The Daily

THE DAILY

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by David Dence

First let’s determine what the daily is not: It is not the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a weekly, not a daily. Neither is the daily Paganism. “The daily is never used in the Old Testament to refer to a pagan system of religious mediation. It describes the work of the priest on behalf of God’s people. It is therefore contextually and linguistically inappropriate to apply it to pagan Rome.”--Angel Manuel Rodriguez, Director of the Seventhday Adventist Biblical Research Institute, Adventist World, August, 2007 Ulrike Unruh agrees: “The "daily" represents Christ's mediatorial ministry in the holy place in the heavenly sanctuary. It represents the continual work of Christ ministering in the sanctuary not made with hands, where He entered with His own blood to make intercession for His people.” --http://dedication.www3.50megs.com/dan/1260_1290_1335.html So far, so good. However, these good brethren teach that “when the Catholic Church came into possession of an army led by Clovis in 508, she forced Sunday on all citizens in a progressively stricter sense. The Papacy could now enforce her mandates and strike fear into the people of Europe, and set up her Sunday idol, thus taking away the daily from the hearts of the people.”--ibid. Well? Taking away the daily from the hearts of the people is not the same as actually removing Christ from the heavenly sanctuary. Surely you will agree that Christ is still our Mediator. Amen? So, what does Sister White say about the daily? Almost nothing. Elder A. G. Daniels was interested in the daily and came to Sister White and asked if she could give him some insights on the daily. She replied that she had no light on the Daily. A couple years went by and again he came to her and asked if she could shed some light on the daily. Again she told him that the Lord had not reveled anything to her regarding the daily. Several more years went by. By this time she was living at Elms Haven in California. Elder Daniels came by to see her. He knocked on the door and was greeted by the maid. Elder Daniels told her he would like to ask Sister White about the daily. The maid went up to Sister White’s room and delivered the message. Sister White would not even come down, but told the maid to tell him that the Lord had not reveled anything to her about the daily. So that must mean that the daily is not important. Well, just because the daily was not important in generations past does not mean that the daily is not important today. Do you really need to understand this subject? Yes, indeed you do. And I think you will be pleased to see just how clear and simple the daily is. Whatever our conclusions are about the daily, they must fit perfectly with every other facet of truth. They must harmonize with the big picture. We must start by asking some hard questions such as: What is the purpose of the daily? When did the daily begin? When will the daily end? Or has it ended already? Who took the daily away? Or is the taking away of the daily still a future event? What do you think? Are these good questions? Large books have been written on this subject. Today we are going to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and go right to the heart of the matter. Let’s start with the daily service in the wilderness tabernacle. Every morning and every evening, 6 AM and 6 PM, the priests would offer a flawless lamb of a year old, as a burnt sacrifice. Where did they get those lambs? Who brought them? Did you know that the priests bought those perfect little lambs with money from the temple/tabernacle budget? And who were these sacrifices for? No one in particular, but everyone in general. These were corporate sacrifices for “the congregation.” They represented Jesus substitutional death offered BEFORE the sinner was able to repent. The morning sacrifice covered sins that might be committed during the

