The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church

THE GREAT TRIBULATION 1
Daniel 12:1 tells us, “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never
was since there was a nation even to that same time.” The same grim
prediction is repeated to us by the Lord in Matthew 24:21-22, “For then
shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake
those days shall be shortened.” The Book of Revelation 7:14-17 gives
us further details about this Great Tribulation, “And he said to me,
These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore
are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light
on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of
waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
This Great Tribulation will shortly precede the second coming of
our Lord to gather His elect unto His eternal kingdom as we are told,
in Matthew 24:29-31, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the
stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the
Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other.”
It follows that this Great Tribulation will by necessity coincide with
the universal rule of the Abomination of Desolation, that Man of Sin,
“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or
that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.” (II Th 2:4)
1 Published: March, 2001