The Holy Place and Abomination of Desolation

 

NEW UPDATE: If you are a follower of Harold Camping or a listener of Family Radio, please see the posting for 13 November 2009.

We are thankful for Dr. Ken Matto’s explanation on this topic. One of the key teachings of Family Radio & Harold Camping’s Depart Out doctrine is the belief that the Holy Place of the Temple is now the local church assembly. First, we must look at what the Holy Place was. 

 

 The Holy Place in the Temple was 40 cubits long and 20 cubits wide plus it was 30 cubits high. The Holy Place stood connected to the Holy of Holies but it was separated by the great veil. Only the High Priest was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the sins of the children of Israel. Inside the Holy Place was the Altar of Incense, the twelve Tables of Showbread, and the ten Golden Candlesticks with seven lamps to each one. The Holy Place in the Temple was fashioned after the one in the Tabernacle but on a larger scale. Only the priests were allowed in the Holy Place because it was a part of the Temple service. In the local church assembly, there are a mixture of believers and unbelievers, which automatically disqualifies the Holy Place from being a foreshadow of the local church. 

 

Where is the core Scripture specifically telling us that the holy place is the local church? The holy place was in the temple but that moniker was never applied to the New Testament church. In the New Testament, whenever the Holy Place is mentioned, it is never mentioned in reference to a church but the temple. The temple system was finally destroyed in 70 A.D but its end really came 37 years prior to that when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross and became the final sacrifice for the sins of the Elect. If we are going to attach “Holy Place” to the local church, then we better build a “Holy of Holies.” We cannot pick and choose what we want to carry over. Let us look at the two other verses where the actual “Holy Place” is mentioned in the New Testament.

 (Heb 9:12 KJV) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

 (Heb 9:25 KJV) Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

 As you can see two of the three verses are speaking specifically of the Holy Place in the Temple. There is absolutely no question as to what is in view. Then why does Matthew 24:15 stand alone and refer to the local church assembly? There is no direct evidentiary information in the New Testament that the church is the Holy Place and that Satan will take his seat in the local church. Satan is not omnipresent, that belongs to God alone.

 (Mat 24:15 KJV) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

 (Mark 13:14 KJV) But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

 I am not going to pretend a full understanding of what the “Abomination of Desolation” is. It has me baffled a little bit and maybe as I go on in my studies of it, God will open the understanding of what it really means. I do know this that the word for “abomination” in the Hebrew always references false religions, deities, or some type of sinful activity. It never points to a specific, named person, such as Satan.

 (Deu 27:15 KJV) Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

 (1 Ki 11:5 KJV) For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

 (2 Ki 23:13 KJV) And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

 (Prov 17:15 KJV) He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

 In these four verses, we can plainly see that the term abomination is pointing to sinful activity, in both the lives of unbelievers and in the life of a believer. Maybe the abomination that maketh desolate may be a time when Christianity may try to amalgamate itself with world religions such as Roman Catholicism or even New Age. We see this in the ecumenical movement that is so prevalent today. The adulterating of the true Gospel with false religions is an abomination. We see this plainly in the life of Solomon in the above verses. Whether we know it or not, these actions of Solomon represent a great ecumenical movement. Look at the verse 2 Kings 23:13 we see three false deities or religious representations of people groups in these false gods. Let us bring it up to today. Is not Mary worship the abomination of a billion Catholics? Is not ancestor worship the abomination of Eastern religions? Is not the worship of Allah, the moon god, an abomination of a billion Muslims? Is not signs and wonders the abomination of the Charismatic movement? In each of these cases, these people that follow these religions are desolate of Christ. Now the warning to the true Christian is found in the following verses:

 (Mark 13:14-23 KJV) But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: {15} And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: {16} And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

 What is Christ telling his followers here? When they see the abomination that makes desolate, then they are to depart from those teachings, whether they are in a church or not. Following false gospels has the same effect for both those who are in or out of local churches.

