| 1) Matt. 24:15 [Y]e therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place ... 1) Dan. 11:45 [The king of the north] shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain... The glorious holy mountain is, of course, Mount Moriah, better known as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Most biblical commentaries say the abomination of desolation will take place when "that man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped ... [shall sit] as God ... in the shrine of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 2) Matt. 24:21 ... then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 2) Dan. 12:1 ... and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time... 3) Matt. 24:24 [T]here shall be raised false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. ["Shall be raised": the Greek word egerthesontai is found here. This exact word is used in the Bible in only one other place, 1 Cor. 15:52: "the dead shall be raised ..." It comes from the root egeiro, meaning to arouse or awaken from sleep or death.] 3) Dan. 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, ... some to shame and ever-lasting contempt. Here the passage in Daniel puts a light on the parallel passage in Matthew that hasn't before been recognized, to my knowledge. The standard interpretation of Matthew 24:24 says these false Christs will arise from among the living people of that time. However, in the light of Daniel 12:2, which tells us that evil people (as well as righteous) will come forth/be resurrected from the dead -- the more likely interpretation is that these false Christs "shall be raised" from the dead. This will occur during the period of the "great tribulation," verse 21, but before the Rapture, verses 30-31. This, in turn, implies that the resurrection of the dead will take place some days before the ascension of the righteous in the Rapture. Otherwise, the false Christs would not have the time to "show great signs and wonders, insomuch, if it were possible, [to] deceive the very elect," verse 24. If we interpret Matt.24:24 this way, it has profound implications for the time of the Great Tribulation (and afterwards), during which the son of perdition will do "the works of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders," and during which "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie." 2 Thes. 2:9, 11 For example, the son of perdition may claim that he himself brought about the resurrection of the dead; some of whom will then "show great signs and wonders," to delude the world's people into believing that the son of per-dition is the Second Coming of Christ. Return to Index |
| Two Witnesses, Times Three |