Scripture reading will be from the Gospel of Matthew chap 24:15-28. Matthew 24:15-28. And in God’s providence, who orders all things, he has seen fit to bring you here today to hear this word read. So give your attention to God’s word as it is read.

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place, let the reader understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house. And let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days. Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

Then if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ,” or “There he is,” do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So if they say to you, “Look, he is in the wilderness,” do not go out. If they say, “Look, he is in the inner rooms,” do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. This is God’s word. You may be seated.

Well, we are happy to come today to this text in our Lord’s Day sermons. So welcome to all of you. If you are a visitor, first time or unfamiliar, I will, by way of reminder, let you know that it is our normal practice here in this congregation, excuse me, to preach through books of the Bible. We start at verse one of chapter one and we go to the end, and we come to whatever is next.

So you say, how do you decide what you’re going to preach? Whatever text is up next in that book, that’s what we preach next. And as normally, you know, we’ve really been going fast-paced through these texts lately, looking at 13 verses. That’s like seven sermons for me, 13 verses. But the reason we’re doing that is because this chapter, particularly, is best, I think, in terms of sermons, it is best to take it in these chunks that we’ve had before us because we get the full picture of how they relate to one another. Yes, you could look in very much detail, but we want to take them in this way so that we can get a full picture of what is being said here.

Now, if you remember last week, we looked at verses 1-14, and in verses 1-4, that sets up verses 1 and 2 really set up the whole of Matthew 24 that Jesus leaves the temple with his 12 disciples, the apostles, and he points out to them and says, “You see this building? You see this temple? Right? There’s not going to be one stone left upon it that will not be thrown down.” He promised that would happen.

Now, his disciples, being born and raised in Israel and that area, of course, and knowing of the importance of the city of Jerusalem, the importance of the temple, asked him privately and said, “Can you tell us more about that? Can you tell us what that’s going to be like? And can you tell us why that’s going to happen and the signs of that to know when that’s going to happen?” Because they understood that for that to happen, it had to be something cataclysmic, and they knew that it would happen at a time before he would return.

They were asking questions of what Jesus told them is that he will answer that question, and that’s actually what our text today is getting into, the particulars of what he meant back even in Matthew 23 and has been promised before that this is going to happen—what is going to come to Jerusalem is desolation. But he told them in verses 3-14 about how they might need to prepare beforehand and how the church should live throughout time when there is turmoil and tribulation, distress and hardship, etc. That was how to prepare yourselves to live so that when you might come to this particular event, he was talking about in Matthew 24:15-28, that you would be ready there because it came later on.

So the focus here is on Jerusalem and Judea and the promised destruction that was coming. Again, just by way of reminder, he said in Matthew 23:37-39 that he longed to gather them together for protection, to bring them to himself, his covenantal people, but you would not. And so he said, “See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you’ll not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” So they are asking about that promise and what he said in Matthew 23. And he gets particular today.

So we’re going to look at this text and with two points and close with application. First, what he promised was going to happen, and secondly, what do you do when you see this? And then we’ll go to application. So what did he promise? What Jesus promised to them is in regards to verse 15, the abomination of desolation. Lovely title, abomination of desolation.

Now, this phrase, or these phrases combined or words, are particularly rooted in the book of Daniel. There are four mentions in the book of Daniel, chapters 8, 9, 11, and 12, of the abomination of desolation, and it’s speaking of something. It was a prophetic word, and obviously, it’s from Daniel about something in the future.

Now, here’s what we might need to do first. You probably are asking yourself, what is the abomination of desolation? What does that mean? And it’s actually sort of set up for us in the words itself. First, what is an abomination? Well, an abomination is something that is abominable in God’s sight. Now, the abomination of desolation would be something that is abominable in God’s sight. But that which is abominable in God’s sight is that. But there are other things that are said throughout the scriptures that are idolatry is said to be an abomination. Homosexuality and sexual perversion is said to be an abomination. Child sacrifice is said to be an abomination. Worshiping other gods or turning away from God is an abomination. There are things that are said that, in other words, what is an abomination? Anything that is contrary to God’s law.