 {17} But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! {18} And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

 The wintertime is a cold, desolate time and heat/home or a place to settle down must be searched for. Winter represents the wilderness of no true gospel. When false gospels begin to adulterate Christianity and when they invade the churches, there will be a dearth of true teachings, and the believer will have to leave that church or house church, wherever they are attending, and even those media ministries that have become apostate will have to be avoided. The children in view may be those who are new believers and the woe pronounced is that they are being fed the ecumenical gospel that chokes out the true Gospel.

 {19} For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

 For the Christian to see their church or Christian friends begin to fall prey to ecumenical gospels and gospels that desolate a person’s life, is nothing that has ever happened before in history. If one looks at the time up until the late 1800’s, you will see a true gospel where people defended it to the death. Look at today, what has happened and the dearth of truth that is upon this generation. Counterfeit Bible versions, Rock and Roll in the churches, Christian rock concerts where the performers look like secular rock bands, signs and wonders both in and out of the church, ecumenical tommyrot, psychology mixed with Scripture, etc. All of these and more have desolated the true gospel and this is why Jesus warns us to flee and not look back. In other words, don’t even borrow a little from these movements. (Luke 9:62 KJV) And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Remember Lot’s wife when she looked back. If we look back after fleeing from a false gospel, then we too are showing our desire to have one foot in the world — and God condemns this.

 {20} And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

 The Lord is going to shorten the days for the Elect on Earth. God knows exactly what consternation His children are going through, even right now, as we see false gospels encroaching and overcoming true gospel teachings in many places, not only in the local churches. One only need turn on the radio or TV and all you will basically find is adulterated Christianity. Now once the last one becomes saved, then there is no need to keep the Elect on Earth. I believe deeply as soon as the last one becomes saved, then that will usher in the last day. When we look at the gospel status around us, isn’t it a blessing that salvation is by Election and not free will? With what is being taught and published today, you can’t find the true gospel. Go to a Christian book store and you will see the abomination which causes desolation all around you.

 {21} And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: {22} For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. {23} But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

 Now let us look at these three verses as the tail end of the warning to flee the ecumenical tide which neutralizes the true Gospel. The New Age movement tried to produce a Christ in the person of Lord Maitreya in 1981. We see tons of false prophets, especially in the signs and wonders movements. In India a man named Sai Baba had 20 million followers because of the powers he was exuding. He was able to make things appear and other things. He was satanically induced with lying signs and wonders. We see many people falling to false prophets, and there were even true believers who died with Jim Jones’ group. The Elect can be deceived because I personally know people who have been saved a long time and yet attend charismatic churches but we need to expand our understanding of the end time apostasy outside of the local church because false teachings outside the local church are brought into the church. Our salvation does not depend on our actions but on God’s keeping power. We see this mightily in the life of Solomon. I do not know of any Christians who did as bad as he did, yet God loved him, which means he was saved. (Neh 13:26 KJV) Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

 Then finally in verse 23, we see that the Lord is telling us beforehand that these things will happen. The adulterating of the true Gospel is the major indicator of how close we are to the end. In verse 10 of Mark 13 we read: (Mark 13:10 KJV) And the gospel must first be published among all nations. The gospel is now in every nation on earth. I have even had some dialogue with some brethren from Iran. The Internet has allowed publication of the Gospel as never before in history. Sites like mine, Calvin’s Castle, Sermon Audio,  Geneva.org, Founders on Line, and many other Reformed sites are available 24/7 for world wide download and visitation. So in combining the fact of false gospels which are running rampant in Christianity today with the fact the Gospel is now in every nation, shows the nearness of Christ’s return. When we look at these great events, we do not need to try and piece together some esoteric puzzle and try to fit numbers into some numerical matrix to guess when Christ will be returning.  Now is the time we should be proclaiming the Gospel and not wasting time looking for some formula. The indicators are as plain as day. 

 

To God Be The Glory!