Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Matthew 24:14-19 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! Mark 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. The Abomination of Desolation You know, people in our world are always wishing for a better day, always hoping for a better time, always wanting to see the alleviation of the distresses and the problems that plague human society. But the message of Scripture is that before there is ever a better time, there is going to be an infinitely worse time. In fact, human society has to look forward to a time that is going to be more severe than any time they have ever known. That time is described rather briefly for us in just one verse in this particular chapter, and I want to draw your attention to it, its verse 21. For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. In that very brief statement, the Lord says that the world is to look for a time that will be worse than any other time it has ever known. And the Lord even gives it a name, Great Tribulation. READ MORE: gty.org/resources/sermons/2369/the-abomination-of-desolation ------------------------------- The Abomination of Desolation The key passages in Daniel that mention the term abomination of desolation are Daniel 9:27, 11:31 and 12:11. This is a technical term, which means that it has a precise and consistent meaning in all three passages. The phrase refers to an act of abomination that renders, in this case, the Temple, something unclean. Daniel 11:31 speaks of an act that was fulfilled in history before the first coming of Christ. Dr. John Walvoord explains: In Daniel 11:31, a prophecy was written by Daniel in the sixth century b. c. about a future Syrian ruler by name of Antiochus Epiphanes who reigned over Syria 175-164 b. c., about 400 years after Daniel. History, of course, has recorded the reign of this man. In verse 31, Daniel prophesied about his activity: . . . they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. This would be very difficult to understand if it were not for the fact that it has already been fulfilled. Anyone can go back to the history of Antiochus Epiphanes and discover what he did as recorded in the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees. He was a great persecutor of the children of Israel and did his best to stamp out the Jewish religion and wanted to place in its stead a worship of Greek pagan gods. . . . One of the things he did was to stop animal sacrifices in the temple. He offered a sow, an unclean animal, on the altar in a deliberate attempt to desecrate and render it unholy for Jewish worship (cf. 1 Macc. 1:48). First Maccabees 1:54 specifically records that the abomination of desolation was set up, fulfilling Daniel 11:31. In the holy of holies Antiochus set up a statue of a Greek god. . . . In keeping with the prophecy the daily sacrifices were stopped, the sanctuary was polluted, desolated and made an abomination.[1] Dr. Randall Price agrees: In my own study of the phrase in the context of Temple desecration I discovered the phrase served as a technical reference to the introduction of an idolatrous image or an act of pagan sacrilege within the Sanctuary that produces the highest level a of ceremonial impurity, Temple profanation. [2] This passage sets the pattern and provides details about what the abomination of desolation consists of. The Daniel 9:27 passage says that this abomination is to take place in the middle of a seven year period. The passage says, in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate. In other words, the future prince will do at that time exactly what Antiochus did in the second century b.c. [3] But Daniel goes on to say that the one who commits this act will be destroyed three and a half years later. Daniel 12:11 provides the precise chronology. [4] The text says, And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. In addition to the three passages in Daniel, the two references by our Lord in Matthew and Luke, 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and Revelation 13:14-15 also have this event in view. Therefore, the abomination of desolation, which the reader is to understand, includes the following elements: 1. It occurs in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 11:31; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). 2. It involves a person setting up a statue in place of the regular sacrifice in the holy of holies (Daniel 11:31; 12:11; Revelation 13:14-14). 3. This results in the cessation of the regular sacrifice (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). 4. There will be a time of about three-and-a-half years between this event and another event and the end of the time period (Daniel 9:27; 12:11). 5. It involves an individual setting up a statue or image of himself so that he may be worshipped in place of God (Daniel 11:31; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:14-15). 6. The image is made to come to life (Revelation 13:14). 7. A worship system of this false god is thus inaugurated (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:14-15). 8. At the end of this time period the individual who commits the act will himself be cut off (Daniel 9:27). READ MORE: https://raptureready/featured/ice/AnInterpretationofMatthew24_25_13.html ------------------------------- The Command to Flee This passage is saying that the moment the Jewish Remnant (the elect in verses 22, 24 and 31) sees the watershed event of the abomination of desolation then they are to flee to the Judean hills. Why are they to flee instantly? It is because with the instantaneous event of the Beast (antichrist) setting up the abomination of desolation in the rebuilt Jewish Temple, he goes from protecting Israel to persecuting her. Therefore, the sooner that the Remnant can get out of town, then the less likely it will be that antichrist will be able to persecute the Jews. Another reason why they will be able to flee instantly is because they will be miraculously provided for and protected as they make their way to Petra for three and a half years of safekeeping. Matthew 24:16- 20 provides a set of instructions for the Remnant. Christ tells them where to go: the Judean mountains. Jesus says to flee instantly. Don t even take a few minutes to collect a few personal belongings like your cloak in the field or a few items from your house for the journey. He warns that it will be difficult to navigate the mountainous terrain if pregnant or nursing a newborn. Jesus does not say that it will be impossible, but it will be difficult. Difficulty will be compounded if this event occurs in winter or on a Sabbath, because of the added restrictions that these times pose. The winter in Israel is the rainy season which increases the hazards of travel in the Judean hills because the creeks and rivers provide an obstacle not there during other seasons. The Sabbath imposes a travel restriction that is not in force on the other six days of the week that poses a real problem to the observant Jew. So why are the Jewish Remnant supposed to be aware of a special event which triggers their escape into the Judea wilderness, yet they are not told to make any preparations for that day? Miraculous Provision While Matthew 24:16- 20 focuses upon the divinely suggested response to the abomination of desolation by the Jewish Remnant, other passages provide a more complete picture of this three and a half year wilderness sojourn. The parallel passage of Revelation 12 provides further details of this mid-tribulational escape. Revelation 12:6 says, And the woman [Israel] fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. The key word in this verse is nourished. This explains why the Jewish Remnant is told to flee without consideration for any provisions, because God has prepared a place where Israel will be nourished and taken care of for three and a half years (the second-half of the tribulation). Notice some of the Old Testament passages that describe God s provision for His people during this three and a half year period: The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the Lord, will answer them Myself, as the God of Israel I will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land fountains of water. I will put the cedar in the wilderness, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert, together with the box tree and the cypress, that they may see and recognize, and consider and gain insight as well, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. - Isaiah 41:17- 20 I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep in the fold [Hebrew word is basrah]; like a flock in the midst of its pasture they will be noisy with men. - Micah 2:12 The drama is further explained in Revelation 12:12- 13, which reads as follows: For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. Satan s wrath is directed toward the Jewish Remnant at the middle of the tribulation. This requires Divine protection. There is cause and effect relationship between the heavenly (the casting of Satan from heaven to earth) and earthly (the abomination of desolation) events. At the mid-point of the tribulation, Satan now indwells the human antichrist and commences his campaign of anti-Semitism against the Jews with all haste. Thus, the need for a hasty retreat by Israel as advocated by Jesus. Next, Revelation 12:14 says, And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. The two wings of the great eagle, do not refer to the Israeli or American Air Forces. Instead, it is a figure of speech denoting Divine assistance, like that which was given to Israel during the Exodus and for her forty-year wonderings. That very same language was used in Exodus 19:4 of God s miraculous provision for the nation: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings, and brought you to Myself. Deuteronomy 32:10- 12 speaks of a similar miraculous provision at the Exodus in relationship to eagles wings. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, it appears that the Jewish Remnant can flee Jerusalem without concern for provisions, since God will nurture and care for them as He did the Exodus generation through miraculous means. Very likely the Lord will provide food (perhaps manna), water, and clothing for His Remnant that will be on the run and in hiding so as to escape the persecution of the dragon during the final half of the tribulation. READ MORE: https://raptureready/featured/ice/AnInterpretationofMatthew24_25_14.html ------------------------------- Once the abomination of desolation takes place, it will soon be followed by unprecedented persecution of the Jewish people. This is difficult to believe, given our knowledge of the Holocaust. But according to Jesus, these will be the darkest days in Jewish history. The Jews will face persecution at the hands of the Antichrist, an arrogant world dictator who will commit the abomination of desolation by proclaiming himself to be God. Antiochus IV Epiphanes Believe it or not, a similar abomination took place in history once before. In 167 B.C., the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes erected a statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies and desecrated the sanctuary and its holy vessels. Several centuries prior to this, the prophet Daniel (in Daniel 11:21-35) prophesied the life and times of this sinister figure. Yet those same verses, in many ways, also apply to the Antichrist, whose life is detailed in Daniel 11:36-45. Some people claim that Antiochus IV Epiphanes committed the abomination of desolation, thus fulfilling the prophecies of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15. But this is simply not true. Although the Book of Daniel was written prior to 167 B.C., the Olivet Discourse took place almost two centuries later. Jesus was well aware of the abominable acts committed by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. After all, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is a celebration of the Temple’s liberation from the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Clearly, Jesus spoke of a future abomination: “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about – the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” Matthew 24:15 (NLT) Although Antiochus IV Epiphanes came in the spirit and power of the Antichrist, the Antichrist himself will be the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecies in Daniel 11, Daniel 9:27, and Matthew 24:15. This is why Jesus referred to the desecration of the Temple as a still future event. READ MORE: https://raptureready/featured/gillette/bg28.html ------------------------------- Q90 : Revelation 13 and the Abomination of Desolation I have a question regarding Revelation 13:5-6: And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. Does verse 5 and 6 occur at the abomination of desolation? A90 : by Tony Garland Revelation 13:5-6 seem to relate to the events leading up to the future abomination of desolation, foreshadowed in history by the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 11:31; 12:11) and mentioned by Jesus (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). Not only does the beast blaspheme, but also those who worship him speak blasphemies: “who is like the beast? This attribution rightly belongs to God alone (Ex. 15:11; Ps. 35:10; Ps. 89:8; Ps. 113:5; Jer. 49:19; 50:44). This passage also gives us a key piece of information concerning the timing of the ascendancy of the Antichrist: his power is granted for 42 months (for 3 1/2 360-day years). This would appear to correspond to the last half of the 70th week of Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27 cf. Dan. 7:25). At the midpoint of the Tribulation when the two witnesses have been testifying for 3 1/2 years (Rev. 11:3), the Antichrist arises from the abyss to overthrow them (Rev. 11:7). He then sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is God (2Th. 2:4). Since he is a very busy man and lacks omnipresence, some believe that he will set up the image referred to in Revelation 13:15 which will remain in the Holy Place thereafter. This act of entering the Holy Place and setting up the image is most likely what Jesus had in mind as the abomination of desolation that signals Jews to flee Jerusalem in haste because of the latter half of the Tribulation period is characterized by the severe persecution of the Jews (cf. Revelation 12:13-17).
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 09:11:37 +0000
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