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What is the Abomination of Desolation?
By Author Eli Kittim
Given that wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, pandemics, and increased lawlessness are not necessarily signs of the prophesied endtimes, since they’re arguably common in human history, there is nevertheless one sign that is unique to the imminent coming of Christ, namely, the sign of *the abomination of desolation* that is mentioned in Mark 13.14!
The Lukan “Desolation” Begins After Jerusalem Is Surrounded by Encamped Armies
The abomination of desolation is also mentioned in Matthew, but in Luke 21.20-21 (NRSV) we get additional information:
When you see Jerusalem surrounded by
armies, then know that its desolation has
come near. Then those in Judea must flee
to the mountains, and those inside the city
must leave it, and those out in the country
must not enter it.
The key words of the Greek text are κυκλουμένην ὑπὸ στρατοπέδων Ἰερουσαλήμ (Lk 21.20). The term κυκλουμένην means encircled or surrounded. The word ὑπὸ means “by” or “under,” while the word στρατοπέδων is a reference to military bases, camps, or encamped armies. Thus, this verse is explicitly telling us that when you see Jerusalem (Ἰερουσαλήμ) being encircled or surrounded by encamped armies, military bases or camps, “know that its desolation has come near.”
Luke further warns that when the inhabitants first see the encircled armies, “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.” Matthew 24.15-16 similarly says:
So when you see the desolating sacrilege
standing in the holy place, as was spoken of
by the prophet Daniel [9.27] (let the reader
understand), then those in Judea must flee
to the mountains.
So what Matthew calls “the desolating sacrilege,” Luke calls *surrounding armies* which bring about Jerusalem’s desolation. The so-called “holy place” may simply be a general reference to the Holy Land, especially since there is no Temple in Israel at present, nor is one expected in the foreseeable future, given that the erection of a Jewish Temple would necessitate the demolition of both the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqṣā Mosque.
When Daniel refers to the Antichrist, saying that “at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation” (9.27), it could be a reference to a nuclear warhead that might be stored or set up on the *Temple Mount,* a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem that is traditionally venerated as a holy site by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. The Temple Mount can certainly be referred to as a “holy place” (or as “the temple” for short). Continuing with the narrative, Matthew 24.21 (cf. Dan. 12.1) says:
For at that time there will be great suffering
[great tribulation], such as has not been
from the beginning of the world until now,
no, and never will be.
So, this “desolation” is an obvious reference to weapons of war and mass destruction, not to some sort of benign religious ritual that takes place inside a literal temple, as most Christian interpretations would have it. In other words, it isn’t simply offensive to religious sensibilities but rather deadly, lethal, and destructive. And this particular meaning would certainly conform to the usage of the term “desolation” in Scripture (see e.g. Ezek. 15.8; 33.29; Dan. 9.18; Zech. 7.14; Mt. 23.38). After all, the dictionary meaning of the word “desolation” is utter devastation, ruin, and destruction, or a barren wasteland.
Similarly, the definition of the word “sacrilege” is a violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred. This can certainly take the form of irreverence to sacred places. Nuclear weapons stored at a sacred site——like the Temple Mount, for example——would be a sacrilege (cf. Dan. 11.31). Such an act would be an abomination, that is to say, something that is decidedly disgraceful and horrific.
For those who are unsure as to whether the abomination of desolation already happened or not (i.e. whether it’s past or future), see my article “Preterism Debunked”: https://eli-kittim.tumblr.com/post/633828381376544768/preterism-debunked
Is Zechariah Describing a Nuclear Attack Similar to that of Ezekiel 38 & 39?
There is a passage in Zechariah 14 that explicitly refers to the end-time when God will finally reign supreme (v. 9):
the Lord will become king over all the earth;
on that day the Lord will be one and his
name one.
Zechariah 14 is seemingly talking about the same climactic time-period that Matthew & Luke are describing. For example, Zechariah 14.1-2 mentions a unique “day [that] is coming” (cf. v.4 “On that day”) when God “will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle.” It issues the same caveat that we find in Luke, including a near verbal agreement, namely, that “you shall flee by the valley of the Lord's mountain” (v. 5) at that time (cf. Lk 21.21). In other words, it’s warning people to escape the blast radius. If that is the case, then it would be appropriate to discuss the aftereffects of that war as described by Scripture itself (Zech. 14.12):
This shall be the plague [blow] with which
the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage
war against Jerusalem: their flesh shall rot
[or dissolve] while they are still on their feet;
their eyes shall rot [dissolve] in their
sockets, and their tongues shall rot
[dissolve] in their mouths.
