Hmmm. What if there was a way to reconcile this using Scripture?
I will try.
Assuming that the AOD was the crucifixion, then how would people 'see' it, but then flee Jerusalem in 70AD? There is a gap of time that must be dealt with. Here is my interpretation:
The word 'see' in the verse you quoted should not be understood as meaning 'physically see with one's eyes', but rather it should be understood to mean 'spiritually discern and understand'. The word 'see' can also mean the latter.
In other words, those that 'saw' or rather 'understood' Daniels prophecy, would be able to know the exact timing of the destruction of Jerusalem and flee the city long before the event happened. They could even warn others ahead of time.
But, how do we know that we are supposed to interpret the word 'see' as 'understand'? Because the verse itself gives us the interpretation:
The verse goes out of its way to teach us that 'see' is meant to be interpreted as 'spiritually see', not physically see.
After the crucifixion, i.e., the AOD, those that 'saw' and understood now had around forty-five years to move and re-establish their lives outside of Jerusalem. God gave them ample time to 'flee' so to speak. Pretty cool of him.
The 1260, 1290, and 1335 'days' were the keys to solving it. Some Jews figured it out and tried to warn others.
This is where so many, in my opinion, have misinterpreted Scripture. The Great Tribulation is not some future event lasting only a few years. The Great Tribulation began with the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD But! it continues to this very day. In other words, the world has been going through the Great Tribulation for thousands of years now. And why not? There are plenty of verses that teach of this.
We are now waiting for this verse in Matthew to be fulfilled:
Again, the phrase 'those days' refers to the Great Tribulation we have all been in for thousands of years now. After the Great Tribulation is over, then the wrath comes. There is no future Great Tribulation to wait for.
Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 both speak of the “abomination of desolation,” but there is a very noticeable difference between the two, while Luke does not mention this phrase. Rather, he speaks to the desolation of physical things, and the timing of the desolation that will come upon the Jews.
Matthew 24:15.…. “standing in the holy place.”
Mark 13:14……… “standing where it ought not.”
Luke 21:20………. “but when you see Jerusalem.”
These three verses are meant to send their own unique message to a specific audience as well as to confirm the timing and identity of the abomination that causes desolation.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is presented as the Messianic King and High Priest, fulfilling the Jewish prophecies and establishing the long-awaited kingdom of God. Written primarily for a Jewish audience, Matthew carefully links Jesus to the Old Testament, emphasizing His royal lineage from David and His divine mission as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). Thus, when Jesus speaks of the "abomination that causes desolation" in Matthew 24:15, He is directly addressing the Jewish nation, warning of both the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the deeper spiritual rejection of their own Messiah.
"Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." – Matthew 24:15-16
Matthew is the only Gospel that explicitly mentions the “holy place” in connection with the abomination of desolation. Given Matthew’s audience and Jesus’s role as King and Priest, this phrase takes on deep theological significance.
1. The Holy Place: The Temple and Its True Fulfillment
To the Jewish audience, the "holy place" would naturally refer to the Temple, the center of worship, sacrifice, and the presence of God.
However, throughout Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus Himself is presented as the true Temple, the dwelling place of God among His people (
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" – John 2:19).
If Jesus is the true Temple, then the ultimate desecration—the true abomination—would be His rejection and crucifixion, not merely the destruction of a physical building.
2. The King Rejected in His Own Kingdom
Matthew’s entire Gospel builds up to the moment when Israel, God’s chosen people, reject their rightful King.
The Jewish leaders conspire against Jesus, mock His claim to kingship, and demand His crucifixion (
"We have no king but Caesar!" – John 19:15).
Just as they rejected God’s rule in 1 Samuel 8, demanding an earthly king, now they reject the true King of Israel—the ultimate abomination.
3. The Priest Rejected in His Own Sanctuary
In addition to being the King, Jesus is also the High Priest, the One who mediates between God and man.
In Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus cleanses the Temple, declaring,
"My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."
By rejecting Jesus, the Jewish leaders reject the true and final High Priest, leaving themselves spiritually desolate.
Thus, when Jesus refers to the abomination standing in the holy place, He is not merely predicting the destruction of the physical Temple in 70 AD. He is declaring that the Jewish nation’s rejection of their King and Priest is the true desolation—a separation from the presence of God that will last for 2000 years. This is why Jesus’s rejection by the Jews parallels the rejection of God in the Old Testament:
Matthew 23:37-38
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate."
Jesus declares that the city and the Temple—once filled with God's presence—will now be empty, abandoned, and spiritually desolate.
Matthew 27:51 – The Temple Veil Torn
"Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split."
This event confirms that the physical Temple was no longer necessary because the true Temple, Jesus, had been rejected and crucified. Jesus warns in Matthew 24:16-22 that when the abomination is seen, those in Judea should flee to the mountains. This was physically fulfilled in 70 AD when the Romans besieged Jerusalem, but its deeper fulfillment is spiritual:
The physical destruction of Jerusalem was a direct result of the spiritual rejection of the Messiah.
The desolation was not just about a destroyed city—it was about a nation cut off from God until the time of restoration.
The climax of the abomination that causes desolation is seen in the trial of Jesus. The chief priests and elders, the very ones who were to lead the people in righteousness, stood before Pilate and made the ultimate declaration of rejection:
"His blood be on us and on our children!" – Matthew 27:25
With these words, the Jewish leaders sealed their own fate. They had not just rejected a prophet; they had rejected God Himself in the flesh. They rejected:
Jesus, as King, was rejected by His own people.
Jesus, as Priest, was rejected in His own sanctuary.
His crucifixion was the ultimate abomination—a betrayal of the covenant between God and His chosen people.
The result? Desolation—for 2000 years.
