The Abomination of Desolation: The Antichrist and the Great Tribulation

Part 5 of 10 — End-Time Prophecy: A Chronological Bible Study

The Abomination of Desolation marks one of the most significant turning points in biblical End-Time prophecy. At the midpoint of Daniel’s final seven years, the Antichrist brings an end to Jewish sacrifices, exalts himself above God, and demands worship. In this fifth part of our chronological study, we examine the prophecies of Daniel, the warnings of Jesus Christ in Matthew 24, and the revelations given to Paul and John concerning the events that usher in the Great Tribulation.

The Midpoint of the Tribulation: The Abomination of Desolation, the Beast, and the Great Tribulation

The first half of Daniel’s seventieth week has introduced a ruler whose authority expands amid worldwide upheaval, a succession of devastating judgments, and a growing conflict between the worship of the true God and the rebellion of the nations. At the midpoint, that conflict becomes unmistakable. The ruler who has confirmed a covenant with many now violates the arrangement, interferes with the worship taking place in Jerusalem, and demands for himself the honor that belongs to God alone. What began as political domination develops into open religious persecution. Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and John describe this turning point from different perspectives, and together their testimony allows us to follow the events into the final three and a half years.

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The Covenant Is Broken in the Middle of the Week

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27, KJV).

Daniel identifies the decisive moment as the middle of the final week. Since the seventy weeks are understood in this study as seventy periods of seven years, the final week covers seven years, with its midpoint falling after approximately three and a half years. The text explicitly speaks of a covenant with many and of the cessation of sacrifice and offering. The familiar description of this covenant as a seven-year peace treaty with Israel is an interpretation of its likely political effect, not Daniel’s exact wording. What matters for the unfolding prophecy is that the ruler’s actions at the midpoint reveal the treachery and rebellion concealed beneath his earlier rise to power.

The reference to sacrifices and offerings also directs attention toward worship associated with a sanctuary in Jerusalem. Daniel does not provide a complete architectural description of a future temple, but the connection becomes clearer when Jesus speaks of the abomination standing in the holy place and Paul describes the man of lawlessness taking his seat in the temple of God. The passages must be read together rather than treating any one of them as a complete account.

The Abomination of Desolation

“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:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:” (Matthew 24:15–16, KJV).

Jesus explicitly connects the future crisis with Daniel’s prophecy. His instruction is directed to those in Judea, making the location and the urgency of the warning significant. He does not tell them to negotiate with the ruler, remain to defend the sanctuary, or wait for political developments. He tells them to flee. The appearance of the abomination signals that the danger has become immediate.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21–22, KJV).

The phrase “great tribulation” is drawn from Jesus’ own description of the suffering associated with this crisis. Although tribulation and persecution occur throughout history, Jesus identifies an unparalleled period of distress. In the chronological framework we are following, this intensified period corresponds to the latter half of Daniel’s seventieth week. The warning is not an isolated prediction of hardship; it is tied to the abomination in the holy place and to the need for those in Judea to escape.

The Man of Lawlessness Exalts Himself as God

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, KJV).

Paul describes the same character of rebellion from another angle. The man of lawlessness does not merely oppose the worship of God; he attempts to replace it with worship of himself. His claim is not simply that he possesses exceptional political authority. He presents himself as God. This explains why the midpoint crisis is more than a broken diplomatic agreement. It is an open assault upon the rightful worship of the Creator.

Daniel 11:36–37 likewise describes a king who magnifies himself above every god and speaks astonishing things against the God of gods. Daniel 7:25 speaks of a blasphemous ruler who persecutes the saints and seeks to change times and laws. While these prophetic passages have their own contexts, their descriptions converge upon the same pattern: extraordinary earthly power joined to blasphemy, self-exaltation, and hostility toward God’s people.

The Beast Receives Authority for Forty-Two Months

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:5–7, KJV).

