Slices
Prepare
Think of some of the biblical names for Jesus: Emmanuel, Shepherd, Redeemer, Light, Friend etc. Thank him that he is all of these to you.
Bible passage
15 ‘So when you see standing in the holy place “the abomination that causes desolation,” spoken of through 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 go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equalled again.
22 ‘If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Messiah!” or, “There he is!” do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you in advance.
26 ‘So if anyone tells you, “There he is, out in the desert,” do not go out; or, “Here he is, in the inner rooms,” do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 ‘Immediately after the distress of those days
‘“the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
30 ‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 ‘Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: as soon as its twigs become tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Explore
This is one of those passages of Scripture that we Christians tend either to have strong opinions about – or completely ignore because we don’t understand it. The reference to Daniel in verse 15 can be found in Daniel 9:27, 11:31 and 12:11. Daniel’s prophecy is clearly about the desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem which took place in 168 BC. This then leads to the interpretation that Jesus is predicting the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem that took place in AD 70, when Christians did indeed flee to the hills (v 16). However, others argue that this passage – and those in Daniel – refer to the end of this age, when Christ will return.
Whatever your stance (or if you haven’t thought about it), Jesus is teaching us here to be aware of what is going on around us (vs 32,33) and to be ready to move in whatever way is necessary (vs 16–20).
If there’s one thing the Coronavirus pandemic taught us, it’s to hold our plans and our normality lightly. Things may change at any moment. You won’t always have time to go back for your cloak (vs 17,18). In a world that is constantly changing, the only thing we can truly depend on are the words of Jesus (v 35).
Respond
Meditate on the words of Matthew 28:20b: ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age!’
Deeper Bible study
Thank you that we can kneel before you, our Maker! For you are our God, and we are the sheep of your pasture.
Jesus’ warnings become even more dramatic. He looks back to the ‘abomination that causes desolation’ (v 15),1 which scholars believe refers to sacrilegious acts of the Seleucid king Antiochus in the second century BC, who erected an altar to Zeus in the Temple court. Jesus foresees more desecration, as another enemy ruler devastates Jewish people. His prophecy fits well the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70, probably one of the worst in history. The historian Josephus describes how whole families starved to death and over one million people died. Many other tribulations have followed.
The last days will also be marked by the rise of false prophets and cult founders who will lead people astray. Over the last century we have seen so many sham cults, with some of their leaders propagating immorality or even mass suicide. In our own unprecedented times, countless people have become caught up in conspiracy theories like QAnon, whose millions of adherents have made inroads even into the church of Christ. Jesus warns believers not to be taken in by myths, cults and fake prophets, especially those who claim sightings of the Messiah. They will always draw us away from truth.
The return of Christ will be marked, first, by ‘great tribulation’ (v 21, AV) and later by cataclysmic events, affecting our whole planet. Jesus told his generation that they would see these things – and they surely did in the great catastrophe that befell Jerusalem. Since then, many more of us have been living in times where Jesus’ words ring true. In our own age, the rise of nationalism, conflict, global disasters, climate change and even pandemics can point us back to his prophecy. As we note the events of our world, we believe that the end times may well be drawing close.
As you reflect on the global events challenging and changing our planet, pray for God’s help to face the future without fear.
1 See Dan 9:27
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 29,30; Psalm 36
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for Diary of a Disciple holiday clubs running during the Easter holidays. Pray that as children explore the gospel stories they will encounter Jesus for themselves.