These are obviously the consequences of a nuclear explosion that cannot be explained by natural disasters or physical illnesses, as, for example, when people’s flesh disintegrates instantaneously before they can even hit the floor. Something similar happened when the US dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No wonder this period is called the Great tribulation (Mk 13.19; cf. Mt. 24.21; Rev. 8.7), and it’s no surprise that “in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light” (Mk 13.24; cf. Joel 2.31)! Jerusalem will become a *barren wasteland,* as we’ve often seen in such post-apocalyptic films as Mad Max, The Book of Eli, & The Matrix (see 2 Pet. 3.10).
Luke’s pericope also reminds us of the Ezekiel 38 War in which many nations will come against Israel in the latter days (vv. 8-9):
in the latter years you shall go against a
land restored from war, a land where people
were gathered from many nations on the
mountains of Israel, which had long lain
waste; . . . You shall advance, coming on
like a storm; you shall be like a cloud
covering the land, you and all your troops,
and many peoples with you.
Incidentally, there are mentions in Ezekiel 38 & 39 that could be taken as references to a nuclear blast (see e.g. Ezekiel 38.19-20; 39.6-9).
For further details, see my paper “HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO THE GOG MAGOG WAR AND ARMAGEDDON?”: https://eli-kittim.tumblr.com/post/132189853492/how-close-are-we-to-the-gog-magog-war-and
Conclusion
Most Biblical commentators view the abomination of desolation as a “religious” sacrilege, akin to the one perpetrated by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167 bce when he outlawed Jewish rites and desecrated the Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus, according to 2 Maccabees 6.1–12. But today there is no Temple standing in Jerusalem! And although the future *sacrilege* that the gospel writers described certainly has religious overtones——given that the entire event seems to take place on or around the Temple Mount (which is historically considered sacred)——nevertheless it causes utter destruction and devastation, so much so that people have to run for their lives.
So, the answer to our original question (what is the abomination of desolation?) is, most probably, nuclear warheads that will be placed, and subsequently detonated, on the Temple Mount. This would certainly constitute the most horrible sacrilege in history.
Therefore, it’s important to watch the war that is currently taking place in Israel. Jerusalem is said to be the epicenter of the final global conflict that initiates the Great Tribulation! It is this unique sign, then, that heralds the imminent coming of Messiah! And the *Temple Mount,* which continues to be the center of much controversy, should be the focus of attention!
Is Russia on the Brink of Nuclear War?
By Author Eli Kittim
Who or What is Gog?
Joseph Stalin——the Soviet Union’s longest serving ruler from 1927 until 1953 (for nearly 3 decades)——was born in Gori, Georgia. Curiously enough, in both English and Russian, the initials of Gori, Georgia would be Gog or ΓοΓ (i.e. Гори, Грузия). If the Bible wanted to symbolize the terror of Communism in the 20th century, as well as the final empire on earth, what better way to do so than by pointing to its cruelest and most infamous leader, who was born in the land of Gog and Magog.
In the Bible, Γώγ or Gog symbolically represents the final leader of the last superpower on earth. The last-days prophecy of Ezekiel 38.1-2 (LXX) reads:
ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με λέγων·
υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, στήρισον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου
ἐπὶ Γὼγ καὶ τὴν γῆν τοῦ Μαγώγ, ἄρχοντα
Ῥώς, Μοσὸχ καὶ Θοβέλ, καὶ προφήτευσον
ἐπ’ αὐτὸν.
Translation (NKJV):
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land
of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and
Tubal, and prophesy against him.
The term Γώγ might actually be an abridged version of the word Γεωργία (Georgia), the country that has a northern border with Russia and was once part of the Soviet Union. Based on both linguistic and historical studies, the rest of the names indicate a Russian connection: prince of Ρώς (Gk. Ρωσία/Russia), Μοσόχ (Gk. Μόσχα/Moscow) and Θοβέλ (Tobolsk). In his book The Footsteps of the Messiah (p. 70), the biblical scholar Arnold Fruchtenbaum provides a supplementary elaboration of Ezekiel 38:
The identification of Magog, Rosh,
Meshech, and Tubal is to be determined
from the fact that these tribes of the
ancient world occupied the areas of modern
day Russia. Magog, Meshech and Tubal
were between the Black and Caspian Seas
which today is southern Russia. The tribes
of Meshech and Tubal later gave names to
cities that today bear the names of
Moscow, the capital, and Tobolsk, a major
city in the Urals in Siberia. Rosh was in what
is now northern Russia. The name Rosh is
the basis for the modern name Russia.
Similarly, according to Wikipedia:
Josephus refers to Magog son of Japheth
as progenitor of Scythians, or peoples north
of the Black Sea [Josephus, Antiquities of
the Jews, Book I, Chapter 6]. According to
him, the Greeks called Scythia Magogia.
The Scythians were a group of nomadic warriors who lived in what is now southern Russia. More importantly, the Bible seems to point to Russia as the birthplace of the last-days Antichrist (see e.g. Ezekiel 38). In order to understand the historical reasons for tying the Ezekiel 38 narrative to Russia, see “The Magog Identity” article by Chuck Missler: https://www.khouse.org/articles/2002/427/print/
The Septuagint Conflates the Biblical References to Gog and Agag
In Numbers 24.7 of the Septuagint, Agag is called Gog (Γώγ), and the LSV translation of the Bible uses the two titles interchangeably in Numbers 24.7 (cf. Amos 7.1 LXX; Rev. 9.3, 7-12):
He makes water flow from his buckets,
‘And his seed [is] in many waters; And his
King [is] higher than Gog [or Agag],’
And his kingdom is exalted.
Here’s the Septuagint version of Numbers 24.7:
ἐξελεύσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος
αὐτοῦ καὶ κυριεύσει ἐθνῶν πολλῶν, καὶ
ὑψωθήσεται ἢ Γὼγ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ, καὶ
αὐξηθήσεται βασιλεία αὐτοῦ.
In Hebrew, the pronunciation of Agag is Ag-awg, similar to that of Gog (gawg). Some scholars think that Agag represented a dynastic name for the kings of Amalek, much like the title Pharaoh that was used for the Egyptian kings. Interestingly enough, according to scholars, the root of the word Georgia (Γεωργία), which, as mentioned earlier, may represent the biblical Gog (Γώγ), is the Persian word gurğ (“wolf”), a possible cognate of Agag. One of Agag’s descendants is Haman the Agagite (Esther 3.1), whose cruel plot against the Jews can only be matched by those of Hitler and Stalin. Thus, the name Agag (or, alternatively, “Gog”) has become synonymous with antisemitism and with evil! It seems, then, that the titles Gog and Agag are interchangeable.
Old & New Testament Prophecies About the Same Cataclysmic Event
Even though in Ezekiel 38 the term Gog is an appellation of rank and status, notice that in Revelation 20.8 Gog and Magog (Γώγ και Μαγώγ) are references to nations (ἔθνη), not titles:
καὶ ἐξελεύσεται πλανῆσαι τὰ ἔθνη τὰ ἐν
ταῖς τέσσαρσι γωνίαις τῆς γῆς, τὸν Γὼγ καὶ
Μαγώγ, συναγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν
πόλεμον, ὧν ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτῶν ὡς ἡ ἄμμος
τῆς θαλάσσης.
Translation (NRSV):
and will come out to deceive the nations at
the four corners of the earth, Gog and
Magog, in order to gather them for battle;
they are as numerous as the sands of the
sea.
And the next verse (Rev. 20.9) is seemingly talking about the exact same event that Luke 21, Zechariah 14, and Ezekiel 38 are describing, namely, “Jerusalem [being] surrounded by armies” (Lk 21.20), or a gathering of “all the nations against Jerusalem to battle” (Zech. 14.2; cf. Ezek. 38.16):
καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὸ πλάτος τῆς γῆς, καὶ
ἐκύκλευσαν τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν ἁγίων καὶ
τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἠγαπημένην. καὶ κατέβη πῦρ
ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ⸃ καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτούς ·
Translation:
They marched up over the breadth of the
earth and surrounded the camp of the
saints and the beloved city [Jerusalem].
And fire came down from heaven and
consumed them.
This so-called “fire” may refer to a nuclear blast that causes the desolation of Jerusalem (cf. Ezek. 38.19-20; 39.6, 8; Dan. 11.31; 12.11; Zech. 14.11; Mt. 24.15-22).
Notice that the exact same word that is used in Revelation 20.9 to refer to the armies of Gog and Magog that “surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city [Jerusalem],” namely, the word ἐκύκλευσαν (derived from the word κυκλόω, meaning to encircle, besiege, or surround), is also used in Luke 21.20 (κυκλουμένην) to describe “Jerusalem surrounded by armies.”
This is presumably the same event prophesied by Jeremiah the prophet (10.22):
Hear, a noise! Listen, it is coming— a great
commotion from the land of the north to
make the cities of Judah a desolation.
For a detailed study on the nuclear implications of the phrase, “the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place” (Mt. 24.15), see my article “What is the Abomination of Desolation?”: https://eli-kittim.tumblr.com/post/651654379241406464/what-is-the-abomination-of-desolation
If experts claim that it wouldn’t be difficult for terrorists to build and detonate an improvised nuclear device, how much easier would it be for an invading army to do likewise?
According to Wiki:
Since 1947, the Doomsday Clock of the
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has
visualized how close the world is to a
nuclear war. As of 2021, the current time to
'midnight,' (midnight representing nuclear
war,) is 100 seconds.
See the following article: “Are we on the brink of nuclear war? Un researcher says yes”: https://www.google.com/amp/s/sofrep.com/amp/news/are-we-on-the-brink-of-nuclear-war-un-researcher-says-yes/
The Septuagint’s Clue to the Identity of Gog of Magog
By Bible Researcher Eli Kittim
The Hebrew Bible
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּה֙ יוֹצֵ֣ר גֹּבַ֔י בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת עֲל֣וֹת הַלָּ֑קֶשׁ
וְהִ֨נֵּה־ לֶ֔קֶשׁ אַחַ֖ר גִּזֵּ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
In the Masoretic Text, the Book of Amos, chapter 7 and verse 1, mentions ham·me·leḵ (the King). It also employs the term gō·ḇay, which means “grasshoppers” or “locusts.”
But let’s not forget that the Masoretic text arrived late on the scene. It began to circulate between the 7th and 10th centuries CE. In fact, the oldest, complete copy is the Leningrad Codex, which dates from the 11th century CE. And we also know that there was not one version but several. This can clearly be shown in the Jewish theological writings of the Talmud and the Mishnah where different versions are being adduced (see the textual history of the Hebrew Bible explained by Drs. Emanuel Tov & Michael S. Heiser).
The Septuagint
By contrast, the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), an early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, was translated between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. So, it’s a much older text than the Masoretic. Not surprisingly, the Dead Sea Scrolls, which date back to roughly 200 BCE, corroborate the accuracy of the Septuagint’s translation!
When comparing the Masoretic text with that of the Septuagint (aka LXX), we know from Deuteronomy 32.8, for example, that the LXX has the correct reading (sons of God) as opposed to the Masoretic text which has (sons of Israel), a late theological redaction. We can demonstrate the correct reading by comparing these texts to the older Dead Sea Scrolls, which corroborate the LXX version. The point is that the LXX is a lot older than the Masoretic and we need to pay closer attention to this text!
The Prophetic Book of Amos in the LXX
Amos 7.1 (LXX English translation by L.C.L. Brenton) reads:
ΟΥΤΩΣ ἔδειξέ μοι Κύριος ὁ Θεός, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπιγονὴ ἀκρίδων ἐρχομένη ἑωθινή, καὶ ἰδοὺ βροῦχος εἷς Γὼγ ὁ βασιλεύς.
Translation:
Thus has the Lord God shewed me; and, behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the east; and, behold, one caterpillar, king Gog.
So, the LXX gives us an insight into Bible prophecy and eschatology. The name Γὼγ (Gog) is also referenced in Ezekiel 38.2 ff. (LXX):
υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, στήρισον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου
ἐπὶ Γὼγ καὶ τὴν γῆν τοῦ Μαγώγ, ἄρχοντα
Ῥώς, Μοσὸχ καὶ Θοβέλ, καὶ προφήτευσον
ἐπ’ αὐτὸν.
Translation:
Son of man, set thy face against Gog, and
the land of Magog, Rhos, prince of Mesoch
and Thobel, and prophesy against him.
As I’ve mentioned in previous publications, the LXX translates the term “Rosh” (Ezek. 38:2) with the Greek word Ρως, which stands for Ρωσία (the Greek word for Russia). Furthermore, the LXX’s Μοσόχ seems to be a close approximation to the modern-day term Μόσχα (the Greek word for Moscow, the capital and largest city of Russia). The earlier Ezekiel quotation referred to “the land of Magog.” In ancient times, it comprised the lands where the Scythians once lived, and thus represents contemporary Russia. Wikipedia confirms that this view was held by some credible historians of antiquity:
Jewish historian Josephus knew them as
the nation descended from Magog the
Japhetite, as in Genesis, and explained
them to be the Scythians.
Today, most Bible Prophecy scholars identify Magog as a reference to modern day Russia! Moreover, Amos corroborates Gog’s location as “coming from the east” (7.1 LXX).
(For further evidence, see “The Magog Identity” by Bible-prophecy expert Chuck Missler: https://www.khouse.org/articles/2002/427/print/).
The Gog of Amos (LXX)
The prophet’s use of the name Γὼγ (Gog) in the LXX suggests that Amos 7 may be a dual fulfilment of prophecy, that is, it may have both a short-term (prophecy of the northern kingdom of Israel) and a long-term fulfilment (prophecy of the end-times invasion of Israel). Similarly, Ezekiel 38 names a confederacy of nations that will invade many countries, including Israel, in the last days. According to Ezekiel 38 (LXX), the leader of that powerful coalition will be Γὼγ (Gog), the leader of Ῥώς (Gk. Ρωσία = Russia) and Μοσὸχ (Gk. Μόσχα = Moscow). If that’s the case, then Amos’ Gog would suggest that certain Biblical references to “locusts” and “grasshoppers” might have some relevance to Ezekiel 38 and the battle of Gog and Magog (cf. e.g. 1 Kings 8.37; Psalm 105.34; Isaiah 33.4; Joel 1.4; 2.25; Nahum 3.15).
Gog: The King of the Locusts
If Gog (Γὼγ) is the king of the locusts, according to Amos 7.1 (LXX), then the 5th trumpet of Revelation 9, which talks extensively about an invasion of locusts, may be about Gog of the land of Magog. In other words, Amos 7.1 (LXX) would suggest that the king of the locusts in Revelation 9.11 may represent the Russian Gog (Γὼγ) of Ezekiel 38. Perhaps the famous saying in Proverbs 30.27 (ESV) means that the king of the locusts is not a mere mortal:
the locusts have no king, yet all of them
march in rank.
Similarly, in Revelation 9, the king of the locusts is likened to “a star that had fallen from heaven” and who holds “the key to the … bottomless pit.” Later on in the chapter, he’s identified as the king of the locusts, “the angel of the bottomless pit,” whose “name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek … Apollyon,” meaning “destroyer” (i.e. Antichrist)! Revelation 9.1-11 (NRSV) reads as follows:
And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I
saw a star that had fallen from heaven to
earth, and he was given the key to the shaft
of the bottomless pit; he opened the shaft
of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft
rose smoke like the smoke of a great
furnace, and the sun and the air were
darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
Then from the smoke came locusts on the
earth, and they were given authority like the
authority of scorpions of the earth. They
were told not to damage the grass of the
earth or any green growth or any tree, but
only those people who do not have the seal
of God on their foreheads. They were
allowed to torture them for five months, but
not to kill them, and their torture was like
the torture of a scorpion when it stings
someone. And in those days people will
seek death but will not find it; they will long
to die, but death will flee from them. In
appearance the locusts were like horses
equipped for battle. On their heads were
what looked like crowns of gold; their faces
were like human faces, their hair like
women's hair, and their teeth like lions'
teeth; they had scales like iron breastplates,
and the noise of their wings was like the
noise of many chariots with horses rushing
into battle. They have tails like scorpions,
with stingers, and in their tails is their power
to harm people for five months. They have
as king over them the angel of the
bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is
Abaddon, and in Greek he is called
Apollyon.
Conclusion
Thus, if we read the Bible in canonical context and according to the principle of expositional constancy, we will come to realize that both the linguistic and symbolic elements of Scripture with regard to Gog, the king of the locusts, refer not only to the Russian Gog of Magog in Ezekiel 38 but also to the king of the locusts in Revelation 9.11, namely, “the angel of the bottomless pit,” whose “name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek … Apollyon,” meaning “destroyer” or *Antichrist*!
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(P.S. I’d like to offer a supplementary observation of Revelation 9.9-10. The aforementioned images of “iron breastplates” with noisy “wings” and “tails like scorpions” would certainly suggest some type of modern aerial warfare)!
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