‍Matthew 24 - Part 23

Our study in Matthew 24 has brought to verse 15 which states:  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:)  . This verse along with verses 16-22 mark the beginning of a discourse that has to do with God’s judgment which began at the house of God first, which are none other than the end-time institutional churches and denominations, according to 1 Peter 4:17, For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God? This doctrine is found throughout the entire Bible, in many, many historical parables such the chapters surrounding Eli and his two wicked sons in 1 Samuel, the death of Ezekiel’s wife in Ezekiel 24, and the gruesome account of the death of the concubine in Judges 19 to name just a few. But we must limit our study to these very specific verses in Matthew 24. So let’s begin with the Greek term, shall see in verse 15:

Shall See [eido:G1492]

Let me caution you that this word, shall see, can refer to physical sight, but first and foremost we must understand that in the Bible God in the first instance speaks spiritually because the Bible is a spiritual book, and the devoted student of the Scriptures must pray for and diligently seek the parabolic message that God has hidden within His Word, taking into account that God’s revelation of truth is according to His will and timing. By His mercy, God has sought fit to open up His Word as never before in human history to unveil truth that had been hidden since the foundation of the world, as we read in Matthew 13:34-35, which is a chapter that deals with the parable of the sower: All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: {35} That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Coming back to the term shall see I want to also point out that physical sight does enter in when we see what has happened in the churches and denominations that the Holy Spirit has forsaken in terms of their doctrines and practices which sadly have deviated enormously from the path of Truth, and which has caused God’s wrath to fall upon them. This word is expressed roughly half of the time as to know, and the other half to see. Here are some examples of both: 

Matthew 12:25 explains what is taking place in our world today as Satan’s kingdom is being systematically divided: And Jesus knew [eido:G1492] their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

This term know will crop up again in Matthew 24 in verses 33, 36, 42, ands 43: So likewise ye, when ye shall see [eido:G1492] all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. ... {36} But of that day and hour knoweth [eido:G1492] no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. ... {42} Watch therefore: for ye know [eido:G1492] not what hour your Lord doth come. {43} But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known [eido:G1492] in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 

Abomination [bdelugma:G946] Of Desolation [eremosis:G2050]

The expression abomination of desolation is taken from the following three verses in the book of Daniel: Daniel 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...{11:31} And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily [sacrifice], and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate... {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. 

Lord willing, in our next study we will take a closer look at these verses, and see how they correspond to their Greek counterparts by doing a "word bridge" between the Greek and Hebrew.

Prayer And Praise

• Your continued prayers for our daughter Maria are deeply appreciated. She has been accepted by an organization that is affiliated with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and she has agreed to allow them to help her to get permanent housing, medical care and other therapies, so we are extremely grateful to the LORD for this new development. 
• We will be having our annual “call-a-thon,” starting the first November, in which we take the time to call as many of you as possible to learn of your needs, and to share ours. This is an important time of year for BMI along with tax time, when we are able to get ahead financially, and we covet your prayerful participation, and thank you in advance. 

Additionally we have been working on a template for a new program which involves the importance of the spiritual meaning of the Hebrew and Greek letters, which are “letter words” along with their shapes. So we want to share our vision for this and ask for your prayer for this new avenue for “feeding sheep.”