As we look at the events of recent history, in this country and around the world, we wonder are we seeing the beginnings of the end times? We ask the question, when will Jesus come back? Will we, the church, be raptured out before it all gets bad?
Often, I feel like we are one big family, crammed in the family minivan out on a road trip. And the question that comes up over and over again: “Are we there yet?” “How much longer? When is the end?
I don’t know about you but considering all that is happening in the world today, I’m ready for Jesus to come right now. We are living in what is perhaps the most dynamic time in all of earth’s history. We are seeing things, good and bad, that our grandparents never dreamed would ever happen. Yet we are seeing things happening in our nation that grieves us deeply. We wonder what is in store for us, as Christians. Look around, it seems the whole world is against anything and anyone Christian Jesus tells us plainly:
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
That hate the world has for Jesus and those who belong to him will only get worse, if I understand my Bible correctly. I am here to preach the whole counsel of God. But I will hear many so called Christians ask me, “But doesn’t God want me to be happy?” Often that is asked in such a way to justify some sin. The fact is, nowhere in the Bible is the call from God to His people to be happy, but the call is clear for His people to be holy.
1 Peter 1:16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
And with holiness will come joy that is eternal and transcends our circumstances. The fact of the matter, as we look into the future, our circumstances as Christians will only get worse. Jesus tells us that in the world we will have trouble:
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
In fact Jesus warns us time and time again of trouble times ahead. As we look into Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, Jesus is answering the questions the Disciples had in verse 3.
Matthew 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?”
Our focal passage will dive further into that question.
Matt 24:15–22
Many commentators believe these verses deal with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple back in 70 AD. Yes the destruction at that time was great along with the tribulation suffered by of all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea. Forty years after this event, the Jewish historian Josephus wrote,
“All the rest of the wall encompassing the city was so completely leveled to the ground as to leave future visitors to the spot no ground for believing that it had ever been inhabited.” He also claimed that when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and devastated Judea, 97,000 Jews were enslaved, and another 1.1 million died by slaughter and starvation. [1]
So there was a short term aspect of Jesus’ prophecy, but I believe there is also further significance to these words for the future beyond the destruction of 70 AD.
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
First of all I want to emphasize what Matthew added here "(let the reader understand)" and is found also in Mark 13:14. Matthew and Mark were writing for future readers and for their understanding. Any Bible scholar of that day (and today for that matter) with any knowledge of the Old Testament, specifically the Book of Daniel, know that this verse has direct reference to Daniel, especially since Jesus mentions him by name.
“The abomination of desolation” is mentioned 3 times in Daniel, in chapters 9, 11, and 12. Just what is the “abomination of desolation?” The Jews of Jesus’ knew very well what this was. In 167 BC during the oppressive reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, he polluted the temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar and erecting a pagan shrine in the temple. Afterwards, when the temple was cleansed and the Jews instituted a festival called the “Festival of Lights” that we call Hanukkah.
When you see the “abomination that causes desolation” (NIV) “standing in the holy place.” What is that “holy place?” The implication is clear, at very least the temple is indicated, and more specifically, the very Holy of Holies within the temple may indicated as well. Remember Jesus and His disciples were sitting on the Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple. The abomination will be set up in the temple, and that will bring desolation. However Jesus was looking to future and not backwards with His reference to Daniel. Jesus, drawing a conclusion from what we had said previously in verses 4-14, He said in verse 15, “Therefore when,” Jesus did not say if but when. This was something that was going to happen. Daniel makes the timeframe quite clear in his prophecy of 70 weeks in Daniel 9:24-27.
What “was spoken of through Daniel the Prophet? The 70 weeks prophecy deal with 70 weeks of years or 70 times 7 years or 490 years of Jewish history and for Jerusalem. 463 years has been fulfilled quite literally. The 70th week, the last week of Daniel’s prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. That final week deals with the prince or ruler who is to come. That ruler many believe is the Antichrist (not An antichrist but THE Antichrist) which is the world ruler, the beast of Revelation 13.
Daniel 9:27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
Without going to deep detail (which we will on Wednesday), the many are the Jews. The Jews will apparently have a temple and they will resume making their daily sacrifices again.
