The Abomination of Desolation and the Desolation of Jerusalem

 The Abomination of Desolation and the Desolation of Jerusalem

I would like to thank Steven Raines for going though this particular article and spotting my failures, and helping me to complete it; he is such a good Christian preacher and my prayers are with him and his wife Marsha always! Also, note many may be agree with my points and that is fine, but you should be diligent enough to know why you see it as you do.

Good Morning friends, my question today needs your extreme detail, for in these Scriptures I am about to share I need to know what they mean, how they being different are connected in their details, and when did this take place, [or has it]; Mat_24:15 “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)”

Mar_13:14 “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:”

Luk_11:17 “But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.”

Luk_21:20 “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.”

We will then consider what Jesus said about the Temple to the Pharisees. I also wish to convey this thought; Most of this is [Bible scripture] and about Christ, and His words, and is historically accurate to the proof of His Deity, So I know all else is the subject of God and all His business and not actually anything to concern myself of because God spoke to the fact of not dwelling on the past, nor trying to understand the future, but it seems all men have this failing to varying degrees.

Also, always keep in mind many verses talking about Jesus being the temple, and Him raising, or taking, it up again in three days. Then of course God creates a temple within each of us, and how would this apply to these thoughts.

The Abomination of Desolation and the Desolation of Jerusalem

The passages cited from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14, Luke 11:17, and Luke 21:20) represent a complex nexus of prophetic discourse known as the "Olivet Discourse." These verses address the "Abomination of Desolation" (τὸ 𝛽𝛿έ𝜆𝜐𝛾𝜇𝛼 𝜏ῆ𝜍 ἐ𝜌𝜂𝜇ώ𝜎𝜀𝜔𝜍)(Greek), a term rooted in the Book of Daniel, and link it to the historical and eschatological fate of Jerusalem. To understand these scriptures, one must examine their linguistic connections, their historical fulfillment in the first century, and their potential future implications.

The Linguistic and Scriptural Connections

The term "Abomination of Desolation" is a direct reference to the Hebrew 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑞𝑞𝑢𝑡𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑚

found in Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. In biblical Hebrew, an "abomination" (𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑞𝑞𝑢𝑡𝑠) typically refers to a detestable thing (also,abomination, 28 times O.T.), often an idol or a pagan sacrifice that pollutes the worship of Yahweh. "Desolation" (𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑚)(91 timesO.T.) refers to the state of being laid waste or emptied of inhabitants. So what connections can we find in this concept that appears also in the N.T.?

Matthew and Mark use nearly identical language, though Mark uses a masculine participle (ἑ𝜎𝜏𝜂𝜅ό𝜏𝛼) for the "abomination," suggesting that the "detestable thing" might actually be a person or a specific entity standing where it "ought not." Luke 21:20 serves as a "Lukean interpretative gloss," providing a clearer historical identification for his Gentile audience: the "abomination" is functionally connected to Jerusalem being "compassed with armies." While Matthew and Mark focus on the sacrilege within the "holy place" (the Temple), Luke focuses on the military siege that leads to the city's desolation.

Luke 11:17, while appearing in a different context (the Beelzebul controversy), establishes a foundational principle: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation." This spiritual law explains the internal cause of the external judgment described in the later chapters; the "house" (the Temple/Israel) falls because of internal spiritual division and rejection of the Messiah.

Historical Fulfillment: The Siege of 70 A.D.

The primary consensus among historical-critical scholars and many conservative commentators is that these prophecies found their initial, literal fulfillment during the Jewish War of 66–70 A.D.

The Roman Armies: Luke 21:20 explicitly identifies the sign of approaching desolation as the surrounding of Jerusalem by Roman legions under Cestius Gallus in 66 A.D. and later Titus in 70 A.D.

The Sacrilege in the Temple: Matthew and Mark’s "Abomination" likely refers to the Zealot occupation of the Temple in 67-68 A.D., where blood was shed in the Holy of Holies, or the subsequent Roman entry into the Temple where they offered sacrifices to their standards (the signa) within the sacred precincts.

