Abomination of Desolation

The abomination of desolation is a phrase drawn from Daniel 9:27; 11:31; and 12:11, cited by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 as a signal for those in Judea to flee to the mountains: when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place. In Daniel the phrase (shiqquts meshomem) denotes a sacrilegious act or object that renders the sanctuary desolate — the setting up of an idol or pagan altar in the temple. The Maccabean period gave the prophecy a partial fulfillment when Antiochus IV Epiphanes erected an altar to Zeus in the Jerusalem temple in 167 BC and sacrificed swine upon it (1 Maccabees 1:54, 59).

Jesus's citation points toward a further fulfillment in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The phrase let the reader understand (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14) indicates that the reference was intentionally cryptic — requiring discernment to identify the specific historical event when it arrived. Scholars have identified the Roman siege standards planted in the temple precincts, or Caligula's attempted installation of his statue in the temple (38–40 AD), as fulfillments. Many interpreters also see an eschatological dimension pointing to a future apostasy or desecration at the end of the age, particularly in light of 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 and Revelation 13.