19<\/strong>. in those days<\/em> ] There is no “in” here properly. Those days shall be affliction<\/strong>, “e ilke dayes of tribulacioun schulen be suche,” Wyclif.<\/p>\n such as was not from the beginning of the creation<\/em> ] The unexampled atrocities of the siege of Jerusalem are fully described by Josephus. He declares that “the misfortunes of all men, from the beginning of the world<\/em>, if they be compared to those of the Jews, are not so terrible as theirs were,” “nor did any age ever produce a generation more fruitful in wickedness from the beginning of the world<\/em>.” The horrors of war and sedition, of famine and pestilence, were such as exceeded all example or conception. The city was densely crowded by the multitudes which had come up to the Passover. Pestilence ensued, and famine followed. The commonest instincts of humanity were forgotten. Acts of violence and cruelty were perpetrated without compunction or remorse, and barbarities enacted which cannot be described. Mothers snatched the food from the mouths of their husbands and children, and one actually killed, roasted, and devoured her infant son. (Comp. Lev 26:29<\/span>; Deu 28:56-57<\/span>). Dead bodies filled the houses and streets of the city, while cruel assassins rifled and mangled with the exultation of fiends. The besieged devoured even the filth of the streets, and so excessive was the stench that it was necessary to hurl 600,000 corpses over the wall, while 97,000 captives were taken during the war, and more than 1,100,000 perished in the siege. See Josephus, Bell. Jud<\/em>. vi. 9. 3; Tacitus, Hist<\/em>. Mar 13:13<\/span>; Milman’s History of the Jews<\/em> ii. 16; Merivale’s History of the Romans<\/em> vi. 59.<\/p>\n Mar 13:19<\/span><\/p>\n For in those days shall be affliction.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Afflictions Gods hired labourers<\/strong><\/p>\n Afflictions are Gods hired labourers, to break the clods and plough the land. (Anon.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Trouble a lever<\/strong><\/p>\n Trouble is often the lever in Gods hand to raise us up to heaven. (Anon.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Sorrow an instructor<\/strong><\/p>\n Has it never occurred to us when surrounded by sorrows, that they may be sent to us only for our instruction, as we darken the eyes of birds when we wish to teach them to sing? (Jean Paul.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Troubled waters<\/strong><\/p>\n The angel troubled the waters, which then cured those who stepped in; it is also Christs manner to trouble our souls first, and then to come with healing in His wings. (R. Sibbes.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Tears<\/strong><\/p>\n Tears often prove the telescope by which men see far into heaven. (H. W. Beecher.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Tuned by trouble<\/strong><\/p>\n Men <\/em>think God is destroying them because He is tuning them. The violinist screws up the key till the tense cord sounds the concert pitch; but it is not to break it, but to use it tunefully, that he stretches the string upon the musical rack. (H. W. Beecher.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Trouble a test<\/strong><\/p>\n Men pray to be made men in Christ Jesus, and think in some miraculous way it will be given to them; but God says, I will try My child, and see if he is sincere; and so He lays a burden upon him, and says, Now stand up under it; and asks, Where are now thy resources? If the ambitious ore dreads the furnace, the forge, the anvil, the rasp, and the file, it should never desire to be made a sword. Man is the iron, and God is the smith; and we are always either in the forge or on the anvil. God is shaping us for higher things. (H. W. Beecher.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Extraordinary afflictions <\/strong><\/p>\n are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions. (Matthew Henry.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The fall of Jerusalem a unique calamity<\/strong><\/p>\n One might explain this language on the principle of that graphic hyperbolism that pervaded, to so large an extent, the speech of all peoples. It is quite common, in many languages at least, if not in all, to say of any very extraordinary affliction, it is the greatest possible. Superlatives are often employed, when there is really no definite intention of asserting a perfectly absolute prominence. It is at the same time, however, worthy of consideration, whether there was not, in this catastrophe of the Jews, a minglement of elements, physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual, which was so unique as to render the anguish, consequent on the overthrow of Jerusalem, unprecedented, and incapable of repetition. Many peoples have been vanquished. Often have surviving populations been peeled, and scattered or led captive. Often