The
day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious
object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place. (Reader, pay
attention!) Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the
deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the
field must not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant
women and for nursing mothers in those days. And pray that your flight will not
be in winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be greater anguish than at any
time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact,
unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive.
But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones. Matthew 24:15-22
This is
not a pleasant portion of scripture. In this passage Jesus is referring to
scripture in Daniel (Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31) where there was, as predicted,
desecration in the Holy Place by the ruler Antiochus Epiphanes. In Daniel 12:11
a future desecration is predicted to occur.
Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing
on opposite banks of the river. One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who
was now standing above the river, "How long will it be until these
shocking events are over?" The man dressed in linen, who was standing
above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by
the One who lives forever, saying, "It will go on for a time, times, and
half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end,
all these things will have happened." I heard what he said, but I did not
understand what he meant. So I asked, "How will all this finally end, my
lord?" But he said, "Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept
secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, cleansed,
and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness,
and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it
means. (v.11) From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the
sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there
will be 1,290 days. And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end
of the 1,335 days! "As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest,
and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance
set aside for you." Daniel
12:5-13
Other
translations refer to the desecration as the Abomination of Desolation, which is predicted to be done by the
Antichrist during middle of the seven years of the Tribulation. Jesus was
speaking to the people in the land of Israel…in Judea. Flee to the hills. The
1,290 days is three and a half years—the mid-point in seven years of the
predicted length of Tribulation. Jesus was not speaking to His Church, since at
that time they will most likely have been raptured--if you believe in that concept…
What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that
our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies
cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful
secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in
a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the
trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who
are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed
into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into
immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies
that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed
up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your
sting?" For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin
its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our
Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.
Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for
the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
 |
| Clouds over Jerusalem |
And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to
know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve
like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was
raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring
back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord:
We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those
who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a
commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of
God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then,
together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be
caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the
Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
These passages refer to the Rapture—the removal of the Church
from earth. I look forward to that day. Jesus told His followers to be ready.
Are you ready? Come quickly, Lord.
God’s grace on His chosen ones will shorten the length of time, so
that they mercifully will not all be lost as they flee to the hills of Judea.
Prayer ~ Lord God,
Your plan for Your Church is amazing. As promised, spare Your chosen ones the
calamity. Thank You, God, that You give us victory over
sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to give my dear
brothers, sisters and me, strength as we work enthusiastically for our Lord,
for You know that nothing we do for You Lord is ever useless.
Daily
Bible Reading: March 20 – Deuteronomy 28-29
© 2018 by Mickey
M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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