Listen to this articleTHE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
We are continuing on our series on Mathew 24 and Luke 21. if you have not read part 1, please go back and start there.
Mathew 24:15-21 WEB
(15) “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), (16) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
There have been many abominations that have caused desolations in Israel. There have been many exiles. But there is a specific abomination that Daniel spoke of. Here is where Daniel prophesies about it.
Daniel 11:31 MKJV
(31) And forces will stand from him, and they will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and shall remove the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the desolating abomination.
In this particular section of scripture, an angel who had been held back by the prince of Persia finally comes to tell Daniel what is in the book of truth. He then talks about a series of kings in the North and in the South. At the end of their reign comes this King of the North whose army will come and profane the sanctuary, remove the daily sacrifice and then place the abomination of desolation.
About 175 years before the birth of Christ (175BC) a Syrian king who called himself Antiochus epiphanies, rose to power. His name interpreted means, God manifested, meaning he claimed to be God manifested in the flesh. In 167 BC, Antiochus Epiphanes went into Jerusalem and slaughtered 80 000 Jews in three days, and entered the temple.
He put a stop to the daily sacrifice, and he set up an image of Zeus to be worshipped and sacrificed a pig in the most holy place. This remained so until his death three and a half years later. Many Jews were joined to him. The order of events, and the life of this king fits exactly into the prophecy of Daniel. So many considered this prophecy fulfilled.
However, about 200 years later, Jesus sits on the mount of Olives, talking to his disciples and tells them that The Abomination of Desolation that Daniel had spoken of, was yet to be seen. How could this be? It’s a classic example of the dual fulfillment of prophecy. While Daniel’s prophecy had a fulfillment in the Old Testament, it has a second fulfillment in the New Testament.
Dual fulfillment of prophecies
Consider Nathan’s prophecy to David.
2 Samuel 7:12-13
(12) And when your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall come out of your bowels. And I will make his kingdom sure. (13) He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
This prophecy was fulfilled in the Old Testament by Solomon who built the temple and dedicated it, but in the New Testament it is fulfilled by Jesus Christ who builds the Church as the true house of God. Solomon was a type of Christ because he had the spirit of Christ in him.
Consider Adam’s prophecy
Genesis 2:24
(24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh.
This prophecy is first fulfilled by Cain, Adam’s first born son.
Genesis 4
(1) And Adam knew Eve his wife. And she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
(16) And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and lived in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (17) And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch.
When Cain is born Eve his mother says I have gotten a Man from the Lord. So Cain was the second man after Adam. Cain then had to leave his Mother and Father to the land of Nod where he cleaved to his wife.
This prophecy is again fulfilled when Christ Left Heaven in order to be one flesh with his bride the church.
Ephesians 5:30-32
(30) For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. (31) “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two of them shall be one flesh.” (32) This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Just as Cain was the second man from Adam according to his fallen nature, Jesus was the second man from Adam according to his original, perfect nature.
1 Corinthians 15:47
(47) The first man was out of earth, earthy; the second Man was the Lord from Heaven.
There are many such examples in the Bible, and Solomon gives the reason for this:
Ecclesiastes 1:9
(9) That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
Antiochus epiphanies had the spirit of the antichrist in him and is a type of the coming AntiChrist, Just as Solomon had the Spirit of Christ in him, and was a type of the True Christ. Antiochus fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy in Type just as Solomon fulfilled Nathan’s prophecy in type.
So Jesus Christ is showing, that though Antiochus fulfilled this prophecy in type, the ultimate AntiChrist is coming, and he will bring The Ultimate Abomination that brings Ultimate Desolation to Israel.
In 70AD, Jerusalem was surrounded by armies and burnt to the ground. While this event was terrible and the Jews fled to the mountain, this is not consistent with Daniel’s description of the king who will place the Abomination of desolation.
To be continued in part 3