day, and the evening sacrifice covered sins that might be committed during the approaching night. What a beautiful illustration. Of course the sinner was required to bring his own sin offering, but the daily sacrifice held back the death penalty until he could get his sacrifice together and make his way to the temple/tabernacle. “The ministration of the sanctuary consisted of two divisions, a daily and a yearly service. The daily service was performed at the altar of burnt offering in the court of the tabernacle and in the holy place; while the yearly service was in the most holy.”--PP 351 “The daily service consisted of the morning and evening burnt offering, the offering of sweet incense on the golden altar. Every morning and evening a lamb of a year old was burned upon the altar, , thus symbolizing their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ. The incense, , represents the merits and intercession of Christ, . Before the veil of the most holy place was an altar of perpetual intercession, , an altar of continual atonement. As the priests morning and evening entered the holy place at the time of incense, the daily sacrifice was ready to be offered upon the altar in the court without. Consider what Christ gave up when He left the courts of heaven and the royal throne, to give His life a daily sacrifice for men.”--PP353 This awesome service called the daily or continual represented something that was going on in the heavenly sanctuary. And that service in heaven neither began nor ended with earthly services. The tabernacle services were sand box illustrations of what has been going on in the heavenly courts for a long, long time and continues to this day! So just when did the daily begin? Let’s get a running start at this question by looking at: 2 Thessalonians 2 (New International Version) 3Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the One who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2 (New Living Translation) 6And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the One who is holding it back steps out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2 (Contemporary English Version) 6You already know what is holding this wicked one back until it is time for him to come. 7His mysterious power is already at work, but someone is holding him back. And the wicked one won't appear until that someone is out of the way. Who is this Someone? When did He get in the way? Genesis 2 (Contemporary English Version) 15The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it. 16But the LORD told him, "You may eat fruit from any tree in the garden, 17except the one that has the power to let you know the difference between right and wrong. If you eat any fruit from that tree, you will die before the day is over!" Genesis 2 (The Message) 15God took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order. 16God commanded the Man, "You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Goodand-Evil. Don't eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you're dead."

I thought that might be a little extreme until I read what Ellen White says about it: “The instant Adam yielded to Satan's temptation, and did the very thing which God had said he should not do, Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the dead, saying, “Let the punishment fall on Me. I will stand in man's place. Give him another trial.” Transgression placed the whole world under the death-sentence. But in heaven there was heard a voice saying, “I have found a ransom.” He who knew no sin was made sin for fallen man.”--Signs of the Times, June 27, 1900 Why didn’t Adam and Eve die that day? Since my esteemed colleagues do not understand this deep subject they will offer strange explanations such as, “Dying ye shall die.” But bless their hearts, that is not good exegeses. Here is the correct answer: Revelation 13:8 (New International Reader's Version) The Book of Life belongs to the Lamb whose death was planned before the world was created. As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. Adam and Eve did not die that day because Jesus engaged the plan of salvation which had been previously agreed upon between the Father and the Son. “A plan was devised that the sentence of death should rest upon a substitute. In the plan of redemption there must be the shedding of blood, for death must come in consequence of man's sin. The beasts for sacrificial offerings were to prefigure Christ. In the slain victim, man was to see the fulfillment, for the time being, of God's word, "Ye shall surely die".--1BC 1086 “A council was held in heaven, the result of which was that God's dear Son undertook to redeem man from the curse and the disgrace of Adam's failure, . Oh, wonderful condescension! The Majesty of heaven, through love and pity for fallen man, proposed to become his substitute and surety. He would bear man's guilt. He would take the wrath of His Father upon Himself, which otherwise would have fallen upon man because of his disobedience. . Christ's divine soul was exercised with infinite pity for the fallen pair. The wrath of God still hung over Adam, but the execution of the sentence of death was delayed, and the indignation of God was restrained, because Christ had entered upon the work of becoming man's Redeemer. As you draw near the cross of Calvary, you see love that is without a parallel. Jesus stands before the Father, continually offering a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is the minister of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Because of the continual commission of sin, the atoning sacrifice of a heavenly Mediator is essential. Jesus, our great high priest, officiates for us in the presence of God, offering in our behalf his shed blood.”--YI, April 16, 1903 “The world's Redeemer gave His life as a continual sacrifice in order to save man.”--2MR 98 Exodus 28 (New American Standard Bible) 30 You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually. “Adam and Eve broke God's law and fell, and the family of Adam must perish. . All heaven knew that God could not change or abolish his law to save man. The transgressor is about to meet the great Law-giver over his broken law. The wrath of God has long slumbered, but soon, with terrible justice and crushing weight will his wrath fall upon the transgressor. I saw that Jesus would not leave the most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction, and that the wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished His work in the most holy place, laid off His priestly attire, and clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance. Then Jesus will step out from between the Father and man, and God will keep silence no longer,

