plaisted@cs.unc.edu (David Plaisted) (07/05/90)
In <Jul.2.00.50.39.1990.10616@athos.rutgers.edu>, md89mch@cc.brunel.ac.uk (Martin Howe) asked about the prophecies of Matthew 24. He questioned how the abomination of desolation could refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD when the prophecy is about the end of the age. My understanding is that this is a prophecy with a dual application. The disciples asked what would be the sign of the destruction of the temple and the end of the world. They mistakenly thought that these events would occur together. Therefore Jesus' answer has a dual application. Probably they could not have borne a clearer explanation of the future. Therefore it is reasonable that the abomination of desolation could refer to the destruction of Jerusalem while the prophecy also concerns the end of the age. Let me clarify an earlier posting by saying that the historicist understanding of prophecy is not primarily about the Roman Catholic church. In the historicist view, the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation cover the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. They say when Jesus would come, and even when he would die. They predict the breakup of Rome and the events of the Middle Ages in general. According to my understanding, they also predict the French Revolution, the decline and revival of the Papacy, and the rise of the United States. They also predict final persecutions, and the division of the world according to who receives the mark of the beast. Only a small group will pass through the final tribulations and be among the saved; these will be those who receive the seal of God on their forehead. Of course, many more will rise from the dead to meet Jesus when he returns. I hope this clarifies the historicist view and the abomination of desolation reference in Matthew 24. Dave Plaisted