What Is the Abomination that Causes Desolation?
Bible Study Guide (Olivet Discourse – End Times Series)
This next warning from Jesus marks the most sobering moment in His Olivet Discourse. The Lord now shifts from broad prophetic signs to a razor-sharp focus on a pivotal event that will unfold during the seven-year tribulation. His attention turns directly to the Jewish people in the land of Israel, revealing what they will face in the darkest hour of earth’s history.
To grasp the full weight of what He’s about to reveal, we must ask one of the most staggering questions in end-times prophecy, “What is the abomination that causes desolation?”
Understanding this event requires a sweeping view of Scripture. Bible prophecy is not isolated in one book—it is a divine thread woven from Genesis to Revelation, revealing God’s sovereign plan in perfect harmony. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus draws a prophetic line connecting the visions of Daniel to the judgments of Revelation, forming a timeline that exposes the rise of the Antichrist and the desecration of the holy place.
Once again, Jesus reveals that the Bible is not a fragmented text, but a unified, prophetic tapestry—one in which every page echoes His return.
Let’s peel back the layers of Jesus’ teaching and see how the “abomination that causes desolation” is revealed throughout Scripture and its relationship to Jesus’ end-times teaching.
What is the Definition of the “Abomination That Causes Desolation”?
(Verse 15) “Abomination” in Scripture refers to idolatrous or blasphemous acts that deeply offend God. “Desolation” refers to devastation or abandonment, especially of the temple and Jerusalem. Together, the phrase points to an act of sacrilegious defilement in the holy place (the soon to come next Jewish temple) that leads to judgment.
While the world is in chaos and confusion under the seven year wrath of God, this event points precisely to the newly built temple of God, on the temple mount, in the city of Jerusalem, in the land of Israel.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—” (Matthew 24:15)
Where is this “Abomination that Causes Desolation” found in the Old Testament?
Daniel 9:27
“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation…” (Daniel 9:27)
This refers to a future ruler (“he”) (Antichrist) who breaks a 7-year covenant halfway through (3.5 years in). Part of this covenant will make a way for Israel to build a third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This has to occur in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled.
Halfway through the covenant he will stop temple worship and set up the abomination in the temple. This verse forms the foundation of the 7-year tribulation timeline and the “midpoint event” in Bible prophecy. God’s judgment upon the earth will reach their climax. This is considered the earth’s worse days.
Daniel 11:31
“His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.” (Daniel 11:3)
Historically, this was partially fulfilled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (168 BC), who desecrated the temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar and setting up a statue of Zeus.
However, Jesus’ reference in Matthew 24:15 shows this was not the final fulfillment—another desecration is still to come. Throughout the Old Testament, God has used people and events to foreshadow the final judgments to come in the last days upon a sinful world.
Daniel 12:11
“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.” (Daniel 12:11)
Again, a specific future timeframe is linked to this event—another prophetic clue of its importance. In fact, understanding the prophetic visions given to Daniel by God are a prerequisite to understanding the book of Revelation. The more you know about the future prophecies of the book of Daniel, the greater your understanding of the book of Revelation.
Jesus’ Warning in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:15)
When Jesus refers to the abomination in His end-times teaching He speaks of it as a future event, not just a historical one. Historical in the sense that it was first revealed to the prophet Daniel. A future event in the sense that it’s ultimate fulfillment would happen in Revelation during the period of the seven year tribulation.
He places it at a pivotal point in the tribulation, triggering the Great Tribulation.
“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” (Matthew 24:21)
It’s a sign for those in Judea to flee immediately (Matthew 24:16), indicating extreme danger. The man the Bible calls the antichrist will begin as a friend of the Jews. In fact, he’ll form a covenant with the Jews and many of their enemies. This covenant will create a pathway for the Jews to finally build a new Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount.
But at the midway point of the Tribulation, he’ll turn on the Jews. End their temple worship. He’ll set himself up in their temple and demand to be worshiped as their God.
The ‘holy place’ in Matthew 24:15 implies a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem during the last days.
Connecting the Abomination that Causes Desolation to the Antichrist in the New Testament
In addition to Jesus’ warning teaching us about “what is the abomination that causes desolation?” through the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about this same person he calls the “man of lawlessness.”
“…the man of lawlessness… will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4)
This man of lawlessness is the Antichrist, and his act of entering the temple and declaring himself to be God is the abomination. This mirrors the event described in Daniel and referenced by Jesus.
Final Fulfillment in Revelation
Now, we’ll close the loop to the answer of “What is the abomination that causes desolation? This leads us to the book of Revelation.
“Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast (abomination that causes desolation) who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (Revelation 13:14–15)
The False Prophet sets up an image of the beast (Antichrist/Abomination) and forces all to worship it. This image in the temple is the abomination that causes desolation.
Barely ten years ago, it was still difficult to understand how some of the prophecies of the end times associated with the man called the Antichrist (abomination that causes desolation) to pull off the things that he plans to accomplish. Such as a “One World” economic system that tracks every human on the planet and can approve and deny participation in his economic system in real time (Revelation 13:16-17). Also, setting up a live image of himself for everyone in the world to see and take commands from.
This is no longer a mystery. The system that the Antichrist will use is being built today. In fact, nations are fast tracking this innovation in order to be the leaders in this technology sector. It’s called AI (Artificial Intelligence). AI will make all this possible.
Those who refuse to worship the AI generated image of the Antichrist are killed, echoing the urgency in Jesus’ warning. The urgency of this situation in Jerusalem will be so grave, that Jesus gives the Jews specific warnings and directions as to what they should do when this occurs.
We’ll take a closer look at this in the next Bible study guide.
Abomination that Causes Desolation Timeline Connection
| Prophetic Stage | Key Verse | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Start of Tribulation | Daniel 9:27a | Antichrist makes 7-year covenant |
| Midpoint (3.5 years) | Matthew 24:15 / Dan. 9:27b | Abomination set up in temple |
| Great Tribulation Begins | Matthew 24:21 | Worst period of persecution and wrath |
| Return of Christ | Matthew 24:30 / Rev. 19:11-16 | Jesus returns to judge and reign |
Summary: “What Is the Abomination that Causes Desolation?”
- Jesus in Matthew 24:15 warns of a specific prophetic marker: the Abomination of Desolation.
- This connects directly to the book of Daniel (especially 9:27), where a 7-year tribulation is predicted.
- The abomination is future, involving the Antichrist setting up an idol or declaring himself God in a rebuilt temple.
- This act launches the Great Tribulation, the most intense period of the end times.
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