Hey everybody! Thank you for joining me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, I am incredibly excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. If you missed a day and want to catch up, visit the archives page HERE! But there is no shame if you start today! Day 276, Matthew 24:15 — The Abomination of Desolation Part 1 Matthew 24:15 (NASB1995) “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),” Context Matthew 24 contains Jesus’ detailed discourse about the end times and His second coming. It comes after a debate with the religious leaders (21:23-22:46) and His seven woes of judgment against them for their unbelief and hypocrisy (23:1-33). Following a final lament over Jerusalem that includes God’s abandonment and judgment for their rejection of Christ (23:37-39), Jesus leaves the temple with the twelve. They then ask Him when the end will come and what sign to look for regarding the end and His coming, leading to His lengthy reply. Review Yesterday, we continued Jesus’ end times discourse and read about the coming of ‘the end’. Many mission-focused ministries take Jesus’ words that ‘the end has come’ extremely literally, inferring that the parousía, or second coming, will happen sequentially with the last nation or individual hearing the good news. However, nothing in this statement should have predictive power. Believing so is clearly a misinterpretation, as no one knows the hour. This misunderstanding can lead to applying spreading the gospel as a task to be fulfilled rather than a promise to be trusted. It leads to a thinking that suggests humans can expedite the return of Jesus rather than focusing on faithfully trusting Him and allowing that faith to result in obedience and soul-saving. In our waiting for His return, we must remain active and spread the gospel to whatever end. However, we do so out of the love and hope we have in Christ and His promised return, not out of a sense of obligation or task that we must fulfill. This promise that the end will come is not a command, but a promise of our redemption and hope in Jesus. Discussion Today, we continue Jesus’ end times discourse and read about the sign of the end. Jesus has been explaining the things that will happen before the end comes in response to the disciples’ questions about when it will come and what signs to look for (v. 3). Many confuse the events mentioned in vs. 3-13, thinking these are signs of the end. In reality, these events are not signs but merely birthing pangs (v. 8). However, the end has now come. Jesus says, “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).” Throughout history, scholars have hotly debated Jesus’ revelation about the abomination of desolation, resulting in many interpretations. We will discuss a few of them over the next two days before reaching a comfortable interpretative conclusion that aligns with the rest of Jesus’ discourse. Until now, Jesus has described events leading up to the end. Now, the end has come and the abomination of desolation is its sign. This sign marks the beginning of the world’s end and the start of various end times calamities that will consume the earth. But what is the abomination of desolation? Why is it in the holy place? What is the holy place? When exactly will this happen? Did it already happen? What did the prophet Daniel say about it over 600 years earlier? Let’s discuss. The abomination of desolation is first mentioned in Daniel 9:27, regarding blatant pagan idolatry and sacrifice that will happen in the temple, resulting in its complete desecration and destruction.[1] There are various interpretations of this prophecy. While many argue this prophecy was fulfilled at various times in history, some suggest it is being fulfilled in stages. Most scholars argue for its fulfillment in the first century A.D. However, others believe it remains to be fulfilled entirely.[2] We will discuss each of these claims. Notably, similar abominations happened throughout the Old Testament. Solomon built altars for the idols of Moab and Molech, god of the Ammonites (1 Ki. 11:7) and Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians (2 Ki. 23:13), while Jeremiah 32:34 and Ezekiel 5:11 reference altars for ‘vile images’ and ‘detestable idols’ in the sanctuary. In short, this level of pagan sacrilege most often applied to uplifting forbidden objects of worship against God, which is a most grievous sin against God in His holy place.[3] So what is the Daniel prophecy Jesus is referencing? Daniel 9:27 says, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but 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, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” In this passage, the effects of the sacrilege usher in the end of the age.[4] This sacrilege is the sign the end has come. Original interpretations applied the Daniel ‘sacrilege’ to the erection of a pagan altar and/or image of the Greek god Zeus in the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167 B.C.[5] This interpretation comes from the books of Maccabees. While an apocryphal Scripture, it is authentic history and applies directly to the idolatry prophesied in Daniel.[6] This interpretation suggests that the abomination of desolation happened when Antiochus conquered Jerusalem.[7] Along with conquering Jerusalem, Antiochus forbade circumcisions (1 Mac. 1:60) and holy Levitical sacrifices unto God (1 Mac. 1:45). Instead, he forced Jews to sacrifice unclean swine (1 Mac. 1:47), which was unholy and sacrilegious.[8] Antiochus then constructed an aforementioned altar to Zeus in the temple, leading to further pagan desecration.