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Abominations are often related to the corruption of true worship.
Deuteronomy 7:25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.
Three Desolating Abominations are recorded in the book of Daniel. They appear below:
Daniel 9:27 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 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
One of the three abominations above (Dan 11:31) describes the actions of Antiochus who defiled the altar in the second temple by sacrificing an unclean animal. From the new world encyclopedia:
In 168 B.C.E. or 169 B.C.E. Antiochus marched to Jerusalem, slew Jason (last of the Zadokite High Priests) and dedicated the Temple to Zeus, erecting an image of Zeus in his own likeness on the altar, and, according to some sources, sacrificed a pig in the Temple. This is known to Jews as the 'great desecration' or 'abomination of desecration' (from Daniel 11: 31 & 12: 11). The Temple's sacred treasures, including “the golden candlesticks, and the golden altar” were robbed. Copies of the Torah were destroyed, as were buildings . . . Most have Antiochus visiting Jerusalem twice, perhaps as early as 166 B.C.E. for the first and as late as 169 B.C.E. for the second.
Note the underlining of phrases in Daniel 12:11 above. Daniel 12:11 specifies a start date and it's the taking away of the Daily Sacrifice. This occurred circa 600-598 bce when Nebuchadnezzar took control of Jerusalem and the first temple. This is a reference point known to Daniel as he knew that Nebuchadnezzar had prevented temple worship in Jerusalem. But there is something that must be factored in to our understanding of Daniel 12:11. From the start date, 1290 years must take us to the Desolating Abomination that Daniel is describing in Daniel 12:11. Adding 1290 years to 168 bce takes us to no significant date - no desolating abomination. The evidence suggests that Daniel 9:27 is a reference to the Roman attack on Jerusalem in 70ce. Adding 1290 years to 70 ce takes us to no significant date - no desolating abomination.
But now add 1290 years to 600 bce. This takes us to a very significant date in history. 600 bce plus 1290 years brings us to 690 ce. What appeared on the site of the first and second temples in Jerusalem on this date?
Those who seek to escape this Bible commentary on the Dome of the Rock might claim that Daniel 12:11 specifies 1290 days NOT 1290 years. But there is sound Scriptural support for this interpretation that treats prophetic days as prophetic years. It's the Day-for-a-Year-Principle and it's based on these verses:
Numbers 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
Ezekiel 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.
We ought to be impressed by the ability of the Hebrew Scriptures to accurately predict future events. We have the evidence that we need to regard these Scriptures as the word of God. In this tug of war for control of Jerusalem, wouldn't be nice to know what the true God thinks of this situation? Does the Dome of the Rock belong on Jerusalem's Temple Mount? With the Day-for-a-Year-Principle in mind, contemplate Daniel 12:11! Read the entire book of Daniel. It contains a number of Day-Year prophecies.