And then there’s the word desolation. It is something that is in ruin, that has a destructive effect and it leaves something desolate, and particularly referring not just to the physical part but to being devoid of God’s blessing. So the abomination of desolation is what we start with, is something that is abominable in God’s sight that leaves desolation and devoid of God’s blessing.

Now, when we understand that, how can we bring that into Matthew 24, what Jesus is saying? Well, remember the words of Daniel because doesn’t Jesus say the words spoken by the prophet Daniel, “When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place, let the reader understand?” What is he getting at?

Remember, when you read prophecies and things that are prophetic, there are times that it speaks of the last day, and there are times that it speaks of particular events before the last day. And sometimes, and almost always, it will be something that teaches you about the other. If it’s speaking of the last day, there can often be events that happen in time before then that are meant to help you understand the last day. But sometimes events refer to things in time, and they are prophecies of those events. But those events that happen in time are meant to help you understand something about the last day. That’s the rule we should bring when we come to understanding prophetic language in the scripture.

And so when you come to this and you think of what is the abomination of desolation, there is a part of it that is referring particularly to Daniel 9:27 with an event that happened that Daniel prophesied about that came to fruition in 167 BC, which is in between the testaments when the soldiers of Rome came and set up an idol in the courtyard of the temple, and they sacrificed a pig, a swine, sign of, in its blood went all throughout the temple. This was defiling, and this was seen as understood to be an abomination, and it was almost like desolation was abomination happened there.

But that is not particularly, although it’s a sign of what was to come in some sense of what Jesus is talking about. Now, to understand what Jesus was particularly mentioning here, we can look at Luke 21:20 where Jesus says, “When you see the army surrounding the city, it’s time to flee.” And what that does is tell us that what is happening, what he is saying there, because what does he say in the next verses? He talks about leaving. And so we take those two together, and we can see that Jesus says when you see that event that was foreshadowed in some sense in 167 BC, you can know when you see that, that is a time for you to know that what I promised you is about to happen. And that event that he was referring to, this event did happen in time.

This is the Roman occupation of Jerusalem in 70 AD when the Roman armies came and surrounded the city of Jerusalem because the city, here when we talk about the holy place, could be the temple, and it could be the city. It’s sort of all in one package, and the abomination.

So in other words, what Jesus is saying is that the abomination appears and spreads desolation. And the Roman soldiers came, and they destroyed the temple. They destroyed the city. They did, in fact, do horrendous things in the temple, outside of the temple, throughout the area. They left it desolate. It was ruined. If you have not read about that, you should prepare yourself, and you should read about it to see what happened in that time and what happened when the Roman armies invaded.

Thus the abomination of desolation brings great evil destruction and left the city desolate. Now, what I’m saying to you, in case I haven’t been clear enough, he said what Jesus said and promised, and said was going to happen in these verses and in Luke, that happened. That thing that he’s talking about, it happened. It very much happened. It’s recorded. It is indisputable that that event happened in 70 AD. Roman armies came in 70 AD and destroyed, and the church remembered and they fled, and they went to a place for safety, and what happened was the destruction of the city and the temple, and the events before and the events during and after were horrible.

If you read in verse 21, Jesus says there will be then great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. When you read of that, and you think about what he’s referring to is Jerusalem. A lot of things have happened then and have happened before and have happened since. And none of it compares to the awful atrocities of what happened to the city of Jerusalem that day. It was, in fact, true. It was horrendous in a way that has never really been replicated.

So what Jesus is telling you is that we’re telling the reader then that this is going to happen, and that happened. That event happened.

Now, what do you do when you see this? When you see the army surrounding, what do you do? This is in verses 16-18, and he gives some direction in verses 16-18. He says a couple of things. He says that you need to flee. That’s the main thing. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. He is telling them that there is not time, that what has happened, what I promise you is going to happen, it’s upon you when you see these things occurring, and you need to leave. You don’t have time.

