The Great Tribulation With Its Trouble And Sorrows Series

-Tuesday-

Mount of Olives

Jesus Tells of the Future

Matthew 24:15-22 (Focal Passage), Mark 13:14-20, Luke 21:20-24

PART 6: The Great Tribulation With Its Trouble And Sorrows

Matthew 24:15-22 (Focal Passage)

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17 “Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.

18 “And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

19 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

20 “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

21 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

Mark 13:14-20

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.

15 “Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.

16 “And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

17 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

18 “And pray that your flight may not be in winter.

19 “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.

20 “And 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.

Luke 21:20-24

20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.

21 “Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.

22 “For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

23 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.

24 “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

15 Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

Alternate Translation (NLT): The time will come when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about: the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the holy place—reader, pay attention!

At this point we have come to the middle of the Tribulation. In the Old Testament this time of world wide trouble is given various names: "the time of Jacob's trouble," "that day," " the Day of the Lord," and "The Tribulation." We know that Jesus is talking about the Tribulation by comparing verse 15 with Daniel 9:27: “He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. Then as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler.” (NLT). “He” refers to the prince that shall come, the Roman Antichrist, who will come during the Tribulation Period after the Rapture of the church. The Antichrist will pledge to protect Israel for a seven-year period, but in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifices and the offerings to cease. After three and one half years, the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel and defile their new Temple by setting up an idolatrous image. All men will be ordered to worship this abominable idol. Failure to comply will be punishable by death ([1]Rev. 13:15). The New Testament confirms this in II Thessalonians 2:4 where Paul declares that the Antichrist, the man of sin, will sit “… in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” Up until that point the Antichrist will have seemed to be Israel’s protector. His true intentions will then be known. Revelation states that power was given unto him to continue forty and two months ([5]Rev 13:5). He will have only one half of the seven-year period left after he breaks his treaty with Israel. As a result, Israel will be forced to flee and to hide under God’s protection “… for a time, and times, and half a time …” (Rev 12:14), another reference to the last three and one half years of the Tribulation. “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand).” ... The erection of the idol will be the signal to those who know the Word of God that the Great Tribulation has begun. Note, that the Lord wants the one who “reads” the prophecy to “understand” it.