It has been a common Fundamental Christian teaching for a
hundred years or more, now adopted by many Church of God people,
that near the end of this age, within about 7 years before the
coming of Christ the Messiah, that a Jewish Temple of some
type will be constructed in Jerusalem, and Jews will once more
perform animal sacrifices.
The teaching continues to say that a great religious leader, the
false prophet of the book of Revelation, will head a mighty world
power. It is said that he will come into Jerusalem, overcome the
Jews, walk into the Temple they have constructed, and establish
himself and his religion within its walls. This event is said by
these Fundamental Protestants to be what the NT (New Testament)
and Jesus were meaning to convey to us when they talk about "the
abomination of desolation."
I openly and frankly disagree with this theological idea of
some of those who so interpret this phrase of Jesus in Matthew
24. I believe it is in total error and using the NT to interpret
itself, I believe the truth of the matter is plain to see. I have
not been the only one to see how the NT explains and interprets
itself on this "abomination of desolation" phrase. Ralph Woodrow
wrote a book on certain prophecies of the Bible, way back in
1971, called "Great Prophecies of the Bible." I do not agree
with all that Woodrow has written on prophecy. But I do think he
has written and come to some very good insights on parts of Bible
prophecy, this being one of them.
I present here, as the truth on this matter, what Ralph
Woodrow has in part to say on what is the "Abomination of
Desolation" (Keith Hunt).
Quote:
"Concerning our Lord's statement about the destruction of
the Temple, the disciples asked: 'WHEN shall these things be? and
WHAT SIGN will there be when these things shall come to pass?'
(Luke 21: 7). As we have seen, Jesus mentioned things of a
general nature that would come to pass first. Now he gives THE
sign - a specific sign that would let them know that Jerusalem
was about to be destroyed. He said that they would see 'the
abomination of desolation' and when they saw this, they were to
quickly flee, for the desolation of the city would be nigh.
Matthew: 'When you shall SEE the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
reads, let him understand), then let them that be in Judea FLEE
into the mountains' (24: 15, 16).
Mark: 'When you shall SEE the abomination of desolation, spoken
of by daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him
that reads understand), then let them that be in Judea FLEE to
the mountains' (13: 14).
Luke: 'When you shall SEE Jerusalem compassed with ARMIES, then
know that the DESOLATION thereof is nigh. Then let them which are
in Jerusalem FLEE to the mountains....Jerusalem shall be trodden
down of the GENTILES' (21: 20, 21, 24).
Now, step by step, let us notice what we are told in these
parallel accounts:
1. We notice where Matthew and Mark record: 'When you shall
see the abomination of DESOLATION.....then let them which be in
Judea flee into the mountains,' Luke, in speaking of exactly the
SAME thing, says: 'When you see JERUSALEM compassed with armies,
then know that the DESOLATION thereof is nigh. Then let them
which are in Judea flee to the mountains.' We see, then, that it
was JERUSALEM that would become a DESOLATION.
We notice also that this 'desolation' was that 'which was
spoken by Daniel the prophet.' ............(Daniel spoke about
this in Daniel 12:11 in which the context is only certain number
of days before Daniel would be resurrected at the end of the
days, verse 13. Jesus in Matthew 24 is talking about the same
time frame as the disciples asked Him what would be the signs of
His coming and the end of the age, Mat.24:3. Keith Hunt).
.....it is evident that what was to become a 'desolation'
was JERUSALEM. There is no room for any misunderstanding here.
2. Looking again at the parallel accounts, we see that what
Matthew and Mark refer to as the 'abomination' that would make
Jerusalem DESOLATE, Luke (using plain language) shows that such
would be ARMIES - Gentile armies: 'And when you shall see
Jerusalem COMPASSED with ARMIES, then know that the DESOLATION
thereof is nigh....JERUSALEM shall be TRODDEN DOWN of the
Gentiles' (Luke 21:20-24).
The word 'abomination' is a word that refers to anything
that is especially loathsome or detestable. Certainly this fits
the feelings the inhabitants of Jerusalem would have towards an
idol-worshipping Gentile army advancing to destroy their city! In
fact, an army (coming to destroy) is an abomination to any people
or nation. And, as history has repeatedly recorded, the work of
armies so often results in desolation - destruction!
3. Matthew's account says that the abomination (Gentile
army) would 'stand in the holy place' and adds the words: 'Whoso
reads, let him understand.' Mark's account, because it too is
given in somewhat veiled language, includes the words: 'Let him
that reads understand.' BUT, looking at Luke's account of the
SAME passage which is given in PLAIN language, we read: 'When you
see JERUSALEM compassed with armies....' And because he gives the
EXPLANATION, he does not include the phrase: 'Let him that
reads understand.'
By letting the Bible be its own INTERPRETER, then, we see
that the term 'holy place' (Mat.24:15), is a reference to
JERUSALEM. Jerusalem is commonly referred to as the HOLY CITY
(Mat.27:53; Dan.9:16 etc.). According to the prophecy, Gentile
armies were to compass it and finally bring it to desolation.
The word translated 'place' in the expression 'holy place'
in Matthew's account is TOPOS (see any Greek dictionary or Bible
Concordance such as Strong's, Young's, etc.). The word TOPOS
means simply a locality. Such words as TOPICAL and TOPOGRAPHY
are derived from it. It is used in such scriptural expressions as
'a desert place,' 'dry place,' etc. (It is NOT the same term as
that which is used in describing the holy of holies in the
temple).
What is called the holy place is EXPLAINED by Luke as the
area that would be occupied by armies surrounding Jerusalem. The
MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTARY has well put it: 'Jerusalem was the holy
city, Canaan the holy land, the Mt.Moriah which lay about
Jerusalem, for its nearness to the temple was, they thought, in a
particular manner holy ground; on the country lying round about
Jerusalem the Roman army was encamped, THAT was the abomination
that made desolate' (Henry, Commentary on the whole Bible, vol.5
p.352). "
The 70 A.D. captivity of Jerusalem by the Roman armies of
Titus and then the desolation and destruction of that city was a
forerunner of what once more will take place in the last few
years before the close of this age and the return of Christ
(Keith Hunt).
Continuing with Woodrow:
"These pagan armies were to 'compass' the city (Luke); they
would take a 'stand' there (Matthew) - the word STAND indicating
rebellion or hostility. Examples of the word used in this way may
be seen in the following:
'A king of fierce countenance...shall stand up' (Dan.8:23,
25). 'A mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great
dominion...and when he shall stand up...'(11:3,4). Another will
'stand up in his estate, and shall come with an army' (verse 7).
'Then shall stand up...a raiser of taxes...and in his estate
shall stand up a vile person' (verses 20, 21). A king 'shall be
stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he
shall not stand...' (verse 25). Concerning persecution against
the cause of Christ, we read in Acts 4:26: 'The kings of the
earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against
the Lord...'
We cite these references to show how the word 'stand' is
used of those who assume a place of leadership or authority to
rebel or fight. And in the same sense, the 'abomination' - the
pagan armies - were to take a stand against Jerusalem and compass
it about to destroy it!.....Any way we look at it, according to
the words of Christ, Jerusalem was marked for destruction by the
hands of her enemies......."
From recorded history we know that in the 70 A.D. forerunner
and type of what will take place at the end time, not one single
Christian was killed in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman
armies of Titus. They saw Jerusalem being compassed with armies,
waited for the opportune time (which God gave them) and fled the
city. They fled when they saw Jerusalem compassed about with
Gentile armies, NOT when something was done inside the Temple.
The prophecy has nothing to do with the a Temple in Jerusalem. It
has nothing to do with a person doing anything outside or inside
a physical building, that some could want to call a Temple. The
prophecy has to do with Gentile ARMIES compassing about the city
of Jerusalem, and getting ready to capture and desolate and
destroy it (Keith Hunt).
