VERSE 21: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be.”
It is not surprising, perhaps, that upon a casual reading some should
conclude that this verse had its fulfillment at the siege of Jerusalem by
Titus. It was a time of great suffering, and the verse follows so closely
those which relate to the destruction of the city, that this explanation
suggests itself readily enough. But for good reasons we cannot accept that
application of this verse. Jesus is giving a continuous prophecy. The
narrative proceeds from verse to verse along the line of the entire
dispensation.
The “great tribulation” mentioned in verse 21 is that of the church of
Christ, and not the tribulation of the Jews at the destruction of
Jerusalem. We offer the following reasons for so deciding:—
1. It is a fact that the tribulation of the Christian church, especially
under the reign of the papacy, was greater than God’s people had suffered
before “since the beginning of the world.” The tribulation of the
Christian church has been greater than it will ever be again. True, a time
of trouble “such as never was,” spoken of in Dan. 12:1, is coming _upon
the wicked_; but we find in the same verse this blessed promise, “And at
that time thy people shall be delivered.” The tribulation of the Jews at
the destruction of Jerusalem was not greater than the world will ever
witness. The vials of Jehovah’s unmingled wrath are yet to be poured out,
not upon the people of one nation only, but upon the guilty people of all
nations.
“The slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the
earth even unto the other end of the earth; they shall not be
lamented, neither gathered, nor buried.” Jer. 25:33.
2. If the tribulation be applied to the Jews, or to any other class of
unbelieving men, it cannot be harmonized with Dan. 12:1, which speaks of
the time of trouble such as never was, when Michael shall stand up.
Certainly there cannot be two times of trouble at different periods,
greater than ever was or ever would be. Therefore the “tribulation” spoken
of in Matt. 24:21, 29, applies not to the Jews, but to the church of
Christ, extending through the 1260 years of papal persecution; and the
“trouble” mentioned in Dan. 12:1, to the unbelieving world, to be
experienced by them in the future.
[Illustration]
St. Bartholomew Massacre.
3. The period of tribulation was shortened for the elect’s sake. This
cannot refer to the Jews, for their house had been pronounced desolate.
They were left of God in their hardness of heart and blindness of mind.
Says Paul, “Lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” The elect were the followers of
our Lord Jesus Christ. And where were they when tribulation was upon the
Jews?—They had fled to the mountains. It is absurd, then, to say that the
days of tribulation of the Jews in the city of Jerusalem, were shortened
for the sake of the elect, who had fled from the place of tribulation.
Moreover the tribulation that came upon Jerusalem was not restrained or
modified, but continued until the city was destroyed and its people were
given to the sword and to captivity.
4. The connection between verses 20 and 21 shows that the tribulation was
to commence with those Christians who were to flee out of the city. “But
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath‐day;
for then shall be great tribulation.” Our Lord here speaks of the
tribulation which his people would suffer from the time of their flight
onward. We follow them in their flight to the mountains, and then pass
along down through the noted persecutions of the church of God under pagan
Rome, and we see, indeed, _tribulation_. And when we come to the period of
papal persecutions, we see them suffering the most cruel tortures, and
dying the most dreadful deaths that wicked men and demons could inflict.
This last period is especially noted in prophecy.
The prophet Daniel saw the papacy, its blasphemy, its ignorance, its work
of death on the saints, and its duration as a persecuting power, under the
symbol of the little horn.
[Illustration]
Taking the Pope Prisoner. 1798.
“And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall
wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times
and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and
times and the dividing of time.” Dan. 7:25.
It is generally admitted that “a time and times and the dividing of time”
is 1260 years. The proof of it may readily be seen by comparing Rev.
12:14, 6; 13:5, with the scripture just quoted. In these passages we learn
that “time, times, and the dividing of time” is equivalent to a thousand
two hundred and threescore days, which equals three and one half Biblical
years, or “forty and two months.” Applying the scriptural rule of
interpretation, a day for a year (Eze. 4:6), we have 1260 years.
