Forward: Jehovah's Witnesses are well aware of the fact that Satan the Devil is the unseen god of this world. His cadre of demons are the actual ruling principalities behind the political governments and the entire system of things. That being the case, any attempt to understand the goings-on of Satan's world in the light of prophecy, which does not take into consideration the endemic deception inherent in the system, is doomed to failure.
Put another way, we should not suppose that Jehovah's prophetic word harmonizes with revisionist's versions of history, political correctness, or with the insidious propaganda that shapes public opinions. The only realistic perspective of our world is from the ridiculed conspiratorial view of history and current events. This essay is the result of more than a decade of research into the ongoing conspiracy to establish a New World Order.
The prophet Daniel was not a passive writer of prophecy. As a youth living in Jerusalem at the time God's judgment began, Daniel, along with other princes and nobles of the Judean ruling class, was taken captive in the first wave of Nebuchadnezzar's God-ordained military campaign against the holy city. Daniel saw first hand the fulfillment of numerous prophecies written by Isaiah, Jeremiah and others.
Before his exile it is quite likely that young Daniel had personally heard the reading of the scroll of Jeremiah on the occasion when it was read before all of the princes of the kingdom of Judea, foretelling that "The king of Babylon will come without fail and will certainly bring this land to ruin and cause man and beast to cease from it"? (See Jeremiah 36:9-23)
If for some reason Daniel did not personally hear the actual reading of Jehovah's denunciation of Jerusalem, he no doubt heard of the occasion when King Jehoiakim defiantly cut Jeremiah's scroll to pieces and threw it in the brazier fire—thereby sealing his own doom, as well as the fate of the kingdom.
When exiled in Babylon, it surely must have been distressing to the few faithful worshippers of Jehovah to see the sacred treasures and utensils of the house of Jehovah being displayed as mere trophies in the house of Nebuchadnezzar's god—Marduk. It would seem to all observers as if Marduk and all the other gods of Babylon were superior to Jehovah. But Daniel knew better.
No doubt Daniel recognized the reason the Chaldeans became so powerful an empire was not because of any inability on Jehovah's part to protect his people from the armies devoted to Marduk; quite the contrary. The reason Nebuchadnezzar was allowed such an extensive kingdom was in order for the Chaldeans to serve as God's punishing agent. Our Bible today testifies to the fact that Jehovah announced his intentions through the prophets, well beforehand, to use Babylon to punish the Jews for their sins and rebellion.
Later, after Babylon's fall, Daniel humbly confessed the nation's sins in prayer to God: "O Jehovah, according to all your acts of righteousness, please, may your anger and your rage turn back from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; for, because of our sins and because of the errors of our forefathers, Jerusalem and your people are an object of reproach to all those round about us. And now listen, O our God, to the prayer of your servant and to his entreaties, and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolated, for the sake of Jehovah. Incline your ear, O my God, and hear. Do open your eyes and see our desolated conditions and the city that has been called by your name; for not according to our righteous acts are we letting our entreaties fall before you, but according to your many mercies. O Jehovah, do hear. O Jehovah, do forgive. O Jehovah, do pay attention and act. Do not delay, for your own sake, O my God, for your own name has been called upon your city and upon your people." – Daniel 9:16-19
Through the long-range prophecies given to Daniel, it is apparent that the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians was not going to be a unique, one-of-a-kind occurrence. Instead, it stands as a pattern of God's future dealings with his people during the conclusion of the system. Surely, Daniel's confession of Judah's sin and his own contrition serves as a portent of how Jehovah's true witnesses will eventually openly confess the sins of the only organization on earth today that bears the name of Jehovah.
We are informed at Daniel 11:40 the king of the north launches his final all-out bid for world domination during "the time of the end." Hence, we read: "And in the time of the end the king of the south will engage with him in a pushing, and against him the king of the north will storm with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships; and he will certainly enter into the lands and flood over and pass through."
