This is a Sample -Chapter 8 from the Apocalypse by Erika Grey
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
After the Antichrist signs the peace treaty, economic prosperity follows the first three and a half years after the agreement.
The Antichrist raises the EU into a great economic and political world power. Nations prosper through trade and association with him. The Antichrist wins the favor of the masses because he leads the European Union into great prosperity, and all associated nations will grow financially.
In the first 3 1/2 years after the signing of the treaty, peace is taken from the earth. Nation will rise against nation, and people will murder one another. Animals will also act out of the norm and kill individuals. The Antichrist will use the wars and conflicts to his empire’s advantage in the same way the US involves itself in conflicts that effect its interests.
The Antichrist gains popularity through deceit. The seeming people’s president tells the people what they wish to hear, while pursuing his own diabolical plans. He is not so much charismatic as he is bold according to Daniel. Midway through the Tribulation, the Antichrist changes his pro-peace policy. He receives a deadly head wound, possibly from an assassination attempt. Miraculously, he comes back to life (Rev. 13:3). A terrorist group may murder him due to his pro-Israeli policies. For one reason or another, certain individuals will oppose him.
Zechariah elaborates upon his wound. He describes: “The sword shall be against his arm, and against his right eye: his arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded” (Zech. 11:17). He will remain blinded in his eye, and paralyzed in his arm on the right side of his body. The Antichrist’s return from the dead—or near death—instantly increases his notoriety. The Antichrist allies himself with “the False Prophet,” (Rev. 19:20) a member of the unholy trinity. A renowned religious leader able to perform miracles he campaigns for the Antichrist. In this time frame, the Antichrist institutes the Mark of the Beast worldwide. No person can buy or sell unless he wears it.
Three and a half years after these negotiations, he stands in the Jewish Temple and declares himself a god. The Antichrist then lays siege to Jerusalem, and seeks to exterminate the Jews. Zechariah 13:8 tells us that two-thirds of the Jewish population die due to his exploits. The verse affirms: “And it shall come to pass, in all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die; but one-third shall be left in it.” The remaining third, God refines. They call upon His name, and He hears them. There are 13.8 million Jews worldwide. This would amount to the deaths of over eight million Jewish people in a three-and-a-half-year time period!
The Temple Rebuilt
During the first half of the Tribulation, the Jews rebuild the Temple of Solomon according to the exact dimensions described in I Kings, chapter 6. Christ warns the Jews of the “abomination of desolation: spoken of by the prophet Daniel,” indicating the Jewish Temple’s restoration. The abominable act takes place inside the Temple. This desecration prompts the beginning of God’s severe wrath and judgments upon the earth.
Currently, the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic Shrine which houses the foundation stone and a major landmark built in 691 A.D., making it the oldest Islamic building in the world was constructed over the site of the second Jewish Temple destroyed in A.D. 70.
At present, in Israel a fundamentalist Jewish movement exists that aims to rebuild the Temple. Within the Israeli government, the right-wing political party, the Temple Mount Faithful wish to relocate the Dome to Mecca and replace it with a third Temple. They intend on constructing the Temple on the Dome of the Rock and also suggest building a new Temple on the site, in a place that will not interfere with existing buildings. They openly declare that their ultimate goal is the demolition of the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, and the reconstruction on their site of King Solomon’s Temple. The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Jerusalem.
Jeremiah foretold the Temple’s destruction by the Babylonians (26:6-12). Daniel predicted the Temple’s desecration by the Syrian King Antichious Euphrates (Dan. 8:8-12). He also foretold Jerusalem’s restoration and rebuilding by Herod and the Temple’s destruction by the Romans in A.D. 70 (Dan. 9:25). Hosea 3:4-5 foretells the long time the Jews will remain without the symbols used in their worship, and without the Temple and how they will return to their God in the latter days.
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim.
Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.
Daniel also foretells the desecration of a future third Temple, and the persecution of the Jews by the Antichrist (Dan. 9:25-26). Before this prophecy will see fulfillment the Jews will erect a new Temple which means that some future event will destroy the mosque and the Dome of the Rock that are on the site. This destruction will either happen from a natural disaster such as an earthquake or by war. Earthquakes have rumbled through the area in the past causing damage to the al-Aqsa mosque.
The Russian and Arab invasion predicted in Ezekiel may destroy the Dome of the Rock located on Mount Moriah. Bible scholars debate the timing of the battle. Some argue the war occurs prior to the Tribulation and others that this conflict takes place during the millennial reign of Christ. Either way we know some event will destroy the existing buildings, which will clear the area for the building of the third Temple. Most likely, the Temple will be rebuilt during the first half of the Tribulation.
The Abomination of Desolation: Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14, Daniel 8:11-14, 12:11-13, 9:26, 11:31, Joel 1:6
Within Solomon’s Temple, the “most holy place” housed the Ark of the Covenant (I Kings 6:16-36). This sanctuary was the place God dwelt among the Israelites (Exodus 25). The Ark (made of shittim wood overlaid with gold) housed the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod, and manna.
