Matthew Chapter 24
VERSE 15 and 16 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
“The Greek word rendered "mountains" may with equal or greater propriety be rendered in the singular--mountain: and it is so rendered in a majority of instances in the Common Version.
Indeed, to flee out of Judea (literally) to either a mountain or many mountains seems peculiar since Judea was in fact "a hill country," and Jerusalem is described as set in the top of the mountains. But to apply our Lord's words to the present time, and to his people in Christendom, who now, in the light of present truth, SEE the (real) Abomination of Desolation stand where it ought not--in the holy place-- in the stead of the true sacrifice, is a very simple matter.
They should at once flee from the influence of the abomination and from the system falsely styling itself Christ's (mountain) kingdom (the professing church, Babylon the Great), to the true mountain or Kingdom, which at this time Christ has returned to set up in glory and power.
But to leave Christendom, repudiating her temples (denominations), her forms of godliness, her social enchantments, her flatteries and honors, and to brave her denunciations and anathemas and her various powers of boycott, and to flee to the Lord and the true Kingdom, repudiated, ignored and denied by the worldly-wise and worldly-church (a.k.a. orthodoxy), is surely quite a flight, quite a journey; and few but the "saints" will even think of starting on it. The perils of the way are portrayed by our Lord in a manner that would seem overdrawn and contrary to his usual custom if applicable only to the physical sufferings of the believers who fled from Judea in the close of the Jewish harvest: but his words are manifestly appropriate to the spiritual flight and trials of this harvest time. In a word, this command to flee, and the description of its trials, can only be properly understood in connection with the command of Revelation (18:4), "Come out of her, my people, so that you may have no fellowship with her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues." (D573-574)
Let us take another view of the matter as taken from (The Gospel of Matthew.)
“In Luke 21:20 the fleeing was literal—the Lord advised Christian Jews to flee to distant mountain refuge when they would see Jerusalem surrounded with armies. And those outside the city were instructed not to enter back into Jerusalem but to flee also. This advice, so specifically given, was followed by those with faith back there in A.D. 70.
Now the spiritual application will be considered in Matthew 24. Regarding Verse 15, in A.D. 539 the “abomination of desolation” (the doctrine of the Mass or Transubstantiation) was established in power. It had existed previously, but in 539 the Mass became more entrenched and powerful. The 1,260 days (years) date from that point, and the year 539 is a focal starting point for many of the Daniel prophecies.
From the spiritual standpoint of Verse 16, what does it mean to flee from Judea into the mountains?
Judea is a symbol for Christendom, and particularly the nominal Church systems.
Thus the flight would be out of the nominal systems into a different condition. The ones who are being asked to flee are the Lord’s people in the systems who recognize (who SEE) that the “abomination of desolation” IS THE MASS and that it is (presently) standing (established) “in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15). This message was especially pronounced in 1878 when the call went forth to come out of Babylon: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev 18:4).
What “mountains” are to be fled to? (This term is an allusion to a mountain complex and hence is in the plural.) In Hebrews 12 the Apostle Paul suggests that Christians should flee to Mount Horeb in connection with their covenant and the end of the age, and he mentions that there will be a great earthquake. The apostle points out that back there in his day, Christians had not yet come to the condition of eternal security that would occur at the end of the age. Therefore, the spiritual “mountains” to be fled to are the Kingdom of the Lord, that is, the holy mountain.
The Bible refers to both Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai. This mountain actually has two primary peaks, like the toe of a boot and the high back. From the front, however, three peaks are seen. On the higher peak in back—400 feet higher—Moses received the tables of the Law and then read them from one of the three peaks, the one called Ras Susafeh. Yet the peaks are all one mountain complex styled “Mount Horeb” in Scripture. A two-mile road circuits this whole complex. Somewhat similarly, the Adirondacks and the Catskills are mountain complexes. Also, Mount Ararat consists of two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat. Therefore, either the singular or the plural form can be considered here in Matt 24:16, for this is just a general flight. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help,” the Psalmist says (Psa. 121:1). That “hill” or mountain is the Lord Himself and His Kingdom, His direction.”
We will continue on to Verse 17 in our next post.
