- Sep 29, 2011
- 1,451
- 163
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
Let’s discuss what the ‘abomination of desolation’ from Matthew 24:15 is. Traditionally in the end-times sense, the ‘abomination of desolation’ is considered to be the ‘living image’ idol of Revelation 13:14-15.
Also, this living image idol is traditionally placed in conjunction with Daniel 9:27’s breaking of the covenant (for those who interpret it happening in the future) at the mid-point of the seven years (‘week’).
It is notoriously hard to pin down consistent translations for Daniel 9:27. Towards the end of this post, I will show that the ‘abomination’ in that verse is actually plural and is translated as such many times over. For now though, I wish to point out that when it says, ‘wing’, many times this is translated as ‘wing of the temple’ like this:
Basically, I would combine this translation with a multiple ‘abominations’. Looking at Ezekiel 43, we see multiple abominations are mentioned, in addition to worshipping their dead king, with only a wall separating the idols from the temple courts (Ezek 43:8). This fits fairly well with the Dan 9:27 idea of a ‘wing of the temple’.
Further complicating the idea of multiple abominations is the idea that there are multiple instances of the abomination idol occurring (whether it is the same exact idol or different idols, I do not know).
The idea of there being two occurrences of abomination of desolation idols probably sounds unlikely as this is definitely not the traditional understanding in eschatological circles. But once I show how this idea is presented in multiple passages, I think it will make complete sense. It is very simple and straightforward. In terms of Daniel 12:11’s 1290 days, one would occur at the start of the 1290 days and one would occur at the end of the 1290 days.
The 1st abomination idol violates the (Mosaic) covenant of God and is the cause of Israel’s scattering. Once they are scattered and forced to go into a foreign land, then another part of that same punishment is the arrival of a 2nd abomination idol. Let’s see this in action in Deuteronomy and then we will see this perfectly illustrated in Hosea 10 and Zechariah 5.
First, there is the sin of idolatry (in Deut 4:23 below). Then they are punished with another idol.
One idol causes the arrival of another idol in the foreign land. The Revelation 13:14-15 living image idol is this second idol for punishment that is occurring in Mystery Babylon (Rev 17:1-18). (Traditionally, this living image is generally considered to be the singular ‘abomination of desolation’ idol that occurs in the ‘middle of seven years’ from the Daniel 9:27 covenant.)
Here is the pattern again in Deut 28. If Israel sins (via idolatry), then they will get the curses for disobedience. One of these curses is being sent into a foreign land (having been scattered) and then they will serve man-made idols of wood and stone.
If:
Then:
Here is a simple illustration of this principle from Hosea 10. ‘Samaria’ refers to the land of the northern 10 tribes of Israel and ‘Ephraim’ refers to the people of this group. First, there is the causative idol (here it is the ‘calf of Beth-aven’), then it is taken into a foreign land (Assyria in this case) for them to worship there.
Here is another example from Amos 5. The Israelites are taking their gods Sakkuth and Kaiwan from the wilderness, to Israel, and then into their exile.
Now let’s see another illustration of this principle in an obscure chapter of Zechariah. In Zechariah 5:1-4, we see a ‘flying scroll’ that gives out curses. It is this ‘scroll’ that contains the Mosaic covenant that when broken will result in the punishment of the 7 Trumpets or the 7 bowls of wrath (in other words, the Daniel 9:27 covenant). This scroll is very large, containing many curses for disobedience – the extensive curses listed in Deuteronomy written upon scrolls.
The basket filled with the iniquity and wickedness of Jerusalem is leaving. It is this 1st sin that is the cause of the next idol – this idol is leaving Jerusalem and going to Mystery Babylon (‘to the land of Shinar’ – Shinar being synonymous with Babylon due to Shinar being the location of the Tower of Babel.) (We can infer that it is an idol because the basket is ‘set upon a base’ and put into a ‘house’ just as an idol would be set on a pedestal and put into a temple. Moreover, this whole scene is a parody of the ark of the covenant: the angels of the mercy seat on the ark [Exodus 25:14-22] mirror the two women with [unclean] stork wings [Lev 11:19] lifting an ark-like container to be placed in a holy place. )
When we look at this principle described in the Olivet Discourse, we see that the ‘abomination of desolation’ is singular – a singular Greek ‘abomination’ (‘bdelugma’) and a singular Greek ‘desolation’ (‘eremosis’). This particular abomination of desolation happens in the holy place (which presumably means the Christian church) and then comes to ‘Judea’, the land of Judah whose holy place would be Jerusalem.
Once they are scattered by fleeing, then they will either stay in the foreign land to worship idols of wood and stone or be gathered (Matt 24:29-31).
This ‘foreign land’ worship of idols would constitute this 2nd instance of an abomination of desolation occurring.
Again, in contrast to this idea of a singular abomination of desolation, Daniel 9:27 has multiple ‘abominations of desolation’: ‘on the wing of abominations [the plural ‘siqqusim’ in Hebrew] desolating’.
Rev 13:14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
Also, this living image idol is traditionally placed in conjunction with Daniel 9:27’s breaking of the covenant (for those who interpret it happening in the future) at the mid-point of the seven years (‘week’).
It is notoriously hard to pin down consistent translations for Daniel 9:27. Towards the end of this post, I will show that the ‘abomination’ in that verse is actually plural and is translated as such many times over. For now though, I wish to point out that when it says, ‘wing’, many times this is translated as ‘wing of the temple’ like this:
He will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering. And the abomination of desolation will be on a wing of the temple until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.” [HCSB]
Basically, I would combine this translation with a multiple ‘abominations’. Looking at Ezekiel 43, we see multiple abominations are mentioned, in addition to worshipping their dead king, with only a wall separating the idols from the temple courts (Ezek 43:8). This fits fairly well with the Dan 9:27 idea of a ‘wing of the temple’.
