The Abomination of Desolation B

Exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. With the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders and deceitfulness of unrighteousness comes in actually the abomination they been wrong completely wrong. Of course Jesus warned that those kinds of predictions are foolish, as he said no one but the father knows the hour of the second coming, but there are events that establish a general timeframe and John MacArthur's going to look at one of those events today.

It's called the abomination of desolation. What exactly do you need to know about this terrible act and when it will take place. Find out now here on grace to US.

John MacArthur continues his study titled, Jesus is coming. Jesus said there is coming in the future a time unlike any other time at time of incredible indescribable horror to the world, but particularly focusing on the nation Israel is a time of which Isaiah spoke of which Jeremiah spoke of which Daniel spoke, and of which Zacharias will so it really isn't anything new that our Lord is saying he is reiterating what was said to hold a time like no other time if Israel thinks it has endured unbelievable Holocaust. In the past, then they need to take stock of what the prophets of said and what the Lord Jesus said that they have not yet endured what they shall in the future for there is coming a Holocaust unlike any other and it will not only impact is real, but it will impact the world and things are not going to get better. They're going to get worse. In fact, they're going to get worse today never been the worst of all, yes. Just prior to the worst time of all, there will be a brief time. Peace. So as we look ahead in future analyzing the events of man's day.

We could expect to have a time of false peace, followed immediately by a Holocaust without description and precedent followed immediately by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that's with the prophets of said that's what Jesus says because in verse 29 of Matthew 24 he says immediately after the tribulation.

What happens the sun is dark and the moon doesn't give us like the stars fall powers of heaven are shaken and then appears a sign of the Son of Man heaven all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

So this is the time right preceding the coming of Christ, it's impossible not to see this prophetic picture. This chronology is simply as it stated here by our Lord by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Zechariah. Now, in Daniel 11. We meet a very important personality. We call them antichrist. She is called here the willful King. The king who does his own will, but does not regard the desire of women, nor any God.

He magnifies himself above all. Verse 37 in his estate shall be honor the he honors the god of fortresses, the God of might and so forth. And this is a description of the great antichrist. The great willful King does his own will, who flaunts his is a dislike and hatred toward the true God and his Christ, and he sets up his own power in his own strength and what happens if you put the biblical picture together is in Daniel two.

We find that there will be in the end time arising of the old Roman Empire. The final form of the Roman Empire has 10 toes and it is territorially reconstructed Rome the old Roman Empire occupied Western Europe and do some of Eastern Europe as well. Of course put in in the new final form of the Roman Empire, which is crushed by the coming of Messiah chose this big image.

The final form attend toad representation of the Roman empire which is smashed by the Messiah, who is called the stone cut out without hands so the Messiah comes and crushes a final 10 nation confederacy, which is like the old Roman Empire what's going to happen is out of that system. According to Daniel and according to the book of Revelation will rise a great leader and this guy will rise out of that European confederacy, and he will become a savior to Israel. He is going to be the one who is the protector of Israel. Israel has made an alliance with this guy. He is in control the powers of the world move into Israel as described in the 11th chapter of Daniel. It's described with detail the cash at the time of the end.

Verse 40 the King of the South comes the king of the North comes all these powers come in and then comes the Tydings out of the East, the great army from the east, and in this initial conflagration that happens, the antichrist and his Western power is victorious but it's at that point, when he's made his alliance with Israel. He's become Israel's protector, the world comes to fight against him to fight against and take Israel in that battle, he wins, he wins, and when he wins.

He then commits the abomination of desolation, as we'll see in Daniel Ellis go back to Matthew and will begin to pick up all of this and pull it all together in Matthew chapter 24 were looking just at this one verse, verse 15 when you see the abomination of what is an abomination. Deluca much a strange word basically means that which is abhorrent that that which is detestable that which is utterly repulsive to God. The word is primarily used to speak of things associated with idolatry is used in Revelation 17, four and five of the abominations of the false religious system known as mystery Babylon the prostitute.

The harlot is used in Revelation 2127 where it talks about the fact that in the final heaven there will be nothing there that abominations nothing there that is repulsive to God. The Old Testament predominantly associated with idolatry and the artifacts and the activities and the rites and rituals and ceremonies and idols that go along with idolatry. So it is a word that has basically to do with heathen gods idol gods, which are detestable to the one true God. Now you will notice as a genitive form here in the Greek is the detestable thing which distillates which lays waste which ruins which desecrates so there's going to come then a great event in the future of Israel, in which there will be an idolatrous act that of that is an abominable thing to God.

That is a detestable thing to God and that will cause the ruination and the destruction and the devastation and the waste of the holy place to see if there the holy place.

