Reference: Abomination of Desolation
Fausets
The idol (See ABOMINATION) of the desolator, or "the idol that causeth desolation." Abomination refers especially to such idolatry only as is perpetrated by apostates from Jehovah (2Ki 21:2-7; 23:13). Josephus (B. J., 4:6, sec. 3) refers to the Jews' tradition that the temple would be destroyed "if domestic hands should first pollute it." The Lord quotes Da 9:27; 11:31; 12:11, in Mt 24:15 "the abomination of desolation," as the sign of Jerusalem's coming destruction. Daniel makes the ceasing of the sacrifice and oblation the preliminary to it. Jewish rabbis considered the prophecy fulfilled when the Jews erected an idol altar, described as "the abomination of desolation" in 1Ma 1:54; 1Ma 6:7. This was necessarily followed by the profanation of the temple under the Old Testament antichrist, Antiochus Epiphanes. He built an idolatrous altar on the altar of burnt offering to Jupiter Olympius, and dedicated the temple to him, and offered swine's flesh.
The divine law is that where the church corrupts herself, the world, the instrument of her sin, is made also the instrument of her punishment (Mt 24:28; Re 17:3,16). The bringing of the idolatrous, Roman, image crowned standards into the temple, where they were set over the E. gate, and sacrificed to, upon the destruction of Jerusalem under the Roman Titus, 37 years after Jesus' prophecy (A.D. 70), is not enough to meet the requirements of the term "abomination," unless it were shown that the Jews shared in the idolatry. Perhaps the Zealots perpetrated some abomination which was to be the sign of the nation's ruin. They had taken possession of the temple, and having made a profane country fellow, Phannias, their high priest, they made a mock of the sacred rites of the law.
Some such desecration within the city, "in the holy place," coinciding with Cestius Gallus' encampment without, "in a holy place," was the sign foretold by Jesus; noting it, the Christians fled from the city to Pella, and all escaped. The final fulfillment is probably future. The last antichrist, many think, is about to set up an idol on a wing of the restored temple (compare Mt 4:5; Joh 5:43) in the latter half of the last, or 70th, of Daniel's prophetic weeks; for the former three and a half days (years) of the prophetic week he keeps his covenant with the Jews; in the latter three and a half breaks it (Zec 11:16-17,12-14; Daniel 9; 11). The Roman emperor Hadrian erected a temple to Jupiter upon the site of the Jewish temple; but probably "the consummation to be poured upon the desolate" is yet future.
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And he did that displeased the LORD, even after the abominations of the Heathen, which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
And he did that displeased the LORD, even after the abominations of the Heathen, which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. And he went and built the hill altars again, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. And he reared up altars to Baal and made groves, as did Ahab king of Israel. And he bowed himself unto all the host of heaven and served them.
And he went and built the hill altars again, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. And he reared up altars to Baal and made groves, as did Ahab king of Israel. And he bowed himself unto all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the very house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my name."
And he built altars in the very house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my name." And he built altars unto all the host of heaven, even in two courts of the house of the LORD.
And he built altars unto all the host of heaven, even in two courts of the house of the LORD. And he offered his son in fire, and observed dismal days; and used witchcraft and maintained workers with spirits, and tellers of fortunes - and wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD to anger him.
And he offered his son in fire, and observed dismal days; and used witchcraft and maintained workers with spirits, and tellers of fortunes - and wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD to anger him. And he put an image of a grove that he had made, even in the very temple of which the LORD had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever.
And he put an image of a grove that he had made, even in the very temple of which the LORD had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever.
And the hill altars that were before Jerusalem on the righthand of the mount Nashith, which Solomon king of Israel built to Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians and to Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and to Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, the king defiled:
And the hill altars that were before Jerusalem on the righthand of the mount Nashith, which Solomon king of Israel built to Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians and to Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and to Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, the king defiled:
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 the abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
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 the abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
He shall set mighty men to unhallow the Sanctuary of strength, and to put down the daily offering, and to set up the abominable desolation.
