This sermon was preached at St Peter’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Public Schools Club, Adelaide, 9am
Grace, mercy and peace be to
you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Prayer: May the words of my
mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord,
our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Our Sunday today marks the first of three Sundays at the end of the church year, which focus on things to do with the end of the world. Today, our Gospel reading is taken from Matthew 24, and this is a passage that we don’t often consider in preaching and in sermons, at least anymore.
Right at the beginning of this chapter, Jesus and his disciples are walking near the temple in Jerusalem and its buildings. And Jesus says: You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. Jesus prophesies that the temple will be destroyed some time in the future. And this actually happened in the year 70 AD, when the Romans came into Jerusalem, and laid the temple bare. And to this day, over the course of almost 2000 years, the temple has never been rebuilt.
But of course, what Jesus said here is a prophecy of the things that would happen in those times. And the fact that Jesus mentions this provokes a question in the hearts and minds of the disciples. We read: As [Jesus] sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” They ask two questions: they ask about when the temple will be destroyed, as Jesus had just prophesied, and they also ask when Jesus will come and when the end of the age will come. In our reading today, Jesus particular speaks about the abomination of desolation. An abomination is something which is disgusting, and something disgusting that goes very much against God’s law, which defiles, which desecrates. And desolation means that something will be laid waste, laid bare, be made empty. And so this abomination of desolation that Jesus speaks about is something disgusting, something which is evil or filthy, something which defiles and desecrates, that then causes something to be made empty and laid waste.
Jesus talks about something that will come about in the Jewish temple, and will have a particular effect on the Jewish people at that time. But also, he speaks about the future history of the church, and how there will be an abomination of desolation in Christianity too before the end of the world. The first abomination is a physical one that stands in the physical temple built by King Herod, but the second abomination is a spiritual one that stands in the temple of the Christian church and the Christian community.
And so in our sermon today, we are going to consider first of all the physical abomination of desolation in the temple in Jerusalem, which was a sign of the future destruction of Jerusalem and of the whole land of Israel. Then secondly, we are going to consider the spiritual abomination of desolation, or the Antichrist, which the Lord calls false Christs and false prophets, which will be a sign of the end of the world.
Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to open our ears and our hearts and minds to understand his truth and his message to us today. Amen.
At the beginning of our reading today, Jesus says: So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
First of all, we should take note that this is probably the only time when Jesus tells us particularly to take notice of a particular book of the Old Testament. Of course, he mentions Moses and the Prophets and David, but here he mentions the Prophet Daniel, and says to us: Let the reader understand.
So what particularly in the book of Daniel is Jesus talking about? The Book of Daniel has some particularly well-known passages in it, especially the event where the three men were put in the fiery furnace, and when Daniel was put in the lion’s den. But also, there are many things in the book of Daniel, which are prophetic, and not easy to understand, a little bit like the Book of Revelation.
In chapter 9 of Daniel, we read: The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed…. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.
This passage describes the visible signs of the destruction of Jerusalem. Daniel mentions here the city, and the sanctuary. He also mentions wings of abomination. It so turned out in history, that all of these things were significant. At the time of Jesus, we know that the land of Israel was under the power of the Romans. We read about various centurions that met Jesus, we hear about some Jews like Matthew and Zacchaeus who were tax collectors working for the Romans, and also we read about various Roman people like Pontius Pilate, who was the Roman governor. We read also in the book of Acts, that Paul appealed to Caesar and was actually sent to Rome.
Now, many Jews were not happy about the Roman occupation, which continued still for many years after this, and there were various conflicts and tensions. Eventually, it happened that Caesar Tiberius set up his own image in the Jewish temple, which of course was a great offence to the Jews, and an abomination to God, to set up an idol in the temple. Then, afterwards, there was another Caesar, called Gaius Caligula, a particularly evil ruler, who was known for his cruelty and his immoral live. Caligula also set up a statue of himself in the temple in Jerusalem, and called the temple after his own name, “Gaius the Great God”. This, of course, infuriated the Jews, and there was much bloodshed. Then the emperor Nero, set up his statue together with a statue of the Roman god Jupiter in the temple.
So, all these things, all these idols and abominations that were set up in the temple, were to be a sign of the destruction of the temple, according to Daniel. And we read in Daniel that it was to take place like a flood. I remember seeing a place in Queensland where there had been a terrible flood, where there was a bridge in the middle of nowhere, because the river had moved. Eventually, the city of Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed so mightily and so terribly by the Romans, that is was a like a flood, and the city was completely laid waste. Jesus says in our reading: For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. It must have been such an incredible, unspeakable, horrific thing when Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed in those times.
In our reading, Jesus says: When you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Jesus is telling the people that when these things happen, it is time to get out. He gives them a warning, and tells them not to back to their houses to get their things and their possessions. He even laments about women who are pregnant and nursing babies. He also tells them to pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
Now in the bible, we read about all kinds of reasons why particular cities and societies have been destroyed and desolated. For example, first, we might think of idolatry and false teaching. This is why God’s people were taken into captivity into Babylon, before the time of Jesus. Second, when God’s people and the prophets are persecuted. Jesus says in Matthew 23: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets… your house is left to you desolate. Third, when unrighteousness prevails, when poor people are oppressed, and courts and leaders become corrupt. Fourth, cities and societies are often desolated and destroyed because of people’s godless life, particularly, when people fight to destroy the family and indulge in all kinds of sexual sins, such as when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Fifth, is when a society is divided, and there is revolt and revolution. Jesus says: A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. So, for example, we know that Jerusalem was destroyed at this time, but also after the time of the apostles, and such like, there were plenty of other cities throughout Asia, and in other places because of these kinds of things.
Of course, today, we see that the whole world is full of these things. There is idolatry everywhere, false teaching everywhere, persecution of Christians everywhere, unrighteousness everywhere, corruption everywhere, sexual sin everywhere, division, protests, riots everywhere. And when these things happen, desolation cannot be too far away.
Now, in our reading about these things, Jesus gives us many different comforts. He says: Flee to the mountains. Jesus points these things out to people, and then gives them a way of escape. In a similar way, Lot was rescued from Sodom. The Israelites were rescued from Egypt. Jesus, Mary and Joseph were rescued from Bethlehem, when King Herod went to kill all the baby boys there.
So, for example, when there is great trouble in a particular place—like war, or plagues, hunger, war, and all that kind of thing—it is a perfectly legitimate thing for a Christian to flee. If God gives a means of escape, and a means to save and preserve your life, it is a perfectly legitimate for you to take it. However, sometimes, people are called to stay in a difficult place, because of their vocation and calling. For example, you can’t abandon your family and children. Also, sometimes, our confession of faith may require us to have to stay in a particular place where things are difficult. Throughout history, many Christians have had to consider these matters. In these situations, we place our lives and our situation into the hands of God, and we trust that he will rescue us and deliver us in his own way and in his own time. Psalm 50 says: I will deliver you. Psalm 46: God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. Psalm 91 says: I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honour him.
But then also, there is a second comfort, and that is that Jesus particularly shows his concern and his care for those who are vulnerable. He says: Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! He knows that there will be people who will need particular care and looking after. Pregnant mothers, new mothers, old people, weak people, disabled people—Jesus knows how to care for each of us in our particular situation, and he knows how to rescue each person from whatever situation they find themselves in.
The third comfort that Jesus gives to us in these situations is prayer. He says: Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. When we see all kinds of various troubles happening in the world, and we are worried about what might happen, Jesus asks us to commend our worries to him in prayer, and we know that he is a loving Saviour and that he will hear us.
So, when we look at all of the abominations in our world today, and begin to consider the desolation and destruction that may very well come as a result, let’s look to God—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—as our own means for rescue and escape. Let us remember Jesus’ particular concern for us in all of our weakness, and turn to him in prayer, knowing that he is our faithful friend and loving Saviour.
In the second part of our reading, we read about the future history of the church, which Jesus speaks will come after the time when he is speaking. He speaks about a spiritual abomination of desolation, that will come about even within the church, which we call the “spirit of antichrist”.
Now, one of the things we have to understand is that right from the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples, and when they spoke in many languages, and the wind and the fire came down, right from this time, when the Gospel first was preached by the Apostles, this was the last days. The whole life of the church is the “Last Days”. Sometimes people look around at world and they say: I really think we’re living in the end times, or in the last times. Of course, we are. The fact that Jesus has a church on earth means that it is the last days and the end times, and we are really only looking forward to one thing, which is when Christ will return. So on the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached the Gospel to the people who saw the tongues of fire and everything else, he quoted from the Prophet Joel, which says: In the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. When does God pour out his Spirit? In the last days, says Joel, and Peter in his sermon.
Also, in the Apostle John’s first letter, we also read about something else in the last days. He says: Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they are not of us.
So, John here speaks about the spirit of antichrist as coming about in the last days too. He says twice here that it is the last hour. And that these false teachers went out from us—they came up from within the church and from within Christianity, but did not stick with the teaching of the apostles but went their own way. Sometimes, in the history of the church, Christians have had to expel false teachers from their midst, and sometimes Christians have had to run away from and flee false teachers.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus gives us a few marks of this spiritual abomination of desolation. Firstly, he calls them false christs and false prophets. A false prophet is a person who claims to speak for God, but is actually not speaking the word of God at all. Sometimes, people don’t know the difference between a prophet and a fortune teller. We know that there are these mystic types, occultists, or fortune tellers, who claim to give people insights into the future. Of course, then, there are people who call themselves Christians who also claim to do the same thing, but they give a Christian appearance, and they use the names of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But in actual fact, they don’t tell the truth. We are living in a country and a world where there are many false prophets. But then, also, a false “christ” is someone who puts themselves in the place of the true Christ, and instead of pointing themselves to Jesus Christ crucified, as their Saviour, their Lord, their King, their intercessor, their Good Shepherd, as the head of the church, etc. they point to themselves, or other things, to replace Christ in these situations, whether it is a particular pastor, or a bishop, or the Pope, or a charismatic preacher, or whoever.
Second, Jesus speaks about false prophets and false christs who want people to find Christ in all kinds of places where he has not promised to be. Jesus says: Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it… So if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness’, do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. Now, it is true, that Christ wants us to meet him and to find him in his Word and Sacraments. He specifies this in his own Word in the Holy Scripture. But here Jesus is talking about where people are pointed to all kinds of other people, as if they are the Christ, or a kind of Saviour. Or where people are pointed to all kinds of places, in deserts, in inner rooms, as if they can meet Jesus through this experience or that experience.
But then, thirdly, Jesus speaks about these false prophets and false christ performing great signs and wonders. This is a big topic, because there was a time when it was not common for Christians necessarily to expect many miracles in their every day lives. Today, many Christians are always looking for miracles. Sometimes, there are very large gatherings of Christians, where it is claimed that there are miracles on tap. We always need to be mindful of the fact that Jesus has prophesied that there will be signs and wonders performed by false prophets. I’m not just saying that they are fake miracles, such as when people have a person in a wheelchair stand up who is not actually disabled. Sometimes, the miracles are genuine, but the prophet is false. Jesus says in our reading: They will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Even Jesus says that these prophets and false christs are dead, and that even vultures gather around a carcass. He says: Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
So, in our reading today, Jesus teaches us to be wary, to be alert, to be discerning, to be watchful, to be careful, and make sure that we are following him and not some kind of false prophet or false christ. It’s a very important lesson for us to learn in our climate today. However, Jesus also gives us some wonderfully rich comforts too.
First of all, he comforts us with the fact that he has elected us, that he called us, that he has gathered us into his kingdom. When we hear his Word, and believe it, and take our stand in our Baptism, where he washed us with water and the Spirit, we can take comfort in this, knowing that we have been adopted as a child of God and made part of God’s family and his kingdom. Jesus says: For the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. He cares for his own people, and he knows that things can be hard for his own children, and he won’t let them be tempted beyond what they can bear. So we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus cares for you, and takes care of his sheep, even though there are many difficult things happening in the world, and many false teaching and false prophets at work among the church. The Scripture says: Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.
Second, he comforts us with the promise of his own coming. He says: For as the lightening comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. When Jesus returns, or even if we die before he returns, this will be the time when he will wonderfully rescue us from this valley of the shadow of death, and will take us to be with him in heaven. We pray in the Lord’s prayer: Deliver us from evil. And Luther writes very nicely and beautifully in his Small Catechism: We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.
Let’s commend ourselves to our loving Saviour, Jesus Christ, and trust in him to rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Amen.
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