but pour out His wrath on those who have rejected His truth.”--2SG 274 Surely you will agree that no power on earth could possibly take away the daily! Do you see the picture? Are you still with me? With this background I trust you will be eager to learn what happens when the daily is really taken away. Just because you may not agree with me does not automatically mean that you are right and I am wrong. It simply means that you have not had the privilege of seeing all the lines of evidence yet. Please be patient. When all the surrounding pieces are put in place you will see the beauty and harmony that comes from the sum of all the parts. A clearer understanding of Daniel 12:1 will greatly enhance the picture. MICHAEL STANDS DOWN Contrary to popular opinion, Michael does not "stand up" to help Daniel's people during the Great Tribulation. He "stands still" or "desists" from his normal role as defender of Israel, thus permitting the Great Tribulation to occur. In other words, the Great Tribulation is not the cause for Michael to come to Israel's defense. Rather, it is because he desists from defending her that the Great Tribulation occurs. What the King James Version renders as “stand up” comes from the Hebrew word amad. It does not mean to "stand up." It simply means to "stand." If a man seated and inactive were said to amad, he would "stand up." However, if a man already standing and active were said to amad, he would "stand still," or desist, in his activity. Daniel had just been told by the angel who was sharing this prophetic vision with him that Michael was actively involved in the defense of Daniel's people. The angel said to Daniel, "But the prince [a fallen angel] of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me" (Dan. 10:13). Michael was actively engaged in helping Israel. And once again the angel said to Daniel, "But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince" (Dan. 10:21). What does the word "holdeth" (Hebrew, chazaq) mean? According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, holdeth can mean "to bind" or "restrain." That means, in context, that Michael already had a hindering or restraining ministry against the forces of Satan on Israel's behalf. So when it is said that Michael will "stand," it means he will "stand still," "desist," or "cease" from defending Israel. This, of course, would be in dramatic contrast to Michael's normal activity described in the words "which standeth [a present, continuous action] for the children of thy people" (Dan. 12:1). In other words, just prior to the Great Tribulation Michael will cease or desist from what was his historically ongoing responsibility of defending Israel. It would make little sense to tell Daniel that Michael was defending his people in Chapter 12 when he had already clearly told him that fact, not once but twice, in Daniel, Chapter 10. Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible says that amad means "to stand, stand still or stand fast." And Strong's Concordance cites one of the root meanings of amad as "cease," and one of its definitions as "stand still." A biblical illustration of amad meaning "to be still or desist is, "they...stood still [desisted], and answered no more" (Job 32:16). The question may be raised, Why would Michael, whose normal activity was to restrain satanic attacks against Israel, cease his restraining work? The Word of God gives a specific reason for the cessation of the restrainer's work at precisely that point in time. Since Israel refused God's truth and rejected her true Christ, God will send on them strong delusion so that they will believe the lie. The lie is that the Antichrist is the Messiah and Deliverer. Paul put it this way: "They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe [the] lie, that they all might be [judged] who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Th. 2:10-12).

