In Matt; 24:15 Jesus warned those in Judea to flee into the wilderness when they see the Abomination of Desolation. This will be in the middle of the 70th Week and begins the Great Tribulation. Two questions come to mind regarding this urgency. Why just those in Judea and what are they fleeing from?
Judea was the name by which Israel was known in Biblical times because it consisted mostly of the Southern Kingdom, known as Judah in the Old Testament. When Satan indwells the anti-Christ and proclaims himself to be God, his primary goal will be to destroy Israel and therefore prevent any official petition on their part for the Messiah to return and save them. A prophecy in Hosea 5:15-6:2 says that after the Messiah’s rejection by Israel He would return to Heaven and wait there until they ask Him to come back. Apparently, Satan’s thinking is if he can wipe out the Jews they won’t be able to call Him back. Many scholars believe this has been the motivation behind the various attempts to eliminate the Jewish people over the last 2,000 years.