Is Jesus implying that He expects his disciples to keep the Sabbath in Matthew 24:20?

[TruthSeek3r]

In Matthew 24:15-25 we read:

15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’a described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. 18And let no one in the field return for his cloak. 19How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. 21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. 23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25See, I have told you in advance.​

Is Jesus encouraging his disciples to pray that "your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath" because He expects them to keep the Sabbath (i.e. the fourth commandment)? If so, is this exhortation aimed at Jewish disciples only or both Jewish and Gentile disciples?

 

[public hermit]

In Matthew 24:15-25 we read:

15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’a described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. 18And let no one in the field return for his cloak. 19How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. 21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. 23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25See, I have told you in advance.​

Is Jesus encouraging his disciples to pray that "your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath" because He expects them to keep the Sabbath (i.e. the fourth commandment)? If so, is this exhortation aimed at Jewish disciples only or both Jewish and Gentile disciples?

He specifically mentions Judea in that passage, so it makes sense that he is referring to his Jewish disciples. Perhaps Jesus is referencing the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in 70 AD?

 

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

Considering the history of my own country I am pretty certain that Jesus is talking about the Holocaust here, the greatest tribulation in the history of the Jewish people.
In fact his description fits perfectly the testimonies of German Jews who couldn't return home because the SS-soldiers were waiting for them already. And the Jews on top of their house couldn't go inside anymore because the SS was searching for them already.
Daniel talks about "1 week" which is 7 years, which fits exactly to the time of the persecution of the Jews in Germany which lasted from 1938 (known as "fateful year" in Germany) to 1945.

 

[Rachel20]

The law given to Israel wasn't given to the Gentiles (Romans 2:14). After the fulness of the Gentiles comes in (Romans 11:25), the Lord will once again deal with national Israel - a time of Jacobs trouble, culminating in the Great Tribulation kicked off by the abomination of desolation. You can know this scripture is yet future as all the past events held up as candidates have no recorded abomination of desolation.

 

[Charlie24]

In Matthew 24:15-25 we read:

15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’a described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. 18And let no one in the field return for his cloak. 19How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. 21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. 23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25See, I have told you in advance.​

Is Jesus encouraging his disciples to pray that "your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath" because He expects them to keep the Sabbath (i.e. the fourth commandment)? If so, is this exhortation aimed at Jewish disciples only or both Jewish and Gentile disciples?

Some explaining before we can find the answer.

You have heard of a "sabbath days journey in scripture," I hope.

This the distance a person under the Law could travel and stay within the means of the Sabbath.

There was no travel permitted on the Sabbath day, but the religious leaders of Israel (for reasons to lengthy to mention here) calculated how far a person could travel on the Sabbath.

In Matt. 24 Jesus is telling the disciples that in the future would come the Great tribulation, the Anti-christ will gather armies from all over the world to invade Israel.

When this happens haste will become of utmost concern, they must move very quickly to escape. vs.17, let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house, vs. 18, neither let him in the field turn back to take his clothes, vs 19, woe unto them who are with child and give suck to babies (they probably won't make it because they can't move fast enough).

vs. 20, but pray that your escape be not in the winter (bad weather for moving quickly) neither on the sabbath day.

Now we go back to the "sabbath days journey."

Where they will have to go, will be further than allowed by the sabbath days journey, many therefore will not break the Sabbath because of this, and will be killed. So Jesus tells to pray that when this day comes it will not be on the sabbath.

This has nothing to do with us who live not under Law, but we live Grace.

 

[hedrick]

24:15 sure looks like the Romans' desecration of the Temple. 16 refers specifically to those in Judea. So all signs point to this being addressed to Jewish believers.

(For those who don't believe in inerrancy, I point out that Mark says "
Pray that it may not be in winter," and Luke "Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days!" Mark and Luke were probably interpreting Jesus' teachings for Gentiles, and Matthew for Jews.)

 

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

the Great Tribulation kicked off by the abomination of desolation. You can know this scripture is yet future as all the past events held up as candidates have no recorded abomination of desolation.

That's not quite true. The persecution of the Jews in Germany was kicked off by the abomination of desolation in 1938. That night when the synagogues in Germany were aflamed and God's holy places were desolated it was truly an image of abomination of desolation. Have you ever seen images of the Night of Broken Glass?
That was the beginning of the Holocaust, Jacob's trouble and the greatest tribulation for the Jews in the world's history.

 

[Rachel20]

That's not quite true. The persecution of the Jews in Germany was kicked off by the abomination of desolation in 1938. That night when the synagogues in Germany were aflamed and God's holy places were desolated it was truly an image of abomination of desolation. Have you ever seen images of the Night of Broken Glass?
That was the beginning of the Holocaust, Jacob's trouble and the greatest tribulation for the Jews in the world's history.

As bad as the holocaust was, it was not the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel and Christ. Their AoD is something that is "set up", "placed" and "stands" in the "holy place" (not Germany). It will be similar to the statue of Zeus being set up under Antiochus Epiphanes, but as Paul shows in 2 Thess 2, it will be antichrist himself (or his image) "sitting" in the temple of God.