The strong delusion comes from God. It is the setting in which the judgment of the living takes place. That is why Michael will no longer hinder or hold down the wicked one. My people have rejected the Son of God for two thousand years. And not only so, but they have severely and unjustly persecuted those from among their own flock who have seen in Jesus the one of whom Moses and the prophets of Israel wrote. God will give them an unhindered dose of Antichrist. As a result - on their backs, cut off, with no human deliverance possible - they will at last look up, and they will see - in the altogether lovely face of Jesus - their long-rejected Messiah. This observation provides perfect logic for the view that on this occasion and for this purpose Michael will "stand still" - he will abstain, he will not fight for Israel. In military terms we would say “stand down”. When Michael ceases to defend Israel, the "Great Tribulation" will commence. Daniel wrote of Michael, the restrainer, this way: "And at that time shall Michael stand up [literally, stand still or desist from helping Israel], the great prince which standeth [whose normal and continued ministry had been to help Israel]" (Dan. 12:1); and Paul wrote of the restrainer this way: "He who now letteth [restrains] will let [continue his normal restraining ministry], until he be taken out of the way [ceases his normal ministry of restraining]" (2 Th. 2:7). The parallel between the two is conspicuous. Now perhaps we are ready to look at Daniel 12 (Amplified Bible) 10 None of the wicked shall understand, but the teachers and those who are wise shall understand. Daniel 12 (New Century Version) 11 "The daily sacrifice will be stopped. Then, after 1,290 days from that time, a blasphemous object that brings destruction will be set up. Daniel 12 (Contemporary English Version) 11There will be one thousand two hundred ninety days from the time that the daily sacrifices are stopped, until someone sets up the "Horrible Thing" that causes destruction. Daniel 12 (Amplified Bible) 12Blessed, happy, fortunate, spiritually prosperous, and to be envied is he (singular) who waits expectantly and earnestly [who endures without wavering beyond the period of tribulation] and comes to the 1,335 days! 13But you Daniel [who was now over ninety years of age], go about your business. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise from death to receive your reward. At the end of what days? The days just mentioned. The 1335 days, of course. Was Daniel raised from death in 1844? Read Daniel 12:13 one more time. Evidently the 1335 days did not end in 1844, because when the 1335 days end, Daniel will literally come to life! Isn’t that what Daniel 12:12 and 13 says? Amazing! Now let’s read verse 11 one more time, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Now think carefully. Has the daily been taken away yet? Certainly not. On the very day that the daily is taken away, the tribulation will commence. There are several reasons why the tribulation has not started yet. One reason is that the four angels are holding back the winds of strife. See Revelation 7:1-3. And they will continue to do so until Jesus steps out of the way between the sinner and the wrath of an offended God. When that happens, no one will have to tell you. It will be horrifyingly obvious. And that will mark day one of the 1335 days of the tribulation. Did I lose you? Isn’t that what Daniel 12 is saying? Did I hear someone say that Daniel was unlocked in 1798? Not so! Daniel will be unlocked only when our minds are unlocked. Looks like another paradigm shift may be required about now. Take your time. I know it is not easy. But I trust it will not take you as long to adjust as it took me. You are holding in your hand a lot more relevant information than what I had when I first started to study this subject. THE HEWITT ERROR

You may be interested in seeing a statement Sister White made in reference to the 1335 days. In fact it is the only statement even mentioning the 1335 days: “We told him [Brother Hewitt] of some of his errors in the past, that the 1335 days were ended, and numerous [other] errors of his.”--Letter 28, November 7, 1850 also 6MR 251. Since this statement is not written in as clear a manner as it could be, my wife wrote to Robert W. Olson, then Secretary of the White Estate and asked him to look into the matter. His succinct reply is as follows: “You asked also about the 1335-day statement. Yes, I rather think that I would interpret it the same way you have in your letter, and that is that the ERROR involved was that ‘the 1335 days were ended.’ Frankly, I do not have a satisfactory explanation of the 1335 days.”--Washington, D.C., August 5, 1982 As you can see from the date of his letter, my wife and I have been searching for prophetic answers for many years. Now back to Daniel 12:12 “O how blessed, happy, fortunate, spiritually prosperous, and to be envied is

