When you see the desolating abomination spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, 17 a person on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house, 18 a person in the field must not return to get his cloak. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. 20 Pray that your flight not be in winter or on the sabbath, 21 for at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be. 22 And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened. 23 If anyone says to you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told it to you beforehand. 26 So if they say to you, ‘He is in the desert,’ do not go out there; if they say, ‘He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For just as lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
Jesus continued to respond to the disciples’ three-part question: When will the destruction of the temple occur? What will be the sign of Jesus' coming (parousia)? What will be the sign of the end of the age? In this passage he addresses the “desolating abomination," warns against false Messiahs, and describes the coming of the Son of Man.
The desolating abomination refers to an act of desecrating the sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem as prophesied in the Book of Daniel; “Armed forces shall rise at his command and defile the sanctuary stronghold, abolishing the daily sacrifice and setting up the desolating abomination (Dan. 11:31).” The prophecy was initially fulfilled during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who desecrated the Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs on it (1 Macc. 1:54). Some scholars and theologians interpret Jesus’ reference to the desolating abomination in verse15 as predicting the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. The term "holy place" primarily refers to the sanctuary area of the Temple in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God. The parenthetical phrase "let the reader understand" is the Gospel writer’s warning that the statement about the "desolating abomination" requires careful interpretation.
When the desolating abomination occurs, there will be unparalleled suffering, and those in Judea are advised to immediately flee to the mountains. In ancient Israel, houses often had flat roofs used for various activities, so anyone on the roof was urged to flee without delay. Similarly, a person working in the fields should not even take the time to retrieve his cloak. Jesus warns that it will be difficult for vulnerable people like pregnant women and nursing mothers to flee quickly. Traveling during the winter months would be difficult, and there are restrictions on traveling on the Sabbath so they should pray for favorable conditions. It is only by God's mercy that the days of tribulation will be shortened to ensure the survival of those chosen by God. Jesus describes this period as a time of unparalleled suffering, indicating its severity by stating that nothing like it has occurred since the beginning of the world.
Jesus warns against false messiahs and prophets who might emerge during times of crisis and perform convincing signs and wonders so that even the faithful may be deceived. He is forewarning them of the events to come so that they watch and are prepared. The second coming of Christ will be sudden, visible, and unmistakable. The signs Jesus described will indicate the events that are about to happen.
Heavenly Father, grant us the wisdom to discern the signs of our times and the courage to act swiftly in faith. Strengthen the vulnerable, and help us to trust in Your mercy and protection so that we may remain steadfast in our devotion to You. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Bibliography
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.Florida
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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