Abomination of Desolation: Matthew 24:15-28 (Sermon)

 

ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION 

INTRODUCTION 

Any time you turn on the news, you will see that we are living in crazy times. Are we near the end? Is today any different than the past? I recall reading that there have been times in history when people predicted that they were living at the end of time. 

• The Black Plague, for example, took the lives of 75 to 200 million people; some 30 to 50 percent of Europe died. 

• The Third Reich, under Hitler, decimated the Jewish population and euthanized the weak. He killed millions in the concentration camps. London and Moscow nearly fell to the Nazis. 

• Computer experts prepared for doom and gloom with Y2K. 

• On December 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar ended, and some were envisioning the worst.

• You name the president, and somewhere on the internet, they were labeled the Antichrist. 

• During COVID, the stock market dropped, shelves were empty, governments quarantined, shut down meetings, and mandated vaccinations and masks. Some of us lost loved ones. Experts anticipated millions to perish, and influencers anticipated the apocalypse. 

What does the Bible say about the end, the Antichrist, the second coming, and the great tribulation? Jesus talked about these things, and his followers had some of the same questions. Let’s see what he said in Matthew chapter 24, starting in verse 15.

TEXT

I have asked F. C. G. to read for us. Please stand with me, in honor of God’s Word. 

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 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. 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. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. 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. 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. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:15–28 ESV)

Prayer 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for your Word. It is a light unto our path. You are good and kind to give us direction and hope. These words are tricky. Please help us as we face the uncertainty, troublesome days, and challenging questions. We need you, trust you, and love you. In Jesus’s name, we pray, amen. 

Context 

Let’s give some context. Travel back in time, 2000 years. Fly over the Middle East. It was Passover, and we will head down into Jerusalem. The town had swollen from 30,000 people to 120,000 because of a pilgrimage. People gathered to worship Yahweh in the temple. Jesus had just arrived in what we know as the Triumphal Entry. Those near him witnessed his miraculous power, including the raising of Lazarus from the dead. In the temple, Jesus noticed money changers were exploiting those who needed to purchase sacrifices on site. These less fortunate exchanged their currency for the temple’s currency at exorbitant rates. With that, they bought sacrifices for worship. Jesus was livid at this extortion. He overturned the tables and spoke out against this. Afterward, he kept teaching and healing. The leadership was aware of Jesus’s radical ways and words. They didn’t have room for a rising star stealing their spotlight. They asked him who gave him his authority. What right did he have to do what he did? Who did he think he was? Jesus responded with his question about his relative, John the Baptist. They wouldn’t answer for fear of looking bad. He condemned the religious leaders with parables, short fablelike stories with punchy points. Then, three different groups of religious leaders took turns seeking to tarnish Jesus’s reputation. He overturned their arguments like the tables and asked them what the Bible said about the Messiah. This put them in an awkward position because Jesus and his followers identified him as the Messiah. He concluded with words like a messianic prophet: seven woes and a lament. Here is the lament: 

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 23:37–39, ESV)

A desolate house. This refers to the debauchery of the temple and its leaders. The house had been made a den of robbers. As Jesus left Jerusalem, chapter 24 opens with the disciples marveling at the architectural grandeur of this house. Outside of the city, Jesus told them that Herod’s great temple would one day be obliterated. The disciples asked when that would happen. In the following verses, Jesus answers. 

---[Not sure we need this - 100 words]

TIME 

Time marches towards finality. We don’t live in a time loop. Reincarnation is not what the Bible teaches, nor annihilation, nor some disembodied global consciousness. We live, die, and then stand before God in judgment. Some will go to a heavenly reality, and some to a hellish one. And in God’s time, there will be a final judgment, a new heaven, and a new earth, with no sin, sickness, pain, or sadness. God will be our light, with us, and we will retain our individuality as children of God and brothers and sisters of one another, living in joy everlasting, far beyond the pleasure of this life. 

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OUR PASSAGE 

In our passage, the disciples questioned the end, specifically the destruction of the temple and Jesus’s return. Jesus responded true to form, not how one would expect.  

LAST WEEK

Last week, we saw he began by answering that there would be signs before the end. What signs? Do you recall any?

• False teachers and messiahs 

• Wars and rumors of wars

• Natural disasters 

• Persecution and martyrdom

• And finally, the testimony of the gospel will go around the world. 

Jesus told his disciples that these signs were just the beginning of birth pains.

STRUCTURE 

Here is a truncated structure of our passage: 

ONE ABOMINATION (15)

THREE COMMANDS (16–26)

TWO ANALOGIES (27–28)

Verse 15 set the stage for Jesus to go back to the topic of the destruction of the temple that preceded the return of Jesus and the end. He called this the “Abomination of Desolation,” which Jesus acknowledges is from the prophet Daniel. Verses 16 through 26 communicate three commands: fleeing, praying, and beware. Verses 27 and 28 give two analogies, one of which is the visibility and the swiftness of Jesus’s return in connection to the destructive power of the tribulation. The main idea and intended response are that when we see the temple’s destruction, the time is near, so flee the tribulation, pray for yourselves, and beware of false teachers. Let me say that again. 

When we see the temple’s destruction, the time is near, so flee the tribulation, pray for yourselves, and beware of false teachers. 

Let’s look at this more closely. 

VERSE 15

Verse 15. 

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)” (Matthew 24:15, ESV).

This is one of the many examples in the Bible where Scripture authenticates itself. We see the Bible refers to other parts of the Bible as trustworthy, relevant, and authoritative. The Bible sheds light on how to interpret it. Jesus quoted the book of Danel. Likely, his audience knew their Bibles better than us. So, Jesus’s language and references made sense in a way that I am not sure makes sense to us today. That being the case, let’s do a little Bible study. What is or who is this “Abomination of Desolation?” Turn to Daniel chapter 8, verse 13. Keep your finger, or marker, in Matthew chapter 24. We are going to peruse Daniel chapter 8, verse 13. Daniel used words like “Abomination” and “Desolation” in chapters 8, 9, 11, and 12. Let me repeat: we are looking at verse 13 of chapter 8 in the book of Daniel.  

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 8:13, ESV)

What was going on? The holy ones were talking about Daniel’s vision of the future. He had a supernatural vision, actually several. Our passage discusses transgression, sin, and a giving over of the sanctuary and trampling, not to be confused with a trampoline, a stamping, or a bouncing up and down. This relates to some desolation. What does the word desolate mean in Hebrew: 

“To be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled. … causing horror” (James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).)

Whatever Daniel is predicting is horrible. 

CHAPTER 9

In the next chapter Daniel wrote: 

And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city [Jerusalem] and the sanctuary [the temple]. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. [Note there are more than one]And he [we are talking about a person] shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, [a covenant is a promise] and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations [Not this is plural] shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator. Daniel 9:24–27 (ESV)

What do we notice? Like many prophecies, it is poetic, using evocative language to convey truths about people, future events, and God. In this case, we lack the details and context to determine much; however, on a superficial level, we can notice that the desolation comes through one who is the desolator. Before that, a people will destroy Jerusalem, the temple, and with that destruction, the end sacrifices and offerings.  

Chapter 11

Turn to chapter 11, verse 31. Daniel used these words again. 

 

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. [There again are the words that Jesus mentioned in chapter 24 verse 15. Let’s keep reading.] He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, [A covenant is a promise or agreement.] but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. (Daniel 11:31–35, ESV)

Here again there is a lot going on. The book of Daniel ends: 

“And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away [Sacrifices in Jerusalem cease] and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days” [that means this abomination that makes desolate won’t last forever] (Daniel 12:11, ESV).