he who keeps waiting and makes it through to the end of the 1335 days!” Some suggest that the 1335 days ended in 1844. Do you really think 1844 was a blessed experience? Honestly? History indicates that 1844 was a great disappointment. And those who spent the day looking up into an empty sky were not happy. “Oh but…” you say, “the blessing came when Hiram Edson was crossing the corn field the next day and was given a vision of the cleansing of the HEAVENLY sanctuary.” Certainly that was a lollypop to console the despondent believers, but by that time 99% of the believers had given up all hope and were not remotely interested in a consolation prize. The height of their hope had led to the depth of their despair. Profound spiritual disappointments have always tended toward disillusionment and the scattering of the believers. Josiah Litch wrote: “It is a dark day here -- the sheep are scattered -- and the Lord has not come.” But actually we are not even considering 1844. The old charts show the 1335 days ending in 1843, which can be clearly seen at the bottom of the chart. Originally the Millerites believed the 2300 days ended in 1843, so their view of the 1335 days ending in 1843 made sense to them. When William Miller discovered that there is no year between 1 B.C. and 1 A.D., he commenced preaching that the 2300 days would end in 1844, but left the ending of the 1335 days in 1843, perhaps because he wanted to leave the starting date for the 1335 days in 508 A.D. And what is significant about the year 508? Not much. In 508, Clovis--the king of the Franks--became converted to Catholicism, and conquered the Goths. This gave the papacy supremacy not only in the east, but now also in the west. No big celebration here. But we have stuck to this for the sake of tradition. And what special event occurred in 1843 to mark the end of the 1335 days? Some suggest that an awakening of our understanding of Daniel occurred in 1843. However, the Millerites were already sharing the prophecies of Daniel before 1843. Their understanding of the Heavenly Sanctuary and the Investigative Judgment did not have its birth in 1843 either. It was not until after the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844 that this occurred. Therefore there was no spiritual awakening of the book of Daniel that began in 1843! It should be quite clear that the ending of the 1335 days is yet future. Our pioneers ended the 1335 days at what they thought would be the second coming of Christ. They were right. And they are still right. The 1335 days will indeed end a few days before Christ’s glorious return. You will also notice that stretching this out to 1335 years is out of the question. No one can live that long. Some of those who see the start of the 1335 days will also see the end of the 1335 days and partake of the blessing. “In the time of trouble we were pursued by the wicked, who entered the houses of the saints with a sword. They

raised the sword to kill us, but it broke, and fell as powerless as a straw. Then we all cried day and night for deliverance, and the cry came up before God. The sun came up, and the moon stood still. The streams ceased to flow. Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. But there was one clear place of settled glory, whence came the voice of God like many waters, which shook the heavens and the earth. The sky opened and shut and was in commotion. The mountains shook like a reed in the wind, and cast out ragged rocks all around. The sea boiled like a pot and cast out stones upon the land. And as God spoke the day and the hour of Jesus' coming and delivered the everlasting covenant to His people, He spoke one sentence, and then paused, while the words were rolling through the earth. The Israel of God stood with their eyes fixed upward, listening to the words as they came from the mouth of Jehovah, and rolled through the earth like peals of loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn. And at the end of every sentence the saints shouted, "Glory! Alleluia!" Their countenances were lighted up with the glory of God; and they shone with the glory, as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked could not look on them for the glory. And when the never-ending blessing was pronounced on those who had honored God in keeping His Sabbath holy, there was a mighty shout of victory over the beast and over his image.”--EW34

And when is the “never-ending blessing” pronounced? On day 1335 exactly. Not a day sooner and not a day later. Is that the day Jesus comes? No. That is the day of the announcement of His coming, which will occur several days later. How many days later we have not been told yet. If you have not yet read the chapter THE YEAR/DAY YARDSTICK, please ask. The documentation is rock solid. It is an indispensable key to unlocking Daniel and Revelation. You will learn that the year for a day yardstick does not apply to end-time prophecy. Now let’s take a close look at verse 11 and notice that something awful happens 45 days before the end of the time of trouble. This is how various translations render verse 11: the abomination that causes desolation is set up, the obscene desecration is set up in its place, the abomination that makes desolate is set up, the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, until someone sets up the " Horrible Thing" that causes destruction. a blasphemous object that brings destruction will be set up. to the giving out of the desolating abomination, the hated thing or the appalling thing that destroys will be set up. Before we can make sense of this, we have to understand something about the Jewish mind set and the use of language at the time these statements were made. The Jews regarded their homeland as the "promised land" – the land promised to Abraham. It was also considered by the Jews to be God’s "holy land." In fact, many people today refer to the geography of the modern nation of Israel as "the holy land." Notice King David’s words of praise: "He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the first fruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert. He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies. Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes." (Psalm 78:51-55) The word holy means set apart, not common or usual. Of course, the phrase "holy land" means land set apart from all other lands. God set Israel apart from Egypt as a holy nation of people. (Exodus 19:4-6) He placed Israel geographically in the center of the nations, at a special location, "His holy land." (Ezekiel 5:5) The Levites and their Pastureland A very interesting and significant distinction surrounds the Tribe of Levi. Many people do not know that God did not give a share of the promised land to the Levites when the Jews entered Canaan. "The Lord said to Aaron,

