When Shall These Things Be?
Verses 15-20: “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); then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains; let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day.”
Our Lord having in verses 5-14, passed over the important events in the Christian age down to the end, goes back and introduces in verse 15 the destruction of Jerusalem, in answer to the inquiry, “When shall these things be?” Luke's version of this language is, “When ye shall see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” Luke 21:20. By this we know that the term “abomination of desolation” refers to the Roman army. This desolating power is spoken of by Daniel as follows:—
“And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.... And for the over-spreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”Margin, “desolator.” Dan. 9:26, 27.
Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus
Here is a clear prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies. Our Lord referred to the book of Daniel, and taught his disciples to read and understand it; and when they should see take place what was there predicted, they must make their escape.
It would seem to be impracticable to flee from a city after it was encompassed with armies; but our Saviour did not speak at random. Josephus tells us that Cestius, the Roman general who first led the attack upon Jerusalem, became dismayed at the apparent forces and strength of the city, and after having surrounded the city raised the siege. The historian says: “He retired from the city, without any reason in the world.”—“Wars,” book ii, chap. xix. And in the first words of the succeeding chapter he further states: “After this calamity had befallen Cestius, many of the most eminent Jews swam away from the city, as from a ship when it was going to sink.”
Dr. A. Clarke, commenting on verse 16, says:—