The Abomination of Desolation has nothing to do with a temple in Jerusalem.
I have been seeking God for over a decade on this subject. It never set with me that the anti-Christ was going to set himself up in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. I knew there was something wrong with this teaching.
This is a continuation of my teaching on Daniel 9:27.
A few years ago, the Holy Spirit revealed to me, in a very strong way, that the abomination of desolation is set up in the church, not a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.
Since the cross, all references to the temple are referring to the church. Let’s look at some of the scriptures that prove this.
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. John 2:19
Jesus is saying that after His death and resurrection, His body will be the temple.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split. Matthew 27:50-51
This was the end of the physical temple as a place of worship. Then it was destroyed in 70 AD. From the time of the cross, God’s dwelling place is with man.
However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands Acts 7:48
The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; Acts 17:24
Now for some verses from Hebrews.
Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are. Hebrews 3:5-6
Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. Hebrews 8:1-2
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, Hebrews 9:24
The physical temple was a mere copy or foreshadow of the real temple, which is the heavenly or spiritual temple.
Here’s a verse from Peter.
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:4
And finally, Ephesians.
And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22
All references to the temple after the cross are referring to the church. (The only exception is in Acts when it says the disciples were preaching daily at the temple. But that is just geography.)
Remember, individual Christians are a temple but not the temple. That is not what we are talking about with regards to the abomination of desolation. The global church, all the Christians, are the temple. That is what we are talking about in this message. The church.
Well, what about the physical temple in Jerusalem? So now let’s look at all the verses that say the physical temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. This is a long list so let’s go through it quickly.
NONE!
There is not one single verse in the whole Bible that says the physical temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.
I will bring my people back to the land that I promised their forefathers and they will rebuild my temple, says the Lord! Where is that verse?
“I will again favor Jerusalem, and they will rebuild my temple, says the Lord! Where is that verse?
I asked the rabbi in charge of building the temple, the former director of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, if there was any verse that said the temple would be rebuilt. He said no. If we don’t build it, Messiah will when He comes. He told me that while sitting at my kitchen table. If anyone would know, it would be him!
Now this doesn’t mean that the temple won’t be rebuilt in Jerusalem. I hope it will be. I’ve been a member of the Temple Institute for several decades. I am hoping that it gets rebuilt and that it becomes a house of prayer for all the nations. I hope it triggers the latter rain outpouring in the church. Remember, the six-day war started the Jesus movement and triggered the interest of common everyday Christians in end time Bible prophecy. Can you imagine if the temple was rebuilt? What a great revival that would cause!
There is a theme running through the whole Bible of first the natural, then the spiritual. The Bible begins with the natural Adam and Eve and ends with Christ and the church.
So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
So, we start in the garden with the earthly Adam and Eve and end with the spiritual Adam and Eve, Christ and the church.
We start with a physical temple and end with a spiritual temple, His body, the church.
We start with the first desolation and end with the spiritual desolation.
The first abomination of desolation was with Antiochus Epiphanes. He installed a corrupt and Hellenized priesthood. This priesthood setup a pagan statue in the temple and defiled it. A group of Jewish fighters led by Judah Maccabee and his family rebelled in 167 BCE and defeated Antiochus. They rededicated the temple. This is the story of Chanukah.
So, we have the first Chanukah, the natural Chanukah, and then we end with the spiritual Chanukah, the abomination of desolation in the church.
Now, let’s get to the abomination of desolation in Matthew 24.
Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” Matt 24:1
Jesus sets the context of this chapter right at the start. It is the temple. It will be torn down. He already told them that His body, the church, will be the temple after the cross.
As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. Matt 24:3
These are not false messiahs. These are Christian teachers. They say Jesus is the Christ just like all of us do. These Christian teachers will mislead or deceive many. Not a few. Many!
“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Matt 24:9
In addition to Christian teachers, many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Once again, not a few, many!
Just before Jesus starts His talk on the abomination, He spends a significant amount of time teaching the disciples about how great the deception will be. The deception will come from within the church. Christian teachers and false prophets. The context is the temple and deception!
“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Matt 24:15
The abomination is set up in the holy place of the temple. We have already determined that all references to the holy place or temple after the cross refer to the church. The abomination is not going to be set up in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. It is going to be set up in the church!
This is the great deception of the last days! The whole church world is looking to a temple in Jerusalem. Deflection! Diversion! Deception! This is what Jesus was warning the disciples about! Be not deceived!
Jesus, Peter, Paul, John and the writer of Hebrews all say the temple is the church. There is not one verse in the whole Bible that says the physical temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt. There is no hermeneutic anywhere in the whole Bible that can justify saying the abomination is set up in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.
Why does Jesus say, let the reader understand? He is saying that the surface level of this statement is not what He is talking about. He is telling us to look deeper. There is a hidden meaning to this verse. Something that is not readily apparent. Something that is hidden until the time of the end.
The angel told Daniel that these things are sealed up until the time of the end.
He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. 10 Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. 11 From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Daniel 12:9-11
The abomination of desolation is set up in the church at the beginning of the three-and-a-half-year tribulation.
The things that were sealed up until the end time are now being revealed. We are beginning to see what the real abomination is and how it is making its way into the church.
In the next message we will talk more about the abomination and the man of sin that takes his seat in the temple of God, the church.
Shalom