Let’s not get lost in words. This abomination of desolation was a big deal centering around the end of sacrifices and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. When did that occur? With prophecy, there are layers. We know Daniel made these predictions around 500 B.C. So, it would happen after that. Like layers of fabric, it can occur in stages. Part of it may have been fulfilled by a king named Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He ordered the altar of the Greek god Zeus to be constructed in the temple in 167 B.C. He had unclean animals, like pigs, sacrificed there. In my daily reading of Scripture, I just read Deuteronomy 14:3, part of a list of commands that Moses gave God’s people before they entered the Promised Land: “You shall not eat any abomination.” A pig was one of those unclean animals. Antiochus also stopped the practice of Sabbath rest and circumcision. Yet, there is another layer to Daniel’s prophecy. Jesus was interpreting Daniel to mean something yet to transpire. Let me bring back to memory chapter 23 and the lament. He described the house of Jerusalem as desolate, but it was not destroyed yet. 

FLEE

Let’s go back to chapter 24, verse 16. 

“Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matthew 24:16, ESV). 

The historian Eusebius reported that some thirty years after Jesus predicted this abomination and desolation, verse 16 came true. 

The people of the Church in Jerusalem were commanded by an oracle given by revelation before the war to those in the city who were worthy of it to depart and dwell in one of the cities of Perea which they called Pella. To it those who believed on Christ traveled from Jerusalem, so that when holy men had altogether deserted the royal capital of the Jews and the whole land of Judaea.

— Eusebius, Church History 3, 5, 3

Here is a picture of Jerusalem and Pella. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Thedecapolis.png 

Then, in AD 70, Rome ransacked Jerusalem and tore down the temple. It was such destruction that Jesus’s words made sense.  

Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! (Matthew 24:17–19, ESV) 

Jesus and Daniel talked about persecution, destruction, and the demolition of the temple and Jerusalem. Rome would slaughter the Jewish people. Jesus knew this was coming. With this oppression would come the persecution of Christians. What do you do when you see the enemy marching toward you? Jesus commanded in verses 16 through 19 flight. Run. Get out of there. You don’t have time. GO! So, Jesus encouraged his people to flee. 

When we see the temple’s destruction, the time is near, so flee the tribulation. 

PRAY

But that was not all, go to verse 20.

“Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath” (Matthew 24:20, ESV). 

Why? In the winter, just as it is hard to travel down I-90 up to Kalamazoo, it is hard to flee on foot from an enemy in Israel. And for one who is a strict Sabbatarian, not traveling more than a half mile. Praying this won’t happen on the Sabbath means we pray it occurs on another day of the week. That being the case, how does this call to prayer apply to us today? Well, it gives us an example of how running and praying for ourselves is good. We don’t have to stand up and die fighting every cause or enemy. Sometimes, it is good to get out of the way of danger. And all the time, it is good to pray. In this case, it is not wrong or selfish to pray for things to be easier. God cares. He wants to hear our hearts. He has good in store for his children even amid suffering trials. He has ordained prayer for his purposes. So pray. Pray about yourself. Pray about your kids. Pray about your grandkids. Pray. Prayer doesn’t necessarily secure an outcome we want, but it could if it was God’s will. We are to talk to God about what is going on. 

VERSE 21 

Why did Jesus say to pray this specific way? Keep reading. 

“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” (Matthew 24:21, ESV). 

As we read, this tribulation will be the worst it has been or ever will be. Think zombie apocalypse. A literal desecration of the temple pales in comparison to this. It is going to be the worst time ever. Evil will look like it will win like the White Witch will rule Narnia when Aslan is slain, like Emperor Palpatine taking down Luke Skywalker, like He Who Must Not Be Named alive with the Dementors, Giants, and Death Eaters declaring victory over Harry Potter. This points to a tribulation we have yet to see fully. So Daniel can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, be talking about Antiochus Epiphanes, the Roman Emperor Titus, and some Antichrist yet to come. That is how predictions of the future can work in the Bible. (They make much more sense to us after the fact.)

When we see the temple’s destruction, the time is near, so flee the tribulation, pray for yourselves.

HOPE

If the passage ended with verse 21, we would despair. But Jesus kept teaching. We get to verse 22 and read. 

