The apostles to watch for the desolating sacrilege spoken by the prophet Daniel.
Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives looking across to the temple in Jerusalem, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came alongside of him and asked him “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign when these things are all to be accomplished?” Mark 13: 4. In verse 14 Jesus referred to Daniel’s end times prophecy, when he said, “When you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place.”
Jesus’ disciples would know immediately what Jesus was referring to by ‘the desolating sacrilege.’ Approximately 168 years before the birth of Jesus, the Greek King Antiochus Epiphanes launched a massive campaign of repression against the Jews. The temple at Jerusalem was made the site of a pagan Jewish cult.
Flavius Josephus ‘The Jewish War’ Book 1. 34, 35.
In the aftermath of Antiochus 1V i Antiochus issuing his decrees forbidding Jewish religious practice, a campaign of land confiscations paired with shrine and altar-buildings took place in the Judean countryside. A rural priest Modein, Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, sparked the revolt against the Seleucid Empire by refusing to worship the Greek gods at Modein’s new altar. Mattathias killed a Jew who had stepped forward to take Mattathias’ place in sacrificing to an idol as well as the Greek officer who was sent to enforce the sacrifice. He destroyed the altar. Afterwards, he and his sons fled to the nearby mountains, which sat directly next to Modein.” It was Mattathias’ son Judas Maccabeus who led a full-scale revolt. In 165 BC Maccabeus drove Antiochus and the Greek army out, and the Jews regained control of their temple and land.
Jesus was saying to his disciples to look out for ‘desolating sacrilege’ that will indicate his return and the driving out of the Romans from their land.
Jesus, on the cross took upon himself the desolating sacrilege.
Jesus prophesied the desolating sacrilege, “But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand).” The Jewish leaders in collaboration with the Roman Pontius Pilate, were in the spirit of the antichrist, when the Jewish council condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy. Chief Priest Caiaphas, asked Jesus at his trial before the council, “Are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus replied, “I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14: 61,62.
Pilate, the Roman Governor was undecided, when he questioned Jesus, he did not deny the charges against him. Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said so.” Mark 15: 2
Pilate turned to the crowd The crowd at the Praetorium, were asked by Pilate, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” They shouted, “Crucify him.” Mark 15: 9,13. Having the crowd’s approval, Pilate sentenced Jesus to be crucified.
Jesus was innocent of their charges against him. But in taking the punishment which carried the death sentence, he became the redeemer of the nation of Israel and all nations on the earth, in his one sacrifice of himself on the cross. Jesus took upon himself, the desolating sacrifice, the sins of the idolatry of kings, dictators, governments, and their warfare, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom and the devil’s pursuit of world dominance over people’s and nations, was brought to nothing through Jesus becoming the desolating sacrifice, laying down his life for all sin and its causes upon the cross. Jesus’ spoken word was fulfilled, at the Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus said, “ Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26: 26-28. In his resurrection God forgave Israel’s sin against their unbelief in Jesus, he was the nations Messiah, Redeemer, and Saviour.
The Jewish leaders and people in 165 rejoiced over Mattathias’ son Judas Maccabeus in their victory over the Seleucid Empire. But the leaders and people failed to recognise what God was doing through Jesus’ victory over Satan’s principalities and powers, their nations leader failed to recognise that Jesus was their nation’s redeemer and Saviour.
Through Jesus’ disciples the message they proclaimed of the Jesus’ victory on the cross for nations and enabling the ordinary person to receive Jesus as their redeemer from sin and through his resurrection receiving God’s presence of eternal life. Jesus wants to be our friend and as his friend he has saved us a seat in heaven, in his Father’s house. I was 25 when I responded to Jesus becoming my redeemer and Saviour. I have never regretted for one moment that decision I made to follow Christ.