Luke 21:20-24 (BSB) 20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
23 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Parallel Scripture
Matthew 24:15-22 15 So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. 18 And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
19 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
Mark 13:14-20 14 So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house. 16 And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
17 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that it will not occur in the winter. 19 For those will be days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.
Wars and rumors of wars, physical portents, famine and pestilence succeeding each other with a terrible persistence, all these will, in the forthcoming years, terrify and perplex men's minds, presages of something which seems impending. But his people are to bear in mind that these were not the immediate signs of the awful ruin he was foretelling. - Pulpit Commentary
The birth pangs rise and fall, ebb and flow, but each increases in intensity until we come to this time. But this particular sign will herald the Final Days. What is this sign? "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies" and "when you see the 'abomination of desolation' standing where it should not be" ("‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel").
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
abomination - βδέλυγμα (bdeleguma, bdelygma) - Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's Greek 946: An abominable thing, an accursed thing. From bdelusso; a detestation, i.e. idolatry.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds a foul thing (loathsome on acct. of its stench), a detestable thing.
of desolation - ἐρημώσεως (erémósis, erēmōseōs) - Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 2050: A desolation, devastation. From eremoo; despoliation.
We must look at Daniel to see what they mean by the "abomination of desolation".
Daniel 9:26- 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.
Daniel 11:21-36 21 “The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue. 22 Before him great armies will be swept away, including a covenant prince. 23 With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances. He will become strong despite having only a handful of followers. 24 Without warning he will enter the richest areas of the land. Then he will distribute among his followers the plunder and wealth of the rich—something his predecessors had never done. He will plot the overthrow of strongholds, but this will last for only a short while.
25 “Then he will stir up his courage and raise a great army against the king of the south. The king of the south will go to battle with a mighty army, but to no avail, for there will be plots against him. 26 His own household will cause his downfall. His army will be swept away, and many will be killed. 27 Seeking nothing but each other’s harm, these kings will plot against each other at the conference table, attempting to deceive each other. But it will make no difference, for the end will come at the appointed time.
28 “The king of the north will then return home with great riches. On the way he will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing his journey.
29 “Then at the appointed time he will once again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. 30 For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant.
31 “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. 32 He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.
33 “Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. 34 During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere. 35 And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.
36 “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place.
Daniel 12:1-12 1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”
9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
These verses are talking about the anti-Christ who will establish a one-world government. He succeeds in conquering all other powerful nations militarily and by persuasion. He will present himself as the Messiah and many will believe him. After all the natural disasters and wars, and the rapture of the church, the surviving people will be desperate for a leader who will promise them peace, prosperity and protection. He promises to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem so many of the Jews will see a militaristic, ruling Messiah in him. He flatters them to win them over. But halfway (3 1/2 years) through the Great Tribulation, he desecrates their new Temple by placing an abomination in the Temple to be worshiped. Let's look at it in Revelation. The dragon is satan, the beast is the anti-Christ and the 2nd beast is the False Prophet (the beast's right hand man, he becomes the priest of the new world religion of worshiping the anti-Christ).
Revelation 13:2-15 2 And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3 One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”
5 The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months. 6 And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.
7 Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.
9 He who has an ear, let him hear:
10 “If anyone is destined for captivity,
into captivity he will go;
if anyone is to die by the sword,
by the sword he must be killed.”
Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.
11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 12 And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed
13 And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. 15 The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.
Since the Christians have been raptured, the Jews are a target. They believe in the one true God, Jehovah. But most Jews do not believe Jesus Christ was their looked for Messiah because when He came to earth the first time as a babe in Bethlehem, He didn't fulfil their idea of a militaristic world ruler. They thought the King of the Jews would take them into a time of world domination and their Messiah would be the conquering hero, giving Jews prominence. When Jesus didn't do what they thought He should do, they rejected Him as their Messiah. When the anti-Christ comes on the scene and begins to take control and ultimately becomes the leader of a one-world government, the Jews begin to think he may be their Messiah. When he begins to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem, they are flattered to think he really is their Messiah. They begin their sacrificial system of worship again. But their dreams are shattered when the anti-Christ stops the daily sacrifices, places a statue of himself in the Temple and demands the world worship him. The second beast becomes the "high priest" of this new world religion. Anyone who refuses to worship the anti-Christ, and receive his mark of 666 on their forehead or right hand, will be systematically murdered. There is no room for obstructionists like Jews and people who have become Christians during the Great Tribulation. It may be at this time that many Jews will realize Jesus really was the true Messiah and will turn to Him and accept Him as their Savior. There is always a remnant of Jews who truly worship Jehovah and accept His Son. God never forgets them.
Because the Jews have a history of idolatry, sin and rejecting Jesus Christ, they will suffer punishment. But God never rejects anyone who has a heart for Him and there will be a remnant who He saves through Jesus Christ. God made promises to His covenant people and He fulfills them by taking care of those who believe in Him and accept Jesus Christ.
