Those days will be days of such tribulation as has never happened from the beginning of creation until now, and will never happen again.
The Lord describes the tribulation of those days as uniquely dreadful. The destruction of Jerusalem truly became a time of unspeakable suffering, with famine, war, internal unrest, and great devastation. Yet this word also opens a broader scene that recalls the great tribulation of the last times. Christ does not exaggerate: God’s judgment, when it comes after prolonged rejection, is dreadful. This verse teaches us to regard God’s patience with seriousness. When people reject the day of grace for a long time, the day of judgment becomes heavy and unavoidable.