 You will turn your Bibles with me to Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24. We are studying together on Sunday evenings. Our future foretold, the name of our series, we'll be looking at prophetic texts beginning here with Matthew chapter 24. Pastor Rick is going to be preaching from 1st and 2nd Thessalonians soon, 1st and 2nd Peter. And we'll take a walk through Revelation chapter by chapter. So we're looking forward to this time in our church where we're studying eschatology. Combine that with our Sunday evening preaching with our group study in the book of Daniel and then George Elden Ladd with the Blessed Hope. Combine that with our Sunday school teaching on our future hope. All those things considered, hopefully by the end of this five or six month study together, we'll have a good firm grasp of our eschatology together and have cause for rejoicing in this. The Olivet Discourse, this is part three and we're in Matthew chapter 24. And I want to read the text to you. We're going to be looking specifically and in particularly at verse 15 this evening. But I want to read to you from the beginning of chapter 24 through verse 28 and verses 15 through 28 will be the focus of our study both tonight and next week. So let's read beginning in Matthew chapter 24 verse one. Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, do you not see all these things? Assuredly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no one deceive you. For many will come in my name saying, I am the Christ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars and see that you're not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. Then many will be offended, will betray one another and will hate one another. And the many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because the lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the house top not go down to take anything out of his house. Let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days and pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 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. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, look, here is the Christ or there. Do not believe it. For false Christ and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. 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. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles or there the vultures will be gathered together. Let's pray. Father in heaven, well, thank you for this, this glorious text of scripture. Thank you for the blessed joy that you've given our church of being able to study these things together. And I pray, Lord, that you'll help us. Help us to be faithful to your word. Help us to clearly understand your word. Give us ears to hear. Hard to understand. And Lord, may we live in light of these truths and light of these realities, not just to approach this as mere academic exercise or an intellectual understanding of these things, but may it reach from our head into our hearts, Lord, and affect how we live, how we think, how we view you and your coming. May we, Lord, be fueled by these realities to live permanently for you in this age until the gospel is preached to the ends of the earth. The fullness of the Gentiles has come in and when the end will come and you consummate all the end of the age, Lord, and all these promises are fulfilled. We thank you and praise your name and Jesus' name, we pray, amen. All right, we're in Matthew chapter 24, the Olivet Discourse Part Three. We're looking specifically at verses 15 through 28. And to, again, set the stage to refresh our memory as to where we are in the text. It's the week of Passover, just days before the Lord's death at Calvary. And it has been the pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples to preach and teach in the city of Jerusalem during the day and then each night to retreat to Bethany by way of the Mount of Olives at the evening. And through the golden gate of the Eastern Wall of Jerusalem, they would descend the Mount across the Kidron Valley, ascend the Western slope of the Mount of Olives, and bringing the Temple Mount and its associated buildings, those structures into view. Now upon the very impressive site of those large buildings, those structures of the Temple Mount, those that comprise the Temple complex, the disciples in Matthew chapter 24 verse one came up to show him the buildings of the Temple. This interaction fuels what we've come to know as the Olivet Discourse in Matthew chapter 24, Mark 13, Luke 21. The Lord's instruction to his disciples regarding the destruction of the Temple and last days, the last days. And the picture that is painted here prior to the Lord's triumphant return is stark to say the least. We're reminded of Paul's words in Acts 14-22 that it is with much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom of heaven. What's described here is a period of tribulation, a period of persecution, a period of adversity. Prior to the Lord's return, there will be great difficulty, great adversity, great persecution, and all the while, a great spread of the gospel to all the nations, and then the end will come. So the Lord's parting words here in Matthew 24 come with a purpose, they have a purpose. He wants to encourage his own, encourage the saints to persevere through adversity. He wants to encourage us, to exhort us that he who endures to the end will be saved and that we are to persevere and endure to the end. He told his disciples in John 16, he says, look, essentially, I'm telling you these things beforehand so that when they come to pass, you may remember that I told you of them. In other words, Jesus Christ is God who tells the future. He holds the future in his hands, so to speak. He has written the script and he is sovereign over all things whatsoever that come to pass. Knowing that, understanding that, so that we may be strengthened so that we may be emboldened, fueled by that truth to serve the God of heaven, to serve in the midst of great adversity, to serve in the midst of great tribulation and to persevere in the midst of that, the God of heaven and earth declares the future before it takes place. The one who is sovereign over all things is the one who holds that future in his hands, directs all of those things, protects his own, reveals those plans to us and sustains us through difficulty. We should be encouraged by the Lord's words here. We should be encouraged by the fact that God has