For alert Christians, the meaning was plain to see: A pagan army with its idolatrous standards (“the disgusting thing ”) got as far as the temple wall (“ a holy place ”).
وَتَدَهْوَرَتْ أَوْضَاعُ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ بِسُرْعَةٍ إِذْ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ ٱلْيَهُودِيَّةُ ٱلْمُتَنَافِسَةُ تَتَصَارَعُ عَلَى ٱلسُّلْطَةِ .‏