have capital cities been stormed and sacked. But the case of the Jews was peculiar. They were convinced that they were the favourites of heaven. They regarded their capital as the City of the Great King, and the predestined Mistress of the world. Their Temple was to them the one House of God. It could not be dispensed with in the world. Hence they expected, up to the last moment, that the Lords arm must needs conspicuously interpose in the extremity of their necessity, to smite the beleaguering hosts and rescue the beloved place and people. When one mingles the elements of such thoughts and feelings, and their effects, with the effects of the utter social disorganization that prevailed, and consequently with the unutterable physical woes that preceded and succeeded the capture of the Temple, it is easy to see that the tribulation endured may have had an edge of agony which never was before in the history of any people, and which will never be again. (J. Morison, D. D.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Affliction such as never was and never shall be<\/strong><\/p>\n At the siege of Jerusalem, Milman says, Every kind feeling, love, respect, natural affection, were extinct through the all-absorbing want. Wives would snatch the last morsel from husbands, children from parents, mothers from children If a house was closed, they supposed that eating was going on, and they burst in and squeezed the crumbs from the mouths and throats of those who were swallowing them. Old men were scourged till they surrendered the food to which their hands clung desperately. Children were seized as they hung upon the miserable morsels they had got, whirled round and dashed upon the pavement The most loathsome and disgusting food was sold at an enormous price. They gnawed their belts and shoes. Chopped hay and shoots of trees sold at high prices.<\/p>\n Destruction of Jerusalem<\/strong><\/p>\n It is worth any mans while to read the story of the destruction of Jerusalem as it is told by Josephus: it is the most harrowing of all records written by human pen; it remains the tragedy of tragedies; there never was and there never will be anything comparable to it: the people died of famine and of pestilence, and fell by thousands beneath the swords of their own countrymen. Women devoured the flesh of their own children, and men raged against each other with the fury of beasts. All ills seemed to meet in that doomed city, it was filled within with horrors and surrounded without by terrors. Portents amazed the sky both day and night. There was no escape, neither would the frenzied people accept of mercy. The city itself was the banqueting hall of death. Josephus says: All hope of escaping was now cut off from the Jews, together with their liberty of going out of the city. Then did the famine widen its progress, and devour the people by whole houses and families: the upper rooms were full of women and infants that were dying by famine, and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged; the children, also, and the young men wandered about the market places like shadows, all swelled with the famine, and fell down dead wheresoever their misery seized them. For a time the dead were buried; but afterwards, when they could not do that, they had them cast down from the wall into the valleys beneath. When Titus, on going his rounds along these valleys, saw them full of dead bodies, and the thick putrefaction running about them, he gave a groan, and spreading out his hands to heaven, called God to witness this was not his doing. (C. H. Spurgeon.<\/em>)<\/p>\n 19. For in those days shall beaffliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation whichGod created unto this time, neither shall be<\/B>Such language isnot unusual in the Old Testament with reference to tremendouscalamities. But it is matter of literal fact that there was crowdedinto the period of the Jewish war an amount and complication ofsuffering perhaps unparalleled; as the narrative of JOSEPHUS,examined closely and arranged under different heads, would show.<\/P><\/p>\n For in those days shall be affliction<\/strong>,…. What with the close siege of the Romans; the fury of the zealots, and seditious; the rage of different parties among the Jews themselves; the ravage of the sword, both within and without, together with dreadful plagues and famines:<\/p>\n such as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created, unto this time, neither shall be<\/strong>; of which there never was the like in any age, and cannot be paralleled in any history, since the beginning of time, or the world was made, or any thing in it, down to that period; nor ever will the like befall any one particular nation under the heavens, to the end of the world;<\/p>\n [See comments on Mt 24:21]<\/span>.