The Flight to the Mountains: Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea records that the Christian community in Jerusalem, remembering Jesus’ warning, fled to the city of Pella in Perea when they saw the initial Roman approach, thus escaping the horrific slaughter of 70 A.D.

The Connection of Details

The details are connected through a "near-far" prophetic lens. The "Abomination" is the triggering event or sacrilegious sign that signals the end of the current order.

Matthew/Mark emphasize the religious sacrilege: The pollution of the sanctuary which makes worship impossible.

Luke 21 emphasizes the military reality: The physical destruction of the city walls and the exile of the people.

Luke 11 emphasizes the moral cause: The desolation is not an arbitrary act of God but the result of a "divided house" that refused the "time of its visitation" (Luke 19:44).

Temporal Scope: Has it Taken Place?

Theologians generally categorize the timing of these events into three views: Each of these views will be briefly covered at the end of this article. Unless you wish to talk about it, for the older Eschatological names are not mentioned, and so those who would ask where is Post Millennial, it is not here precisely. I myself growing up never accepted these eschatological views, for they all had serious errors that could not be reconciled which in my eyes as a very young student was not how god did things, but men. But, things such as physical destruction of Jerusalem was a verifiable fact.

The Preterist View

This view holds that these events were entirely fulfilled in 70 A.D. The "Abomination" was the Roman army or the Zealot atrocities, and the "desolation" was the total destruction of the Second Temple. Under this view, Jesus was accurately predicting the end of the Old Covenant sacrificial system within the generation of his listeners.

The Futurist View

Futurists argue that while 70 A.D. was a "type" or shadow, the "Abomination of Desolation" refers to a future event involving a literal Antichrist who will sit in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem during a final tribulation period. They point to the "Great Tribulation" mentioned in Matthew 24:21 as being unparalleled in history, arguing that the 70 A.D. event, though tragic, does not exhaust the scope of the prophecy.

If one has read all of the texts reviewing works such as Josephus (plus; Cornelius Tacitus, Suetonius, and in Rabbinic literature, Avot de-Rabbi Natan) ) on the Temple destruction, then it would not be hard to wonder how could such a description of events happen twice, the scripture verse implies but once.

The Idealist or Dual-Fulfillment View

This perspective suggests that the prophecy has a "double fulfillment." It was fulfilled historically in 70 A.D., but that event serves as a recurring pattern for the end of the age. The "Abomination" represents any state power or religious apostasy that exalts itself above God, leading to the desolation of those who trust in earthly institutions rather than the Word of Christ.

Now, not one stone upon another;

Now may we consider these KJV Scriptures and understand the connection to what we just discussed; Mat_24:2 “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Mar_13:2 “And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Luk_19:44 “And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”

Luk_21:6 “As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Then also was Jesus some how connecting this portion of scripture in John to the above destruction of the temple, and of course to his death on the cross; John 2:19 KJV “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” This is our one tie.

The destruction of the physical Temple in Jerusalem and the subsequent "raising" of the Temple of Jesus’ body are inextricably linked in New Testament theology. The specific prophecy that "there shall not be left one stone upon another" (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6) serves as the physical manifestation of the spiritual transition Jesus describes in John 2:19.

The Prophecy of Total Destruction: "Not One Stone Upon Another"

The Synoptic Gospels record Jesus’ reaction to the disciples' admiration of the Temple’s "great buildings" and "goodly stones." At the time, Herod’s Temple was one of the architectural wonders of the Roman world, constructed with massive blocks of white marble, some measuring over 40 feet in length.

The Physical Fulfillment (70 A.D.): Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled with startling literalness. During the Siege of Jerusalem, Roman soldiers, driven by fury and the desire to retrieve the gold that had melted between the stones when the sanctuary was torched, systematically pried the stones apart. The historian Flavius Josephus, an eyewitness, recorded that the Roman commander Titus ordered the city and the Temple to be razed to the ground, leaving only three towers and a portion of the western wall to show the strength of the fortifications the Romans had overcome. Yes, Titus left bragging rites.

The Judicial Cause (Luke 19:44): In Luke 19:44, Jesus adds a vital theological detail: the destruction occurs "because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." The "visitation" refers to the presence of the Messiah. The physical desolation of the Temple was the outward sign that the "house" had been left desolate because it rejected the very God it was built to honor.

