What is the abomination of desolation?

Then we get something more definite. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso reads let him understand): then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains" (verses 15, 16). Here we have a very important sign. What is meant by "the abomination of desolation"? "Abomination" is the Scripture title for an idol. Thus we read of "Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites," and "Chemosh the abomination of Moab" (1 Kings 11:5-7). It is, therefore, an idol set up in the holy place at Jerusalem. This has never happened in the past. True, the temple was defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan. 11:31), but this was long before the Lord's prophecy. The only event of note in connection with the temple since the Lord Jesus spoke was its destruction by the Roman armies under Titus in A.D. 70; consequently the Lord's prediction has yet to be fulfilled.

However, on the gospel of the kingdom being preached in the whole habitable earth, "then shall the end come," and the initial event of that period is given in the succeeding verse: "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 into the mountains" (Matt. 24:15-16). What now is meant by this mysterious expression, "the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place"? Of all iniquities, that which is pre-eminently abominable to God is idolatry, for it is the formal, overt denial of His Godhead, and the substitution of the creature for Himself, the Creator. Hence we find in the Old Testament that the word "abomination" has a special use as signifying an object of false worship. Thus, "Ashtoreth the abomination of the Lidonians; Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites; and Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon." The "holy place," of course, means the temple. The Lord had announced with reference to the temple then standing, "There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down" (ver. 3). Hence it follows that in the interval the temple will have been rebuilt. Take in connection with this, 2 Thess. where the apostle Paul speaks of one who is to be revealed before "the day of the Lord," namely, "That man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (vers. 3, 4). Here we have in the apostle's teaching, the two points of Matt. 24:15 — the temple recognised as again in existence; and an exorbitant phase of idolatry, a man setting himself up as God, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself that he is God. This somewhat illuminates the expression, "abomination of desolation," but it will be more fully explained later on.

It is plain from verse 15 that the Lord addresses the disciples as being representative of the remnant of Israel, for the erection of "the abomination of desolation" is even now still future, yet He says "when ye therefore shall see this standing in the holy place, let those in Judea flee to the mountains. Daniel 9:27 and 12:11 are to be compared here, and connected with Rev.13:14-15. The abomination that results in desolation is idolatry introduced by the anti-christ into the holy place, the temple in Jerusalem, which will take place at the middle of Daniel's seventieth week, and which will result immediately in the three and a half years of "great tribulation." This image to the beast (the head of the revived Roman empire) will be a direct challenge to God, for it gives Rome God's place of Protector of Israel. God will therefore send "a desolator," the king of the north, to overflow the land of Israel with a sudden thrust as of a whirlwind (Dan.11:40).

This passage in Matthew, then, teaches that there will be an abomination, which in Scripture means an idol, set up in the holy place, the temple at Jerusalem, about three and a half years before Israel's final deliverance. It is called an "abomination of desolation;" or an "abomination that makes desolate," because, as we shall see from another prophecy, this return to idolatry is visited with misery and desolation upon the city of Jerusalem.

This deception is successful in persuading the Jews in Israel to give their full allegiance to the Roman Beast, an allegiance demonstrated and strengthened by the erection in Jerusalem of an image in honor of the Roman Beast, for this revived Roman Empire has become Israel's protector (v. 14). The image is called “the abomination of desolation” in Matthew 24:15. It will “stand in the holy place,” the Jewish temple, as a brazen challenge to the authority of God. Daniel 9:27 calls this image “the wing of abominations,” an expression that involves the protection of idolatry. Because of this God sends “a desolator,” the King of the North, against Israel.

Reverting now to the last week of the seventy, we find that in the midst of that week the Roman prince causes the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This shows that the Jewish ritual is at this time established; not that the Roman prince caused it to be installed, as that probably was a subject of the covenant which he "confirmed for a week. But now in the middle of the week, he breaks the covenant, obviously, in order to substitute for the Jewish sacrifice the worship of himself and of the antichrist in the temple. This seems a legitimate inference from the general tenor of the prophecies. That is, "abomination" is a name for an object of idolatrous worship, and we find that the antichrist is to set himself up for worship in the temple. It seems unavoidable that this must be the "abomination of desolation which scripture predicts to stand in the holy place — a view which is somewhat confirmed by another verse of Daniel which makes the two events to be simultaneous, inasmuch as that they together, are given as a point of time, from which a certain number of days is to be reckoned, viz., "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" (Dan. 12:11).