For the Jews to have an altar and temple again will require an extraordinary agreement or treaty between the Jews and the Muslims who currently control the Temple Mount. Right now the Jews in Jerusalem today have all they need to resume the daily sacrifice except for an altar and the temple. Daniel tells us this ruler will make a covenant or a treaty with them for one week or seven years. But in the middle of that agreement, at the three and a half year point, that agreement will be broken. And the abomination will come which Jesus and Daniel tells them about. Paul tells us about that also in further detail:
2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Before the Day of the Lord, or Jesus’ return, the man of Lawlessness, that world ruler or the Beast of Revelation 13 will set himself up as God in the temple. That is the abomination of desolation. This will happen at the midpoint of the final 7 years Daniel’s prophecy and many believe this is the midpoint of the time of tribulation and the beginning of the Great Tribulation time, for Jesus tells us:
Matthew 24:21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Daniel confirms this in two places in chapter 12 in his book.
Daniel 12:1 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.
This will time of great distress or tribulation. But don’t miss the partword that everyone whose name is written in the book, will be rescued – or saved. What book is that? Its the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 21:27).
And that time frame that Daniel referred to is to be 3½ years. This is confirmed in the following verse:
Daniel 12:11 From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
1,290 days is right at 3½ years or right at 42 months.
Will believers go through that time? Some say no, God will rapture the church out before that time. As I have told you before, I don’t see that in Scripture and neither do many others. However, if God so chooses to take out the church, that’s wonderful, but I believe Jesus is telling us all this for a reason. In Matthew 24-25, Jesus is speaking in such a way by His sayings like “when we see these things” indicating that current followers (as represented by the the disciples with whom Jesus is speaking) will experience these terrible things. Are we ready?
Jesus had the Jews and Jerusalem in mind when He talked with his disciples about these events (and so was Daniel). Let’s go back to the verses we skipped.
Matthew 24:16–20 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
Luke has verses that read very similar (Luke 21:20-24). Except in Luke Jesus says to flee when you see the armies surrounding Jerusalem. In Matthew Jesus says to flee when you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. Luke does not mention the abomination of desolation.
Because of these differences, I believe Jesus was talking to them about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD in Luke’s account, but here in Matthew, if they waited to see the Romans in the Holy place in 70 AD, it would have been too late leave town for the romans had already breached the walls and defenses of Jerusalem. I believe that here in Matthew Jesus clearly indicates another future time, especially because of His reference to Daniel which is lacking in Luke.
So for those in Jerusalem in those end time days, they need to leave town or be destroyed. So how bad will it be during the great tribulation?
Matthew 24:22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
What does it mean “no life would have been saved?” Saved here does not mean salvation, but survival. Its like when we think about all out nuclear war in that all life will be killed. Unless those days are shorten, all life would perish.
But what does it mean where it says to cut short those days? I don’t know? Does it mean there will be fewer days than the prophecy called for, or a shorter day in terms of daylight hours? Scripture does not elaborate, but know that all life is threatened with destruction during that time.
Here is our takeaway. Why will the days be shorten? “but for the sake of the elect.” This should be no surprise as God moves. God not only blesses the elect, those that are saved, but those around them. God blesses those around us for our sake.
Think on this for a moment. Often where Christians are employed, those companies, those businesses, are blessed for the sake of the Christians employed there. We have seen this in the Bible numerous time. I read this past week in Genesis where Laban and all he had was blessed for the sake of Jacob. God blessed Joseph while he was employed by Potiphar, and the jail where Joseph was held prospered, and ultimately all of Egypt’s was blessed because Joseph was blessed. Are you a blessing where you are employed?
In the tribulation, God will shorten the days which will benefit everyone, because of the elect.
Yes trouble times are ahead for us. Jesus has warned us. Are we prepared for those days? The word of comfort I want to point out again comes from Daniel.
Daniel 12:1b And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.
Is your name in the book, the Lamb’s Book of Life?
Do you know Jesus? As I’ve said many times before, it is all about Jesus and knowing Him now will matter in the here and now and for all eternity.
[1] Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 709.
