a great crowd of sheeplike persons have been separated from the goatlike persons who do not do good to the anointed chosen ones, the spiritual brothers of Jesus Christ. Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! (a)What does history show as to whether the chosen ones have waited till now to flee out of antitypical Jerusalem? Did not Jesus indicate that even in the larger fulfillment Christians will be required to take decisive action to flee from the danger zone when the disgusting thing stands where it ought not? 18 The United Nations organization is described as a "disgusting thing" because it claims to be able to do something that only God's Kingdom can do bring world peace. 12 What though, is pictured by the scarlet-colored wild beast that has seven heads and ten horns and on which Babylon the Great rides? Judea, a Roman province, capital Jerusalem. It is not the military people, the legions of the pagan Roman Empire. All of them are armed, more heavily and destructively so than has been the case of the nations in all previous history. At the time that. That connection is confirmed in the 8th chapter of Daniel as well, where we read regarding the fierce-looking king: It exalted itself even against the Prince of the army, and from him the constant feature was taken away, and the established place of his sanctuary was thrown down. EHV. let the reader understandthen let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.. Not only were the United States and the British Empire the principal creators of the United Nations Organization during the Second World War, but they will force the nations to accept the United Nations as a world government in the future. In fact, many Christians didflee, sparing their lives, when they saw Romes armies coming. Why, hate will soon lead to the destruction of the Babylonish world empire of false religion. Mentioned also in Matthew 24:15, this is one of the signs of the end, when the antichrist sets up an abomination in the holy place and will command the people to worship it. Whatever remains of the Watchtower then will be subservient to Satans kingdom. In the historical books, abomination always describes idolatry, often with child sacrifice (1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 23:13). Soldiers even began undermining the wall of the temple to get at the militant zealots who were holed up in it. Should they obey literally or metaphorically? Calling to mind the words of the Lord Jesus, discerning Christians living in Judea and Jerusalem seized the opportunityto flee before the disgusting thing returned three and a half years later bringing utter desolation upon the holy city. 18:4) They did not wait until after the year 1945 nor until after they saw correctly what the disgusting thing is. 31 Since the tribulation of those days upon ancient Jerusalem nineteen centuries have passed. 14,15. From hote and an; whenever; also causatively inasmuch as. This prophecy makes sense only with reference to the fall of Jerusalem. 37. In fact, she is said to be the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth. (Rev. idolatry. 9 Today this peace-and-security organization is known as the United Nations, which in 1945 became the successor to the League of Nations that had failed to prevent World WarII, it really being killed by that world conflict. This something different does not restrict matters to a modern-day period of three and a half years to parallel the period of 66-70C.E. An outstanding feature of Jesus' answer was his mention of Daniel's prophecy about " the disgusting thing that causes desolation" and that would 'stand in a holy place.' ( Matt. In what sense should readers flee to the mountains? The interested reader may consult orthodox commentaries.) Even though they are used as an instrument in bringing devastation upon Babylon the Great, they gain no reward for this. The death toll reached over a million due to the fact that the Romans besieged the city during Passover when Jerusalem was packed with worshippers and sojourners from faraway. Jerusalems desolation in 70C.E. 8 After World WarI and down to World WarII this peace-preserving organization was known as the League of Nations. 17:1-6,18) Back in 1930 the publication Light, VolumeII, pages87-93, explained her to be organized Christian religion or organized Christianity as exemplified in Christendom. 20. For then the closing part of the great tribulation will eternally desolate the disgusting desolator of all Babylon the Great. It states: And arms will stand up, proceeding from him; and they will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and remove the constant feature. It may well be. The eighth chapter of Daniel makes that connection clear, as the context indicates the removal of the constant feature and the trampling of the holy place coincides with the fierce-looking king bringing to ruin the people made up of holy ones. When you see this (let the reader take note), 16 those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. CHRISTENDOM is represented by her hundreds of religious sects. 