Finding God’s Refuge in a Corrupt World

Finding God’s Refuge in a Corrupt World

 This message is for us who live during the time BEFORE Messiah returns.

When Yeshua warned, “When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place… then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matt 24:15-16), He wasn’t giving a random instruction. He was telling us that when evil becomes so bold that it walks right into what is sacred, what belongs to God, it’s time to move, to separate ourselves from it, to run toward holiness.

But many today ask, “Where do we run to? The world is filled with corruption, and you can’t escape it by crossing a border.” And that’s exactly my point: this isn’t about geography. It’s about direction, spiritual direction. When Yeshua said “run,” He meant run from compromise and toward God’s covering.

In Daniel’s prophecy, we see how this warning began. “He will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations will come one who causes desolation” (Dan 9:27). Evil isn’t content to exist quietly in the background; it invades the holy, twisting what was meant for worship into rebellion. In ancient days, that meant literal idols being set up inside God’s Temple. In today’s world, the “abomination” takes new forms: false gods of fame, pride, lust, greed, and comfort. It’s when what God calls holy is treated as disposable, mocked, or redefined.

Daniel continues: “Forces from him will arise and desecrate the temple fortress, abolish the daily sacrifice, and set up the abomination that causes desolation” (Dan 11:31). The daily sacrifice represented consistency in devotion, meeting with God morning and evening, honoring Him above all else. So when Daniel says it is abolished, it points to a loss of daily faithfulness. Today, that happens when distractions, entertainment, or pressures push prayer and Scripture aside. “Oh, We can do that later, when there’s more time”. We may not see golden idols standing in temples, but we do see glowing screens capturing our worship, addictions demanding sacrifice, and moral lines being erased.

So when Yeshua said to run, He was warning us about that very invasion, the moment when evil isn’t content just to tempt us, but begins trying to claim the throne of our hearts. The “holy place” isn’t only a temple in Jerusalem. It’s wherever God dwells: your life, your home, your mind, your relationships. When you see the world’s filth trying to stand where holiness belongs, it’s time to get out of that space.

Picture it in today’s world: a young believer walking through the city streets. On one side, flashing signs from tattoo and magazine shops lure him in. On the other, a crowd laughs, mocking everything sacred. A vendor steps into his path, pushing a new philosophy, a product, an identity, something that looks good but feels wrong inside. That’s the push of the abomination: to stop your run toward holiness and make you linger in compromise. But the true runner doesn’t stop. He turns his eyes toward the mountains, the refuge of God, and keeps going.

Those mountains aren’t just distant rocks on a horizon. They’re the spiritual high ground. They are the places you run to when the world presses in. For one person, that might be turning off the noise and opening the Word. For another, it’s walking away from a job that forces them to betray their conscience, like working on God’s Sabbath.. For another, it’s deleting what corrupts their heart and rebuilding the altar of prayer at home.

Daniel gives a sobering time marker: “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days” (Dan 12:11). Whether those days are literal or symbolic, the message is clear, there is a window of endurance. Once evil rises in full force, the faithful must hold fast, endure, and refuse to bow to compromise. That’s not fear, it’s focus.

To “run” means more than escape; it means pursuit. You don’t just flee evil; you chase after righteousness. You build strongholds of prayer, communities of believers who encourage rather than corrupt. You fill your mind with truth instead of noise. You guard your eyes, your time, your heart. When Daniel’s people were told to flee, they didn’t just wander; they ran toward preservation. So do we.

Where do we run to? Into God’s presence. Into His Word. Into worship that lifts us out of the world’s filth. Into fellowship that strengthens us to stand. The mountains of God are not distant. They rise wherever and whenever you draw near to Him.

In the end, the abomination tries to desecrate what God made holy. But those who run to Him, those who make their refuge in the Most High, find safety, strength, and hope that no worldly corruption can touch. Yeshua’s warning wasn’t meant to make us afraid but alert, awake, and ready. So when you see the world standing boldly against everything pure, don’t hesitate. Run. Not away from life, but toward Life Himself.

image done by chatgpt at my direction