14"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. 16And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 17But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18And pray that your flight may not be in winter. 19For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. 20And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
21"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it. 22For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
Here is the text from Daniel 9:26-27 this seems to be referring to:
| 26"And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." |
Footnotes in my Bible say this whole chapter is difficult to read because it interweaves predictions of the destruction of the temple, Jesus' second coming, and the end. These footnotes say these verses refer to the destruction of temple by the Roman army in 70 AD, and that the previous verses refer to the destruction of Jerusalem. This interpretation makes it difficult to read now because it seems to go back and forth between what already happened long before my time and what is to happen in the future.
I'm not sure I am ready to take the stance that this is referring to anything that has already happened. Jesus said, "For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be." If this were referring to what happened in Jerusalem, then we have already seen the greatest tribulation ever. I don't believe this. I would expect the tribulation just before the end would be the greatest ever. So I'm planning on reading all this as a prediction of what is to come.
Abomination, desolation, tribulation... My dictionary says abomination is a great dislike or loathing, something which is detested or abhorred. Desolation is to make desolate, a wasteland, the state of loneliness or wretchedness. Tribulation is great affliction or distress, that which causes much distress. Daniel talks of the prince who is to come and on the wing of abominations shall cause dissoluteness. I think Daniel is referring to the antichrist. That he will bring destruction and bring to the people all things which God abhors. For those who participate in these things which God detests there will be a separateness from God. To be separated from God is the greatest desolation, bringing about unparalleled loneliness and wretchedness.
If you see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not...flee. This can mean so many different things. This may refer to actually seeing the antichrist in God's house. Seeing or feeling the power of Satan in a heart where only God should dwell. Or even seeing anything that God detests or abhors where He wishes to only see goodness. But the key here is: flee. Do not risk any encounter with the abomination. Even if it means leaving personal possessions.
Why is it woe to those who are pregnant or nursing? Is it because they cannot flee as quickly or easily with their burdens? I would be surprised at that reason because I can't imagine God would let that be a reason for someone's demise. He will even go as far as shortening the days to save the elect. So I can't imagine that God would let any of the elect perish just because they were pregnant or nursing. Instead I wonder if it is referring to those who are pregnant or nursing who choose the abomination. In so doing, they are making this decision not just for themselves but to the innocent babies they have with them. Woe to them for dragging the innocent with them!
Note, God will always be there with you. He will not remove the tribulation, but he will help. It says he will even shorten the days so the elect may survive the distress. But even the elect must be wary and not fall for false christ's or false prophets who will be able to show many signs and wonders.
How do we recognize a false christ or false prophet if he is able to perform many wonders? Keep in mind that Jesus always refused to perform miracles when being tested by those who questioned his authority. It is not the miracles that indicate who Christ is. So don't let miracles convince you someone is Christ. As the previous verses indicate, let the Holy Spirit guide you. So we will have a guide to help us understand if we just listen to what the Holy Spirit tells us.
Another little side comment I have on this text is Jesus' direction to flee. There are times when you are going through some tribulation, maybe not nearly the scope of the tribulation described here, but still a personal tribulation. Sometimes you wonder if you should be doing something about it yourself, or if you should be praying to God to take care of it for you. I heard a story about a man who lived near a river where everyone was ordered to evacuate because it was going to flood. He chose not to evacuate, instead prayed to God to not let the river harm him. As the river rose and roads were cut off, a rescuer came by in a boat to help him leave. He refused, saying God would protect him. His house was flooded and he crawled up onto the roof. A helicopter came to rescue him and he refused to leave, praying that God would take care of him. He died in the flood. When he had a chance to speak to God, he asked Him why He didn't answer his prayers. God said, "I did. I sent you warning of the flood and you ignored it. I sent you a boat to help you leave and you refuesd. I sent you a helicopter and you didn't get in". God wants us to take action. When Jesus talks of the time of great tribulation in the end, He doesn't say to sit down and pray as hard as you can. He says to flee. There are many times in our lives that even though God is with us, we are still expected to do what we can for ourselves. God will be with us.
OK, so now we have been given very clear instruction of what to do as we approach the end times. But it sure doesn't seem like the end times when I look out the window today. So does that mean there are no lessons in this text for me to apply to myself today? No! The instruction to flee from abominations is valid throughout our lives. I know there are times I see things that I know God abhors, but I tell myself I can ignore it, not participate. But Jesus says to flee from it. If you are watching a movie and it has scenes that you find offensive, you should stop watching the movie. If you are with friends and they start talking in ways you don't approve of, don't just not participate, but leave the group. If you don't leave or stop it in some other way, you may get influenced even though you try not to. For me, taking these kinds of actions are hard to do. But if I can't do it now, would I be able to follow Jesus' instructions if it truly were the end times?