Upon the Ark’s mercy seat, the sprinkled blood of sacrificed animals atoned for all of Israel. It stood as a symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ, which would one day be shed and remit the sins of the world. The priests abided by many details of dress, conduct, and worship. When the priests performed these rituals, God met with the children of Israel and sanctified the Temple by His glory (Ex. 29:43). All of these details and acts symbolized the Messiah, who was to come and be the propitiation for sin. In that most holy place, God reaffirmed His promise to His people.
Today’s Jews fundamentally reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah, and do not recognize the New Testament. They abide by the regulations of the Old Testament’s Law of Moses and the rabbinical traditions of the Talmud. The Levitical priests performed the rituals and rites within the Temple. Animal sacrifice was necessary for the remission of sin. Without a Temple, no Orthodox Jewish person living today can practice his faith to the letter of the law. This explains the desire of some Jewish sects to rebuild the Temple, which is as great a part of Judaism as possessing the land which God gave to the Israelites.
Three and a half years after the Antichrist agrees to his covenant (i.e., peace treaty) with Israel; he invades Jerusalem with an army (Joel 1:6, Dan. 11:31, 9:26). He then enters the most holy place, sits in the Temple and declares himself a god (II Thess. 2:4).
The Antichrist terminates the worship and sacrifice, and commits sacrilegious acts, desecrating the Temple. He places some abominable thing in the Holy Place. His true character reveals itself as he lays siege to Israel, occupies its territory, and wages war against Christians and Jews, undertaking their annihilation (Dan. 11:33-35, 12:10, Rev. 6:10-11, Jer. 50:33, Joel 1:6, Matt. 24:9, Mark 13:9-13). Only a third of the Israelites will survive. Zechariah 13:8 declares: “And it shall come to pass, in all the land, says the Lord, two in it shall be cut off and die; but one third shall be left in it.”
Concurrently, he and his of kings abolish all religion and their places of worship (Rev.17). At this time the Great Whore is judged by God, but the Antichrist will not tolerate any religion other than the worship of, and devotion to, himself and his empire. Daniel 11:37 affirms that the Antichrist regards no man, and thus has no thought for human life or suffering. The Antichrist also launches a war against all believers in Jesus Christ, and many are martyred.
Christ solemnly warns the Jews in Judea at the time to flee to the mountains. He commands them to run and leave their jackets behind. He notes the additional suffering for pregnant and nursing mothers who must escape. In Matthew 24:21, Christ declares: “For then there will be great Tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
We also see this elaborated on in Revelation Chapter 11. During this time the two witnesses appear on the earth to testify and perform miracles.
In Revelation Chapter 12, we see the woman who represents Israel, flee to the wilderness because she is pursued by the Antichrist. We are told in Revelation 12:15-16 that “the Serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth. The Antichrist sends out his massive army to pursue the Jews and either an enormous sinkhole or an earthquake saves the Jews from annihilation.
The Book of Daniel and the Revelation prophecy give the number of days left until the end of the world from the day of the abomination of desolation, and it equals 3 and a half years.
The Covenant of Death
In Isaiah 28:18, God refers to the treaty as a “covenant with death,” an “agreement with hell.” In Ezekiel chapter 13, God is angry at the prophets and prophetesses who speak from their hearts and tell the Israelites of peace. Verse 16 reads: “That is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, when there is no peace, says the Lord God.” Psalm 55:20-21 describes the Antichrist’s aims by stating:
He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him: he has broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.” Isaiah 33:7-9 adds: “Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities He regards no man.”
Some prophecy teachers teach that the four horsemen of Revelation 6:1-8 symbolize the Antichrist’s reign of terror, which ends the lives of one-fourth of the world’s population. I had leaned in that direction, but now I believe the army of 200 million is the Antichrist’s army, which ends the lives of 1/3 of the earth’s population.
When the Antichrist enters power, he acts deceptively, and exalts himself above all, and speaks against the God of gods. He honors a strange god of fortresses by acknowledging and glorifying it and causing it to rule over many (Dan. 11:23, 36-39). This might possibly be a weapon system, or computer infrastructure. The Antichrist changes times and laws (Dan. 7:25), and has a statue made of himself, which the False Prophet will cause to speak. Those who refuse to honor his image, he murders. He demands worship from the masses, and the crowds worship him (Rev. 13:8, 14-16). He prospers by accomplishing his aims. His dreadful and terrible empire devours the world, and breaks it in pieces, with the cheetah speed. (Dan. 7:7, 8:24; Rev. 13:2).
The final world power is the equal of all the previous world powers combined, and its authority extends worldwide (Rev. 13:2). Revelation 13:7-8 confirms that “authority was given him over every tribe, tongue and nation and all who dwell on the earth will worship him.”
The Antichrist initially gains the masses’ admiration through his financial and political solutions. He invades and conquers those nations that oppose him. Isaiah 10:14 records the power of the Antichrist’s conquest in his own words. He declares: “My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; and there was no one who moved his wing, nor opened his mouth, with even a peep.” This lines up with Daniel’s description of a demonic, animal, metal beast, which rises to great power.