For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus declares this tribulation will be unprecedented and unparalleled, emphasizing the utter destruction and suffering that will fall upon Jerusalem. The language is hyperbolic, not meant to be taken literally as a scientific measurement, but to convey the absolute, unique horror of the event for that generation. This wasn't just bad; it was catastrophic in a way the world had never seen and would never see again.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is answering his disciples' questions about the signs of the end times and his return, but first he's describing a specific, intense period of suffering. This tribulation is directly linked to the "abomination of desolation" they will see, signaling the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. This devastating event will be unlike anything before or since, marking a time of divine judgment.
Jesus uses incredibly strong language to describe a future event. What makes this 'tribulation' so uniquely terrible?
Jesus describes a time of 'great tribulation' (Matthew 24:21) that surpasses all previous and future suffering. This wasn't just a bad day; it was a catastrophic event.
Unparalleled Suffering
Jesus calls this the 'greatest tribulation.' What led to such a devastating outpouring of God's wrath?
The intensity of this tribulation stems from a profound and final rejection of God's ultimate act of love – sending His Son.
Ask a follow-up
The Rejection of the King
With such overwhelming destruction, is there any glimmer of hope for God's people?
Even in the face of such apocalyptic judgment, God's promises to His chosen people provide a crucial element of hope and preservation.
God's Sovereign Protection
Understand the original words
thlipsis · Greek Noun
A period of intense and unprecedented distress, suffering, or testing, often associated with divine judgment or eschatological events preceding the return of Christ.
Jesus' prophecy of unparalleled tribulation was vividly fulfilled in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, a cataclysm that dwarfed even earlier desecrations and ancient calamities.
c. 168 BC
Abomination of Desolation by Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the Jerusalem Temple, sacrificing pigs and erecting an altar to Zeus. This event, prophesied by Daniel, foreshadowed future destructions.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus Predicts Jerusalem's Destruction
Jesus wept over Jerusalem and prophesied its complete destruction, including the temple, and the intense suffering that would accompany it.
AD 66-70
First Jewish-Roman War and Siege of Jerusalem
The Jewish revolt against Rome escalated, leading to a brutal siege of Jerusalem. This conflict saw immense suffering, famine, and death within the city.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Roman legions under Titus conquered Jerusalem, utterly destroying the Second Temple and massacring vast numbers of its inhabitants. The devastation was unparalleled in its scale and horror.
c. AD 70
Massive Jewish Casualties and Captivity
Historical accounts document over a million Jewish deaths during the siege and its aftermath, with nearly a hundred thousand taken captive. This fulfillment of prophecy marked a catastrophic end to an era.
This passage in Daniel directly foretells the 'time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation until that time,' which Jesus echoes and applies to the destruction of Jerusalem.
Luke 21:20-24Luke's parallel account describes the same tribulation, specifying the surrounding of Jerusalem by armies and the city being 'trodden down by the Gentiles,' clarifying the historical context of Jesus' prophecy.
Jeremiah 30:7This prophetic verse speaks of a future time of distress for Israel, calling it 'a time of distress for Jacob,' which resonates with the unparalleled suffering Jesus describes.
Deuteronomy 28:49-50Moses prophesied a tribulation brought by a distant nation, characterized by harsh speech and a people not respecting the old or young, foreshadowing the devastating Roman invasion and siege.
Revelation 16:17-21This passage describes a catastrophic judgment that includes hail, earthquakes, and widespread destruction, paralleling the immense scale of devastation Jesus speaks of and providing a vision of ultimate divine judgment.
barnesMatthew 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."
There shall be great tribulation - The word "tribulation" means calamity or "suffering." Luke Luk 21:24 has specified in what this tribulation would consist: "They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled." That…
calvinMatthew 24:15-28: "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:)"
- When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which is described by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (let him that readeth understand,) 16. Then let them who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17. Let not him who is on the housetop go down to carry anything out of his house; 18. And let not…
Jesus declares this tribulation will be unprecedented and unparalleled, emphasizing the utter destruction and suffering that will fall upon Jerusalem. The language is hyperbolic, not meant to be taken literally as a scientific measurement, but to convey the absolute, unique horror of the event for that generation. This wasn't just bad; it was catastrophic in a way the world had never seen and would never see again.
Jesus is answering his disciples' questions about the signs of the end times and his return, but first he's describing a specific, intense period of suffering. This tribulation is directly linked to the "abomination of desolation" they will see, signaling the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. This devastating event will be unlike anything before or since, marking a time of divine judgment.
Jesus is answering his disciples' questions about the signs of the end times and his return, but first he's describing a specific, intense period of suffering. This tribulation is directly linked to the "abomination of desolation" they will see, signaling the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. This devastating event will be unlike anything before or since, marking a time of divine judgment.
"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be." — Jesus declares this tribulation will be unprecedented and unparalleled, emphasizing the utter destruction and suffering that will fall upon Jerusalem. The language is hyperbolic, not meant to be take…
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Last reviewed October 2026