Daniel and Revelation
Chapter 10
Daniel 8 and 12 - The War in Heaven;
The Abomination of Desolation

Michael will Take a Stand - War in Heaven
The abomination of desolation will be set up.

Michael "takes a stand."  Then we have the great tribulation, followed by the resurrection.  After that, we have Christ's Messianic reign where those who will reign with Christ will turn many to righteousness.

Daniel 12:1-3 "At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.  (2)  Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  (3)  Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse; and those who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.

Michael takes a stand, and then we move into the second half of the seven-year week.  What is significant about Michael taking a stand?  This verse in Revelation will shed more light on the subject.

Revelation 12:6-14 The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.  (7)  There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon . The dragon and his angels made war.  (8)  They didn't prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven.  (9) The great dragon was thrown down , the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him .  (10) I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.   (11) They overcame him because of the Lamb's blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life, even to death.  (12) Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time ."  (13) When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.   (14) Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

This passage tells us about a war in heaven with Michael (verse 7) and his angels fighting against Satan and his angels (verse 9).  Michael drives Satan and his angels out of heaven down to the earth.  Those in heaven rejoice.  But woe to the earth because Satan and his angels are thrown down out of heaven (verse 12).  

When does this happen?  In verse 6, the woman is nourished for 1260 days.  In verse 14, the woman is nourished for a time, times, and half a time.  1260 days corresponds to the 1260 days that the two witnesses prophesy (Revelation 11:3).  The time, times, and half a time corresponds to the time when the antichrist reigns (Daniel 7:25).  We know the antichrist reigns 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5) over every nation, tribe, people, and language.  So the 1260 days would most likely be the first half of the seven-year period, and the time, times, and half a time would be the second half.  The woman is Israel, with the Gentile believers grafted into Israel.  So apparently this battle between Michael and Satan is in the middle of the seven-year "week."

Revelation 11:7-8 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.   (8) Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

The two witnesses will prophesy for 1260 days.  “When they have finished their testimony,” after the 1260 days, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them.  They are not simply killed.  A war seems to be required.  I believe this is the same war as the war in heaven where Michael takes a stand.  Thus, the war in heaven is in the middle of the covenant for seven years, right before the abomination of desolation.

Daniel 8:9-12 ESV Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.  (10)  It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them.   (11) It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown.  (12)  And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.

Here we see the battle in heaven a bit more from the antichrist's perspective.  The antichrist will actually throw some of Michael's angels (stars) down to the earth and trample upon them.  To trample upon means to control.  This does not mean they are killed.  It means they are put under restraints; perhaps imprisoned.  We also see here that the war in heaven is closely associated with the abomination of desolation.  The regular burnt offering is stopped because of transgression.

Will the antichrist really have the ability to fight Michael's angels and those who live in the New Jerusalem?  Remember that the antichrist will be in league with Satan.  This verse seems to verify that the antichrist will have access to "alien" forces.  Remember that "foreign" means "alien."

Daniel 11:39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.

The abomination of desolation is in the midst of the covenant for seven years.  It marks the time when the antichrist has gained full global power and rules over every nation, tribe, people, and language.  But what is the abomination of desolation?  The single vision of Daniel 10 through 12 has two different references to the abomination (Daniel 11:31, 12:11).

The abomination of Daniel 11:31 was fulfilled at the time of the Maccabees (168 BC).  The prophecies of Daniel 11:1-31 are fulfilled by very precise and detailed events in history.  And those events of history leads us from Alexander the Great right up to the statue of Zeus on the temple mount, at the time of the Maccabees.  Antiochus Epiphanes conquered Jerusalem, put an end to the sacrifice and offering, and set up an abomination that causes desolation.  The abomination was a statue of Zeus on the temple mount.  

These precise events in history are so accurate that the liberals try to claim Daniel was written after the time of the Maccabees.  Why do they say the time of the Maccabees?  It’s because everything up to the abomination of 168 BC was extremely accurate.  And the liberals don't believe in precisely accurate fulfilled prophecy.  But the verses from 36-45 have nothing that liberals would worry about.  That's because these verses are not yet fulfilled.  We can expect that verses 36-45 will have the same level of accuracy as the first part of the vision. 