The Connection to John 2:19: The New Temple

In John 2:19, Jesus makes a statement that was later used against Him at His trial: "Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up." While his accusers and even his disciples initially thought he was speaking of the physical structure that had taken forty-six years to build, John clarifies that "He spake of the temple of His body" (John 2:21).

The Shift from Stone to Spirit: The connection between the Synoptic prophecies and John’s account is the replacement of the focus of God's presence. In the Old Covenant, God dwelt in a building of stone; in the New Covenant, God dwells in the person of Jesus Christ. For the "New Temple" (the resurrected Christ) to be fully established as the center of worship, the "Old Temple" (the stone building) had to be removed.

The Cross as the "Destruction": When Jesus says "Destroy this Temple," he is inviting the religious leaders to complete their rejection of him. His death on the cross is the "destruction" of the true Temple. The tearing of the Temple veil at the moment of his death (Matthew 27:51) signaled that the physical building had lost its unique status as the meeting place between God and man.

The Resurrection as the "Raising": The "three days" refers specifically to the Resurrection. By raising His body, Jesus became the "Chief Cornerstone" of a new, spiritual building—the Church—which is also described as a Temple not made with hands.

Synthesis of the Connection

Jesus was indeed connecting these events. The "throwing down" of the stones in 70 A.D. was the historical vindication of Jesus’ words in John 2. If the physical Temple had remained, it would have continued to compete with Christ as the center of sacrifice and atonement. By prophesying the total destruction of the stones, Jesus was signaling the end of an era of "shadows" and the beginning of the era of "substance" found in His own body.

The "desolation" discussed previously is the result of the "visitation" being rejected. Because the leaders chose the stone building over the Living Stone, the stone building was leveled so that "not one stone" remained, forcing the world to look toward the resurrected "Temple" that could never be destroyed.

The Preterist View of Biblical Prophecy

Preterism is a school of Christian eschatology that interprets most or all Biblical prophecies as events that have already been fulfilled in history, specifically centering on the first century AD. The term is derived from the Latin praeter (Latin), a prefix meaning "past", "beyond,", “besdies”, or “except” indicating that the events described in prophetic texts like the Book of Revelation and the Olivet Discourse are not awaiting a future fulfillment but are "gone by." In my age of learning about Eschatology I never really liked the term Perterist, because it was connected to the term Amillennial, which makes for confusion, as does Premill, and Futurist view. As I said earlier, all of these views have non-reconcilable errors in each, which causes confusion and solves very little, after all the future is not ours but God's domain.

Origins and Etymology

The word, or term, "Preterism" (it is often used as a name) was not derived from a specific person, but rather from the Latin grammatical term praeteritum (German), referring to the past tense. Historically, the development of a systematic preterist exposition is attributed to the Jesuit scholar Luis de Alcasar (1554–1613). During the Counter-Reformation, Alcasar published Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi (1614), which sought to defend the Roman Catholic Church against Protestant "Historicist" claims that identified the Papacy as the Antichrist. By arguing that the prophecies of Revelation were fulfilled by the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the subsequent fall of Pagan Rome, Alcasar effectively removed the contemporary Church from the line of prophetic fire. Which throughout history has sort of backfired because the Papacy has become the modern version of Phariseeism.

The view was later adopted and modified by Protestant scholars such as Hugo Grotius in the 17th century and gained significant traction in the 19th century through works like James Stuart Russell’s The Parousia (1878).

Core Tenets and Interpretive Framework

Preterism is built upon a "grammatical-historical" hermeneutic that prioritizes the original audience's perspective. Preterists argue that if Jesus told His disciples that "this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" (Matthew 24:34), He must have been referring to the people living at that time.

The Significance of 70 AD

The focal point of preterist theology is the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by Roman legions in 70 AD. Preterists view this event as the "Day of the Lord"—a judicial coming of Christ in judgment against the nation that rejected Him. This event is seen as the formal end of the Old Covenant age and the full establishment of the New Covenant Kingdom. On this I totally agree. The story of the Rending of the Veil should be taught to everyone, and in Sunday school. So many say there is no action of God after the Old Testament, so who rended the Veil that no man could.

