As students of Bible prophecy, we are aware of how modern technology points us to the fulfillment of several Tribulation events. For example, in Revelation 11:9 we learn that after the antichrist kills the two witnesses, people from all over the world will “gaze at their dead bodies.” Television, satellites, and 24/7 news networks explain how it’s possible for people all over the world to watch events unfold on the streets of Jerusalem in real time. They will also be able to view this morbid scene on other electronic devices any time they wish to do so.
When it comes to one person controlling all the buying and selling worldwide, just twenty-five years ago I imagined it would happen through an exceedingly large number of participants in every nation who would willingly enforce the dictates of the antichrist. Today, AI, gigantic databases, data centers, and the coming central bank digital currencies not only make it possible, but also likely. The elites already tell us that they plan to use this technology to both monitor and control how people spend their money.
During the past couple of months, I have spent many hours studying Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:15-18 where He refers to the defilement of the temple at the midpoint of the Tribulation. Although there are similarities to His words in Luke 21:20-25, where He predicts the destruction of the temple in AD 70, it cannot be the same event as the “abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel” (Daniel 9:27, 12:11). The significant differences in the texts verify that these passages refer to different and rather distinct events. One happened in the distant past; one awaits a still future fulfillment.
In both texts, Jesus warns the Jewish people that what they “see” will prompt them to the presence of imminent danger. In Luke 21:20, it’s the sight of “Jerusalem surrounded by armies” that alerts the people to the perils that lie ahead for them, such as happened in AD 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which led to a time of intense persecution of the Jews.
In Matthew 24:15-16, the spectacle of impending peril is far different; there the Lord begins His warning with these words, “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” In this text, it’s the sight of the one we know as the antichrist, the “man of lawlessness” insidethe “holy place” of the temple that alerts the Jews to danger. Despite this occurring within a small enclosure in the temple building, the Jews will “see” it take place and know to immediately flee.
But what makes this far more interesting is the examples of places where Jesus says they will observe the defilement of the temple’s holy of holies. Some will be on the housetops when they see the “abomination” take place, while others will be in the fields when they see it (Matthew 24:17-18). The Lord is not telling them to instantly flee when they hear reports about the defilement from someone running to tell them about it or read about it the next morning; it’s when they watch it happen in real time.
It was not until several weeks ago that it occurred to me that Jesus was implying that people working outside in the fields would somehow witness the abomination as it happens and know to flee without even picking up their nearby coat. The same is true with people on rooftops; they will see it take place and recognize the necessity to immediately run for their lives. Does this not imply smartphone technology or at least some other modern technology?
How else would it be possible for those in the fields to “see” it happen? And lest one thinks that rooftops belong only to the first century AD Jerusalem, I discovered that many of its homes today also have outdoor space on their roofs. It’s more common in the “for sale” listings of higher-priced houses in Jerusalem, but it’s a reality, nonetheless.
The scoffers of our day claim that we interpret prophecy with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. In other words, they argue that the news of our day determines what we believe about Bible prophecy. However, Jesus instructed us to watch for His coming, which necessitates evaluating current events in the light of what Scripture says about the last days. Might that also include recognizing the role that modern technology will play in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy? I think so.
It’s our understanding of God’s Word that alerts us to the season in which we live. Just as the cues Jesus gave to the Jews that enabled them to recognize imminent danger, so He has also told us what to watch for as we see the day approaching. Just as with Israel, the Lord not only warns us about what is coming, but also provides us with signs so that we might watch and know what lies ahead for us.
And today, what we see screams with the message that He’s coming very soon to take us to the places He’s preparing for us.
-Jonathan
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