Another sign mentioned by Jesus relative to the end of the age and His return to earth is found in Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.”  The gospel of the Kingdom of God has been preached throughout the world since the 1930’s.  It began to be heard through the ministry of Herbert W. Armstrong.  Over time, those who were called of God to take up his mantle continued in that unique ministry which flew in the face of world Christianity’s message and its purveyors because it brought to light Satan’s total control of that which called itself “the church.”   As noted in the previous posting, the church’s message focused on the person of Jesus Christ, not His message.  Notice in Matthew 24:14 that Jesus said that THE GOSPEL OF (ABOUT) THE KINGDOM OF GOD would go out to the world, not a message about Jesus Himself.  An added aspect of the world church’s gospel is that it did not need to be obeyed, only believed.  For this reason the abomination of desolation is rising now and will soon make its appearance to the world.

When the abomination of desolation raises its ugly head the world will look on with wonder and fear.  All nations will live in terror of this colossal BEAST (Rev. 17:12-16).  Now let us see how this beast fits in with Christ’s statement about it standing where it should not (Mat. 24:14).  Luke clarifies the scene that, through the internet, will be witnessed by the entire world: “And when you see JERUSALEM COMPASSED ABOUT WITH (SURROUNDED BY) ARMIES, then know that her desolation is near (21:30).  Luke tells us that the abomination is comprised of armies.  Other Scriptures tell us that these are national armies who will have given their power to one superior nation (Rev. 17:12,13).  Together the union of these ten nations (“kings”) will be the greatest military force ever assembled.  By this time the Arab armies will have been defeated by this abominable beast.

Luke continues: “For these will be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written (prophesied) may be fulfilled (vs 22).  Jesus says in verse 23: “But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this (Israelite) people” (vs 23).

It is important at this time to make clear that in this instance “Jerusalem” is symbolic of the end time nations of Israel– the United States, Britain and the Jewish state in the Middle East.  These, as Jacob prophesied on His deathbed, are the birthright nations (America and Britain) and the Scepter nation (the Jews).  The birthright nations, peopled by the descendants of Joseph’s sons, were greatly blessed beginning in the early 1800s.  The Scepter nation (Judah) was protected and blessed because from it (the tribe of Judah) came the Messiah.  Recall that Jesus said: “Salvation is of (from) the Jews” (Jn. 4:22), specifically from the Tribe of Judah.  The Jews, though as evil as the rest of Israel, had nevertheless retained the Ten Commandments (the “Oracles of God”) which must be obeyed in order to be saved.  As the Apostle Paul said, having those Oracles gave the Jews an advantage when it came to conversion and salvation (Rom. 3:1,2).  Together these three nations comprise modern day “Israel” in the spiritual sense.  In this instance they are referred to as “Jerusalem.”  Because of their sins the three nations of Israel will have spiritually decayed and will have destroyed themselves through civil wars, famines, disease, etc. which God will have rained down on them during the previous years.  Weakened by sin, they will be low hanging fruit for the colossal Beast known as the “abomination of desolation” which will bomb them into oblivion and take the survivors back to their countries as slaves.

The abomination will be the instrument by which God will display His vengeance on Israel in this end time.  With that beast government He will pour out His wrath on America, Britain and the Jews.  “And they (Israel) will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem (Israel) will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Lk. 21:24).  As stated in the previous posting, God sometimes uses the worst of mankind to do what He wants done, in this instance to punish His own people for their sins.  Of all sinning people on earth, He is most angry at Israel because, as He said: “Unto whom much is given, much is required” (Lk. 12:48).  The end-time nations of Israel have been greatly blessed by the Lord over the past 200 years.  Because He had given them much, He required much.  But they refused to love and obey Him. Therefore He is filled with wrath toward them today (Isa. 65:2-7).  In the near future He will use the abomination to destroy and enslave them.

The Book of Revelation consists primarily of a vision Jesus Christ gave to the Apostle John.  What he sees in the vision is written in past tense as if John had actually seen the vision played out in the flesh and had written about it.  Revelation 10 and 11 add more detail to this prophecy.  In 10:1,2 God speaks to John about a “little book” that undoubtedly reminds God’s people of what God commanded them to do and how they had disobeyed Him.  In verse 11 John is told to “prophesy again” before the abomination (Gentiles) treads end-time Israel asunder.  John, who had “eaten” the “little book,” was to prophesy its contents to many people, nations, tongues and kings during the years leading up to the time of the end.

In Revelation 11:1,2 John is handed a reed and told to “measure” God’s Temple.  His people (His church) are His Temple (2 Cor. 6:16).  Here John is told to compare His church to what He commanded her to do in His Law.  The “alter” represents church leadership.  Both had failed Him, and because of this they would be trodden down by the Gentiles.  God’s people are spiritual Israelites.  Gentiles, as Jesus told the Canaanite woman, are dogs.  This includes those biological Israelites who refuse to obey Him.  All will be cast into the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.  The abomination surrounding “Jerusalem” (readying themselves to destroy the nations of end-time Israel) will alert those who know their Lord and believe His Word that the Great Tribulation is about to begin.  Though many in God’s true church had professed Him with their lips, their heart had been far from Him (Mat. 15:8).  Therefore, He will not protect them.  Only His obedient remnant, His “little flock,” His saints, His Very Elect will be protected.  His true church–the “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16)–will spend the next 3 1/2 years of global horror in “her place” being protected and cared for by Him.  The Apostle Peter delivers the same message when he tells us that judgment is ongoing in the church, and that only the righteous in the church will be saved (1 Pet. 4:17,18).  L.J.