Ezek 43:6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple, 7 and He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile My holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and by the funeral offerings for their kings at their deaths. 8 When they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy name by the abominations they committed. Therefore I have consumed them in My anger. 9 Now let them remove far from Me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will dwell among them forever.
Further complicating the idea of multiple abominations is the idea that there are multiple instances of the abomination idol occurring (whether it is the same exact idol or different idols, I do not know).
The idea of there being two occurrences of abomination of desolation idols probably sounds unlikely as this is definitely not the traditional understanding in eschatological circles. But once I show how this idea is presented in multiple passages, I think it will make complete sense. It is very simple and straightforward. In terms of Daniel 12:11’s 1290 days, one would occur at the start of the 1290 days and one would occur at the end of the 1290 days.
The 1st abomination idol violates the (Mosaic) covenant of God and is the cause of Israel’s scattering. Once they are scattered and forced to go into a foreign land, then another part of that same punishment is the arrival of a 2nd abomination idol. Let’s see this in action in Deuteronomy and then we will see this perfectly illustrated in Hosea 10 and Zechariah 5.
First, there is the sin of idolatry (in Deut 4:23 below). Then they are punished with another idol.
Deut 4:23 Be careful that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God that He made with you; do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything He has forbidden you. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25 After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger— 26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
27 Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. 28 And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
One idol causes the arrival of another idol in the foreign land. The Revelation 13:14-15 living image idol is this second idol for punishment that is occurring in Mystery Babylon (Rev 17:1-18). (Traditionally, this living image is generally considered to be the singular ‘abomination of desolation’ idol that occurs in the ‘middle of seven years’ from the Daniel 9:27 covenant.)
Here is the pattern again in Deut 28. If Israel sins (via idolatry), then they will get the curses for disobedience. One of these curses is being sent into a foreign land (having been scattered) and then they will serve man-made idols of wood and stone.
If:
Deut 28:15 If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
Then:
Deut 28:36 The LORD will bring you and the king you appoint to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone. 37 You will become an object of horror, scorn, and ridicule among all the nations to which the LORD will drive you.
Here is a simple illustration of this principle from Hosea 10. ‘Samaria’ refers to the land of the northern 10 tribes of Israel and ‘Ephraim’ refers to the people of this group. First, there is the causative idol (here it is the ‘calf of Beth-aven’), then it is taken into a foreign land (Assyria in this case) for them to worship there.
Hosea 10:5 The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into exile. 6 Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols. 7 Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water. 8 The high places of Aven will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
Here is another example from Amos 5. The Israelites are taking their gods Sakkuth and Kaiwan from the wilderness, to Israel, and then into their exile.
Amos 5:25 Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 You have taken along Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, the idols you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of Hosts.
Now let’s see another illustration of this principle in an obscure chapter of Zechariah. In Zechariah 5:1-4, we see a ‘flying scroll’ that gives out curses. It is this ‘scroll’ that contains the Mosaic covenant that when broken will result in the punishment of the 7 Trumpets or the 7 bowls of wrath (in other words, the Daniel 9:27 covenant). This scroll is very large, containing many curses for disobedience – the extensive curses listed in Deuteronomy written upon scrolls.
Zechariah 5:1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”
3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. 4 I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.”
5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out.” 6 And I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the basket that is going out.” And he said, “This is their iniquity in all the land.” 7 And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! 8 And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.
The basket filled with the iniquity and wickedness of Jerusalem is leaving. It is this 1st sin that is the cause of the next idol – this idol is leaving Jerusalem and going to Mystery Babylon (‘to the land of Shinar’ – Shinar being synonymous with Babylon due to Shinar being the location of the Tower of Babel.) (We can infer that it is an idol because the basket is ‘set upon a base’ and put into a ‘house’ just as an idol would be set on a pedestal and put into a temple. Moreover, this whole scene is a parody of the ark of the covenant: the angels of the mercy seat on the ark [Exodus 25:14-22] mirror the two women with [unclean] stork wings [Lev 11:19] lifting an ark-like container to be placed in a holy place. )
9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. 10 Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they taking the basket?” 11 He said to me, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base.”
When we look at this principle described in the Olivet Discourse, we see that the ‘abomination of desolation’ is singular – a singular Greek ‘abomination’ (‘bdelugma’) and a singular Greek ‘desolation’ (‘eremosis’). This particular abomination of desolation happens in the holy place (which presumably means the Christian church) and then comes to ‘Judea’, the land of Judah whose holy place would be Jerusalem.
Matt 24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Once they are scattered by fleeing, then they will either stay in the foreign land to worship idols of wood and stone or be gathered (Matt 24:29-31).
Deut 4:27 Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. 28 And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
This ‘foreign land’ worship of idols would constitute this 2nd instance of an abomination of desolation occurring.
Again, in contrast to this idea of a singular abomination of desolation, Daniel 9:27 has multiple ‘abominations of desolation’: ‘on the wing of abominations [the plural ‘siqqusim’ in Hebrew] desolating’.
[ KJV] Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
[NKJV] Daniel 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
[ESV] Daniel 9:27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
[NASB] Daniel 9:27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.”
[LSB] Daniel 9:27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will make sacrifice and grain offering cease; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
[Amplified Bible] Daniel 9:27 And he will enter into a binding and irrevocable covenant with the many for one week (seven years), but in the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and grain offering [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who causes the horror.”