Matthew 24: 15>16 When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whosoever reads, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.
For very many years we’ve been hearing that Jesus is coming soon. Some have preached it and haven’t witnessed the event, but have passed on. Others in our day believe it, while some wonder how soon is soon. Even though as Christians we should not live by time lines, the predicted event would eventually take place, in the fulness of time.
God’s plans know no haste or delay and therefore, He bids us live in readiness, because the event will occur at a time when most people are not expecting it. The first passage we read in Matthew was Christ’s response to three questions posed by His disciples, after He predicted the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem which, at that time was the pride and joy of the nation.
When Jesus told them that it would be razed to the ground, they were taken aback, and the questions which followed were a reflection of the surprise and consternation they experienced at His predictions. It was a threefold question they asked and the answer Christ gave them has a twofold meaning. Let’s read:
Matthew 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, see you not all these things? verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Christ then gave them the specific sign to look for so that they would know for sure, when the event was just around the corner. They were to look out for the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet. And when they beheld that sign, they were to flee immediately with no delay.
They were not to try to put their houses in order as the sign was being fulfilled, they were not to try to tie up loose ends, neither were they to try to sell their homes in haste, in a sort of fire sale. They were to leave immediately, with only the clothes on their backs.
That is how urgent and serious the instruction was, and if any were to defer obedience for any reason, they would be consumed in the conflagration that was scheduled to engulf the city.
Sometimes the instructions or commands God gives in an emergency might seem quite difficult for some individuals to obey, especially to the logical thinking mind, but it would be of the utmost importance for us to obey promptly.
When the Hebrews were scheduled to leave Egypt, in the wee hours of the morning, they did not have time to sell their homes. They were then instructed to eat the Passover in haste, with their sandals and their Jordans on, and thus, they left a lot of stuff behind, furniture, cars, and the whole nine yards. Let’s read:
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house.
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Some Christians, in anticipation of Jesus’ given sign were free to move out before, if they chose to, but if they decided to stay until the sign was fulfilled, it would have become necessary to flee immediately, without looking back, very similar to that urgent command given to Lot and his wife to leave Sodom.
When the command was given for Lot and his wife to flee, their various investments and their temporal interests had to be left unattended. To put it plainly in today’s vernacular, their Bitcoin, and investments on Wall Street, which were scheduled for maturity at some future date, had to be left hanging in limbo because there was no time left to wind them down.
There are not many Christians who could, or would obey a sudden command like that, because to turn your back at such a short notice on all that you have worked for all your life, can prove to be much more than some persons could handle.
That’s the reason why so many of the Hebrews kept looking back at their life in Egypt, because, bad as it was, they had sunk their roots quite deeply into the Egyptian economy, and as they would reminisce in retrospect, murmuring, and complaining began to arise.
Some remnant Christians will find it difficult to wind down operations and businesses in the final conflict, because they have sunk their roots so deep into the various ventures and investments that are on the menu today. There is nothing wrong with investing, but just remember, if for some reason you have to leave suddenly, this world is not our home.
Again, in the anticipation of the given sign in our day some believers might choose to relocate before the big one hits, but if some choose to remain until the sign is right upon us, then they may have to prepare to leave in haste, without looking back.
In our day, every sign given in the Bible, pointing to the coming abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet is currently taking place and thus there is only one more shoe to drop.
As we study the signs given, pointing to the coming of the abomination of desolation, we ought to ask ourselves: How soon is soon? Is it some time, in the distant future, or is it in the near future? Let’s read:
Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in different places.
Let us break down the signs, and as we do, try your best to avoid burying your heads in the sand. When Jesus predicts that “Many” shall come in His name, saying I am Christ” that’s not only a reference to the great final deception by the prince of darkness, who is scheduled to make literal appearances worldwide.
It is also a reference to the many preachers and the many televangelists who all claim to be preaching of Christ, when in fact the greater majority by far, have not been sent by Him. For a person to come in Jesus’ name simply means that they claim to be sent by God, when indeed this may not be the case.
Then again you have the sign of “Wars and rumors of wars”. Not only are there several wars currently taking place at the same time, but you also have the rumors of war swirling around. On numerous recent occasions, threats have been made to obliterate Iran, but those threats turned out to be only rumors.
There are more than 120 wars, and armed conflicts taking place in the world currently and there’s much social unrest and upheaval taking place in different parts of the earth. Thus, just as The Lord predicted, there are wars and rumors of wars that are running concurrently now.
Again, Jesus declares that nations shall rise against nations, and that is also taking place as we speak. Russia has risen against Ukraine, and vice versa. In the Middle east, Israel, Palestinians and Hezbollah, have risen against each other, in what has turned out to be a tit for tat ongoing conflict with no end in sight.
The Houthis in Yemen have risen against countries in the region, and Somalians have risen against the rebels of Al Shabab, and there are ongoing conflicts between several countries and there are factions, in Cameroon, Sudan, Venezuela, Mozambique, and in Haiti.
Therefore, when Christ says that nations shall rise against nations, we are living it currently in the here and now. Again, the prophecy states that there will be famine which is very often the result of drought, or a lack of water.
At the same time all of the previous signs are being fulfilled, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which are fed by the Colorado river, are running dangerously low, in so much that both of them are at their lowest point since they were first filled, sitting at 27% and 23% respectively, of their full capacity.
States are looking at the very real possibility of the hydro electric powerplants that are being fed by the Colorado river, may have to be taken offline, if there is no change in the issues of replenishing the dams, such as abundant rainfall, snow melt, and snow pack.
In Europe, some ski resorts have had to close, since there wasn’t enough snow to make business viable. And across the entire globe, rivers and water assets are diminishing at an alarming pace, with no end in sight.
This will of course trigger significant ripple effects for farmers and ranchers who depend on water for livestock and grain. Millions upon millions of people across the world are suffering acute hunger as the result of the lack of water, and the wildfires at home and abroad are just symptoms of a world gone wild.
In fact, the deadly wildfires in Europe and across the United States and Canada and also in different parts of the earth, represent the fulfilment of prophecies, regardless of what the cause may be. In the book of Isaiah in particular, he specifies that great heat will be one of the signs of the last days.
Therefore, whether it be because of global warming or climate change, whether it be because of arsons, or any other manmade causes, the fact remains that an increasingly heated environment will continue to characterize the days that lead to the establishment of the abomination of desolation, which is spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Let’s read:
Isaiah 4: 6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Isaiah 24: 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Then again, the prophecy states that there will be earthquakes in different places, an undeniable fact of the here and now. So far for this year, there have been about 77 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 and greater, not to mention the one that took place recently in Colombia while we were writing out this Bible study.
And we can go on and on and on, but since we are not to focus on the negatives too much, we will say that to any rational thinking person, the predictions given in Matthew 24 are lining up with the realities on the ground and therefore, we cannot, and should not reason away the fact that end time prophecies are being fulfilled.
Another sign that is given in the Scriptures, as it pertains to the final conflict, is that “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, then shall the end come.
Adventist World Radio, and its associated programs are currently available in every almost country on earth. There are very few countries where you will not find a remnant footprint online or on shortwave Am/Fm radio.
Some may argue that there have been earthquakes, and wars throughout history, and pestilences, such as the bubonic plague and Covid have all come and gone, so what’s different about those signs given by Jesus in Matthew 24?
The difference hinges on three things: Frequency, Intensity, and Convergence. Frequency, in that the signs are multiplying rapidly, Intensity, because the signs are increasing in severity, and Convergence, because they will be taking place in quick succession at the same time.
They are likened unto a woman in childbirth where the birth pangs increase in intensity and severity, as the day for her delivery draws near. Similarly, what we are seeing currently on the world stage are the birth pangs of something cataclysmic, that will end in the 2nd coming of Jesus. Let’s read:
1st Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times, and seasons brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
There are times during a woman’s pregnancy when she may experience some level of discomfort such as morning sickness, and vomiting, within the first trimester. And as the pregnancy increases, there are other marked changes that take place in her body.
However, as the delivery date draws near, her labor pains increase dramatically, both in frequency and intensity and she has to be on full alert, because her water could break at any moment.
Finally, things reach a point of no return, when she has to head to the hospital because her delivery is imminent. In other words, it’s just about time for us to head to the hospital, that’s how close we are.
Therefore, we must focus our lasers on the question that was posed by the disciples: When shall these things be?” so that the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet would not catch us off guard. Let us consider it carefully, as we go into the Bible study. Let’s read:
Matthew 24: 15>16 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whosoever reads, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.
Question: What is the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet?
Answer: The abomination of desolation refers to the pagan Roman banner that would be planted on the territories belonging to the Jews. This would then signal an imminent, catastrophic invasion.
Daniel links the word abomination with desolation and consummation, signaling that the planting of the Roman flag on Jewish soil will come with a lot of catastrophic destruction. This would also bring the daily ministration in the temple to a screeching halt because Christ predicted that not one stone would be left upon another.
Thus, if according to Christ’s prophecy on the Jewish temple one stone would not be left upon another, it means that the sanctuary services that took place in it daily, would have a tragic end. After the veil of the temple was rent in two by unseen hands at the time that Christ died on Calvary, daily sanctuary services had continued until Cestius and Titus entered. Let’s read:
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Then again, Jesus makes it quite plain so that no one would have any doubt as to what the desolation will refer to. The abomination will be the pagan insignia of Rome, set up on Jewish soil, and that will signal a coming destruction by the Roman armies. It is very plain in the Scriptures, so that even your tweenager could understand. Let’s read:
Luke 21:20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
And so said so done, because the Roman Cestius first came and planted the pagan banner just on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and then later on Titus came to finish them off, in the destruction and desolation that ensued, by which the temple was reduced to ruins in the great conflagration, that killed almost a million people, according to some estimates.
But, as was stated before, the prophecy of Christ as it pertains to the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, would have another future fulfillment, because the questions posed by Christ’s disciples included what would be the sign of the end of the world.
Therefore, if the first fulfillment included the Roman banner being planted in the holy place, then we are to expect a repeat of the same thing when our turn comes around. Thus, the question is What is Rome’s banner and insignia in our day, so that we will know what to look for?
Without a doubt, it is Sunday, the day of rest which almost all contemporary Christians have subscribed to, and for which there is no Scriptural authority. In fact, both Cestius and Titus declare that there is no Biblical authority for Sunday worship, yet, almost all evangelicals and protestants have adopted it as the official day of rest.
Very many are sincere-hearted, and may have done so without knowing what is at stake, thus Titus and Cestius are asking what are they protesting about if almost all Christendom has signed on to something that’s nowhere to be found in the Bible? Let’s read:
Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth NJ 'News' on March 18, 1903: It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.”
The Roman Catechism: 2189 "Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (⇒ Deut. 5:12) "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord" (⇒ Ex 31:15).
[Test. Vol. 5 pp 464] As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation [the United States] in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains.
Question: What will drive the lamblike beast to do such a thing as to coerce the citizenry to worship on a day that God neither recognizes or endorses?
Answer: It will be the preponderance of wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes in different places, and famines, pestilences, wildfires, and drought, which present perplexities, for which there is no answer. It will then be declared that America has to turn back to God, to bring back a situation of peace, stability, and tranquility. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 590] It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday-sabbath, that this sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced.
And, that those who present the claims of the fourth commandment thus destroying reverence for Sunday are troublers of the people, preventing their restoration to divine favor and temporal prosperity.
Several countries already enforce Sunday closing laws or "blue laws”. Prominent among these are Germany, Switzerland, and Tonga, which mandate strict rest periods and commercial closures. Others include Austria, Norway, Poland, and Croatia.
And right here in the United States and Canada, you have localized "Sunday blue laws" that vary by state and province, which typically limit the sale of booze or might restrict car dealerships, and certain types of manual labor on Sundays.
That’s the reason why The Lord says to us that there is only one more shoe to drop meaning that through the legislative branches of government, the issue of a national day of rest would eventually become the law of the land, and will be enforced via the mark of the beast, referenced in Revelation chapter 13.
All of the players are already on the stage, and the handwriting is on the wall, so that every thinking person may investigate and find out for themselves, whether those things are so. This is the issue that we are hurtling towards, and God, in His mercy, will grant the outpouring of His Holy Spirit to illuminate every mind on the issues at stake.
Most of God’s true people currently sit in Sunday churches, for this truth has not yet penetrated the minds of many persons. God knows this, and He will not leave any stone unturned, until every sincere- hearted individual would be enlightened on this matter.
We invite and encourage all of our Sunday keeping brethren to discover this truth for yourselves, and The God of heaven would grant the necessary grace and mercy, for you to make the switch back to the original, and only day of rest God recognizes.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that would encourage everyone to do the right thing, for God is merciful, and He earnestly desires that every person should come to repentance. Let’s read:
Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work.
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
God Bless!