What is the 'abomination that causes desolation' in Matthew 24:15?
📰The Bible is one of the best-selling and most widely distributed books in history, yet it is also considered to be among the least understood. The Bible, which is referred to as the New Covenant and Promise of God, in which 'the way to heaven and salvation' is presented, differs in theologians' interpretations that make it difficult to understand. These differing interpretations have been the cause of the rise of denominations with each one establishing their own doctrine. With the increase in online church services and gatherings resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there has been growing interest in the comparison of various church doctrine. This paper, therefore, attempts to provide readers with the opportunity to compare differing Biblical teachings without interpretation. Among a host of online sermons and Bible-based teachings, the contrasting doctrine between the established Church and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has drawn public interest throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, is hereby compared and summarised. Best efforts have been made to provide a summary of Shincheonji Church of Jesus' understanding of the Bible. Judgment as to what is right or wrong is left to the reader’s discernment.
In Matthew 24, the prophecy about the temple of Jerusalem, the holy place, that would crumble has a figurative (spiritual) meaning which refers to the tabernacle of the chosen people. In Jeremiah 3:17, Jerusalem is said to be the place where the throne of God is, and in Zechariah 8:3, Jerusalem is said to be the city of truth. The tabernacle God is with is Jerusalem, so to say that Jerusalem falls means that the tabernacle of God will come to an end.
At the time of the Lord's Second Coming, as promised in Revelation 1, seven angels (messengers) appeared in the tabernacle of the seven golden lampstands to prepare the way for the Lord. However, as seen in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, they broke the covenant with God and became one with the beast-like Nicolaitans. Jesus sent them several letters through John, urging them to repent of their betrayal. But they did not.
These chosen people who betrayed were judged through the plague of the seven seals in Revelation 6, and were judged by the plague of the seven trumpets in Revelation chapters 8 and 9. The tabernacle that betrayed is called 'heaven' in Revelation 13, and the beast with seven heads and ten horns that came up from the sea invaded this heaven, blasphemed God and destroyed God's tabernacle and its congregation. Moreover, in Revelation 13:11 and on, there was a beast with two horns that came up from the earth and spoke like a dragon. In Revelation 20:2, it is said that the dragon is the ancient serpent, the devil and Satan. The beast speaking like a dragon means that it taught the lies of the devil.
In Revelation chapter 17, it is said that the Prostitute rides on a beast with seven heads and ten horns - that is, seven shepherds (pastors) and ten elders (authority figures). Moreover, the name written on the Prostitute's forehead is 'Babylon', and, in Revelation 18, this Babylon is the dwelling place of demons and the home of evil spirits.
The prophecy in the main reference means that in the same way Jerusalem, the city of God, was destroyed by the gentile nation of Babylon in the Old Testament due to their betrayal, at the Second Coming of the Lord, God's tabernacle of Jerusalem would be destroyed by spiritual Babylon, the kingdom of Satan, because of their betrayal. As such, there have been wars between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan in every era. The prophecy in the main reference about the 'abomination that causes desolation' standing in the holy place refers to an event of war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan at the Second Coming of the Lord.
In the words of 2 Thessalonians 2:1~3, Paul said that when the Lord comes again, there would first be betrayal, then the appearance of the man of lawlessness, and then Jesus would return to fulfil the work of salvation. In the main reference, it was said that the tabernacle of God, the holy place, would be destroyed by the abomination that causes desolation (the abomination of destruction) due to betrayal, and that those who flee to the mountains would be saved.
At the time of the Lord's Second Coming, in Revelation 13, when God's pastors and congregation betrayed, were captured by the destroyer-like beast and perished, those who neither worshipped the beast nor received his mark gathered to form the spiritual mountain in Revelation 14 where God, Jesus and the kingdom of heaven will come. These people belong to the 12 tribes sealed by God in Revelation 7 - that is, Mount Zion, where the new kingdom of God is. This place is called the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and it was established by the one who overcomes and his brothers who fought and defeated the beast-like destroyer and escaped, as seen in Revelation 15.
Today, at the time of the Second Coming of the Lord, we must find the spiritual Mount Zion, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, created through the promised pastor, rather than becoming one with Satan's pastors.
Pastor A, Korean Church
"In 168 BC, Antiochus Epiphanes, the 8th ruler of the Seleucid dynasty of Syria, occupied Jerusalem, installed a statue of Zeus, and offered pork as a sacrifice, which are considered detestable in the law."
Pastor B, Full Gospel Church
"The Romans occupied Jerusalem and placed the emperor's flag in the temple and ordered them to worship it. If this is not the 'abomination that causes desolation' that stands in the holy place, then what is? The fact that the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 in favour of same-sex marriage is an abomination before God, and is the abomination that stands in the holy place."
Pastor C, Korean Church
"The abomination that causes desolation can now be seen standing in the holy place. What is the most unclean thing standing in the temple of a believer?
In the church, academics are on the rise, status is on the rise. For example, lawmakers resign when their wealth is revealed, but in fact, pastors do not resign even if the church is divided, irrespective of the cause. When we stand in this holy place, can we not say that this is the 'great tribulation'?"
Pastor D, Korean Church
"At some point, our Korean church began to establish popular people. That is to set up an abomination in a holy place. You should never have the testimonies of singers or popular celebrities on the pulpit."
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