What is the holy place and people say the land. Some people say the nation, the people what some people say the city of Jerusalem. What is the holy place in acts 2128 it says I think very simply what it is. Here Paul came back to Jerusalem after his journeys in the Gentile area. He wanted to reaffirm his commitment to the Jews. You want them to know that he was not a traitor to them in any sense. So I went into the temple to go through some purification ritual with some of his Jewish friends and when he was in there. There were some Jews from Asia who had known him over there and knew that he preach the gospel so they started a riot and this was their accusation against Paul in verse 28 of X 21 minute Israel help. This is the man that is Paul as the man teaches all men everywhere against the people in the lawn this place and further brought Greeks also into the temple and have polluted this holy place, and it can't mean anything but simple it can be nothing but the temple and I am seen a reason for it to mean anything other than that in verse 15 of Matthew 24 is the temple, the holy place that's nothing new for us the Old Testament because of the holy place. There was a holy place and then there was the holy of holies of course, but the whole place was called the holy place that play set apart on the God and it is a specific place so I think it very clearly indicates the temple and it happens when it is established in the temple that there is a something detestable to God that devastates ruins and lays waste that temple may say will how do we know what this is what it helps us, gives the key in verse 15 see it there.

It's that abomination of desolation. Not just any abomination, not just any event, but the one spoken of by Daniel the prophet, the one spoken of by Daniel the prophet, now all we have to do is go back and find out what Daniel said let's do it. Chapter 11 now in Chapter 11.

The first part of the chapter.

This is a rather long chapters devoted to some historical things in the latter part to the end time things but what you're looking in Chapter 11 notice verse 31 and here in verse 31. We have a very, very graphic description of an interesting historical figure and by the way, I don't know that any Bible commentary that I've ever read. No matter what their viewpoint on prophecy has ever interpreted this any other way. At least no reputable scholar has, then as a reference to a historical figure by the name of Antiochus epiphanies. He was a Syrian king who basically root range from about 175 to 165 BC, he called himself epiphanies which means the great one. It wasn't a very modest fellow so I called himself Antiochus epiphanies Antiochus the great one. The people call them Antiochus epiphanies, which means maniac, so I suppose they didn't call and that to his face, but that's what they called in but anyway this particular man is a very interesting figure in verse 31 it says this about him and if you study the whole text is clear who it is. History makes it very obvious forces will stand on his part and they'll pollute the sanctuary of strength take away the daily sacrifice and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate, there's that same phrase again. He is going to bring about an abomination of desolation that is Antiochus epiphanies. So here we have a historical picture of what the end time abomination is going to be like. He was a great persecutor of the people of Israel. If you read the Eagle Avenel Catholic Bible or you can get an apocryphal, you'll find the books of Maccabees 1st and second Maccabees. If you look in there to get a whole rundown on Antiochus because it was written in the period in which you live. About 400 years after Daniel prophesied in prior to the New Testament era what you read in there that he tried to stamp out Jewish religion, and in so doing, he slaughtered thousands and thousands of Jews, including men, women and even children key in the worst act. As far as Jewish history is concerned, desecrated the temple he abomination of the temple by going in there and slaughtering a pig on the altar and then stuffing pork down the throats of the priests and then setting up a God in that place and abomination a Greek God. I think it was Zeus and so this was it is was a time it wasn't just a one act he put Zeus in there and the temple became desolate. The Jews never went back. They wouldn't go near the place they would go to a defiled place in the daily sacrifice was completely stopped and that's exactly 1131 of Daniel said he would come along. Pollute the sanctuary did slavishly a pig on the altar took away the daily sacrifice. That's exactly what happened and it made no more sacrifices there and the place was so abominable that it became desolate. The Jews never went back and that is exactly right.

And it was not changed until the Maccabean revolution overturned his power and that they were able to go back to their religion.

Now that sacrilege committed by Antiochus epiphanies in the second century BC is a foretaste in a preview of the final kind of sacrilege. That will be committed in the end time will be very much the same very much the same, and Daniel speaks of that one back in chapter 9. So let's go back tonight by the way Daniel mentions abomination of desolation 3×3 times now back in chapter 9 and I don't want to spend a lot of time on this. We don't have the time, but in chapter 9. Daniel has a tremendous prophecy about the history of Israel redemptive light and he says in verse 24, that 70 weeks, 70 habitats, 70 weeks of years.

The weeks zero weeks of years, 70 weeks of years, 70×7 or 490 years are determined on five people Israel. At the end of which transgression is finished.

Sin is ended.

Iniquity is made reconciliation for everlasting righteousness comes visions and prophecies are sealed up in the most holy Messiah is anointed, neither in his folks, 490 years to the end 490 years to the kingdom of Messiah. When sin is done and the righteousness rains in the kingdom you say wow we can find out when it begins her to find out what it meant we can find it when it begins in the next verse understand from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem when was that I was Artaxerxes Artaxerxes for 40s made a decree to rebuild the temple to rebuild the city let the juice do that. That's what started in so you can start counting from their seven weeks threescore and two weeks that 69 weeks will be 69 weeks unto the Messiah the Prince 69 weeks to the Messiah the Prince is been calculated to be exact, to the very day when Messiah came on. That leaves how many weeks left one week. There's one loose week and that's the problem. We know the 69 and when Messiah came, but the 70th hasn't come yet so we have an undetermined time gap between the 69th in the 70th. Now verse 27 there is a prince. In verse 26 who will come in the future. This prince is going to come and is going to bring desolation. There's that word again. That means ruination devastation and he's going to come and make a covenant with Israel for one week and in the middle of that week he will cause the sacrifice and the offerings to cease just exactly like Antiochus epiphanies did and we know this is in talking about Antiochus because all of this is connected to the coming of Messiah isn't all of this is connected to the end of sin and the end of transgression in the end of iniquity and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness on the anointing of the most holy in the time of the kingdom. So it's got to be at the second coming, but he's going to go into halfway through that seven years were to be 3 1/2 years 42 months, 1260 days cause the sacrifice to stop and then he's going to bring the overspreading of abominations that make desolate. There's the abomination of desolation and is going to do this until the consummation, and that which is determined shall be poured out upon the desolate mother was going to do until the end and God's final judgment.

So the future ruler, the future Prince, the Prince, the willful King. The little horn, the antichrist, the beast out of the sea with everyone: the man of sin, the son of perdition very disturbed.

He is going to make a covenant with Israel during that final week.

So what you have than is the coming of Christ and just before that you have a seven year period that seven year period is initiated when Israel makes a covenant with this prince, this king who is the leader of the Western Confederacy who will be a protector for Israel halfway through the week he turns on his real stop there sacrifices sets up an idol in the midst of the temple stops all of their worship makes them worship this false God. This false idol abominations. The place so that it goes into ruination and Jews won't go near it.

Now go to chapter 12 of Daniel listen very carefully in these last few moments in Daniel chapter 12 verse 11. Please he mentions it again and from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away as the abomination of desolation and the abomination that makes desolate set up which please notice it set up doesn't happen one moment, it becomes permanent. That's why Matthew 2415 says, shall stand in the holy place is in a momentary think it is something set up there.

That is an abomination that ruins the place it's made permanent. There it stands there. So from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there will be 1290 days if they would from the time in the middle. 1290 that's 30 days more than 3 1/2 years where the extra 30 come from Revelation 12 six says will be 1260 days. Daniel sells 1290 days. Why the disparity I think the best explanation of that is that it is in those 30 days after the tribulation is ended, that the Lord when he comes to the Mount of olives, as it says in Zechariah creates a great valley into which all the nations of the world are gathered to be judged and I believe Daniel has taken us 30 days beyond, to give us that time frame in which there will be the judging of the nations described in Matthew 25 is the judgment of the sheep and goats in which all the living people still on the earth at the end of the tribulation are gathered together to the Lord to be judged as to their suitability for heaven and hell and it is that 30 day period, which we see here in Daniel that is added to the Revelation text further. Look at verse 12 Blessed is the one who waits, and comes all the way to the thousand 335 days now we have 45 more days. The blessed people are going to last another 45 minute fee if you're in that judge, so the implication here is that a judgment occurs at the 1290. And that's what I think is being described as a 30 day period in there in which that judgment of the nations takes place.

Blessed are those who go into the next 45 day period.

What's that I believe the next 45 day period, the ghost of 1335 is a transition time for the setting up of the kingdom Lord establishes his throne in Jerusalem, the Lord sets us in in places of rulership and places of representation as envoys throughout the world and establishes his kingdom begins to bring the nations to him, starts disseminating the rules and the principles for the messianic millennium and that is that 45 day period, so Daniel then sees the abomination of desolation. Then Revelation text is 1260 days end of tribulation 30 more days for the judgment of the nations 45 more days for the establishing a millennial kingdom, then on into the King prophecy so explicit but the thing that triggers it all is the abomination of desolation. The desecration of the holy place night you say well I GOT that.

But what is it initially would go to 13 chapter Revelation and this is it as specifically as it can be stated. Revelation 13 will give you a degree for this message this morning. Boy now in Revelation 13 we meet.

The antichrist is the beast and he rises it says in verse five, Revelation 13 there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given him to continue 42 months.

