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NASB | Matthew 24:20 "But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 24:20 "Pray that your flight [from persecution and suffering] will not be in winter, or on a Sabbath [when Jewish laws prohibit travel]. |
Bible Question: In light of the New Covenant, why would travel on the Sabbath be one thing that would be hard? |
Bible Answer: Please take a moment and compare Luke 21:6 and Matthew 24. They seem similar but they are very different and Luke holds the key to the answer of your question. In Matthew there is three questions asked Matt 24:3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" 1. When will these things be, when one stone will not be left on top of another. (IE the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. 2. What will be the sign of your coming? 3. What will be the sign of the end of the age. Luke is interesting because only one question is asked. Luke 21:6 "As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down." VS 7 They questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?" IN essence when is the destruction of Jerusalem. When we put these passages side by side we see a break in Matthew 24:35 Matt 24:34 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Matt 24:35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Matt 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, (of what day and hour? Heaven and earth passing away) not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. So I would contend that the fleeing to the mountains refers to the fall of Jerusalem. In fact one of the early church fathers quoted the passage and said many Christians in Jerusalem escaped certain death because of this passage. So fleeing on the Sabbath would be irreverent today but back in the disciples time they locked the gates of the city, this would make escape difficult! Hope this helps. |