GOD’S DIVINE “LOCKDOWN”
14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. Mark 13:14-20
Although Jesus’ predictions are difficult to pin down to a time‑line, it seems that He began with general statements and then narrowed them down to specifics. The disciples had asked Him about the destruction of the temple. How would they know when this phase would begin and what were they to do? Because of Jesus’ prediction and warning, believers who remembered His words escaped the slaughter in Jerusalem when the Roman army sacked and destroyed the city in AD 70. Jesus said that the tip‑off would be the desecration of the temple and they were to escape to the hills without stopping to retrieve any of their belongings.
The words that the religious leaders and people had spoken irresponsibly at Jesus’ trial were about to be fulfilled ‑ terrible carnage in the city because they took responsibility for His death “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” A generation after they had condemned Him to shed His blood, theirs ran in the streets of Jerusalem. Even at a time like this and a situation of just retribution, God’s mercy was extended towards His elect. For their sake He would cut short the terrible times so that some would escape the trouble.
There can be little doubt that this part of Jesus’ prophecy referred to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The Jews had largely rejected their Messiah, unjustly condemned Him to death and forfeited their place in the New Covenant that He had come to establish. They were out in the cold, outside of God’s family and God’s protection and vulnerable to the oppressor’s actions against them.
Although God has reserved His judgment of the nations for the end times when Jesus returns to vindicate His name and His kingdom, there are consequences to our choices now which we cannot escape. Our only security is to stay within the boundaries of God’s Word where His presence and protection secure us from what befalls those who are disobedient.