The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church
The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church
The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church
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114 GREAT TRIBULATION<br />
command the winds, and calm should be restored. He says therefore,<br />
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Lord said to the disciples when they woke Him up, “Why are ye<br />
fearful, O ye <strong>of</strong> little faith? <strong>The</strong>n he arose, and rebuked the winds and<br />
the sea; and there was a great calm.” (Matt 8:26) In the same manner<br />
the lord rebukes the <strong>Church</strong> for her fears, reminding her <strong>of</strong> His promise<br />
that He will not leave the <strong>Church</strong> comfortless. (John 14:18)<br />
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest<br />
be afraid <strong>of</strong> a man that shall die, and <strong>of</strong> the son <strong>of</strong> man which shall be<br />
made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched<br />
forth the heavens, and laid the foundations <strong>of</strong> the earth; and hast feared<br />
continually every day because <strong>of</strong> the fury <strong>of</strong> the oppressor, as if he were<br />
ready to destroy? and where is the fury <strong>of</strong> the oppressor?(Isa 51:12-13)<br />
<strong>The</strong> Lord uses the same imagery <strong>of</strong> the storm tossed ship in addressing<br />
the fearful <strong>Church</strong> promising her that no harm can come to her in spite<br />
<strong>of</strong> the hostile world around her:<br />
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will<br />
lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.<br />
And I will make thy windows <strong>of</strong> agates, and thy gates <strong>of</strong> carbuncles, and<br />
all thy borders <strong>of</strong> pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught<br />
<strong>of</strong> the LORD; and great shall be the peace <strong>of</strong> thy children. In<br />
righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from<br />
oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not<br />
come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by<br />
me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.<br />
(Isa 54:11-15)<br />
We have alluded to Isaiah 24 above. Verses 1-13 describe the<br />
desolation <strong>of</strong> the earth during the time <strong>of</strong> the Great tribulation,<br />
however verses 14-16 have a different tune to them:<br />
<strong>The</strong>y shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty <strong>of</strong> the<br />
LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the<br />
LORD in the fires, even the name <strong>of</strong> the LORD God <strong>of</strong> Israel in the<br />
isles <strong>of</strong> the sea. From the uttermost part <strong>of</strong> the earth have we heard<br />
songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness,