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As noted previously, it also seems questionable, with the appearance of Christianity, to continue to associate prophecies about the future primarily with issues of Jewish significance, such as the Jerusalem Temple. Jesus had already identified Himself as the Temple (John 2:19-21). In addition, with the crucifixion of Jesus, the actual Temple in Jerusalem was no longer to have the same significance it had had before the founding of Christianity, since Jesus replaced the Temple sacrifices with His own sacrifice on the Cross (Heb. 9). Jesus' warning is directed to His disciples and followers, not the Jews. It is therefore more likely that this prophecy, if it is to be understood literally, refers to a time when Jerusalem is in Christian hands, a time when it is the Christians who look out and see Jerusalem (the City of Peace) surrounded by armies. Furthermore, the fact that Jesus, in Matt. 24:15, puts the desolation of Jerusalem in the context of Daniel's vision - which is full of symbolic imagery - suggests that the reference to the Temple may also be more symbolic than literal. (67:1) What, then, is the meaning of these prophecies? What is the Temple that is made desolate? To understand Jesus' prophecy requires us to first go back and follow the advice set forth in the text, that is, to examine more of the details 'spoken of by Daniel the prophet'. As we will see, these details reveal what are, without doubt, some of the most startling discoveries we could ever hope to find concealed in the language of prophecy. (67:2) Daniel's Vision of the End-- The link between Matthew 24:15 and Daniel's prophecies can be discerned by carefully taking note of certain verses in the last five chapters of the Book of Daniel. In these chapters a 'vision' is revealed and partially explained to Daniel. In this vision there is presented not only a great amount of symbolic imagery, but a series of prophetic time periods.
(67:3)
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