Trust the Warning

Matthew 24:15-18 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.”
 
JESUS warned his disciples and the Jerusalem Christians who would come to faith in the next generation. He wanted them to know how and when to escape the city’s upcoming destruction. One way he affirmed his prophecy is to point back to Daniel 9:26-27 The Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
   That’s what happened. Jesus, the Anointed One, was killed. His life seemed to mean nothing, but then the Holy Spirit began his work. The church started in Jerusalem under great persecution from the Jews. In response to the Jews denying Jesus as Lord, Rome became God’s sword of judgment on his city. In  70 AD the Romans entered the temple with military banners and ceremonial insignia that were elements of their pagan religion. They took away the temple’s sacred vessels, including the lampstand, and burned the temple. This Roman worship is the abomination of desolation. It remained in Jerusalem until Rome’s ruler Titus was deposed.
   History also records that Christians who listened to Jesus’ warning, “Don’t get your cloak. Don’t go home. Flee to the mountains.” did exactly that and survived the war. The unbelievers who remained in Jerusalem were killed or enslaved.
    Jesus was using Scripture’s prophetic Word to point to the future. The disciples knew many of Daniel’s visions had come true through many rulers over Israel. As God’s Word had come true regarding the past, Jesus urged them to trust God’s future Word. Believing prophecy allows us to be prepared for the future.  
   Be alert and know there are many ways the culture desecrates the worship of our Lord. We become immune to its abominations because the language and the ideology become the common voice. Everything we hear, see and speak must be measured against Scripture. As Jesus’ disciples, be alert to remove any abominations, any disgrace of sin, that will destroy your faith and your church.
   The Bible often tells us of God’s intense power against evil. He has repeatedly declared an end to various ages of disobedience with great violence in order to remove sin from his people and the world. Jesus’ prophecy of Jerusalem’s end is a picture of the end of time. That will be a worldwide cleansing from which no one can flee. Only Jesus’ disciples will be saved.
   The warnings become more specific as we continue.