The Abomination of Desolation

One of our readers asks to have Daniel 9:24-27 explained. This is probably too big a task for the short articles of this letter, but it seems to me as if the heart of the passage is in vs. 27, and on that passage I wish to comment. Let me quote it first, although the reader is asked to look up the whole passage.

"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."

The text, quite obviously, has to do with what is called elsewhere in Scripture, "the abomination of desolation." Daniel mentions it elsewhere, especially in chapter 12, verse 11. Our Lord mentions it in connection with His discussion of the signs of His coming at the end of time. In Mt. 24:15 Jesus tells us, "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) then let them which be in Judea flee…."

From these references in Scripture, we may conclude: 1) that the reference is to something so spiritually abominable that one shudders even to think of it: it is an Abomination - with a capital A. 2) This abomination, whatever it is, makes desolate. And, if we should ask, What is made desolate? The answer is the holy place so that the sacrifice and oblation are forced to cease. 3) It shall be there only until the consummation when that which is determined shall be poured out upon those who are desolate, that is, upon those who are made desolate by this abomination.

Putting the discussion of this abomination into the context of Daniel's prophecy, it is evident that Daniel is referring to the very thing that happened under the rule of Antiochus Ephiphanes, the Syrian despot, who attempted to destroy the true worship of God in Jerusalem during the 400 years between Malachi and Christ.

He set up an image of himself in the most holy place of the temple. He forced every Israelite to worship that image of himself. He offered pig's meat on the altar of burnt offering and forced the Israelites to eat unclean meat as part of the sacrificial feast.

He made the holy place desolate and made the worship of God impossible.

Jesus refers to this very prophecy in connection with His discussion of the signs of His coming - signs which He discusses in their relation to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. I might remark parenthetically that the post-millennial preterists limit Mt. 24 exclusively to the destruction of Jerusalem. But they have no conception of prophecy and mislead God's people.

Jesus' reference to the destruction of Jerusalem is to an event that happened in 70 A.D. when the armies of Titus destroyed the holy city. The Roman eagle was set up in the most holy place of the temple and the Jews were forced to worship this symbol of Rome, thereby declaring that the Roman emperor was divine. The holy place where God dwelt in covenant fellowship with His people was made desolate and the worship of God became impossible.

Jesus speaks of one more fulfillment of that event. It shall take place just before the end. Under the reign of Antichrist, the beast shall set up an image of himself in the places where God is worshipped and shall insist that all worship be now given to him. Those who refuse to worship before his image shall be killed.

This is in keeping with other passages of Scripture. It agrees with II Thess. 2:4 in which Antichrist is described as sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. It is in keeping with Jesus' command to flee when this happens (Mt. 24:16) because all worship of God in the corporate worship of the church shall become impossible. This is also in keeping with the description of Antichrist in Rev. 13:14-15 which speaks of an image of the beast and the demand of the beast that all men worship him.

And we are told that just before the end the witness of the church shall be silenced completely and the worship of the saints shall come to an end. This is stated emphatically in Rev. 11:7ff.

These will be dreadful times for the church. Those who refuse to worship the beast will be killed. Those who refuse his mark will be unable to buy or sell. Those who remain faithful to God will no longer be able to worship Him in the company of the saints, for the holy place is made desolate by this monstrous abomination of Antichrist who makes himself God. But we must not be alarmed or fearful, for the full number of the elect is now gathered, the church has served its purpose in the world, the cup of iniquity is all but full, and Christ shall come to pour out His wrath upon that spiritual desolation which Antichrist creates.

It is well to close with Jesus' own admonition: "Watch, therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour when the Son of man returns."