Cults
The Abomination of Desolation.
In the analysis of the Watchtower's handling of the 'Cleansing
of the Sanctuary', and the interpretation of the 2300 days of
Daniel, at least three very important elements regarding the
mentality of their Elect come to light. First, there is the
removal of anything that is democratic by biblical standards.
First, let me show you the scriptural reason why they decided
the electing of Elders by each congregation was wrong:
"Certainly the 24 elderly persons whom the Apostle John saw
in his heavenly vision ... around the throne of ... God were
not 'elders' democratically elected by the congregations on
earth below. They were elders chosen by the Sovereign of
the universe because of their full Christian growth and
proved integrity ... That was only a right beginning, for
the sanctuary had to be made theocratic in all respects.
Jehovahs organization is in no wise democratic." Book: Your
Will Be Done On Earth. Page 217.
They put forward to every congregation a:
"Proposal requesting 'The Society' as God's visible
representative to organize the congregation for God's
service and to appoint from the top the servants of the
congregation." Ibid. Page 217
What they have eliminated from the congregations, they have
eliminated from the individual members also. One of the
favourite forms of reasoning of the Elect of the Watchtower is
to argue by analogy, and this they have done in the quotation
taken from 217 of their book. Their books are loaded with
this kind of reasoning. On page 202 of their book: 'Qualified
to be Ministers', they write:
"As to the circumstantial evidence an opponent may use,
watch for the following openings for refutation: Has (your
opponent) argued from a resemblance that does not hold in
some points."
If we apply that excellent rule to their own evidence, we can
see that the differences are so striking that we cannot
legitimately use the vision of John as a reason for
eliminating Elders from being voted in by members of their own
congregation. To put it mildly, it is chaotic reasoning. As
to individual action on the part of their members, let me
quote from page 232 of the same book, 'Qualified to be
Ministers':
"A temptation that may face the congregation servant is that
of getting the idea that some method or scheme of his own is
a better way. But he will find that no real lasting
blessing will come from Jehovah unless he is operating in
conformity with Jehovahs Theocratic organization."
In other words, fall in line, or else! It is in fact a threat
of the very worse kind, for it is ultimately a death threat.
For, if you oppose the Watchtower, and continue to do so, they
threaten you with death at Armageddon!! To substantiate their
claim, they argue by analogy and cite the case of Moses and
Aaron at Meribah. In covering the first point of the three
things they use in their reasoning, I have covered, in part,
the second. They attach an important word from the proposition
they wish to prove, onto the evidence they produce to prove
it. After having done this, they make the direct claim that
the thing to which they have attached, say, the phrase, is in
fact what the phrase says. I'll give you an example:
"The most reprehensible lawbreakers among all who have prac-
tised a HYPOCRITICAL religion are those known as 'organized
Christianity' or 'Christendom', because such has been
practised as the religion of and in the name of Jehovah God
and his beloved Son Christ Jesus; and it has been practised
and is practised HYPOCRITICALLY. HYPOCRISY is an
ABOMINATION in the sight of God. The majority of nations
that form the League of Nations claim to practise the
'Christian religion', and they do so blasphemously by
assuming that the League of Nations represents Christ's
kingdom on earth. This devilish religion is 'the
abomination that maketh desolate'. " Book: Prophecy, page
279. Written in 1929.
Twenty-eight years later, in the book: 'Your Will be done on
Earth', on page 209 we read:
"The League of Nations was a blasphemous man-made
counterfeit for the Kingdom of God. It was an idolatrous
'image of the wild beast', to which Satan had given 'its
power ... ', a foul blasphemy ... a disgusting act ...
(they) set an abomination before God, a thing disgusting.
Christendom ... brought an abominable idol in to the
religious temple. By setting up this 'abomination that
makes desolate' the clergy imitated those who rejected
Christ in 33 A.D."
First you give the League of Nations a bad name. Then you
give it another bad name, then another. Finally you attach to
it a phrase from the bible - and there you are. The
Watchtower want the setting up of League of Nations to be the
'Abomination that makes desolate.' In touching on these
points I have in part taken up my third point, and the heading
of this chapter. The third element that comes across in
studying the literature of the Watchtower and their handling
of the Transgression, and the Abomination is: just how far
have they pointed to themselves as being these very things!!
Let us have a look of their treatment of the following bible
verse:
"And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken
away, and the Abomination that maketh Desolate set up, there
shall be 1,290 days." Dan. 12:11. Book: 'Your Will Be
Done', page 333.
We know what the Witnesses say is the Abomination that maketh
Desolate: The League of Nations. When was this League set up?
"The (first world war) peace conference opened ... on Jan.
18. 1919. On Oct. 13. 1919 the covenant of the League of
Nations was ratified by the big three powers. The League
really began to function on Jan. 10. 1920." Ibid, page 206.
You can verify for yourself that the League was set up on Jan
10.1920, by looking at any encyclopaedia. This is important,
so I quote from Pears':
"The League of Nations was founded on Jan. 10. 1920."
Let it be remembered that we are investigating a group that
claims to be the only group upon which the Holy Spirit is
operating in spiritual matters. Now let us see what that
spirit who moves them, what he moves them to do with these
facts. Note carefully the text under discussion: the
Abomination is set up after the sacrifice is taken away. Let
me just state here that 'The sacrifice being taken away'
means, so the Watchtower says, when the ruling body of the
Watchtower was sent to prison from May 7.1918 to March
26.1919.
Now it is as plain as it can be that the 1,290 days of Dan
12:11 are to start when the Abomination is set up on Jan
10.1920. But, this date does not fit in with where the
Watchtower want them to end. They want them to end at a
Convention they held at Cedar Point, Ohio on the 5th to the
13th of September, 1922. Why? Because in their own eyes
something 'Outstanding marked the end of those divinely
numbered days.' Book: Your Will Be Done'. Page 335. When do
they start counting? At:
" ... the close of January 1919." Page 334.
How did they arrive at this different date?
"The setting up of the 'desolating abomination' occurred
when ... the League of Nations was set up by ...
Christendom."
Notice again, as I have pointed out before, the use of a term,
and then attaching this term to something - and there you have
it! Notice: 'the League of Nations WAS SET UP by ... '. In
point of fact Christendom did not set up the League of
Nations. The Watchtower gives two different dates above in
relation to the League of Nations: one when it was 'ratified',
and one when they say it started to function. The quotation
continues:
"By action of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ
in America this was dated from the close of January 1919."
Please note that no date is given, and it does not tell us
what was the 'action' taken by the Churches. I continue:
"Consequently this is the point of time from which to count.
Counting from the close of January 1919, where do those
three years and seven months end?" Ibid. Page 335.
Notice again, no exact date is given. Where do they end:
"At the Cedar point Convention of Jehovahs Witnesses of
September 5-13, 1922."
Now let's calculate this out. The close of January 1919 to
the close of January 1922 is three years. Now add seven
months on to this. It cannot possibly take you past the end
of August 1922. Whether you take a year to be 365 or 360 days,
you cannot get the 1,290 days of Daniel 12:11 to end in
September 1922. Now what was the 'Outstanding' thing that
marked, 'the end of those divinely numbered days.':
"At the Convention's conclusion, the President introduced a
resolution entitled 'A challenge to World Rulers' which was
adopted. This notified the nations that the 'appointed
times of the nations' had run out in 1914; that God's
kingdom had been set up in heaven; the League of Nations was
a fraud ..." Ibid. Pages 334/336.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 1613 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Kenneth O'Reilly or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 1613 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.