An Interpretation of Matthew 24-25 (Part 14)

Dr. Thomas Ice

"then let those who are in Judeaflee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get thethings out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn backto get his cloak. But woe to thosewho are with child and to those whonurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on aSabbath;"

-Matthew 24:16-20

Previously, wesaw that verse 15 describes an event that fixes the chronological mid-point ofthe seven-year tribulation. Verses16-20 describe the recommended response of the faithful who see the abominationof desolation in Jerusalem. Theyare to get out of Dodge as fast as they can. Why? It isbecause the second-half of the tribulation will be a time of persecution andgreat tribulation for the Jewish remnant.

The Command to Flee

This passage issaying that the moment the Jewish Remnant (the elect in verses 22, 24 and 31)sees the watershed event of the abomination of desolation then they are to fleeto the Judean hills. Why are theyto flee instantly? It is becausewith the instantaneous event of the Beast (antichrist) setting up theabomination of desolation in the rebuilt Jewish Temple, he goes from protectingIsrael to persecuting her. Therefore, the sooner that the Remnant can get out of town, then theless likely it will be that antichrist will be able to persecute the Jews. Another reason why they will be able toflee instantly is because they will be miraculously providedfor and protected as they make their way to Petra for three and a half years ofsafekeeping.

Matthew 24:16-20provides a set of instructions for the Remnant. Christ tells them where to go: the Judean mountains. Jesus says to flee instantly. Don't even take a few minutes tocollect a few personal belongings like your cloak in the field or a few itemsfrom your house for the journey. He warns that it will be difficult to navigate the mountainous terrainif pregnant or nursing a newborn. Jesus does not say that it will be impossible, but it will bedifficult. Difficulty will becompounded if this event occurs in winter or on a Sabbath, because of the addedrestrictions that these times pose. The winter in Israel is the rainy season which increases the hazards oftravel in the Judean hills because the creeks and rivers provide an obstaclenot there during other seasons. The Sabbath imposes a travel restriction that is not in force on theother six days of the week that poses a real problem to the observant Jew. So why are the Jewish Remnant supposedto be aware of a special event which triggers their escape into the Judeawilderness, yet they are not told to make any preparations for that day?

Miraculous Provision

While Matthew24:16-20 focuses upon the divinely suggested response to the abomination ofdesolation by the Jewish Remnant, other passages provide a more completepicture of this three and a half year wilderness sojourn. The parallel passage of Revelation 12provides further details of this mid-tribulational escape. Revelation 12:6 says, "And the woman [Israel] fled into the wilderness where shehad a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for onethousand two hundred and sixty days." The key word in this verse is "nourished." This explains why the Jewish Remnant is told to flee withoutconsideration for any provisions, because God has prepared a place where Israelwill be nourished and taken care of for three and a half years (the second-halfof the tribulation).

Noticesome of the Old Testament passages that describe God's provision for His peopleduring this three and a half year period:

The afflicted and needy areseeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst; I,the Lord, will answer them Myself,as the God of Israel I will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in themidst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry landfountains of water. I will put thecedar in the wilderness, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree; I willplace the juniper in the desert, together with the box tree and the cypress,that they may see and recognize, and consider and gain insight as well, thatthe hand of the Lord has donethis, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

-Isaiah41:17-20

"I willsurely assemble all of you, Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant ofIsrael. I will put them togetherlike sheep in the fold [Hebrew word is basrah]; like a flock in the midst of its pasture they will benoisy with men."

-Micah2:12

The drama isfurther explained in Revelation 12:12-13, which reads as follows:

For this reason, rejoice, Oheavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you,having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time. And when the dragon saw that he wasthrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the malechild.

Satan'swrath is directed toward the Jewish Remnant at the middle of thetribulation. This requires Divineprotection. There is cause andeffect relationship between the heavenly (the casting of Satan from heaven toearth) and earthly (the abomination of desolation) events. At the mid-point of the tribulation,Satan now indwells the human antichrist and commences his campaign ofanti-Semitism against the Jews with all haste. Thus, the need for a hasty retreat by Israel as advocated byJesus.

Next, Revelation12:14 says, "And the two wings of the great eaglewere given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to herplace, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from thepresence of the serpent." The "twowings of the great eagle," do not refer to the Israeli or American AirForces. Instead, it is a figure ofspeech denoting Divine assistance, like that which was given to Israel duringthe Exodus and for her forty-year wonderings. That very same language was used in Exodus 19:4 of God's miraculousprovision for the nation: "You yourselves have seen what I did tothe Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you toMyself." Deuteronomy 32:10-12speaks of a similar miraculous provision at the Exodus in relationship toeagles' wings.