From Isa. 28:14-15, it would appear that the rulers of those who return to Jerusalem in unbelief will enter into covenant with the great anti-Christian head of the Gentiles, who will then be bearing sway. Having refused the foundation which God has laid in Zion, they will seek shelter under the wing of him to whom Satan will then have given his seat, and his authority, and his great power. (See Rev. 13:2.) But their covenant with death will be "disannulled, and their agreement with hell will not stand." Dan. 9:27 seems to refer to this. It says of this great enemy of God, "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (of years, of course); and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and upon the battlements (see margin) shall be the idols of the desolator, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." This, there can be little doubt, is what our Lord terms "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place."* Thus will be fulfilled that solemn word of our Lord's as to the unclean spirit, who having left his house to wander into dry places, at last returns to it, and, finding it swept and garnished, takes seven others more wicked than himself, and comes and dwells there; and so the last end of such an one is worse than the first. "Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation." (Matt. 12:45.) The unclean spirit of idolatry having abandoned the Jewish nation from the time of the Babylonish captivity, returns and takes possession of them at the end; and many of them will be found subject to and in league with him of whom we read (Rev. 13:15), "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." "I am come in my Father's name," said the blessed Jesus, "and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." (John 5:43.)

In pursuance of his objects the temple would of necessity be in his way, and call forth his deadliest hostility; and verse 31 describes his conduct in regard to it. It says, "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." (v. 31). This is referred to in 1 Maccabees in the following words: "The king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, that they should follow the strange laws of the land, and forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the temple; and that they should profane the sabbaths and festival days: and pollute the sanctuary and holy people: set up altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine's flesh, and unclean beasts … to the end they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances." And further we read that on "the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar"; and that on "the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God" (chapter 1:44-59). From other sources we learn that the worship Antiochus enjoined in the place of that of the God of heaven, Jehovah, was that of Jupiter Olympius.

"For the ships of Chittim shall come against him." There are these indefatigable Romans that come in again. They had dealt with his father when he had made an attack upon Greece; and now that the son had his hand over the throat of his prey, the Roman consul came, and at once forbade his doing anything further. He even drew a circle round him, as is well known, when the artful king wished to gain time to evade. The answer was demanded before he stepped out of the circle, and he was obliged to give it. This was a death-blow to all his policy. He went home a miserable, defeated man, with a heart vexed and infuriate, though putting on a humble appearance before the Romans. What should hinder him from wreaking out the anger of his heart upon the Jews? As it is said here, "Therefore shall he be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant." Poor as the Jews were, they were witnesses for God upon the earth; and Antiochus hastens to pour out his fury upon whatever bore a testimony to God among them. This was his ruin, and brought God's vengeance upon him. "He shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant," i.e. with the apostates of the Jews. "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." He will put an end to the Jewish service, and will set up an idol, "the abomination that maketh desolate," in the temple of Jerusalem. It is a mistake to suppose that this refers to the last days. It is only a type of what will take place then. The latter part of the chapter, and the next chapter, do refer to the latter day in the full sense of the word. But here is the step of transition from what is past to the future.

We point out a mistake in which some have fallen. In verse 31 we read of "the abomination that maketh desolate." Our Lord in His Olivet discourse (Matthew 24:15) said: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth let him understand)." Some believe that when our Lord spoke these words he referred to Daniel 11:31, and that this is the abomination of desolation. This is not quite correct. The abomination that maketh desolate of verse 31 is past and happened in the days of the atrocities committed by Antiochus Epiphanes. The abomination of desolation to which our Lord refers is mentioned in chapter 12:11, and it points, as we shall find later, to the abomination set up by the Antichrist, the second beast, in the middle of the week. The typical meaning of Antiochus Epiphanes and his crimes in the land of Judea and against Jerusalem we have already learned in connection with chapter 8.