Matthew 24
November 15, 2014


I used to think that the "abomination that causes desolation" that was standing in the holy place was a nuclear bomb on it's launch pad.  I'm not sure why I thought that..probably because the water being poisoned and the large numbers of people all dying at once seemed to fit with the description of a nuclear holocaust.
But, these days I don't think that's what it means at all.  This abomination is an idol.  And today, if you look at the holy place, which is the temple mount in Jerusalem, you will see a very large, very ornate and beautiful temple there called the Dome of the Rock.   It is a muslim holy place, the second most important place in all Islam, second only to Mecca.   The temple has been there for over a thousand years, and it is partially constructed with the stones from the Hebrew temple, that was built by Zerubbabel, enlarged by Herod, and eventually destroyed by the Romans in 69 AD.   I have been to this site, and put my hands on the temple itself.  In one respect it is a historical treasure.   It is clearly a very ornate and very holy place.    But it's standing where the temple of God is meant to be, and it doesn't recognize Jesus as the Son of God.  Therefore, it fits the description of an abomination that causes desolation.   There it is, right square in the middle of the most sacred spot in all of the world.  The place where Abraham offered Isaac, the place where the angel of God appeared to David.  The place where the temple of God was built and rebuilt.   The place where Jesus himself walked through the streets and taught and healed.
It is inconceivable that the Jewish people would allow this to remain in the holy place...but these are strange times.    I remember when it dawned on me that the Israelites were in control of the temple mount, but hadn't torn down the Dome of the Rock.   I was walking up onto the mount, and I saw Israelite soldiers everywhere, standing guard.   It hadn't occurred to me that they would ever allow this to happen.
That informs my opinion of the last days.
I think that the tribulation will be terrible, but there will be those who are inspired by the false prophet to "stay the course" and will eventually go to their doom.    Some will gladly take the mark of the beast, Thinking they are doing something wonderful, or at least necessary.
Some will probably say "we can resist later, let's not make a big fuss over this right now"
Perhaps, like the Dome of the Rock, we will become so used to having the wrong thing in the right place that we won't be willing to allow it to be removed.

PR