GOSPEL MEDITATION # 223
Mark 13:14-23
The Abomination of Desolation
See also Matthew 14:15-28 and Luke 21:20-24
- Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
- Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
- Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
- Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
- Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture.
- Reread them. From memory, determine the central points.
- Jesus continues to answer the questions posed by His disciples as to when the temple will be destroyed and what are signs pointing to that event.
- Integral to Jesus’ explanation and the need to be on guard.
- The “abomination of desolation” – Jesus adopts the language and imagery from Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. The abomination would be anything worshipped other than Yahweh in the temple. This occurred in the early 2nd century BC by Antiochus IV and sparked the Maccabean revolt. The Feast of Hanukkah is related to this event.
- Jesus is now speaking of the Romans who would, in AD 70, destroy the temple. It would not then come as a surprise to those Christians then, a generation away.
- Jesus clearly speaks of the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem as a truly horrific event, employing a common literary device, that of hyperbole.
- Amidst the devastation however, God is present to save and defend the elect, those whom He has chosen.
- Efforts to deceive arise at the same time, feed by the miraculous false Messiahs and prophets who would likely be preaching false comfort.
- Once again, Jesus warns, “be on guard.”