Mark 13:14-27
14 “The time will come when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where it should not be–reader, pay attention! “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 15 A person outside the house must not go back into the house to pack. 16 A person in the field must not return even to get a coat. 17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for mothers nursing their babies in those days. 18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter. 19 For those will be days of greater horror than at any time since God created the world. And it will never happen again. 20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, the entire human race will be destroyed. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.  21 “And then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or, ‘There he is,’ don’t pay any attention. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 23 Watch out! I have warned you!  24 “At that time, after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send forth his angels to gather together his chosen ones from all over the world–from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

The “sacrilegious object that causes desecration” refers to the statue of the Antichrist in the Temple of God that the Antichrist will set up during the Tribulation.  Antichrist will betray the Jews he has signed a 7 year treaty with halfway through and set himself up to be the god of this world.  Christ is giving instructions to us about His Second Coming in this scripture to prepare us for His return.  As He tells us in verse 26 that everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds.  There have been similar sacrilegious object that caused desecration throughout history and because of those events; people believe that Christ has already come again.  In 168 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes came into the Temple of God and sacrificed a pig to Zeus on the Temple altar.  And in A.D. 70 the Romans completely destroyed the Temple and then placed an idol on the site.  But do not be deceived because Christ is very clear that this event would take place right before His Second Coming.  When He comes again, no one will need to tell you because everyone living in the world at that time will know He has returned.  No one will need to be told.   We know that there is still a lot of evil in this world, so Christ is not sitting on the throne of this world.  And the Jews are not worshipping in the Temple in Jerusalem, so Christ has not returned yet. These events are still in our future.  But we must be prepared for His return at any minute.  This means living Christ to the world around you and becoming His image in our life.  Waiting and watching for His Second Coming will keep you living for Him and will continue the process of sanctification in you.

Have a God Day!