Matthew 24:15-20 15“Therefore, whenever you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place, let the reader understand, 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, 17let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take the things in his house, 18and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19And woe for those who are pregnant and are nursing infants in those days! 20And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
The persecution reaches a high point in these verses. The time frame of these verses is debated and unclear. On the surface, it appears that these are in reference to the end times before Jesus comes again. Historically, they fit well with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. As with other prophecies related to Messiah Jesus, the fulfillment in history in one period might be a prelude or type for the fulfillment at a later point in time. This last major discourse in Matthew serves as a warning and guide for disciples so that we will be ready for Jesus’ return. The signs are provided so that we are not caught unaware.
The challenge with this passage is the identification of the abomination of desolation in verse 15. Jesus mentions that this event will be in fulfillment of a prophecy made by Daniel in Daniel 8:13; 9:27; 11:31; and 12:11. An abomination refers to something that brings defilement to something sacred. The holy place is usually interpreted to mean the temple. Desolation is when something is empty, uninhabited, or even destroyed. There were several points in history when the temple precincts were desecrated by pagan practices. In the year 167 B.C., Antiochus Epiphanes IV built an altar to Zeus in the temple and offered pigs and other unclean animals on it as sacrifices as mentioned in 1 Maccabees 1:41–61. Then just before the temple was destroyed, the Romans raised their standards in the temple and brought desolation through destruction in A.D. 70.
Jesus warns his disciples in the form of third person commands to various groups. First is for those who liven Judea, which was the focus of the Roman war. The place of safety was the mountains. Sometimes the best solution if possible is to flee from persecution; if we can avoid trouble, we should.
Second, some people might be curious and want to see what is happening, and so they climb to the top of their house (which had flat roofs at the time) to watch the action. Curiosity could be detrimental. Another scenario is that they think getting higher and away from the streets would be the safest place, but the Romans came in and destroyed the whole city. So, the best option would be to get out, but as they flee to safety, they should not grab any possessions. Life is more important than stuff, which can be replaced.
The third scenario peers in on those who might be out in the fields working. The same situation applies here: get out as fast as you can without even bothering to get your cloak, which was the outer garment most people had at that time. When trouble is imminent, do not waste time with things of this world.
The fourth situation speaks to those who are disabled, sick, or physically limited, with as pregnant women or women with nursing babies. These kind of people cannot easily flee and will need help from others. No one should be left behind. The situation becomes even worse if there is bad weather, such as winter time. The mention of going a long distance on the Sabbath would especially speak to the critical nature of getting away from the trouble because orthodox Jews considered long travel on the Sabbath as a form of work. The apocalyptic scenario vividly portrayed in this passage captures our imagination and calls for preparation.
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