14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: 15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: 16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. 17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. 21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: 22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. 23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. (Mark 13:14-23 KJV)
The Abomination of Desolation
The Jews, in rebelling against the Romans and persecuting the Christians, were quickly bringing about their own ruin, both by their actions and by deserving it, setting both God and man against them (1 Thessalonians 2:15). Here we have a prediction of that ruin, which came upon them less than forty years after this; we had it earlier (Matthew 24:15, etc.).
What is foretold:
1. The Roman armies would descend upon Judea and surround Jerusalem, the holy city. These were the abomination of desolation, hated by the Jews and the cause of their desolation. They had rejected Christ, who would have been their salvation, and now God brought on them a destructive force that would ruin them, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Mark 9:27), which would cause sacrifice and offering to cease. This army stood where it should not—around and within the holy city, which the Gentiles were not supposed to approach. Yet Jerusalem had profaned her holiness and made way for it.
The church laments this in Lamentations 1:10: “The heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom You commanded not to enter into Your congregation.” Sin made the breach through which the glory departed, and the abomination of desolation entered and stood where it should not. Let the reader understand this. Prophecies should be somewhat veiled, but clear enough for those who search them, and are best understood by comparing them with one another and with the events they describe.
2. When the Roman army entered the country, there would be no safety except by fleeing, and doing so immediately. Fighting would be futile, hiding would be useless, and surrender would be rejected. Survival could only be achieved by fleeing to the mountains. If a man was on the rooftop watching the enemy’s movement, he must not go down to gather anything from his house—it would only delay him. If he was in the field and saw the enemy, he must flee as he was and not return to pick up his cloak (Mark 13:16). If he could save his life, he must consider it a good deal, even if he lost everything else.
3. It would be especially hard for pregnant women and nursing mothers (Mark 13:17):
“Woe to those who are pregnant, who cannot travel easily or quickly, and to those who are nursing infants, who cannot leave them behind or easily carry them.”
The comforts of life may become burdens in times of crisis. It would also be difficult if they had to flee in the winter (Mark 13:18), when the weather and roads would make travel extremely hard, especially through the mountains. If trouble must come, we may still pray that the circumstances will be more bearable; even in hardship, we can remember it could be worse. Being forced to flee is bad, but having to flee in winter would be worse.
4. Throughout the land of the Jews, there would be such destruction as had never been seen before (Mark 13:19)—a time of suffering worse than from the beginning of creation until now, and never to be equaled again. The destruction by the Babylonians was terrible, but this would be even worse. The violence among the Jews and from the Romans was so extreme that, if the war had gone on any longer, no one would have survived. But God, in mercy, shortened the days.
He shortened the days by ending the conflict before all were destroyed. The nation was ruined, but some individuals survived because the storm ended when it did. Also, it was for the sake of the elect that those days were shortened. Many were spared because of the few who believed in Christ. God promised a remnant would be saved (Isaiah 10:22), and that He would not destroy them all for His servants’ sake (Isaiah 65:8). These promises had to be fulfilled. God’s elect cry to Him day and night, and their prayers are answered (Luke 18:7).
Directions given to the disciples:
- They must act to protect their lives:
“When you see the country invaded and Jerusalem surrounded, don’t fool yourselves into thinking the enemy will retreat or that you can defeat them. Don’t delay. Flee to the mountains without hesitation (Mark 13:14). Don’t get involved in a fight that isn’t yours; let worldly powers fight each other, but you must get out before it’s too late.” - They must protect their souls:
Deceivers would be very active at that time, trying to take advantage of the chaos. Therefore, the disciples must be extra cautious. If anyone says, “Here is Christ,” or, “There He is,” they must not believe it. They knew Christ was in heaven and would return only at the end to judge the world. Having received Christ, they must not fall into the traps of antichrists. For false Christs and false prophets would arise (Mark 13:22).
When the gospel was being established, Satan brought out all his schemes, and God allowed it to test the sincerity of some, expose the hypocrisy of others, and bring confusion to those who rejected Christ. These deceivers would perform signs and wonders to mislead people. The mystery of iniquity had already begun to work (2 Thessalonians 2:7). They would try to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.
Their arguments would be persuasive and appealing, pulling away even those who seemed strong in the faith. But the elect cannot be deceived. God’s firm foundation stands: “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:18-19). They will be kept even when others fall. Though the deceivers would try to mislead even the elect, it will not succeed (Romans 11:7).
Therefore, the disciples must be cautious (Mark 13:23): “Take heed.” Even though Christ knew they were the elect who could not be deceived, He still warned them. Assurance of perseverance and caution against falling away go hand in hand. They were kept by God’s power, but also needed to stay alert and use the right means. God would preserve them, but they also had to guard themselves.
“I have told you everything in advance. I’ve warned you about these dangers so that you’ll be prepared. I’ve told you all that you need to know, so don’t listen to anyone who claims to have more revelations than I’ve already given.” The sufficiency of Scripture is a strong reason not to listen to those who claim divine inspiration beyond what Christ has already revealed.