The Book of Revelation

Unlike the Futurist view, which sees Revelation as a road map for the end of the world, Preterists see it as a prophecy of the end of the Jewish world. Key identifications often include:

The Beast: Usually identified as the Emperor Nero. Gematria for the Beast’s number 666 in Revelation 13:18 often points to Nero Caesar, but can also indicate a government, or system.

The Great Harlot (Babylon): Identified either as apostate Jerusalem or Pagan Rome.

The Tribulation: Regarded as the horrific siege of Jerusalem described by the historian Josephus.

Major Schools of Preterist Thought

The movement is generally divided into two distinct camps based on the extent of fulfillment claimed.

Partial (Orthodox) Preterism

Partial preterists believe that most prophecies (the Olivet Discourse, most of Revelation) were fulfilled in the first century. However, they maintain the "Orthodox" hope of a future, physical Second Coming of Christ, a physical resurrection of the dead, and a final judgment at the end of human history.

Full (Consistent) Preterism

Full preterism, sometimes labeled "Hyper-preterism" by critics, argues that all prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD. This includes the Second Coming (seen as a spiritual presence), the resurrection (seen as a spiritual rising from Hades or a corporate change in status), and the Final Judgment. Because this view denies a future physical resurrection, it is often regarded as heretical by mainstream denominations and historic creeds.

Comparison with Other Views

Preterism stands in direct contrast to Futurism, which expects a future Tribulation and Antichrist, and Historicism, which sees prophecy as a continuous timeline of church history from the first century to the present. While Futurists look for signs in modern geo-politics, Preterists look to the writings of first-century historians like Flavius Josephus to confirm the accuracy of Jesus' predictions.

A private thought: God in His Old Testament writings, many of His prophets would present thoughts that occurred in their time so the people would realize this is a prophet of God, and yet so many of these same prophecies also were future telling of Christ, and thus dual in nature for proof of Who Jesus was, and ultimately the foreknowledge of God. Often I go back and think of why God used His plural name so often in the beginning of the Bible. Then anyone knowing the Bible as a whole complete story of God, of Jesus as God, and of the Holy Spirit; then they too will see Jesus existed from eternity past. Note: many do not consider Elohim as plural.

The Futurist View is a school of Christian eschatology that interprets the majority of Biblical prophecies, particularly those found in the Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel, as events that will occur in a yet future period of global history. Unlike Preterism, which looks to the past, or Historicism, which looks at the span of church history, Futurism maintains that the "end times" involve a literal seven-year Tribulation, a personal Antichrist, and the physical return of Jesus Christ to earth.

Core Tenets of the Futurist View

The fundamental premise of Futurism is that the visions of Revelation (specifically chapters 4 through 22) have not yet been fulfilled. Key components of this system include:

The Great Tribulation: A literal period of seven years (derived from Daniel’s "Seventieth Week") characterized by unprecedented global suffering and Divine judgment.

The Antichrist: A specific individual, often viewed as a charismatic political leader, who will rise to power, deceive the nations, and persecute believers.

The Millennium: A literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth following his Second Coming.

Israel and the Church: Most futurists (especially Dispensationalists) maintain a sharp distinction between Israel and the Christian Church, believing that God will resume His specific dealings with national Israel during the Tribulation. I personally had a real problem (rabbit hole) with this part of what I learned as Pre-Millennial eschatology, in that many think, or believe that God can not return until these things be fulfilled which limits God himself and that has always been biblically a man centered way of thinking. I also know from the words used that the word thousand as it is used means; many, it means innumerable, unlimited, ----- and not necessarily 1000 exactly. There is even a scripture, Psalms 50:10, that is also often quoted. Plus how can the same view have this opposing idea, 1250 days is exact while 1000, is vague, even groups of the same basic thought have problems.

Origins and Historical Development

While many modern adherents argue that Futurism represents the "literal" view held by the early Church Fathers (such as Irenaeus and Justin Martyr), its systematic development as a formal school of interpretation occurred much later.

