Time for your migraine therapy session. Enjoy!
Dan 12:11
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Mat 24:15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand.
Mar 13:14
But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
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The wording in Book of Daniel 12:11 strongly overlaps conceptually with the language Jesus uses in Gospel of Matthew 24:15 and Gospel of Mark 13:14, the exact Hebrew and Greek verbs are worth examining carefully.
Daniel 12:11 — Hebrew wording
The key clause is:
Literally:
The important verb is:
לָתֵת (lātēt)
Root: נתן (natan)
Usually means:
- to give
- to place
- to put
- to set
So “set up” in many English translations is interpretive shorthand for:
- “put in place”
- “install”
- “cause to be placed”
The Hebrew does not specifically mean:
- “to stand upright”
- “to erect a statue” by itself
But it absolutely implies the placement or installation of something in a designated location.
This becomes clearer when linked with Daniel 11:31:
Same root idea:
- removal of sacrifice
- replacement by an abominable thing/object/system
Jesus’ wording in Matthew and Mark
In Matthew 24:15:
Greek:
Meaning:
The verb comes from:
ἵστημι (histēmi)
= to stand, establish, set in place
This is more visual and locational than Daniel’s Hebrew.
Mark 13:14 says:
Again:
- something positioned
- occupying forbidden sacred space
Are they referring to the same event?
Yes, almost certainly.
Jesus explicitly says:
So He is intentionally interpreting Daniel for His hearers.
What Jesus adds is:
- location specificity (“holy place”)
- visibility (“when you see”)
- urgency (“flee”)
Daniel emphasizes:
- cessation of sacrifice
- installation/placement of the abomination
Jesus emphasizes:
- its visible presence in sacred territory
The two descriptions complement each other.
Does this imply an idol?
Very possibly — and historically that has been the dominant interpretation.
The noun:
שִׁקּוּץ (šiqqûṣ)
means:
- abomination
- detestable thing
- especially idolatrous object/idol
In the Hebrew Bible, this term is frequently tied to idols and pagan worship.
Example:
- idols of foreign gods
- detestable cultic objects
So the phrase naturally suggests:
- an idolatrous presence
- pagan cult object
- profaning installation
Antiochus IV background
Historically, many scholars connect the near-term fulfillment to Antiochus IV Epiphanes placing pagan worship in the Second Temple around 167 BC.
Ancient sources describe:
- pagan altar installation
- Zeus imagery/worship
- cessation of Jewish sacrifices
That historical event strongly shapes the language.
However, Jesus speaks of the abomination as future relative to His own day, which is why many interpreters conclude:
- Antiochus was a prototype/foreshadowing
- a later fulfillment still awaited
Important nuance: “set up” vs “standing”
The Hebrew in Daniel:
- emphasizes installation/placement
The Greek in Matthew/Mark:
- emphasizes presence/occupation
Together they convey:
That absolutely fits the idea of:
- an idol
- blasphemous cult object
- profaning presence
- possibly even a person claiming divine honors
