This prophecy given by our Saviour presents the picture of a
long-continued persecution of His own elect, and foretells the
shortening of the allotted time. God was to intervene in some special
way to save His people. And it was even so. The elect did suffer all
through the centuries of intolerance, until the rise of the Reformation
and the spreading abroad of God's Word broke the power of
ecclesiasticism, thus shortening the days of bitter tribulation.
The End Drawing Near
According to Daniel's further prophecy, the period of trial and
persecution was to reach "even to the time of the end." Dan. 11:35.
Naturally, then, we should look for the signs of the latter days to
begin to appear following these days of tribulation. And so we find the
next words of Christ's discourse introducing the topic of His second
coming. From now on the prophetic outline deals with events leading
down to the end of the age.
First the Saviour utters a warning against false ideas concerning His
second coming. That no theories of a secret coming or of a mystic coming
might deceive the unwary, He says in plain words:
"If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it
not.
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