Ok. you showed us when the church started. Not when the abomination happened or when the tribulation would occure.
The time of great tribulation was the 7-year Roman/Jewish war, the final 7 years of the Jewish nation and the holy city of Jerusalem under the Old Covenant economy, which ended with an horrific war that totally destroyed the city and the entire nation. In the midst of that 7-year period is when the city and the sanctuary were destroyed, just as Daniel foretold. The war began in 66 A.D. and ended in 73 A.D. and the city and sanctuary were destroyed in 70 A.D., midway through the war.
The "abomination of desolation" is not the same thing as the one who would sit in the temple showing himself to be God. The abomination of desolation, as Luke explains, was the Roman armies encompassing Jerusalem which was to be the sign that the city's desolation was at hand.
The idea that the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel was the desecration of the Temple is the Rabbinic interpretation and they ascribe it to Antiochus Epiphanes. But due to the glaringly obvious lack of understanding the Rabbi's theology demonstrates I would not recommend adopting such an interpretation of the abomination of desolation preferring to take Luke's explanation as that of superior understanding.
The "birth pains" referred to the struggle and troubles that Israel went through in those last years of Old Testament history which culminated in the 7-year war and the total destruction of the whole Mosaic economy. It included the persecution of the believers and the birth of the world-wide church.
Please allow me to share something with you about those birth pains. I know this is a lengthy passage, but it is so filled with prophesies that you will recognize, at least I hope so, and it might give a bit better perspective on these things:
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne, and the earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where [is] the place of my rest? For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
{What the sacrifices were like to God after His Son offered up his own blood} He that killeth an ox [is as if] he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, [as if] he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, [as if he offered] swine's blood; he that burneth incense, [as if] he blessed an idol.
{condition of the jewish nation in the last days of the Old Covenant age} Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose [that] in which I delighted not.
{a word to the believing remnant of Jewish faithful} Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.
{prophecy about the birth of the church} Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? [or] shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut [the womb]? saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem
{new Jerusalem, the one Paul wrote about represented by Sarah, the freewoman, which Paul says is an allegory for the new covenant}, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon [her] sides, and be dandled upon [her] knees. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see [this], your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and
{Jesus is the “right hand” of God, ergo he is seated at God’s right hand} the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants , and [his] indignation toward his enemies.
{and this is what was in store for his enemies, those of Israel who rejected him and slew the servants Jesus sent to them} For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one [tree] in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. For I [know] their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them
{that sign is the Cross}, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations
{the Apostles and disciples who were scattered because of persecution and took the Gospel into all the world}, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren [for] an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem
{the New Jerusalem, the Holy city of the New Covenant}, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. And I will also take of them for priests [and] for Levites, saith the LORD. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh
{that last was about the enemies of the Gospel that the Lord destroyed and their dead bodies were thrown into the valley of Hinnom (Greek gehenna-translated “hell” but speaking of the place where God judged and destroyed the Jewish people who had refused the salvation he offered through faith in his son and chose instead to follow false christs to their own destruction}. Isaiah 66:1-24
And one more prophecy so I can show you what the Scriptures call this “woman” that would bear this children and suffer such terrible pains…
Sing, O barren, thou [that] didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou [that] didst not travail with child: for more [are] the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. Isaiah 54:1
Notice that it says there would be more children of the desolate than there would be children of the married wife? This is speaking of the two Israels, the desolate being the unsaved, rejected Israel [Old Covenant Jews] and the other is the wife of the bridegroom [New Covenant Jews].
Now come up to the New Testament and look at Paul’s use of and teaching about these two women:
For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Galatians 4:27
Now if you read that whole chapter of Galatians you will see that Paul teaches that these two women are the two covenants, and that the earthly Jerusalem is the old covenant woman who has many more children than the heavenly Jerusalem which is the new covenant woman. But it was Old Covenant Jerusalem that gave birth to New Covenant Jerusalem during a period of time in which she suffered trials and tribulations that culminated in the 7-year war that left her completely desolate, her children thrown into Gehenna to be food for the worms and beats of the earth and fowls of the air.
Does that give you a new perspective on what these “birth pains” were that Jesus referred to?
This is not when dan 9 was fulfilled though. Dan 9 had nothing to do with this. Not to mention. this occured BEFORE 70 ad.. so is not even in the timeline of events mentioned. And it is not when matt 24 was fulfilled.
This is precisely what Daniel 9 was speaking of, the last, final weeks of Old Testament history when the Jewish people would be judged and destroyed as the enemies of God and the holy city and temple would be destroyed.
So it was written, so it was done.
In Christ,
Pilgrimer
But in Revelation 20 I see the END of death and enemies. . . .