VERSE 15 and 16 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
“The Greek word rendered "mountains" may with equal or greater propriety be rendered in the singular--mountain: and it is so rendered in a majority of instances in the Common Version.
Indeed, to flee out of Judea (literally) to either a mountain or many mountains seems peculiar since Judea was in fact "a hill country," and Jerusalem is described as set in the top of the mountains. But to apply our Lord's words to the present time, and to his people in Christendom, who now, in the light of present truth, SEE the (real) Abomination of Desolation stand where it ought not--in the holy place-- in the stead of the true sacrifice, is a very simple matter.
They should at once flee from the influence of the abomination and from the system falsely styling itself Christ's (mountain) kingdom (the professing church, Babylon the Great), to the true mountain or Kingdom, which at this time Christ has returned to set up in glory and power.
But to leave Christendom, repudiating her temples (denominations), her forms of godliness, her social enchantments, her flatteries and honors, and to brave her denunciations and anathemas and her various powers of boycott, and to flee to the Lord and the true Kingdom, repudiated, ignored and denied by the worldly-wise and worldly-church (a.k.a. orthodoxy), is surely quite a flight, quite a journey; and few but the "saints" will even think of starting on it. The perils of the way are portrayed by our Lord in a manner that would seem overdrawn and contrary to his usual custom if applicable only to the physical sufferings of the believers who fled from Judea in the close of the Jewish harvest: but his words are manifestly appropriate to the spiritual flight and trials of this harvest time. In a word, this command to flee, and the description of its trials, can only be properly understood in connection with the command of Revelation (18:4), "Come out of her, my people, so that you may have no fellowship with her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues." (D573-574)
Let us take another view of the matter as taken from (The Gospel of Matthew.)
“In Luke 21:20 the fleeing was literal—the Lord advised Christian Jews to flee to distant mountain refuge when they would see Jerusalem surrounded with armies. And those outside the city were instructed not to enter back into Jerusalem but to flee also. This advice, so specifically given, was followed by those with faith back there in A.D. 70.
Now the spiritual application will be considered in Matthew 24. Regarding Verse 15, in A.D. 539 the “abomination of desolation” (the doctrine of the Mass or Transubstantiation) was established in power. It had existed previously, but in 539 the Mass became more entrenched and powerful. The 1,260 days (years) date from that point, and the year 539 is a focal starting point for many of the Daniel prophecies.
From the spiritual standpoint of Verse 16, what does it mean to flee from Judea into the mountains?
Judea is a symbol for Christendom, and particularly the nominal Church systems.
Thus the flight would be out of the nominal systems into a different condition. The ones who are being asked to flee are the Lord’s people in the systems who recognize (who SEE) that the “abomination of desolation” IS THE MASS and that it is (presently) standing (established) “in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15). This message was especially pronounced in 1878 when the call went forth to come out of Babylon: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev 18:4).
What “mountains” are to be fled to? (This term is an allusion to a mountain complex and hence is in the plural.) In Hebrews 12 the Apostle Paul suggests that Christians should flee to Mount Horeb in connection with their covenant and the end of the age, and he mentions that there will be a great earthquake. The apostle points out that back there in his day, Christians had not yet come to the condition of eternal security that would occur at the end of the age. Therefore, the spiritual “mountains” to be fled to are the Kingdom of the Lord, that is, the holy mountain.
The Bible refers to both Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai. This mountain actually has two primary peaks, like the toe of a boot and the high back. From the front, however, three peaks are seen. On the higher peak in back—400 feet higher—Moses received the tables of the Law and then read them from one of the three peaks, the one called Ras Susafeh. Yet the peaks are all one mountain complex styled “Mount Horeb” in Scripture. A two-mile road circuits this whole complex. Somewhat similarly, the Adirondacks and the Catskills are mountain complexes. Also, Mount Ararat consists of two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat. Therefore, either the singular or the plural form can be considered here in Matt 24:16, for this is just a general flight. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help,” the Psalmist says (Psa. 121:1). That “hill” or mountain is the Lord Himself and His Kingdom, His direction.”
We will continue on to Verse 17 in our next post.
