Mark 13:19
"For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now and never will be."
Jesus is now explaining to the disciples that there is a coming wrath. A wrath that is both coming and has come. And that there will be an even greater wrath to come. And he tells them that the beginning of this tribulation will be the sign of the Abomination of Desolation. The "Abomination of Desolation" is a biblical phrase originating from the Book of Daniel, referring to a desecration of the Jewish temple. The identity of this apocalyptic figure clearly transcends Daniel's prophecy and even the destruction of the temple under Titus Vespasian in 70 A. D. Although the tribulations were certainly happening then. And continue to happen even now. It seems that it's clear that the temple will be rebuilt again. And it transcends our most recent histories and is speaking about the character known as the Antichrist – and his final act of desecration in this future rebuilt temple.
And Jesus prophesied that this "generation" will not pass away until these things take place. The prevailing understanding of this saying is that "generation" is referring to the future Jewish generations at the time of the abomination of desolation in the temple. In other words, the Jewish race or people will not pass away until all of the end-time signs Jesus mentioned takes place. At any rate this will be a time during which much judgment takes place. And judgments happen leading up to that age as well.
The disciples wanted to know when "will all these things be." And so does everyone else since Jesus first spoke those words. Many people have searched the prophet's, the New Testament and gospels, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And they've worked out many interpretations about these things.
So, what's all this concern about?
I would say that people are largely concerned about "the end of the age". They want to know when it's coming. Why I don't fully know. Not sure what they think will happen if they don't know its timing. Even the prophet Daniel couldn't understand and was fretting about those things. So much so that the Son of Man had to appear to him and calm him down...
Daniel 12:9
"Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end."
And I think it's awesome that we aren't alone in this concern and lack of understanding. It brings me a certain degree of peace to know that even the prophets can't always interpret these things.
Daniel 12:8
"But I did not understand. So, I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
"No One Knows That Day or Hour"
Jesus says. "no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
So, what should we be doing with this gospel information?
Well, we don't need to wonder because Jesus tells us what to do. He's not-not telling us what to expect. He's not just terrifying us with the abominations and desolations. He's got a plan for us follow.
Mark 13:33
"Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come."
Q: For how long?
A: Until he returns.
This is the now...our time, the time before us and the time after us, until he returns. This is the kingdom of God being at hand. This is the so called "church age".
He's not telling us to arm ourselves for war, build weapons, bombs, shelters, air defenses. He's got that covered with his angelic armies. I think we tend to forget to recognize that this prophecy is about supernatural forces coming together to deal with the wrath of God. Supernatural powers bringing the wrath and supernatural powers resisting that wrath. We tend to forget that our role is not to arm up with human powers of war and security. Our role is the be awake and preach the gospel, that's our battle plan.
What's the plan?
Daniel 12:10
"Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand."
We are given knowledge and understanding about these things by The Spirit of God. We are made righteous by the Lamb of God while others who are wicked will not come to these truths. So, you see our battle is for the minds and hearts of the people of God. We're not trying to stop the tribulations; we're being renewed by the gospel.
At the end of the age there is going to be a great tribulation. Not the beginning of it, but the end of it. Today the church is in tribulation. The church in 70 A.D. was in tribulation. The church for the last two thousand has been in tribulation. What's happening today is tribulations. All that Jesus is talking about is an explosion of greater tribulations that mark the end of ALL of the tribulations.
When?
At the end.
Hebrews 9:26-28
"for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, WILL APPEAR A SECOND TIME, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."
JESUS comes for his people. And the shattering of the power comes to an end. Again and again, Jesus says at the end of the age there will be great persecution of THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
At the end of the age. There is no secret removal of the church before the great tribulation. It's just not there in the Bible. It's the end, one moment. How is God going to come and build his new kingdom millennium age while blasphemy is still going on? And while there are still people who turn against him and his perfect reign?
No secret stealthy catching up of believers in advance of a third visit sometime later. This is the end of the age. The end of the tribulation. The coming and getting. And the destruction of the wicked. All in a day that is called the end of the age.