“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” (Matthew 24:22, ESV). 

God will stop those terrible days for his people. He will end their suffering and protect their faith and salvation. The elect, God’s children, will not be lost. God was, is, and will always be in control. Suffering the desolation will cease. The days of destruction will end. 

SUMMARY 

So, we see the command to let people flee the tribulation and pray for relief. In verses 23 through 26, we see Jesus tell his followers not to believe the false teachers. Beware. This echoes what he has already said in previous verses: Don’t believe or be led astray by those who are fakes.

When we see the temple’s destruction, the time is near, so flee the tribulation, pray for yourselves, and beware of false teachers. 

Look at verse 23: 

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. 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. (Matthew 24:23–26, ESV)

Jesus told his disciples not to believe the false teachers and false messiahs. He was and is the only Messiah. We are to follow him and him alone into his kingdom. The false prophets and messiahs were fakes, frauds, and phonies. They would do signs and wonders and have gifts and abilities. However, they are not God’s messengers. They are the Devil’s. We can look at history or our current cultural moment and see on YouTube, in podcasts, or print the vast number of charlatans that could fall into this category. As the day draws near, we must be discerning. Cults abound, and the health and wealth movement has turned the good news about the here and now. Pop culture morphs the message of Jesus to be a psychological balm to fix our mental ills. The religious legalists would distort the gospel to be about following rules. Conspiracy theories and alarmists would turn our attention away from hope in God. People repackaging old heresies and philosophies market secret knowledge and seek to lead many astray. Don’t be fooled, church.  

DISCERNMENT? 

How? How can we know what is right and wrong as the day draws near? That is a good question. Jesus gives us a good word in Matthew chapter 7, verse 24. 

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24–27, ESV)

What are you building your house on? What is your foundation? We need to study the Bible. It is true and unlike any other book. It is inspired by God and useful for us to discern ethics and morals, values, and priorities. It gives us a look at God’s heart and our future. It explains how we got here and where we are headed. If we want to protect ourselves from false teaching, the Word of God is our foundation. 

27 and 28

As we conclude, let’s look at the last two verses, highlighting two natural phenomena that answer the disciples’ question. Look at verses 27 and 28. 

“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. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather” (Matthew 24:15–28, ESV).

Lightning moves faster than the speed of sound. Everyone can see it. It happens quickly. In the same way, the Son of Man will come speedily. Jesus will be categorically different from the false ones. He will return in the sky with power and celerity preceded by death and destruction. Where the vultures are, the corpse is too. Are you ready?

APPLICATION BE READY 

Time is running out. Jesus is coming back. Today is one day closer. Are you ready? 

1. How can you prepare yourself for the return of Christ and the end of things? 

Verses like this help us think through priorities. Are we living with the end in sight? We only have so much time. Let us consider our lives. God is good and sent his Son to save us from our sins. He won’t let the tribulation last forever. Let’s be ready. Let’s turn from our sins and trust in him. It is okay to run from danger. It is good to pray through our problems and, finally, beware. God invites us to be in a relationship with him. 

APPLICATION BE CAUTIOUS

This passage is a good reminder that in these last days, we must not be led astray. 

1. How can you prepare yourself for the return of Christ and the end of things? 

2. Are there ways in which you are being led astray by your sin, the culture, or evil voices in the world? 

3. How can you build your foundation on God’s Word? 

Let’s dig into our Bibles. Our culture, Satan, and our sin will distort our thinking to be selfish, nearsighted, and prideful. The disciples were to be wise, humble, and dependent on God, seeking to love him and others. Guard your hearts and minds, and don’t be easily fooled. God won’t let his children suffer to the point of losing their faith. What he begins, he completes. No one can kidnap his children. They are his forever. Be encouraged and spurred on

Let’s pray. 

PRAY

Dear God, thank you for your Word. You are good. We love you. Guide us and direct us as we seek you. You are worthy of our lives, amen. 

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