From: Russ Reeves (russr@pe.net)
Date: Tue Feb 20 1996 - 08:59:18 EST
Alan Repurk <lars@repurk.mw.com> wrote:
> Certainly the tribulation that occured in 70 CE would not have fit
> fit the description in Mt 24:21. Therefore it would seem that even if
> those readers did not understand the full significance of what they
> were hearing, this prophecy would be understood by those for whom it
> was written in due time.
>
> Mt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since
> the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (AV)
This makes sense, unless we understand the phrase "such as was not
since the beginning... nor ever shall be..." as a Hebraism. At the
Passover, there was a cry in Egypt "such as was not like it before,
not shall be like it again." (Exodus 11:6). In Ezekiel 5:9, God says
he will do to Jerusalem "what I have never done, and the like of
which I will never do again." In Daniel 9 (which Matthew 24 seems to
allude to), verse 12, it says "under the whole heaven such has never
been done as what has been done to Jerusalem." It's also interesting
that Hezekiah was considered such a good king that "after him there
was none like him among all the kings of Judah, not among those who
were before him" (2 Kings 18:5). But after him, Josiah was such a
good king that "before him there was no king like him who turned to
the Lord... not did any like arise after him" (2 Kings 23:25). And
before both of them was Solomon, of whom God said "there has been no
one like you before you, not shall one like you arise after you" (1
Kings 3:12). Also see Joel 2:2, and 1 Maccabees 9:27.
Russ Reeves
russr@pe.net
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:37:38 EDT