18 Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats. However, for the reason previously stated it simply cannot be true that the U.N. is presently in the role of the image the idol brought to life by the resuscitated beast. Now, though, Jehovahs Witnesses expect Jesus words to be realized in the future, coinciding with the attack of the beast upon the harlot. As the angel explained the seven heads to the Christian apostle John: There are seven kings: five have fallen, one is [namely, imperial Rome], the other [the Anglo-American World Power] has not yet arrived, but when he does arrive he must remain a short while. However, its ascending up from the earth symbolizes its recovery from death as if coming out of grave the abyss. A generation normally lasts 40 years in Scripture, and Jerusalem and its temple did fall within 40 years, as Jesus said. 27,28. I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth.. Is it out of affection for God that the scarlet-colored wild beast destroys Babylon the Great (including Christendom)? The word "abomination" in the Greek means something that is disgusting and is oftentimes associated with that which is defiling and/or idolatrous. The Disgusting Thing that Causes Desolation "Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains." Jesus Christ __________ (b)With whom else must Jehovah God settle accounts, and by what means? Search Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY The Roman armies were always an abomination because they carried with them idolatrous images of the emperor, whom they worshiped. flee to the mountains (Luke 21:10-24). 10. . That destructive hate must therefore strike at Christendom, the hypocritical Christian organization. (The Answer May Surprise You). 717-719 - The Watchtower1974 "Wisdom Is for a Protection" (21 occurrences) The reader may wonder, Why so? 15 Gods angel, who said to the apostle John: And the ten horns that you saw mean ten kings, . Christian Cruse (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1955), 86-87. The scarlet-colored wild beast of Revelation chapter17 is now the United Nations. The Disgusting Thing that Causes Desolation - part 2 While the Jewish people, and particularly their religious leaders in Jesus days on earth, were evidently scrupulous in avoiding anything connected with literal idols, they were, nevertheless, guilty of disgusting practices of self-idolatry, disobedience, hypocrisy, greed, and falsehood, and Jesus said that, like their forefathers, they had turned the temple into a cave of robbers. (Mt 23:1-15, 23-28; Lu 16:14, 15; compare Mt 21:13 and Jer 7:11,30.) One that belongs to his generation, or one from the last days? What is the sign of the close of this age. Properly, to stare at, i.e. Daniel 9:26-27 refers to a prince who will destroy the city (Jerusalem) along with its temple and sacrifices, and on the wings of abominations shall come one who makes desolate. Two chapters later there is another reference to an abomination in connection to the temple: forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. What was the first-century type of modern-day Christendom, and how was her desolation typified? The "abomination of desolation" is a Hebrew idiom, meaning "the abomination that maketh desolate." St. Luke ( Luke 21:20) does not use the expression; it would have sounded strange to his Gentile readers. Hence what affects the most important part will also affect the rest or remaining part of Babylon the Great. (a)How has this gathering work been done as with a great trumpet sound? is a type or prophetic picture of the desolating of modern-day Christendom, which is likewise unbelieving as regards the Holy Bible and its Author, Jehovah God. They say unto him, Yea, Lord. A desolation, devastation. Their being gathered together has doubtless been done under the active guidance of the heavenly angels sent forth by the invisibly present Jesus Christ. How could such a numerous, mighty religious organization ever be desolated, be brought to ruin? So his core prediction was fulfilled by AD 70. Such tribulation means utter destruction for her! (a)Why does not the scarlet-colored wild beast gain a reward for being used as an instrument in devastating Babylon the Great? then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains. But under the title of League of Nations this organization did not destroy Christendom. Dan Doriani (MDiv, PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary; STM, Yale Divinity School, Research Fellow, Yale University, 1981, 1995) is Professor of theology and Vice President at Covenant Theological Seminary. The Psychology of Disgust | Psychology Today The Watchtower first began teaching that the League of Nations was the original abomination as well as the manifestation of the symbolic scarlet-colored beast of Revelation back around 1929. After all, this prophecy alerts God's Named People to the timing of Vindicating Jehovah's Sacred and Holy Name. Such fleeing out of Christendom has meant also fleeing out of Babylon the Great, for Christendom is also an integral part of religious Babylon the Great. We begin with the key phrase, abomination of desolation., The term abomination (Hebrew toevah and siqqus) appears more than 100 times in the Old Testament and just a few times in the New Testament. Abomination also refers to idolatry in the prophets, including Daniel 9 and 11. brought the end of the holy place, Jerusalem, the holy city. (Mt 27:53) However, the Scriptures direct our attention to a heavenly Jerusalem, the Messianic Kingdom, which is represented on earth by anointed Christians. The priesthood in the family of Aaron the brother of Moses that carried on the religious services at that temple does not exist anymore. But 33 years after Jesus death, Christians did catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation . Yes, the ten-horned scarlet-colored wild beast is still the thing that Babylon the Great hailed as a substitute for Gods Messianic kingdom. Christendom and the remainder of Babylon the Great are only a part, the religious part, of this age-old system of things. The system includes also the political, military, secular part, including now the Eighth World Power. When, whenever. And the wild beast that was but is not, it is also itself an eighth king, but springs from the seven, and it goes off into destruction.Rev. (b)Was there to be something similar for the chosen ones of today, and what do Jesus words in Matthew 24:29-31 show on this? the present worldwide system of things has been in its time of the end. (Luke 21:24) The prophet Daniel associates the time of the end with the placing of the disgusting thing that is causing desolation when he writes: Make secret the words and seal up the book, until the time of the end. Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Plural. Overconfident because of having been used to destroy the false religion, the Eighth World Power will make a final attempt to desolate the true worship of Jehovah God as an act of defiance of Jehovahs Godship and sovereignty. Here we have a prophetic panorama like that with foreshortened perspective. Yet, despite this, Christendom has been more forward than all the rest of her partners in Babylon the Great in riding the mightily armed Eighth World Power (The League of Nations and the United Nations), to have a kingdom over it, if possible. 23 That battle will be the war of the great day of God the Almighty at the world situation called HarMagedon, as foretold in Revelation 16:13-16 and as symbolically described in Revelation 19:11-21. To flee, escape, shun. Christ Jesus showed this view to be in error when he gave the warning to his disciples: Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,) then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains. (Mt 24:15,16) These words show that the disgusting thing that causes desolation was not then past but future. Bring biblical wisdom to the confusing issues across the world by making a gift to our international work. In the Hebrew, the meaning is the same and is associated with pagan idols. By means of his angels he is separating the individual members of the nations just as an Oriental shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. . 25. 5 Ways to Maintain Unity amid Disagreement, If God Is for Us: Standing Accused with Romans 8, When (and How) to Avoid Contentious People. (a)What has that Seventh World Power professed to be religiously, and so what question arises? And discerning students of prophecy well know that this is not the only place in Daniel where these things appear together in context. And discerning students of prophecy well know that this is not the only place in Daniel where these things appear together in context. Returning to Daniel 11:31, what are the arms that will stand up proceeding from the king of the north? (a)We look forward to see members of the United Nations act together as what toward Christendom? . 9. According to Daniels prophecy, Da chapter eleven, verse 31 thirty-one, the disgusting thing is something that is put in place during the struggle between the king of the north and the king of the south. That verse reads: And they will certainly put in place the disgusting thing that is causing desolation. In this time of the end for both the democratic king of the south and the totalitarian king of the north, this disgusting thing that has been put in place has been the international organization for world peace and security. We begin with the key phrase, "abomination of desolation." The term "abomination" (Hebrew toevah and siqqus) appears more than 100 times in the Old Testament and just a few times in the New Testament. 15 `Whenever, therefore, ye may see the abomination of the desolation, that was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever is reading let him observe) Read Matthew (YLT) Read Matthew 24:15 (YLT) in Parallel. Such Jerusalem was considered holy by the Jews down till its destruction in 70C.E., and it was the type, the warning example. 21 It is because they still fight against Gods Messianic kingdom, for they strive to keep their occupancy of the earth by their armed might. Thus, the causing of desolation by the disgusting thing was imminent, and so this was the final signal for discerning Christians to flee to the mountains. (Mt 4:5; 27:53; 24:15, 16; Lu 19:43, 44; 21:20-22) Following their flight, the desolation of the city and nation occurred, Jerusalem being destroyed in the year 70C.E., and the last Jewish stronghold, Masada, falling to the Romans in 73C.E.Compare Da 9:25-27. Not only that, but consider this: If the holy place represents Christendom then how is it possible that false Christs and false prophets are operating after the point at which the disgusting thing brings desolation? 24:15-21) Obediently, Jesus disciples in Judea did flee from that province after they saw the large army of General Cestius Gallus besiege and then suddenly retreat from the holy city of Jerusalem. The words "spoken of by Daniel the prophet" are omitted in many of the best MSS. Those disgusting things were represented by idols and given names like Molech and Chemosh. Scholars generally agree that the first reference of these prophecies is the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who ruled Palestine from 175-64 B.C. When you see this (let the reader take note), (Da 9:27) The popular view has generally followed early Jewish tradition in applying this expression to the profanation of Jehovahs temple at Jerusalem in the year 168B.C.E.