There's that same 3 1/2 years. He only goes for 1260 days three and half years 42 months. He doesn't last beyond that, that's his time. That 30 day period is a time after the tribulation is ended. So 42 months.

He does his blasphemy.

See starts out with this nice peaceful pack. He makes a covenant in the middle he starts his blasphemy. He starts to blaspheme God.

He opens his mouth.

Verse six and blasphemes against God. He blasphemes his name is tabernacle in them that dwell in heaven. All right, he starts attacking God and that midweek point and we see specifically how he attacks what's this, he makes war with the saints, he overcomes them powers given him overall kindred stones and nations all that dwell upon the earth shall what worship and what's the abomination desolation. Who is the idol set up in the holy place. It's him. He sets himself up as the idol he sets himself up as the object of worldwide worship and then beginning in verse 11 you meet his cohort, the false prophet who is another beast he comes up and he does great signs and wonders at the end of verse 14. His job is to bring the world to worship the image of the beast he he gives power to the image. Verse 15 so that I can speak and so for the soul and I don't know it, with all the robotics we have to date this would even be a problem could be so marvelous that we would know it wasn't actually a human being. Then again it may be.

Who knows what satanic things can come out of this kind of situation but he causes the whole world to worship, and as many as don't worship the image of the beast are going to be slaughtered others. The abomination Antiochus Epiphany set up a Greek God. This was going to set himself now you get the picture. As we move toward the end of human history, Israel is going to be more and more in a vulnerable position and to protect themselves from that Holocaust, which they don't want to happen there going to align themselves up with a seemingly friendly Western European power headed up by by a prince, a leader great leader and attractive leader. This particular leader is going to be there's strengths there support their help. The.

The world is going to come against him and Israel. At one point out of their hatred for Israel. He will defeat them all and and that that moment he will betray his real heart and he will also take power over Israel. He will desecrate their holy place now, having defeated the world and having all of them at his feet.

He sets himself up to be worshiped. He becomes that God of all God's that the world must bow before and establishes the abomination of desolation from that moment that he establishes that and the daily sacrifice, which will be in the rebuilt temple in that time stops and Jewish people no longer go near the place. From that moment on, the great tribulation begins. It let it last 42 months, 1260 days 3 1/2 years followed by a 30 day period of judging the 45 day period of transitioning of the millennial kingdom.

Now there there would be perhaps one other passage or take note of and that is of course Paul's reference to this guy doing this in second Thessalonians, where it says that he will come in verse four, exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God and he comes in verse nine with the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders and deceitfulness of unrighteousness and so so he comes and actually sets himself up as God. That's the abomination of this. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us today in his series titled Jesus is coming. John MacArthur continued his look at what Jesus said about the end of the age.

Well John, it occurs to me July 13 this year is now more than halfway over and it's already been quite a year, but with all the turbulence that was caused by the covert, 19 virus God has faithfully allowed us to continue to minister to people with no interruption. So were thankful for that. It occurs to me there's nothing more essential than this right know in and imbibed by the nature of this medium. We don't have to be with them so we are lucky we are occupying far more than 6 feet of separation and so this is been an amazing thing and I think your television has become very stale because it's it's basically driven by living events and II think the most interesting part of television to most people is sports because it's actually happening and you got reality TV that's have actually happening.

Will all of that is gone away because people can be together but radio has continued to be everything that it always is. And I think its impact has been elevated during this time. I'm grateful that at least that's what we're hearing from all over the world.

We were so grateful to be here at a time like this are motivation, as always, is simply to teach the word of God and to minister through the word of God to people we do it by radio by television by books and on the Internet, and God has continued to provide for our needs through generous people like you and we we been able to ride through this whole pandemic. Even with its economic upheaval and an survive and were were tremendously grateful for that. You need to know we are greatly encouraged at the support we've had obviously but it is been challenging but you know we always live within our means and we are even grateful on a greater level for the impact that are teaching of the word of God through all these means is continuing to have even in dire times and I've said this all along that the more difficult the times of the more desperate people become.

Have you ever seen anything like the fear of death that came with covert, 19, just the possibility that people might die is terrifying and and when people think about death.

They think about after death and when they think about after death.

There's an opening for the gospel so the Lord has used our ministry through this and will continue as you hold us up in prayer. Thank you for that. Yes thank you Fran for your commitment to verse by verse teaching as John MacArthur said. Your support has allowed us to get God's word to people wherever they are. Even in these difficult times. If you'd like to help us continue to minister to God's people consider making a donation when you contact us today mail your tax deductible gift to Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412. You can also make a one time donation or you can set up a convenient recurring donation when you call 855 grace or visit our website Jide TY.org and a special thanks if you are one of our grace partners. Again, the toll-free number to call 855 grace or go to Jide TY.org that's our website.

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