The “Abomination of Desolation” is a term with religious and prophetic significance that appears in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. It is associated with events and prophecies related to the end times and the desecration of sacred places, particularly the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
The Abomination of Desolation in the Book of Daniel
In the Old Testament’s Book of Daniel, we encounter the term “Abomination of Desolation.” It appears in Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 11:31. These passages contain prophecies about a future event where a “desolating sacrilege” or “abomination” will defile the temple. The exact nature of this desecration and its historical context has sparked debate.
The Abomination of Desolation in the New Testament
In the New Testament, specifically in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus discusses the end times. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus warns his disciples about an imminent event, stating, “When you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ as prophesied by Daniel, in the holy place (let the reader understand), those in Judea should flee to the mountains.” This is often seen as a reference to a future event involving the defilement of a sacred place, potentially the rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem, signaling the impending end times.
Interpretations and Significance
Interpretations of the Abomination of Desolation vary among different religious traditions and scholars. Some see it as referencing historical events, such as the desecration of the Jewish temple by the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the 2nd century BCE. Others regard it as a future event linked to the return of the Messiah and the final judgment.
The meaning and significance of the Abomination of Desolation hinge on one’s religious and theological viewpoint. It remains a topic of study and interpretation within various religious traditions and discussions about the end times.
Related Commentary:
(Pillar New Testament Commentary) The “abomination that causes desolation” is a phrase taken from three cryptic references in Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11 to a scandal that would defile and profane the Jerusalem temple. The same phrase is used in 1 Macc 1:54 to describe Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), the Syrian general who outraged the Jews in 168 B.C. by erecting an altar to Zeus on the altar of burnt offering in the temple and sacrificing a sow on it. The sacrilege of Antiochus in the Jerusalem temple became the dramatic provocation for the Maccabean Revolt, which against all odds earned Jews their only century of political self-rule between the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. and the formation of the State of Israel in 1948.
(GotQuestions.org) While what Antiochus did certainly qualifies as an abomination, Jesus speaks of Daniel’s prophecy as having a still-future fulfillment (Matthew 24:15–16; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20–21). The Antichrist will model Antiochus Ephiphanes in his great pride, blasphemous actions, and hatred of the Jews.
