Tuesday: The Abomination of Desolation
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 3rd of September 2024
Read Mark 13:14-18. What clue does Jesus give in figuring out what the “abomination of desolation” refers to?
Jesus comes to the central point about the fall of Jerusalem in Mark 13:14. He refers to “_the abomination of desolation._” The Lord says that the reader should understand. With these words, Jesus is pointing the disciples to the book of Daniel. This terminology appears in Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31, and Daniel 12:11, with a parallel in Daniel 8:13.
Read Daniel 9:26-27. Who is the “anointed One,” and who is “the prince who is to come” (ESV)?
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The “anointed one” in Daniel 9:26 (ESV) is the Hebrew word māšiaḥ, in English, Messiah. In a careful study of Daniel 9:24-27, it is clear that this anointed one refers to the coming of Jesus Christ.
But who is “the prince who is to come,” who brings the desolation of the city of Jerusalem? The city was destroyed by the Roman general Titus. Thus, it seems logical that he is “the prince who is to come” referred to in Daniel 9:26-27. The two individuals are linked because the way that the Messiah was treated spelled the doom of the city.
What, though, is this “abomination of desolation” that Jesus, referring to Daniel, talks about? Unfortunately, many scholars believe that this abomination refers to Antiochus Epiphanes’s desecration of the temple in the second century B.C. That doesn’t work though. Jesus describes the “abomination of desolation” as something that occurs after His own time here, so it hardly could refer to something that happened two centuries before Christ’s earthly ministry.
Instead, the abomination likely refers to the planting of the Roman pagan standards in Israel during the siege of Jerusalem in the late A.D. 60s. This was the sign for the Christians to flee, which they did.
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Just as Jesus predicted, Jerusalem fell. How can we learn to trust Him and the Bible in all its predictions? |
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The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the second Temple was a decisive turning point in the Jewish nation. We refer mostly to the Romans' role in crushing the revolt, taking control of the countryside, finally laying siege to Jerusalem, and ultimately destroying the city including the Temple. We sometimes miss the fact that the Jewish nation was at the same time involved in civil unrest between the moderates and zealots. Some analysts have even commented that the internal war contributed largely to the Roman's success.
There were two stages. A prefect, Gessius Florus was appointed to Palestine and he upset the Jews by demanding an income from the Temple funds. This led to a Revolt by the Jews, which was ultimately put down when Vespain landed in Palestine and essentially took over most of the contryside. In 69AD Vespasain returned to Rome and left the task of controlling Jerusalem to his son Titus.
Titus besieged the city and ultimately destroyed both the city and the Temple. On return to Rome his victory was memorialized in the Arch of Titus which still stands even today.
Christians did not feature much in this episode. By the time of the fall of Jerusalem, Christianity was established in several centres around the Mediterranean. Further, those in Jerusalem took advantage of the change between Vespasian and Titus to flee the city.
Jesus has not promised an easy path for Christians but he has prepared us by being with us in difficult times. The story of Ken Elliot I referred to yesterday reminds us Jesus is still with us in difficult times even today.
When Pilate was feebly trying to get Jesus released and was getting nowhere with the crowd, he ceremoniously washed his hands of responsibility of Jesus condemnation and subsequent crucifixion, declaring, “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” (Matthew 27:24) The people then responded, “His blood be on us and on our children!” (verse 25).
I believe that they didn't even realize that they were pronouncing a curse upon themselves. A curse which would be realized when the "prince that was to come", General Titus, brought his army and sacked Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and killing many Jews. They needlessly perished because Jesus had given them instruction of what to do when the Roman armies, would in the future, beseige Jerusalem. However, because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah they didn't heed His warning. They would experience the curse which they had pronounced upon themselves.
A curse which seems to be active even today, in the anti Semetic persecution of modern day Israel.
The Christians however, remembered the warning and the instruction and were saved by fleeing to the mountains when Titus mysteriously withdrew his army for a short period of time, before returning and laying waste of the city. No wonder Jesus wept over Jerusalem, He knew what was to come.
It would do everyone well to always heed the words of Jesus. In doing so, it could not only save them, and us, needless suffering, but even an untimely death.
What a perfect example of the perfidy of the mob.
But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. (John 19:15) NKJV.
If they had really meant it, then they would have willing "rendered to Caesar the things that that are Caesar's" But consequent rebellions proved that their declaration was lies and mendacity. They came to Pilate with the same pretentious attitude in which they came to Christ to ask whether it was lawful to pay taxes or not.