John’s vision identifies the period of the beast’s blasphemous authority as forty-two months, corresponding to three and a half years. Daniel uses the expression “a time and times and the dividing of time” (Daniel 7:25), while Revelation elsewhere speaks of 1,260 days (Revelation 12:6). These repeated time references provide a strong reason for associating the beast’s intensified reign with the second half of the seventieth week. They also place a limit upon his rule. However powerful he becomes, he is not sovereign over history; his authority is permitted for a defined period and will end at the appointed time.

Revelation 13 describes the beast as possessing characteristics of the beasts in Daniel 7. The imagery recalls the succession of kingdoms that opposed God and oppressed His people. The final beast embodies that same opposition in a concentrated form. The dragon, identified in Revelation 12:9 as the devil and Satan, gives the beast his power, throne, and great authority (Revelation 13:2). Behind the political ruler stands a spiritual adversary whose purpose is to redirect human worship away from God.

The Apparent Recovery That Astonishes the World

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3–4, KJV).

John records a wound that appears fatal and a recovery that astonishes the world. The passage does not fully explain the mechanics of the wound or whether the description concerns the individual ruler, the kingdom represented by a head, or both. What it does make clear is the result: the world marvels, and its astonishment becomes worship. The beast’s apparent invincibility strengthens the deception that his authority is ultimate. Yet the very passage that records his exaltation also reminds us that his power is derived, temporary, and subordinate to the purposes of God.

The False Prophet Directs Worship Toward the First Beast

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” (Revelation 13:11–12, KJV).

A second beast now enters John’s vision. His appearance is lamb-like, but his speech reveals the dragon’s character. Later, Revelation identifies this figure as the false prophet (Revelation 19:20). He functions as the religious promoter of the first beast, using apparent spiritual authority to direct the world’s allegiance toward the political ruler. The contrast between appearance and speech is important: the deception is not presented as evil openly announcing itself. It comes clothed in persuasive religious imagery while speaking on behalf of the dragon.

“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.” (Revelation 13:13–14, KJV).

The false prophet’s signs are intended to deceive. Scripture does not teach that every supernatural-looking event is evidence of divine approval. Jesus warned that false christs and false prophets would show great signs and wonders in order to deceive (Matthew 24:24). Paul likewise describes the coming of the lawless one as accompanied by counterfeit signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10). The proper test is not merely whether something appears extraordinary, but whether its message agrees with the truth God has revealed. Signs that lead people to worship the beast are not from the God who commands that He alone be worshipped.

The Image of the Beast and the Demand for Worship

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” (Revelation 13:15, KJV).

The image becomes an instrument of compulsory worship. The demand is not limited to political loyalty or compliance with civil regulations. It is explicitly religious: people are required to worship the image of the beast, and refusal brings the threat of death. This is the decisive moral issue confronting those who live during this period. Allegiance to Christ and allegiance to the beast cannot be reconciled, because the beast demands what belongs to God alone.

The contrast with Daniel 3 is striking. Nebuchadnezzar erected an image and commanded people to bow before it under threat of death. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused because worship belonged to God, even when obedience might cost them their lives. Revelation presents a final worldwide demand of the same essential kind. The faithful may face suffering, but the question remains whether they will worship the Creator or submit to a created ruler who claims divine honor.

The Mark of the Beast and Control Over Buying and Selling

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:16–17, KJV).

The false prophet’s system extends the demand for allegiance into everyday economic life. The text identifies a mark associated with the beast, his name, or the number of his name, and connects participation in buying and selling to that mark. John therefore describes more than an abstract spiritual attitude. The system carries tangible consequences for ordinary people attempting to obtain food, conduct business, and provide for their households.

Revelation does not identify a particular modern technology as the mark. Attempts to name a present-day device, currency, medical procedure, or identification system as its certain fulfillment go beyond what the passage establishes. The defining features are the mark’s connection to the beast and the coercive worship system described in the same chapter. The danger is not technology by itself; it is participation in a system that demands allegiance to the beast in opposition to God.

