What is the Abomination of Desolation?

A. The Abomination of Desolation is a series of evil or abominable events that will occur in the final 3½ years before Jesus returns. They will be an abomination to God and will result in great worldwide desolation (destruction). Thus, it will be an abomination that leads to great desolation.

15 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 Let him who is in the field not go back…21For there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time… (Mt. 24:15-21)

B. The abomination will center around an image (statue) of the Antichrist standing in the holy place in the Jerusalem Temple (to be rebuilt). It will be the primary sign that the Great Tribulation has begun. Jesus prophesied that believers would “see” it and would understand its significance. Those in Judea must flee to the mountains because the next 3½ years will be very difficult.

C. Paul described the abomination of desolation as requiring a rebuilt Temple with a sacrifice system re-established (2 Thes. 2:3-4). The Antichrist will enter the Temple to stop the sacrifices.

3 For that Day (Rapture) will not come unless…the man of sin (Antichrist) is revealed…4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called (associated with) God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thes. 2:3-4)

Cosmic Disturbances Including Earthquakes

There were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. (Rev. 8:5)

A. The seventh seal picks up where the sixth seal left off. It continues with similar cosmic disturbances, as seen in Revelation 6:12-17. The fire is followed by “noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” After the silence of Revelation 8:1, the next sounds heard are noises and peals of thunder. These manifestations are seen in Revelation (4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18-21) along with Exodus 19:16, 18; Psalm 18:7-13; 77:18-19; and Isaiah 29:6. The earthquake sequence during the tribulation is seen in Revelation 6:12; 8:5; 11:13, 19; and 16:18,

God's Judgments Released by Saints

A. God’s judgments are not released on the saints, but by the saints. The end-time prayer movement under Jesus’ leadership will release His judgments through prayer, as seen in the book of Revelation (Rev. 5:8; 6:10; 8:3-5; 9:13; 14:18; 16:7; 19:2; 22:17).

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth ... 7 To execute vengeance on the nations ... 9 To execute on them the written judgment—this honor have all His saints. (Ps. 149:6-9)

B. As Moses released the plagues on Egypt through prayer and as the apostles released God’s power through prayer in Acts, so the tribulation judgments will be released by the Praying Church. The miracles of Exodus and Acts will be combined and multiplied on a global level.

As in the days when you came out of ... Egypt, I will show them wonders. (Mic. 7:15)

Fire Released by Prayer

Fire will be called down by the prayers of the saints through a bridal paradigm, not through an angry paradigm that prays for fire in a fleshly way. Sixty years earlier, as a young man, Jesus refused John’s fleshly prayer for fire to fall on a city.

They entered a village of the Samaritans ... 53 But they did not receive Him ... 54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. (Lk. 9:52-55)

B. The answer to praying for judgment with a wrong spirit is to become lovesick in our preoccupation with Jesus (bridal paradigm). We pray for revival and judgment with a different spirit when it has nothing to do with our ministry but is for His glory and for justice.