Information Related to "Just What Is the Abomination of Desolation?"
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Just What Is the
Abomination of Desolation?
In one of the Bible's best-known prophecies, Jesus Christ spoke of a coming "abomination
of desolation." What did He mean? Has that prophecy come to pass?
by Gary Petty
From supermarket tabloids it is apparent
people are fascinated with biblical prophecy. Someone's always coming up with a new
interpretation of the beasts of the book of Daniel or of the mysterious cataclysms
of Revelation.
Apart from the hyperbole and hysteria, people do have practical concerns about the
intriguing prophetic statements in the Bible. We live in turbulent times. People
are concerned about the state of the world. Some, almost instinctively, turn to the
Bible--particularly the prophetic passages--for solace and insight.
Jesus Christ's Olivet prophecy, recorded for us in Matthew 24, Mark 16 and Luke 21,
is one of the Bible's most familiar prophecies. In it Jesus warns of a coming time
of unprecedented trouble. He advises people in Judea to flee when they see the "abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" (Matthew 24:15).
What is the abomination of desolation? Can the Bible tell us its meaning? Is this
prophecy only for the people of Daniel's or Christ's day, or is it a warning for
a time yet ahead of us?
The Abomination in the Book of Daniel
When Jesus spoke of the abomination of desolation, He was referring to Daniel 11:31 and 12:11. God revealed to Daniel that "there shall be a time of anguish, such
as has never occurred since nations first came into existence" (Daniel 12:1, New
Revised Standard Version). Then, in verse 11, Daniel learns that the abomination
involves the cessation of daily sacrifices.
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