Over
the last couple of weeks, we have looked at Jesus’ overview of the tribulation.
We have seen that there will be false prophets, famine, wars, martyrdom, and
more. The antichrist will be revealed and his false prophet will lead people
astray in worship. In verse 15 we find that Jesus was not done talking about
what to expect. It is such a big deal, a heads up for people around today, and
a warning for those who will live through the Tribulation that Jesus wants to
be very clear.
Matthew
24:15-28
15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things
out of his house. 18 And a
man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place
from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! 22 Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited
because of the elect. 23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the
Messiah!’ or,
‘Over here!’ do not believe it! 24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform
great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.25 Take
note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go
out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far
as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.”
By this point in time those who have given their lives
to Jesus have been raptured and all that is left is those who have found Jesus
during the tribulation and the Jewish remnant. Jesus is speaking to those who
are left after the rapture and filling them in on what is arguably the most
obvious sign of the tribulation, the ‘abomination that causes desolation.’ We
touched on this last week.
Daniel
9:27
“He will make a firm
covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a
stop to sacrifice and offering. And the abomination of desolation will be on a
wing of the temple until the decreed destruction is poured out on
the desolator.”
At
the half way point of the tribulation the antichrist is going to have a wild
idea to desecrate the Holy Temple of the Jewish people. He is going to turn it
from a place that is used to worship the One True God to one that is
worshipping the antichrist. The antichrist’s days will be numbered from that
point.
Daniel
12:11
“From
the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is
set up, there will be 1,290 days.”
For
those trying to do the math, that is just about 3 ½ years. So Daniel was
prophesizing about a 7-year tribulation and the desolation of the Holy Temple
happening in the middle of it.
Before
we go any farther, a question needs to be answered. There is no temple today,
so are there any plans to build one?
The
short answer is, yes. The Temple Institute, which is an organization that is
trying engage the Jewish people to build a new temple. Last year we saw that
people in Israel were now raising herds of red heifers, which have been all but
extinct in Israel for many years. This is significant in that a red heifer is
needed for purification.
Numbers
19:1-10
“19 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 2 “This is the legal statute that the Lord has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to
bring you an unblemished red cow that has no defect and has never been yoked. 3 Give it to Eleazar the priest, and he will have it brought
outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood with his
finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. 5 The cow must be burned in his sight. Its hide, flesh, and
blood, are to be burned along with its dung. 6 The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson yarn, and throw them onto the fire where the cow
is burning. 7 Then the
priest must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may
enter the camp, but he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. 8 The one who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and
bathe his body in water, and he will remain unclean until evening. 9 “A
man who is clean is to gather up the cow’s ashes and deposit them outside the
camp in a ceremonially clean place. The ashes must be kept by the Israelite
community for preparing the water to remove impurity; it is a sin offering. 10 Then the one who gathers up the cow’s ashes must wash his
clothes, and he will remain unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute
for the Israelites and for the foreigner who resides among them.”
Using a red heifer for purification is required for the
temple. The red heifer has returned. I also read that while they do not have a
temple, The Temple Institute has built a new altar. Under the guidance of a
Rabbi, this new altar has been built according to scriptural requirements. It
was inaugurated at the end of 2014.
So, The Temple Institute has orchestrated the reemergence
of red heifers and built a new altar. Their plans do not stop there. They have
been successful in raising the money needed to have an architect draw up the
plans for the third temple to be built in Jerusalem. The Bible does not tell us
if the Third Temple is built before the tribulation or during it. The Bible is
clear that there will be a Third Temple and that the antichrist will take it as
his own.
Last week we saw that Israel would be alone against all of
the nations of the world. Take that with the return of the red heifers, a new
altar, and the plans for the Third Temple being worked on; it appears the
puzzle pieces are falling into place.
Eventually the Third Temple will be built and at the
mid-point of the tribulation the antichrist will reveal himself.
2
Thessalonians 2:4
“He opposes and exalts
himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s sanctuary, publicizing that he
himself is God.”
There will be no missing or denying that the antichrist has
revealed himself. Many will believe he is god since they are blind, but those
that are watching. Those who are serving Jesus and the Jewish remnant will know
exactly what is going on.
Jesus confirmed Daniel’s prophecy and told people to watch
for it as it is the most visible event that can be recognized by pretty much
everyone. He even gave directions on how to respond.
Matthew 24:16-21
16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things
out of his house. 18 And a
man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For
at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place
from the beginning of the world until now and never will again!”
When
the antichrist reveals himself it is time to get out of Dodge. Do not hang
around for anything, do not go back to the house to get your valuables, do not
even stop long enough to get a change of clothes. Just get out of there as fast
as you possibly can. Expectant or nursing mothers are going to have a very hard
time escaping. The bad weather of winter will be an obstacle to getting out
quickly and in Israel everything is closed on the Sabbath so it will be impossible
to get gas for your car or whatever else is needed to flee. Things must be bad
if Jesus is telling the remnant is Israel to be prepared to run.
Jeremiah
30:7
“How
awful that day will be! There will be none like it! It will be a time of
trouble for Jacob, but he will be delivered out of it.”
Any
persecution up until this point will be mild in comparison to what is coming.
Hell on earth is coming for those who do not follow the antichrist. One
commentary I read this week stated that that no person can truly grasp the
horrors that will be faced during this period. As usual we can be thankful that
God does not leave things at their worst.
Matthew
24:22
“Unless those days were limited, no one
would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect.”
An
encouraging note, that our Lord will limit the time that the antichrist is in
control. The days of persecution will be limited for the sake of those who will
accept Christ as their savior, those that have been redeemed during the
tribulation.
Matthew
24:23-26
“23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the
Messiah!’ or,
‘Over here!’ do not believe it! 24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform
great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.25 Take note:
I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go
out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.”
The
antichrist will empower the false prophet who will have ‘spiritual leaders’, or
as much as I hate to say it he will have ‘pastors’ out preaching the gospel of
the antichrist trying to convert everyone possible. Jesus is telling the elect
to be prepared that they will hear that that antichrist is the true God, they
will hear that Jesus has actually returned in private, they will hear all sorts
of lies to make them doubt that Jesus is God.
So,
Jesus wants to be clear, do not believe what you hear. It is all lies! He is
not going to return in that manner, He is not going to come back in secret, and
He is not going to come back disguised as someone else. When Jesus returns the
whole world will know. There will be no doubt whatsoever.
Matthew
24:27-28
“27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes
as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.”
Has
anyone been woken up by lightning, not the sound of the thunder, just the flash
of lightning? I have. There have been times that the flash was so bright that
the room was bright as day, even with the curtains closed. When you are awake,
there is no missing the lightning and there will be no missing the return of
Jesus.
“Christ’s
coming will be sudden, startling, universally visible, and terrifying to the
ungodly.” – Charles Spurgeon
Without
warning Jesus will return, all will be startled, everyone will see it, and judgment
will follow.
It
is imperative that we study the end times so that we are not caught off guard.
We need to be watching for what is coming and caring enough for those around us
to reach out to them in hopes that they will not endure this horrible time.
We
also see once more that God does not leave us groveling in the mire and that
even parts of the tribulation are proof of God’s love for us. He is warning us
today for what is to come, His words are recorded to prepare those enduring the
tribulation, and He brings the tribulation to a close before all are lost. All
of this out of Love for His children.
1
John 3:1a
“Look
at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s
children. And we are!”
Be prepared to join Jesus before the time of testing. Serve Him daily!
God Bless,
Robert
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