BE ON YOUR GUARD!

‘When you see the abomination that causes desolation standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get a cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant woman and nursing mothers!

Pray that it will not take place in the winter, because those will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning when God created the world until now – and never to be equalled again. ‘If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive.’ But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect. So be on your guard. I have told you everything ahead of time’ (Mark 13: 14-23).

Did Jesus answer the disciples’ question? Yes and no. He gave them signs, not a timetable, of the things that would happen to alert them to impending disaster.

What He spoke about here had to do with the coming Roman invasion, which was a response to their question, ‘When will these things happen?’ Did He tell them when? No! But He told them what and that it would happen. What would be the signal for them to flee Jerusalem and not look back? The “abomination that causes desolation”. To what was He referring?

Centuries before, Jerusalem was invaded by Antiochus Epiphanes, one of Alexander the Great’s generals who inherited part of the Greek Empire when Alexander died. He was determined to Hellenise his part of the empire. The tiny land of Israel was a buffer between north and south and inevitably suffered as the general who governed Egypt collided with Antiochus whose territory included Israel. Many of the Jews adopted the culture of the Greeks, preparing the way for Antiochus to march into Jerusalem, invade the temple and offer a pig on the sacred altar. Daniel prophesied of this event, calling it “the abomination that causes desolation”.

It was to this event that Jesus referred, and prophesied that it would happen again when the Roman army reacted to the Jewish uprising. Jerusalem would be sacked, the temple torn town and burned and the people slaughtered by the thousands until the streets of the city would run with Jewish blood. Jesus saw it coming and wept over the desolation of His people, but He could do nothing to stop it because it was their choice to reject Him.

The desecration of the temple would be the sign for them to flee. So sudden and so devastating would this invasion be that there would be no time to go back for their possessions. When it happened they were to get out of the city as fast as possible. Pregnant women and nursing mothers would have it especially hard because they would be encumbered by their precious cargo.

What did Jesus mean by “If the Lord had not cut short those days”? Were the days when this was to happen to be less than twenty four hours long? I don’t think so. There was only one occasion in history when a day was literally lengthened, and that was in Joshua’s day (Josh. 10: 12-14). It was not the length of the days that was shortened but the number of the days.

Once again Jesus issued a warning that His disciples not be caught up in deception. Messiah was there before them – God’s true Messiah. Had He not proved to them that He was the one had sent to His people? He came, and the people rejected Him. They knew the Scriptures but they chose to follow their religious leaders whose their lives did not match their profession, and they paid the price.

False messiahs would come by the dozens, claiming authenticity by the signs and wonders they performed. Was this their badge of office? Jesus made it abundantly clear that there was only one true Messiah – the one authenticated by the Scriptures and by the witness of the Father, and His works. His works were done in the true spirit of Torah, the mercy and compassion of the Father, not to draw attention to Himself but to usher in the kingdom of God and to bear witness to the nature of the kingdom.

This is a warning to the people of God today. There are many false prophets who claim to be servants of God because they can do signs and wonders. The criterion for being true servants of the Lord is not miracles but character. Are they followers of Jesus? Do they point people to the Messiah or are they out to get fame and accolades for themselves? Jesus said, “Watch out for these people. They look like sheep but they are wolves in disguise.” They will destroy as surely as wolves prey on sheep.

There is only one test. Do they represent Jesus by their lives and their words?

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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