Persecution By Antichrist

Mark 13:14-20

“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: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.  But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” (Mark 13:14-17)

Daniel 11:31-33 describes the time when the vile leader known as the Antichrist places the abomination of desolation in the temple.  “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.  And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.  And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. “  He will do this in an attempt to prove he is greater than any other god, setting himself as their god. 

His pride will not carry him very long, according to Daniel 12:11.  “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”  Approximately three years and seven months after the Antichrist places the Abomination o Desolation, Christ will set up his earthly kingdom, after destroying the Antichrist and his forces, as described in Revelation 19:11-21.  “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.   And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.   And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

When the Antichrist sets himself up as god, He will attack every group that opposes him,  Initially, the Jews are the focus of his ire, and Jesus warns he will m,ove against them so fast they will not have time to prepare for flight,  As a result pregnant women and those with infants will have an especially hard time.  Revelation 12:13-14 describes this attack.   “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Unable to destroy Israel, the Antichrist will turn his wrath on the Christians for three and a half years.  A group centered in Babylon, probably Muslim, will make the mistake of opposing him and Babylon will be completely destroyed, but he will not be able to destroy all the Christians or Israel. 

“And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.  For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.  And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” (Mark 13:18-20)

Because they will have no time to prepare, they need to pray that the flight will take place in summer so they can have time to grow and harvest food for the winter.  The persecution and attempts to destroy them will be far worse even than Hitler’s persecution during the Holocaust.  God has limited the duration of the Antichrist’s reign or none could survive it.  In his efforts to prove himself god, he would destroy all life, much like some of the liberals today who are willing to destroy the United States to regain power.  God will limit the Antichrist’s power for the sake of those who trust Him.