Prior to the publication of Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy, the Watchtower interpreted the above verse as applying exclusively to the Cold War "pushing" between the West and East and the expansion of the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. However, in their ongoing effort to support the untenable teaching that the concluding "time of the end" began in 1914, the Society's most recent commentary on Daniel asserts that the "pushing" actually began at the end of the First World War with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles! And the Nazi Storm Troopers also supposedly fulfilled the prophecy by flooding over Europe during World War Two. However, as discussed in Part IV, the time of the end is still future.
Although the case could perhaps be made that the foretold "pushing" has already commenced, evidenced by the nearly-daily oligarchy-orchestrated terrorist bombings around the world; intending to destabilize and topple Russia and push the United States into launching World War Three; more than likely, however, it may not become apparent that the time of the end has arrived until such time as the imperial king of the north actually makes his all-out assault.
Soberingly, that would mean Jesus' stealth-like arrival as a thief in the night could conceivably go undetected for a short interval, allowing the Lord to make his surprise inspection during the "pushing"—before the world finally erupts into all-out warfare—evidenced by nation rising against nation, which is the actual sign of Jesus' presence and the start of the syntelia.
At any rate, what may we expect to occur when the king of the north fulfills the following: "He will also actually enter into the land of the Decoration, and there will be many lands that will be made to stumble"? Daniel 11:41a
First, though, we might ask the question: What is the land of the Decoration anyway? Originally the term applied to the land of Canaan. At Ezekiel 20:6, Jehovah described it as "flowing with milk and honey. It was the decoration of all the lands."
The Watchtower insightfully identifies it today as the "spiritual estate" of God's people. Specifically, the land of Decoration is spiritual Israel—Christ's congregation. And indeed, the Christian congregation that Jesus originally established was a thing of beauty—just as the Promised Land was once a decorated land of extreme beauty. But, how will Jesus find the spiritual land of decoration when he returns for the final inspection?
Oddly enough, in the Pay Attention commentary the Society limits their comments on Daniel 11:40a to a scant sentence, which reads: "He [the Soviet king of the north] persecuted genuine Christians, hindering—but by no means stopping—their activity."
While it is true that the Soviet Union persecuted Jehovah's Witnesses, that is not the fulfillment of the prophecy. In keeping with the goal of allowing the Bible to interpret itself, it is necessary to dislodge from our minds the accumulation of misconceptions regarding these matters.
According to the 28th chapter of Isaiah, the land of decoration is destined to be flooded over during judgment day, when Christ arrives. The end result is that only a refined remnant will avoid being swept away by the deluge of Jehovah's denunciation.
"Woe to the eminent crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading blossom of its decoration of beauty that is upon the head of the fertile valley of those overpowered by wine! Look! Jehovah has someone strong and vigorous. Like a thunderous storm of hail, a destructive storm, like a thunderous storm of powerful, flooding waters, he will certainly do a casting down to the earth with force. With the feet the eminent crowns of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled down. And the fading flower of its decoration of beauty that is upon the head of the fertile valley must become like the early fig before summer, that, when the seer sees it, while it is yet in his palm, he swallows it down." Isaiah 28:1-4
The land of Israel is described as a wilted flower of decoration—once a thing of beauty—but now a wilted blossom of its former glory. But, how do we know that the 28th chapter of Isaiah applies to the congregation of Jehovah's people at the time of the return of Christ? Because down a few verses we read:
Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "Here I am laying as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tried stone, the precious corner of a sure foundation. No one exercising faith will get panicky. And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the leveling instrument; and the hail must sweep away the refuge of a lie, and the waters themselves will flood out the very place of concealment."
