Daniel 9:27 is the first prophecy of the abomination of desolation. Jesus referred to Daniel's prophecy in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:15). Paul described the abomination of desolation in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, and John in Revelation 13:14. Putting all these passages together helps us answer the question: What is the abomination of desolation?

Table of contentsDaniel's Description of the Abomination of DesolationThe Jews' Temple Worship Will EndThe Jews Will Realize They Embraced the Antichrist Instead of the ChristJesus's Description of the Abomination of DesolationPaul's Description of the Abomination of DesolationWhy the Antichrist Let the Jews Rebuild Their TempleJohn's Description of the Abomination of DesolationIs the False Prophet's Image Alive?Old Testament Idols Foreshadowed the False Prophet's ImageThe False Prophet's Image Can KillSo, What Is the Abomination of Desolation?

Daniel's Description of the Abomination of Desolation

At the midpoint of Daniel's 70th Week (the Tribulation), the Antichrist commits the abomination of desolation:

Daniel 9:27 Then [the Antichrist] shall confirm a covenant with [the Jews] for one week (refferring to Daniel's 70th Week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.

The phrase "shall be one who makes desolate” refers to the Antichrist ushering in terrible desolation. Desolate means barren, laid waste, or devastated. The Hebrew word for desolation is šāmēm. This is the same word used at the end of Daniel 9:26 to describe the Romans' destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD:

Daniel 9:26b And the people (Romans) of the prince (the Antichrist) who is to come shall destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (temple). The end of it shall be with a flood (of soldiers, not water), And till the end of the war desolations (šāmēm). This are determined.

The desolation the Romans brought in 70AD prefigures or foreshadows (dual fulfillment) the desolation the Antichrist will bring when this abomination occurs.

The Jews' Temple Worship Will End

Revelation 11:1-2 describes the rebuilt temple. Daniel 9:27 says the abomination of desolation "shall bring an end to the sacrifices and offerings" that had been reinstituted when the temple was rebuilt. This will be Satan’s way of ending the Jews' religion to have people worship him alone.

The Jews Will Realize They Embraced the Antichrist Instead of the Christ

The abomination of desolation is when the Antichrist’s true colors are revealed. He’ll turn on the Jews and attack them:

Revelation 12:4 His (the devil’s) tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon (the devil) stood before the woman (Israel) who was about to give birth (Jesus), so that when she bore her child he might devour it.

This played out on Earth when Herod tried to destroy all the male babies.

Revelation12:5 She (Israel) gave birth to a male child (Jesus), one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne (Jesus’s ascension), 6 and the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

The 1,260 days are the last 3.5 years of Daniel's 70th Week: the Great Tribulation. It has been Satan’s desire throughout history to destroy the Jews and this will be his greatest attempt.

Jesus's Description of the Abomination of Desolation

Jesus explained abomination of desolation like this in the Olivet Discourse:

Matthew 24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel (referring to Daniel 9:27), standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (because of how terrible it will be in the city). 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

Jesus said, “Then there will be Great Tribulation” because this is when the Tribulation becomes the Great Tribulation. The abomination brings such desolation that it takes a terrible time and makes it even worse.

Jesus said, “standing in the holy place” of the temple. Someone (the Antichrist) or something (an image or idol) is going to be standing in the holy place of the temple.

Paul's Description of the Abomination of Desolation

Paul wrote:

2 Thessalonians 2:4 the antichrist who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped…sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

The abomination is when the Antichrist enters the temple, the place of worship reserved exclusively for God, declares himself to be God and demands to be worshipped as God.

Why the Antichrist Let the Jews Rebuild Their Temple

Why would the Antichrist let the Jews rebuild their temple and resume their worship? Not because he wanted the Jews to have a place to worship God. He wanted them to have a place to worship him.

John's Description of the Abomination of Desolation

The greatest sign the false prophet will perform is the abomination of desolation:

Revelation 13:14b telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

The False Prophet tells the earth's inhabitants to make this image instead of him making it. This means they participate in the construction, perhaps by donating to it and/or doing the work themselves, like the construction of the golden calf:

Exodus 32:2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

Is the False Prophet's Image Alive?

Perhaps the False Prophet can give the image breath, causing the world to believe he gives it life. This would be persuasive. But it doesn’t say the image is alive, and it doesn’t say the false prophet gives the image life; it says he gives it breath. The word for breath is pneuma, which means “spirit.” It occurs 385 times in the New Testament and 111 times it’s translated as Spirit and 89 times as Holy Spirit:

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit (pneuma).

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit (pneuma), the things of the Spirit (pneuma).

The KJV and a few other translations say life, but the Greek word for life is zōē, so “life” isn’t a very good translation for this verse:

Matthew 7:14 narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life (zōē), and there are few who find it.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (zōē).

So it’s saying the false prophet had the power to give the image breath, not life.

Is the image alive or not? Some commentators say yes, but I don’t think so since I believe only God can give life. I don’t believe the image is brought to life; I think it only looks alive and like it breathes—more satanic deception. I don’t know if this occurs technologically or miraculously, but I’d guess miraculously because the context seems to be the false prophet’s miraculous powers.

Old Testament Idols Foreshadowed the False Prophet's Image

All the idols in the Old Testament prefigured this idol, which will surpass all of them in that the regular criticism of idols in the Old Testament is that they can’t speak or breathe:

Psalm 135:16 [The idols] have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see.

Habakkuk 2:19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all.

This will be like the greatest Old Testament idol on steroids.

The False Prophet's Image Can Kill

And it says [the image can] cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. Somehow, it seems the image is responsible for the deaths of those who won’t worship it. I don’t know how that happens, but it will seem like the image is killing people.

There was a powerful type of this in the Old Testament when Nebuchadnezzar had his statute made, also called an image, and people would die if they didn’t worship it:

Daniel 3:4 Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

The connection between Nebuchadnezzar and his statue is even stronger when we see Revelation 13:18, where the number of the beast is 666, and Daniel 3:1, says Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold,