Apparently, you must think you do. Therefore, why not simply tell us what those things refer to in this context? You never know, I might even agree with you here if something else in the Bible supports it. Speaking for myself, I do not take it in the literal sense where it is involving Jews in the first century nor in the final days of this age. It is involving the church. Yet, what does the church have to do with winter and the Sabbath, though? That's my 100K $ question.
It is a matter of receiving
God’s Word with spiritual discernment. You are correct: fleeing the
Abomination of Desolation has nothing to do with the Jews in 70 A.D., nor with a future event when a so-called Antichrist sets up a statue on the Temple Mount. It has nothing to do with weeping mothers or grabbing possessions from their homes.
Christ was speaking about
His New Testament congregation during the brief season when Satan is allowed to act as God’s instrument to
judge the unfaithful in the Church. Woe the woman who represents the Church. Her child are people of her congregation. The Children, if not saved yet, will no longer be able to suck Gospel Truth within the church for she is under judgment.
Matthew 24:19-21
- And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
- But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
- For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
The context of verse 15-25 is about the spiritual condition of the church where salvation is not possible
at that time.
Winter in scripture is the time of hardship, deprivation and storms where there is a lack of stores in the field. It is a time when
all the
harvest is done and there can be
no more increase. A time when the
work in the field has ended. Like the
Sabbath, signifies a time of rest, when the earth rests from its work.
And that (Like the Sabbath in Matthew) it also symbolizes a time when salvation has ended on earth and there can be no more work in the field. There is no more fruits of the field to harvest. It is the time when no man can work to bring an increase.
Song of Solomon 2:11
- "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;"
Again, winter symbolizes a season of hardship and barrenness—a time when nothing grows.
Spiritually, it represents the absence of salvation or opportunity for new life in Christ. This is why Christ warned us to pray that our flight would not be in the winter: because
once winter arrives, it is
too late for planting or producing anything. The time for growth has ended, and the harvest has already come and gone. For all Elect has been secured (Revelation 7:3-4) . All Israel has been saved (Romans 11:26), In other words, the season of salvation will be over, and no further opportunity will remain. So it will be for a little season of no salvation before Christ returns to gather the remaining Elect who will be still alive and remain.
Jeremiah 8:20
- "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."
John 9:4
- I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
It is a period when time has run out for man to be delivered or saved. Pray that man's flight from Judea (symbolically church) is not at a time when salvation has already ended and no man can work. Because if we are not saved then (
Revelation 7:3), we will be under judgement and wrath of God.
This is "
WHY" God has to seal His people first before loose Satan. And when they "see" Abomination of Desolation standing in the Holy Place (Church), flee to avoid partake of unfaithful church's plagues.
My thinking in regards to fleeing the AOD that it is to flee apostacy. That it's connected with most of 2 Thessalonians 2, for example. And what is one thing that chapter is involving? Apostacy, falling away.
Close! I am currently busy writing an article about exactly what is Abomination of Desolation and why Elect need to flee from it when they "see" it.
