God reveals to Daniel many interesting, wonderful, and terrifying elements of the end times. In particular, there are references to the "abomination that causes desolation". It is hard to know what that is or what it means.
See Daniel 7, 8, 11, 12.
Near the end of His ministry, Jesus instructs His disciples about what the end times will be like. In doing so, he gives us several important warnings. First, beware of false messiahs. The true comming of the Messiah will be obvious and visible: "as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west". Second, Jesus warns us that since only God the Father knows when the end times are to begin, we must be careful to always live such that we are ready for Christ's return.
See Matthew 24:4-51.
See Mark 13.
See Luke 21:5-38.
Jesus warns us that in the same way that the flood came suddenly in the time of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah came suddenly in the time of Lot, the end times will come suddenly. Paul reiterates this point to the Thessalonians.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” - Luke 17:26-35
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2
Paul warns that in the end times, there will be a man of lawlessness who will set himself above all other things that are worshipped and claim to be God.
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Jesus wept over the fate of Jerusalem. This is probably a reference to the Roman siege that took place in 70 AD, but it could be a reference to a later, perhaps future siege.
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” - Luke 19:41-44Back to List of Bible Bins Back to Blog Home