Puttingthe pieces of the puzzle together, it appears that the Jewish Remnant can fleeJerusalem without concern for provisions, since God will nurture and care forthem as He did the Exodus generation through miraculous means. Very likely the Lord will provide food(perhaps manna), water, and clothing for His Remnant that will be on the runand in hiding so as to escape the persecution of the dragon during the finalhalf of the tribulation.

PreteristObjections

Regularreaders of this commentary will not be surprised to learn that preterists donot agree with this interpretation. Predictably, they believe Matthew 24:16-20 was fulfilled in the firstcentury. Gary DeMar says, "Matthew 24:16-20 clearly presents first-century-Israelliving conditions."[1] This presents no problem at all for afuture fulfillment. In fact, Ihave been to Jerusalem a number of times over the years. In the old city, many of the houses arevery old and have retained many of the features of "first-century-Israel,"including the fact that the top of one's roof is still part of modern living inJerusalem. In fact, one of thebest ways to navigate across the old city is to walk on the roofs. I have done it many times. DeMar needs a good tour of "modern"Jerusalem. The points he makes inhis attempt to argue that this passage requires a first-century setting have notraction and does not at all render a modern fulfillment unlikely.

Dr.Kenneth Gentry speaks of "Christ's dire warning to flee without turning back(Matt. 24:16-18). Once Titus beginsencircling the city, it will not take him long to seal it off from the outerworld (Matt. 24:16-20)."[2] There are a number of problems withtrying to make Dr. Gentry's position fit the a.d.70 event. Dr. Randall Priceprovides the following objections to Dr. Gentry's misguided assertion:

According to the fourth-century Church historian Eusebius,Christians fled to Pella in a.d.61-62, many years before the beginning of the Jewish Revolt in a.d. 66, and many more years before the"abomination of desolation" (according to the preterist's interpretation)occurred with the Roman army surrounding Jerusalem or entering the Templeprecincts in a.d. 70. To thisproblem should be added the fact that the Romans controlled the Judeancountryside (to which Jerusalem belongs) as well as its immediate environs forsome time prior to their siege of the city, which would have made itpractically impossible for either Jerusalemites or those in fields outside thecity, to make an escape. Neither Jesus could have meant that a flight shouldtake place once the siege began, for any escaping at this time would have runinto the hands of the enemy! Moreover, as many commentators have observed, thebiblical command to "flee to the mountains"(Matt. 24:16; Mk. 13:14; cf. Lk. 21:21) hardly agrees with the geographicalsetting of Pella in the low-lying foothills of the Transjordan valley on theother side of the River Jordan. Since Jerusalem is called "the Holy Mountain"(Psa. 48:1; cf. 87:1-2), "Mount Zion" (Psa. 74:2; 78:68-69), and is situatedand surrounded by "mountains" (Psa. 125:1-2; cf. 48:2) "fleeing to themountains" could not be interpreted as descending to a lower elevation and itis far more reasonable that "the mountains" of Jesus' reference would be thosethat immediately surrounded the city (i.e., the Judean hills, cf. Ezek.7:15-16), since Jesus' command was not to flee from Judea but within it.[3]

Conclusion

Itis clear that the Jewish Remnant will be fleeing to the Judean wilderness whereOld Testament passages teach (along with Revelation 12) that she will bemiraculously protected for the later half of the tribulation. The place of her protection is said inthe Old Testament to be Bozrah. "'For I have sworn by Myself,' declares the Lord, 'that Bozrah will become an object ofhorror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will becomeperpetual ruins. I have heard amessage from the Lord, and anenvoy is sent among the nations, saying, 'Gather yourselves together and comeagainst her, and rise up for battle!'" (Jeremiah 49:13-14) Bozrah is a region in southwest Jordan,where the ancient fortress city of Petra is located. Isaiah 63:1-3 asks, "Who is this who comes from Edom, withgarments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in Hisapparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is Your apparel red, and Yourgarments like the one who treads in the wine press? I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoplesthere was no man with Me. I alsotrod them in My anger, and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood issprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment." Bozrah (Petra) is the place where up toa couple million Jews have been hidden away since the middle of the tribulationwhen they fled from Judea. The Lordhas nourished them for those three and a half years and now He defends thisJewish Remnant that by the time of the second coming has converted in mass toJesus as their Messiah. Christ hasblood on His garments from defending the Jews against the army of theantichrist, who have gathered themselves to attack the Jews at Armageddon. Such a force arrayed against the Lord'speople requires His personal intervention. This He does first at Petra. Maranatha!

(To BeContinued . . .)

Endnotes

[1] Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church (Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 1999), p. 111.

[2] Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., Perilous Times: A Study in Eschatological Evil (Texarkana, AR: Covenant Media Press, 1999), p. 61.

[3] J. Randall Price, "Historical Problems with aFirst-Century Fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse," in Tim LaHaye and ThomasIce, editors, The End Times Controversy: The Second Coming Under Attack (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2003), p. 394.