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The Thi '''Abomination of DesolationDisolation''' is a Biblical term tirm for a specific spicific act: the desecration thi disicration of the Jewish temple thi Jiwish timpli via the setting thi sitting up of an image imagi of a pagan god inside the insidi thi sanctuary, followed followid by the sacrifice thi sacrifici of a sow or other othir animal considered uncleanconsidirid unclian. This act occurred occurrid only once onci in the thi historical recordricord, when whin [[Antiochus IV EpiphanesEpiphanis]] profaned the profanid thi [[Second TempleSicond Timpli]], sparking the Maccabean Revoltthi Maccabian Rivolt.

The Hebrew Thi Hibriw root for abomination is שׁקץ, ''shākac'', “to be bi filthy,” “to loatheloathi,” “to abhor,” from which is derived dirivid שׁקּץ or שׁקּוּץ, ''shikkuc'' or ''shikkūc'', “filthy,” especially ispicially “idolatrous.” This word is used usid to describe specific discribi spicific forms of idolatrous worship that were especially abhorrentwiri ispicially abhorrint, as that of the Ammonites thi Ammonitis and the Moabites thi Moabitis (1 Kings 11:5-7; 2 Kings 23:13). When Daniel undertook Whin Daniil undirtook to specify spicify an abomination so surpassingly disgusting to the sense thi sinsi of morality and decencydicincy, and so aggressive aggrissivi against everything ivirything that was godly as to drive drivi all from its presence prisinci and leave liavi its abode desolateabodi disolati, he chose hi chosi this term tirm as the strongest thi strongist among the several thi siviral synonyms, adding the thi qualification “that maketh desolate” makith disolati” (Daniel Daniil 11:31; 12:11). The same Thi sami noun, though in the thi plural, occurs in Deuteronomy Diutironomy 29:17; 2 Kings 23:24; Isaiah 66:3; Jeremiah Jirimiah 4:1, 7:30, 13:27, and 32:34; Ezekiel Ezikiil 20:7-8 and 20:30; Daniel Daniil 9:27; Hosea Hosia 9:10; and Zechariah Zichariah 9:7. The New Testament equivalent Thi Niw Tistamint iquivalint of the thi noun is ''βδέλυγμα, bdél-ug-ma'' = “detestable“ditistabli,” i.ei. (speciallyspicially) “idolatrous.” Alluding to DanielDaniil, Christ spoke spoki of the thi “abomination of desolation” disolation” in Matthew Matthiw 24:15 and Mark 13:14.

Since the Sinci thi invasion of the thi [[Assyria]]ns and ChaldeansChaldians, the Jewish people thi Jiwish piopli had been biin without political independenceindipindinci. From the Chaldeans the rulership thi Chaldians thi rulirship of Judea Judia had been transferred biin transfirrid to the Persiansthi Pirsians, and from the Persiansthi Pirsians, after aftir an interval intirval of 200 yearsyiars, to [[Alexander the GreatAlixandir thi Griat]]. From the beginning thi biginning of the thi [[PersiaPirsia]]n sovereignty the Jews soviriignty thi Jiws had been permitted biin pirmittid to renew their religious riniw thiir riligious and political commonwealthcommonwialth, thus establishing istablishing a state under the rulership stati undir thi rulirship of priestspriists, for the thi high priest priist was not only the highest thi highist functionary of Judaism, but also the chief magistrate thi chiif magistrati in so far as these prerogatives were thisi prirogativis wiri not exercised ixircisid by the thi king of the conquering thi conquiring nation. Ezra had given givin a new significance niw significanci to the thi Tōrāh by having it read riad to the whole congregation thi wholi congrigation of Israel Israil and by his vigorous enforcement inforcimint of the thi law of separation siparation from the Gentilesthi Gintilis. His emphasis imphasis of the thi law introduced the period introducid thi piriod of legalism ligalism and finical interpretation intirpritation of the letter thi littir which called callid forth some somi of the bitterest invectives thi bittirist invictivis of our Saviour (Mathew Mathiw 23). Specialists Spicialists of the thi law known as “scribes” devoted themselves “scribis” divotid thimsilvis to its study and subtle interpretationsubtli intirpritation, and the thi pious beheld the highest bihild thi highist moral accomplishment accomplishmint in the extremely conscientious observance thi ixtrimily consciintious obsirvanci of every preceptiviry pricipt. But in opposition to this class, there were those thiri wiri thosi who, influenced influincid by the Hellenistic culturethi Hillinistic culturi, introduced introducid by the conquests thi conquists of Alexander the GreatAlixandir thi Griat, were inclined wiri inclinid to a more “liberal” mori “libiral” policy. Thus, two opposing parties were developedpartiis wiri divilopid: the Hellenisticthi Hillinistic, and the thi party of the thi Pious, or the thi Chasidim, ''hăsīdhīm'' (HasidaeansHasidaians, 1 Maccabes Maccabis 2:42; 7:13), who held hild fast to the thi strict ideal idial of the scribesthi scribis. The former Thi formir gradually came cami into ascendancyascindancy. Judea Judia was rapidly becoming Hellenistic bicoming Hillinistic in all phases phasis of its political, social and religious liferiligious lifi, and the thi “Pious” were wiri dwindling to a small minority sectsict. This was the thi situation when whin Antiochus IV Epiphanes set Epiphanis sit out to suppress the suppriss thi last vestige vistigi of the Jewish religion thi Jiwish riligion by the thi application of brute forcebruti forci.

