Matthew 24:3-22 (NLT):
3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?[a]”
4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.[b] 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations[c] will hear it; and then the end will come.
15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration[d] standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
Regarding the “sacrilegious object that causes desecration” (v15) - what could be more of a desecration that a muslim mosque, a temple to Satan, built where the Temple should be?
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Be aware that NLT is a paraphrase, not an equivalent translation.
There is thought that the False Prophet will have the people of the Earth erect an image to the Antichrist after the Antichrist (the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition) declares himself to be “God”. The “day” here is the Day of the Lord.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-5 King James Version
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
There is nothing in the Bible that says the next temple will be or should be where the last one was. A group of Rabbinical students in 2002 made that point when they placed a symbolic corner stone for a new temple next to the wailing wall. It caused a bit of an uproar but the point was made.
The temple could be built anywhere in Jerusalem, it doesn’t have to be where the Dome of the Rock is now. Look it up, the Bible says the temple will be rebuilt; it doesn’t say where! The temple can be rebuilt at anytime God chooses ...there are no real impediments , since the location question is a moot point!
“Regarding the “sacrilegious object that causes desecration” (v15) - what could be more of a desecration that a muslim mosque, a temple to Satan, built where the Temple should be?”
Interesting. Jesus is specific though about an object.
Still, you’ve got a point.
Jesus’ words about Judea. Whatever is going to happen is going to be very, very sudden.
[NLT]
Again, NLT is a paraphrase. It is NOT a word-for-word equivalent translation. Exercise great caution with paraphrased Bibles. I don’t think they should be used. I was shocked when InTouch had paraphrased Bibles for sale.
The abomination that causes desolation (by the Jews, BTW) is a combination of two things (IMHO). Yes, there may be some indication that the image will be placed in a wing of the (third) temple. Rest assured, there will be a third temple. It is measured in Revelation 11.
1) The Antichrist, the Man of Sin declares himself to be God.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 King James Version
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2) Idol is erected to this Man of Sin by order of the False Prophet.
Revelation 13:14-16 King James Version
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: