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As previously mentioned, Christians in the West have commonly understood the Roman assault on Jerusalem to be what Jesus was speaking of when He said: 'But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near' (Luke 21:20). However, to the Christians in the East, the appearance of Islamic armies surrounding Jerusalem must have suggested another possible interpretation. After Jerusalem fell to the Muslims, it is reported that the head patriarch, upon seeing Muslims, in particular the Caliph Omar, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, stated it was the fulfilment of Daniel's prophecy concerning the Abomination of Desolation.
(195:4)
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