciples' questions about the destruction of the temple, the sign of His coming, and the end of the world. That discourse blends the destruction of Jerusalem with the final judgment. It traces important events in the history of the world and the church from Christ's first advent to His second, including Jerusalem's destruction, persecution, signs in the heavens, and His coming in His kingdom. It describes the persecution and suffering His followers would face from His departure until His return in power and glory. It was given both for the disciples and for those who would afterward believe, living in the last scenes of earth's history, to instruct them about the signs of the times and help them prepare for the great conflict.
The verse warns believers facing flight from Judea and Jerusalem to pray that their escape not come in winter or on the Sabbath day. The warning was to be heeded about forty years later, at the fall and destruction of Jerusalem when the city was besieged. Christ's followers obeyed by leaving the city and fleeing to the mountains, escaping from the besieged city without traveling in winter or on the Sabbath. None perished in the city's destruction.
The ruin of Jerusalem warned of in the prophecy received a partial fulfillment in the overthrow of Jerusalem. That ruin was a symbol of the final ruin by fire that shall overwhelm the world. The prophecies of that ruin have a more direct application to the last days.
Sabbath Remains Binding
The prayer that flight from Judea and Jerusalem not fall on the Sabbath treats that day as sacred and binding after death and resurrection. The warning looked forward about forty years beyond ascension to the destruction of Jerusalem, and for those forty years the disciples were to pray that their escape would not come on that day. When the city was besieged, followers were able to leave and flee to the mountains without traveling in winter or on the Sabbath. The Sabbath so honored was still the creation Sabbath, and the command to pray thus upholds the continuing obligation of the Sabbath commandment.
He who made the Sabbath did not abolish it in dying and did not nail it to His cross. No new Sabbath was announced in its place. The fourth commandment retained its claim forty years afterward at the fall of Jerusalem.
His death confirms rather than sets aside the unchanging character of the law. The fourth commandment and the seventh-day Sabbath therefore continue to hold their claim upon His followers and upon the human family as long as heaven and earth remain.
Prophecy and Final Preparation
Matthew 24 is the great prophecy of the history of the present dispensation through to the complete restitution of all things. It begins with the church in warfare and suffering on the way to promised redemption. It dwells especially on the thrilling and momentous closing scenes of this world's history, 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.
Matthew 24-25 describes Christ's second coming to the world with power and great glory to send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and gather His elect from the four winds. Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but the Father only. As in the days of Noah before the flood men were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the flood came and took them all away, so believers must watch and be ready, for in such an hour as they think not the Son of man comes. Blessing and rulership over all goods await the faithful and wise servant found giving meat in due season, while cutting asunder and a portion with the hypocrites with weeping and gnashing of teeth await the evil servant who says in his heart that his lord delays his coming and smites his fellow servants and eats and drinks with the drunken. This portrayal of the condition of the church at Christ's coming is to arouse earnest zeal in the true believer.
The prophecies of Matthew 24, including this verse, must be studied and brought to the attention of all. Ministers and teachers must present these prophecies to those they instruct, leaving matters of lesser consequence, because the truths they contain decide the eternal destiny of souls. They are to be explained to people as part of the sure word of prophecy. Their predictions are being fulfilled in the present time, and their unmistakable fulfillment shows that Christ's coming is at hand and calls the church to arouse.
The verse belongs to what Christ foretold while on earth to His disciples about the signs of the times that precede His revelation in heaven. Those signs were given to instruct those who would afterward believe and to warn people to prepare for the revelation of the Son of man in heaven and to help them prepare for the great conflict. Indifference to them is sinful, while discerning them in this age of the world calls for reaching a higher standard, with watchfulness and readiness so that day does not overtake believers unexpectedly. The verse is connected with the perils of the last days and the shortness of time.
The ruin of Jerusalem warned of in the prophecy received a partial fulfillment in the overthrow of Jerusalem and was a symbol of the final ruin by fire that shall overwhelm the world, with a more direct application to the last days. Its warning now stands on the threshold of great and solemn events and a crisis such as the world has never witnessed. In that crisis comes the assurance that God's kingdom rules over all, that the program of coming events is in the hands of the Maker, and that the destiny of nations as well as the concerns of His church are in His own charge.