This is akin to what he said to the events of Sodom and Gomorrah. If you read in Genesis, it’s like this is about to happen. There’s not time to go make things right. There’s not time for you to go back and to get your account settled. You don’t have time to go to the bank and get your money out. You don’t have time to dig up some crops. You don’t have time to set things up. No, you have to go now because nothing’s going to be saved. It’s going to be destroyed in that time. You must flee.

The one who is on the housetop, go down and don’t worry about things. If you’re in the field, don’t go back to get your cloak. And he says, it’s going to be a difficult flight. Meaning, when you leave and where you’re headed, it’s in a difficult time, and it’s going to be dangerous even getting there. And this was true.

And he says that you need to also pray in verses 19 and 20. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants, he’s saying it’s difficult, and for some it’s going to be extraordinarily difficult. Imagine fleeing throughout a mountainous region while being pregnant when your life is only. The fear that would come there. The fear of a parent, the fear of those who would be in this situation, or if you’re a nursing infant, the supplies and things that you might need to care for a newborn baby. This is so difficult. Think of that kind of distress and that kind of hardship.

And verse 20 also says, “Pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on a Sabbath.” And he is telling them ultimately that you need to pray for God’s protection in difficulty. You need to pray for God’s mercy to be granted in difficult times. And you need to pray for the conditions in which you are going into in that time.

And you need to know that the Lord Jesus did for the believers that he talked about. He answered this prayer. He provided for them in that sense. They did—we can see historically—looked for this and understood what was going on. They prayed, and he answered that. And what an encouragement it is to us to think if you had to, if you had to come under a deep distress, you would want the conditions surrounding you to be better. In other words, if you’re forced to flee and to go into a remote place away where you could be protected and you had to do that on foot, you would like that to not be in the winter, would you? You would like that to not be on a Sabbath when it’s a day in which it is a time of difficulty of doing normal everyday things. He is saying those conditions can come. Pray for the conditions that you find yourself in.

And then he also tells them to trust in verse 22. “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.” You can trust him, and you ought to trust him. He is telling his people that what is coming is going to be painful, and it’s going to be awful. And it was. You need to understand and remember that again this is understanding history. But he is telling them when he says that the days would be so great that if it had not been cut short by the Lord, no one would endure—not no one—but for the sake of the elect, they are cut short.

He is saying that the tensions that were building socially and politically were of such a degree the Romans came to spare no one. In other words, they didn’t really care if they had said they wouldn’t have cared if they had said, “We’re Christians, we’re not Jews,” didn’t matter. And he is saying that but for the sake of the elect, those days were cut short, and it would have been so bad that no one would have survived.

And while that’s true, Jesus is telling us that he will keep his people. He will endure his people through difficulty. And that is meant for you to look in the event that happened. And you should grow in your confidence as you might enter into difficulty, as the church might enter into difficulty. Whatever is set before us, that when there might be an enemy, whether it be something we consider invisible or more open, whatever it might be, we must trust that we will endure because God’s hand of protection is upon his people.

The Lord did prevent this. It was his sovereign hand that cut short those days for the sake of the elect, so you can trust him. You can look to him to know that his eye is upon his people. He tells us this in Ephesians 1 that of all the things he’s working on, he is doing and working all things for the sake of his people, for the glory of his name. He prevents things. He orchestrates things so you can trust him. When you see deep difficulty, you can trust him.

Now then he gives some direction though about something else in verses 23 through 26. So yes, they were to flee and they were to pray for their conditions, for themselves, for the people. They were to trust the Lord that he would provide, and they would know that his hand was upon them and his hand was over everything as he is the Lord Almighty. And then he says something in verses 23-26.

Let me read that collectively. “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I’ve told you beforehand. So if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.” He is telling us yet again to beware of false prophets.

