"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand— Matthew 24:15
Jesus said, let those are in Judea flee to the mountains when you see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place. To understand how this abomination relates to the end times helps us to understand the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Caution this article contains speculation.
To God this abomination is the epitome of deception a thing God demonstrates a loathsome disgust for. I repeat this thing is despicable and abhorrent and ultimately mocked by God as worthless and destructive to men. Anyone who trusts in what God calls an abomination will conceive a false belief of what it can for you. In other words, it doesn’t make sense to love or worship something that can do nothing for you but bring you to ruin.
The abominationGod is speaking about is an image made from the things God created to represent a false god without life or the power to answer the prayers of man. This happens when man ignores the truth of God’s word saying there is no other God. All false worship doesn’t stop with one image but grows to the point that there are multiple gods, one for every occasion imaginable.
What we are talking about is the direct violation of God’s commandment for mankind.
"You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, Exodus 20:3-5 NIV
We all know that an idol is something man worships but takes the adoration and rightful place God demands from every man. We can see that the idol is made in the likeness of the being man worships and it usually has features like those of man. God mocks these idols saying it has eyes but cannot see, it has ears but cannot hear it has a nose but cannot smell, it has a mouth but cannot speak. In addition the idol has feet but must be anchored to a solid base so it can stand. In other words these idols are unable to respond to you or your needs.
God goes on to say it’s made of wood without considering that the scrap from the idol was used to keep the craftsman warm and cook his food. Then the person who fashioned this image pays homage to his creation. Saying what I have created is my god. When it is all said and done the man is totally ignorant denying the God of creation of his right to rule over his creation. What’s worse man worships an image that can do nothing but to reserve a place of eternal torment because they have been deceived.
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
Man is willing to believe anything they have no knowledge about. If you know nothing to the contrary, everything is true but then you will fall prey to what you do not know (Hosea 4:6). To those who know little or nothing about God what the man in sin says will be the truth and become the new gospel of today and the great delusion.
What men do not know is that God has told us what the abomination of desolation will do when the proper time has come. God has revealed that the abomination of desolation will appear in the Temple Courts and declare itself to be the one and only and true god.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. Revelation 13:10
The Temple Courts do not exist at the present time but everything needed for the construction of the third Temple is ready for the final OK. When the construction for the Temple begins you can expect Islam to declare a worldwide Jihad because Israel has blasphemed Allah. The world especially the saints of God will then be handed over to the abomination of desolation until Christ comes.
The person who studies the abomination of desolation is familiar with the phrase “when you see” (Matthew 24:15 Mark 13:14) and connects this phrase “when you see” with armies surrounding Jerusalem (Luke 21:20). The words “when you see” leads to God’s precautionary warnings in the verses that follow.
Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city Matthew 24:16, Mark 13:14-15, Luke 21:21
The phrase when you see armies surrounding Jerusalem speaks of a war time situation when the city of Jerusalem will be plundered.
I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Zechariah 14:2
The ruler of these armies will set up a new government typical of those in Islam. It will be a government of theocracy where the fourth beast of Daniel and the antichrist of the New Testament will govern with harsh intimidation and use the fear of death to compel mankind to worship a false god.
Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. Revelation 13:14-17
If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go .If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. Revelation 13:10
While this may not be the picture painted by those who believe in the rapture, the plan God has revealed makes it hard to say the saints will be taken out before Satan attempts to destroy God’s creation. Personally I do not like the prospects of existing during the time of distress unlike any since creation. However this is not my plan but it is a plan God is going to carry out. God says,
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. "'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.' Daniel 7:24-27
When it is all said and done God will prevail, God is going to come to deliver his people from this wicked world. God will overcome the lawless one and punish anyone who would not serve the God that created him.
September 30, 2013
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