Daniel 11:31

And armes shal stand on his part, and they shall pollute the Sanctuarie of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shal place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 11:31 (KJV)

Daniel 11:31 belongs to a larger prophetic passage in the eleventh chapter of Daniel, a chapter that outlines future events and the ongoing conflicts between the kings of the North and the kings of the South. In this verse the term “arms” denotes military forces, and “his part” most likely points to the king of the North who is introduced earlier in the chapter.

That king is also identified as the “little horn” (see Daniel 7 and 8) and later described as the “king of fierce countenance” in Daniel 11:36. Many scholars associate him with the Antichrist or a powerful opponent of God’s people.

The verse states that these forces will “pollute the sanctuary of strength.” Some interpreters understand this as a literal desecration of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, while others view it as an assault on the spiritual sanctity of God’s people.

It also declares that the daily sacrifice will be taken away. In the temple context the daily sacrifice refers to the regular offerings that sustained Jewish worship; its removal signals a profound disruption of the religious life of God’s people.

Finally, the passage says the abomination will be placed (or set up) that makes desolate. The phrase “abomination that maketh desolate” appears elsewhere in Daniel 9:27 and is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 as a sign of the end times. It denotes a sacrilegious object or act that brings desolation and signifies a severe defilement of a holy place.

Interpretations differ on timing and fulfillment. Some scholars see these events fulfilled in the intertestamental period or in the lead‑up to the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, while others view them as future events tied to the end‑times. In summary, Daniel 11:31 prophesies a period when military forces aligned with a powerful figure will pollute the sanctuary, cease the daily sacrifices, and introduce an abomination that brings desolation, marking a time of great turmoil and religious upheaval. A careful study of the broader context of Daniel and the various scholarly perspectives is essential for a fuller understanding.