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The "Abomination of Desolation"
According to the authors of the Left Behind series, the 'abomination that causes desolation' stands in the holy place "in the middle of the [7-year] Tribulation." (Are We Living in the End Times? by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, Page 123) But Jesus did not say that at all.
His disciples had asked Jesus when the temple would be "thrown down" without leaving "one stone upon another," and Jesus' answer included, "When you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand — then let those in Judea flee to the mountains." (Matt. 24:2, 15-16 NIV)
Luke reported these additional words from Jesus' sermon, "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (Luke 21:20-21 NIV)
What did Jesus say would be the signal for his first-century followers and others in Judea to flee to the mountains, before Jerusalem and its temple were to be destroyed? That signal was armies surrounding the city according to Luke's account, and "the abomination that causes desolation" according to Matthew's account. Since both Gospel writers were relating the same warning message, and the same signal to flee the city, "the abomination that causes desolation" must relate to the Roman forces that later desolated the city.
That is how Martin Luther understood it:
"the abomination of desolation. Here Christ now says, When ye shall see this one standing in the temple, then take heed (he wants to say) for that is a sure sign from Daniel's prophecy that his kingdom is now at an end; and do not let yourselves be deceived because the Jews and weak Christians think that it shall never be destroyed. But the abomination of which Daniel writes is that the Emperor Cajus, as history tells, had put his image in the temple at Jerusalem as an idol, for the people to worship, after everything there had been destroyed."
—Martin Luther, "Sermon for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity; Matthew 24:15-28"
from his Church Postil, first published in 1525
available online at http://www.orlutheran.com/mlsemt2415.html
Could it also have application to the future, long after the time of the Roman destruction of the temple in Judea? Luther allowed for such a possibility — but did not apply it to a 7-year end-times tribulation. Instead, Luther taught:
"this passage in Daniel concerning the abomination applies also to us. For we also have indeed a real abomination of desolation sitting in a holy place, namely: in Christendom and in the consciences of men, where God alone should sit and reign ... what is the Pope doing? He is sitting not in the natural temple or God's house, but in the spiritual, in the new and living temple of which Paul says: 'If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are,' I Cor. 3, 16-17. ...Thus you see whether the Pope is not the greatest arch-abomination of all abominations, to whom Christ and Daniel refer; and the true Antichrist, of whom it is written that he sitteth in the temple of God ... And he can in truth be called an 'abomination of desolation'..."
—Martin Luther, "Sermon for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity; Matthew 24:15-28"
from his Church Postil, first published in 1525
available online at http://www.orlutheran.com/mlsemt2415.html
How then can the Left Behind theologians come up with their interpretation that the Jewish temple will be rebuilt in modern times and that the abomination is a man named Nicolae Carpathia who "commits the ultimate blasphemy by appearing in the temple to declare that he is God" during the midst of a seven-year tribulation? (Are We Living in the End Times? Page 123) Only by presenting a very complex series of arguments. It is not a conclusion that unindoctrinated readers come to on their own when reading the Bible alone. And it is not the understanding that prevailed among sincere Bible readers for hundreds of years.
Daniel's 70th week
came right after the 69 weeks, not 2000 years later as an end-times tribulation as Left Behind teaches.
"Christ confirmed the covenant with many during the last week..."
- John Calvin
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The Tribulation Jesus spoke of
was a tribulation on "this people," the Jews, beginning when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem — not a 7-year period in the end times as Left Behind teaches.
"'for then shall be great tribulation, such as had not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.' All this pertains still to the Jewish nation."
- Martin Luther
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The Antichrist is not
a future leader like Left Behind's Nicolae Carpathia, but came to power when the Roman Empire, which was restraining it, got out of the way.
The papacy and Islam are "the two horns of Antichrist."
- John Calvin
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The Temple in Jerusalem
does not need to be rebuilt, with its priesthood and sacrifices, to fulfill prophecy.
"He will make to cease the sacrifice and offering ... Christ ... offered himself up as a victim, then all the rites of the law came to a close."
- John Calvin
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The Abomination of Desolation
was fulfilled by the Romans at the desolation of Jerusalem.
"But the abomination of which Daniel writes is that the Emperor Cajus, as history tells, had put his image in the temple at Jerusalem as an idol, for the people to worship, after everything there had been destroyed."
- Martin Luther
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No 7-year "second chance"
for unbelievers after the Rapture. Christ is coming once, not twice as Left Behind claims.
'the Lord himself shall descend from heaven ... Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up ... to meet the Lord in the air ... then sudden destruction cometh upon them ... and they shall not escape.'
- Paul
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