The Jesuit Counter-Reformation; Like Preterism, the formalization of Futurism is historically linked to the Jesuit order during the 16th-century Counter-Reformation. To counter the Protestant Reformers’ "Historicist" claim that the Roman Catholic Papacy was the Antichrist, Jesuit scholar Francisco Ribera (1537–1591) published a 500-page commentary on Revelation in 1585. Ribera argued that the Antichrist was not the Pope, but a single future individual who would appear at the very end of time, rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and reign for three-and-a-half literal years.

The Rise of Dispensationalism; Futurism gained widespread popularity in the Protestant world during the 19th century through the work of John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren. Darby integrated Futurism into a system called Dispensationalism, which introduced the concept of the "Secret Rapture"—the idea that Christ would remove the Church from the earth before the Tribulation begins. This view was later solidified in American Evangelicalism by the notes in Scofield Reference Bible (1909) and popular 20th-century works like Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth.

Etymology: Was it Named After Someone?

The term "Futurism" was created around the central idea of a system: that the fulfillment of prophecy belongs to the future. It is a descriptive label used to categorize the timing of prophetic fulfillment, just as "Preterism" refers to the past and "Historicism" refers to the present/ongoing history. Futurism is the widest-held view at this point.

Comparison with Other Views

Futurism is often contrasted with:

Preterism: Which argues that the "end times" occurred in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem.

Historicism: Which sees Revelation as a symbolic history of the Church from the first century to the Second Coming (popular among Reformers like Luther and Calvin).

Idealism: Which views the symbols of Revelation as timeless Spiritual truths regarding the battle between good and evil, rather than specific historical or future events. In my education of Eschatology, I was also off balance, dwelling on the thought of a great end times battle where Jesus and Angels, and Saints who were eternal beings, and then they fighting the devil and his demons who were also immortal and could not die, and all of this was happening among the inhabitants of earth, where there were nothing but mortals. One group could never die, so why battle, and the rest easily perished, so the immortals would just wipe them all out.  My thought was, why would an all-knowing God create such a picture, when He had never created chaos in any of His word before?

The Idealist view of Biblical prophecy, particularly concerning the Book of Revelation, and the related concept of Dual Fulfillment (often termed "Prophetic Realism" or "Double Fulfillment"), represent interpretive frameworks that prioritize timeless spiritual truths and recurring historical patterns over a single, linear timeline. While these two concepts are distinct, they frequently overlap in the works of theologians who seek to bridge the gap between past historical events and future expectations.

The Idealist View of Revelation

The Idealist view, also known as the "Spiritualist" or "Non-historical" approach, posits that the symbols and visions in the Bible do not refer to specific, unique events in the past or future. Instead, they represent the ongoing, universal struggle between the Kingdom of God and the powers of darkness. Sounds good to me for one reason, God can return at any time for any reason, is that not what Scripture says; “ no man knoweth the hour”

Philosophical and Theological Foundations

Idealism is rooted in the belief that Scripture communicates eternal principles. According to this view, the "Beast" of Revelation is not a specific historical figure like Nero (as in Preterism) or a future Antichrist (as in Futurism), but rather a personification of any state power that demands worship and persecutes the faithful. This approach was championed by early church fathers such as Origen and later refined by Augustine of Hippo, who viewed the City of God and the City of Man as competing Spiritual realities present in every age. I was taught in one of the views that at some point, a 'One World Power' would arise out of the vast sea of mankind, and all the people would agree to what seemed best for mankind, and in this ideal situation, they would lose any thought of God or of what Christ had done.

Key Characteristics of Idealism

Timelessness: Prophecies are seen as applicable to every generation of the church. The seals, trumpets, and bowls of Revelation describe the "standard operating procedure" of history—famine, war, and persecution—rather than a chronological sequence.

Symbolism: The imagery is interpreted allegorically. For example, the "144,000" is not a literal count of ethnic Jews but a symbolic representation of the complete and perfect number of God's people. Do you see here that the number 1000 used as a multiple means an innumerable amount, but in other views of the number 1000, it is an exact number. The context must be followed, or understanding is lost.

Ethical Exhortation: The primary purpose of prophecy is to encourage believers to remain faithful under trial, regardless of their specific historical context.

The Dual-Fulfillment View

The Dual-Fulfillment (or Double Fulfillment) view suggests that a prophecy may have an immediate, partial fulfillment in the prophet's own time and a secondary, ultimate fulfillment in the distant future, typically centered on the person of Christ or the end of the age. I mentioned this above before about the prophets of old telling of a prophecy that came to fruition to prove to the people that God spoke through men and yet also was for a future prophecy, as with Jesus.

The "Sensus Plenior" and Prophetic Perspective

Theologians often explain this using the analogy of "prophetic foreshortening", or one in front of another, or "mountain peaks." From a distance, two mountain peaks may appear to be right next to each other, though they are actually separated by a vast valley. Similarly, a prophet may see a near event (like the return from Babylonian exile) and a far event (the Messianic Kingdom) as a single vision.

Classic Examples of Dual Fulfillment

Isaiah 7:14: The prophecy of the "virgin" (or young woman) conceiving a son named Immanuel had an immediate sign-value for King Ahaz in the 8th century BC, yet the New Testament identifies its ultimate fulfillment in the miraculous birth of Jesus.

The Abomination of Desolation: Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 24 regarding the "abomination of desolation" is often seen as having a dual fulfillment: first in the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70, and second in a final sacrilege at the end of time. There is extensive scripture needed here, but for now, just this: In the Book of Acts, as Jesus ascended into heaven, two angels declared to the apostles: "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11, KJV). The timing of this return is described as "imminent," meaning it could occur at any moment, yet the specific "day and hour" remains unknown to all but God the Father (Matthew 24:36). Systematic theologians note that this uncertainty is intended to produce a state of constant spiritual watchfulness and "holy living" among believers. So they can put off God's judgment to a future date.

Prophetic Realism: A Synthesis

In recent scholarship, some thinkers have proposed "Prophetic Realism" as a way to unify these views. This perspective argues that because God is the author of history, certain patterns (archetypes) repeat themselves (ectypes).

In this framework, the Preterist view (past fulfillment) and the Futurist view (future fulfillment) are not mutually exclusive. Instead, history is seen as a series of "recapitulations." For instance, the fall of Babylon in the Old Testament is a "type" that finds "antitypes" in the fall of Rome and the eventual final collapse of all worldly systems. This allows the interpreter to maintain that a prophecy was "true" for the original audience while remaining "prophetically active" for the future.

Critical Evaluation

The strength of the Idealist/Dual-Fulfillment approach is its high degree of contemporary relevance; it prevents the Bible from becoming a mere history book or a confusing map of the future. However, critics argue that it can lead to "subjectivism," where the interpreter assigns meanings based on personal opinion rather than the author's intent. To counter this, most modern scholars utilize a "Redemptive-Historical" method, ensuring that all symbolic interpretations are grounded in the broader Biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. Sounds reasonable, right?

A personal thought: Folks, where are our thoughts to be?

Our focus should be God and His plan of salvation, what Christ has done, and then do what? Repent, turn away from our sins and call on the Holy Spirit everyday of our lives and leave the future to God, for even the angels it says do not know the hour of His return, and His Second Coming will be in final judgment upon this sinful world before bringing into existence a New Jerusalem and a New World, not the same old one but a new one, and we should sing for joy everyday for this one promise. For then we will never again in all of eternity have to fight sin again.

A few final thoughts for you to ponder.

The return of Jesus Christ, often referred to as the Second Coming or the Second Advent, is a central theme of Christian eschatology. According to the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible and authoritative theological scholarship, this event marks the end of the current age and the initiation of God’s final judgment upon the world. With God's Final Coming in Judgment, all will be made new, and there will never again be the battle with sin in the New world, for all sin has been cast into the Eternal Lake of Fire for all Eternity.

The Nature and Timing of the Return

Some repetition, but the New Testament establishes that Christ’s return will be a visible, physical, and sudden event. In the Book of Acts, as Jesus ascended into heaven, two angels declared to the apostles: "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11, KJV). It is said that when Jesus returns, all will see Him, Rev. 1:7.

