In Tyndale’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary of the Bible, the word “abomination” is “sikkutz” and it refers to idols (“Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites”-1 Kings 11.5) and to customs derived from idolatry (Jer 16.18). The Abomination of Desolation in Hebrew is called the “Sikkutz Somem” (Dan 12.11). Tyndale’s also says in the article on the “Desolating Sacrilege” that “the name appears to have in view the action of Antiochus Epiphanes, who placed on the altar in the Jerusalem Temple, a small, idolatrous altar, described in 1 Macc 1.54 as the “desolating sacrilege. With it, according to Jewish tradition, went an image, almost certainly of Zeus, the Lord of Heaven, bearing the emperor’s likeness.”
In other words, the likeness of Antiochus was put on this image and they called it “Zeus.” In Rabbinical literature, the Rabbis as a whole consider that the expression refers to the desecration of the Temple by the erection of a Zeus statue in its courts by Antiochus Epiphanes (Jerusalem Talmud, Ta’anit 68a; Babylonian Talmud Ta’anit 25b). Some Rabbis, however, see in it an allusion to Manasseh, who as related in 2 Chr 33.7, set up a carved image in the Temple.
In the Jewish Encyclopedia on “Abomination of Desolation” it says, “The aggadah (stories, legends) says two statues were erected, one which fell over upon the other and broke off its hand. Upon the severed hand the following inscription was found, ‘You sought to destroy God’s house, but I have given you your hand.” So in reality, Manasseh was the first to put up an Abomination of Desolation. Josephus says in Antiquities, Book 10, Chapter 3.1, “But when his son Manasseh, whose mother’s name was Hephzibah, of Jerusalem, had taken the kingdom, he departed from the conduct of his father, and fell into a course of life quite contrary thereto, and showed himself in his manners most wicked in all respects, and omitted no sort of impiety, but imitated those transgressions of the Israelites, by the commission of which against God, they had been destroyed; for he was so hardy as to defile the Temple of God, and the city, and the whole country; for, by setting out from a contempt of God, he barbarously slew all the righteous men that were among the Hebrews; nor would he spare them, till Jerusalem was overflown with blood.”
So, we are talking about the future False Messiah. We know that the False Messiah will place a statue in the Temple called the Abomination of Desolation. We know it is a statue because it is called a “sikkutz” which means an idol (Dan 12.11). The Rabbis have identified Manasseh and his statue as the first “Sikkutz Somem.” The Jewish people have been called the “chosen people” but that doesn’t mean he loves them more than any other people, but they have been “chosen” or “elected” for a certain purpose. They had a special task. He gave them everything they were to do. He gave them their calendar, his Temple, the Torah, the covenants, the promises, the fathers and adoption as sons. He told them to do the things he commanded exactly the way he told them. When they did, he blessed them. When they didn’t, he cursed them. He also gave them their history. Everything from Abraham to what is happening today is “harmonized” by God for a purpose. The question is, should we know this history?
Ecc 1.9-10 says, “That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say ‘See, this is new?’ Already it has existed for ages which were before us.” Ecc 3.15 says, “That which has been already, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.” There are many more verses like this (Isa 44.6-7; Job 33.14, 29; Isa 46.10; Isa 41.22; Lev 23.2 and “convocations”= “Mikrah”= “rehearsal”; Rom 15.4). God has told the same story over and over again. It is the story of how he will redeem man and the earth. Man was created to be in the presence of God and in the image of God. But man sinned and he lost his “kedusha” and so there is a need for restoration. So, the Lord tells the story of redemption from Gen 1.1 and there is a cast of characters who will play roles in this redemption, like the Messiah, the Two Witnesses, the False Messiah and the False Prophet. You can’t just look at Daniel or Revelation alone because he has put this story in every book of the Bible.
We have to go back and find these pictures. Individuals like Manasseh, Absalom, Haman, Antiochus Epiphanes, Pharaoh and others will give us details on the False Messiah. In Dan 7.21, 25 we learn that the False Messiah will make war on the saints (tzaddikim) just like Manasseh did. He will change the “times” (“Zimnim” in Hebrew means “seasons of biblical importance”). He will also change the law, which is the word “Dat”, another word in Aramaic for the Torah. The tzaddikim (saints) will be given into his hands for a “time, times and half a time” or for three and a half years (42 months or 1260 days). Rev 13.4-8 gives us some of the information we just read about in Dan 7.21, 25. 2 Kings 21.16 says Manasseh “shed very much innocent blood until he filled Jerusalem from one end to another.” It is important to look at and compare many verses to get a composite picture of the False Messiah.
Let’s compare what we have seen so far. Manasseh has an abomination of desolation and he makes war on the tzaddikim (saints) who follow the commandments of the Lord. The False Messiah will have an abomination of desolation and he makes war on the tzaddikim (saints) who follow the commandments of the Lord (Rev 12.17). Jerusalem was destroyed because of this, when the nations came up against it, and it will be the same with the False Messiah. You have to go back into the past in order to understand the future. We will come back to all of this in detail later, but what we are touching on here is how do we go back and glean the information we need to get a biblical profile of the False Messiah.
In Dan 11.29-31 it talks about Antiochus Epiphanes. We learn that “Kittim” (Rome) comes against him and the Temple is desecrated. He then shows favor to those who forsake the Torah and they will set up the “Sikkutz Somem” (Abomination of Desolation). We are going to develop this chapter out later, but it is talking about Antiochus in the Peshat level, who we know is a picture of the future False Messiah. In order to understand the False Messiah, God will give us multiple pictures.
One of the biggest faults in the faith today is people will take verses out of context. They will take one or two passages and then make a doctrine out of them. We can’t do that. We have to take all the passages on that subject and them put them all together. Many times what we are seeing in one or two passages aren’t enough. We need to seek a balance between all the Scriptures that will explain things further. Many times we say, “If I had only known that it would have made a difference.”
Dan 12.1 speaks about the end times and we will see how this plays out at the end of the chapter. Dan 12.9-10 tells us that God has given us the ability to understand, but we are going to have to change how we look at God’s word. We are going to have to get serious about study and start to build a foundation with no short cuts. We need to build and build until we “see” very clearly what is happening. We will come back and deal with Dan 12.11-12 and the abomination of desolation, the 1290 and 1335 days later.
In Part 4, we will pick up here and look the Abomination of Desolation in the Gospels and other related verses to what is being talked about there. Then we are going to talk about the four beasts in Daniel and how they relate to the False Messiah. We are also going to bring out the possibility that there will be several different images at several different locations within the Temple during the Birth-pains. However, the primary location will be in the Holy Place (the Heichal) of the Temple. All of this, and more, will be brought out during this teaching because it plays a role in the greatest delusion ever told.
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