Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
man. - Luke 21:36
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
man. - Luke 21:36
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. - Revelation 12:14
In Daniel 9:27 the prophet says there is a seven year period, that starts with the antichrist making a covenant with Israel. After the first three and a half years, during which time the antichrist is trying to provoke God’s wrath, he will set up the abomination of desolation. At this sign, Jesus commands those in Israel to head into the mountains. They are to take no belongings, simply drop everything and flee. By this, Jesus will know those who believe in him, as they will obey.
Jesus meets them at this point with supernatural strength and leads them into the wilderness on the east side of Israel where he will provide for them during the next three and a half years years. During this time, God pours out his wrath on the world for all the abominations of which they refuse to repent. This time of tribulation culminates with the battle of Armageddon.
The phrases carried on wings and being set up upon a rock are very common in the Bible and in looking at them, we can see many hints about this event.
Taking the events in chronological order, we should first look at the abomination of desolation.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [sevens of years]: 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 9:27
The abomination happens in the middle of the last seven years of this age. This last seven-year time period is split in half making two different three and a half year time periods. See Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:7, Revelation 11:2, Revelation 11:3, Revelation 12:14 and Revelation 13:5. It seems probable that the abomination happens in the very middle of this seven-year period.
Our two introductory verses on this are in Matthew and Mark.
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. - Matthew 24:15-21
But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, let (him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. - Mark 13:14-19
In this teaching, recorded by both Matthew and Mark, Jesus defers to Daniel for the description of the abomination. Daniel spoke of the abomination at least four times, Daniel 8:11-14, Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11. Chapter 8 and 11 are very descriptive.
Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
Then I heard one saint speaking,
and another saint said unto that certain saint which
spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily
sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give
both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under
foot?And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three
hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
- Daniel 8:11-14
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 11:31
In the book of Psalms, Asaph also mentions:
A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. - Psalm 79:1
Finally, Paul talks about the man of sin defiling the Temple of God.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
To paraphrase, the abomination of desolation is the antichrist sitting in the Temple of God and demanding worship. He will stop the daily sacrifice and in utter contempt replace it with the abomination. The moment those in Israel hear of this transgression they are to drop everything and immediately flee into the mountains.
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you. - Zephaniah 2:1-2
This last seven-year time period is commonly called The Great Tribulation, (during the first half, the antichrists persecute the saints). However, Matthew and Mark both imply that the start of great tribulation is after the abomination, which is in the middle of this the seven-year period:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. - Matthew 24:21
For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. - Mark 13:19
My heart is sore pained within me:
and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror
hath overwhelmed me.
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then
would I fly away, and be at rest.
Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the
wilderness. Selah.
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and
tempest.
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have
seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof:
mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. - Psalm
55:4-10
Be merciful unto me, O God, be
merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea,
in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge,
until these calamities be overpast.
I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth
all things for me.
He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach
of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send
forth his mercy and his truth. - Psalm 57:1b -3
And when ye shall see Jerusalem
compassed with armies, then know that the desolation
thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea 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.
- Luke 21:20-21
Many people, especially those who call themselves amillennialists, believe that these events took place in 70 AD. The Romans surrounded Jerusalem in 69 AD and then for a short season they retreated only to return the next year. According to Josephus, the Christians who obeyed Jesus and fled from Jerusalem when they had the chance avoided drinking from the cup of God’s wrath in Jerusalem’s complete destruction. Yet a closer look will show why this was a separate event from the one that is about to come.
The assumption many make is that Luke 21 is a record of the same account mentioned in Matthew 24. This is not so, Matthew refers to the end of the age while in Luke’s account, Jesus warned the saints about the destruction of Jerusalem which happened in 70 AD. Let us look at some of the differences between these two accounts.
1. In the different accounts, the disciples ask different questions: In Matthew’s account they ask about the end of the world, in Luke’s they asked about the destruction of the temple.
Matthew: Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Luke: Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
2. Luke is missing the prophecy: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”. That this verse is missing from Luke makes sense. This event did not take place before 70 AD nor was it necessary to fulfill that prophecy before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
3. In Matthew, Jesus said to look for the abomination of desolation, while in Luke account He said, when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies. In 70 AD when the Romans defiled of the temple, it was too late to escape. Their only opportunity was about a year earlier, before the Romans returned a second time. Therefore, the advice Jesus gave in Matthew’s account was not for 70 AD.
4. Luke’s account is missing this passage: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. It will be essential for Christians in Israel at the end of the age obey this command. However, this was not so in 70 AD they had months to escape into the other nations. While they were not to dawdle, it would have made sense to take along a wallet and some provisions for the way. It appears that Jesus did not give the command “not come down to take anything out of his house” in 70 AD.
5. Matthew’s account is missing: And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
They fell by the sword and were led away captive in 70 AD, since that time, as history has documented, it has been the time of the Gentiles. At the abomination of desolation, this time will have ended.
Bringing children into an uncertain world is a common concern discussed by Christians. As Jesus warned about having children in those days, many wonder if it is okay to have children now. I propose that Christians should have children if they are capable of raising them up to be godly adults.
Lo, children are a heritage of the
LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
- Psalms 127:3
Jesus warning was to not to be with child, or nursing children at the time of the abomination of desolation. If Christians stop having children three and a half years earlier, when the antichrist first makes his contract with Israel, they will avoid being with child or having nursing children when the abomination happens.