Connect Daniel 8:13 with Matthew 24:15. How do they relate prophetically? Setting the Stage: Two Pivotal Verses • Daniel 8:13: “Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the speaker, ‘How long will the vision apply—the regular sacrifice, the transgression that causes desolation, and the surrender of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?’” • Matthew 24:15: “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand)….” Shared Language: Abomination and Desolation • Both texts spotlight “desolation” resulting from a sacrilegious “transgression/abomination.” • Daniel 8 describes the cessation of the daily sacrifice and the trampling of God’s sanctuary. • Jesus echoes Daniel, signaling that a similar defilement of a yet-standing temple will be a key end-time sign. Historical Foretaste: Antiochus IV (167 BC) • Daniel 8’s immediate horizon: the Greek “little horn” (Antiochus IV Epiphanes). – He halted sacrifices and set up a pagan altar (1 Macc. 1:54). – Daniel 8:14 dates the desecration at “2,300 evenings and mornings,” fulfilled when temple worship was restored (165 BC). • Antiochus serves as a prophetic type—an earlier pattern of what Jesus projects forward. Jesus’ Expansion: A Still-Future Fulfillment • Antiochus’ deed was past when Jesus spoke, yet Christ warned of a future “abomination.” • Therefore, Matthew 24:15 looks beyond 167 BC—first to the Roman destruction of AD 70 (Luke 21:20-24) and ultimately to an end-time Antichrist. • Supporting texts: – Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11—each links a final ruler, stopped sacrifices, and desolation. – 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4—“the man of lawlessness” sits in God’s temple, declaring himself God. – Revelation 13—beast image set up for worship. Prophetic Timeline: Near and Far 1. Type: Antiochus IV (167-165 BC) — fulfills Daniel 8 locally. 2. Preview: Roman armies (AD 70) — fulfill Luke 21’s broader warning; temple razed. 3. Ultimate: Future Antichrist — will repeat the abomination in a restored sanctuary, triggering the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1). Key Connections Between Daniel 8:13 and Matthew 24:15 • Shared terminology links the passages. • Jesus authenticates Daniel’s prophecy and extends it to the last days. • The cessation of sacrifice, desecration of holy space, and ensuing judgment form the prophetic pattern running from Daniel through Jesus to Revelation. Implications for Believers Today • Scripture’s precision encourages confidence in its literal fulfillment. • Watchfulness: the same sign—defilement of the sanctuary—marks the final countdown to Christ’s return (Matthew 24:33). • Steadfast faith: though desolations come, God’s sovereign timeline is exact (Daniel 8:14; 12:11-12). |
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