What is the meaning of Matthew 24:15? So when you see “ ‘So when you see…’ ” (Matthew 24:15) sets a watchful tone. Jesus expects real people in real time to notice a visible sign. • The command to “see” echoes Matthew 24:33—“When you see all these things, know that He is near.” • Luke’s parallel warns, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies…” (Luke 21:20). • Paul urges similar alertness: “So then, let us not sleep, as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Christ speaks literally; there will be an observable event that believers can recognize. standing in the holy place The “holy place” points to the Temple precinct in Jerusalem. • In 2 Thessalonians 2:4 the man of lawlessness “takes his seat in God’s temple.” • Revelation 11:1-2 pictures a measurable sanctuary that Gentiles will trample. • Daniel 8:11-14 foretells a future desecration of the sanctuary. These passages indicate a literal structure in Israel’s capital—either a rebuilt Temple or, according to some, a desecrated portion of what remains. Jesus anchors the prophecy to a concrete location His listeners knew well. the abomination of desolation Jesus quotes Daniel, who used this phrase three times (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). • Historically, Antiochus IV sacrificed swine on the Temple altar (167 BC), previewing a greater end-time offense. • Prophetically, a final Antichrist will repeat and exceed that outrage. Daniel 9:27 says, “On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out.” • Revelation 13:14-15 describes an image that breathes and demands worship—an unmistakable abomination that triggers desolation. The phrase therefore signals both idolatry and devastation, culminating in the Great Tribulation Jesus outlines in Matthew 24:21. spoken of by the prophet Daniel Jesus validates Daniel’s authorship and prophecies. • Daniel 12:1 links the abomination to “a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations.” Jesus echoes that wording in Matthew 24:21. • Daniel’s seventy-weeks timetable (Daniel 9:24-27) counts down to Messiah’s first coming and then leaps to the final week when the abomination appears halfway through. By citing Daniel, Christ ties first-century listeners and future readers into one prophetic sequence that remains trustworthy and exact. (let the reader understand) This parenthetical nudge invites personal engagement. • Proverbs 2:3-5 urges us to seek understanding like hidden treasure. • Revelation 1:3 promises blessing to “the one who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it.” Jesus signals that careful study, not casual observation, will enable believers to discern the sign and respond in faith. summary Matthew 24:15 is Jesus’ midpoint marker in the Olivet Discourse. He foretells a literal desecration of a literal Temple in Jerusalem—a brazen act of idolatry that launches the unparalleled Tribulation. Drawing directly from Daniel, He underscores Scripture’s unity and reliability. Believers are called to stay alert, trust God’s prophetic timetable, and find hope in the certainty that the same Lord who predicted the abomination will soon appear in glory to end it forever. |
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