SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:14-23
Jesus refers to the prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) when talking about the coming crisis.
For Jews, this ‘abomination’ would be the worship and sacrifice of foreign gods in their temple.
** In 167 BC Antiochus IV Epiphanes made an altar to Zeus in the temple and sacrificed swine on it; Caligula c. 40 AD ordered a golden statue depicting himself as Zeus incarnate erected in the temple, though he was assassinated before it happened; in AD 70 the symbols of Rome were worshiped in the temple when it was being destroyed; around AD 132 the Emperor Hadrian tried to set up a statue of Jupiter on the site of the ruined Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, leading to the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132-135 AD.
Some people think a future event is in mind, at the very end of times.
What I sense Jesus saying is that anytime you see people attacking and mocking the spiritual symbols of faith (burning crosses, bombing churches, torturing church leaders, etc.), fasten your seatbelts because things are going to be tense.
This is still happening today (is what is happening in Quebec with it’s ‘Values Charter’?).
The promise of Jesus is that when persecution increases, God’s remains in control: “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.” (Mark 13:20)
Jesus went through it, and survived (granted, He did suffer and die, but was resurrected!), and we will too!
We need to be on guard, and prepared, and follow Jesus’ anyway.
Throughout history believers in God have been attacked and persecuted and killed, but they will rise again, and like Jesus they will be vindicated.
One more thought, I often hear Christians talk about being in the end times because things are getting so bad; often it is soft, western Christians who have never really experienced persecution… “do not believe it!”
I really think we haven’t seen anything yet; things have been much worse in the past, and will potentially get much worse still (“days of distress unequaled from the beginning”).
I know it’s not a pleasant thought, but we are living in a bubble of relative peace and comfort; fasten your seatbelts, things are going to get worse.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, this is theory for me, but for people around the world this is reality. Help me to remember those who are persecuted because of You, to stand by them in prayer and support, and to trust Your sovereign purpose and control through it all.