Remarks on Matthew 24, 25.

Matthew 24:15‑28
No. 4.
Chapter. 24:15-28.
THE blessed Lord seems to have anticipated the difficulty many would find in understanding the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet; for He added, “whoso readeth let him understand.” (verse 15.) But “the abomination” is defined; our Lord said, it is that “spoken of by Daniel the prophet.” This makes it clear; for there it is spoken of as arising in the midst of the last or seventieth week, in connection with the man of sin, that wicked one who is yet to be revealed. “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolator” [margin]. (Daniel 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27).) This takes us on to the end of the age―the completion of the seventieth week. Our Lord gives the faithful, too, instruction for that time. Those who are in Judea are admonished to flee to the mountains; and so imperative and urgent is the step (for the abomination will be hastened with such rapidity, and the hatred to the faithful be so intense), that the man who is on the housetop is not to come down to take anything out of his house; or if a man be in the fields, he is to flee as he is, and not to go to his home for his clothes. The Lord’s tender heart cannot have the dreadful picture before Him without giving utterance to His sympathy with the faithful ones who are thus obedient to His word at that time. He sees what great pain and difficulty will be connected with those who are with child, and those who are carrying their infants, fleeing from the fiery persecution of this lawless one. The winter time, too, would increase the suffering; and a conscientious Jew (for such who fled would be) would feel limited to a sabbath day’s journey, if the time for fleeing should occur on the seventh day. This deepest time of sorrow, too, which earth ever knew, the Lord refers to with deep emotion. “Then,” said He, “shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (verse 21.) Daniel, speaking of the same time, says, “there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time.” He also refers to the remnant of Israel that will be brought out of it; for he adds, “at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be written in the book.” (Daniel 12:11And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1).) Jeremiah says, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” (Jer. 30:77Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7).) And God’s word will be fulfilled; for though the fiery persecution be unparalleled in earth’s history, and the rage of this lawless one and his associates so great as to threaten an entire extermination of the faithful, yet He who is able to deliver His own will restrain the wrath of man, and accomplish His own purposes. Jesus said, “Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (verse 22.) Thus the elect, those whom Jehovah by the prophet calls “Israel mine elect,” will be saved out of it; like Noah saved in the flesh, or like the children in the furnace, sustained in the burning furnace without the smell of fire attaching to them, and saved out of it as men in the flesh, as we have just seen alluded to by our Lord’s words, “Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; nevertheless for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Nothing can be clearer than the elect here being a people of Israel saved bodily out of this which is emphatically called “the time of Jacob’s trouble.”
But there is another point. There have been times of great trouble on the earth, and each may have been supposed by some to be this great tribulation. As we are taught, that there will be false Christs, false prophets, and great deceivers, who will work signs and wonders, and deceive many, there is one thing that will keep these “elect” from being deceived: they will know that Christ’s coming will be open and visible, and not private. So here the blessed Lord admonishes them that if they hear it said that Christ is here or there, in the desert or in the secret chamber, they are not to believe it, and therefore not to go forth. Why? Because His coming will be public and manifested. Like an eagle pouncing upon a foul carcass, or like lightning flashing suddenly and vividly from east to west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. As we are elsewhere told, “Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him;” or as our Lord witnessed to the Jewish high priest, “Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:6464Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64).) The nineteenth chapter of Revelation clearly shows us that when the Lord thus comes out of heaven in great power and glory, He will not be alone, but be followed by the armies of heaven. Yes, we shall be with Him then, having been previously caught up; for it is written, that “when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:44When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4).)