Jesus Christ is, of course, the foundational stone in Zion. So, in accord with all other prophecies, the flooding away of the wilted land of decoration occurs during the time of the end. And contrary to the Watchtower's teaching that the prophecy somehow applies to Christendom, those who are saved when the deluge of persecution sweeps away the "refuge of a lie" are those who actually put faith in Christ at the time of his arrival. They are the faithful remnant from among Jehovah's own people. That is evident from what we read at Isaiah 28:5: "In that day Jehovah of armies will become as a crown of decoration and as a garland of beauty to the ones remaining over of his people, and as a spirit of justice to the one sitting in the judgment, and as mightiness to those turning away the battle from the gate." (See essay: "A couch too short…")
Naturally, the Watchtower applies Isaiah's condemnatory prophecy to Christendom. However, if that were true, why are those saved called "the ones remaining over of his people"?
Even so, by applying Jehovah's denunciation to Christendom, the Watchtower Society inadvertently condemns itself. How so? In establishing the original setting of the prophecy, the Watchtower's Isaiah commentary states:
"In addition to putting their trust in new political allies, some in the northern kingdom may expect Jehovah to protect them—despite their continuing to use golden calves in worship. Judah is likewise convinced that she can count on Jehovah's protection. After all, is not Jehovah's temple located in Jerusalem, their capital city? But there are unexpected events ahead for both nations. Jehovah inspires Isaiah to foretell developments that will seem truly strange to his wayward people. And his words contain vital lessons for everyone today."
What the Watchtower fails to appreciate is that Jehovah judged Israel and Judah because they were his people and because they represented the name of Jehovah. Several places in prophecy Jehovah stated that he would hold an accounting with the city upon which his name had been placed. Like the ancient Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses today have the name of Jehovah placed upon them too—bringing with it accountability before the Bearer of that name.
The Watchtower hypocritically condemns Christendom for making political alliances like Judah did; yet, for ten years the Watchtower served the United Nations as an NGO. Despite their lying denials, according to the criteria set out by the UN NGOs are unavoidably in a political alliance with the United Nations.
The Watchtower also hypocritically condemns Christendom for promoting various forms of idolatry; yet, from Jehovah's standpoint the Watchtower itself has become a mere golden calf. That is evident from the fact that the Watchtower Society is deemed to be sacred—beyond reproach—above criticism or even complaint by its subjects.
Any of Jehovah's Witnesses, who, by the power of their God-given reason do not unreservedly accept what can be demonstrated to be false teachings, are, as a consequence, summarily disfellowshipped from the organization for not giving glory to the Society as the all-knowing mouthpiece of God. Because the Watchtower is considered sacrosanct, it is as if the mere image of the organization has been placed above the truth, thereby diminishing Jehovah's glory. But, from Jehovah's standpoint anything that comes between himself and the worship directed to him by his people is idolatry. (See Essay: "My Own Idol Has Done Them")
Like the Jews with their holy temple, the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses also presumes to have Jehovah's unreserved blessing. Their attitude is exactly as described in the 3rd chapter of Micah where Jehovah said: Yet upon Jehovah they keep supporting themselves, saying: "Is not Jehovah in the midst of us? There will come upon us no calamity."
But, obviously calamity did come upon the Jews and their temple—just as Jesus indicated that calamity will also be brought upon the holy place during the tribulation. When referring to the coming desolation of the holy place, Jesus urged the discerning reader to consult the book of Daniel. And indeed, Daniel foretold that "arms" proceeding from the king of the north "will actually profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and remove the constant feature…And they will certainly put in place the disgusting thing that is causing desolation."
The profanation of the holy place and removal of the constant feature is what takes place when the king of the north floods over into the land of the Decoration. But evidently that does not immediately result in the complete desolation of God's earthly city. The incursion into the land of the Decoration is when the disgusting thing is "put in place" in God's domain, and which will later cause a complete desolation of what is holy to God.
Contrary to the Watchtower's widely-published unscriptural expectations, Christendom's false religious system is not destroyed first while Jehovah's Witnesses look on as passive bystanders. Christendom is not the holy place that is destined for desolation. Instead, the exact opposite appears to be in the offing: The Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses are destined to fall before our religious enemies as a punishment from God for our transgressions. (See essay: Babylon the Great: "When Does it Fall?")
