Stick with me through this writing, please. It is a somewhat long, weighty and perhaps complicated, but it is exciting and it is current. And it is critical not only to our understanding of events (including even WHEN our God promises to open things up to us), but also critical to our understanding of all scripture, as we are being shown HOW God speaks prophetically to His people. Some of this has been covered before in this blog. Some has not. Another benefit to walking through this is that I believe it can insulate you from speculations that are based only upon what we know NOW. I believe certain things are reserved for their specific time of revelation and disclosure (1 Peter 1:12, for example). Understanding that basic truth will give you peace and position you for full understanding when it is time to understand.
Mark 13 parallels Matthew 24 – Jesus is talking to His disciples about trouble ahead.
Some saints attempt to write off all the tough stuff as having been done once, and therefore done – proclaiming that since Titus destroyed the temple and most all of Jerusalem in the first century, then except for a few trouble-bumps along the NT road, we’re simply here to be evangelizing and smiling until it’s time for the wedding. That would be nice and convenient and comfortable, but it’s inaccurate, ignores the words of Zephaniah and Daniel 12 and parts of Zechariah, and in fact sets the saints up to be offended when things don’t happen as they’ve been erroneously taught. It also sets teachers up for some serious accountability and diminishing of their reward.
Mark 13:14-26
14 “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
15 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.
16 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
18 And pray that your flight may not be in winter.
19 For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.
20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.
22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
Jesus goes on to say IN THOSE DAYS – meaning in the days just following the events just described
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Jesus not having come in the clouds with power and great glory after the destruction of the temple in 70AD, the toughest-times-are behind-us theory falls short of historical reality.
THE PARALLEL ACCOUNT
Matthew 24:15-30
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
(EZ NOTE: Matthew uses the word “eutheos” to quote Jesus. It ONLY means “immediately”, not “in 2,000 years” after the temple came down by the Roman army)
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Here’s something interesting – hence the title of this writing. “The Time of the Parenthetical”.
Mark 13:14:
14 “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Matthew 24:15-16:
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
The NKJV and the NIV translations present the words of Jesus in red, BUT the parentheticals in both Mark 13:14 and Matthew 24:15 are presented in black – implying the disciple/writers, Mark and Matthew, both chose to insert their own parenthetical in the exact same place of Jesus’discourse. Really? That doesn’t even follow logic. Two separate writers contract the same editorial-itch to pen the identical personal, punctuated insertion in the exact same dialogue of Jesus?
Meanwhile the NASB accurately has the parenthetical in red.
Mark 13:14
14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Matthew 24:15-16
15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
That, brethren, is correct.
Those parentheticals are from the mouth of our Lord. Jesus spoke those profound and in fact critical parentheticals. Our Lord is in fact telling us that WHEN something happens on earth – WHEN the final abomination of desolation appears in the yet-to-be built-again temple in Jerusalem, at that time the readers are invited and instructed to go back and read the book of Daniel – because something is in that book that is even currently sealed up at very least in measure – AT THAT TIME and according to the plan of God, will be fully unsealed. Is that possible? Are we even told that by God via the prophet Daniel?
Daniel 8:24-26
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.”
Daniel 12:1-9
1 “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank.
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”
7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Jesus (Mark 13 and Matt 24, above) is not only confirming the words of the prophet Daniel, but telling us that there is a sovereignly-intended and appointed time when those prophecies in Daniel will be unsealed, for the reader to understand, and to teach others.
Wow God!
The saints, as promised, will be equipped for those toughest of days, to accomplish the necessary great exploits.
These passages also tell us that, unlike many hopeful but inaccurate popular teachings, Jesus will not be returning “any day now”.
There is no rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.
There is no abomination of desolation sitting in the temple that isn’t there yet.
Stay tuned though. The hopeful Jewish people, still with the veil of understanding over their eyes, but still His covenant people, have already constructed all the components and materials to be used in that rebuilt temple. They just don’t quite yet know it will their Jesus appearing as their Messiah. But they will. It will be glorious and it will be good.
Some would like to say there were “abominations of desolation” in the temple several times throughout history. This is true. Antiochus Epiphanes modeled that evil mantle and demonic activity, but he was dead and gone even before Jesus gave the Mark and Matthew prophecies. So that prophetic-math-logic doesn’t work for him. The Romans were horribly sacrilegious in their desecration of the temple, after Jesus ascended. But Jesus did not appear in the sky “eutheos” (immediately) after those days of tribulation. It therefore awaits fulfillment.
Let’s read John Walvoord’s commentary re these portions of Daniel. His historical account is accurate, and also his understanding of these words still awaiting complete fulfillment is accurate:
Walvoord re Daniel 8:23-25.
“Years later from among one of the four horns (kings) there would arise, Gabriel said, a severe (stern-faced) and cunning king (a master of intrigue; cf. deceit, v. 25). A powerful ruler, he would devastate property and destroy people in order to expand his kingdom. The holy people, the nation Israel (cf. “saints,” 7:18, 22, 27), would be a special target of his oppression. In subjugating Israel, many would lose their lives just when they thought they were safe. His antagonism against Israel would also be against her God, the Prince of princes. Yet this mighty conqueror himself would be destroyed by supernatural power. His rise was not his own doing (8:24) and his downfall was not by human means (he died insane in Persia in 163 b.c.).
(EZ 3728: Walvoord goes on to offer us an accurate historical account of events that function as an antitype to the final “FULL-FILLMENT” that has yet to occur. The underline of Walvoord’s last sentence is mine)
“The king referred to here is known as Antiochus IV Epiphanes. After murdering his brother, who had inherited the throne in the Seleucid dynasty, he came to power in 175 b.c. In 170 b.c. Ptolemy VI of Egypt sought to recover territory then ruled over by Antiochus. So Antiochus invaded Egypt and defeated Ptolemy VI and proclaimed himself king in Egypt. This was his growth “in power to the south” (v. 9). On his return from this conquest, trouble broke out in Jerusalem so he decided to subdue Jerusalem (“the Beautiful Land,” v. 9; cf. 11:16, 41). The people were subjugated, the temple desecrated, and the temple treasury plundered.
“From this conquest Antiochus returned to Egypt in 168 but was forced by Rome to evacuate Egypt. On his return he determined to make the land of Israel a buffer state between himself and Egypt. He attacked and burned Jerusalem, killing multitudes (cf. 8:10). The Jews were forbidden to follow the Mosaic Law in observing the Sabbath, their annual feasts, and traditional sacrifices, and circumcision of children (cf. v. 11).
“Altars to idols were set up in Jerusalem and on December 16, 167 b.c. the Jews were ordered to offer unclean sacrifices and to eat swine’s flesh or be penalized by death.…….
(HERE’S THE HALF-FILLMENT AND FULL-FILLMENT EXPLAINED)
“…..There is no question among expositors that Antiochus is in view in this prophecy. What was prophesied was fulfilled literally through him. However, the prophecy looks beyond Antiochus to a future person (the Antichrist) of whom Antiochus is only a foreshadowing. This coming one is said to “stand against the Prince of princes” (v. 25). This can be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the prophecy must go beyond Antiochus and look forward to the coming of one whose ministry will parallel that of Antiochus.
Bingo.
BTW and FYI: No place in scripture are we told that God in His wisdom cannot nor will not ever fulfill an already fully-filled prophecy.
At the same time, Jesus assured us that every single last detail “jot and tittle” would be fulfilled at least once, to its fullness – not one detail overlooked or omitted. So historical events that did/do/don’t check all the prophetic boxes are still pending, and – perhaps to our wonderment – some that may have been fulfilled once, just might occur again. Isaiah 28:21 describes the end-time work as “unusual”. Stay tuned.
It will be accurate and stunning, and it will both draw as well as drive us all to prayer and worship and study. In fact, I would go so far as to say press into those three disciplines now. Familiarize yourself even with the mysteries. As we sense and see the pot beginning to boil, determine to press in now. The times of the conclusion of the age are upon us.
“Having done all to stand”, says Paul.
Wonderfully, we have the parenthetical promise that as we press in, and as the time ripens, these currently cloaked mysteries will be opened to us, so that we can succeed, and also explain and teach others. Seasoned saints being here during the most troubling days contradicts the hopeful doctrine that the church gets swept up and away several years before the Messiah comes streaking through the sky to judge the wicked. John Walvoord and many other astute students of scripture have written opinion pieces supporting their view of a pre-Trib rapture. We shall see.
The pre-Trib rapture doctrine in essence describes a divine escape plan for the mature and learned saints, who would be taken away, leaving only new convert (Jews, mostly) left on earth to figure it out for themselves and also try to evangelize a world that has grown darker than it will have ever been prior to that time. That in fact contradicts the teaching procedure of God outlined in early verses Ps 78 – the result in that psalm being dismal failure for the uninstructed warriors.
I personally believe the saints are here for the Trouble, but raptured prior to the outpouring of God’s Wrath. The Tribulation-Wrath differentiation is critical, and deserves recognition. That differentiation also sets the timing of events in order. Additionally it coordinates with the biblical account of holy men like Daniel and Ezekiel being right in the midst of the troubles, not raptured out of trouble. Ministers minister in the midst of trouble.
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(NKJV Strong’s)
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