A Wicked Witness

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 STUDY NOTES MATTHEW 24:15 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES A WICKED WITNESS INTRODUCTION In Matthew 24 Jesus is describing events that will take place in the 70th week of Daniel Which is the final 7 years of the prophesied 490 years described in Daniel 9:24-27 At the beginning of the 70th week the future Antichrist is going to make a covenant with Israel In the middle of the week the Antichrist is going to break the covenant (Daniel 9:27) That prophecy is what Jesus is describing in Matthew 24:15 It is an event that we are to watch for, Jesus said we will be able to see it The Antichrist is going to set up an abomination that causes desolation in the Temple The Antichrist will exalt himself above everything that is called God He will put himself in the place of everything that is worshipped He sets himself up as God in God’s temple and demands that the world worship him He proclaims himself to be God, the true identity of the Antichrist will be revealed at that time This event will be the beginning of the Great Tribulation, Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Christians are going to face times of trouble, tribulation, and persecution Living conditions for the Christian are not going to get better on this earth In fact, the greatest time of tribulation and persecution for the Christian is yet to come Jesus is explaining to us that persecution will get much worse prior to the time of His return A time of world-wide tribulation will begin in Jerusalem, with the focus on the nation of Israel It will not only involve Israel but all who are saved and living a faithful life for Christ Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) “When” means “whenever” and points to the actual event An event that will actually-take place, it will literally happen When Jesus said, “therefore,” He connects it with what had been previously said Within the same day of the “Gospel Witness,” presented in the previous verse, Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. At the same time, that the faithful followers of Christ are proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom The day of the most “Wicked Witness” ever from the hand of Satan will occur The “Wicked Witness” will be through Satan’s man, the “Antichrist” “You” in the context of this passage does not refer to the disciples, or to those living in their day “You’ refers to the generation who will be living when this event takes place One generation will see all-of the things described by Jesus in Matthew 24 Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. “You” refers to those who will “See” the event when it happens Jesus describes it as something that can be clearly seen, an event that can be plainly identified It will be a clear-cut, well defined, unmistakable event, called “the abomination of desolation” Jesus warns those who will see it, Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (We will study this verse next week) the abomination of desolation, “The abomination” identifies a literal event that will take place at a specific spot 1 “Abomination” means anything that offends something religious or spiritual Something that is impure or filthy, sacrilegious, a mockery of God, blasphemy toward God That which is detestable to God, an object of disgust, obnoxious, vile, an abhorrence, repulsive It is the most revolting act of idolatry that will ever be witnessed, the utmost of immorality “The abomination which makes desolate,” it is the “abomination” that causes the “desolation” “Desolation” describes the effect produced which is a sacrilegious destruction Describing Satan’s day, the height of heathenism, the abomination that causes desolation “Desolation” means to make something waste, to bring it to ruin, to destroy what is good The total phrase describes an event which defiles that which is holy A horrifying act of irreverence, something so sacrilegious that it causes nausea That which makes you sick to your stomach because of disgust It will be something that will bring defilement to the Jewish Temple (which will be rebuilt) It will cause worshipers of the one true God to desert the temple, to abandon it The prediction of this time-period goes back to the OT, this event was predicted by Daniel spoken of by Daniel the prophet, The word translated “abomination” is found three times in Daniel: Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11 In Daniel 11:31 the reference is to Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 11:21-35) His name was Antiochus 1V, he was surnamed Epiphanes which means “God manifest” His enemies gave him the name Antiochus Epimanes which means “madman” He was one of the cruelest rulers of all time He planned to spread Greek civilization and culture throughout the world He was determined to unite all people in religion, law, and custom That brought him in direct conflict with the Jews He issued regulations that went directly against Jewish law and custom Laws that prohibited keeping the Sabbath, practicing circumcision, and keeping food laws Then he committed the most ungodly act of all against the Jews History says that Antiochus Epiphanes entered the temple of the Jews And there he slaughtered a pig (an unclean animal to the Jews) on the altar He set up an idol statue of a Greek god in the temple His purpose was to render the temple unfit for the Jews This act of Antiochus Epiphanes was a type of the future work of the Antichrist (Matt 24:15) Which is also identified in, Dan 12:11 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. “The daily sacrifice” will be taken away by the future Antichrist The action of the Antichrist is described as “the abomination that maketh desolate” The time that it will be “set up” is revealed in Matt. 24:15, the middle of the 70th week The event that has-to take place in-order to fulfill Daniel’s prophecy, Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. The Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel for 7 years, a 7-year covenant of protection The signing of the seven-year covenant will mark the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel There will be a clear beginning of the 70th week and the time known as “the end” The abomination of desolation will take place in the middle of the 70th week It will be the event that marks the beginning of the last 3 ½ years of the 70th week The abomination of desolation will also be the beginning of the Great Tribulation, Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. The Great Tribulation will be Satan’s attack upon God’s chosen nation, Israel It will be a time of violent persecution inflicted by the Antichrist upon all followers of Christ 2 It will be the Antichrist who will take his stand in the holy place--stand in the holy place, The Antichrist is going to stand in the holy place, the holy place will be the Jewish temple The Jewish temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans Some believe that Matthew 24:15 was fulfilled at that time, but the context does not confirm that All that is described in Matthew 24 was not fulfilled in A.D. 70 Another temple must be built in Jerusalem before the abomination of desolation can take place That means that before the middle of the 70th week the Jews will rebuild the temple It will not be necessary for the entire Temple structure to be rebuilt All that is necessary is a Tabernacle-like structure that can be used as a place for sacrifice Allowing the Jews to once again, offer O.T. sacrifices, upon an altar Which is most likely allowed within the covenant between Antichrist and Israel (whoso readeth, let him understand:) One thing we must understand is, in-order to understand, we must read the Bible We must read scripture, compare scripture with scripture, to understand life today and tomorrow Jesus said the one who has read scripture will have an understanding when this verse is fulfilled The one who must understand is the one who will literally see this event take place The Jew and the Christian who will be the generation living at the time it occurs must understand Jesus said they will be able to see “the abomination of desolation” and identify it By reading the Scriptures they will be able to understand that it is the time of the Antichrist We can read Daniel, Matthew, 2 Thessalonians, and Revelation and understand what is happening Jesus wants us to read it all, study it all, and ponder upon all that is said We must meditate upon the meaning and reflect upon what scripture now reveals to us We must study every scripture and concentrate upon it until we have conceived its truths Our generation may be the one who will enter-into the days of tribulation and persecution The understanding of scripture will be our hope and strength when we will need it the most If we know the scriptures, we will be able to identify the fulfillment of prophecy and take a stand We are encouraged to give serious thought to these words of Jesus We are encouraged to give attention to all prophecy related to the return of Christ A most important passage of scripture for you to read and understand is 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Paul was teaching the “brethren” that their tribulation and persecution was not the wrath of God Christians will not face the time of the wrath of God upon the earth, 1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, The Thessalonians were not living in the time known as the Day of the Lord, neither are we Paul shows us two prophesied events that will occur before God’s wrath falls upon the earth The apostle Paul calls upon us to give attention to what he says, 2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, Once again, he reveals that the church will be raptured before the day of God’s wrath “Our gathering together unto Him” describes the rapture (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Matt. 24:31) The Day of the Lord’s wrath will not occur until after the rapture, 2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. The rapture will occur, then the Day of the Lord, but not before two prophesied events take place The first will be the abomination of desolation that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 24:15 The second we will study in a later message (Matthew 24:29) The abomination of desolation that Jesus describes is also described by Paul, 2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; The Day of the Lord will not come “except” the “falling away” occurs first 3 The “falling away” is a departure or an apostasy, a great rebellion or great revolt This “Great Rebellion” will be against God and God’s people The original Greek language literally reads, “The Apostasy” Which does not identify with a general apostasy occurring over a period of years It is “The Apostasy” that will be obvious to those who know scripture According to scripture, “The Apostasy” will be a well-known event “The apostasy” will be a specific and identifiable event, it will be “the rebellion” The