And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 11:31

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Daniel 12:11

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand Matthew 24:15

But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: Mark 13:14

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

 

[Dkh587]

The law given to Israel wasn't given to the Gentiles (Romans 2:14). After the fulness of the Gentiles comes in (Romans 11:25), the Lord will once again deal with national Israel - a time of Jacobs trouble, culminating in the Great Tribulation kicked off by the abomination of desolation. You can know this scripture is yet future as all the past events held up as candidates have no recorded abomination of desolation.

The new covenant is not with the Gentiles. It was made with Israel, not Gentiles, just like the covenant at Sinai.

 

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

As bad as the holocaust was, it was not the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel and Christ. Their AoD is something that is "set up", "placed" and "stands" in the "holy place" (not Germany). It will be similar to the statue of Zeus being set up under Antiochus Epiphanes, but as Paul shows in 2 Thess 2, it will be antichrist himself (or his image) "sitting" in the temple of God.

And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 11:31

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Daniel 12:11

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand Matthew 24:15

But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: Mark 13:14

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

The antichrist is not a person in the Bible. Only in the imagination of people who think it's the beast in Rev.

Placing a fire in all synagogues can indeed be seen as a placement. The Nazis were in fact shewing themselves to be God by deciding who may live and who has to die. The "man of sin" is everyone who is opposing God.
I don't expect you to change your mind but don't be disappointed when Jesus returns and there has not been another "statue like the one of Zeus".

 

[Rachel20]

The antichrist is not a person in the Bible. Only in the imagination of people who think it's the beast in Rev
....
I don't expect you to change your mind but don't be disappointed when Jesus returns and there has not been another "statue like the one of Zeus".

It's not important - it isn't a salvation issue. But I've never encountered any Jewish claims of an AoD occurring during the holocaust. I think that's significant.

 

[Rachel20]

The new covenant is not with the Gentiles. It was made with Israel, not Gentiles, just like the covenant at Sinai.

I'm missing your point (?)

 

[Kenny'sID]

QUOTE="TruthSeek3r, post: 75371827, member: 425449"]20Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath[/QUOTE]

A bit off topic, but why is it one would pray their flight not be on the Sabbath?

 

[helmut]

Daniel talks about "1 week" which is 7 years, which fits exactly to the time of the persecution of the Jews in Germany which lasted from 1938 (known as "fateful year" in Germany) to 1945.

The persecution of Jews started from 1933, not 1938. Thousands of Jews were taken into concentration camps, and treated so badly that hundreds committed suicide. There were also nationwise boycotts in April 1933. If you really knew the history of our country, you should know that.

It were 12 horrible years for the Jews, not 7.

 

[helmut]

That's not quite true. The persecution of the Jews in Germany was kicked off by the abomination of desolation in 1938.

No. This was a highlighting of persecution (and maybe some Jews expected it to be the very peak of it, with less trouble after that), but the persecution started in 1933.

According to Maccabees, the abomination of desolation was the image of Zeus in the Holy Temple (in the days when 2300 sacrifices were not offered, a fact hinted at in these books but probably unknown to its authors).

 

[helmut]

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Daniel 12:11

In the lunisolar calendars used in ancient orient, three years wilt be 37 or 38 months. In times when there is no calculated calendar, but the length of the month depends on the detection of the new moon, a month is often reckoned as 30 days. So 2300 eves and mornings (that is 1150 days, not 23000 as your translation says) are 3 three years and ten days (and perhaps one moth more).

The Maccabee books mention the "abomination of destruction" (the Zeus image and altar in the Times of Antiochos IV.) stood exactly three years, but the daily sacrifices (every sunrise ans sunset) was abolished 10 days before. So the 2.300 eves and mornings are the 1150 days when the daily sacrifice was abolished in the times of the Maccabees.

 

[helmut]

In Matthew 24:15-25 we read:

15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’a described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),​

​

In the Jewish revolt 66-70, a faction of "Zelots" had their headquarter in the holiest of the holy, in the Temple. They fought against other factions while the Romans beleaguered the city ...

This seems to be the second fulfillment (after the one in the times of the Maccabees). Whether there will be a third one, I don't know.

 

[helmut]

(For those who don't believe in inerrancy, I point out that Mark says

This has nothing to do with inerrancy in the sense of the famous Chicago declaration.

 

[helmut]

The antichrist is not a person in the Bible. Only in the imagination of people who think it's the beast in Rev.

There are many antichrists in the letters of John, but he also speaks about the antichrist. So this is probably a person.

If the Antichrist is to be seen in Revelation, the best fit is the second beast in Rev 13, not the first beast which is quite different from being an antichrist in the Biblical sense of the word.

Placing a fire in all synagogues can indeed be seen as a placement. The Nazis were in fact shewing themselves to be God by deciding who may live and who has to die. The "man of sin" is everyone who is opposing God.

This is no sound exegesis. I side with Rachel.

 

[helmut]

A bit off topic, but why is it one would pray their flight not be on the Sabbath?

The answer can be found in post #5.