Posted by Elana Janson on October 03, 2013 at 07:43:26:
To Martin van Niekerk in answer to your email concerning the "abomination that causes desolation"
This post has appeared on this Forum.
“The abomination that causes desolation”
These words appear in the book Daniel and were mentioned by Jesus Christ concerning the time of the end.
Matthew 24:15-16 (New International Version) “ So when you see standing in the Holy Place the abomination that causes desolation spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand; then let those that are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
Matthew 24:15 (King James Version) “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 Judea flee to the mountains.”
If one looks at references in the Old Testament the word “abomination” also “abominable” and “abominations” often relate to sin, the ways of the wicked and turning away from the faith.
Because Mat 24:15 specifically refers to Daniel one should look at the meaning of “the abomination that causes desolation” in that book.
Daniel 9:27 (NIV) “He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. In the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
According to my understanding this verse is an example of the words of Daniel that refer to the history of the ancient Jews as well as the end time.
In history it is generally thought that these words refer to the altar that was set up in the temple to the pagan god Zeus Olympius in 168 BC by Antiochus Epiphanes. Some believe it was the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in AD70.
Revelation
The knowledge of Revelation, I believe, gives greater insight.
Dan 9:27 “And on the wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Because Daniel speaks of “the end”, “wing of the temple” can refer to the whole concept of “temple” in Revelation as I explained in the post “Rise measure the temple and the altar and those that worship therein”. The words “poured out on him” also seem to refer to the pouring of the vials of the wrath of God in Revelation (Rev 16:1 And I heard a voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways and pour your vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.”)
It seems that Jesus Christ in Mat 24:15-16 is preparing mankind for the outcome of what is understood in Revelation as the “beast out of the sea” and the “beast out of the earth” when it is present in the place of the temple in Jerusalem. The “desolation” I believe refers to spiritual desolation (present day secularization) that results from the ‘beasts’ that misled the nations.
Daniel 11:31 (NIV) “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will resist him.
Daniel 12:11(NIV) “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1335 days.”
Full of abominations
According to my knowledge of Revelation the development of the ‘gestalt’ of the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth are time bound to the previous centuries. The result of these massive configurations of the development of sin through history that would cause man to move away from the faith develops further to what is described in Rev 17:1-2 as the “the great whore” who sits on the “scarlet colored beast” (Rev 17:3). The words ‘scarlet colored’ relate to time. That is the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century. In other words the ‘gestalt’ of the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century has developed to “the great whore that sits on the beast”. What is of significance is that Revelation uses the word “abominations” - the whore is “full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (Rev 17:4). The repetition of words is of course crucial in the understanding of Revelation.
I believe that this 'gestalt' that was revealed in Revelation and turned the nations away from the faith is the Anti-Christ and that Anti-Christ does not mean a specific person.
I understand the place of the temple in Jerusalem, in the end time as being the place where “the abomination” will clearly be seen and it will relate to something that will take place in Jerusalem or concerning Jerusalem.
The “abomination” seems to be when the priorities of secular government override the religious beliefs of the citizens (Rev 17:4). Revelation reveals that it has happened in the West and all the countries where Christianity has spread.
According to Daniel (Rev 12:11) and Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:15) when the “abomination” is seen in Jerusalem we are very near the end. It may be the dictates of secular government (that has at that point in time spread to most of the nations of the world) on Israel that may ultimately bring about Armageddon.
Flee to the mountains
The words “flee to the mountains” can have both a spiritual and a literal meaning. In the time of threat the faithful should look to the words of the prophets (“mountains”) Isaiah 2;3 “Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”. Dan 12:11 “Blessed is the one that waits for and reaches the end of the 1335 days”.
“Armed forces”
In the twenty-first century should pariah states or groups defy international non-proliferation treaties, “armed forces” could include the threat of a bomb or of nuclear weapons. Flee to the mountains because of a bomb, nuclear warheads or warheads with chemical weapons? Not impossible.