It must have been a scary realisation when someone, at that time, saw the fulfillment of Jesus' words and Daniel's writings about the desolation. They were were warned, repeatedly. Perhaps such a realisation gave an opportunity to change behavior.
"A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it." As I quote a common proverb.
Now, the memory text says ‘Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather His elect from the four winds..." As this happens, it's a problem to some and a joy to others. It will be too late to try solve the problem of being not in Christ.
"What I say to you I say to all: “Stay alert!” ” (Mark 13:37, NASB). Staying alert means one is to internally and externally study. We study scripture and then compare the daily external happenings with the Word. And then we act and live accordingly. We prepare to avoid the problem of looking for mountains to hide us from Christ.
God wants me happy; thus, He wouldn't simply leave me alone. He left His Word and example and continues communicating with me through prayer and people. If He loves me, He can tell me everything I need to succeed.
Jesus is the "Anointed One." The Military Roman Leader that Destroyed Jerusalem is the Prince that was to come to do that very thing as per Daniel 9:27 Therefore, "The Abomination of Desolation" was this Military Roman Leader with his entire Army that made Jerusalem Desolate!
The destruction of the temple, the city, and the nation has its roots in the cursed fig tree of Mark 11: 12-14, 21,22 Israel, as a nation could have been as perpetual as Psalms 1:1-3
Psalms 1:4-6 describes the nation throughout the 3 1/2 years of public ministry there is mostly condemnation, starting with John the Baptist, who earned, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance...."and even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees, therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:8,10 NKJV
Jesus continues this theme of John in Matthew 15:7-13 (with particular emphasis on verse thirteen) His public denouncement of the scribes who devour widow's and as a pretense make long prayers, (Mark 12:40)
perfectly describes the cursed fig tree.
I had to consult my good friend Mirriam Webster and his 11th edition of his dictionary to reacquaint myself with the word, "pretense" 1:a claim made or implied esp. one not supported by fact. 2:a mere ostentation, (excessive display) b:a pretentious act or assertion 3: an inadequate or insincere attempt to attain a certain condition, or quality. All of these definitions describe the interaction between the Jewish leadership. Jesus is trying to save this nation by stripping away the leaves of pretense and hypocrisy, revealing the naked twigs, the barren branches, the fruitless boughs of Israel. The culmination of both the destruction and the denouncement of pretentiousness is recorded in Mark 12:13-17
Using the same attempt as the satraps of Daniel 6:7-10 the Pharisees and Herodians come to Jesus as sincere seeks of truth, but Jesus saw through the pretentious leaves of flattery that attempted to camouflaged the trap, (see Psalms 91:3) and explained to everyone why the nation is going to be destroyed.
"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" Mark 12:17 NKJV
Their failure to do either marked the destruction. Luke 19:41-44 is the result of their disobedience to the advice of Jesus. They do not know the day of their visitation just as the fig tree did not know that that was the last year of its fooling hungry travelers into looking through its branches.
Daniel, ‘confessing his sin and the sin of his people, making his request to the LORD his God for His holy hill’, is the example for us today. In response to his prayer, Gabriel informed him about heaven’s decision regarding his prayer “for God’s holy hill”, warning Daniel about heaven’s “degree for his people and his holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place” – Daniel 9:20-24.
Everything transpiring from then on regarding the temple and the people of Israel, and as an extension, our time, was the fulfillment of this prophecy. It becomes more and more clear to me that wickedness in this world is here to stay until the time is fulfilled. Daniel prayed for his people, we are called to pray for our people and to continuously pray for peace in this world. But like Jerusalem and its temple, this world is also destined to experience destruction. Unwavering faith in our benevolent, loving Creator God, that He will protect us according to His Will, needs to suffice in the meantime.
Thank you Maurice for expounding on Titus
Does anyone have any insight into the difference between the “abomination of desolation” in Daniel and the the “abomination of desolation” in Mark and Matthew? Jesus is clearly referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. But Daniel 8, Daniel 11, and Daniel 12 all seem to point to about 538 AD. I don’t know Greek but it appears if Jesus (or Matthew or Mark) intended to quote the Septuagint of Daniel it would have been either Daniel 9:27 or Daniel 12:11. Any thoughts? I don’t find any discussion of this point anywhere. So maybe I am totally off.