event of which there has never been anything equal to it before It will be the greatest rebellion toward God that has ever occurred Never-before the time of “The Apostasy” has there been such an act of blasphemy Once “The Apostasy” occurs there will never again be such an act of blasphemy “The Apostasy” will be what Jesus called the “Abomination of Desolation” (Matt. 24:15) The “Abomination of Desolation” will be the event that reveals, “that man of sin” “The man of sin” means the “man of lawlessness,” he is the Antichrist” “That man” refers to an actual human being and not a system of evil influence Some believe that scripture speaks only of an evil system and not a literal Antichrist But the Antichrist will be a man who will rule over the evil system “That man” is evil, he is the “man of lawlessness,” and he is a man of flesh and blood The Antichrist will be the “Man of Lawlessness” and he will be a man Never-before has there been one exactly like him He will totally disregard the law of God, and all other laws, he establishes himself as law He lives as if there was no law, acting as if there will be no law for him That man of “lawlessness” is a description of his character and his career When he comes, there will never be another one like him, he is the end of lawlessness All that lawlessness will ever be will be embodied in the Antichrist Lawlessness will have reached its end when Christ puts an end to the Antichrist “The son of perdition” literally means “the son of destruction,” the Antichrist is doomed God wants us to know that he is destined for destruction, his destiny has already been determined Christ will put an end to lawlessness when He defeats the Antichrist, 2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: John is the only one who gives him the title of Antichrist, 1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. “Antichrist” means one who opposes Christ and seeks to replace Christ Exactly what he will attempt to do according to Jesus in Matthew 24:15 Paul said that he will “be revealed” at the time of the “falling away” (2 Thess. 2:3) At that time, he will be clearly recognized, the truth of who he is will be known Paul is telling us that the Day of the Lord will not occur before the Antichrist is revealed Or before what Jesus has described in Matthew 24:15, the abomination of desolation Paul describes it, 2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. There are two different Greek words translated “temple” in the NT One word refers to the entire structure of the Temple The word that Paul uses in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 refers to the “holy place” The most sacred part of the Temple, the inner sanctuary, or the dwelling place of God That portion of the Temple that only the High Priest could enter once a year (Leviticus 16) To fulfill this scripture, the entire structure of the Temple does not have to be rebuilt A small structure representing the “Holy of Holies” is all that will be necessary Which could be built within a brief period-of time Antichrist puts himself on display, designating himself as God, demonstrating himself as God 4 Making a public proclamation, claiming to be God, and deserving to be worshiped This is Satan’s final attempt to accomplish his original goal when he rebelled against God The “Fall of Satan” is found in Isaiah 14:12-17 This passage is a near/far prophecy (a fulfillment in the present time and another at the end times) It speaks first to a man identified as the king of Babylon and then to one known as “Lucifer” There is also reference to the future work of a man that will be known as the Antichrist In Isaiah 14:12-14 we find that it is Satan who energized the king of Babylon The statements, terms, and characteristics of Isaiah 14:12-17, cannot refer to a mere man They refer to Satan, the one who is behind the person of the king of Babylon Here we have an account of the entrance of sin into the universe by the fall of Satan The first sin to be committed in the universe was by none another than Satan, here called Lucifer In this passage, we find: Satan’s will, his purpose and his program (read the five “I wills”) A history of Satan before the creation of Adam and Eve His fall from his created position and God given purpose The present work of Satan Prophecy concerning the future work of Satan in the coming Antichrist Look at the statements that probably refer to the coming Antichrist: He will have “weakened the nations” (vs. 12) He will attempt to raise his throne above God’s (vs. 13) His desire is to be “like the Most-High” (vs. 14) Antichrist will be thrust down to hell (vs. 15) He will be known as, “The man who made the earth tremble” (vs. 16) And the one who “shook kingdoms” (vs. 16) The one who “made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities” (vs. 17) CONCLUSION Jesus and Paul are referring to the same person, the future Antichrist, he is coming Jesus and Paul are referring to the same event, the “Abomination of Desolation” From their teaching we learn that the Jews and Christians will be persecuted at that time Satan through the Antichrist seeks to destroy the testimony of the church and the church itself Don’t forget what Jesus said, “whoso readeth, let him understand,” understand the whole story When the “Abomination of Desolation” begins, the Church will be the Church Throughout the time of Satan’s persecution, the Church will be the Church Satan and the Antichrist will be defeated and the “Church will be Triumphant” Listen to the song 5