He shall set mighty men to unhallow the Sanctuary of strength, and to put down the daily offering, and to set up the abominable desolation.
And from the time forth that the daily offering shall be put down and the abominable desolation set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
And from the time forth that the daily offering shall be put down and the abominable desolation set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
And I said unto them, "If ye think it good, bring hither my price: if no, then leave." So they weighed down thirty silver pens, the value that I was prized at.
And I said unto them, "If ye think it good, bring hither my price: if no, then leave." So they weighed down thirty silver pens, the value that I was prized at. And the LORD said unto me, "Cast it unto the potter" - a goodly price for me to be valued at of them. And I took the thirty silver pens, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
And the LORD said unto me, "Cast it unto the potter" - a goodly price for me to be valued at of them. And I took the thirty silver pens, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. Then brake I my other staff also, namely Woe, that I might loose the brotherhood betwixt Judah and Israel.
Then brake I my other staff also, namely Woe, that I might loose the brotherhood betwixt Judah and Israel.
for lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not seek after the things that be lost, nor care for such as go astray: he shall not heal the wounded, he shall not nourish the thing that is whole: but he shall eat the flesh of such as be fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
for lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not seek after the things that be lost, nor care for such as go astray: he shall not heal the wounded, he shall not nourish the thing that is whole: but he shall eat the flesh of such as be fat, and tear their claws in pieces. O idle shepherd, that leaveth the flock! The sword shall come upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be sore blinded."
O idle shepherd, that leaveth the flock! The sword shall come upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be sore blinded."
Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple,
When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place: let him that readeth it, understand it:
When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place: let him that readeth it, understand it:
For wheresoever a dead carcass is, even thither will the eagles resort.
For wheresoever a dead carcass is, even thither will the eagles resort.
I am come in my father's name, and ye receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him will ye receive.
I am come in my father's name, and ye receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him will ye receive.
And he carried me away into the wilderness in the spirit. And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet beast full of names of blasphemy, which had ten horns.
And he carried me away into the wilderness in the spirit. And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet beast full of names of blasphemy, which had ten horns.
And the ten horns, which thou sawest upon the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
And the ten horns, which thou sawest upon the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Hastings
A term found only in Mr 13:14 and its parallel Mt 24:15. It is obviously derived, as St. Matthew indicates, from Da 11:31; 12:11; cf. Da 9:27. In these passages the most natural reference is to the desecration of the Temple under Antiochus Epihanes, when an altar to Olympian Zeus was erected on the altar of burnt sacrifices. As interpreted in the revision by St. Luke (Lu 21:20), the reference in the Gospel is to the encompassing of Jerusalem by the Roman army. It is very difficult, however, to adjust this interpretation to the expression of Mk. 'standing where he ought not,' and that of Mt. 'standing in the holy place.' Other interpretations would be: (1) the threatened erection of the statue of Caligula in the Temple; or (2) the desecration of the Temple area by the Zealots, who during the siege made it a fortress; or (3) the desecration of the Temple by the presence of Titus after its capture by that general. While it is impossible to reach any final choice between these different interpretations, it seems probable that the reference of Mr 13:14 is prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, because of its insistence that the appearance of the 'abomination of desolation' (or the 'abomination that makes desolate') is to be taken as a warning for those who are in Jud
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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 the abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
He shall set mighty men to unhallow the Sanctuary of strength, and to put down the daily offering, and to set up the abominable desolation.
And from the time forth that the daily offering shall be put down and the abominable desolation set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place: let him that readeth it, understand it:
Moreover, when ye see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, whereof is spoken by Daniel the prophet, stand where it ought not" - let him that readeth understand it - "then let them that be in Jewry, flee to the mountains.
Moreover, when ye see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, whereof is spoken by Daniel the prophet, stand where it ought not" - let him that readeth understand it - "then let them that be in Jewry, flee to the mountains.
"And when ye see Jerusalem besieged with a host, then understand that the desolation of the same is nigh.