And his people are to be awake watching and believing the gospel.
What do they watch? The skies? The earthquakes? The floods? The global warming? Tornadoes and hurricanes?
No. "The shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end..."
This second coming prophecy about the great tribulations is not being given to believers to frighten them. It's given to encourage them into believing and sharing the gospel. And God has a word for us in these tribulations. He says it's going to get worse, but fear not, because he's not going to let it go so far that you'll be lost. He just needs you to be alert and awake and ready. And you are made "ready" by the gospel.
Daniel 12:7
"And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished."
The shattering of the power of the Holy people happens in the midst of the tribulations. The tribulations intensify. The three and a half years of suffering and death are building up into an almost unbearable battle for the minds and bodies of the people. And then there is this gathering and growing of God's army. Knowledge is increasing. An awakening is increasing. The Holy People are being sealed. The Lord is sealing the deal. The people will receive their full inheritance. The seals are broken on the scroll. All is made clear. Judgement and promise come.
Daniel 12:11-12
"And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days."
Right there at three and a half years. Smack dab in the middle and then forty-five days later. A little over a month later there is more. The ultimate reality is that sometimes there are wicked people who will oppress the people of God. But God has it worked out that they will not be allowed to remove their inheritance.
So, we are not to fret over these things as if they can overcome our inheritance. We are to stay alert, stand firm in the gospel. And when we do, we are rest assured.
Look.
Look at verse thirteen.
Daniel 12:13
"But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days."
That's for you and me. Be what The Lord has caused you to be. Go where the Lord told you to go. Preach what the Lord told you to preach. Teach what the Lord told you to teach. Because in the end of the age you will stand with Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You will face persecution and tribulations. Heartache and terror. And we will cry out to God for help. But just before you're about to break, rest comes. Just before you're about to compromise the gospel, stand awake and rest assured. Just before you get to thinking that things aren't going the way everyone said it was supposed to go, rest assured that Christ is coming to bring you home.
1 Corinthians 15:20-24
"For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead...each in his own order Christ the first-fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ."
This is the deal and it's sealed by the gospel.
Today we are in the present age of tribulations. And there is a coming greater tribulation age to come at the final end of the age. No other divisions are coming.
Christ is the first fruits. He's already been resurrected. So that's been accomplished.
Then at his second coming, those who belong to Christ are raised up.
Then comes the end. After he's destroyed every wicked ruler and system, every power and evil authority. He returns to destroy it, not set up a kingdom amidst them. When he returns "it is finished".
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
"And so, we will always be with the Lord."
"And so, we will always be with the Lord."
"And so, we will always be with the Lord."
The return of Jesus Christ is the end of the age. That's it!
Where is the secret whisking away of the church? It doesn't sound secret at all. In fact, it sounds rather loud. And the prophecy says we will be with him FOREVER. Not for a time and then a third visitation happens.
I know what you're thinking. What about the millennial age of Christ? What about the binding of Satan?
Think about the latter.
If Christ sets up his kingdom and he is ruling his people. And Satan is bound up in this millennium age of Jesus' ruling with peace and justice as is described in the accounts of his new Jerusalem and new earth. Sin is conquered. Peace truly reigns for the first time since the fall of mankind. How is it that at the end of this literal one-thousand-year period a portion of his people eventually become sinful again and go to war against his kingdom? What happened to sin being conquered?
Does Jesus flip it on and off and on again like a light switch?
Now think about this. That binding of Satan. That's the great commission. That happen at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Satan and his demons have been bound by Christ's authority given to him by The Father. And right now, the gospel is bringing that millennium kingdom age to his people. Just like Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is at hand". The gospel millennial kingdom age has come.
Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The gospel has gone forth now for two thousand plus years. To every nation on earth. People of every race and creed has been exposed to it. But the end of the age has not yet come. The tribulations continue. Something worse is still coming. When that abomination of desolation comes, then the age is nearly done.
So, stay awake. Preach the gospel. DO NOT COMPROMISE.
And I'll see you in the sky