Antiochus Epiphanes DID NOT Commit The Abomination of Desolation
The Abomination of Desolation is first prophecied in Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 11:31
Daniel 9:27 “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Daniel 11:31 “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.”
When you speak of the Abomination of Desolation, many people write it off because they believe it happened already. They believe that it was fulfilled when Antiochus Epiphanes committed pagan sacrifices on the altar and put pagan idols in the temple. This view COMPLETELY ignores many other Biblical signs that tell us what the Abomination of Desolation is.
Matthew 24:15 Contradicts This View
The simplest argument for the Abomination of Desolation not happening yet is Matthew 24:15.
Matthew 24:15 “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)”
Matthew 24:15 happened around 30 AD, and it depicts the Abomination of Desolation as a future event. Antiochus Epiphanes defiled the temple in around 167 BC, nearly 200 years before Jesus. Matthew 24:21-22 also says that the Tribulation starts after this event, and that these days would be cut short.
While the acts by Antiochus Epiphanes were detestable, they were not the Abomination of Desolation.
Daniel 9:26-27 Contradicts This View
When reading Daniel 9:26-27, it is clear that this event is done by the Antichrist.
Daniel 9:26-27 “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
This passage directly tells us that the antichrist would commit the Abomination of Desolation. Antiochus Epiphanes was not the antichrist; he does not even come close to fitting the description. It also says that a 7 year (one week) covenant would be made, but that the antichrist would only have 3 1/2 years to continue after he commits the Abomination of Desolation.
What Is The Abomination of Desolation?
The Abomination of Desolation happens when the Antichrist will sit in the temple and claim to be God. This is prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, which talks about what the antichrist/man of sin would do. The antichrist stops the Jewish sacrifices and the worship of any deity. He alone wants to be worshipped as God, which is why Revelation 13:8 said that all the world worshipped the beast.
The Jews are told by Jesus to flee when this happens, as this is when the antichrist gains full power and starts his persecution of Christians and Jews. We also know that he only has 42 months to continue after this, which shows that we are halfway through the Tribulation. Lastly, this confirms that the temple will be rebuilt, likely with the Dome of the Rock next to it or in the court. This is why John is told, in Revelation 11:2, not to measure the temple court, as it was given to the Gentiles. (It also says that they would trample the holy city for 42 months, which is uncoincidentally the same amount of time the antichrist has after the Abomination of Desolation).
In Conclusion
What Antiochus Epiphanes did was only a precursor to the real event. Antiochus Epiphanes set up a pagan idol to be worshipped and sacrificed to; the antichrist will set himself up to be worshipped as God. The Abomination of Desolation is one of the key end-times events. It lets us know that we are halfway through the last 7 years, and it signals the beginning of the Tribulation. Be on the look for the rebuilding of the temple, as that is the next step. Soon, the antichrist will step onto the scene and we will be heading towards the Tribulation.
Thank you for reading, and always remember to stay vigilant!