“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
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An integral part of Jesus’ detailed prophecy concerning his return and the conclusion of the system of things focused on the desolation of Jerusalem by a “disgusting thing.” And it was in that context that Jesus referred the reader to the prophecy of Daniel.
(Most modern translations use the term “abomination,” rather than “disgusting thing.’ For comparison check out Bible Hub)
Concerning this a number of questions come to mind – foremost being: What is this disgusting thing? What is the holy place and how will it be brought to desolation?
Jehovah’s Witnesses are well aware that the disgusting thing originally appeared in the form of the Roman armies, which was foretold in the 9th chapter of Daniel. It was in the year 66 C.E. that Roman legions marched on Jerusalem to put down a revolt. Soldiers even began undermining the wall of the temple to get at the militant zealots who were holed up in it. But inexplicably the army withdrew. The zealots even triumphantly gave chase.
Calling to mind the words of the Lord Jesus, discerning Christians living in Judea and Jerusalem seized the opportunity to flee before the disgusting thing returned three and a half years later – bringing utter desolation upon the holy city.
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. More than likely even some negligent Christians failed to escape Jerusalem’s awful fate.
Here is a link to a Watchtower article fleshing out the setting leading up to the desolation of Jerusalem.
Obviously, the desolation of Jerusalem, as horrific as it was, did not result in a great tribulation that obliged God to cut short on account of the chosen ones. That terrible time of trouble is destined to coincide with the coming of Christ. And the appearance of the antitypical disgusting thing standing in a holy place is an immediate precursor of a time of tribulation that will bring the entire world to the brink of extinction.
“THEY WILL PUT IN PLACE THE DISGUSTING THING”
According to the prophecy of Daniel (11:31) the disgusting thing is put into place by “they” – an apparent reference to both the kings of the north and south.
So, since the Watchtower teaches that Germany was the king of the north during the first half of the 20th century, followed by the USSR, the “they” is ostensibly understood by Jehovah’s Witnesses to be the Anglo-American kings of the south and the Nazi/Soviet kings of the north.
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. But, alas, post-WWI Germany did not have anything to do with setting up the League. Besides that inconvenient fact, the U.S. was not even a member of it. Nevertheless, when the League was dissolved at the outbreak of the Second World War and the United United Nations was established in the aftermath of the war, the Watchtower then proclaimed that the scarlet beast had ascended from the symbolic abyss.
Up until relatively recently (1999) Jehovah’s Witnesses believed that the United Nations was already standing in the holy place, which I will not bother to explain the convoluted rationale behind since it has been discarded. Now, though, Jehovah’s Witnesses expect Jesus’ words to be realized in the future, coinciding with the attack of the beast upon the harlot.
Is the Watchtower’s interpretation that the disgusting thing is presently the U.N. correct? It may well be. However, there are still a number of serious problems with Bethel’s latest, revised interpretation –foremost being, that the eighth king, symbolized by the scarlet-colored wild beast from the abyss – regardless of what agency ultimately fulfills the role – has not begun ruling for the prophesied “one hour.”
How do we know the eighth king has not begun ruling? Because the emergence of the last kingdom initiates God’s hour of judgment upon the world and the book of Revelation is quite clear that all who give their allegiance to the wild beast after it emerges from a death-like state, from the abyss, do not have their names written in the book of life. In other words, they receive the judgment of the second death, which Jehovah’s Witnesses correctly understand to mean permanent death – no resurrection.
It seems likely that the numerous institutions of the United Nations, as well as associated institutions like the IMF, Bank of International Settlements, and the World Bank, stand poised to become a functioning world government in the future – in the aftermath of the inevitable crash of the present economic and political system.
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. (Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures idols and the false gods they represented are depicted as disgusting things. See Insight on the Scriptures – Disgusting thing)
As regards the proper identification of the “they” who put in place the disgusting thing, we must look to the 13th chapter of Revelation, where we are informed that a two-horned beast will ascend from the bowels of the earth and authoritatively speak as a dragon – commanding that an image of the seven-headed beast be made, which then comes to life. That two-horned beast is properly understood to be the Anglo-American dyad. However, it’s ascending up from the earth symbolizes its recovery from death – as if coming out of grave – the abyss.
While Jehovah’s Witnesses are under the delusion that the beast received the death-stroke back during WWI, the reality is that the Anglo-American system is now facing imminent collapse, which is why there is a relentless drive to ignite a global war. Already a winner-takes-all economic war is underway.
So, the “they” who put in place the disgusting thing is the Anglo-American duo, who are presently in the role of the king of the north and south, respectively.
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. This is what is symbolized in Revelation the 17th chapter where the 10 kings, symbolizing all the national governments, give their kingdom to the wild beast until the will of God is accomplished. It is then, in the future, when the disgusting thing will be put into place. And since that is prior to the destruction of Babylon the Great the disgusting thing includes the harlot with her cup full of disgusting things.
What is the holy place?
Now, let’s consider Daniel 11:31 more closely. It states: “And arms will stand up, proceeding from him; and they will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and remove the constant feature. And they will put in place the disgusting thing that causes desolation.”
First, it is important to note that there is an obvious connection between the profanation of the sanctuary, the fortress and the removal of the so-called constant feature, as well as the putting in place of the disgusting thing that causes desolation. And discerning students of prophecy well know that this is not the only place in Daniel where these things appear together in context. In the concluding words of the prophecy Daniel recorded the words of an angel who said: “And from the time that the constant feature has been removed and the disgusting thing that causes desolation has been put in place, there will be 1,290 days.”
It is apparent that the removal of the constant feature and the placing of the disgusting thing are inseparable. 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. And an army was given over, together with the constant feature, because of transgression; and it kept throwing truth to the earth, and it acted and had success.”
In the next verse the fierce-looking king is shown to also bring desolation upon a holy place. The angel goes on to relate: “How long will the vision of the constant feature and of the transgression causing desolation continue, to make both the holy place and the army things to trample on?” This prophecy will have a second and larger fulfillment. The United Nations is “the disgusting thing,” and Christendom is viewed as “a holy place” by its followers. The United Nations will attack Christendom and the rest of Babylon the Great, as also foretold at Revelation 17:16-18. This attack on Babylon the Great will be the beginning of the great tribulation. – Wt 7/15 2013 Another contradictory aspect of the Watchtower’s latest interpretation is the fact that Jesus indicated that his own followers would be directly impacted and will not be mere sideline observers. 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? “Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house, and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment. Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day; for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.” That the admonition above applies to Christians in the future and not merely those living in Judea in the first century is evident from the span of verses immediately following, where Jesus went on to say: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. Look! I have forewarned you. Therefore, if people say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines over to the west, so the presence of the Son of man will be. Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” So, a careful reading of the Scriptures indicates that the disgusting thing standing in a holy place precedes the revelation of the Son of man and the gathering of the sons of the Kingdom. 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? And perhaps the most conspicuous deficiency in the Watchtower’s interpretation is the fact that Jesus forewarned his disciples of a massive deception aimed at misleading them. But how is it even possible that the chosen ones could be misled by the clergy or anyone not associated with the leadership of the trusted Watchtower organization? Simply put, the Watchtower’s teaching regarding the desolation of the holy place cannot stand up to critical examination. It is a wholly artificial and self-serving interpretation intended to blind Jehovah’s Witnesses to the judgments of Jehovah. So what is the holy place according to the Scriptures? It is Christ’s congregation, made up of holy ones. 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. The numerous prophecies of Daniel are complimentary, as well as harmonious with Revelation. For that reason, it ought to be understood that the little horn that emerges from the ten is the same entity as the disgusting thing. As regards the little horn with eyes and a mouth speaking great blasphemies, the prophecy states: “I kept watching as that horn made war on the holy ones, and it was prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was rendered in favor of the holy ones of the Supreme One, and the appointed time arrived for the holy ones to take possession of the kingdom.” In the book of Revelation, the same event is depicted thusly: “But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple sanctuary, leave it out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for 42 months. I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth.” Returning to Daniel 11:31, what are the “arms” that will stand up proceeding from the king of the north? Most other translations use the expression “armed forces” instead of merely “arms.” These forces under the command of the king of the north likely are presently manifest in military alliances such as NATO and various other coalitions, but may also be expressed by militarized police and the oxymoronically named Homeland Security force in the United States, which in the event of martial law will come to the fore as the enforcer of the dictates of the last kingdom of man. In short, the disgusting thing will stand in a holy place when the present system collapses and is replaced by a tyrannical world government, supported initially by organized religion, and the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses is crushed. Whatever remains of the Watchtower then will be subservient to Satan’s kingdom.