Many believe that the Abomination of Desolation will be an idol placed in the newly constructed third temple in Jerusalem, which is supposed to be built by the Jewish people who will return to the ancient practices of animal sacrifices. Others say that the Abomination of Desolation refers to the appearance of the “Antichrist,” and some scholars view the “Abomination of Desolation” as a historical event that has already occurred and is related to the defilement of the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167 BC. In this desecration, he sacrificed a pig on the Jewish temple altar and set up an altar to Zeus. Others associate it with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, when Roman troops, under the command of General Titus, besieged Jerusalem. After months of siege, the Romans took the city and destroyed the Second Temple, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy when He said that not one stone would be left on another. Matthew 24:2.
Jesus Christ said that the Abomination of Desolation would appear at the end times, which should be enough to rule out past events, as this abomination will appear just before His return. He said He would return immediately after the great tribulation, as mentioned in Matthew 24:29-31. “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in the sky, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Logically, the defilement by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, nor the events of 70 AD, can be considered the Abomination of Desolation, nor should the subsequent persecution be considered the Great Tribulation that Jesus mentions in Matthew 24, as it only affected Israel, not the rest of the world. Therefore, we can rule out that any of these past events are the Abomination of Desolation.
On the other hand, when He says “immediately after the distress of those days,” He is referring to events that are closely related to each other. So, when we say that something happens immediately after another thing, it means that the second event occurs right after the first one, without a significant pause or considerable time interval between both. There is a direct continuity between the two events. For example, if a person says, “The traffic light turned green, and immediately after, the cars started moving,” it implies that the cars began to move as soon as the light turned green, without any perceptible delay.
It is very important to understand the meaning of each word to fully comprehend the phrase that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24. When He says that “immediately after the Great Tribulation” signs will appear in the sky, and then He will appear with great power and glory, He is talking about consecutive events. There is no considerable time from the beginning to the end of these; they could be weeks or years apart, but the important thing is that they happen one after another.
Jesus mentioned four events that will take place at the end times:
First: The appearance of the Abomination of Desolation.
Second: The beginning of the Great Tribulation.
Third: The start of the signs in the sky.
Fourth: After the signs in the sky, the Glorious Return of Jesus Christ.
The first event, the appearance of the Abomination of Desolation, whatever it may be, will serve as the trigger for the rest of the events that will occur in the future. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.”* Matthew 24:15-21.
Therefore, we will focus on this event, as the others require separate studies.
Now let’s go back to the basics. What is an abomination?
An abomination is “something” despicable and against the nature of God. In other words, Abomination is synonymous with Detestable or Repulsive, which can be an idol, an action, a tradition, or even a doctrine. Therefore, scholars cannot guarantee that “the Abomination of Desolation” is an image or an idol. The abomination is something so despicable that it will provoke God, and with it, the “Great Tribulation” will begin. Matthew 24:15-21 and Mark 13:19.
This abomination will trigger a tremendous affliction IN THE WORLD, and as we said before, it is not necessarily a plaster or wooden idol, but it could be something more subtle that wants to take the place that belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ. But… what could be so abhorrent and despicable that it causes the start of the Great Tribulation?
Paul gives us an overview of the events and characters that will precede the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, so we can say that these events are simultaneous, or the same events Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24. First, Paul warns us not to be deceived by false teachers, who claim that the Lord will come secretly to take away His people. He says that before the return of Jesus, another event will come: The Apostasy, along with it, the appearance of the “man of sin.”
“Do not 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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:2-4.
This is the only verse where Paul mentions the character we know as the Antichrist. In fact, only John explicitly mentions the Antichrist, as seen in the following verses: 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3, and 2 John 1:7. John mentions that there were already many antichrists in his time, but he points to one particular Antichrist, who is described in the New Testament as a figure or concept that opposes Christ and His message. John refers both to a future person and to a spirit or force already operating in the world, which denies Jesus as the Messiah, not with words, but with deeds. The Antichrist represents lies, deception, and opposition to God. He comes disguised as goodness and spirituality, pretending to be a man of God, but inside, he is a man who represents Satan.
So when Paul refers to the man of sin, he is making a direct reference to the beast that comes from the earth in Revelation 13:11-12. Paul did not have all the details related to these two characters or beasts. Therefore, we can assume that he was referring to the false prophet, who is in any case an Antichrist, since he opposes Christ directly. If this causes confusion, I ask you to listen to our study titled: The Antichrist and the False Prophet.