[9] Even worse, he set up a brothel within the heart of the temple, which Jews considered a most grievous abomination (2 Mac. 6:4).[10] Ultimately, Antiochus outlawed Judaism entirely and made it a capital offense leading to execution for those who practiced it.[11] While Antiochus profaned the temple in many ways, he did not destroy it. Early interpreters suggested an expectation that the abomination of desolation was to be played out again on a grander scale.[12] Furthermore, Jesus’ words in this passage remain predictive of a future abomination that would include profane idolatry, various abominations, and the destruction of the temple. Thus, Antiochus only partially fulfills Daniel’s prophecy.[13] Further proof of this partial fulfillment is in Daniel 8:13, which speaks about how this sacrilege will end. Notably, Daniel 8:14 provides an answer, saying, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.” This promise came true during the Maccabean reign in 164 B.C.[14] The Jews under Judas Maccabeus recaptured and rededicated the temple and remade and restored its furnishings, including the desecrated altar (1 Mac. 4:36-51).[15] Thus, the sacrilege of Antiochus is simply a foreshadowing for future events, aligning with Daniel’s prophecy. Notably, the events from 167 to 164 B.C. are exactly 3.5 years apart. Another interpretation suggests the abomination of desolation was fulfilled in 70 A.D. This is more probable as it fits Jesus’ prophetic words about the temple’s future destruction (Mt. 23:38; 24:2). Renowned ancient historian Josephus lived through Jerusalem’s turmoil from 66 to 70 A.D. and believed the prophecy was fulfilled when revolutionaries slaughtered Jewish priests in the temple in 66.[16] This resulted in pagan sacrilege by bringing ‘desolation’, or bloodshed, into the heart of the temple.[17] Josephus also believed the temple was ‘left desolate’ in 70, following the Roman destruction of the temple and erection of their own idols and sacrifices to them.[18] These idols bore the insignia of the Roman emperor Titus, who was thus worshipped as a divine being.[19] According to some, this pagan idolatry in the temple fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy entirely as it sealed its desecration via its destruction and pagan idolatry.[20] However, other scholars claim the profaning of the temple that Josephus reported happened much later when the city and temple were already destroyed.[21] This suggests that the Roman idolatry happened outside the inner temple grounds, which is where Daniel prophesies the sacrilege to happen.[22] If the temple was destroyed already, this is not possible. Thus, relying solely on Josephus’ account is in vain.[23] Notably, the events from 66 to 70 A.D. are exactly 3.5 years apart. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. certainly aligns with the context of Jesus’ words prior to this discourse, and the events that occurred mostly align with Daniel’s prophecy. However, other scholars suggest a third interpretation—an interpretation that is still future. An interpretation that claims ‘the sacrilege’ is clearly a person.[24] We will discuss this final interpretation tomorrow as we continue Jesus’ end times discourse. Application People have debated the mystery of the abomination of desolation for centuries. Many approach this text with certain biases and presuppositions that suffocate opposing views. This is why I wanted to approach this text by studying the various interpretations that include the two historical events that seem to fulfill it. I hope diving into the history of these horrible events provided a better understanding of the passage and what exactly the abomination of desolation is. We will discuss this passage even further tomorrow as we explore a third interpretation that argues Jesus’ words are still future. However, it seems like the Daniel prophecy has fulfilled itself in stages. I will write a more extensive application in tomorrow’s post when we conclude our study of this verse. For now, I pray this study illuminated you to open your mind to varying interpretations and ignited a zeal for deeper study of Scripture. God blesses us with divine revelation when we deeply seek knowledge and understanding and rightly divide the truth of His word. May we always approach Scripture this way. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Jesus every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Next, we read Matthew 24:15. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, you can reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together. References [1] Philip Comfort and David R. Veerman, “Life Application Bible Commentary New Testament.” [2] Craig Keener, “IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition.” [3] Knox Chamblin, “Mentor Commentary.” [4] Doug O’Donnell, “New International Greek Testament Commentary.” [5] Ibid. [6] Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, “Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary.” [7] John Nolland, “Preaching the Word Commentary.” [8] Ibid. [9] Ibid. [10] Ibid. [11] Comfort and Veerman, “Life Application Bible Commentary New Testament.” [12] O’Donnell, “New International Greek Testament Commentary.” [13] Nolland, “Preaching the Word Commentary.” [14] Chamblin, “Mentor Commentary.” [15] Ibid. [16] Keener, “IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition.” [17] Ibid. [18] Ibid. [19] Ibid. [20] Ibid. [21] O’Donnell, “New International Greek Testament Commentary.” [22] Ibid. [23] Ibid. [24] Ibid.
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