<\/p>\n Which God created <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Note this amplification to the quotation from Da 12:1<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n The creation which God created. Note the peculiar amplification, and compare verse 20, the elect or chosen whom he chose.<\/P> <\/p>\n Comments’<\/strong><\/p>\n 1) “For in those days shall be affliction,”<\/strong> (esontai garhai hemerai ekeinai thlepsis) “Because those will be days of affliction,” of a nature of trouble, suffering among men, Mat 24:21<\/span>.<\/p>\n 2) “Such as was not from the beginning of the creation,” <\/strong>(hoia ou gegonen toiaute ap arches ktiseos) “Such as has not come, occurred, or happened from the beginning of creation,” Joh 1:1-3<\/span>.<\/p>\n 3) “Which God created unto this time,”<\/strong> (hen ektisen ho theos heos tou nun) “Which God created, until now, and hereafter,” and what this presages, what is to recur hereafter, indicated by the future, progressive, or to occur again, (Gk. term nun).<\/p>\n 4) “Neither shall be.”<\/strong> (kai ou me genetai) “And may not at all, by any means, come to be,” except in relation to the judgement of God, on this people of Israel, at the end of this age, Dan 9:27<\/span>; Dan 12:1-12<\/span>.<\/p>\n (19) From the beginning of the creation which God created.<\/strong>Note the fuller form which replaces St. Matthews from the beginning of the world.<\/p>\n “For those days will be tribulation such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be.”<\/p>\n Here is the reason for fleeing. For to be caught up in what was to happen would be to suffer the unimaginable. This both limits the tribulation (they can escape from it by fleeing) and stresses its intensity. This was not worldwide tribulation but tribulation restricted to a particular locality. It was initially restricted to in and around Jerusalem and Judaea. Note the phrase ‘and never shall be’. This demonstrates that the tribulation was not to be an indication of the end, and that there was still to be a future following this. The impression is in fact given that time will go on for a considerable period. This is in contrast with Dan 12:1<\/span> where there was to be no future. Then it was ‘even to that same time’, with no reference beyond that. There the ‘time of trouble’ is also excessive and the worst ever of its kind, but it is of a different kind. It is not one restricted to a doomed city like this. We cannot just equate the two. This tribulation is not specifically the same as that one.<\/p>\n Jesus was here emphasising the dreadfulness of the suffering of those who would be caught up in the final invasion in extreme terms. And the actual accounts given of the siege and capture of Jerusalem, which because of its nature had to be stormed section by section, including the final resistance within the Upper City and the Temple itself, and including the starvation, the sufferings of the people and their dreadful cruelty even to each other, the crucifixions and mutilations of any caught by the Romans, the earlier internecine fighting, and the final decimation, do convey a picture so awful that they are unimaginable, made even worse by the hopeless recognition of the desecration that was coming on their holy city. They were a people doomed by man’s inhumanity to man and because of their own sin and their final rejection of God in the crucifixion of Jesus. But it should be noted that they brought it on themselves by their own fanaticism. If only they had listened to Jesus it would never have happened.<\/p>\n Comparison with Daniel 12<\/span> and Jer 30:6-7<\/span> suggests that Jesus is using the idea of ‘the time of trouble’ to come at the end of time as a pattern on which to mould His description of the destruction of Jerusalem here. But compare also Exo 9:18<\/span>; Exo 10:14<\/span>; Exo 11:6<\/span>; Joe 2:2<\/span>; Revelation 6:18 which demonstrate the hyperbolic nature of the description.<\/p>\n It should perhaps be pointed out at this stage that things were in reality not even quite as simple as this. It sounds incredible but in the three years in which the final war raged the worst fighting took place between Jewish factions fighting each other without mercy, including in Jerusalem where, even while the enemy were approaching, the inhabitants were busy slaughtering each other. They even destroyed the enormous stores of grain in the city in case a rival party got hold of them which explains why starvation began to take over so quickly. Only the final attack partly united them. It was a case of fanaticism gone mad.<\/p>\n ‘From the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be.” Note the stress on the fact that it was God Who ‘created His creation’. He had created it as good, but now this had happened, the culmination of all the evil that had come on the world. Such is the final result of the fall of man.