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15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
Matthew 24:15-28
Introduction
When you hear the phrase “the abomination of desolation” what do you think of? Many people think it is a reference to a figure far off in the future, who will lead world governments against Jesus. Many people think it is about “the Antichrist.” But what is it really about? What is Jesus talking about here?
As we continue through Matthew’s Gospel, we have seen Jesus fight with the leaders of Israel at the very center of Israel—inside the temple. And Jesus now, after judging the temple and finding it to be leprous, declares that it will be destroyed. And where we pick up in the story, Jesus has just told His disciples how they will experience persecution from the Jews as they preach the gospel all throughout the Greco-Roman world.