‘You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites. I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.’" (Numbers 18:20,21)

When Israel was ready to take possession of the holy land, God instructed Moses as follows (please notice the size, place and role of the pasturelands): "On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, ‘Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle, flocks and all their other livestock. The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall. Outside the town, measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns. (Numbers 35:1-8) When the Israelites finally took possession of the land, Joshua sanctified or "made holy" Bezer, Ramoth and Golan as cities of refuge on the East side of the Jordan, and on the West side of the Jordan he set apart Kedesh, Shechem and Kiriath Arba. (Joshua 20:7,8) These six cities became known as "holy cities" because they were set apart as cities of refuge, a place where a murderer could flee from an avenger of blood for either temporary or permanent safety. About four hundred years after Israel occupied the promised land, King David overthrew the stronghold of Jebus and established his throne there. David renamed Jebus and called his city "Jerusalem" (the city of peace). It became the seventh (and last) holy city within the promised land, and eventually, the Ark of the Covenant and sanctuary services were located there. As before, when a holy city was established, the immediate pastureland around the walls of the city was set apart for the Levites as a place for their gardens and flocks. This border around the walls of each city was called "the holy place" or "holy ground." When Jerusalem became the center of worship, the pasturelands outside the city were set apart for the exclusive use of the Levites. Even after Jerusalem was destroyed and the survivors were taken into Babylonian captivity, it was God’s plan for the rebuilt city and the temple to have "holy ground" surrounding the walls of the city. (Ezekiel 45:1-6) With this background information regarding the holy place or holy ground around the city walls, please consider these two parallel texts: 1. "So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the [Gentile] reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath." (Matthew 24:15-20, insertion mine) 2. "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people." (Luke 21:20-23) Note the difference between these two texts. Both Luke and Matthew heard Jesus as He gave this discourse. Years later, when they recalled this event from their memory bank for the purpose of writing a record, Matthew, the Jew, writes as a Jew would have remembered the prediction made by Jesus. Luke, on the other hand, a Gentile converted to Christianity, wrote it according to what he understood Jesus to mean. The point here is the harmony that is found in their diversity! From their personal perspectives, both writers understood the meaning of Christ’s words. To the Jewish mind, a foreign army standing on the holy ground around Jerusalem’s walls was an abomination intent on destruction. The presence of uncircumcised Gentiles on the holy ground dedicated to the Levites would be considered to the Jewish mind as a high insult to the God of Heaven. The Jews believed that Jerusalem was the City of God because His temple dwelling was there. Although his perspective is different, Luke also confirms this point. He writes, "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that desolation is near."