<\/p>\n “For those days will be tribulation such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be.” Initially the tribulation refers to what will happen during the siege itself, and then to the tribulation that will fall on those who survive the siege and are crucified, or are taken into captivity to be sold as slaves or to be led in chains into Jerusalem in the triumph of the victors, but it then includes the tribulation that will continue on after the siege is over, and the initial punishments have been meted out, for all the survivors. Matthew calls it ‘great tribulation’.<\/p>\n Luke amplifies on it in more detail. For he sums up the days following the destruction as follows. ‘And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled’ (Luk 21:24<\/span>). According to Luke, then, Jesus forecast the future that lay ahead after the destruction of the Jerusalem (after the Abomination of Desolation) in terms reminiscent of the previous destruction of the Temple in 587 BC, the carrying away of the Jews captive among the nations, the treading down (ruling by force) of Jerusalem by the Gentiles, and the period of Gentile domination following. Thus their tribulation will continue into exile. These events would all again follow the destruction of Jerusalem and, by implication from the questions asked at the beginning, the destruction of the Temple. This all followed the pattern of the first Exile on which Jesus’ words appear to have been based, and would result in a second, permanent exile.<\/p>\n These ‘times of the Gentiles’, then of unknown duration, we now know would last 2000 years, but, as far as the disciples listening were concerned, it could have indicated a fairly short period like the ‘seventy years’ following the destruction of the Temple in 587 BC (Jer 29:10<\/span>), although the ‘seventy sevens’ of Daniel 9<\/span> would have been a reminder that it could be far longer in God’s timing. This full glory of this period, and the wonderful truths on which it was based, were unknown to the prophets, a mystery made known to the Christian church (Rom 16:26<\/span>; 1Co 2:7<\/span>). They saw the shadow, but could not appreciate the sun.<\/p>\n Accompanying the times of the Gentiles would come signs in the heavens ‘and on the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows, men fainting for fear and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken’ (Luk 21:26<\/span>). This may be referring to events taking place during the times of the Gentiles, a description of history as a whole, or to the ending of the times of the Gentiles which would result in the final days of the age, when there would be the time of trouble as depicted in Dan 12:1<\/span>, or both. Zec 10:11<\/span> refers similarly to ‘the sea of affliction’ (compare Psa 65:7<\/span>; Isa 5:30<\/span>; Isa 54:11<\/span>; Jer 51:42<\/span>).<\/p>\n Mark on the other hand sums all this up in typical Old Testament apocalyptic language, ‘the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will be falling from heaven and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken’. So Mark’s language here is covering even more briefly the same events as outlined by Luke. It is saying briefly that for the Jews especially, and for the nations as a whole, there would be extremely eventful times, the length of which is unknown.<\/p>\n To the Jews taken into captivity, and it did happen to them in large numbers, or to those led out to be crucified, the sun would indeed become dark and the moon would not give her light, for they would be living in a darkness so appalling that nothing could bring relief. All that they had hoped and lived for had collapsed. This would be part of ‘the great tribulation’ of Mat 24:21<\/span>, begun in the battle for Jerusalem and continuing on through time to the present day. The idea of ‘stars falling from heaven’ combine with these pictures, and seemingly indicate as well the same as the distress of nations in Luke, unless they are intended to indicate supernatural activity resulting from the downfall of Satan through the cross (Rev 12:4<\/span>).<\/p>\n This language is typical of language used in the Old Testament of times of crisis. Compare the parallel in Isa 13:10<\/span>, ‘the sun will be darkened in his going forth, and the moon will not cause her light to shine’, which depicts the earth shaking events when the Medes conquered Babylon (Isa 13:17-19<\/span>). So again at this time there will be earth shaking events, the kind of which history has been full.<\/p>\n The falling of the stars from heaven probably refers to Isa 34:4<\/span> which in LXX reads ‘all the stars will fall as the leaf falls from the vine and as a leaf from the fig tree’, which may represent a slightly different Hebrew text from the Massoretic. Again it was metaphorical language, in this case describing God’s judgment on Edom and the nations round about. For them there was not even a glimmer of light.<\/p>\n Otherwise there is no real parallel in Scripture to the stars falling from heaven apart from in Rev 12:4<\/span>. Compare Rev 9:1<\/span> and see Luk 10:18<\/span>. The idea here therefore may alternatively be of the activities of heavenly visitants of the worst kind producing the tumult on earth described by Luke as a result of their defeat on the cross. Compare Dan 10:12-13<\/span>; Dan 10:20<\/span>.<\/p>\n Note that Luk 21:26<\/span> and Mar 13:24-25<\/span> both end in ‘the powers of the heavens will be shaken’ demonstrating that their content up to that point refers to the same events. This phrase too might indicate the activity of heavenly visitants affecting events on earth, or may refer to general tumult which men would see as resulting from portents in the heavens. Having put the ideas in context we will now consider this section in Mark verse by verse.<\/p>\n 19 For in<\/em> those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Ver. 19. For in those days shall be affliction<\/strong> ] Gr. “Those days shall be affliction,” as if the very time were nothing else but affliction in itself. See Trapp on “<\/em> Mat 24:21 “<\/em> <\/p>\n 19, 20.<\/strong> ] <\/strong> <\/strong> and <\/strong> ,<\/strong> peculiarities of Mark’s style for greater solemnity. [Joh 17:26<\/span> ; Joh 5:16<\/span> , cited strangely by Mr. Elliott to disprove this, are no cases in point. In both those, the expression is necessary to the sense: here, and usually in St. Mark, it is merely idiomatic.]<\/p>\n Meyer remarks that the first <\/strong> in , being long by nature, and not by position only, ought to be circumflexed.<\/p>\n Mar 13:19<\/span> . , etc., for (not in<\/em> those days, but) those days (themselves) shall be a tribulation. So we speak of “evil days,” and in Scotland of the “killing times”. , etc.: a strong statement claiming for the crisis of Israel a unique place of tragic distinction in the whole calamitous experience of the human race, past and to come. , pleonastic, cf.<\/em> 1Co 15:48<\/span> , 2Co 10:11<\/span> .<\/p>\n affliction = tribulation. As in Mar 13:24. Quoted from Dan 12:1. <\/p>\n was not = has not been the like. from the beginning of the creation which God created. Note the emphasis of this peculiar amplifica tion, giving the Divine condemnation of “Evolution”. Compare in Mar 13:20, “the chosen whom He chose”. See note on Joh 8:44. <\/p>\n God. App-98. <\/p>\n neither = nor by any means. Greek. ou me. App-105. <\/p>\n be = come to pass. <\/p>\n 19, 20.] and , peculiarities of Marks style-for greater solemnity. [Joh 17:26; Joh 5:16, cited strangely by Mr. Elliott to disprove this, are no cases in point. In both those, the expression is necessary to the sense: here, and usually in St. Mark, it is merely idiomatic.]<\/p>\n Meyer remarks that the first in , being long by nature, and not by position only, ought to be circumflexed.<\/p>\n affliction <\/p>\n tribulation. Cf. Mat 24:21 See “Tribulation.”; Psa 2:5; Rev 7:14 <\/p>\n in those: Deu 28:59, Deu 29:22-28, Isa 65:12-15, Lam 1:12, Lam 2:13, Lam 4:6, Dan 9:12, Dan 9:26, Dan 12:1, Joe 2:2, Mat 24:21, Luk 21:22-24 <\/p>\n from: Deu 4:32 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 1:1 – beginning Jer 30:7 – so Zec 14:2 – the city 2Pe 3:4 – from the beginning<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n See particularly the long historical quotation at Mat 24:21.<\/p>\n The dreadful calamities which were coming upon the Jews in general, and Jerusalem in particular, are here foretold by our blessed Saviour, partly from the Roman army without, and partly from the seditions and factions of the zealots within; who committed such outrages and slaughters, that there were no less than an hundred thousand Jews that bought our Saviour for thirty-pence, were now themselves sold thirty for a penny. Now did the temple itself become a sacrifice, a whole burnt-offering, and was consumed to ashes. <\/p>\n Yet observe, Christ promises that those days of vengeance should be shortened for the elect’s sake; God had a remnant which he designed should survive that destruction, to be an holy seed; and accordingly the providence of God so ordered it, that the city was taken in six months, and the whole country depopulated in eighteen.<\/p>\n From whence, observe, How the Lord intermixes some mercy with the extremest misery that doth befal a people for their sin on this side hell. No sinners can say, in this life, that they feel the strikes of justice to the utmost, or that they have judgement without mercy.<\/p>\n THE GREAT AFFLICTION:<\/p>\n 19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. 21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: 22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. 23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.<\/p>\n First, we see the terrible affliction to come. These afflictions will be worse than any since the creation. Now that leaves us with a large question. What affliction was there in the “beginning of the creation?”