Let
him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house. Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
Matthew 24:17-22
Matthew 24 [4.] Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24 [15.] “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house. Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
Matthew 24 [23.] “Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it. For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
Meaning:
Jesus had just told his disciples that when they saw “the abomination of desolation” standing in the holy place, those in Judea should flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15-16). Luke records the same warning in plainer words: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand” (Luke 21:20). These verses describe how urgent that flight would be and how terrible the days that followed. Mark has a close parallel (Mark 13:14-18; Mark 13:19-20).
- “Let him who is on the housetop not go down”
Houses in Israel had flat roofs, reached by an outside staircase. Jesus says that someone on the roof should go straight down the outside stairs and leave, without going into the house to collect belongings. Likewise the worker in the field should not go back for the cloak he had laid aside. When the angels led Lot out of Sodom, they told him, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you” (Genesis 19:17). In Luke, Jesus adds, “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32). She looked back and perished.
- “But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers”
This “woe” is not a curse but an expression of sorrow. Pregnant women and mothers with babies could not run quickly or travel far. On the way to the cross Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28). His heart went out to the most vulnerable.
- “Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath”
Winter in Israel is the rainy season. Roads turn to mud, and streams such as the Jordan can flood, making travel slow and dangerous. On the Sabbath the city gates might be shut, and Jews were expected to travel no more than “a Sabbath day’s journey” (Acts 1:12). Jesus tells his followers to pray about the timing. The early church historian Eusebius records that the Christians of Jerusalem, warned beforehand, fled across the Jordan to the town of Pella before the city was besieged.
- “great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world”
Jesus uses language similar to Daniel, who spoke of “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time” (Daniel 12:1). The Roman siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 was horrific. The Jewish historian Josephus describes famine, civil war inside the walls and enormous loss of life. Yet Jesus’ words seem to reach beyond that event as well, toward a final time of distress before his return (Matthew 24:29-30).
- “for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened”
God sets limits to suffering. Jesus says that if those days were not cut short, no one would survive. They will be shortened because of “the chosen ones”, God’s people. In the same way God told Abraham that he would spare Sodom if only ten righteous people were found there: “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake” (Genesis 18:32).
The Significance of Matthew 24:17-22
- Holding possessions lightly
Things can be replaced; life and faith cannot. Our hearts should be ready to leave everything behind when God calls.
- Praying about the details
God cares about the practical details of our lives, and he invites us to bring them to him in prayer.
- God limits suffering for his people
However severe the trouble, it is not without limits. God shortens it for the sake of his chosen ones.
Cross-References:
Luke 21:20: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand." Luke’s account of the same warning.
Luke 17:32: "Remember Lot’s wife!" Do not look back when God says flee.
Daniel 12:1: "and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:" Daniel’s prophecy of great trouble.
Genesis 18:32: "I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake." God spares many for the sake of the righteous.
Conclusion: Matthew 24:17-22 urges Jesus’ followers to flee at once when the signs he gave appear, leaving possessions behind. Jesus grieves for pregnant women and nursing mothers, tells his disciples to pray that their flight will not be in winter or on a Sabbath, and warns of oppression greater than any before. Yet God will shorten those days for the sake of his chosen ones. We are called to hold earthly things lightly and to trust God in the worst of times.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible