Matthew 24:15-28 - The Abomination Of Desolation

¹⁵ "Therefore, when you see that disgusting thing which causes total destruction [i.e., the Roman armies. See Luke 21:20], which Daniel the prophet spoke about [Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11], standing in the sacred place [i.e., Jerusalem and especially the Temple area], (let the reader understand [what is meant by this]), ¹⁶ then those [of you] in Judea are to run away into the [nearby] mountains. ¹⁷ [Also], the person who is on a housetop [Note: This was a flat area where people retired for rest, prayer, etc., with its stairway on the outside], is not to take any of the belongings from his house as he comes down [to flee]. ¹⁸ The person who is in a field [i.e., doing farm work] is not [even] to return [to his house] to get his coat. ¹⁹ It will be too bad for those who are pregnant and who are nursing babies in those days. ²⁰ And pray that it will not be in the winter or on a Sabbath day when you will have to flee [from the city]. [Note: Jewish Sabbath day restrictions on travel (only three-fifths of a mile) and city gate closures would make leaving the city nearly impossible]. ²¹ There will be great trouble [during these times], such as had never been from the beginning of time up to the present, or ever will be [in the days to come]. ²² And if those days had not been as short as they were no one would have been saved [i.e., from the devastating destruction]. But for the sake of the elect [i.e., God's people], those days will be short.

²³ Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is Christ,' or 'There [he is],' do not believe him. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will perform great [miraculous] signs and [supernatural] wonders in order to lead astray even the elect [i.e., God's people], if possible. ²⁵ You see, I have told you [all this] ahead of time. ²⁶ Therefore, if people say to you, 'Look, he [i.e., Christ. See verse 23] is in the desert,' do not go out there. [Or if they say], 'Look, he is in an inside room,' do not believe him. ²⁷ For just like lightning that appears in the east can be seen even in the west, so it will be with the presence [i.e., coming] of the Son of man. ²⁸ Wherever there is a dead body, [you can expect to see] vultures gathered there. [Note: This may mean that such a significant event as the coming of Christ would surely not go unnoticed].

¹⁴ "But when you see that disgusting thing that causes total destruction [i.e., the Roman army. See Luke 21:20] standing where it ought not to be [i.e., surrounding the besieged city of Jerusalem], (let the reader understand [what is meant by this]), then those of you in Judea are to run away into the [nearby] mountains. ¹⁵ Also the person who is on a housetop [Note: This was a flat area where people retired for rest, prayer, etc., with its stairway on the outside] should not go down into his house to take anything out [when he flees]. ¹⁶ The person who is in a field [i.e., doing farm work] should not return [to his house] to get his coat [even]. ¹⁷ [It will be] too bad for those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days. ¹⁸ And pray that [your flight] will not be in the winter. ¹⁹ There will be great trouble during those days, such as had never been from the beginning of God's creation until the present, or even will be [in the days to come]. ²⁰ And if the Lord had not kept those days as short as they were, no one would have been saved [i.e., from the devastating destruction]. But for the sake of the elect [i.e., God's people], whom He chose, He kept those days short.

²¹ And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is Christ,' or 'Look, there He is,' do not believe him. ²² For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will perform [miraculous] signs and [supernatural] wonders in order to lead astray [even] the elect, if possible. ²³ But pay attention, for I have told you [all this] ahead of time.