I've heard a good amount of preaching on the topic of the abomination of desolation, mentioned by our Savior in the gospels, and from the book of Daniel, and all the doctrine has revolved around a rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. I'm not sure that this is at all necessary in the time line of events leading up to the great tribulation. First it's necessary to be clear about what the phrase "abomination of desolation" actually refers to.
The original phrase comes from the book of Daniel: "And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. Daniel 11:31
The only other time the phrase is used in scripture is when Jesus makes reference to this happening as a sign of the coming judgment:
"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
The passage from Leviticus that the Spirit of God illuminated to me was:
"You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. "Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it; but you shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing. Leviticus 7:25-26
The connection might be an obvious one to some, but it wasn't to me. I couldn't see it until God showed it to me. I'm sure that I've heard some sound preaching on the topic, relating the practices of Mannaseh and the bringing of idols into the temple as leading to the destruction of the first temple, by Nebuchadnezzers army. I've also heard it preached that Jesus' prohetic word was fulfilled with respect to this event in the destruction of Herod's temple in 70 AD when the Lord brought judgment against Jerusalem for the rejection of their Messiah (Romans were supposed to have entered the temple and set up standards and other images of worship prior to the rebellion, and similar events occurred prior to the birth of Christ which had lead to the Maccabean revolt.) The rebellion of the Jews against Rome and the destruction of the Jewish temple were undoubtably terrible times for the Jews, but not the tribulation to fall upon all nations.
Then there is another "school of thought" which gives a spiritual interpretation to the prophetic word in regard to the abomination of desolation. The New Testament epistles describe the body of Christ, the Church, as a spiritual temple built by God. The analogy is pressed far enough to explain that intentional sin brings destruction upon the flesh because the temple of the body is being defiled by idolatry.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
In this "spritual interpretation" of the "abomination of desolation", the phrase would refer to some sin brought into the "spiritual temple" of the Church, some form of idolatry. The protestant reformers responsible for the Westminster confession pointed to the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church as a kind or type of fulfillment of this idolatry, because of the blasphemous titles given to him such as "Holy Father" and the practices of bowing to him, kissing his ring, etc. However, there are at least two obvious problems with such an interpretation which are the reasons that some modern churches hold to the Westminster confession as a basic document of sound doctrine, yet reject the references to the Pope. I would reject the notion outright, simply because the Roman Catholic Church is not the original Church, but a splintered off branch (The first Christian Church was in Jerusalem and dispersed during the persecutions and destruction of Jerusalem.)
.....to be continued: I have to go to work...but discussion is welcome and my appollogies to any Roman Catholics that might participate in the forums. God gives grace to whom He chooses and no man is the arbiter of grace other than the God-man, Jesus Christ. My hope is that Roman Catholics would all be recipients of the same grace, but I would never agree with their doctrine.
The original phrase comes from the book of Daniel: "And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. Daniel 11:31
The only other time the phrase is used in scripture is when Jesus makes reference to this happening as a sign of the coming judgment:
"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
The passage from Leviticus that the Spirit of God illuminated to me was:
"You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. "Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it; but you shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing. Leviticus 7:25-26
The connection might be an obvious one to some, but it wasn't to me. I couldn't see it until God showed it to me. I'm sure that I've heard some sound preaching on the topic, relating the practices of Mannaseh and the bringing of idols into the temple as leading to the destruction of the first temple, by Nebuchadnezzers army. I've also heard it preached that Jesus' prohetic word was fulfilled with respect to this event in the destruction of Herod's temple in 70 AD when the Lord brought judgment against Jerusalem for the rejection of their Messiah (Romans were supposed to have entered the temple and set up standards and other images of worship prior to the rebellion, and similar events occurred prior to the birth of Christ which had lead to the Maccabean revolt.) The rebellion of the Jews against Rome and the destruction of the Jewish temple were undoubtably terrible times for the Jews, but not the tribulation to fall upon all nations.
Then there is another "school of thought" which gives a spiritual interpretation to the prophetic word in regard to the abomination of desolation. The New Testament epistles describe the body of Christ, the Church, as a spiritual temple built by God. The analogy is pressed far enough to explain that intentional sin brings destruction upon the flesh because the temple of the body is being defiled by idolatry.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
In this "spritual interpretation" of the "abomination of desolation", the phrase would refer to some sin brought into the "spiritual temple" of the Church, some form of idolatry. The protestant reformers responsible for the Westminster confession pointed to the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church as a kind or type of fulfillment of this idolatry, because of the blasphemous titles given to him such as "Holy Father" and the practices of bowing to him, kissing his ring, etc. However, there are at least two obvious problems with such an interpretation which are the reasons that some modern churches hold to the Westminster confession as a basic document of sound doctrine, yet reject the references to the Pope. I would reject the notion outright, simply because the Roman Catholic Church is not the original Church, but a splintered off branch (The first Christian Church was in Jerusalem and dispersed during the persecutions and destruction of Jerusalem.)
.....to be continued: I have to go to work...but discussion is welcome and my appollogies to any Roman Catholics that might participate in the forums. God gives grace to whom He chooses and no man is the arbiter of grace other than the God-man, Jesus Christ. My hope is that Roman Catholics would all be recipients of the same grace, but I would never agree with their doctrine.