The Great Tribulation: The Abomination of Desolation & the Anti-Christ -- Mark 13:14

14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

On the Mount of Olives, overlooking the temple precincts, Jesus continued his teaching about the end of the age. Peter, John, James, and Andrew sat riveted as their Master explained the end times. With his first words, the section we studied previously, Jesus told them of the birth pains that would come upon the earth in preparation for his return. Before his reign and before the new heavens and earth, our world will endure increasing trouble. Wars, rumors of wars, famines, natural disasters, and pestilences will increase leading up to the second coming of Christ. The believer is not to be alarmed or afraid but to operate in line with the gospel, preaching it with their words and works until he comes. Persecution will increase, but God's people must endure.

The Abomination of Desolation

Then Jesus told his men about an event called "the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be" (14). The abomination of desolation: Mark gave a parenthetical comment when he said, "Let the reader understand" (14). What are we to understand? What is the abomination of desolation?

Daniel

To explain this phrase, we must consider its origins because Jesus was not the first to use it. It comes from the book of Daniel. Matthew's account of the Olivet Discourse makes it clear Jesus knew it came from Daniel (Matthew 24:15). And Daniel, written 600 years before the time of Christ, wrote three times about the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). Each time Daniel spoke of the abomination of desolation, it's clear he wrote of a future event that had something to do with the defilement of the sacrifices in Jerusalem's temple.

Antiochus Epiphanes

It is fascinating, though, that Jesus brings up this event to his followers because, in their day, they thought the abomination of desolation Daniel spoke of had already happened. The reason they felt this way is that nearly 200 years before their time, a Syrian ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes had invaded Jerusalem, set up an altar to Zeus in the temple, and sacrificed a pig on it. He desecrated the temple. It was an abomination to the Jews. And the temple was made desolate as a result. So, to the disciples, the abomination of desolation Daniel spoke of had already occurred. But Jesus tells them the event is yet in the future. It seems the terrible actions of Antiochus Epiphanes were only a foreshadowing of the ultimate and eventual fulfillment of Daniel's prophecies.

Titus

And after Jesus spoke, he died and rose and ascended. And the church was born. As the gospel spread out from Jerusalem, God's judgment was eventually expressed on Jerusalem's temple. God was done with that mode of worship. So, in accordance with Jesus' prediction that not one stone would remain on top of another, the Romans invaded, desecrated, and destroyed the temple in 70 AD. They made it desolate. So, it is natural to wonder if Jesus merely referred to those events when he said the abomination of desolation was coming. But, though Titus' ransacking of the temple may have been a foreshadowing of partial fulfillment of Daniel's prophecies, Jesus seems to have spoken of a yet future day. Just as Antiochus Epiphanes wasn't the complete fulfillment, it's possible Titus wasn't either.

The Man of Sin

We might think this way because the Bible teaches about a coming "man of lawlessness" whose actions will immediately precede the Day of the Lord or the end of the age. Listen to Paul's description:

2 Thessalonians 2:1–4 (ESV)—1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV)—8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. This "man of lawlessness" is often called the Antichrist by believers, and he is the beast of the book of Revelation. According to the original prophecies in Daniel, he is a coming world dictator who will establish a seven-year peace covenant, particularly over the Middle East (Daniel 9:27). This likely means he will pave the way for a rebuilt temple on the old temple Mount -- an astounding feat considering its current Islamic occupants. But halfway through his peace treaty, his true nature will be revealed, and he will demand the worship that only belongs to God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). But how could people be so deceived? Revelation calls him a beast. Daniel calls him a horn who does terrible things. But those images reveal God's perspective. People love him. To the world, he's not repulsive but energizing and widely received. He brings seeming peace. He'll essentially be a world dictator who leads humanity into what appears to be a golden age until he shows his true colors and the judgment of God is released upon him. He is not the opposite of Christ, where Jesus is nice, and this guy is evil, but anti-Christ as in instead of Christ. He will be opposite Christ, but he'll also be a hero to many. I think he will offer the benefits of Christ's kingdom -- peace, justice, mercy for all -- but without Christ. And many have tried to identify him throughout church history. The Pope, Nero, Hitler, Mikhail Gorbachev, Napoleon, and nearly every American President have all been popular candidates. But everyone has been wrong. So, one day, a world ruler will come and complete Daniel and Jesus' "abomination of desolation" prophecy. I should say this is one of the more difficult verses in Mark to interpret. Mark said, "Let the reader understand" (14). And I've tried my best to explain to you how I understand it. Others have not seen anything about the end times here but think the abomination of desolation happened with Titus and the Roman invasion in 70 AD. But I think the best view sees a still future fulfillment of Jesus' words, partly because of what he said next, which we’ll look at next week.