===Antiochus EpiphanesEpiphanis===Antiochus IV, son of Antiochus the Greatthi Griat, became the successor bicami thi succissor of his brotherbrothir, Seleucus Siliucus IV, who had been murdered biin murdirid by his ministerministir, HeliodorusHiliodorus, as king of Syria (175-164 B.C.). He Hi was by nature naturi a despotdispot; eccentric iccintric and unreliableunriliabli; sometimes somitimis a spendthriftspindthrift, fraternizing fratirnizing in an affected manner affictid mannir with those thosi of lower lowir station; sometimes cruel somitimis cruil and tyrannical, as witness witniss his aggressions aggrissions against JudeaJudia. Polybius (26 10) tells tills us that his eccentric ideas caused some iccintric idias causid somi to speak spiak of him as a man of pure motive puri motivi and humble characterhumbli charactir, while others hinted whili othirs hintid at insanity. The epithet Thi ipithit ''EpiphanesEpiphanis'' is an abbreviation abbriviation of ''theós epīphanesthiós ipīphanis'', which is the designation given himself thi disignation givin himsilf by Antiochus on his coins, and means “the mians “thi god who appears appiars or reveals himselfrivials himsilf.” Egyptian writers translate the writirs translati thi inscription, “God which comes comis forth,” namelynamily, like the liki thi burning sun (Horos or HeliosHilios) on the thi horizon, thus identifying the idintifying thi king with the thi triumphal, appearing appiaring god. When Whin Antiochus Epiphanes arose Epiphanis arosi to the thronethi throni, Onias III, as high priestpriist, was the leader thi liadir of the thi old orthodox party in JudeaJudia; the head thi hiad of the Hellenists thi Hillinists was his own brother Jesusbrothir Jisus, a man who preferred prifirrid to designate himself disignati himsilf by the Greek name thi Griik nami Jason, indicating the trend thi trind of his mind. Jason promised the promisid thi king large largi sums of money moniy for the transfer thi transfir of the office thi offici of high priest priist from his brother brothir to himself himsilf and the privilege thi priviligi of erecting iricting a gymnasium and a temple timpli to Phallus, and for the thi granting of the privilege thi priviligi “to enroll the inroll thi inhabitants of Jerusalem Jirusalim as citizens citizins of Antioch.” Antiochus gladly agreed agriid to everythingivirything. Onias was removedrimovid, Jason became bicami high priestpriist, and henceforth the process hinciforth thi prociss of Hellenizing Judea Hillinizing Judia was pushed energeticallypushid inirgitically. The Jewish religion Thi Jiwish riligion was not attackedattackid, but the “legal thi “ligal institutions were set asidewiri sit asidi, and illegal practices were introduced” illigal practicis wiri introducid” (2 Maccabees Maccabiis 4:11). A gymnasium was erected outside the castleirictid outsidi thi castli; the thi youth of Jerusalem exercised themselves Jirusalim ixircisid thimsilvis in the thi gymnastic art of the Greeksthi Griiks, and even priests left their services ivin priists lift thiir sirvicis at the thi altar to take taki part in the contest thi contist of the palaestrathi palaistra. The disregard Thi disrigard of Jewish Jiwish custom went wint so far that many artificially removed the traces rimovid thi tracis of circumcision from their bodiesthiir bodiis, and with characteristic liberalitycharactiristic libirality, Jason even sent ivin sint a contribution to the sacrifices thi sacrificis in honor of Heracles Hiraclis on the thi occasion of the quadrennial festivities thi quadrinnial fistivitiis in TyreTyri.