That Jehovah's people go down first while Christendom survives is indicated in the very verse that foretells the fall of the land of the Decoration. The entire verse reads: "He will also actually enter into the land of the Decoration, and there will be many lands that will be made to stumble. But these are the ones that will escape out of his hand, Edom and Moab and the main part of the sons of Ammon."
The significance of Edom, Moab and Ammon in this prophecy is that those three nations symbolize Christendom. (See April 2004 Mailbag) Their escaping the king of the north at that time is in contrast to the king's incursion into the decorated land.
In all likelihood, the king of the north will present himself in Christ's congregation as the man of lawlessness. We may deduce that by reason of the fact that Daniel 11:36 says of the king of the north: "And the king will actually do according to his own will, and he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god; and against the God of gods he will speak marvelous things. And he will certainly prove successful until the denunciation will have come to a finish; because the thing decided upon must be done."
The apostle Paul described the man of lawlessness in nearly identical terms, saying of him: "He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called "god" or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god."
Logic dictates there can only be one god that exalts himself above all others—including Jehovah God. Therefore, the king of the north and the man of lawlessness must be the same entity. (See essay: "The Mystery of the Antichrist")
"But there will be reports that will disturb him, out of the sunrising and out of the north, and he will certainly go forth in a great rage in order to annihilate and to devote many to destruction." –Daniel 11:44
What might the "reports" be that will disturb the king of the north and drive him into a genocidal rage? The Watchtower says they do not know—other than the fact that the reports originate with Jehovah. But let us consider the prophecies more closely.
Contrary to our present assumptions, Jehovah's Witnesses have not gotten out of Babylon the Great. That's because we have not even gone into exile yet! Babylon the Great is yet to conquer Jehovah's people. That will come about as a result of the king of the north moving into the land of the Decoration.
Just as when Nebuchadnezzar's armies sacked Jerusalem's holy temple and dragged the Jews off into exile, it will seem as if Jehovah God is inferior to the gods of the nations that support the 8th king, which is what the king of the north eventually becomes during the time of the end.
The little understood prophecy of Micah foretells that Jehovah's people will fall before the harlot. Micah 7:8 reads: "Do not rejoice over me, O you woman enemy of mine. Although I have fallen, I shall certainly rise up; although I dwell in the darkness, Jehovah will be a light to me. The raging of Jehovah I shall bear—for I have sinned against him—until he conducts my legal case and actually executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I shall look upon his righteousness. And my enemy will see, and shame will cover her, who was saying to me: "Where is he, Jehovah your God?" My own eyes will look upon her. Now she will become a place of trampling, like the mire of streets."
After Jehovah humbles his people, the greater Cyrus—Christ Jesus—then regathers his chastened loyal ones and liberates them from bondage to the New World Order, then in place. This harmonizes with Christ's own prophecy concerning the ordering of events during the conclusion: First, God's chosen ones are scattered when the disgusting thing brings desolation upon the holy place. Afterwards, a great regathering of the chosen ones takes place. "And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity." –Matthew 24:31
The liberation of Jehovah's Witnesses will be accompanied by the most phenomenal outpouring of God's holy spirit, ever. Many prophecies, too numerous to cite here, all indicate a great outpouring of spirit is to occur after God chastises his organization and winnows out of it the faithless and wicked during the tribulation. For example, Isaiah 30:26 foretells of a seven-fold increase in light from Jehovah as a curative for the breakdown God causes to befall his people. That verse reads: "And the light of the full moon must become as the light of the glowing sun; and the very light of the glowing sun will become seven times as much, like the light of seven days, in the day that Jehovah binds up the breakdown of his people and heals even the severe wound resulting from the stroke by him."
Indicative of the blindness that presently grips the Watchtower, they apply the verse above to Jehovah's Witnesses without offering so much as one word of explanation as to what the breakdown and severe wounding brought about by Jehovah's disciplinary stroke might mean.
Likewise, Isaiah 32:14-15 points to an outpouring of holy spirit after God's holy city is desolated and its watchtower is abandoned. Hence, we read: "For the dwelling tower itself has been forsaken, the very hubbub of the city has been abandoned; Ophel and the watchtower themselves have become bare fields, for time indefinite the exultation of zebras, the pasture of droves; until upon us the spirit is poured out from on high, and the wilderness will have become an orchard, and the orchard itself is accounted as a real forest." (Ophel has reference to the hill or mound of Jerusalem.)
And of course, the 2nd chapter of Joel foretells of an ultimate outpouring and regathering during the dark days of the tribulation. "And after that it must occur that I shall pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will certainly prophesy. As for your old men, dreams they will dream. As for your young men, visions they will see. And even on the menservants and on the maidservants in those days I shall pour out my spirit. And I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun itself will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah. And it must occur that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will prove to be the escaped ones, just as Jehovah has said, and in among the survivors, whom Jehovah is calling."
It is interesting that Joel makes a distinction between sons and daughters and menservants and maidservants. The sons and daughters are the anointed, whereas the menservants and maidservants are the non-anointed great crowd that forms during the tribulation. As for the sons and daughters, the outpouring does not perform an anointing as it did in the 1st Century, when Peter applied the prophecy of Joel to the Pentecost phenomenon. Since, as the verse indicates, they are already sons and daughters at the time of the outpouring, more than likely the prophecy of Joel will ultimately be fulfilled by the final sealing.
The sealing is accomplished in the "revealing of the sons of God."
Apparently, the revelation of the sons of God will be a miraculous manifestation, whereby Jehovah will place some sort of visible sign upon each sealed son of the kingdom. Did not Jesus say that that immediately after the wicked sons are uprooted out of the kingdom that; "at that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."
No doubt the death of Stephen serves as a portent of this as well, because his face shown as an angel's face when he envisioned the glorious Son of man in heaven.
Paul touched upon this too when he said: "But when there is a turning to Jehovah, the veil is taken away. Now Jehovah is the Spirit; and where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom. And all of us, while we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, exactly as done by Jehovah the Spirit."
The sealing of the sons of God during the tribulation will signal that Jehovah has given them his final irrevocable approval; at which point they become kings of God's kingdom—even though they still reside in the flesh, momentarily.
Please notice that Daniel 7:21-22 indicates that the final king will make war against God's holy ones and will prevail against them until such time as Jehovah intervenes to give the beleaguered sons of God the kingdom. This we read: "I kept on beholding when that very horn made war upon the holy ones, and it was prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came and judgment itself was given in favor of the holy ones of the Supreme One, and the definite time arrived that the holy ones took possession of the kingdom itself."
The establishment of Jehovah's kingdom is no insignificant event. It occurs with great power and glory. The infusion of the full measure of Jehovah's spirit upon his people then will create a fearless congregation of ministers that Jehovah will unleash upon the world like a lion among the lambs. The prophecy of Micah foretells: "And the remaining ones of Jacob must become among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of a forest, like a maned young lion among droves of sheep, which, when it actually passes through, certainly both tramples down and tears in pieces; and there is no deliverer." – Micah 5:8
The 10th chapter of Revelation is a vision concerning the glorious return of Christ as the rightful king of the world. It is quite reminiscent of the vision Daniel had in the 10th chapter of Daniel, where a glorious angelic prince revealed himself to Daniel and strengthened him to receive the final vision of the king of the north.
The vision of Revelation occurs at a time when the sacred secret of God is brought to a conclusion. As we read: "There will be no delay any longer; but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to blow his trumpet, the sacred secret of God according to the good news which he declared to his own slaves the prophets is indeed brought to a finish."