Woodrow explains correctly:
"We see, then, that in the place where Matthew and Mark use
the somewhat veiled expression 'abomination of desolation,' Luke
(using PLAIN language) shows that such was to be Gentile armies
compassing Jerusalem to bring it to desolation. All three of the
Gospel accounts before mentioning this sign begin with the words:
'When you see...' and follow this with the words: 'Then let them
that be in Judea flee to the mountains,' etc. There can be no
mistaking that these are PARALLEL accounts. By simply letting the
Bible EXPLAIN ITSELF, we have seen that the 'desolation' was to
be the destruction of Jerusalem.....the 'abomination of
desolation' referred to the heathen armies that would bring about
the desolation; and then these armies would be seen compassing
Jerusalem, the disciples were to flee.
This interpretation is solidly built on the Bible. With it,
the Gospel accounts are COMPLIMENTARY, not CONTRADICTORY......
Having set forth what we sincerely believe to be the exact
and only fulfillment of our Lord's words, we must now consider an
interpretation which has become widely believed, especially in
this century (20th century). We have reference to the teaching
that the 'abomination of desolation' is an IDOL to be placed in
the holy of holies of a REBUILT Jewish Temple - possibly an idol
of the Anti-christ or the Anti-christ HIMSELF.....
An example....is seen in the following: 'The Jews - who will
have....restored Herod's Temple, and be in LEAGUE with the
Antichrist - will have a visit by the False Prophet who shall
bring an image of the Antichrist into Jerusalem and wheel it into
the Temple....When this image of the Antichrist is taken into the
Jewish Temple, that will be the sign Jesus mentioned in Matthew
24, the Abomination of desolation' (Roberts, how to be Personally
Prepared for the Second coming of Christ, p. 38).
Another futurist says: 'This image will be placed in the
Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, and is the abomination of desolation
to which the Lord made reference in his Olivet discourse'
(DeHaan, The Antichrist and Armageddon, p. 13)......
The setting up of an idol in the sanctuary is something the
enemy could not do UNTIL such a time as the Temple would be in
the enemies' possession. Since the magnificent Temple would no
doubt be the LAST thing to be yielded to the enemy in battle, by
this time the city would have ALREADY BEEN CAPTURED and it would
be TOO LATE for the disciples to FLEE! Obviously then, this could
NOT be the SIGN to flee. In order for something to be a WARNING
for the disciples to ESCAPE, it would have to come BEFORE the
capture of the city - not something to take place AFTERWARDS!
In view of this, an idol in the holy of holies could not be
the sign Jesus referred to. But the presence of heathen armies
compassing Jerusalem could be - and was the sign, such happening
BEFORE (in 70 A.D. Keith Hunt) the overthrow of the city (as we
have seen)......
The 'abomination' that would make desolate was to be
something that could be SEEN by the inhabitants of Judea and
Jerusalem. 'When you SEE the abomination,' that is, 'When you SEE
Jerusalem compassed with ARMIES,' then, 'let them that are in
Judea flee into the mountains.' It is evident that Jesus was not
talking about an idol in the holy of holies, for such could NOT
be SEEN by the population of Jerusalem and Judea. Only the high
priest entered the holy of holies. None of the ordinary Jews
would dare enter there.....
On the other hand, it was pagan armies that destroyed the
city....It was armies that were seen by the people, and it was
the compassing of Jerusalem by the armies that warned the
disciples to flee! (in the first 70 A.D. fulfillment when
Jerusalem was desolated by the Roman armies of Titus - Keith
Hunt).....
'And as He (Jesus) went out of the TEMPLE, one of His
disciples said unto Him: Master, see what manner of stones and
what buildings are HERE! And Jesus answering said unto him, See
you THESE great buildings? There shall not be left ONE STONE
UPON ANOTHER, that shall not be thrown down......' "
With this last quote from Matthew 24 by Woodrow I leave off
quoting from him and his chapter in his book on this subject, and
continue with my own further expounding on this matter and topic.
The context of Matthew 24 from where this quote by Jesus is
taken must be read very carefully. The disciples asked Jesus
when these things would be AND, "what shall be the SIGN of YOUR
COMING, and of the END of the world (age, as the Greek should
be understood), verse 3.
Matthew 24 is clearly a prophecy for the END TIME, not for
70 A.D. There may have been a type fulfillment in 70 A.D. but the
prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24 is for the END of the age, for a
time just SHORTLY BEFORE His return. This we can see from the
mention of the resurrection of the saints as they are gathered by
the angels to meet the returning Christ (verses 25-31).
The fact is that in 70 A.D. NOT ALL the stones from the
Temple and the buildings were cast down, so that there was not
one left upon another. Such as that NEVER happened in 70 A.D. Nor
has it happened to this very day. For the now famous WAILING
WALL in Jerusalem which still stands with stones one upon
another, was a PART OF THE TEMPLE of Jesus' day! In the future
fulfillment of Matthew 24, when the Gentile armies of the Beast
power of the book of Revelation comes to compass about Jerusalem,
to take the city and to destroy it in battle (see Rev.11:2) then
this prophecy of Jesus will finally be fulfilled and all the
stones of the Temple of Jesus' day will come down, so not
one will be left upon another.
In passing, you may have questions regarding Revelation
11:1-2 as it talks about a Temple and altar (but notice it says,
"temple of God" not "temple of the Jews." A Jewish Temple, built
by those who have rejected the Christ and the NT, who are
worshipping God not under the NT but under the OT, who do not
worship God in "spirit and in truth" could hardly be said to be a
"temple of God'). For the contextual truth of these verses
I refer you to the excellent comments by Albert Barnes in his
Bible Commentary.
Animal Sacrifices by Jews at the End Time?
by Keith Hunt
Many have and do feel very confident that a Jewish temple
will yet be built in Jerusalem, and that the Jews will once more
offer animal sacrifices in that Temple before the coming of the
Messiah in glory.
First, it is often either not known or is forgotten by most.
The State and Government of Israel is a "secular" Government.
They are NOT interested in "religious matters" on the whole. The
secular government of Israel could really care less about
building a "religious" Temple for a certain relatively small
religious sect of Judaism.
Secondly, the main body of "orthodox" Judaism clearly and
strongly is opposed to any Temple being built BEFORE the coming
of the Messiah. They actual teach that ONLY the Messiah can build
the NEXT temple in Jerusalem. This main body orthodox religious
Jews would be totally AGAINST the building of a Jewish temple in
which an animal sacrificial system would once more be practiced.
Thirdly, of those religious Jews who do want to build a
Jewish Temple in Jerusalem (and some Christian sects backing
them), those Jewish groups teach that a Temple CANNOT be built
just ANYWHERE in Jerusalem. They teach that a Temple can ONLY be
built where the Dome of the Rock now stands. They claim and teach
that the Arab Dome must GO, and that the Jewish Temple must be
built where it now stands.
They have their clear theology for so teaching, and nothing, no
other place or area of land in the city of Jerusalem can be used
to build a temple upon, in which the old Levitical priesthood and
sacrifices could be reinstated. They have then limited themselves
between a rock and a hard place as they say. The religious Arabs
would never allow their Dome to be destroyed by the Jews, not
without creating a full scale war of death unto the end. Such an
attempt by the Jews or by Christians would bring sure Nuclear war
between a united Arab world and the Jews of the State of Israel.
But, even with all this, some still say the Bible prophecies
of the OT, especially in the book of Daniel, teach that animal
sacrifices will be performed in Jerusalem before the Messiah
returns. Hence to them a Temple, a Jewish Temple, in Jerusalem
must yet be built before the end of this age. To them this is so
critical that the Messiah cannot come until such a Temple and
animal sacrifices are once more functioning in Jerusalem, hence
they believe the sooner all this comes about the sooner the Lord
Messiah can return, and so they live and breath (some sects) and
push and pull and shout and move, to bring all this to pass,
thinking they are then being a part of fulfilling the Lord's
prophecies of the end time.
Their mistake is two fold. First, they do not read the
prophecies of Daniel very carefully. They do not see that in
those end time prophecies the Hebrew word for "sacrifice" is NOT
THERE!! Yes, that is correct, the Hebrew word for "sacrifice" is
not there in those prophecies! Oh, to be sure, something is
going to be STOPPED by the end time Beast power that comes into
the city of Jerusalem as foretold by Daniel and by the book of
Revelation. But the word for "sacrifice" is not found in those
passages of Daniel that have reference to the end time, the final
world power and to the city of Jerusalem. Yes, as they say, be my
guest. Look up those passages in Daniel, go to the Hebrew/English
Interlinears.
Many things can be stopped as to not allowed to function by
a people who are taken in captivity by another army of another
power. Many of their daily practices as to religious practices
can be stopped by a conquering power that may differ in its
religious beliefs and practices from those it has conquered.
Certain religious sects within Jerusalem have certain daily
religious practices today. The orthodox sect of Judaism have
their daily religious devotions at the Wailing Wall. This would
certainly come to a stop when the Gentile Beast power takes
captive and destroys much of the city of Jerusalem at the time of
the end, when not one stone of that wall (once a part of the
Temple of Jesus' day) will remain upon another, but when all will
be cast down.
Secondly, they miss the mark by not understanding some of
the principles of Bible prophecy. Bible prophecy is not all cut
and dry, there are many pros and cons, many slights of the hand,
and within a context it may not always be easy to pin down
certain phrases and how they may be played out in actual reality.
A study of all the prophecies that were fulfilled at the
first coming of Christ will show this to be all so true.
There are some prophecies that will only take place ONCE,
and others that will take place more that once, a duality to
those if you will. I have given some of the keys to understand
Bible prophecy in another study.
Some have seen that in the book of Daniel there are a few
passages that have ALREADY been fulfilled, recorded history
making this very clear. And with a few of those passages the
words "daily" is used but the word in Hebrew for "sacrifice" is
NOT used. Yet, it was indeed the daily sacrificial system that
did come to a stop by the power of certain kings and armies of
certain nations that came against Judah or the Jews. Hence,
the reasoning goes because of this that those passages of like
manner that are to do with end time or end of the age prophecies,
must also mean animal sacrifices by be stopped. So the reasoning
continues that for physical sacrifices to stop they must begin
again, and to begin again a Temple will need to be built. The
reasoning feeds on itself, so is one (people coming to a
dogmatic, close of the mind, stance on a verse) and so must be
the other.
What they fail to see and understand about Bible prophecy is
that just because one verse with certain words was fulfilled in a
certain way, DOES NOT MEAN another verse with the same words,
regarding a prophecy for much later (at the end of the age) must
also be fulfilled the exact same way as the one fulfilled
thousands of years earlier.
Not understanding this "un-sameness" in Bible prophecy, even
when the words used are identical, has led many to run off
shouting as they go, on wild goose chases, which have often left
all kinds of egg on people's faces, or a face full of the smashed
cream pie dripping all over it.
As before stated the passages in Daniel to do with end of
the age prophecies that use the word "daily" but not the word
"sacrifice" CAN be understood in a way that has nothing to do
with daily animal sacrifices being stopped by some Beast power
that captures Jerusalem and takes the Jews captive. There are
many "daily" practices (some religious in nature) that the Jews
would be prevented from practicing and continuing, should they be
conquered by a religious force such as that mentioned in the book
of Revelation, a religious force that would not be at all
sympathetic to the Jews and their OT religion. I have mentioned
ONE very important daily practice done by the orthodox Jews
that would surely come to and end, be stopped, by the Beast power
and its false Prophet, and that is the prayers and religious
worship done daily by Jews at the Wailing Wall.
More interesting Words and Verses=20
Now we shall look at two Hebrew words used in the OT for our
English KJV translation - the words are TEMPLE and SANCTUARY. The
Hebrew word translated "temple" in dozens of passages, such as in
Mal.4:1 and Zech.6:12,13, is number 1964 in Strong's Concordance.
It is used for the tent tabernacle built under the leadership of
Moses, also called "the sanctuary" as well as the "temple" that
Solomon built.
The Hebrew word translated "sanctuary" in dozens of OT
passages is number 4720 in Strong's Concordance. This word is
used in Ex.25:8,9.
Sometimes the physical structure that God dwelt in when
among Israel was called "sanctuary" and sometimes it was called
"temple." BOTH WORDS ARE USED TO DENOTE THE SAME PHYSICAL
STRUCTURE that God dwelt in when among Israel.
Now notice this!
Talking about the tribes of Israel, Moses prophesied, "You
shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine
inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which you have made for thee
to dwell in, in the SANCTUARY, O Lord, which they hands have
established" (Ex. 15:17).
This is BEFORE God instructed Moses to build a physical
tabernacle or tent sanctuary. The Hebrew word used here in
Ex.15:17 is the SAME WORD used for the physical sanctuary - #4720
in Strong's.=20
Ex.15:17 is plainly talking about the LAND OF PALESTINE or
the PROMISED LAND!
Now, turn to Psalm 78 and read verse 54. Talking about how
God brought Israel out of Egypt, verse 53, AND, "And He brought
them to the border of His SANCTUARY, even to this MOUNTAIN......"
verse 54.
The whole context makes it clear that the "sanctuary" here
spoken about is the PROMISED LAND - PALESTINE!!
So, as the words "sanctuary" and "temple" as used for the
physical structure, as the literal building that God dwelt in
when among the people of Israel could be called EITHER
"sanctuary" or "temple," COULD IT BE POSSIBLE (without being
dogmatic), could it be that when the prophet said the Messiah
would "suddenly come to His temple" he had in mind the PROMISED
LAND, and not a physical building at all?
Again, when another prophet said that the BRANCH (Messiah)
would "build the temple of the Lord" was he telling us that the
Messiah would RESTORE and REPLENISH the land of PALESTINE from
the destruction it had received (during the last few years of
this age) prior to the Messiah's coming in power and glory to
bring the Kingdom of God on earth for a thousand years? It could
well be that this is what the prophet had in mind, as well as
overseeing the building of the millennium Temple of Ezekiel, that
will be built when the Messiah comes again.
Once more we see that passages of the Bible, especially
prophetic passages, can be understood in different ways. We have
seen (if you have studied the Hebrew in the book of Daniel, or
noticed the italic words in the KJV, which mean those words are
not in the Hebrew) that the word "sacrifice" is not in the
end-time passages in the book of Daniel, and something "daily"
that is stopped by the end time Beast power in Jerusalem and
Judea, could be something other than the sacrifice of animals on
an altar in a physical temple. I have one Bible Commentary that
says it seems more than just a slip of the writer to leave out
the word for "sacrifice." It seemed to be a deliberate plan, as
it to tell us something. And it does tell me that whatever this
"daily" is that is going to be taken away, it could be something
OTHER THAN ANIMAL SACRIFICES!
It is interesting that in Daniel 9:27 the Hebrew words for
"sacrifice" and "oblation" ARE NOT IN ITALICS! This prophecy
was, as we have seen in other studies, not an end time prophecy
at all, but one for the first century A.D. It was fulfilled in 70
A.D. by Titus and his armies when they took Jerusalem and
destroyed most of the city, including the physical Temple. It was
at that time that animal sacrifices in a Jewish temple did come
to a complete and utter stop.
Turn to Daniel chapter 9. Here you will find a revealing and
interesting passage concerning the city of Jerusalem. Verse 16
shows God had turned away from the city of Jerusalem, His HOLY
MOUNTAIN. He had desolated it and the people thereof. They had
become a reproach to all people around about them.
Daniel cries out to God that He would stop this reproach in
verse 17. And that God's face would once more shine upon....."THY
SANCTUARY that is DESOLATE...."
He further goes on in verse 18 to tell us about the Jews
"desolations" which includes the CITY. The context is the
desolation of JERUSALEM. Yes, of course, in Daniel's day the
Temple in Jerusalem was desolated also, being a part of the city.
But the physical temple is not specifically THE desolation, but
the whole CITY is.
The Hebrew for "sanctuary" in verse 17 is number 4720 in
Strong's. And some translations render it as "holy place."
Jerusalem is called by God's NAME (verse 18). God is
HOLY....Jerusalem is a holy location that God had chosen and will
yet choose to dwell in when God the Messiah comes to reign on
earth. Jerusalem and the land of Palestine is God's holy place,
God's holy mountain, the Lord's "sanctuary" or "temple."
What about 2 Thessalonians 2 ?
Here we have this famous passage of the man of sin sitting
in the Temple of God, a passage much used and I will add much
mutilated by the end time "Jewish physical temple and animal
sacrifice" teachers.
The Greek word for "temple" here is NAOS. Vine's Expository
Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says, "a shrine or
SANCTUARY....." Is used both in a literal way and also
metaphorically in the NT.
With all I have expounded on this, Paul could well have seen
exactly what I have shown you from the OT. He was then simply
telling us and the church at Thessalonia what was written in the
OT. At the end time, the faith once delivered would be in
decline, hard to find (as Jesus said, "When the Son of man comes,
shall He find THE (definite article is in the Greek) faith on
earth?"), and a false prophet, a great religious leader, would
arise (John in Revelation was given the same vision and more
concerning this False Prophet at the end of the age), who would
plant his seat between the seas in God's holy MOUNTAIN, in the
city of Jerusalem, in the holy city, in the holy sanctuary/temple
LAND of Palestine and Jerusalem (see Daniel 11:40-45).
This great end time false prophet will live up to the coming
of the Lord in power and glory, and shall be cast into the lake
of fire, shall be consumed with the spirit of God's mouth, and
destroyed with the brightness of His coming (2 Thes.2:8 with Rev.
19:11-21).
There is another way to understand 2 Thes. 2:1-12 which sees
the office of a one man Pope church leader as coming from within
and out of the very NT CHURCH TEMPLE of God, way back in the
first centuries of the NT age. This one man leader office came
eventually from out of the very NT true Church of God and
continues today in the form of a great religious organization
that will continue until the Christ Messiah comes again. Many do
not realize, but it is there in the NT, that many false leaders
of Christian religion came from within the very true Church of
God, in the first century A.D. who eventually formed another
organization with its headquarters in the city of Rome. For
a few centuries there were debates and dialogue over certain
theological issues with the churches of Asian Minor (founded by
the apostles of Jesus) and the leader of the new Christian
organization in Rome.
All the details of that aspect of understanding 2 Thes.2 I
will present in another full and in-depth study in the future.
The "abomination of desolation" is the end time Beast power
of Revelation, with the False Prophet, coming with their armies
and conquering the land of Palestine, desolating the city of
Jerusalem, setting up their seat in the city, destroying much of
the city and the Wailing Wall (where not one stone will be left
upon another that is not thrown down), and scattering the power
of the holy people (Jews and Christians). Who when they see
Jerusalem compassed about with the armies of the Beast, will flee
to the hills.
As Jesus told us, let us pray that our flight will not be on
the Sabbath or in the winter.
.............................
Written first in 1990 and re-written/edited in August 2000
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