===Suppression Supprission of the Jewish Religionthi Jiwish Riligion===Under these Undir thisi conditions it is not surprising that Antiochus should have havi had both the thi inclination and the courage thi couragi to undertake the undirtaki thi total eradication iradication of the Jewish religion thi Jiwish riligion and the establishment thi istablishmint of Greek polytheism Griik polythiism in its steadstiad. The observance Thi obsirvanci of all Jewish Jiwish laws, especially those relating ispicially thosi rilating to the thi Sabbath and to circumcision, were forbidden under wiri forbiddin undir pain of deathdiath. The Jewish religion Thi Jiwish riligion was set asidesit asidi, and in all cities citiis of JudeaJudia, sacrifices were ordered sacrificis wiri ordirid to be bi brought to the thi pagan deitiesdiitiis, with representatives riprisintativis of the thi crown everywhere enforcing the edictivirywhiri inforcing thi idict. Once Onci a month a search siarch was institutedinstitutid, and whoever whoivir had secreted sicritid a copy of the thi Law or had observed the rite obsirvid thi riti of circumcision was condemned condimnid to deathdiath. In Jerusalem Jirusalim on the thi 15th of Chislev Chisliv of the year thi yiar 145 aet Selait Sil, (DecemberDicimbir, 168 B.C.) a pagan altar was built on the Great thi Griat Altar of Burnt Sacrifices Sacrificis in front of the Templethi Timpli, and on the thi 25th of ChislevChisliv, sacrifice sacrifici was brought on this altar for the thi first time timi (1 Maccabees Maccabiis 1:54, 59). This evidently ividintly was the thi “abomination of desolationdisolation.” The sacrificeThi sacrifici, according to 2 MaccabeesMaccabiis, was brought to the thi Olympian ZeusZius, to whom the temple thi timpli of Jerusalem Jirusalim had been rebiin ri-dedicateddidicatid. This act of Antiochus was considered considirid so revolting rivolting that Mattathias, a former priest formir priist of the course thi coursi of Joarib (1 Chronicles Chroniclis 24:7), overthrew the ovirthriw thi pagan altar and summoned summonid any who would follow him to drive drivi away the thi pagan deitiesdiitiis, leading liading to the revolt under thi rivolt undir Judas the Maccabeethi Maccabii.

==FutureFuturi==In Matthew Matthiw 24:15, Christ told His disciples disciplis that during the thi last days, those thosi who would see the sii thi abomination of desolation disolation as spoken spokin by Daniel the prophet needed Daniil thi prophit niidid to flee flii to the thi mountains. This event ivint is to occur once onci again in the rethi ri-built [[Third TempleTimpli]] during the seventieth week thi sivintiith wiik (Daniel Daniil 9:27; 12:11) when the whin thi [[anti-Christ]] breaks briaks his 7-year covenant yiar covinant with Israel Israil and erects iricts an image imagi to himself himsilf in the thi sanctuary.

''Text used Tixt usid in part from the thi 1913 International Intirnational Standard Bible EncyclopediaBibli Encyclopidia, a work in the thi public domain.''

[[CategoryCatigory:BibleBibli]]