15“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.”
Persecution would continue unabated during the predicted time of tribulation (vs. 9). Jesus pointed to the predictions of Daniel the prophet as being pivotal. The “Abomination of Desolation” (Daniel 9:27, 11:31) was a reference to an idol that would be set up in the Jewish temple, the absolute worst case scenario for the Jews. According to Daniel, in his cryptic manner, this would take place during the middle of the 70th week.
Much ink has been spilt in wrestling with Daniel’s prophecy, trying to understand it in some historical context. Some feel the “Abomination of Desolation” happened when Antiochus Epiphanes, a Greek overlord, invaded Israel in 167 B.C. and set up idol worship in the Jewish temple complete with its sacrifice of pigs and other sacrifices the Jews found detestable. While this did happen in history and can be read about in the books of the Maccabees (which are part of what is called the Apocrypha), the timing does not match up with the timing of Daniel.
The research of New Testament scholar Prof. Harold Hoehner has proven helpful here (see “Chronological Aspects of the life of Christ,” Zondervan). In context of Daniel, a “week” represents seven years; so then “70 weeks” refers to a time frame of 490 years. Given all the historical markers in Daniel’s prophecy, the end of the 69th “week” of years coincides with the entry of Christ into Jerusalem, just days before His crucifixion. The prophet wrote that after the 69th week, the Messiah would be “cut off,” that is killed (see Daniel 9:25-26). Then, during the middle of that final week of years, the 70th “week” the abomination of desolation would be set up.
How then do we reconcile the fact that in the seven years following Christ’s death, there is no historical record of any such desecration of the Jewish temple? This dilemma can be resolved with the suggestion that Daniel’s prophetic time clock was put on hold with the rejection of Christ as Messiah by His people. The clock will start up again, as it were, when God’s people are prepared to say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:39). Therefore, the “Abomination of Desolation” along with the rest of the events of the 70th week, that seven year period of tribulation, remains future. But, the warning stands. Rebellion against God will increase.
Lord, being aware that You know the future gives me assurance that I have nothing to fear. I praise You that in the end Your justice wins.
I believe the complete fulfillment of the abomination is future; however the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD may have been a type. A type never completely fullfills the antitype.
I know that very bad times are ahead; it’s hard for me to know exactly where we are. There are two possibilities in my mind; the United States will either continue under the reign of an Ahaz or will repent and be under a Hezekiah. These times are very much like the days of Judah when the nation was chastized for the sake of the remnant.
I would not be dogmatic about that at all; I just wanted to say thank you dear brother for your writing.
Thanks for your feedback. Regardless of what is coming ahead, we know the Lord is ultimately in control. Praise God.