Now, it’s interesting that he says, “This event’s going to happen. Here’s how you respond to it, and here’s how you should pray, and here’s how you need to be preparing and thinking. And by the way, people are going to try to deceive you.” What does he mean? It seems that he’s thinking, and he’s referring to the times before, during, and even after.

Believe it or not, there are scoundrels in this world who will try to take advantage of a calamity and try to take advantage of Christians during a real difficult season. I know that’s shocking. It’s not like the New Testament talks about it constantly. It’s true. But he is saying beware of false prophets that rise during calamity. That’s what we can think about.

But what will they do? Well, in one sense, they will do acts to make others think that they have divine power, divine inspiration, the ability to do miraculous things, and that they would show you this is difficulties all around you. Come and trust us. Believe in us. Trust in us. See, we have powers. We can do those things. See, you think you can turn a rod into a snake? So can we.

And it’s fake power, but it looks very slick. And it’s approving, and it’s appealing, I should say. And it will promise to do things. It will promise to alleviate the suffering, promise to return you to what you hoped you lost and to grant you even more. And Jesus is saying, when you see this, it’s going to happen. Remember that I warned you. Remember that I’ve warned you of this.

But do not take it lightly because it is a powerful deception. How powerful? Powerful enough that if God’s hand was not upon and if God’s Spirit did not indwell the elect, it would even deceive a Christian. It would deceive someone. It is so powerful that no one could withstand it but for God’s mercy and power upon them.

Now, that is humbling. You know, we Presbyterians like to think we’re above being deceived. No doctrine could ever fool us. And yet, our history, sadly, is replete with people being fooled by false doctrines and being fooled by false teaching. Being fooled by things that would make people believe that this would restore and give what we hope for. No, we cannot think we’re above that. We, in our own strength and our own power, could not abide. We could not make it.

But we must depend on the goodness and the power of God for us. We must remember this warning but know that God will be with us. And God will not let his people that he has called to himself, that he has sent his Son to die for to pay for their sins, who he has raised from the dead, and has sent by his Holiness, sent his Holy Spirit to indwell us, God will not allow us to be destroyed. He will not allow us to be deceived. He will not allow us to fall away. He will keep us.

And it’s going to be hard and difficult, yes, at times. But God will endure. But how else does he tell us to respond to this? Remember and know they will come. False prophets will come, and they will seek to deceive you. What are you to do? Well, he tells them to be aware of this, but also to not be led astray by them.

And here’s the advice. If they say to you, “Look, he is in the wilderness,” do not go out. This is a very fascinating phrase that Jesus says. See, the other phrase is if they say he is in the inner rooms, do not believe it. That’s what we’ve said. Don’t believe.

So, let’s back up for a second. He is being clear. You don’t have to believe anyone that tells you something contrary to my word. You don’t have to believe them. I hope that frees you, dear Christian. I hope that frees you if you’re an unbeliever and are curious about Christianity. That the Bible’s given words, the words of the scripture, the words that Christ gives us, what he calls us to, he is saying that if someone tells you something opposite of my word, you don’t have to believe them.

But what’s even better is that he says if they say to you, he’s in the wilderness, do not go out, which is saying you don’t even have to bother to investigate it. Someone tells you that the Lord Jesus Christ has returned, you say, “Well, let’s give him the time.” Jesus says, “Don’t even bother with it. You don’t have to bother to investigate with that because he has promised to us what we are to know and has told us what he will do at his return.”

He says, “My return will be like lightning that comes from the east and the west. It will be open. It will be public. It will be known to every person that is living. It will not be a secret. He’s in this other room. We have knowledge from him.” Jesus says, “Don’t believe them and don’t waste your time. You don’t have to investigate it because they’re telling you to not believe me.”

And that’s why we can trust him. And that’s why we look to him because he says, “I’ll tell you what it’s like. What is it going to be like? It’s going to be from the east, the west. It will be loud.”

He is told that we are told in 1 Thessalonians at his return at this last day that it will be a trumpet will sound. The sky will rip open. Angels will descend. They will bring with them the dead in Christ. They will rise from the dead, and those that are living will be brought to meet the Lord in the air. This is not a secret. And there are many who have tried then and some would even try now to tell us that that’s not what is being spoken of at the return of Christ. They tried to downplay the literal bodily return of Jesus. We cannot give that. We can. He is saying you do not have to believe that.

I’ve told you how I will return. More so, he says in verse 28, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” This is an odd verse, I admit. But what it is saying is essentially like lightning shines from east to west. He’s talking about the universality and knowing, and everyone will know. But he’s also saying when you see a vulture circling in the air high above and everyone can see it, you know what’s about to happen down below.

And when he says when you see the Son of Man coming, you know what’s fixing to happen. And what is that? It is judgment for wickedness, judgment for the unrepentant. It is bringing about what is right and good, and he is going to raise the dead. He is going to make all things new. You know what’s going to happen? And it’s told to us in the scriptures, and that’s why we can look to it, and that’s why we can trust it.

So, let me go to the application. There are a couple of things. There are a few things I’d like to back up and say as I build up a little more. It is clear, is it not, that all things are in the hands of Jesus Christ. All things are in the hands of Almighty God. The triune God oversees and directs all things. All people are in his hands. All events are in his hands. All nations are in his hands. It is a history unfolding as he has determined. And what he is doing as he brings that about, he is making that clear that you start there.

You must know that your life is in his hands, that your history is in his hands, that he is God. He is almighty over everything. It is clear. This event that he talked about, it happened as he said it would. The directions, it was down to the place in which they were to flee. He provided that. Everything is in his hands.

And that’s why we can trust him. That’s why we can look to him. But what he’s telling us is something else. He said, “Not only are all things in his hands, he is ordering all things to unfold for his own glory and for the good of his church.” His authority and his unfolding of this is seen in the fact that he not only determined what would happen to Jerusalem and let unfold in his sovereign will in 70 AD, always remembering that God’s ordaining of what will unfold is not God making and approving of sin, but it is his using and working in all things.

But he determined that event, but what else did he do? He determined the extent of it. He determined the extent of it. It will only go so far. If you think, how could this be, I encourage you to go and read the book of Job where God clearly shows the determination of things and their extent is in his hands. He is determined and determined the extent of that event for the sake of the church, showing his power and his wisdom and his might and his mercy. This is so much to praise God for.

But also, it’s not that; it’s not only that, I should say. What you see of God, you can praise here, and you could give worship to him over is his revealing power. Have you ever considered that? That this was an event that happened in history? Not to say that the other ones didn’t, but this one is an event that happened in history, and it’s something that is known historically throughout the world to have occurred, and Jesus told us how to understand it.

Isn’t that amazing that Jesus is telling us what is happening, and he even gives us direction on how to understand certain things? He does not hide his word away, hidden from others. It is clear and is known. If you say, “What would the Christian, what would Jesus have said about that event?” It’s right here. He tells us, he gives his church direction. He controls the events. He directs the events. He puts borders and boundaries on the events, and he reveals to us what how we are to understand them. He told us the meaning of 70 AD.

But if you consider that’s not the only thing. I could tell you other events in history, but I’ll tell you just a few things. The most important is the most important event that maybe ever happened, and that was his crucifixion on the cross. That happened. Jesus was crucified. But he told us, and by his Spirit in his word, is preserved for us and told us that this is why that happened.

And here’s how you need to understand it. He tells us that he tells us that of the cross, that the cross occurred as God was pouring out his wrath upon his Son in the place of his people for their sins. That no man can be made right with God but by repentance and faith alone in Jesus and what he did in his life and in his death and in his resurrection. That’s why that happened. The Apostle Paul tells us more, which is God’s word, of course, in Romans 9, Hebrews, and Ephesians, and Galatians. This is why it happened. God’s power and his acts are revealed to us and even revealing to us what he is doing.

