In what fantasy do you see heaven? The word does not appear in the chapter. Context, pops, context!!
The verses you quoted from were a scene from heaven.
Matthew 24 and its parallel accounts confirm
Daniel 9, consistent with Jesus' descriptions.
Daniel 9:27 refers to multiple abominations, consistent with the
Luke 21:20 reference to the Roman armies. Charles Spurgeon expounds:
“As soon as Christ’s disciples
saw “the
abomination of desolation,” that is,
the Roman ensigns with their idolatrous emblems, “stand in the holy place,”
they knew that the time for them to escape had arrived—and they did “flee into the mountains.” The Christians in Jerusalem and the surrounding towns and villages “in Judaea,”
availed themselves of the first opportunity for eluding the Roman armies, and
fled to the mountain city of Pella, in Perea, where they
were preserved from the general destruction which overthrew the Jews. There was no time to spare before the final investment of the guilty city. The man “on the housetop” could “not come down to take anything out of his house,” and the man “in the field” could not “return back to take his clothes.” They must flee to the mountains in the greatest haste,
the moment that they saw “Jerusalem compassed with armies” (
Luke 21:20). “
Wrong again! for the Matthew account speaks of the mid point of Daniels 70th week! Jesus said in teh Matthew account- once this happened the WORLD will see tribulation as it had not seen prior nor will ever see again. Lukes passage was the judgment on Jerusalem Jesus pronounced after Israel had committed the unpardonable sin in Matt. 12
Your opinion notwithstanding- the world saw greater tribulation before Rome encompassed Jerusalem and it has seen worse since!
I love Spurgeon- but here he is wrong! Spurgeon did not think that Israel would ever be back in their land again as prophesied!
Once again let us look at both!
Luke 21:
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
When Rome encompassed Jeruslaem- it was the days of vengeance. Jerusalem would be trodden down by gentiles UNTIL the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (a future restoration of Jerusalem)
So the result of Rome was to fulfill the vengeance as written!
Now MAtthew:
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
The sign in Luke was Jerusalem circled by armies. The sign in Matthew is a person standing in the Holy of Holies!
Luke- Jerusalem trodden by Gentiles for an undefined time.
Matthew trouble over the world as has never been seen!
The church has been so guilty of eisegesis and sloppy reading of Scripture. Just because there are similar admonitions- does not make the events the same. And here there are massive differences.
Paul spoke of the man of sin in the holy of holies declaring himself he is God- If you reject a third temple in the 70 th week then you need the man of sin in Herods temple and that never happened.
If you reject a tribulation temple- then you need to show when this happened:
Revelation 11 King James Version (KJV)
11 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rome did not enter Jerusalem until Titus came back after going back to Rome to see his father Vespasian become Cesar! Then when he returned He went in and ransacked Jerusalme. The legion was ordered not to destroy the temple, but when they burned the city- the temple caught fire and the gold melted between tyhe bricks so that when cooled they dismantled the temple to get the gold Thus fulfilling Jesus prophesy!