As we move forward in the progressive revelations of
Daniels’ several contributions to the prophetic paradigm which is vital to our
understanding; we must deal with this most important subject. It is not at all understood in theological
circles and has been particularly distorted by evangelicals. So our purpose
here is to define the abomination of desolation, to pinpoint the time of its
occurrence, and understand its significant spiritual impact on the world as
well as believers when it does occur.
The
best point of beginning is with the words of Jesus in Mathew 24 where we read
as follows: “When ye therefore shall see
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet standeth in the
holy place, whoso readeth let him understand.” (Matthew 24:15). We see immediately that it
is within the purpose of the Lord that we gain an understanding. As we would
look forward in the text to verse 21 where we read: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the
beginning of the word to this time no nor ever shall be.” So we see that
the occurrence of the event is closely related to the time of ‘great
tribulation’. Some expositors would claim that this text is related to Israel
of old in the destruction of the temple, the city and the wall in 70 AD This
cannot be the truth for if we follow the verses in the text down to verse 29 it is describing how to relate to it in the light of the coming of the Lord and the
resurrection (See Matt.24: 29-31). What is seen is that the text takes us to
the very end. Our Lord has referred us
to Daniel the prophet so we need to examine what he had to say about it.
Daniel
refers to it twice so for the sake of answering the question of timing we go to
Daniel 12::11. “So from the time that the
daily (sacrifice) in italics in KJV as no word in the original text given for it) shall be taken away, and the abomination
that maketh desolate is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and
ninety days.” This then gives us a reference point of thirty (30) days
prior to the onset of tribulation for we know from the context and many other references
that the duration of the tribulation is 3 and ½ years. (time, times and a half = 3 and ½ years) at Dan.12:7 and also at
Dan.7:25, two times in the Book of Revelation at 11:2 (forty and two months) and at Rev.12:6
(a thousand two hundred and three score days). So we are discovering two truths
here. First that the tribulation period is 3 and ½ years—not seven as dispensationalists
claim and secondly the abomination of desolation is future and not past and it
occurs immediately prior to the onset of tribulation according to Daniel 12:11,
i.e. before the three and one-half years
of tribulation begins. Having
established the timing from Scripture as yet future it must be refuted totally
that it involves she sacrificing a pig on the altar of the temple by Antiochus
Epiphanes. This is a Jewish fable
adopted by dispensationalists with not one verse to support their
interpretation. We will cover the meaning at Daniel 11:31 which serve to
establish this fact.
“And arms shall stand on his part, and they
shall pollute the sanctuary, and shall take away the daily (sacrifice, again no
Hebrew word for sacrifice in the original text) and they shall place the
abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant
shall he corrupt by flatteries.” For clarification of meaning some word
study is necessary.
Arms=Figuratively, power or strength, any
kind of support
Daily=continually-- (important to
note that the word sacrifice is inserted in
the KJV with no original Hebrew word in the text to account for the insertion.
Abomination—to detest, filthy,
unclean- chiefly of things which cannot be touched,
idolatry
Desolation—to be laid waste or made desolate,
desolation
(Nothing here remotely related to an animal sacrifice)
Word definitions taken from Wilson’s O. T. Word
Studies
In
summary of the above we would see first that the verse is not speaking of a physical sacrifice whether of an animal or otherwise. From the word definition for daily
we would conclude that the meaning is speaking of something which has been
continual and has now been ‘take(en) away’. This then has nothing to do with animal
sacrifices being discontinued in the tribulation in the temple and most
certainly has no reference to the offering of a pig on the altar of the Jewish
temple. So what is the meaning of the abomination of desolation? We must go to
the New Testament for our answer in the text of II Thessalonians 2:1-11.
In
the beginning of this text we are given assurance that the coming of the Lord
is not immanent, but rather is to be preceded by the revelation of the Son of
Perdition. i.e. ‘the man of sin’ which is also to be preceded by a great
falling away or apostasy. (This denies the fantasy of a pretribulational
‘rapture’ of the church).Then in verse four we read: “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God
showing himself that he is God.” Moving down to verse seven we pick up the
text: “For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work, only he that letteth will let until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even
him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders. And with all deceivable of unrighteousness
in them those perish: because they received not the love of the truth that they
might be saved.”
So in a summary of defining and explaining the abomination of
desolation we would assert the following: (1) It has nothing to do with the
sacrifice of animals in the temple whether historically or in a future rebuilt temple.(2)
It has everything to do with a future event
at the revealing of Antichrist and an extremely powerful deception which
will cause people to succumb to worship
him as a returning messiah as well as his master Lucifer. It is a spiritual
invasion of God’s temple and sanctuary, i.e. the minds, hearts and ultimately
the spirits of people. This is an abomination of defilement leading to
desolation and destruction when the spirit is captured.
David Lance
Dean comments or questions welcome beneath each blog @ thesespropheats.blogspot.com
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