I’m continuing the series I started regarding the tribulation, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the kingdom of heaven, the 2nd Coming of Christ, and the End of the Age. In this episode, we’re going to look at “WHEN” Jesus said Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed. In the beginning of Matthew 24, Jesus tells the disciples not one stone of the temple will be left upon another. The disciples ask Jesus, When will the temple be destroyed? What will be the sign of his coming? And What will be the sign of the end of the age? In Luke 21 and Mark 13, we have this discourse from the Mt of Olives, with some small differences. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus warns the disciples that before the temple is destroyed and the age comes to an end; they will be persecuted, thrown in prison, betrayed by friends and relatives, and some of them will be killed. All this will happen to them because they believe and preach Jesus. But Jesus tells them not to worry because the Holy Spirit will be with them. And he encourages them by promising the one who endures to the end will be saved.
In the last episode, as we were going through Matthew 24, we saw that lawlessness would multiply during the time leading up to the destruction of the temple. Jerusalem and Judea’s civil and religious situation will become increasingly worse for everyone. This brings us to the sign Jesus gives the disciples regarding the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:15-28).
OK, disciples, you wanted a sign when the temple will be destroyed, here’s your sign: when you see the Abomination of Desolation, or the Abomination That Makes Desolate, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place, or the holy city, then run as fast and as far as you can. Let’s see what Mark’s Gospel records Jesus saying in (Mark 13:14-23). Finally, let’s read what Luke records (Luke 21:20-24).
The abomination that makes desolate is mentioned in all three passages. And in Matthew, Jesus says this is spoken of by the prophet Daniel, and ‘let the reader understand.’ So, for us to understand the sign of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, we need to read and understand what Daniel said (Daniel 9:20-27).
After those sixty-two weeks (which is after the 69th week – 7 weeks plus 62 weeks – so during the 70th week), the Anointed One (The Messiah) will be cut off (the Jews will reject the Messiah) and will have nothing. The people of the coming ruler (prince – Messiah, who are the people of the Messiah? The Jews.) will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Therefore, the Jews will be the ones who destroy their own city). The end will come with a flood, and until the end, there will be war; desolations are decreed. He will make a firm covenant with many for (for isn’t in the text, it was added by the translators. This could be during or in… with many during) one week, but in the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering (there is an end to something here which we will talk about Daniel in future episodes. Right now, I want you to be familiar with this passage and see what Jesus mentioned about the sign of the Abomination of Desolation. Which we come to now…) And the abomination of desolation will be on a wing of the temple until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.” Who is the desolator? We’ll discuss this in a future episode.
I think from what Jesus told the disciples, what Gabriel told Daniel, and what Luke wrote about the sign of the Roman army surrounding Jerusalem, it’s clear the Abomination of Desolation or the Abomination that makes Desolate was the Roman army. Why would the Roman army be an Abomination to the Jews? An Abomination to the Jews was worshipping a graven image of a god. The Roman soldiers were representatives of a false god, the emperor Nero. Nero committed suicide in 68 AD, and eventually, the general, Vespasian, became emperor. It was Vespasian’s son Titus that led the final assault on Jerusalem. The Roman army displayed ensigns that had an eagle atop their staffs, and just below the eagle was the image of the emperor god. Therefore, the worshippers of the graven image of a false god surrounded the holy place or the holy city. I’m going to get more into the warning Jesus gave the disciples about what to do when they see this sign and how God’s providence helped them escape the city before it was destroyed. But in this episode, I want us to take away two things: The Great Tribulation happened during the events leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and The Abomination that made it Desolate was the Roman army as it surrounded the city.
The “Dispees,” or the Dispensationalists, think the Tribulation is in the future. But if the Abomination that makes desolate and the tribulation already took place in 70 AD, then what’s the purpose of a secret rapture? Will believers suffer persecution and death up to and until the return of Christ? Yes. The world will continue to hate everyone who preaches the name of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of heaven because we are the children of God’s Church, and they are the children of the Evil One. We won’t enrage them against us only if we’re not preaching the commands of Jesus and His kingdom. That should be a sign to us.
