What is the significance of "the abomination that causes desolation" in Daniel 12:11? Setting the scene in Daniel 12:11 • “From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.” (Daniel 12:11) • The verse locks two events together: – the halting of temple sacrifices – the placement of the abomination that makes the sanctuary desolate • A prophetic countdown (1,290 days ≈ 3½ years plus an extra month) begins when those events occur. Meaning of “the abomination that causes desolation” • “Abomination” (Heb. shiqquts) is used in the Old Testament for something spiritually detestable, especially idolatry. • “Desolation” points to the ruin and abandonment that follow. • In combination, the phrase describes a brazen act of idolatry placed in God’s temple, provoking divine judgment and rendering the holy place unusable for true worship. Historical foreshadowing: Antiochus IV Epiphanes (167 BC) • Daniel 11:31, fulfilled in part: “His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.” • Antiochus erected an altar to Zeus on the temple altar and sacrificed swine—an unmistakable abomination. • That desecration lasted about three years until the Maccabean revolt cleansed the temple (Hanukkah). • This historical event validates the prophecy and supplies a pattern for a yet-future fulfillment. Prophetic fulfillment: the coming Antichrist • Jesus projected Daniel’s prophecy beyond Antiochus: “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel … then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15-16) • Key New-Testament details: – 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4—“the man of lawlessness … seats himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” – Revelation 13:14-15—an image of the beast is animated and enforced. • Taken literally, a rebuilt temple will exist in the end times. Mid-point in Daniel’s seventieth week (Daniel 9:27), the Antichrist halts sacrifices and sets up his image—the ultimate abomination—triggering the Great Tribulation. Why the 1,290 days matter • Daniel 9:27 divides the final seven-year period: “in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice.” • 1,260 days (Revelation 11:3; 12:6) = 3½ years; Daniel 12:11 adds 30 days, possibly: – for cleansing and rededication of the temple (cf. Antiochus pattern) – to allow final judgments (Zechariah 14:12-15) before Christ’s kingdom begins. • Daniel 12:12 then adds another 45 days (“1,335 days”): blessing comes to those who persevere through the entire transition into Messiah’s reign. Practical takeaways for today • God’s timetable is precise; history unfolds exactly as foretold. • Idolatry in any form still provokes His jealousy; true worship must remain pure. • Current events pointing toward a revived temple and global governance remind believers to watch, remain faithful, and live with expectation of Christ’s return. |
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