Matthew 24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
Yeshua (Jesus) gave a remarkable parenthetic instruction in the middle of His Olivet discourse on the time of His coming and the end of the age. While it is unlikely that He himself said this, He certainly inspired Matthew to insert, “..let the reader understand”, concerning this critical event prophesied by Daniel, the Abomination of Desolation. His exhortation intended us (the readers of Matthew’s gospel) to learn what this means.
Many people have approached me over the years and asked, why do you believe we are in the last days? My response is to point to Yeshua’s words, “When you see ALL of these things” … [Matthew 24:33] Many of the signs He pointed to are nearly everyday occurrences in our world, yet this Abomination of Desolation is unquestionably a critical crossroad in human history, as indicated by this unique parenthetic exhortation. What exactly are we intended to understand?
The Feast of Chanukah is instructive about it. A Greek monarch named Antiochus Epiphanes “sacrificed a great swine at the image of Moses, and at the altar of God that stood in the outward court, and sprinkled them with the blood of the sacrifice. He commanded likewise that the books, by which they were taught to hate all other nations, should be sprinkled with the broth made of the swine’s flesh. And he put out the lamp (called by them immortal) which burns continually in the temple. Lastly he forced the high priest and the other Jews to eat swine’s flesh,” according to the ancient Greek historian Diodorus of Silicy.
His intention was to eliminate the worship of YHVH, the Jewish Sabbath, and Biblical worship, by desecrating the altar and destroying the Torah scrolls in the temple, so as to erect an altar to Zeus, the king of the Greek pantheon. This act of desecration has been historically referenced as an “abomination of desolation”, thus becoming a type of the future event prophesied by Yeshua in Matthew 24.
The Maccabean revolt recounts the virtually miraculous victory over Antiochus by a small but relentless army of zealous Jews. Many are familiar with this narrative, yet there are events that took place during Chanukah that aren’t widely spoken of. A recently published book written by a reader of Worthy News, “The Last Days Pride Parade” [The Last Days Pride Parade|eBook] details some of the strange cultural shifts taking place today which reflect the times of the Maccabean revolt. There are elements and seasons in history which seem to repeat. We should take note of this…
May we suggest that “let the reader understand” points to this prophetic/historical parallel between Antiochus and the coming Man of Sin who will perform the final Abomination of Desolation? The signs of this eventuality are growing by the day. Yeshua wants us to learn what this means, to grow in the exciting realization that we’re living in the last paragraph of this age and that the Lord’s return is at the very door. This understanding shouldn’t paralyze us with fear, or cause us to hide away, but rather to ‘light a fire’ (pun intended since its’ the festival of lighting candles) with a sense of divine urgency about the hour in which we are living! Daniel said, “And the wise among the people shall make many understand”. Prophetic parallels provide an excellent opportunity to do just that.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The concept of ownership often influences how one can view the world, but if we recognize the truth that our time here is short and we can’t take anything with us, it will change our perspective. We are simply stewards of what has been entrusted to us. I’ve been running Worthy and its sites for 25 years, and I’ve never thought I was an owner but rather a steward of a ministry.
The last and most intimate metaphor for Messiah’s relationship with us is as Bridegroom to Bride. For some, the Lord’s intention to marry will be the most significant and wondrous purpose in all of Creation. The preparation for the wedding will be the most meticulous and profound of all historical processes, orchestrated by His Holy Spirit in cooperation with every devoted and expectant saint who ever lived.
One constant pitfall we must watch for is taking credit for something that God does in or through us, or using the gifts and callings of God for self-exaltation. In that light it may be easier to handle poverty, weakness, or insignificance, than wealth, ability, power or authority, since poverty and frailty are not normally things we boast about, and they cause us to recognize our need for God. Prosperity, gifting, and anointing, on the other hand can be powerful temptations, leading to pride, covetousness, and self-sufficiency.
Reading this parable, we are struck by the serious consequences of failing to produce Kingdom fruit. But there’s something I want to particularly point out. Many of the great heroes of the faith — people like Moses and David, were not given great responsibilities immediately. Each of these men first served as a lowly shepherd, tending sheep. Having tested them first in this humble vocation, God then felt confident to elevate them to positions of greatness — but it all started with a small step!
Talking to people about God has become a regular part of our lives. Between meeting people on the boards and in our chat rooms (which you should really come and visit at !) and the opportunities which open up in our daily lives, we find ourselves sharing with people from all walks of life – unbelievers, new believers, people who have come and gone from the faith and back again.
The place we call home in Israel is in the rebuilt city of Arad, an ancient city rebuilt in 1962 near the historic site of Tel Arad. It was the first planned city in Israel.
Tel Arad was an ancient fortress that, according to archaeologists, has been destroyed and rebuilt at least ten times. The citadel was thought to have originally been built during the times of King David and Solomon. The Negev desert’s arid conditions have remarkably preserved the fortress’s archaeological layers, providing a continuous record of its history for hundreds of years.
Last week, I did a series of devotionals on the Dead Sea scrolls. As I’ve been pointing out the archaeological discoveries as well as their prophetic significance, I’ve saved the best for last! Recently discovered fragments of the Bible in the Dead Sea region containing two passages of Scripture are incredibly relevant. I spoke of the passage in Zechariah last week.