The Abomination of Desolation

Matthew 24:15-20

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 Butwoe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”

In the previous verses, Jesus mentioned what will happen duringthe Tribulation. The Tribulation is a period of seven years of judgment upon the earth where the Lord miraculously protects the Jewish people. He speaks of the abomination of desolation that Daniel wrote about in his prophecy. Daniel mentions it twice in 11:31 and 12:11. Those verses speak of a vile king who will defile the temple, stop the daily sacrifices, and set up the abomination of desolation. Daniel wrote his prophecy in the 6thcentury before Christ, and the abomination of desolation was committed by Antiochus Epiphanes in the 2nd century before Christ when he slaughtered a pig on the altar in the temple. When Jesus spoke of the abomination of desolation taking place, He is referring to a similar situation that would occur in future. The apostle Paul wrote about this future event saying the antichrist would sit in the temple and proclaim that he is God (2 Thes. 2:3-4). When that happens, the Jews in Judea (the area encompassing Jerusalem where the temple will be) are to escape to the mountains without returning home to get anything. The journey will be difficult for pregnant women and nursing mothers because they will have to escape without any supplies for their babies. Jesus says to pray that their flight would not be in winter or on the Sabbath, two more possible scenarios that would make their escape difficult.

The context and examples show the prophecy and warning Jesus gave is for the Jewish people. To this day, most travel is shut down in Israel on the Sabbath. Plus, the prophecy was spoken specifically to the people in Judea where the temple is and where the antichrist will commit the abomination of desolation. However, there is a problem. The temple was destroyed in AD 70. It will have to be rebuilt before the antichrist can desolate it. That means a future temple is still to come. You can apply this passage in two ways. First, if you have already accepted Jesus as your Savior, then you do not have to worry about the Tribulation period. However, if you have not accepted Christ, then you will be on earth when God pours out His judgment upon an unbelieving world. It is in your best interest to accept Christ as your Savior now and avoid judgment. A second way you can apply this passage is if you are already a believer. The Bible describes your body as the temple of God. If you claim to be a Christian and have set up other idols, other gods, or anything that takes precedence over the Lord in your heart, then you are guilty of defiling your temple. Do not exalt anything above Jesus in your heart or mind. Do not act like you are the god of your own destiny. Remove any and every idol you have set up in your heart, and do not commit the abomination of desolation on a personal level in your own life.