<\/p>\n Some believe that in Genesis between verse one and two there was a whole creation that we do not know about; a creation that went terribly wrong in some manner resulting in the total destruction of that creation and the fall of the angels.<\/p>\n Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”<\/p>\n This passage in Mark might lend some support to that theory. The other gospels do not cover this information so this is all we have to go on. Just what was this tribulation at the beginning of creation? Was it another civilization? Was there a time of tribulation or was it just the turmoil of the whole creation.<\/p>\n To answer these questions let us consider. God is perfection, thus why would He create a heaven and earth that was full of turmoil and trouble? It does not fit with His character so let us set thatpossibility aside. <\/p>\n Is it possible that His first creation was good and that the Angelic host was the beneficiaries of this good universe, but their desire to be God overwhelmed them and their society to the point of all out rebellion against God and quite possibly outward warfare with the angels that remained loyal to the Lord? This would fit well the theory and the texts though we have no other indication that this theory is true. <\/p>\n Note “neither shall be” which keys us to the fact that Christ is speaking of the great tribulation since there will never be another time like it. This might well figure into the “gap theory” as well, since if the Angels fell and destroyed the earth, the tribulation would probably have been from God as His judgment against this terrible and complete rebellion against Him.<\/p>\n Indeed this gap theory has some possibilities but it is also based on something that is not said in Genesis and one verse in Mark. To base such a theory on so little evidence is bothersome to most, yet everything seems to fit what we know thus far. It is also of note that there is nothing in the verse in Mark to indicate anything further.<\/p>\n Gill views this statement not to say that there was a tribulation in the beginning, but that there hasn’t been this type of tribulation since the beginning. “such as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created, unto this time, neither shall be; of which there never was the like in any age, and cannot be paralleled in any history, since the beginning of time, or the world was made, or any thing in it, down to that period; nor ever will the like befall any one particular nation under the heavens, to the end of the world;”<\/p>\n This seems to have been fulfilled in the 70A.D. destruction of Jerusalem, but it is possible it looks forward to the destruction in the tribulation as well. <\/p>\n The Gap Theory? Not valid in my view but many believe it and there really seems to be no doctrine that is affected by holding it other than the problem of building a teaching on the two spaces between two sentences of Scripture. This is a real problem when you realize how many gaps between sentences there are in the Word.<\/p>\n Secondly, we see the severity of the affliction to come. These times were to be of horrible proportions. There will be great problems for those living through these times. We in our day have not seen this sort of tribulation unless it might have been during World War II when the Jews were slaughtered by the millions. There were also times of slaughter during the crusades when Muslims were fighting Christians.<\/p>\n Thirdly, we see that God will shorten the affliction. This affliction will be so terrible that if it were to be allowed to continue the decimation of the Jews would have been complete within the land. There would not have been a complete annihilation of the entire Jewish people in the world for many were scattered around the world, but those in Jerusalem and surrounding area would have been completely eradicated.God in His mercy shortened the persecution so as to save some of His people.<\/p>\n A side note to this destruction of Jerusalem is the love God has for Jerusalem and His temple. Though He loved Jerusalem and His people, because of their sin and corruption, God unleashed terrible destruction upon both.<\/p>\n This ought to be a fair warning to American believers. We ought to mend our ways before God brings destruction upon this great country and our families. Many see the American church in total decline with judgment as the coming result. We have no prophecy as such against America but we know from the Old Testament that hard times always followed a falling away of the Jews. Application might be a wise decision for us as well.<\/p>\n The love that God had for Jerusalem is also very special. If you do a word search of Jerusalem\/Salem in the Word you will find a number of verses that show this love. He chose the spot for His temples, He chose this spot for the birthplace of Christ, and I personally believe that it is the site of the Garden of Eden. There is a study on my website relating to this. This may be the exact reason for the Lord’s birth, death, burial and resurrection there.