The Abomination That Causes Desolation

Matthew 24:15
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—

Daniel 9:27
He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

Daniel 11:31
“His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

Daniel 12:11
“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

In Matthew 24 Jesus gives a double prophecy. Jesus predicts future events that will happen at two different times. Double prophecy also applies in Isaiah 65-66 where the prophet talks of a future of a restored Israel from captivity and at the same time talking of the eternal future at the end of the world. Reading that section of Isaiah and Matthew requires that understanding in order to properly interpret the messages therein. Matthew 24 talks of the coming destruction of Jerusalem by Romans and also the end of the world eternally when Jesus returns.

The abomination that causes desolation. This is a reference to something terrible that shows a very high disrespect of God and religious things. Something that seeks to rubbish the reverence of God and the value of faith. Something that makes faith look like a joke that should not be taken seriously.

Matthew 24:15-18 are the words of Jesus to His disciples. That when they see the abomination that causes desolation that was mentioned by Daniel, they should take it as a signal from God for them to run for their lives. Since Jesus mentioned this in a prophecy of the future, many Bible students have concentrated on this text to get a clue on when they should run from persecution and to also know how close we are to the end of the world. Consequently, many varied interpretations have been given creating confusion to the understanding of the text.

Jesus says that Daniel mentioned this “abomination that causes desolation.” From texts cited above (Daniel 9:27 then Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11) you notice that Daniel mentioned this three different times. Which of the three is the reference Jesus was making or was it all? Whichever mention of Daniel that we prefer, it must be consistent with what else Jesus said. Jesus went ahead and said those in Judea should flee to the Mountains, Matthew 24:16. The mention of Judea localizes what Jesus was referring to. Reference of Judea narrows down the interpretation to be in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and not the end of the world events. Any other interpretation risks being eisegesis.

Daniel 9:27 mentions the abomination that causes desolation while giving the interpretation of the Messiah’s death in the 70 weeks prophecy. After the Messiah’s death, there will be an abomination that causes desolation. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, Jerusalem was attacked and the temple destroyed. That attack by Romans who did not subscribe to the Israelite faith was the abomination that causes desolation. This is what Jesus referred to when he said that Daniel mentioned it.

Daniel 9:24-27 is a prophecy of the 70 weeks or 490 years that God gave Jews to do His will or He reassigns other people. In those 490 years, the Messiah was to come and die. Daniel 9:27 refers to Jesus putting an end to sacrifice and offering. The death of Jesus on the cross put an end to the sacrificial system that was used since the time of Moses. Then the Bible tells us that after Jesus puts an end to that sacrificial system there will be an abomination that causes desolation at the temple. This is the attack by Romans that destroyed Jerusalem and its temple. This is what Matthew 24:15 is all about.

Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11 refer to the activities of the little horn. The little horn was a power that reigned after Pagan Rome came to an end. After Pagan Rome, papal Rome reigned. Papal Rome is the little horn. Papal Rome reigned from 538 AD to 1798 AD. It is during this period that Papal Rome through its corruption of worship and assuming the divine role, did what is called, the abomination that causes desolation. The corruption of faith, belief, and practice is the abomination that causes desolation. Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11 make no reference to Judea or the time of the Messiah or the destruction of Jerusalem. These are not the passages from which Jesus quoted Daniel. These passages are not referred to in Matthew 24:15.

In Bible interpretation, context is very important. The context of the words of Jesus referred to the crisis in Judea at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. The words of Jesus did not make a reference to any other future event in relation to the abomination that causes desolation, except the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. The words of Jesus in Matthew 24:15 are a quotation from Daniel 9:27. Jesus did not quote, therefore, Daniel 11:31 or Daniel 12:11. The context of Daniel 9:27 is the destruction of Jerusalem after the death of Jesus. The context of Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11 is the period of Papal Rome reign 538AD to 1798AD.

To insist that the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:15 are yet to be fulfilled and awaits a future date is to corrupt and abuse scripture. That would mean Jerusalem and the temple were never destroyed yet it is a historical fact that they were destroyed. That would also mean the papacy never reigned yet historical facts show that they did. Bible interpretation is like a chain, you twist one link or break it and you consequently affect the whole chain. The words of Jesus have been fulfilled in the past and even the other prophecies referring to the abomination that causes desolation, have also been fulfilled. For a detailed study of this matter, look at the article done by Angel Manuel Rodriguez of the Biblical Research Institute. The link to that article is this https://adventistbiblicalresearch.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Abomination.pdf. Just click it and learn more.

That is the far we can go with the hermeneutical interpretation. However, for homiletical purposes, we can correctly infer that the abomination that causes desolation is the corruption of faith, belief, and practice. We do not need to wait for a future time for us to notice that there is an abomination that causes desolation amongst us. There is a corruption of faith, belief, and practice. When the music of a secular genre is given scriptural words and now secular and religious are married, that is a compromise. It is an abomination that causes desolation. When church members dance to secular music in a sexually suggestive manner in the pretext that it is a wedding reception celebration, that is a compromise. That is an abomination that causes desolation!

When church wrangles become national news. When the church leaders are accused of corruption, theft and other things of such nature, if true, isn’t that an abomination that causes desolation? If church choirs are stinking of sexual scandals and they keep singing in church, if true, isn’t that an abomination that causes desolation? When you as an active church member, known to belong to Christ, also lead a secret sinful life, you drink alcohol, abuse drugs, lead a secret immoral life, isn’t that an abomination that causes desolation?

Revelation 18:4 is a simple message that we should get out of sinful living out of Babylon. Jesus said that if you see the abomination that causes desolation it is time to leave and run to safety. Jesus is our only safety, run to Jesus! Run to the safety of prayer. Run to the safety of Bible study. Run to the safety of fellowship. Run to the safety of meditation. Run to the safety of Christian living. Run to the safety of confession and repentance. When you see the abomination that causes desolation, run for safety!

May God grant us wisdom to identify the abomination that causes desolation in our lives. May God help us to accept salvation before it is too late, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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