But that’s not it. He tells us about the last day. Basically, every culture has ever lived has been curious about how the world will end. And the Lord Jesus, our triune God in the scripture, has not told us every detail because the secret things belong to God. But he has revealed some things, and he has told us that there will be a day, there will be a last day, and that day is coming. And he gives us details, which we’ve said. He’s told us of that. He helps us to understand it.

But there’s even other things. It’s not just historical things. He actually tells us things down to our own life, doesn’t he? Jesus in the scriptures, they tell us how we are to understand suffering. You ever thought about that? That they don’t tell us that he says there will be suffering, but he actually gives us direction on how to understand our suffering, telling us how we might consider it.

What are God’s end goals for all things? He gives us insight. He reveals to us how we can think about suffering and hardship. He actually even gives us insight into things like marriage. What is marriage? Why did God make marriage? What were the purposes? How is marriage to be ordered and organized? He tells us that. What are the purposes of children? The scriptures tell us. He’s revealed to us these things.

He tells us even why he made the world, and he also tells us how we are to respond. He tells us how we are to think. He gives us direction there. And so why am I saying all this? I’m saying all of this to you to encourage you that you would believe the word of God. That you would read it and you would believe it and that you would cling to it. That you would know that there is nothing by which you cannot turn to it for understanding and guidance.

From the biggest things, from the most important things you can consider, down to the smallest, they tell us. You say, “How small?” Whatever you eat or drink, you do it all to the glory of God. That small, that detailed. We’re given direction. You might say, “How is that important?” Because you’re going to eat and you’re going to drink and you’re going to walk, and you’re going to sleep, and you’re going to do regular, normal things, aren’t you? And you might wonder, what’s the purpose of any of this? Why would we do anything?

And then there’s little things along the way the scripture tell us, which is to say there’s nothing in which you do that you should not do for the glory of God. Now, you see these little things are revealed to us. It’s telling us how to think and how to believe. And I tell you that so you would believe the word and that you would trust him.

This is not an event that we look back on, and we simply think, man, if I had lived then, that’s what I was supposed to do. It’s true in some sense. Yeah, that’s what we should have done. But it is to give us direction for now, isn’t it? To say if you come into calamity, if you come as a people, you should take direction here, that you trust and you pray for endurance. You pray for this and that circumstance, and you ask God to help you—to send the Spirit to protect the church, to watch over the church.

You should see and you should know that false prophets and false teachers will come, and you should not give it a hearing as if it were on par with the word of God. No, you let the word of God govern you. He is calling us to believe him and to submit to him. And most of all, we do that throughout our lives, yes, but we always go back to the submission of the gospel call, which is that we come to him and we believe his gospel call, which says, “Whosoever believes in the Lord will be saved,” that if you call upon him, he will forgive you. He will hear, and he will forgive you. He will cleanse you of your sins, forgive you of all of your unrighteousness.

He is telling you something of himself and of the world and of his word. Believe it. And when you are weak in that, return to texts like this and let them hearten you of God’s power and sovereignty and mercy and kind hand to his people in any and every situation, from the greatest to the least.

Let me pray to that end.

Father, thank you for teaching us about events and even about a particular event and how it has something to say to us. We thank you for your sovereign and mighty hand and your merciful hand, that in your workings you were doing all things for the good of us and your glory, but how also you were preserving and keeping your people and how the greatest of events that ever happened in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, it is told to us of what it means. It is told to us of what we are to believe and understand about it.

So I pray for each and every heart that we will trust Jesus, that your Holy Spirit would help us to do so. That we would come to you, Father, through your Son, with the help of your Spirit, and may we endure. May we not believe lies. May we not set your scripture aside, but may it encourage us. And when we read it, know that you are working in everything for the sake of your people, for the glory of your name.

So let that encourage us and give us courage going forward. We pray this in Jesus’ name.