The Watchtower supposes that the sacred secret of God came to a finish back in 1914! But how can it honestly be said that there has been "no delay any longer" in the outworking of God's purpose if the vision was fulfilled 90 years ago? Since Jehovah's declared purpose, known as the sacred secret, is to gather 144,000 souls from earth to serve with Christ as kings and priests, reasonably, the good news "is indeed brought to a finish" when the last son of God has been approved and sealed with God's approval. The revealing of the sons of God is when the sacred secret of God is brought to a finish. The good news of the kingdom will no longer need to be preached after that, at least as far as it is directed towards gathering and feeding the anointed. The Watchtower is much mistaken in their teaching that the good news accomplished its intended purpose way back in 1914. Sadly, Jehovah's Witnesses have subtly become conditioned to believe such irrational nonsense.
However, the vision of Revelation indicates there is more preaching after the good news accomplishes its intended purpose in connection with the sacred secret of God. Thus we read at Revelation 10:8-11: And the voice that I heard out of heaven is speaking again with me and saying: "Go, take the opened scroll that is in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the earth." And I went away to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me: "Take it and eat it up, and it will make your belly bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." And I took the little scroll out of the hand of the angel and ate it up, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; but when I had eaten it up, my belly was made bitter. And they say to me: "You must prophesy again with regard to peoples and nations and tongues and many kings."
The little scroll that John ingests no doubt represents the sum total of all the prophetic judgments contained in Scripture that have heretofore remained sealed and misunderstood. That includes the book of Daniel, which is sealed until the time of the end. The unsealing of the prophets is concurrent with the sealing of the anointed. That's why we read in Daniel: "And the ones having insight will shine like the brightness of the expanse; and those who are bringing the many to righteousness, like the stars to time indefinite, even forever. And as for you, O Daniel, make secret the words and seal up the book, until the time of the end."
So, the prophesying to the peoples and nations and many kings indicates that there will be a hard-hitting message of doom delivered by the sealed sons of the kingdom and their supporters.
Did not Jesus himself foretell that the chosen ones would be hailed before governors and kings during the conclusion, in order to give them a spirit-inspired witness?
Just as Jesus gave a fearless witness before the representative of the king of the north on the day of his execution, so too, the body of Christ will serve a similar function before their departure. No doubt the reports that will so greatly disturb the king of the north, emanating from out of the north and from the sunrising, are the reports of Jesus' actual presence in kingdom power and the miraculous sealing of the sons of God. "The kings from the rising of the sun" are the sealed sons of God. They are the source of the disturbing reports "out of the sunrising."
During the world's darkest hour, the crown-bearing kings on earth, in union with Christ and the resurrected heavenly kings, will ascend like the morning sun to herald the great dawning of Jehovah God's grand New World Order.
No more needs to be written here concerning the great earth-wide genocide the 8th king is destined to unleash upon an unsuspecting world as a result of the disturbing reports that drive him into a great rage. (See essay: "The Ultimate Final Solution.")
However, what is the significance of the last verse of the 11th chapter of Daniel? It reads: "And he will plant his palatial tents between the grand sea and the holy mountain of Decoration; and he will have to come all the way to his end, and there will be no helper for him."
We might naturally wonder how the king of the north can enter into the land of decoration twice during the time of the end. Isn't that redundant?
It should be noted that the second incursion is more thorough than the first intrusion. In the first instance, the prophecy says the king of the north will merely "enter into the land of the Decoration." In the second occurrence, the king of the north sets up his headquarters "between the grand sea and the holy mountain of Decoration." What does that mean?
Well, it is interesting that the scripture makes a distinction between what is called "the land of the Decoration" and the "holy mountain of Decoration." This subtle difference is very important. "The land of the Decoration" symbolizes Christ's congregation in its unclean state—the state in which Jesus finds it when he arrives as the stealth inspector to find both evil and faithful slaves in attendance in God's household. After subjecting the household to a refining and cleansing, and after the evil slave is expelled to weep and gnash his teeth in the outer darkness, the master then appoints the chastened faithful slave over all of his belongings. That means the faithful slaves are actually given the kingdom at that point.
