Is There a Prophetic Connection to the September 11th Attacks?

One of the most peculiar things about 9/11 and the day after was the clear blue skies. Particularly the fact that there were no planes or contrails to be seen anywhere. Just clear blue skies from dawn to dusk. It was eerily serene.

That stood in stark contrast to the events that rocked our world just days before. I was working as an engineer at the time when someone in our office said an airplane had just crashed in downtown New York City.  

Culturally speaking, my employer hadn’t welcomed the internet fully into the workplace, and, although I had web access, it was to be used strictly for work. Realizing this could be a significant news event, I took a chance and went online to one of the major news websites and saw the images of the North Tower burning. I don’t recall the exact headline on my screen, but it indicated there was reason to believe this was no accident. Within a few minutes, the South Tower was struck and as a nation we collectively realized we were under attack.

Quickly, comments like, “World War III just started” and “Is this the beginning of the end?” started to circulate. Some began diving into their Bibles, wondering if the “great tribulation” Christ spoke of in Matthew 24 was beginning. For a time, people seemed to be turning to the Bible for answers. But when no clear, direct connection appeared between Scripture and the events of that day, the biblical interest quickly faded.

A prophetic connection

It’s true that there’s no specific prophecy regarding the attacks of 9/11. But events like this do have a connection to prophecy.  

In Matthew 24:6 Jesus said, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” While there have always been “wars and rumors of wars,” they’ve no doubt intensified since that fateful day 25 years ago. That day was a launching point for the Global War on Terror which has been ongoing ever since, albeit under different names, administrations and a wide variety of fighting forces.

Christ went on to say, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places” (verse 7). Again, to a degree, famines, earthquakes, etc. have been going on forever. If they have increased in frequency or magnitude, it’s too early to say.

Jesus then says in verse 8, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” That is, things are just getting started. From here He warns of religious persecution, false prophets, false Christs and great tribulation. In fact, things will get so bad that, “unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (verse 22).

There is at least one specific event outlined in this prophecy. Verses 15-16 read, “‘Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place,’ (whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.’”

The abomination of desolation Christ refers to is outlined in a prophecy in Daniel 11. That prophecy shows that the temple in Jerusalem would be desecrated: “. . . and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation” (verse 31). This occurred once in 168 B.C. when Antiochus Epiphanes set up a statue to the Roman god Zeus Olympus and sacrificing a swine there. The temple was later cleansed and proper sacrifices restored, but stopped again when the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. However, this prophecy is dual in nature, meaning it will be fulfilled again.

Christ’s words in Matthew 24:15-16 indicate at some point in the future, sacrifices will be resumed on or near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. While it’s not absolutely necessary that the temple be rebuilt for sacrifices to resume, it is a distinct possibility. In any case, Jesus indicates that there will be a future abomination of desolation to watch for.

Daniel 12:11 goes on to show, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.” This corresponds to approximately three years and seven months.

Going back to Matthew 24, Jesus said that once this abomination of desolation occurs, “. . . there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (verse 21). It’s from this verse the term “great tribulation” comes. This is the time that shortly precedes the return of Christ.  

As mentioned, the 9/11 attacks themselves are not directly mentioned in Scripture. There’s no mention of airplanes, twin towers or the United States of America by name anywhere in the Bible.  

However, Christ did give a prophecy in Matthew 24 that connects directly to a detailed prophecy in Daniel 11. In doing so, He does mention wars and rumors of wars, which we’ve seen in abundance since the 9/11 attacks. How it relates to specific prophecies of the Bible remains to be seen.

Does it matter?

The most important part of any prophecy isn’t the who, when or where. It’s actually what it means to you.  

Before getting into any prophetic events at all, notice what Jesus said first. “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5).  

Think about what Jesus said there. Before starting to talk about end-time events, Jesus gives a direct warning: “take heed that no one deceives you.” He follows this up with the fact that many will actually be deceived.

He doesn’t tell us to listen carefully so we can predict end-time events or figure out when He will return. He says: be careful that you don’t get fooled. That means staying diligently grounded in what the Bible does say, not speculating on what it doesn’t.

As mentioned, in the days following 9/11, many turned to the Bible for answers. And while there is perhaps some connection to be made to the events of that day and prophecy, by and large, most were asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, Did the Bible predict this?, the better question is, What do I need to do to keep from being deceived?

After giving those prophetic details we read earlier, Christ made another connection.  

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).  

Christ says that most people will be rather oblivious to His imminent return. They’ll be carrying on with life as normal, not sensing the danger that is coming, much like it was prior to the flood of Noah’s day.

What do you see today?  

While there was a brief resurgence in serious Bible study after 9/11, it didn’t last. Are people studying their Bibles in an effort to draw closer to God or even understand prophecy? Or are they blissfully ignorant of what’s happening on the world scene, content with simply meeting their own physical wants and needs?

This lax approach is exactly the opposite of what Christ said we need to be doing.  

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42-44).

Jesus Christ is very plainspoken here. Though the Bible gives some rather specific prophecies that will precede His return, you won’t figure out when He’s coming.

Thankfully, Jesus is also very plainspoken when it comes to what we should do.  

Watch.  

That doesn’t mean trying to predict; it means paying attention. Not simply observing events of the world we live in, but watching where you are in your relationship with God. Did any zeal to further study God’s word and understand His will in your life fade with time after being jarred to reality on that clear, late summer day? If so, now is the time to renew it with study, prayer and fasting.  

Christ points out in verse 45-46, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.”  

What will Christ find you doing at His return? Glued to the television, trying to figure out what will happen next? Or with your nose in your Bible, working to apply it to your personal life in a dedicated effort to live as He lived?

Watch. It’s a simple word with heavy implications. Observe what’s happening in the world around you for sure. But don’t do so at the expense of your personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father. When we do these things, we are heeding Christ’s warning to stay alert against deception and will be prepared for whatever earth-shaking events might come.