ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION: BY LARRY WILSON PART 2

What Do They Share in Common?

As I understand it, the meaning of Daniel 12:11,12 is most important. The termination of the daily refers to the corporate intercession of Jesus in Heaven. The abomination that causes desolation at the 1,290th day refers to a universal death decree issued against the saints.

The blessing promised to those people who wait for and reach the 1,335th day refers to those people who are eye witnesses to the majesty and glory that belong to Jesus as He crushes His enemies at the Second Coming. Why are these three elements united in these two verses?

Because there will always be some eye witnesses who live through all of the end-time events and these people will testify throughout eternity about God’s wrath and God’s grace! Think about this. These eye witnesses will observe something that no one else has ever seen nor will ever see again. They will not only behold the fiery zeal of God’s wrath, but they will also experience the generosity of God’s offer for salvation to the entire human race, within a maximum of 1,335 days!

Y2K

In closing, I would like to present an interesting matter. Currently there is a certain amount of discussion and fearful expectation about the year 2000. Some people are discussing possible/probable computer havoc and certain chaos that could happen to many global infrastructures such as banking, shipping, communication, etc. Today, just about every business is computer based and if major computers go awry, world civilization as we know it could crumble.

Personally, I believe many serious problems are forthcoming because of possible computer glitches. I also believe that a certain amount of physical preparation is wise and prudent. However, I do not believe the Y2K problem is prophetic. Instead, it is pathetic to think that computer manufacturers and programmers have caused so much trouble simply because they failed to realize the year 2000 would ever occur!

As many of you know, I do anticipate the casting down of the censer and commencement of the Great Tribulation any day now – an anticipation that has continued to grow since 1994. We are well within the 1994 to 2013 window of time in which I hopefully anticipate these events will begin.

This leads me to the following observation. From a review of Bible history, Bible genealogy and Bible prophecy, it is reasonable to conclude the 6,000th year of sin occurs between 1998 and 2017. The twenty-year margin is the result of co-regent reigns of kings and the lack of precision in dating the records of 21 generations from Adam to the Exodus. Consider this progression of thought:

• If the Great Tribulation is 1,335 days in length (about 3 years and 8 months) and

• If my chronology is accurate and

• If Jesus does return at the end of the 6000th year – just as the seventh millennium begins, then it is within reason to conclude that the commencement of the Great Tribulation could occur between 1994 and 2013. The Spring of 2004 would be halfway through this time-frame and statistically, more in line with where the 6000th year might be. I mention this, not to date the Second Coming – for no man knows the day or hour – but to put what I am about to write within the correct context.

In Daniel 5, there is a story that has a peculiar twist. Notice these verses: "King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone." (Daniel 5:1-4)

It is conceivable that nearly every Christian has heard about the handwriting on the wall. In fact, the statement, "the handwriting on the wall," is a common phrase borrowed from Daniel 5. Many Christians also know that Daniel was brought to the banquet hall to interpret the handwriting that an angel wrote on the wall.

Many Christians know that King Belshazzar was killed that very night. However, what many Christians do not understand is that King Belshazzar committed an "abomination" that night which filled his cup of offenses. Because of this abomination, God ended his life and his kingdom accordingly.

Notice what Daniel told the young king when the old prophet was brought forward to interpret the handwriting on the wall. The story is a little lengthy, but do not miss a word: "Then Daniel answered the king, ‘You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. "O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. Because of the high position he gave him, all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes. "But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. "This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. ‘This is what these words mean: Mene : God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel : You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom." (Daniel 5:17-29)

This is the point: Belshazzar arrogantly insulted Almighty God by praising other gods and desecrating the sacred vessels with common liquor, which were used only in the service of God. God’s response was immediate. His reputation and honor was desecrated and the king and his empire perished that very night.

Belshazzar’s foolish abomination was the "straw that broke the camel’s back." God could no longer tolerate this man’s arrogance. I mention these things because there may be a strong parallel in this upcoming year. Most political leaders regard the year 2000 or 2001 as marking the beginning of the next millennium.

To celebrate this millennial transition, many great banquets are being planned, to toast the prowess of men and their great achievements. They will praise themselves and one another. They will insult the God of Heaven by denying His power, His generous gifts and His blessings upon the nations, just like Belshazzar.

I expect to hear pompous words and hollow boasting. (Next year is also a United States presidential election year, so you know that in this part of the world we are going to hear man taking much credit for things he did not do.)

Unfortunately, religious leaders will probably do no less. They too will offend the Almighty.

All these activities add guilt to Earth’s already full cup. Could it be that when all this praise and boasting is taking place, God will suddenly make everyone’s knees tremble? Will He humble humankind with the same swiftness that He humbled Belshazzar? Will the all-important daily in Heaven be terminated in response to man’s insult to the mercy of the Almighty?

I am watching. How about you?