There are a whole bunch of things
that will happen in this world that may or may not signal the last days. Tribulation is a continual thing. Pressure and distress are a part of
life. We don’t have to let them control
us, but they exist and on a wide scale.
Jesus said that we would have trouble in the world.
But there will be one thing that will
be like nothing else that says these are the last days.
It is the abomination that causes
desolation of which Daniel wrote. So, what exactly is this abomination?
There is a wide range of discussion on the subject some
including that this has already occurred, but let’s see what we might agree
upon.
It will be standing. It could be a person but more
than likely an idol, possibly a talking idol or image of some sort.
It will be dreadful and cause people to flee. There
will not be time to swing by the house, pack a bag, and book a flight.
It will begin a time of great
distress—more than anything that’s ever come
before—and nothing this bad will ever come again.
It will be more than you can handle but God will not abandon you.
For you—the faithful follower of Christ Jesus—these days will be cut
short.
It will be a time of signs and miracles that are not of God.
Deception will reach the high-water mark. Deception will be so intense that even the
very elect will be vulnerable, but God will shorten those days before his true
followers are faced with more than they can handle.
It is something of which Jesus warned
us would come.
There is another intelligence indicator
in this scripture. When you see
standing in the holy place tells us that the Holy of Holies will be established again. The scripture does not indicate which side of
the curtain the abomination will be placed.
To be seen, it could not be in the Holy of Holies, unless that place was
desecrated.
It could just be that the altar is
restored, but that lacks some fidelity to the instructions that God gave. The Holy of Holies requires a structure. The
holy place is just outside of the Holy of Holies.
Does that mean a third temple? It would seem that way, but we should
remember that God did not require a stone structure. His first temple—tabernacle—place for the
Spirit of God to dwell—was a tent.
So, what do we take away from this
section? Distress and tribulation come
and go in our lives and on this planet, but when the abomination that cause
desolation is revealed to us, we know the end is near. We must strengthen ourselves and our families
and loved ones to stand strong to the end.
It’s leaving it all on the field in
football terms. It’s the beginning of
the fourth quarter. It will be a time to
trust in the Lord and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus like never
before.
As you continue to follow Jesus through the trouble and distress that the world
holds, you will be hated by so many in this world. The world will do its best to make your life
miserable.
But we are not to be alarmed, not to
be deceived, and we are to keep watch—to be ready at all times.
Amen.
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