THE APPOINTED DAY PART 12
PART TWELVE: The Sign of His Coming.
Matthew 24: 15-28
15 Therefore, when you see in the holy place the abomination of desolation of which the prophet Daniel spoke (whoever reads, understand), 16 then those who are in Judea, flee to the mountains. 17 Whoever is on the rooftop, do not go down to drink from home; 18 and he who is in the field, do not go back to take his cape. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 Pray, then, that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath; 21 for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor will there ever be. 22 And if those days were not shortened, no one would be saved; but because of the elect, those days will be shortened. 23 Then if anyone says to you: Look, here is the Christ, or look, there he is, do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will perform great signs and wonders, in such a way that they will deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 I've told you before. 26 So if they say to you: Look, he is in the desert, do not go out; or look, it's in the rooms, don't believe it. 27 For as the lightning that comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will gather.
Another Sign: The Abomination of Desolation
Verse 15 answers question 3: What sign will there be of your coming?
After the Abomination of Desolation in verses 16-22 he describes what appears to be another rapture. The one with the 144,000?
Revelation 7: 4-8
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed. From the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand sealed. From the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand sealed. 6 Of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand sealed. From the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand sealed. From the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand sealed. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand sealed. From the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand sealed. From the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand sealed. 8 Of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand sealed. From the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand sealed. Of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand sealed. (Revelation 7: 4-8 KJV)
Revelation 14: 1
1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. (Revelation 14: 1 KJV)
Wherever Jesus is, the 144,000 will be taken. Matthew 24:28
Right on Mount Zion. Revelation 14: 1
But what is the abomination of desolation?
Let's look at the parallel passage in Matthew 24 what it says about the abomination of desolation.
Luke 21: 20-22
20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know then that its destruction has come. 21 Then those who are in Judea, flee to the mountains; and those in the midst of it, leave; and those who are in the fields, do not enter it. 22 For these are days of retribution, so that all things that are written may be fulfilled. (Luke 21: 20-22 NIV)
It is an abomination of desolation to see Jerusalem surrounded by armies. Whose armies?
Daniel 11:31
31 And troops shall rise from his side to profane the sanctuary and the fortress, and shall take away the continual sacrifice, and lay down the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31 KJV)
If you read the 11th chapter of Daniel you will realize that the conflict between the king of the south and the king of the north is narrated. Finally the king of the north establishes the abomination of desolation.
The King of the North, some commentators think he is the president of the United States, others say he is the president of Russia. The king of the south appears to be from Egypt leading an Arab alliance as mentioned in verse 8 of chapter 11 of the book of Daniel.
Daniel 12: 6-12
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was on the waters of the river, When will the end of these wonders be? 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was on the waters of the river, who raised his right hand and his left to heaven, and swore by the one who lives forever, that it will be for time, times, and half a weather. And when the dispersal of the power of the holy people is finished, all these things will be accomplished. 8 And I heard, but I did not understand. And I said: My Lord, what will be the end of these things? 9 He answered, Go, Daniel, for these words are closed and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be clean, and made white and purified; the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand. 11 And from the time the continual sacrifice is taken away until the abomination of desolation, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and reaches 1,335 days. (Daniel 12: 6-12 KJV)
Between the rapture of the church and the time when the continual sacrifice is removed there will be time, times and half a time 360 days + 720 days + 180 days = 1260 days. Between removing the continuous sacrifice and the abomination of desolation there will be 1290 days (Daniel 11:31) 45 days later, the day 1335 will be the Second Coming of the Lord.
This is Daniel's 70th week.
Daniel 9: 24-27
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city, to end transgression, and put an end to sin, and atone for iniquity, to bring lasting righteousness, and seal the vision and prophecy, and anoint the Holy of Holies Saints. 25 Know, then, and understand, that from the issuance of the order to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; the square and the wall will be rebuilt in times of distress. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be killed, but not by himself; and the people of a prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary; and its end will be with flood, and until the end of the war the devastations will last. 27 And for another week he will confirm the covenant with many; in the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and the offering. Later with the multitude of abominations will come the desolator, until the consummation comes, and what is determined is poured out on the desolator. (Daniel 9: 24-27 NIV)
Verses 27 and 28 define what the Second Coming will be like.
27 For as the lightning that comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will gather.