A. The "Abomination of Desolation"

A. The "Abomination of Desolation"
We do know that the Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel very soon after the Rapture. He assures them a perpetual peace to worship in their temple, offering the same sacrifices as they did under the old covenant. After 3 ½ years, the Antichrist breaks his covenant.
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (Daniel 9:27)
a. The Abomination. This is when the Antichrist goes into the Jewish temple and declares himself to be God.
“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
He then seeks to exterminate all Jews as described in Matthew 24:15-22.
"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:) (Matthew 24:15)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:16)
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: (Matthew 24:17)
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. (Matthew 24:18)
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! (Matthew 24:19)
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (Matthew 24:20)
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:15-22)
b. The Desolation. This is when the Antichrist destroys the buildings of the temple completely as Christ foretold His disciples.
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. (Matthew 24:1)
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:1-2)
The Antichrist has his headquarters in Babylon. He is identified as the first beast in Revelation 13:12, who is the god of the one-world government. Revelation 13:11 is another beast who is the head of the one-world church.
:And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (Revelation 13:11)
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.: (Revelation 13:11-12)
Prior to the Rapture, Satan and his angels (demonic spirits) had access to the heavenly atmosphere above the Earth.
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” (Ephesians 2:2)
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
For example, Daniel had prayed to God for three weeks; but received no answer. The record is in Daniel, Chapter 10. Notice in Daniel 10:11-14.
“And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. (Daniel 10:11)
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. (Daniel 10:12)
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. (Daniel 10:13)
Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” ((Daniel 10:11-14)
God had sent an angel to answer Daniel’s prayers; but, in going through the atmosphere where Satan and his angels (demons) roamed, he was detained. God had to send Michael, the Archangel, to help get his response to Daniel.
The “prince of the kingdom of Persia” is none other than a strong demon, who exemplifies Ephesians 6:12, and who does the oversight of principalities; i.e., of the various nations. (How could the earthly king withstand Gabriel in the Heavens?)The demon had spiritual power; as did the King, who had earthly power over his kingdom.
This liberty that God had extended to Satan and his demons to occupy as “the Prince of the Power of the Air,” would end at the Rapture. During the Tribulation, Satan and his demons will be confined to the Earth; as the atmosphere will be off limits!
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (Revelation 12:7)
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (Revelation 12:8)
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9)
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, BECAUSE HE KNOWETH THAT HE HATH BUT A SHORT TIME.” (Revelation 12:12)
Notice in Verse 12b that Satan knows that Almighty God is in complete control. He knows for a fact “that he hath but a short time.” He knows that he will suffer defeat at the Battle of Armageddon when Christ returns; he knows he will be chained for 1,000 years with no access to God’s creation; he knows he will be released for a “little season” for his army to suffer complete destruction at the Second Battle of Gog and Magog.
“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” (Revelation 20:3)
He knows this is the last time he will ever see the daylight of God’s creation again. He knows his eternity is in the Lake of Fire.
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
The only satisfaction Satan can experience is in deceiving as many of God’s creation as he can into spending eternity in Torment with him.
Should one be able to see beyond their physical sight into the spiritual realm, they would envision all kinds of activity going on. At the death of every person you would see a heavenly angel transport that individual to Paradise, or Hell (Hades).
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and WAS CARRIED BY THE ANGELS into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; (Luke 16:22)
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” (Luke 16:22-23)
With Satan and his demonic hordes being confined to the Earth, they will not be able to interfere with the angels of God as they are continually administering God’s judgment on the earth.