Israel and Jerusalem

What happens to Israel during the reign of the Antichrist?

During the antichrist's reign, Israel first enters a seven year covenant with him that allows the temple to be rebuilt and sacrifices restored, but at the midpoint he breaks that covenant, enters the temple, declares himself God, and turns to besiege and persecute Israel until Christ returns.

For the first three and a half years of his seven year covenant with Israel, the antichrist acts as their deliverer, permitting them to rebuild the temple and reinstitute their old form of worship with sacrifices. Israel does not oppose him during this time; he confirms the covenant with many for one week, as Daniel 9:27 says, and in the midst of that week he causes the sacrifice and oblation to cease. Israel is described as having made a covenant that will later be disannulled, having trusted in lies and falsehood as their refuge, according to Isaiah 28:14 to 22.

In the middle of the seven years, the antichrist betrays that covenant. He goes into the rebuilt temple, sits on the mercy seat, and demands worship as God. When Israel refuses him, this provokes him to attack the city and utterly destroy it. Isaiah 29 pictures this as Ariel being besieged, camped against, and brought low, with siege works raised against her and great distress and sorrow coming upon the city.

This becomes the time of Jacob's trouble, the Great Tribulation. Jesus warns that when the abomination of desolation is seen standing in the holy place, those in Judaea are to flee immediately to the mountains, not stopping for anything in the house or field, because the tribulation to come will be worse than any before or since. Woe is pronounced on those with child or nursing infants in those days, and the flight is urged to happen quickly, with prayer that it not fall in winter or on the sabbath. Israel falls by the sword and is led captive into all nations, and Jerusalem is trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

While the Church is told to look up because redemption is near when these signs appear, Israel is told instead to run to the mountains because persecution is near, and the wrath of God is about to fall on them. Yet this is not the end for Israel. In time their sins will be purged, the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will look on the One they pierced and mourn for Him as for a firstborn son, and God will remove the iniquity of the land in one day, preparing a converted remnant to enter the Millennium as keepers of the temple.

The scriptures

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 (KJV)

Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

Isaiah 28:14-22 (KJV)

Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel. And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

Isaiah 29:1-8 (KJV)

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:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 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 (KJV)

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. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 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. 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.

Luke 21:21-24 (KJV)

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Zechariah 12:10 (KJV)

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

Zechariah 3:8-10 (KJV)

And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

Daniel 11:36-39 (KJV)

From the books

This answer is drawn from these passages in the Mary Banks Faith Library.