Jesus said, “So when you see standing in the holy place, ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel” (Mat. 24:15).  Daniel 11:31 is the real key to just what is the abomination that we will see.  Daniel 11:31 was already fulfilled when Jesus spoke these words on the Mount of Olives.  Therefore, Jesus is saying that what happened in 168 BC will happen again.  Daniel 11:35 is a transition from the time of the Maccabees to the time of the end.  It’s a transition from the abomination at the time of the Maccabees (Daniel 11:31) to the abomination at the time of the end (Daniel 12:11).  Daniel’s prophecy goes from Alexander to the first abomination.  Antiochus Epiphanes was a type of antichrist.  And Daniel 11:40-45 picks up with prophecy about the antichrist at the time of the end.  So Daniel’s prophecy jumps from the antichrist at the time of the Maccabees to the antichrist at the time of the end.

Here is a quote from the book of first Maccabees about that first abomination.  I don't consider Maccabees to be Scripture.  But whether it's Scripture or not is unimportant.  It is considered an accurate historical reference.  The book of Maccabees was around at the time of Jesus.  The disciples would have known about the book.  Maccabees is where the Jews get Hanukkah.  It's a Jewish festival in celebration of the victory after this event.  Jesus and the disciples were Jews, so they celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22).  Since they knew about Hanukkah, and they knew about Daniel, they most likely knew the term "abomination of desolation" and associated it with Hanukkah.  This is quoted from the New American [Catholic] Bible:

1 Maccabees 1:54-63 On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev, [Hanukkah] in the year one hundred and forty-five [December, 167 BC], the king erected the horrible abomination upon the altar of holocausts, and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars. (55) They also burnt incense at the doors of houses and in the streets. (56) Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt. (57) Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant, and whoever observed the law, was condemned to death by royal decree. (58) So they used their power against Israel, against those who were caught, each month, in the cities. (59) On the twenty-fifth day of each month they sacrificed on the altar erected over the altar of holocausts. (60) Women who had their children circumcised were put to death, in keeping with the decree, (61) with the babies hung from their necks; their families also and those who had circumcised them were killed. (62) But many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean; (63) they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.  Terrible affliction was upon Israel.

Antiochus Epiphanes conquered Jerusalem, put an end to the sacrifice and offering, and set up an abomination that causes desolation.  The abomination was a statue of Zeus on the temple mount.  This happened in Jesus' past. He is saying it will happen again.  The disciples would have recognized the term: "abomination of desolation."  They would have recognized the term, so Jesus is saying to look for what previously happened to happen again.

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold and required that "peoples, nations and men of every language" (Daniel 3:4 NIV) worship the image. In Revelation, the antichrist is “given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.  All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast — all whose names have not been written in the book of life” (Revelation 13:7b-8a NIV).  The false prophet sets up an image and requires all those who dwell on the earth to worship the image (Revelation 13:14-15).  I believe the abomination of desolation is this image in Rev 13.  Jesus said the abomination will be "standing in the holy place."  I believe it will be erected on the “wing (edge or extremity) of the temple” (Daniel. 9:27).  If the temple were built to face east, as it must, and were built to line up with the eastern gate, the Dome of the Rock would be on the south side Gentile courtyard (Revelation 11:2).  The Gentile courtyard is like a wing of the temple.  It's on the "edge or extremity," (north and south sides,) of the temple.

The Temple Mount is recognized as holy by three major world religions  (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam).  The antichrist (global ruler) sets himself up as god in the temple (2nd Thessalonians 2:4).  How can the statue be anywhere else?

Let's review what we have learned about the week of the covenant, which takes place after the appointed time of the end.  The first half of the week is characterized by the world being terrified by the appearance of the New Jerusalem.  This becomes proof that we are not alone in the universe.  The Islamic antichrist (false prophet) battles various Islamic nations to set up the Islamic Caliphate.  The antichrist (global ruler) is boastful and prideful against the New Jerusalem, which rallies the world to join the cause of the antichrist against Christ and those who live in heaven.  In the middle of the week, Michael "takes a stand" (Daniel 12:1) and fights Satan and his demonic forces, throwing them down to the earth.  By this time, the global antichrist will have authority over every nation, tribe, people, and language.  During the second half of the seven-year week, "there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time" (Daniel 12:1).  This is the great tribulation.