SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

    M. R. Vincent describes well the term abomination: “The cognate verb,
ßδελύσσμαι, means to feel a nausea or loathing for food, hence used of disgust
generally. In a moral sense it denotes an object of moral or religious
repugnance. See II Chron. 15:8; Jer. 13:27; Ezek. 11:21; Dan. 9:27; 11:31. It is
used as equivalent to idol in I Kings 11:17; Deut. 7:26; 2 Kings 23:13. It
denotes anything in which estrangement from God manifests itself; as the eating
of unclean beasts, Lev. 11:11; Deut. 14:3; and, generally, all forms of
heathenism. This moral sense must be emphasized in the New Testament use of the
word. Compare Luke 16:15; Rev. 17:4,5; 21:27. It does not denote mere physical
or esthetic disgust. The reference here is probably to the occupation of the
temple precincts by the idolatrous Romans under Titus, with their standards and
ensigns. Josephus says that after the burning of the temple the Romans brought
their ensigns and set them over against the eastern gate, and there they offered
sacrifices to them, and declared Titus, with acclamations, to be emperor” (Word
Studies in the New Testament, pp. 74-75).
    The word “desolation” meant sacrilege. This phrase is used in Dan. 9:27,
11:31, and 12:11.
    1.  It seems originally to refer to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who put an
altar to Zeus Olympios in the temple in Jerusalem in 167 b.c. (cf. Dan. 8:9-14;
I Macc. 1:54).
    2.  Also in Dan. 7:7-8 it related to the Antichrist of the end-time
(cf. II Thess. 2:4).
    3.  In Luke 21:20 it possibly refers to the coming of the Roman General
(later Emperor) Titus’ army in a.d. 70, who sacrificed to their army standards
which were dedicated to pagan gods, placed by the eastern gate close to the
temple. It cannot refer to the siege of Jerusalem itself because it would be too
late for believers to escape.
   This is an example of a phrase being used in several different, but
related, senses. This is called multiple fulfillment prophecy. It is difficult
to interpret until after the events occur; looking back, the typology is
obvious.