“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:18, KJV).

The number 666 is given explicitly, but the identity of the man to whom it points is not supplied by name. John calls for wisdom and understanding rather than reckless certainty. When the beast’s system is revealed in its fullness, the number will have significance within that system. Until then, we should not confuse speculation with an identification established by Scripture.

God’s Warning Against Worshipping the Beast

“If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9–11, KJV).

The angel’s warning shows why the mark must not be treated as a merely administrative detail. In the context of Revelation, receiving it is bound to worshipping the beast and identifying with his rebellion. God warns the world before the final consequences are poured out. The warning is severe because the issue is eternal: the worship demanded by the beast is incompatible with worship of the true God. The chapter immediately calls attention to the perseverance of the saints, those who keep God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

Israel Flees and God Provides a Place of Preservation

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” (Revelation 12:6, KJV).

“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” (Revelation 12:13–14, KJV).

The woman in Revelation 12 is best understood in this framework as representing Israel, the people from whom the Messiah came according to the flesh. The male child is Christ, who is destined to rule the nations and is caught up to God and His throne (Revelation 12:5). The chapter reaches back to Christ’s coming before describing the dragon’s later persecution. This is one reason Revelation must not be read as though every chapter begins after the events of the preceding chapter have ended.

The flight into the wilderness corresponds closely to Jesus’ warning that those in Judea should flee when they see the abomination of desolation. Revelation gives the period of preservation as 1,260 days, while the parallel description uses “a time, and times, and half a time”. The text affirms that God prepares a place and provides nourishment; it does not name the precise geographical refuge. Suggestions about particular modern locations should therefore remain possibilities rather than conclusions required by the passage.

The Dragon Turns Against the Rest of Her Offspring

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17, KJV).

The dragon’s anger extends beyond those who flee into the wilderness. He makes war against others who remain faithful to God and bear testimony to Jesus Christ. This helps explain why the Great Tribulation is both a crisis centered upon Israel and a period of persecution affecting believers among the nations. God’s preservation of a remnant does not mean every believer will be spared physical suffering or death. Revelation repeatedly portrays faithful witnesses who endure persecution and, in some cases, martyrdom.

The Saints Who Refuse the Beast

“He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:10, KJV).

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4, KJV).

These passages make clear that the beast does not succeed in turning every person away from God. There are saints who remain faithful to Jesus, refuse the beast’s worship, and suffer death rather than deny their Lord. Revelation 20 also tells us that their story does not end with martyrdom. They live and reign with Christ. The beast may possess power to kill the body for a season, but he cannot overturn God’s promise of resurrection and everlasting life.

Within the pretribulational understanding guiding this study, these faithful people are those who come to believe during the Tribulation after the Church has been caught up to Christ. The Holy Spirit’s saving work has not ceased, and the gospel has not lost its power. Revelation 7 already showed a great multitude from every nation standing before the throne and the Lamb. Salvation remains through Jesus Christ alone; what changes is the historical setting in which these believers are called to endure.

The Days Are Limited, and Christ Will Return

“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.” (Daniel 7:25–26, KJV).

Daniel does not end with the beast’s apparent triumph. His authority is measured, and judgment is certain. The same prophetic passages that warn of terrible persecution also establish the boundary beyond which the beast cannot go. He will not reign indefinitely. The Lord who foretold the crisis has also determined its end.

At this point in our chronology, the midpoint has passed. The abomination of desolation has exposed the ruler’s true character; the false prophet has established a system of deceptive signs and compulsory worship; the mark of the beast has joined religious allegiance to economic participation; Israel has been driven into flight; and the saints face intensified persecution. Yet God continues to preserve His people, warn the nations, and call men and women to faithfulness. The final forty-two months will unfold under increasing judgment, leading toward the seven bowls of God’s wrath, the fall of Babylon, the gathering of the nations, and the visible return of Jesus Christ.