An excerpt from The Abomination of Desolation by Garner Ted Armstrong
Christ warned, “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:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:…For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved” (Matthew 24:15-22).
Obviously, the setting up of the “abomination of desolation” is the one most important event signaling the beginning of the Great Tribulation! But what is it? Where is it to be set up? Who, or what, does it represent? When will we see it in place? Matthew warned, “Whoso readeth, let him understand,” so God intends we should understand what Christ meant, not be ignorant of one of the most important events in future history.
What IS “The Great Tribulation”?
Christ said the tribulation would be a time unparalleled in all history. Notice what Daniel wrote: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book…” (Daniel 12:1).
There cannot be two such times, for each is the superlative the worst time of “trouble,” meaning droughts, famines, disease epidemics, the unleashing of horrifying, death-dealing weapons of destruction in war that has ever taken place since civilization began!
But wait. Daniel said, “And at that time…” (Daniel 12:1). At what time? The chapter break interrupts a flow of thought from Daniel 11:40. Read all five verses carefully, from Daniel 11:40 to 45.
The “king of the south” was, anciently, one of the Ptolemys of Egypt, a lesser dynasty of pharaohs who waged war with Syria. Syria and Egypt were but two of the four smaller kingdoms left after Alexander’s death (Daniel 11:4). The “king of the north” was, eventually, the same Antiochus Epiphanes who set up a typical abomination of desolation.
But the prophecy is specifically stated to be for a definite time in history “the TIME OF THE END” (Daniel 11:40).
Therefore, Ptolemy Soter and Antiochus Epiphanes are but types, historical representatives, of the two human leaders who will be used to fulfill this end-time prophecy.
Probably, the man who will fulfill the role of “king of the south” will be an Arab leader. He will “push at” the “king of the north,” who is the same personage as the beast of Bible prophecy, as we shall see. The expression “push at,” seems to fall short of armed aggression. Is it some political affront? Could it be an oil embargo, or threatened disruption of energy to Europe and the world? Because of Saddam Hussein’s occupation of Kuwait, and the resultant concentration of military forces and supplies from about thirty nations in the Persian Gulf region, many are tempted to assign Saddam the role of one of the two, either the “king of the north,” or the “king of the south.”
Certainly, Saddam Hussein is “pushing at” others. But is he “pushing at” someone called “the king of the north,” or any modern day political/military leader who is filling such a role?
No. Hussein is “pushing at” the United States, Britain, France, Germany, the Soviet Union, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia indeed, the whole world! The response to Saddam Hussein is not a sudden occupation of Israel, Egypt, and other nearby countries by some northern power, but the deployment of hundreds of thousands of troops into Saudi Arabia.
Notice that the reaction of the “king of the north” is not protracted economic embargo, or warfare in the Persian Gulf, but a lightning-like attack into Israel, and “many countries” in the region, including Egypt! (Daniel 11:40-42).
It is not Europe or the United States threatening to invade Israel in this current crisis but Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Study Daniel 11:40-45 carefully, and do not be misled by those who would leap to impossible conclusions, or become hysterical about the nearness of “Armageddon.”
Israel and Egypt are both occupied by this “king of the north” at the end time. Daniel 11:40-45 absolutely precludes the possibility that the “king of the north” could be an Islamic leader, for Egypt is an Islamic nation, the largest in population of all Islam. Egypt is Arabic and, though currently observing the Camp David accords, is nevertheless staunchly united religiously and emotionally with all other Arab nations in calling for the withdrawal of Israel from the “occupied territories.” No other Arab state would occupy Egypt. This is the final head of the “Holy Roman Empire” which was always a Germanic power! The king of the north is the final beast of prophecy.
Now, when does this northern military power come storming into Israel? “At the time of the end,” says Daniel. And then, reading on to Chapter 12, verse 1, we see Daniel’s prophecy that “at that time” Michael stands up, and a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation begins! In other words, the great tribulation. So the tribulation commences at the same time this king of the north invades Palestine.
Christ’s warning about the abomination of desolation included this invasion of Palestine by armies. Those forces are identified in Daniel 11:40-45 as being the forces of the king of the north. Christ said, “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh” (Luke 21:20).
Upon Whom Does This Great Tribulation Descend?
Christ warned, “Then [when the abomination of desolation is set up] let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains…” He continues to say the flight is so urgent; so sudden, that one should not return to retrieve clothing or household items, even food! He warned, “Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:
“Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes” (Matthew 24:16-18).
Those to whom this warning applies will not read of some impending attack in their weekly news magazines, or see it on nightly television for months at a time. It will occur SUDDENLY, with shocking swiftness. The scene set by Christ is of a normal working day where a man might be in the fields, his wife on top of the roof, hanging up washing.
Yet, suddenly, when people least expect it, attacking military forces are seen around Jerusalem.
In the Jerusalem of Christ’s day, houses were set adjoining each other. Roofs were flat, with parapets, and were used for sitting and talking, hanging laundry, play areas for children, even sleeping at night in hot weather. Commonly, families would erect temporary shelters of fronds and branches, and move into these little booths during the Feast of Tabernacles.
The rabbis wrote of the “road of the roofs,” wherein one might walk across several adjoining rooftops, then descend to the street without having to go back inside one’s own house. Christ referred to this practice in His warning.
Daniel’s prophecy says the tribulation is the time when Michael stands up. Michael is identified as “Michael your prince” (Daniel 10:20-21) an archangel who is the prince of Israel. The 12th chapter says Michael is to stand “for the children of Israel,” the children of the people of Daniel, who was a noble of Israel.
Christ’s prophecy specifically pointed out events to take place in Jerusalem; the Middle East, and Palestine! But the Great Tribulation will be global in its effects, for Christ said, as did Daniel, that it will be a “time of trouble such as there has not been from the time there was a nation”! He also said that if God did not cut short this terrible time of global trouble, not a man, woman, or child would be left alive (Matthew 24:2l-22). Therefore, while events in Jerusalem provide a positive sign that the tribulation is beginning, the tribulation is not confined to Palestine, and the city of Jerusalem.
Yet, from Christ’s warnings, we see it is obvious the great tribulation begins in Jerusalem; in Palestine, by the setting up of an “abomination,” which causes desolation, or destruction.
