Jesus begins our text by referencing “the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel.” There are four texts in Daniel that use this term which collectively speak of a great sacrilege of God’s House coupled with a great persecution of God’s people. Interpreting biblical prophecies is often like peeling an onion. That is why we often speak of near and distant fulfilments to these prophecies. There are two key figures in biblical history who committed great sacrilege and equally great brutalities. These first two fulfil many prophecies in Daniel and in Jesus’ Olivet discourse. However, neither of the first two complete the resume of the prophetic warnings of coming horrors. There is a third, the greatest of the Abominations, whom scripture calls the Antichrist. All the Abomination of Desolation prophecies foreshadow his sinister career of opposition to Christ.
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THE ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION IN DANIEL
• Daniel 8:13
• Daniel 9:27
• Daniel 11:31
• Daniel 12:11
4. THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM
SERMON
OVERVIEW
Antiochus Titus Antichrist
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ANTIOCHUS IV
EPIPHANES
THE FIRST
ABOMINATION
Matthew 24:15
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TITUS
VESPASIANUS
THE SECOND
ABOMINATION
Matthew 24:16-21
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THE
ANTICHRIST
THE THIRD
ABOMINATION
Matthew 24:22-28
9. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that
day will not come, unless the rebellion
comes first, and the man of lawlessness is
revealed, the son of destruction,4 who
opposes and exalts himself against every so-
called god or object of worship, so that he
takes his seat in the temple of God,
proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thess. 2)
10. 3 Important Lessons
1. Antiochus teaches us that
God takes note of the evil
that men do! God is just!
11. 3 Important Lessons
2. Titus teaches us that God’s
justice has no statute of
limitations! God is ever-
vigilant!
12. 3 Important Lessons
3. Jesus’ warnings concerning
the Antichrist teach us that
we too can be deceived by
false prophets and false
messiahs! Only Jesus is Lord!
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Hinweis der Redaktion
THE THREE ABOMINATIONS OF DESOLATION
Matthew 24:15-28
Daniel 8:13
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?”
Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,[a] 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.”
Daniel 11:31
31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.
Daniel 12:11
11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.
Perspective Distortion
Any curved lenses create a certain amount of distortion. The lenses in our eyes are curved lenses. Everything we see has a certain amount of perspective distortion.
The First Abomination; Antiochus IV Ephiphanes
Matthew 24:15
5 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
After a military campaign in Egypt, a false rumor was spread that Antiochus IV, who hated the Jews, was dead.
He was not dead, but he had been defeated in Egypt and was humiliated.
The Jews in Jerusalem celebrated the rumor of Antiochus’ death publicly.
An angry Antiochus raids the Jewish Temple. He carried off millions of dollars worth of religious objects.
Antiochus outlawed Judaism and put to death any woman who had her child circumcised.
He renamed the Temple for Zeus Olympius and erected a statue of Zeus in the Temple.
He decreed that all Jews needed to come and worship him as god four times of year. He intentionally scheduled these events on the Jewish Sabbath.
He burned copies of the Torah and slaughtered a pig on the altar. He then sprinkled the entire sanctuary with water that the pig had been boiled in to desecrate it.
As an added insult, Antiochus then forced the Jews to offer a pig on the 25th of each month to celebrate his birthday.
Antiochus offered rewards for Jews who abandoned Judaism.
Daniel 8
23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand.
The Second Abomination: Titus Vespasianus and the Roman Army
Matthew 24:16-21
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
During the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE, many Jews were crucified, as attested by first-century historian Flavius Josephus:
“When caught [by the Romans] they [the fugitives] were forced to offer resistance, and when the fighting ended it seemed too late to sue for mercy. Scourged and subjected before death to every torture, they were finally crucified in view of the wall [of Jerusalem]. Titus indeed realized the horror of what was happening, for every day 500—sometimes even more—fell into his hands. However it was not safe to let men captured by force go free, and to guard such a host of prisoners would tie up a great proportion of his troops. But his chief reason for not stopping the slaughter was the hope that the sight of it would perhaps induce the Jews to surrender in order to avoid the same fate. The soldiers themselves through rage and bitterness nailed up their victims in various attitudes [or postures] as a grim joke, till owing to the vast numbers there was no room for the crosses, and no crosses for the bodies” (Flavius Josephus, Jewish Wars 5.449–51, translated by G.A. Williamson).
The Third Abomination: The AntiChrist
Matthew 24:22-28
22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thess. 2)