We will assume that Paul was referring to the false prophet when he mentioned the man of sin or son of perdition. The Apostle Paul mentions that this person will come along with the Apostasy; this man will try to appear as a messenger of God, and he will deceive many Christians to the point that they will submit to him, believing that he is their superior authority. This is not strange, as many pastors today are seen by their congregations as “the anointed of Jehovah,” whom they must obey blindly.
Many of these false prophets even do not allow people to touch them, because according to them, they will “lose the anointing.” Others ask for special treatment, as if they were closer to God than others. Some want to be called fathers, believing that this unbiblical ministry of fatherhood is superior to any other ministry, such as the apostolate or pastorship.
But the man of sin that Paul talks about is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, very different from the others, since he will have power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and perform many miracles, which will serve to deceive many people. Paul also mentions that this character will come about and as a result of the Apostasy that will reign at that time. In other words, alongside the Apostasy, the figure of the “Man of Sin” will appear.
Let’s take it step by step… first, what is Apostasy?
According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, “Apostasy” means: “To abandon one party to join another, or to change one’s opinion or doctrine.” And precisely, this definition is important to us, because today, many Christians have changed the true doctrine taught by Jesus and His apostles, and turned to fanciful fables, whose origin lies in the imagination of Christian preachers, not in the word of God.
Apostasy, in other words, is the distortion of the true teaching of Jesus, as we see today. Many false teachers teach all kinds of doctrines, from the most obvious, crazy, and absurd teachings, to the most subtle and perverse ones, which deceive millions of believers worldwide. Adolf Hitler said, “The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it.” And indeed, millions believe gospels different from the gospel of the kingdom. These gigantic lies are harmful to the people of God, as they subtly lead them away from the truth and salvation. Deception is the way to subtly convince someone to believe a lie. Swindlers have perfected this art, using subtle words and deceitful works to seduce their victims for personal gain, whether financial or of any other nature.
The same happens in the spiritual realm. Thousands of people fall into the deception of these false prophets and teachers, whether by their works or the words they use in order to extract money, honor, submission, or simply to feel powerful in front of others. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23.
Apparently, a person who heals the sick, casts out demons, and prophesies is a man of God. Who could doubt someone who performs a miracle? Many may believe that if he does so, it is because God is with him. What do you think? This reveals a hard truth, which is that even men anointed with the Holy Spirit can act in disobedience to God, just as Judas did in his time. Judas cast out demons, healed the sick, and preached the word of God. Luke 9:1-2 says, “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
So the “man of sin” that Paul refers to will appear to be a man of God, who will perform many miracles and wonders to support his wicked purposes. The man of sin is a man, not a species or category of men, as some scholars believe. They take as reference 1 John 2:18, “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.” If we take literally what John says, it is clear that someone who opposes Christ, by definition, is an Antichrist. However, Paul is more specific and says, “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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9.
This man will disrupt the entire world, but not necessarily by being oppressive, but by being a liar and a deceiver. If you prefer, we can call him a white-collar swindler. He will deceive many people, especially Christians, because his focus will be on the people of God, not the unbelievers. He will have power to cast out demons, and no one can do this unless it comes from God.
“But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.’” Matthew 12:24-27
Healing the sick and performing miracles is not a guarantee.
Jesus warned the Pharisees, saying that Satan cannot rebuke himself, but God is the only one who can do so. Therefore, when Jesus returns, He will rebuke many who claim to be “servants” of God but do not do His will. They believed that having the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the power to heal the sick, preach, and cast out demons automatically certifies them as Children of God. They claim that the false prophet will be the Pope and that the apostasy is precisely the appearance of this pope who differs from those who came before him; however, as we mentioned before, apostasy is to depart from the true doctrine.
This presents a problem for those who believe that apostasy will come from the Catholic Church, since departing from the true teaching requires first having known it, and the Catholic religion has never known the true doctrine of Christ. They know many rituals, mostly pagan, but in no way do they know the truth of the gospel. Therefore, the apostasy will not come from the outside, but from within the true Church of Christ, meaning from those who have been anointed by the Holy Spirit and have the power to heal the sick and cast out demons.
The prototype of the Antichrist, or false prophet, can be seen on a smaller scale in the showmen prophets who appear on television. They boast of healing the sick, or at least pretending to heal them. They blow on the audience to make them fall backward, but the clearest proof of their falsehood is the arrogance with which they present themselves on camera, and even worse, their actions in private. The list of individuals involved in fraudulent acts, illicit relationships, and public scandals is long, so “just look at one example.”
Now that we have seen the scenario in which the Son of Sin will arise, we can mention that the lies this character will promote are more subtle than those used by these false prophets. This man will deceive thousands, or millions, of people, including Christians, because ultimately they will be his target. He will arise as the champion of Christians; he will not appear as a monster in any way.
Apostasy is an ideology that has been developing in the people of God for many years. Little by little, heresies have been introduced in the form of biblical doctrines. They take a verse from the Bible and mix it with personal experiences or anecdotes about how they speak with angels, how they ascended to the third heaven and spoke face to face with God. All to convince people that the gospel is now different. They claim that it cannot be adapted to our culture and customs, and they treat the apostles as ignorant and primitive. At the end of days, all of this will culminate with the appearance of a man who is extremely powerful with words, and with the power to perform miracles and wonders, like no man has ever done.
Now, Paul mentions that this man will try to usurp the place of God, pretending to be God, “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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Paul knew perfectly well that God no longer dwells in temples made of stone; he himself taught this in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”
So, how can Paul say that the false prophet or the man of sin will sit in God’s temple, pretending to be God, if God’s temple is us? Did Paul believe that the Antichrist would sit in the temple of God in Jerusalem? In no way. In any case, how can someone pretend to be God? Can you explain that?
The Abomination of Desolation will desecrate the Sanctuary.
Now that we have seen in greater detail both the events and the characters of the end times, we can put them together to understand what the prophecy of Daniel refers to, which says: “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.” Daniel 11:31. Here the prophet says that the troops, (he doesn’t specify what kind of troops!), will enter the sanctuary, abolish the daily sacrifice, and place in its place the “Abomination of Desolation.”
According to many scholars, the reference to the “daily sacrifice” relates to the interruption of daily sacrifices in the temple of Jerusalem by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, when he suspended the sacrifices and erected a pagan altar, which some believe is the “Abomination of Desolation.”
Others believe it refers to the animal sacrifices that will be resumed in the newly built third temple in Jerusalem. In this line of interpretation, especially among scholars of the dispensationalist tradition, it is emphasized that the return to a system of sacrifices in the third temple will be a sign of the fulfillment of the prophecies of the last days. According to this view, Israel and its system of worship will be restored and will serve as a key setting for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.
Believing that God will allow His people to offer animal sacrifices is the most foolish thing I have heard in a long time, and such a serious heresy that is difficult to understand. It is not possible for biblical scholars to think that God has a parallel plan with Israel, and that He will allow them to offer blood sacrifices, but for Christians, the blood that Christ shed on Calvary’s cross is enough. How could anyone believe such a heresy?
I think we can thank the founder of dispensationalism, John Nelson Darby, a theologian and leader of the Plymouth Brethren movement in the nineteenth century. Darby was a key figure in the development of dispensational doctrine among Christians. This theological movement divides biblical history into different periods or “dispensations” in which God interacts differently with humanity.
Darby began formulating his ideas in the 1830s, and his dispensational approach became popular through his writings and teachings. Later, these ideas strongly influenced theologian C.I. Scofield, who in 1909 published the famous Scofield Reference Bible, which included explanatory notes based on dispensationalism. This helped spread this theological perspective widely in evangelical and fundamentalist circles, especially in the United States. According to this interpretation, Israel and the Church have different roles and distinct destinies in God’s plan. However, the theory of one man, even if he was considered spiritual in his time, cannot replace the word of God. Christians should not take dispensationalism as the word of God, let alone as an absolute truth.
The continuous sacrifice is Jesus Christ.
The continuous sacrifice is not, nor will it ever be, the animal sacrifices, because these were abolished two thousand years ago. And something that is interrupted for such a long time is not continuous. The animal sacrifices ended when Jesus offered Himself as a pleasing sacrifice before God. Since then, there is no need to offer sacrifices for our sins, because He is the only sacrifice that is continuously presented before God for the forgiveness of mankind’s sins. There is no other sacrifice or spilled blood that can save man; if anyone wants to be saved, the only way is through Jesus. There is no other way.
“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:23-30
Many biblical teachers teach that “the continuous sacrifice” refers to the animal sacrifices that are supposed to be reestablished in the “supposed” temple of Jerusalem. But in this assumption, there is a problem, because the word continuous means that it has no interruption or that it lasts. It refers to something done or extended without interruption. And definitely, the animal sacrifices were not only interrupted two thousand years ago, but were abolished with the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God.
By the way, if you want to know a little more about this topic, I invite you to listen to our study titled: Will a Third Temple be Built in Jerusalem?
Jesus Christ is the only and sufficient sacrifice.
The book of Hebrews confirms this, saying: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.” Hebrews 10:12. In this verse from the Reina-Valera 1960 version, the word used for forever in the original Greek is “Dienekés,” which is properly translated as continuously, not forever. Also, the phrase having offered in Greek is “Prosenéngkas,” which can be translated as after bringing or after offering. Therefore, this verse properly translated should read: “But this man, after having offered His continuous sacrifice, sat down at the right hand of God.”
In essence, what this verse says is that Jesus is our continuous sacrifice. Daniel says that the continuous sacrifice will be removed from the temple by an army, and they will replace it with the abomination of desolation. But there is no way that Christ will be removed from His place in heaven! Christ cannot be removed from any temple made of stone, even if they build one, because He does not dwell and will not dwell in them. But He can be removed from our hearts, that is, from our temple.
Thus, many wicked men, or what is the same, “the abomination of desolation,” will enter the “Spiritual Jerusalem” to desecrate it: that is, they will use the Holy place unworthily, Luke 21:20-22. They will use the temple of God, which is our body, and establish in it something highly despicable to God, such as a strange doctrine, which people will believe comes from the very throne of God.
Jerusalem is the Church of the Lord.
Let us remember that “Jerusalem” is also the “Church of the Lord,” as Paul expresses in Galatians 4:23-27. “The son of the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but the son of the free woman was born through the promise. These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: ‘Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; break forth and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.’”
And precisely this comparison is what we must consider, since the “Spiritual Jerusalem,” or the Jerusalem from Above, will be attacked and stripped by “Ideas or doctrines” that will practically devastate or destroy what Jesus and His disciples built. This abomination will try to destroy true Christians by deceiving them so that they will be lost and not saved.
This destruction or desolation will reach its maximum expression through this nefarious character, appearing as good, who will have some, if not full, control over the “worldwide Christian-evangelical authorities.” This is logically different from the concept that many Christians have of the Antichrist, since the movies and books written about him portray this character as a despotic and evil being who forces people to worship the image of the beast, threatening them with death by beheading.
The false prophet will deceive and convince, not force anyone.
This character will act like the “godfathers” of the mafia, helping people, offering gifts, hugs, and smiles. This character will not force anyone to follow him, but he will convince them through his miracles and flattering words, only to later demand complete obedience and submission. Does this sound familiar? Isn’t that how false prophets and apostles operate?
This evil character will lead the greatest persecution of Christians ever seen in the history of mankind. Just like the Pharisees in their time, this man will defend “the doctrine of getting rich” and accumulating as many material possessions as possible, arguing that this is God’s purpose for mankind. “Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit; it is the same now.” Galatians 4:28-29
In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees persecuted the disciples because they taught new believers to leave everything to follow Christ. This was not a mere expression; they did it literally. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” Acts 2:44-46
The Pharisees, for their part, sought to enrich themselves and gain privileges within Jewish society. They were greedy, meaning they loved money, and because of that, Jesus’ teachings seemed absurd to them, as He said: “You cannot serve both God and money.” “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.’” Luke 16:13-15
So, for God, “Abomination” is even the way of thinking of a person or a group of people, just as Jesus told the Pharisees. In this time, perhaps some will also mock this teaching, because they believe that God wants us to prosper in everything, especially financially, and still do not understand that they have been deceived. For example, they use the following verse: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
This verse has been widely misinterpreted, with which they have raised a doctrine contrary to the one taught by Jesus. They say that “abundant life” means having money, health, living without problems, and that everything they undertake will go well; but that is not what Jesus said. For example, if Jesus told you, “I have come that you may have food, and have it in abundance,” what does that say to you? … Does it come to mind that Jesus is offering you money to buy food? … Or if He says, “I have come that you may have health, and have it in abundance,” does it also mean He’s offering you money to pay for health insurance? Or what if He said, “I have come that you may have peace, and have it in abundance,” … are you thinking of money again? No way!
When Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” He is saying that He has come for them to have much life, that is, “I have come for them to have eternal life.” Eternal life is the greatest reward any human being could aspire to. The false teaching of prosperity will try to impose itself against the true gospel of the Kingdom of God, which will result in the persecution of the true children of God. By the way, if you want to learn more about how the persecution began, I invite you to listen to our study titled The Persecution of Christians.
Jesus Christ taught His disciples that the way to obtain His Kingdom is by renouncing wealth, and this does not necessarily imply having many properties, since the disciples gave up everything they had, although they were poor just like other believers in the first century. They all sold their houses and properties. They did exactly what Jesus told them, but to the modern Christian, this seems wrong. Keep in mind that they were with Jesus for three and a half years, sharing and learning from Him every day. Remember, the New Testament had not yet been written, so they could not misinterpret it as is done today. They heard from the mouth of the Son of God the instructions on what they should do, and they didn’t hesitate—they left everything and followed Him.
At some point in the near future, the Church will be like it was at the beginning. I sincerely believe that the church will return to what they did, because the disciples were not wrong to literally obey the Lord Jesus Christ. In the not-too-distant future, things will be like they were in the days of the early Christians, so they will become the target of persecution from those who do believe that material wealth is God’s plan for the modern evangelical Christian. Therefore, we can be sure that the most powerful and subtle teaching that Satan has infiltrated into the modern church is economic prosperity.
Paul defended the true doctrine of Jesus
Paul, who was a faithful defender of the teachings of Jesus Christ, taught all his disciples to follow to the letter what the Lord commanded. One of them was Timothy, whom he instructed as a son and taught the correct way to be a true child of God.
“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:3-11
Paul told Timothy to flee from greed, that is, from the love of money. This is contrary to modern doctrines that encourage Christians to believe that the more they offer and tithe, the more money they will receive from God. Today, kindness and mercy have no place, as the message of the cross has been replaced with doctrines of prosperity and divine healing.
These materialistic doctrines have been established as gods in the hearts of Christians, believing they come from God. Jesus warned that many serve the god of money called Mammon. Jesus not only preached to them, but He also commanded His apostles not to set their eyes on wealth or the things of this world, but rather to be content with daily bread, not to worry about tomorrow, and to renounce everything in order to show mercy. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said something that is overlooked today, which is that we should not be anxious about having more.
“Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.’” Luke 12:22-33
This is the Gospel that Jesus taught His disciples. When did it change? In what part of the Scriptures does it say that God wants us to do something different from what Jesus commanded? Then why did Jesus die, if at any time we could change His commandments?
We must renounce wealth.
He said that we must renounce wealth and do good works, just as the apostles and all the believers of the first century did. But the command to live day by day that Jesus taught His apostles is, for many preachers, a thought of “mediocre Christians,” who do not want to prosper and achieve their material goals. I mean, this doctrine has become so deeply rooted in the hearts of the Christian people that speaking about the gospel of the cross seems like blasphemy.
But the time will come when a false prophet will rise from among the people of God, proclaiming the “Gospel of Prosperity” with such power that even the chosen ones will be deceived. Today, millions of Christians believe that it is impossible to do the same things that the disciples did because the concept of the gospel of Jesus is diametrically opposed to what was practiced in the first century.
Apostasy, the man of sin, the false prophet, and persecution come together to turn many Christians away from the faith. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:1-3
The Persecution of the True Church is the Abomination of Desolation.
Personally, I believe that the persecution of Christians is the “Abomination of Desolation” that the prophet Daniel spoke of, since this movement led by the “man of sin” will defend the “gospel of prosperity” with such power that millions of people will not hesitate to support it, even with the use of force, just as Pharisees like Paul, who persecuted the church of the Lord, thinking he was defending God from the apostates.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” Matthew 24:9-11
The persecution of true Christians will cause the wrath of God to be kindled against the false prophets and teachers of the prosperity gospel. There will be great confusion in the world due to this doctrinal division that will arise at that time. In fact, doctrinal division already exists in different Christian congregations around the world. However, there is no hatred, nor has it reached the point of killing, as the Pharisees did. Let us remember that the persecution during Jesus’ time did not start with the Romans, but with the spiritual authorities themselves, including the High Priest. That is, the equivalent in our time of the Pope, or any high evangelical leader like Billy Graham. I am not saying that they are such figures, but that the figure of the “man of sin” comes from a high religious leader.
If you want to know how the persecution began two thousand years ago, listen to our study titled The Persecution of Christians.
Jesus said: “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” Matthew 24:15-21
Why would we need to flee? Because that’s exactly what the disciples did when Stephen was killed, and the persecution began that lasted for three centuries. Acts 11:19. In fact, anyone would do the same if they were persecuted by the authorities for the sole crime of preaching the true gospel of the Kingdom.
