Antichrist’s security forces will seek to kill all who refuse to take his mark.
To Daniel’s prayer confessing the sin of Israel, the angel Gabriel answers. He tells Daniel what will “make an end to sin…to bring in everlasting righteousness” (Dan. 9:24).
In the end times “one who makes desolate”—the Antichrist—will arise and rule in Jerusalem. He will even allow the Jews to rebuild their temple and make sacrifices. “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate…” (Dan. 9:27).
“Week” in Daniel means 7 years (Dan. 9:24-26). After “the middle of the week”, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with the Jews. At that time “he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Thess. 2:4). His abominations and desolations will last for 3½ years.
Jesus expands on Daniel’s prophecy when He describes the Great Tribulation.
“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” (Mt. 24:15-22)
A place prepared by God
Jesus says that those in the Holy Land must flee to the mountains, which were remote wilderness areas. There the Jews, symbolized by the woman Israel, would have “a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for 1260 days” (Rev. 12:6).
On a Jewish calendar, those 1260 days amount to the entire 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. Satan—the power behind the Antichrist’s throne—becomes enraged because he can’t reach those Jews. So he “went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17).
These Christians face a world that worships the Antichrist and his image. They may need many miracles to survive. Because the Antichrist’s security forces will “cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Rev. 13:15).
All will know that you refuse to worship the beast—and that you carry a death sentence—if you do not carry his mark on your forehead or hand.
See 3 1/2 Years of False Peace
Statism rises, democracy wanes
Tribulation for saints, wrath for unbelievers
Related sources for great tribulation.
Affirming Israel’s borders: Scripture & history.
Bible supports Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Also:
Tribulation for Saints, Wrath for Unbelievers
The 144,000 & 7 Trumpets