appointed a day when this wicked world, this wicked world system will be thrown down. We should be encouraged that that wicked world system having been thrown down will be replaced by a new heavens and a new earth. A glorious new heavens and a glorious new earth. The Lord reigning in righteousness, all worldly usurpers of dominion will be judged and brought to a final end. And when the faithful will shine like the brightness of the firmament, those who turn many to righteousness like stars forever and ever, right? Our discourse on the Mount of Olives began with a brief comment from our Lord on the future of those buildings and structures which had impressed his disciples. Verse two, Jesus said to them, do you not see all these things? Assuredly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. The temple, in other words, will be destroyed in judgment. The coming judgment has already been made extremely clear in context. We saw the clearing of the temple by the Lord earlier in the week. We learned through the lesson of the withered fig tree in Mark chapter 11. We heard the parable of the wicked vine dressers in Matthew chapter 21. We heard repeated pronouncements of woes upon the scribes and Pharisees of Matthew chapter 23 where also the Lord Jesus Christ pronounces the desolation of the temple, the desolation of that house in verse 38. See, he says, your house is left to you desolate. This judgment, this coming judgment is expected and it's expected clearly in context. His disciples hearing this are justifiably stunned. They are justifiably concerned and they ask them two legitimate questions in Matthew chapter 24 verse 3 that fuel the remaining discourse throughout Matthew chapter 24. In question, or the questions come in Matthew chapter 24 verse 3, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us then, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? As we discussed last Lord's day and I pray that was clear, the initial section of the Lord's answer in verses 4 through 14 concerns the period of time that began with the Lord's first coming and runs until the Lord's second coming. There's a delay between his first advent and his second advent, a delay so to speak before he comes to establish his kingdom and to execute judgment. It concerns, that passage concerns that future imminent and immediate, that future that is imminent and immediate to the disciples, namely the destruction of the temple in AD 70 by Rome under the leadership of Titus. And it concerns, that passage also concerns markers and characteristics of that period, that period that runs from that time until Christ returns. It's the period of time that we're in now. It's the period of time in which the gospel is preached to the ends of the earth and then the end will come, right? Now nothing in the text, there's nothing in the text that would lead us to believe that this is describing some future seven year tribulation period. There's nothing in the text that would lead us to believe that the temple will need to be rebuilt again at that time and then destroyed again at that time. It's simply not in the text. I was trying to stick to the word of God. Everything in the text points to the age in which we currently live, points to this age, right? This is the age under which the gospel is preached. The gospel of the kingdom is preached. The temple now has been destroyed, hasn't it? Has been destroyed, it was destroyed in AD 70. We now live in the last days, as described by Paul and others, these are the last days. And any Jew standing on the Mount of Olives and looking for the temple in AD 71 would have certainly attested to the fact that the Lord's prophecy was in part fulfilled in AD 70. The temple has been destroyed. It is described here as an age of tribulation. Plyptus is the word in Greek. This is an age of tribulation. The age in which we currently live is an age of tribulation. It is described as an age of war, persecution, natural disasters, all of which are represented in the text by what the Lord calls birth pangs, the beginning of sorrows and contractions, if you will, and I'm at a childbirth. And those contractions increase in frequency and they increase in severity until the birth, so to speak. We'll talk about that as we work through the text. It is finally marked, as our day is, by the preaching of the gospel, verse 14. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come. After this section of text in verses four through 14, the Lord then draws the thought and attention of His disciples to those events that indicate the second part of their question, specifically the sign of your coming and of the end of the age in verses 15 through 31. Having characterized our age, the age wherein the gospel of the kingdom is preached until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, having characterized our age, he turns to characterize now the age of flitsus tribulation, our age as an age of flitsus or tribulation. The Lord now moves to characterize the period of time at the end where there will be great tribulation, right? Characterized our age as an age of tribulation, the age wherein the gospel of the kingdom is preached until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, he now turns his attention to a period of time at the end where there will be great tribulation. And a couple of views with respect to this passage of scripture, one in particular, a very compelling view, would hold that these events all take place in the past. So what we see in verses four through 14 has already happened. That's describing the age in which we currently live. But then verses 15 here through 31 also describe events that have taken place in the past associated with the destruction of the temple and the siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of Jerusalem in 8070. These are certainly the final days, right? Severe, awesome days in verses 15 through 31 that mark the end and immediately perceive the second coming of the word Jesus Christ. There are several reasons here in the text to believe that these days described in verses 15 through 31 pertain to days that are not yet fulfilled, days that are still in the future. There's several key points in the text that serve to indicate this that lead me to that persuasion. One of those indications will be in verse 21. Look at verse 21 with me. Verse 21 refers to great tribulation and such great tribulation as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be pointing to what we believe to be a future great tribulation such as the world has not seen and the world will never see again. Verse 24 refers to false Christ, false prophets who deceived through great signs and wonders. This is also referenced in Revelation, in relation to chapter 13, other places that we'll talk about. Also as a prophecy of the end, verse 27 references the coming of the Son of Man. In other words, these points in verses 15 to 31 seem to refer back to the second part of the disciples' question, right? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Here in verses 15 to 31, it looks like the Lord Jesus Christ is setting out to answer the second part of that question. This section of texts and the signs that accompany His coming and the end of the age are now explained beginning with a reference to the abomination of desolation from verse 15. The abomination of desolation from verse 15. Look at verse 15 with me. Therefore, the Lord says, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand. Verse 16, flee. Flee, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. The word for therefore is un, beginning of verse 15, often translated so, mild transition, but it's a subtle transition that sort of marks the transition into answering the second part of their question. What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Namely, the sign of your coming, right? And then the first indication of this great tribulation, tribulation such as not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no nor shall ever be. The first indication of that tribulation is the abomination in verse 15 that causes desolation. The abomination of desolation. It is this abomination of desolation, a detestable act. It is a literally a detestable thing that causes devastation. Essentially what the words mean. Something that causes horror and disgust in God's people that leads to ruin or destruction or devastation. It is a horrific act. A horrific act. Specifically here, the Lord mentions that this has been foretold by Daniel the Prophet with the parenthetical statement there, whoever reads, let him understand. In other words, from Daniel or looking at Matthew 24 and the Lord's statement there in light of Daniel should help us to understand what's being spoken of here by the words abomination of desolation. This abomination of desolation, these words referenced several times in Daniel and as we work through Daniel in our small groups, our Daniel study, we're gonna look at that more in depth. We want to observe how it's characterized though in our passage here by looking at some passages in the book of Daniel. Turn to Daniel chapter eight with me. Daniel chapter eight. And let's look specifically at this issue raised here by the Lord in Matthew 24, the abomination of desolation. If you read it, and Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue, right? And Daniel had interpreted the statue and the four kingdoms represented by the statue, the head of gold, the torso of silver, thighs of bronze, legs, feet of iron, iron mixed with clay and we saw the kingdoms there represented by the statue, the head of gold interpreted there in Daniel to be Nebuchadnezzar and the kingdom of Babylon itself, the chest arms of silver to be the king of the Medo-Persians, the Medes and the Persians. What was the third kingdom? The thighs of brass, grief and the fourth kingdom. In the days of those kings, the small rock we saw came, turned into a giant mountain smashing the statue and that great mountain filling the whole earth and we identified that small stone with the Lord Jesus Christ. The kingdom grew until it covered the whole earth. The glory of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. And in the days of those kings that small rock came, we identified that four kingdom that is unnamed, we identified that kingdom with Rome and you see the four kingdoms represented in Daniel chapter two by the statue. As we come then to Daniel chapter eight, we see these kingdoms then explained further in another vision given to Daniel. Look at Daniel chapter eight and look with me beginning at verse five and we're gonna get to this in our small group study. Verse five and as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west across the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground and it came quickly and the goat had a notable horn between its eyes and he came to the ram that had two horns which I had seen standing beside the river and ran at him with furious power. I saw him confronting the ram. He was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him. There was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand. Now I wanna give you a spoiler alert here. We're gonna get the interpretation of this from Daniel but in light of the statue and the four kingdoms of the statue, here we have a recapitulation if you will of the events of those kingdoms represented by the statue. The ram with two horns is the kingdom of the Medo Persians. One horn being the Medes, one horn being the Persians. The goat coming across from the west speedily across the surface of the whole earth is Greece. Is Greece, we're gonna see that in just a moment. Greece will be, well let me read the text, verse eight. Therefore the male goat grew very great but when he became strong, the large horn that's Alexander the Great was broken and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven and out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east and toward the glorious land and it grew up to the host of heaven and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the prince of the host. Now note with me what this little horn is doing and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away and the place of its sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered and I heard a holy one speaking and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, how long will the vision be concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation? Notice that there in verse 13, right? The transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under foot and he said to me for 2,300 days and then the sanctuary shall be cleansed. He put the page there look at verse 15. Then it happened we get the interpretation of the vision. Then it happened when I Daniel had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning that suddenly there stood before me one having the parents of a man and I heard a man's voice between the banks of the U.I. who called and said, Gabriel, make this man understand the vision. So he came near right stood and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face but he said to me understand son of man that the vision refers to the time of the end. Now as he was speaking with me I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground that he touched me and stood me upright and he said look I'm making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation for at the appointed time the end shall be the ram which you saw having the two horns they are the kings of media and Persia and the male goat is the kingdom of Greece the large horn that is between its eyes is the first king we know that historically to be Alexander the great as for meanwhile incidentally this is all being written 200 years before Greece became a nation, all right. So we're getting some pretty specific prophecy here from Daniel this is the word of God, amen. Verse 22, as for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place for kingdom shall arise out of that nation but not with its power and we know that Alexander died of drunkenness and his kingdom was divided between four generals and his kingdom was divided into four, into fourths. Now we consider this third kingdom, right. We've got me interpretation here down through verse 22 the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place for kingdom shall arise out of that nation but not with its power we see the kingdom of Greece under Alexander the great after his death being divided into four kingdoms. According to the prophecy of Daniel in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream the Grecian empire, the empire of the Greeks was to be the third kingdom, right. This kingdom is explained to Daniel chapter seven as being the third beast in Daniel's vision and Daniel chapter seven. Here it's the third kingdom in Daniel chapter eight. In Daniel chapter seven it's like a leopard which had on its back four wings of a fowl. The beast also has four heads, dominion was given to it and while Daniel's prophecy is concerning Nebuchadnezzar and that kingdom was fulfilled in Daniel's lifetime this prediction of the empire of Greece actually foreshadows a future time to Daniel when the Greeks would expand their kingdom and conquer the Medes and the Persians. Now as history records we know from history Alexander the great again able to conquer the Medes and the Persians able to conquer the known world at that time unable to conquer himself dies of drunkenness, drunken feast and his kingdom divided between four generals. This is anticipated in Daniel chapter eight verse eight where the great horn was broken and it came up in its place four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. Again, the Greek empire was divided. We know these four kingdoms were divided up to his four generals. Alexander was one, Seleutius was the other, Lysimachus was another and Cassandra I'm gonna mess up those names. Four generals and the one that is of particular interest to us and one that in particular impacts the Jews in Judea is the third, the Seleutius or the Seleucid, the Seleucid Empire given to one eventually named Antiochus Epiphanes. I wanna read from some Jewish historical writings verse Maccabees chapter one. Listen to this from verse 54 in that particular passage. On the 15th day of the month of Kislev in the year 145, the abomination of desolation was set up on the altar. Now they're referring to a time period in this Seleucid kingdom where Antiochus of the Epiphanes assaults Jerusalem, attacks Jerusalem, attacks the city and desolates or desecrates the temple, right? On the 15th month of that year, the abomination of desolation was set up on the altar. Pagan altars were built throughout the towns of Judea incense was offered at the doors of the houses and in the streets. All scrolls of the law which were found were torn up and burnt. Anyone discovered in possession of a book of the covenant, in other words, the Bible, or confirming that the law was put to death by the king's sentence. Thus month after month, these wicked men used their power against the Israelites whom they found in their towns. On the 25th day of the month, they offered sacrifice on the pagan altar which was on top of the altar of the Lord. In other words, that was the event where Antiochus of the Epiphanes offered pigs, sacrificed pigs on the altar of God in a temple. In accordance with the royal decree, they put to death women who had their children circumcised. They put to death their babies, their families and those who had circumcised them. They hanged by the net. Yet many in Israel found strength to resist taking a determined stand against eating any unclean food. They welcomed death rather than defile themselves and profane the holy covenant. And so they died. The divine wrath raged against Israel. And that's the way it's described. The events surrounding Antiochus Epiphanes in this third kingdom, this little horn that grew up and grew great. This kingdom, Daniel chapter eight, the third kingdom foreshadows that abomination of desolation which the Lord speaks of in Matthew chapter 24. Let me give you another example of that. Look at Daniel chapter 11, Daniel chapter 11. And again, we're speaking specifically of the abomination of desolation. Again, in Daniel chapter 11, we have a recapitulation of this vision again involving the third kingdom and specifically in the third kingdom and Antiochus Epiphanes. If you look in Daniel chapter 11, drop down to verse 21, verse 21, verse 20. There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom, but within a few days he shall be destroyed but not in anger or in battle. And in his place shall arise a vile person to whom they will not give the honor of royalty, but he shall come in peaceably, seize the kingdom by intrigue. With the force of a flood, they shall be swept away from before him and be broken. And also the prince of the covenant. And after the league is made with him, he shall act deceitfully. And again, notice what the third kingdom horn is doing here. These are representations of what the abomination of desolation is. If we wanna understand what the abomination of desolation is or what it represents, of these actions on part of Antiochus Epiphanes here, gives us an indication. Verse 23, league is made with him, he shall act deceitfully. He shall come up and be strong with a small number of people. He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province. And he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers. He shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil and riches. He shall devise his plans against the strongholds but only for a time. He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army, but he shall not stand for they shall devise plans against him. Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him, his army shall be swept away. Many shall fall down slain. Both these king's hearts shall be bent on evil. They shall speak lies at the same table but it shall not prosper for the end will still be at the appointed time. While returning to his land with the great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant and so he shall do damage and return to his own land. At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south but it shall not be like the former or the latter for ships from Cyprus shall come against him, therefore he shall be grieved and return in rage against the holy covenant and do damage. Again, we're gonna talk about what all of this means when we get to Daniel chapter 11 in our small group study. And so he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant and the forces shall be mustered by him they shall defile the sanctuary fortress then they shall take away the daily sacrifices and place there the abomination of desolation. Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits and those of the people who understand shall instruct many yet for many days that they shall fall by the sword and flame by captivity and plundering and now when they fall they shall be aided with a little help but many shall join them by intrigue and some of those who understand of understanding shall fall to refine them, purify them and make them white until the time of the end because it is still for the appointed time. Again, we see there a reference to the abomination of desolation. Again, this is the third kingdom in Daniel and we see this abomination of desolation happening. As we get through our study in the book of Daniel we'll see also an abomination of desolation spoken of referring to the fourth kingdom. Daniel chapter nine, there is that unnamed but unexhausted kingdom of Rome so to speak where there's also mention of the abomination of desolation and in Daniel chapter 12 we'll also see the abomination of desolation with respect to the fourth kingdom. We believe from Daniel that when the Lord speaks of the abomination of desolation in Matthew chapter 24 that what took place under the emperor Titus the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 and what took place in by Antiochus Epiphany the third kingdom in the book of Daniel are all foreshadowing foreshadowing an ultimate abomination of desolation that takes place at the end of the age. We're gonna work through that and look at that as we work through Daniel and work further through the Olivet discourse. Now with respect specifically to what the abomination of desolation is think about what the little horn here Antiochus Epiphanes has done to an attack it's an attack on the praise and worship of Almighty God. It's an assault on God's worship a rejection of God's worship not only a rejection of God's worship he prohibits the worship of God punishable by death. It's a removal of sacrifice in order removal of religious forms of religious observance. It's replacement of God with a human Antiochus Epiphanes standing in the place of God someone replacing the worship of God it is abominable to God's people. You couldn't think of anything much more abominable to God's people in those days than the sacrifice of pigs on the altar of God and the temple of God. It is the rejection the wholesale rejection of the one true and living God in replacing the one true and living God with someone or something else. There's a ruler involved here there's a government involved here a kingdom involved here there's false religion involved here pagan idol worship involved here. In other words there's another worship. This worship doesn't love the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't love God doesn't love God's people doesn't heal doesn't bless. In fact it causes destruction causes ruin causes devastation it causes desolation. That's what the word means there it is the abomination that causes desolation. It destroys it destroys. So therefore verse 15 back in Matthew chapter 24 verse 15 when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place whoever read let him understand and let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. In other words we're to understand aren't we? The Lord giving us parting words before he departs by means of his cross to be with a father so that we would not be caught off guard so that we would not be deceived so that we would be watchful and attentive so that we would be earnest in our study of God's word so that we would be earnest and fervent in our service to him that we would be on our watch. He says when you see the abomination of desolation when he put that parenthetical statement there whoever reads let him understand we're to understand that abomination of desolation in light of what Daniel the prophet has said. We'll look at those texts more clearly we looked at some of them tonight and we can see what the abomination of desolation entails right? So the Lord warns us then when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place when that abomination of desolation is standing in the holy place and let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains and be prepared trust Christ do not be deceived let's serve him faithfully let's pray father in heaven Lord thank you again for the joy and the privilege of studying this passage of scripture. Often these things are difficult and sometimes shadowy. I pray God you give us clear understanding and give us help to understand how these pieces fit together how your word fits together to give us an understanding of the end times what will be the sign of your coming and at the end of the age and help us Lord like your disciples to understand your instruction on this that we might be prepared and we might not be deceived that we might trust and watch and be attentive and serve and just to love you faithfully and serve one another and love one another faithfully until you come. Thank you Lord for the blessed promise of your coming come quickly Lord Jesus we love you in Jesus name. Amen.