Daniel 9:27

9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. ¹ 

But in the middle of that week

he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt.

On the wing ²  of abominations will come ³  one who destroys,

until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys.”

Daniel 11:31

11:31 His forces ⁴  will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, ⁵  stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up ⁶  the abomination that causes desolation.

Daniel 12:11

12:11 From the time that the daily sacrifice is removed and the abomination that causes desolation is set in place, ⁷  there are 1,290 days.

Matthew 24:15

The Abomination of Desolation

24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation ⁸  – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

Mark 13:14

The Abomination of Desolation

13:14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation ⁹  standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee ¹⁰  to the mountains.

Luke 21:20

The Desolation of Jerusalem

21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem ¹¹  surrounded ¹²  by armies, then know that its ¹³  desolation ¹⁴  has come near.

¹ tn Heb “one seven” (also later in this line).

² tn The referent of the Hebrew word כְּנַף (kÿnaf, “wing”) is unclear here. The LXX and Theodotion have “the temple.” Some English versions (e.g., NAB, NIV) take this to mean “a wing of the temple,” but this is not clear.

³ tn The Hebrew text does not have this verb, but it has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “arms.”

⁵ tn Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”

⁶ tn Heb “will give.”

⁷ tn Heb “to give.”

⁸ sn The reference to the abomination of desolation is an allusion to Dan 9:27. Though some have seen the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the actions of Antiochus IV (or a representative of his) in 167 b.c., the words of Jesus seem to indicate that Antiochus was not the final fulfillment, but that there was (from Jesus’ perspective) still another fulfillment yet to come. Some argue that this was realized in a.d. 70, while others claim that it refers specifically to Antichrist and will not be fully realized until the period of the great tribulation at the end of the age (cf. Mark 13:14, 19, 24; Rev 3:10).

⁹ sn The reference to the abomination of desolation is an allusion to Dan 9:27. Though some have seen the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the actions of Antiochus IV (or a representative of his) in 167 b.c., the words of Jesus seem to indicate that Antiochus was not the final fulfillment, but that there was (from Jesus’ perspective) still another fulfillment yet to come. Some argue that this was realized in a.d. 70, while others claim that it refers specifically to Antichrist and will not be fully realized until the period of the great tribulation at the end of the age (cf. Mark 13:19, 24; Matt 24:21; Rev 3:10).

¹⁰ sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.

¹¹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹² sn See Luke 19:41-44. This passage refers to the events associated with the fall of Jerusalem, when the city is surrounded by armies.

¹³ tn Grk “her,” referring to the city of Jerusalem (the name “Jerusalem” in Greek is a feminine noun).

¹⁴ sn The phrase its desolation is a reference to the fall of the city, which is the only antecedent present in Luke’s account. The parallels to this in Matt 24:15 and Mark 13:14 refer to the temple’s desolation, though Matthew’s allusion is clearer. They focus on the parallel events of the end, not on the short term realization in a.d. 70. The entire passage has a prophetic “two events in one” typology, where the near term destruction (a.d. 70) is like the end. So the evangelists could choose to focus on the near time realization (Luke) or on its long term fulfillment, which mirrors it (Matthew, Mark).