23 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Parallel Scripture
Matthew 24:15-22 15 So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. 18 And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
19 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
Mark 13:14-20 14 So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house. 16 And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
17 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that it will not occur in the winter. 19 For those will be days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.
Wars and rumors of wars, physical portents, famine and pestilence succeeding each other with a terrible persistence, all these will, in the forthcoming years, terrify and perplex men's minds, presages of something which seems impending. But his people are to bear in mind that these were not the immediate signs of the awful ruin he was foretelling. - Pulpit Commentary
The birth pangs rise and fall, ebb and flow, but each increases in intensity until we come to this time. But this particular sign will herald the Final Days. What is this sign? "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies" and "when you see the 'abomination of desolation' standing where it should not be" ("‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel").
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
abomination - βδέλυγμα (bdeleguma, bdelygma) - Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's Greek 946: An abominable thing, an accursed thing. From bdelusso; a detestation, i.e. idolatry.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds a foul thing (loathsome on acct. of its stench), a detestable thing.
of desolation - ἐρημώσεως (erémósis, erēmōseōs) - Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 2050: A desolation, devastation. From eremoo; despoliation.
We must look at Daniel to see what they mean by the "abomination of desolation".
Daniel 9:26- 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.
Daniel 11:21-36 21 “The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue. 22 Before him great armies will be swept away, including a covenant prince. 23 With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances. He will become strong despite having only a handful of followers. 24 Without warning he will enter the richest areas of the land. Then he will distribute among his followers the plunder and wealth of the rich—something his predecessors had never done. He will plot the overthrow of strongholds, but this will last for only a short while.
25 “Then he will stir up his courage and raise a great army against the king of the south. The king of the south will go to battle with a mighty army, but to no avail, for there will be plots against him. 26 His own household will cause his downfall. His army will be swept away, and many will be killed. 27 Seeking nothing but each other’s harm, these kings will plot against each other at the conference table, attempting to deceive each other. But it will make no difference, for the end will come at the appointed time.
28 “The king of the north will then return home with great riches. On the way he will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing his journey.
29 “Then at the appointed time he will once again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. 30 For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant.
31 “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. 32 He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.
33 “Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. 34 During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere. 35 And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.
36 “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place.
Daniel 12:1-12 1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”
9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
These verses are talking about the anti-Christ who will establish a one-world government. He succeeds in conquering all other powerful nations militarily and by persuasion. He will present himself as the Messiah and many will believe him. After all the natural disasters and wars, and the rapture of the church, the surviving people will be desperate for a leader who will promise them peace, prosperity and protection. He promises to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem so many of the Jews will see a militaristic, ruling Messiah in him. He flatters them to win them over. But halfway (3 1/2 years) through the Great Tribulation, he desecrates their new Temple by placing an abomination in the Temple to be worshiped. Let's look at it in Revelation. The dragon is satan, the beast is the anti-Christ and the 2nd beast is the False Prophet (the beast's right hand man, he becomes the priest of the new world religion of worshiping the anti-Christ).
Revelation 13:2-15 2 And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3 One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”
5 The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months. 6 And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.
7 Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.
9 He who has an ear, let him hear:
10 “If anyone is destined for captivity,
into captivity he will go;
if anyone is to die by the sword,
by the sword he must be killed.”
Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.
11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 12 And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed
13 And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. 15 The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.
Since the Christians have been raptured, the Jews are a target. They believe in the one true God, Jehovah. But most Jews do not believe Jesus Christ was their looked for Messiah because when He came to earth the first time as a babe in Bethlehem, He didn't fulfil their idea of a militaristic world ruler. They thought the King of the Jews would take them into a time of world domination and their Messiah would be the conquering hero, giving Jews prominence. When Jesus didn't do what they thought He should do, they rejected Him as their Messiah. When the anti-Christ comes on the scene and begins to take control and ultimately becomes the leader of a one-world government, the Jews begin to think he may be their Messiah. When he begins to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem, they are flattered to think he really is their Messiah. They begin their sacrificial system of worship again. But their dreams are shattered when the anti-Christ stops the daily sacrifices, places a statue of himself in the Temple and demands the world worship him. The second beast becomes the "high priest" of this new world religion. Anyone who refuses to worship the anti-Christ, and receive his mark of 666 on their forehead or right hand, will be systematically murdered. There is no room for obstructionists like Jews and people who have become Christians during the Great Tribulation. It may be at this time that many Jews will realize Jesus really was the true Messiah and will turn to Him and accept Him as their Savior. There is always a remnant of Jews who truly worship Jehovah and accept His Son. God never forgets them.
Because the Jews have a history of idolatry, sin and rejecting Jesus Christ, they will suffer punishment. But God never rejects anyone who has a heart for Him and there will be a remnant who He saves through Jesus Christ. God made promises to His covenant people and He fulfills them by taking care of those who believe in Him and accept Jesus Christ.