Please note the sequence of developments that are outlined in the prophets. For example, the 3rd and 4th chapters of Micah reveal that Jerusalem is plowed up as a mere field because of the corruption of its leaders. However, afterwards, "in the final part of the days…the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains."
The Watchtower has this prophecy completely backwards. They suppose the mountain of the house of Jehovah has already been lifted up before Jerusalem (Christendom in their interpretation) is leveled.
However, the context makes it evident that the elevation of the mountain-like kingdom of God takes place after Jehovah's people are hobbled by his disciplinary stroke.
Micah 4:6-8 reads: "In that day," is the utterance of Jehovah, "I will gather her that was limping; and her that was dispersed I will collect together, even her whom I have treated badly. And I shall certainly make her that was limping a remnant, and her that was removed far off a mighty nation; and Jehovah will actually rule as king over them in Mount Zion, from now on and into time indefinite. And as for you, O tower of the drove, the mound of the daughter of Zion, as far as to you it will come, yes, the first dominion will certainly come, the kingdom belonging to the daughter of Jerusalem."
The purpose of the king of the north's first flooding invasion into God's property is in order to humble his people. Afterwards, Jehovah forgives in a large way and cleanses his people of the "excrement" of their uncleanness. The entire 4th chapter of Isaiah confirms the same sequence of events; whereby, first comes the judgment immediately followed by the restoration and establishment of God's kingdom.
"In that day what Jehovah makes sprout will come to be for decoration and for glory, and the fruitage of the land will be something to be proud of and something beautiful for those of Israel who have escaped. And it must occur that the ones remaining in Zion and the ones left over in Jerusalem will be said to be holy to him, everyone written down for life in Jerusalem. When Jehovah will have washed away the excrement of the daughters of Zion and he will rinse away even the bloodshed of Jerusalem from within her by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning down, Jehovah will also certainly create over every established place of Mount Zion and over her convention place a cloud by day and a smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; because over all the glory there will be a shelter. And there will come to be a booth for a shade by day from the dry heat, and for a refuge and for a hiding place from the rainstorm and from the precipitation."
Please, notice that God restores the land of decoration and further adorns it with his glory. So, the first invasion of the king of the north is sanctioned by God and serves for his disciplinary purpose. The second violation of the holy land, though, occurs after God has repurchased his people and established his kingdom over them. The second assault by the king of the north comes as an unsanctioned attack upon God's kingdom, which is what is symbolized by "the holy mountain of Decoration."
The king of the north's planting "his palatial tents" in the holy domain of God's kingdom signifies that the land will become completely vacated by its rightful inhabitants. In other words, the earthly kings representing God's heavenly Jerusalem are put to death.
Daniel 8:9-10 foretells the king of fierce countenance will do the same thing to the land of the decoration and the princes of the rising of the sun: "It kept getting very much greater toward the south and toward the sunrising and toward the Decoration. And it kept getting greater all the way to the army of the heavens, so that it caused some of the army and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it went trampling them down."
Since the resurrected sons of the kingdom are out of the reach of the earth-bound king of fierce countenance, (aka, the king of the north) he can only attack the earthly remnant; hence, his causing "some of the army and some of the stars to fall to the earth" indicates their martyrdom after their sealing. (See essay: "Will Christianity Survive the End of the World?") Satan's fraudulent new world order is then fully installed when the sons of God are no longer on earth. It will appear as if the last king will have defeated God.
In the absence of the holy ones on earth, the holy place will become completely desolated by the disgusting thing, as Jesus foretold. The king of the north then becomes a virtual squatter on God's holy terrain by virtue of having dispatched the visible representatives of Christ's kingdom.
As previously stated, because the sealed sons of the kingdom will actually be ruling as kings of the heavenly kingdom while on earth, their martyrdom serves as a direct attack upon the kingdom of God. It is an act of war that God cannot ignore! It is the final provocation that serves to bring Michael to his feet and into the fray. At that point the king of the north "will have to come all the way to his end, and there will be no helper for him."
Copyright © 2004, by Robert King
All Rights Reserved.