So, let us pull all this information together. An abomination that causes desolation is this: A great insult, an evil act committed against Almighty God, a detestable plan implemented by man for the purpose of destroying an object of God’s affection. So where does Matthew 24:15 and Luke 21:20 prophetically apply? Jesus is obviously talking about the destruction of Jerusalem that would be forthcoming in AD70. You might be surprised to learn that this total destruction was also predicted in Daniel 11:31. This is the verse that Matthew refers to. So, how does the abomination that causes desolation in Daniel 12:11,12 fit into the end-time scenario? When you understand the background, the parallel is obvious and simple. Just as wicked men surrounded ancient Jerusalem to destroy it, so wicked men will surround the saints of God with an intent to destroy them during the Great Tribulation. (Revelation 13:15) From the casting down of the censer (Rev 8:5), which is the taking away of the daily, there will be 1,290 days before a universal death decree is issued against the saints. (See the book of Esther for a parallel story about an abomination that almost caused desolation.) This is why the Bible says, "Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the 1,335th day!" Those people who live beyond the universal death decree will see Christ appear in clouds of glory and victory. They will witness the most powerful battle ever seen on Earth as Jesus destroys the false prophet and the beast. The redeemed who live to see Jesus come will be the eyewitnesses who can sing the song of mighty deliverance, and they will also tell of this glorious rescue to those individuals who slept in death through this event. What a blessing God will give the people who will endure to the end. They kept the faith and He who is Faithful and True kept them from death! Satan has an evil strategy. If he can successfully annihilate everyone who is loyal to God, he can then shake his fist toward heaven and demand that God back off. And technically he is right. If there are no followers of the Lamb left on planet earth, Satan can boast, “They are all mine! Jesus, you can cancel your rescue mission. There is no one left to rescue.” “Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects. He has gained control of the apostate churches; but here is a little company that are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God.”--9T 231 So, just how successful will Satan be? He will certainly come close to his murderous plan. God will permit him to kill the great multitude. And this precious unnumbered throng will be resurrected at the glorious appearing of Jesus and will forever after wear a boarder of red on the hem of their garments. But there will be a small group who Satan will not be able to kill. They will be water proof, fire proof, and bullet proof. A thousand shall fall at their side and ten thousand at their right hand, but they will be untouched. This will infuriate Satan. This favored group is known as the 144,000. These are the same ones who were filled with unlimited Holy Spirit power at the beginning of the time of trouble. In a desperate attempt to rid the earth of this hated group, Satan will issue a universal death decree, at which time every wicked soul on earth will be urged to eliminate these holy people wherever they are found. With weapons in hand the wicked will surround God’s holy people in anticipation of the abominable decree. Exodus 22:31 “You are to be my holy people.” Deuteronomy 14:2 “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.” Deuteronomy 28:9 “The LORD will establish you as his holy people,” Isaiah 62:12 “They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD;” 1 Peter 2:9 “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” But again Satan’s plan will be frustrated. God will say in effect, “You have gone too far. You have overstepped your bounds.”

The great drama of the ages is not over yet. “Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man's hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth.”-Maranatha288 Why does it appear black. Perhaps that is because it is traveling faster than the speed of light. Its light has not caught up with it yet. The people of God will not be the only ones to recognize the approach of Jesus. Satan knows very well what is coming and he will be in a panic. He knows that he is doomed. But he does something foolish. He will stir up the powers of earth to hurl their weapons of mass destruction against this unwanted intruder. This is called the battle of Armageddon. The 144,000 will witness some awesome fireworks! Revelation 17 (Today's New International Version) 12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." Matthew 24 (Contemporary English Version) 29 “Immediately after the tribulation, The sun will become dark, and the moon will no longer shine. The stars will fall, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 30Then a sign or token will appear in the sky. . All nations on earth will be sad and weep/wail/mourn/cry/beat their breasts and lament in anguish.” Perhaps Satan will convince the ten kings that this is another incoming asteroid. Remember the earth has already been impacted by two devastating asteroids. One splashed into one of the seven seas and the other slammed into one of the seven continents. See Revelation 8:8-11 By the way, did the ten divisions of Rome make war with the Lamb? No. And who are His called, chosen and faithful followers? None other than the 144,000. Revelation 17 is clearly an end-time prophecy. May God grant us the high privilege of being among His faithful followers. Questions and comments are always welcome. Call anytime 423 949-5115. If you have any insights that would enhance this study, please share. Let’s learn together. Now start from the beginning and read this chapter one more time with the following quote in mind: “Nothing worth having is obtained without earnest, persevering effort. . Without earnest toil we cannot expect to obtain a knowledge of spiritual things. In your study of the word, lay at the door of investigation your preconceived opinions and your hereditary and cultivated ideas. You will never reach the truth if you study the Scriptures to vindicate your own ideas. Leave these at the door, and with a contrite heart go in to hear what the Lord has to say to you. Do not read the word in the light of former opinions; but, with a mind free from prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the word, do not try to make the word fit these opinions. Make your opinions fit the word. Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding.”--MYP260