This period is to cover the supremacy of the papacy. The beginning of it
will be the point of the establishment of the power of the papacy. This
was the year 538 A. D. Justinian, emperor of Rome, with his capital at
Constantinople, espoused the cause of the bishop of Rome; and in 533 A. D.
issued a decree which constituted that prelate head of all the churches.
But the Arian Ostrogoths had possession of Rome, and it was not until they
had been rooted up that the city was accessible to the bishop. This was
accomplished in 538, by Belisarius, Justinian’s celebrated general. For a
concise and clear account of this occurrence we refer the reader to the
“Two Republics,” by A. T. Jones, pp. 551‐553.
Commencing the 1260 years A. D. 538, they reach to A. D. 1798, when
Berthier, a French general, took possession of Rome. The pope was made a
prisoner and carried with violence away from his palace and out of Italy.
The papacy was stripped of its civil power. Here ended the days of
tribulation spoken of by our Lord, which were—
Shortened For The Elect’s Sake.
VERSE 22: “And except those days should be shortened, there should
no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be
shortened.”
The papacy was clothed with civil power to punish heretics, which it held
for 1260 years; and had not the period of tribulation of the elect in the
providence of God been shortened, the martyrdom of the church would have
continued to 1798, in which event, no flesh of the elect would have been
saved. But the Reformation under Martin Luther, and those associated with
this great reformer, modified this tribulation, and continued to restrain
the rage and power of the papacy until the suppression of the Jesuits in
1773, since which time, there has been no general persecution waged
against the church. Thus we are brought in this prophetic discourse of our
Lord, down into the eighteenth century, very near the present time. We
would naturally expect, then, that the instructions and warnings which
follow would be applicable to this generation.
Lo, Here, And Lo, There.
VERSES 23‐27: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false
christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they
shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth:
behold: he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the
lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west;
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
In these verses the great theme of Christ’s second coming is again vividly
brought forth. Satan is ever on the alert to contravene by some device or
art, the work of God. His most successful plan is to deceive. By this
means he gains ready access to all such as desire to evade the force of
truth. And having deceived an individual, he not only prevents his
salvation, but gains to himself an adherent if not an active agent. So, as
the time for the second advent draws near, the enemy becomes particularly
active, knowing that he hath but a short time. In the words last quoted
our Lord seeks to prepare the minds of his people for the deceptions that
are to be practiced upon those who live near the time of his second
coming. There will be those who will cry, “Lo, here; or Lo, there,” some
will even claim to be Christ. They will purport to represent the truth in
regard to Christ’s coming in various plausible or fanatical ways. Others,
in order to reach other minds, will present theories of human device
accounting for the advent of Christ in various so‐called rational schemes.
Many sincere people will be led to expect the conversion of the world
through a millennium of peace. Others will be persuaded that the coming of
Christ means death. And even false prophets, showing great signs and
wonders, will appear. All these form an atmosphere of deception, the
miasma of which will stupefy, if it were possible, the elect of God.
In this fearful work will be engaged the notorious deceiver, the trained
agents of Satan, the worldly philosopher, worldly preachers, popular
ministers, critics of the Bible, and many whose eyes do not discern the
signs of the times. The Mormons call the people to the desert;
Spiritualism invites us to the secret chamber, where Satanic signs and
wonders are wrought to captivate the mind and divert it from the truth. Of
these “false prophets” Paul speaks in 1 Tim. 4:1:—
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and
doctrines of devils.”
In another scripture the apostle places the coming of Christ in connection
with—
“The working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusions, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thess. 2:9‐11.
These are some of the deceptions of which Christ is speaking in the text.
It is undoubtedly the work of modern Spiritualism. This work, in its
present form, originated in the year 1848, and constitutes and is to
constitute one of the most prominent signs of the end.
Let no one be deceived by any means. For these are but subterfuges. They
are not the coming of Christ. He has said, “I will come again, and receive
you unto myself.” John 14:3.