The timing of this return is described as "imminent," meaning it could occur at any moment, yet the specific "day and hour" remains unknown to all but God the Father (Matthew 24:36). Anytime? When so many teach, certain things must first take place?

The King James Bible identifies several specific "judgments" associated with the return of Christ, occurring at the "end of time" or the "end of the world." A pet peeve with me is men say this has to happen, and the other thing must take place before Jesus can return, and that simply can not be for no one, or their words can restrain God, except perhaps these men, and women, believe they have information given by God that is not in God's Inspired Word, and many do believe this.

The Judgment of the Nations (Sheep and Goats)

In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus describes his return in glory: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory." This passage details the separation of the "sheep" (the righteous) from the "goats" (the wicked) based on their treatment of "the least of these." The result is a finality of destiny: "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:46).

The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema)

For believers, the return of Christ involves the "Judgment Seat of Christ," or the Bema. As recorded in 2 Corinthians 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Authoritative commentaries distinguish this from a judgment of salvation; rather, it is an evaluation of a believer's works and faithfulness to determine heavenly rewards or "crowns." I wonder why so many of us do not see this as a competition to want great heavenly rewards.

The Great White Throne Judgment

The KJV describes a "great white throne" where the dead, small and great, stand before God. Books are opened, including the Book of Life, and "whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire" (Revelation 20:15). Yes, of the two, Hades and Gehenna, the actual lake of fire is very real. It is here that I put my own personal thought of the First Earth burned with a fervent heat that even the elements were gone, perhaps when the New heaven and Earth come into this realm of existence, then the Old World is sent to an existence outside of time for all eternity to Eternal Suffering; mind you, these are simple-minded ramblings.

This would be a good point at which to mention why so many do not want the Eternal Lake of Fire idea, for they realize there are so many they know who might be sent there, because they did not seek to preach God's Word to them. So, as has happened throughout history, man thinks they can somehow diminish God's Word to the level that these things will not happen; they think that because someone did not see it, then they can not be held accountable, and this is a very evil deception indeed.

Signs and Circumstances of the Return

The Bible provides "signs of the times" to alert believers to the approaching end. In Matthew 24, Jesus lists several indicators: concentrate hard now, haven't all of these been happening ever since the death of Jesus?

Deception: Many coming in his name, claiming to be Christ (v. 5).

Conflict: "Wars and rumours of wars" and "nation shall rise against nation" (v. 6–7).

Natural Disasters: Famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places (v. 7).

The Gospel: The preaching of the gospel in all the world for a witness unto all nations (v. 14)

The Apostle Paul further describes the character of humanity in the "last days" in 2 Timothy 3:1–5, noting that men shall be "lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy."

The Battle of Armageddon, (always the catch with many groups.)

Upon his return, Christ is depicted as a conquering warrior. Revelation 19:11–16 describes him riding a white horse, with eyes "as a flame of fire" and a vesture "dipped in blood.” He returns to defeat the Antichrist (the beast) and the false prophet, who are "cast alive into a Lake of Fire burning with brimstone" (v. 20).

Following this victory, Revelation 20 describes a thousand-year period during which Satan is bound and Christ reigns on earth with his saints (supposed a time of great peace). This period concludes with a final rebellion led by a released Satan, followed by the creation of a "new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1). So, as always, I tend to wonder, has Satan not always been active in the world with temptations and deceptions to the world? So if this is an actual release, then will it once again be a huge Spiritual battle like what took place when Christ walked this earth? 

Theological Implications

The doctrine of the Second Coming serves as the "Blessed Hope" for the Christian church (Titus 2:13). It provides the ultimate resolution to the problem of evil and the fulfillment of God’s promises to restore creation. For the believer, it is a call to "purify himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:3), ensuring they are not "ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28). It is true the book of Revelation is, or should be, a fantastic story to the Christ-like believer.

With the hundreds of groups all believing different things (all hearsay, not actual facts) about these things, I tend to stay away, or in some cases, I have to walk away and say nothing. But know this, no man has the 'Thus Saith the Lord' on this subject.