Sermon Tone Analysis

The Abomination Of Desolation

/Text: Mark 13:14-37/

 

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (06~/06~/98)

 

 

Introduction:  A terrible day is coming.

A day in which men will wish themselves to die but cannot.

Rev.

6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

A day during which famine, disease and war will ravage the earth with a magnitude never known before, during this time one-third of the world's vegetation will be destroyed one third of it's oceans contaminated, one third of all fresh water polluted, and a full one-half of the world's population will perish.

Rev.

6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.

And power was given unto them */over the fourth part of the earth,/* to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Rev.

9:15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, */for to slay the third part of men./*

This will indeed be a horrible day for mankind.

This day is a period of seven years known in the Bible as the */Tribulation;/* the */Great Tribulation;/* and the */Time of Jacob's Trouble./*

It is this time period which Jesus speaks of in our text for today.

As we study the text we'll notice some further characteristics of the */Great Tribulation./*

Vs.

14. "*But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,)*" 

 

Back in vs.4 the disciples had asked Jesus to tell them what sign would indicate His second coming and the end of the world.

Here it is.

*This is a clear and unmistakeable sign!*

When this occurs every Jew will know that the Lord's coming is near.

Let me explain  (review briefly the main points on understanding Bible Prophecy) 

 

*/1.

/*The Tribulation pertains to the Jews.

*/2.

/*Signs are for the Jews.

*/3.

/*The Church's departure is not precede by signs.

So this will be a sign strictly for the Jews.

What is this abomination of desolation?

Jesus said that it was spoken of by Daniel and "let him that readeth understand".

We are commanded to have a proper understanding of this verse and we are told where to read.

So let's turn to Daniel 9-20-27.

1.

The seventy weeks or seventy sevens represent seventy sevens of years.

vs.24

2.         Sixty-nine of the weeks passed from the time that the command went forth to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince.

vs.25

 

3.

The seventieth week is separate from the sixty-nine and indicates the fulfillment of God's covenant with Israel.

vs.27

 

4.

The seventieth week of Daniel is synonymous with the great tribulation.

5.

The middle of the seventieth week is the time that the abomination of desolation occurs.

vs.27

We gain further light on this passage in II Thess. 2 where Paul again used this identical sign in dealing with false teaching on the matter of the Lord's return.

II Thess.

2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for /that day shall not come/, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

When this abomination of desolation takes place it is the time as Jesus said "*then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:*" 

 

The Jews religion will have been horribly desecrated, the antichrist will have committed the blasphemy of all blasphemies, and an intense persecution against the Jews will be unleashed.

Rev.

12 speaks of this.

See vs.1-6; & vs.13-17

This persecution will come swiftly upon Israel.

She will not have much time to run, she will virtually escape with only the clothes on her back.

Read vs. 15-18

 

          Vs.19

"*For /in/ those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.*"

The horrible persecution and slaughter of God's people during the tribulation will make Nazi Germany look like a Sunday School picnic.

It will be intense and universal; there will be nowhere to hide.

Illus:  Modern-day computer technology makes it virtually impossible for you to hide.

Revelation gives us further insight into the reason for this horrible persecution.

Rev.

6:9-11  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they /were/, should be fulfilled.

Rev.

20:4  "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and /I saw/ the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received /his/ mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

Vs.20

"*And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved:*" 

 

Some people get all bent out of shape with the idea that God would send judgement upon man.

And yet, even in the midst of the fiercest judgement ever poured out upon mankind, we can see the mercy and longsufferring of God.

The Lord shortened the days.

Why?

 

"*but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.*"

We are told in I Cor.

10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God /is/ faithful, */who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;/* but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear /it/."

The elect, of course, are those who have been justified by faith, who have been born again.

Although no believers will enter the Tribulation (they are raptured out I Cor.

15; I Thess 4) there will be those who are saved during the Tribulation.

Among them are 144,000 Jewish witnesses (12,000 from each tribe of Israel) Rev. 7. 

 

A person who hears the Gospel today may say, "Aha, I'll believe it when I see it!

Once you Christians are taken away, then I will believe, then I will get saved."

You won't either; read II Thess.

2:10-12,  But it is for the elect sake that the days of the great Tribulation are shortened.

Vs.21

"*And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here /is/ Christ; or, lo, /he is/ there; believe /him/ not:*" 

Vs.22

"*For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders,*" 

 

We live in a day when there is a preoccupation with the supernatural.

Satanism, witchcraft and the occult are enjoying tremendous popularity.

God is not the only one who performs supernatural wonders.

II Thess.

2:9 "/Even him/, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, *to seduce, if /it were/ possible, even the elect.*"

This statement should not surprise us for a couple of reasons. 

 

1.

Many professing believers are being deceived by signs and wonders today.

2.

The Word of God is clear on the deceitful nature of Satan.

II Cor.

11:13-15 For such /are/ false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.