God recently honored me with an invitation to speak at a church on the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24).

I recently shared my understanding of the “beginnings of sorrows” (the Jewish name; equivalent to the Church Age; a preparation or stage-setting for the birth pangs also known as the Tribulation Period, Seventieth Week of Daniel, etc.) and the “Abomination of Desolation” (an image or statue of the Antichrist that will be set up in the Holy of Holies at the coming rebuilt Jewish Temple).

For whatever it is worth, there is a little overlapping, but the first 36 verses of the Olivet Discourse could be viewed as a Jewish timeline.

The verses start at the Temple in Israel before Jesus was crucified, and they proceed to a new heaven and new earth.

I find it interesting that Jesus foretold these events in the approximate order or the approximate sequence that they would happen.

He has given us an amazing Bible.

First, Jesus foretold the destruction of the Temple, and that was fulfilled in 70 A.D. (Matt. 24:2).

Second, Jesus foretold a period of time called the “beginnings of sorrows” (Matt. 24:4-8).

The “beginnings of sorrows” (Jewish term) overlaps with the Church Age (Christian term), and that is being fulfilled now before the time of the end (Tribulation Period; Matt. 24:6, 8).

Third, Jesus said the gospel will go all over the world before the end (Matt. 24:14).

Jesus was talking about the gospel going all over the world before the end of the birth pangs (Tribulation Period), not before the Rapture.

I believe that will be accomplished by two supernatural witnesses (Two Witnesses; Rev. 11:3-13), the 144,000 sealed children of Israel (Rev. 7:4-8) and an angel that will preach to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people (Rev 14:6).

While there is some disagreement about the identity of the Two Witnesses, there is good reason to believe that one of them is Elijah, and he will appear before the Tribulation Period (Mal. 4:5-6).

The fact that Elijah will appear before the Tribulation Period and the 144,000 will be sealed early in the Tribulation Period is the beginning of the Jews taking the gospel all over the world before the end of the Tribulation Period.

Fourth, Jesus said the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet will be set up in the holy place (the Holy of Holies at the Temple; Matt. 24:15).

This will happen at the middle of the Tribulation Period (Dan. 9:27; Rev. 11:1-2; Rev. 12:14).

Fifth, Jesus talked about what will happen late in the Tribulation Period when the nations are gathered for the Battle of Armageddon (Matt. 24:28).

He said, “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together” (Matt. 24:28).

Not all agree, but say this is a Jewish parable that means “wherever the dead body is, the eagles gather (in Israel, vultures are called Palestinian eagles) to devour their flesh” (Rev. 19:17-18).

Sixth, Jesus talked about what will happen after the tribulation of those days (the Second Coming will be after the Tribulation Period and before the Millennial reign; Matt. 24:29-30).

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars (Matt. 24:29); everyone on earth will mourn (some rejoicing to see Him, but most crying because they are not ready (Matt. 24:30; the Old Testament saints and deceased Tribulation Period saints will be raised from the dead, and they will be gathered with living believers (Matt. 24:31).

Seventh, Jesus said there will eventually be a new heaven and a new earth.

He said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35).

In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus taught prophecy to His disciples.

The things He said overlap some (because of the length of some of the events), but basically, they are presented in a sequential timeline that is confirmed by other Scriptures.

God is the only One that can reveal the future, and to reveal it in sequence is even more impressive.

History and today’s headlines confirm the literal interpretation of these verses.

Be ready (and the only way to do that is to sincerely repent of your sins, ask Jesus to forgive you and to come into your heart).

Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com

God recently honored me with an invitation to speak at a church on the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24).

Last week, I shared my understanding on the “beginnings of sorrows” (the Jewish name; equivalent to the Church Age; a preparation or stage-setting for the birth pangs also known as the Tribulation Period, Seventieth Week of Daniel, etc.).

I want to give you more from the presentation this week and let our readers know that I will be away from my computer several days in the next two weeks (visit our son and his family; then have surgery).

I am telling you this because I am preparing the articles ahead of time, and to let you know that I do intend to get back to current events soon.

Anyway, Jesus mentioned an event in the Olivet Discourse that will happen after the beginnings of sorrows (Matt. 24:6-8).

He said, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains” (Matt. 24:15-16).

The Jewish Temple will have to be rebuilt for the abomination of desolation to stand in the holy place (also called the Holy of Holies).

The Holy of Holies was behind the veil that tore in two when Jesus was crucified.

In Old Testament times, God dwelled behind that veil in the Holy of Holies.

The only person allowed behind that veil was the High Priest, and he could only go behind it once a year on the Great Day of Atonement after taking a bath, putting on a clean High Priest’s robe, offering a sacrifice and having his sins forgiven.

The Jews put little bells on the hem of the High Priest’s robe so other priests could hear him moving around behind the veil.

They tied a rope around the High Priest’s ankle so they could drag him out if the bells stopped ringing and they decided that he had died in the presence of God.

The abomination of desolation is mentioned 5 times in the Bible (3 in the book of Daniel, once in the book of Mark and once in the book of Matthew).

It refers to an image (or a statue) of the Antichrist that will be set up in the Holy of Holies in the rebuilt Jewish Temple at the middle of the Tribulation Period.

The root word for abomination means to make foul or to stink.

The Antichrist will be a Satan worshiper from the Bottomless Pit.

Paul said he will sit in the Temple and say that he is God (that is blasphemy; II Thess. 2:3-4).

John the Revelator said the False Prophet will command people to worship the image of the Antichrist (that is idolatry; a violation of the Second Commandment; Ex. 20:4-6).

Putting an image of a Satan-worshipping, blasphemer and idolater in the Holy of Holies where no one but our Holy God and the cleansed and forgiven High Priest are supposed to be will be a repugnant, foul, stinking insult to God and the Jews.

It will be so repugnant that it will cause the Jews to abandon the Temple and let it become desolate.

In the gospel of John, we read that Jesus was in a controversy with some Jews.

He said, “I come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not, if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (Jn. 5:43).

Some prophecy teachers believe Jesus was telling those Jews, “You rejected me as your Messiah, but you will accept the Antichrist as your Messiah.”

The Antichrist is being restrained today by the Church and the Holy Spirit.

The Antichrist can’t appear while the Church is here.

After the Rapture, the Antichrist will confirm or sign a peace treaty that will give Israel permission to rebuild the Temple.

At the middle of the Tribulation Period, the Abomination of Desolation will be set up in the Holy of Holies.

That will be a turning point for Israel.

The sight of that repugnant, foul, stinking image of the Antichrist in the Holy of Holies will cause the Jews to finally realize that the Antichrist is not their Messiah.

It will ultimately contribute to the salvation of many Jews.

Jesus said when you see that, let them that be in Judea (not all Israel, some on the West Bank) flee into the mountains.

The Book of Revelation says the Jews in Judea should flee into the mountains because the Antichrist will try to kill them during the last half of the Tribulation Period.

Today, there is a great effort by some Jews to rebuild the Temple.

A rebuilt Temple will pave the way for the Abomination of Desolation to stand in the Holy of Holies.

We are literally witnessing the beginnings of sorrows (preparations for the birth pangs, also called preparations for the Tribulation Period, the Church Age, etc.).

Praise God for the Rapture.

Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com