<\/p>\n After throwing the first couple from the garden, He established this as His meeting place with man. Angels were stationed to keep man from the garden.<\/p>\n It is also of note that this city is the place for many activities in the end time. Indeed Christ will set His Millennial throne in Jerusalem and rule the world from there for 1000 years. <\/p>\n This was a city so special to Him yet He allowed it to be destroyed as part of His judgment upon Israel. This was also the case in the Old Testament time when the Jewish leadership was offering to idols in God’s temple. <\/p>\n The fool might think that because God loves us that He would not judge us. The wise man understands the relationship of sin and judgment. One follows the other and foolishness will make no change in that equation. <\/p>\n Fourth we see that there shall be false Christs and false prophets. Note that they are not the same things, thus indicating a match to the prophecy of John in Revelation of the Antichrist and the False Prophet.<\/p>\n Fifth, they will show signs and wonders. Even though a person shows signs and wonders there is nothing to indicate that a believer should follow their false miracles. One must wonder at the signs that come today from the false teachers that are deceiving even the elect in our churches today. Signs and wonders have been the stuff of a number of movements in our modern day, yet Christ Himself labels them as false christs and false prophets.<\/p>\n Surely some in these churches wonder at the Lord’s comments about signs and wonders. Why do they continue to follow the false teaching that produces that which Christ Himself condemned? <\/p>\n Most likely they follow because they feel good when they leave church.And finally we see that He encourages them so that they will not be surprised. He had foretold of things to come so they would not be overwhelmed by them when they arrived.<\/p>\n Recently I watched a series on the end times presented by Dr. Jeremiah. Though I don’t buy into all that he said, I was convinced of his genuine desire to do three things through the series. First he wanted to communicate God’s message to his listener, then he obviously wanted to touch the hearts of sinners that were not prepared for this time of trouble, and finally I was impressed with his desire to encourage the saints by assuring them of the Sovereignty of God in all the end times activities to come.<\/p>\n A number of times the excitement of the believers relationship to these prophecies seemed to totally excite Dr. Jeremiah and you could tell by the look on the congregations faces that they knew there was encouragement in these messages from God relating to the end times.<\/p>\n Christ left the apostles with encouragement even in light of coming terrible times.<\/p>\n THE GREAT CONTRAST: <\/p>\n We have in this passage the greatest catastrophe and yet the greatest happening of all time. We see the sun darkened and the stars falling yet the coming of Christ and His angels to gather the saints.<\/p>\n Driving through Kansas City years ago the sky was dark as night when there was a crack in the sky that was sun bright. The crack gradually opened letting the sun stream into the darkness. The brightness of the sun was hurtful to the eye until it had time to adjust. The crack started rolling open and the clouds were split asunder revealing the brightest blue sky and sun I had ever seen. <\/p>\n I was near pulling to the side of the interstate to get out of the car and await the appearance of the Lord it was so gorgeous and so right a moment for His return. However not seeing Him I trudged on down the long road ahead of me to Oregon remembering the glorious sights of the moment, yet that sight will falter completely in light of the glory of His coming.<\/p>\n 13:19 For [in] {f} those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.<\/p>\n (f) This is an idiom which the Hebrews use and it has a great power in it, for it shows us that during that entire time one misery will follow another in such a way as if the time itself was very misery itself. So the prophet Amos says that the day of the Lord will be darkness; Amo 5:20 .<\/p>\n This verse clarifies the time of the appearance of the abomination as in the Tribulation (Gr. thlipsis<\/span>, Dan 12:1; Jer 30:7). Jesus looked beyond the destruction of Jerusalem to a much greater Tribulation. [Note: Cf. Taylor, p. 514.] <\/span><\/p>\n For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 19. in those days ] There is no “in” here properly. Those days shall be affliction, “e ilke dayes of tribulacioun schulen be suche,” Wyclif. such as was not … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 13:19”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24723\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"