"And when ye see Jerusalem besieged with a host, then understand that the desolation of the same is nigh.
We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in that we shall assemble unto him, that ye be not suddenly moved from your mind, and be not troubled; neither by spirit, neither by words, nor yet by letter, which should seem to come from us, as though the day of Christ were at hand. read more. Let no man deceive you by any means, for the Lord cometh not, except there come a departing first, and that that sinful man be opened, the son of perdition; which is an adversary, and is exalted above all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he shall sit as God in the temple of God, and show himself as God. Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth: even that he might be uttered at his time. For the mystery of that iniquity doth he already work, which only looketh, till he be taken out of the way and then shall that wicked be uttered, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the appearance of his coming, even him whose coming is by the working of Satan, with all lying power, signs, and wonders: and in all deceivableness of unrighteousness, among them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might have been saved. And therefore God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe lies: that all they might be damned which believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Morish
This exact expression occurs only in Mt 24:15 and Mr 13:14, referring to what had been revealed to Daniel in Da 12:11, where it is connected with the great tribulation (ver. 1) spoken of by the Lord in those Gospels. Da 9:27 shows that the time of the abomination is in the last half of the last of the seventy weeks of Daniel named in Da 9:24. The person who makes a covenant with the Jews in those days and afterwards breaks it, we know to be the head of the future Roman empire. See SEVENTY WEEKS. Of this person an image will be made, and the people will be constrained to worship it, Re 13:14-15; but we do not read that it will be carried into the future temple; whereas our Lord says that the abomination will stand in the holy place. On the other hand we read that the Antichrist "exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2Th 2:4. The 'abomination of desolation' is evidently connected with the trinity of evil spoken of in Rev. 13 and will be the work of Satan, the Roman beast, and the false prophet. It will end in dire desolation. The desolator is the Assyrian, Isa 8:7-8; 28:2,18 the northern king who will then hold the territory of Assyria. Da 11:40.
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Behold, the Lord shall bring mighty and great floods of water upon them: namely, the king of the Assyrians with all his power. Which shall pour out his furiousness upon every man, and run over all their banks. And shall break in upon Judah, increasing in power, till he get him by the throat. He shall fill also the wideness of thy land with his broad wings, O Immanuel."
Behold, the strength and power of the LORD shall break into the land on every side, like a tempest of hail that beareth down strongholds, and like a horrible, mighty and overflowing water.
Thus the covenant that ye have made with death shall be done away: and the condition that ye made with hell, shall not stand. Yea, when the sore plague goeth forth, ye shall be trodden down under it.
Seventy weeks are determined over thy people, and over the holy city: that the wickedness may be consumed, that the sin may have an end, that the offense may be reconciled, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, to fulfill the visions and the Prophets, and to anoint the most holy one.
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 the abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
In the latter time, shall the king of the south strive with him; and the king of the north in like manner shall come against him with chariots, horsemen and with a great navy of ships. He shall come into the lands, destroy and go through:
And from the time forth that the daily offering shall be put down and the abominable desolation set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place: let him that readeth it, understand it:
Moreover, when ye see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, whereof is spoken by Daniel the prophet, stand where it ought not" - let him that readeth understand it - "then let them that be in Jewry, flee to the mountains.
which is an adversary, and is exalted above all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he shall sit as God in the temple of God, and show himself as God.
And deceived them that dwelt on the earth, by the means of those signs which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwelt on the earth: that they should make an image unto the beast, which had the wound of a sword, and did live. And he had power to give a spirit unto the image of the beast, and that the image of the beast should speak, and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast, should be killed.
Smith
Abomination of Desolation,
Mentioned by our Saviour,
as a sign of the approaching destruction of Jerusalem, with reference to
The prophecy referred ultimately to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and consequently the "abomination" must describe some occurrence connected with that event. It appears most probable that the profanities of the Zealots constituted the abomination, which was the sign of the impending ruin; but most people refer it to the standards or banners of the Roman army. They were abomination because there were idolatrous images upon them.
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When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place: let him that readeth it, understand it: