The United Nations will attack Christendom

by Doug Mason 50 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Bobcat

  The order of events predicted by the WT and repeated somewhat above is different from what Rev 16 foretells.

  In Rev chap. 16 the order is:

  v.16 And they gathered them (the kings of the earth) to the place called Armageddon

  v.17 The seventh bowl of God's anger is poured out. Resulting in:

  Divine pronouncement that "it is finished" or "come to pass."

  v.18a 'Lightnings, voices, and thunders' occur

  v.18b An unprecedented 'great earthquake' occurs. Resulting in:

  v.19a The great city being 'split' or 'becoming' into three parts

  v.19b Cities of the nations fall

  v.19c Babylon the Great is given God's cup of anger

  v.20 Islands and mountains removed

  v.21 Unusually great plague of hail affecting people

  There is a lot of symbolic language. But what I'm highlighting is the order. "Armageddon does not "occur." Armageddon is a "place" that the kings of the earth are "gathered" to. And all the events listed afterwards 'occur' after the kings are gathered to Armageddon.

  The regular use of "and"/ "also" (Greek kai; Rev 16:16-21) before every event is a rhetorical device called polysyndeton. It indicates the events listed, happen in the order listed or sequentially. Thus, the entire "earthquake" happens after the kings are 'gathered to Armageddon.'

  The 'great city' of v.19a is, by reason of the listed order, a different entity from 'Babylon the Great' of 19c. What John has explained to him in 17:16, 17 is with reference to v.19c. (see 17:1) So that the 'ten horns' and 'scarlot beast' 'hating of the harlot' is describing an event that takes place after the symbolic gathering to Armageddon, after the earthquake commences, after the great city is split into three parts, and after the cities of the nations fall.

  Also, if you read 17:16, 17 carefully, you will see that both the ten horns and the scarlot beast hate the harlot. But God only puts something into the hearts of the ten horns. And the result of his putting something into them is 'their giving their power and authority to the scarlot beast until God's words are accomplished.' So, what God puts into the hearts of the ten horns cannot be hatred for the harlot. Otherwise, there is no explanation for why the scarlot beast also hates her.

  The great city of 19a is in reference to the great city of 11:8. (There are two 'great cities' in Reelation - 11:8 & 17:15) Up to the end of chapter 16, Babylon the Great has not yet been called 'the great city.' The 'splitting into three' of the 'great city' is an allusion to Ezekiel chapter 5. Both Ezekiel 5 and Rev 11:8 are references to Jerusalem or whatever Jerusalem might symbolize in Rev 11:8. (Ezekiel 5 was about literal Jerusalem and its being attacked by Babylon, although Babylon is not mentioned in the chapter.
• 

  Vidqun

  Why on earth would the political system turn on religion and ignore JWs? As a cult they would be first to go. Anyway, whatever you believe to be the interpretation of Babylon the Great, they have the sequence all wrong. First of all, if Christendom is all bad, what are they doing in a holy place (Matt. 24:15)? Meaning of "holy" = consecrated of of God, set apart. Secondly, according to Revelation 16, Babylon will be remembered last, during plague seven, the last plague. At the at the end of the tribulation, Babylon will be destroyed, not at the beginning. My five cents worth.
• 

  Vidqun

  Yo Bobcat, great minds think alike. I also like the paragraph headings of the Holman Christian Standard Bible in Matt. 24 and Rev. This is also how I understand it, especially in Matthew. Signs of the end of the age > Persecutions predicted > The great tribulation > The coming of the sons of man, etc.
• 

  irondork

  EntirelyPossible: In the US, the most militant of the religious are ALSO the most militant gun owners and make no bones about taking up arms to defend their faith.

  I can confirm this. I'm also a southern dweller (but NOT a southernER) and I once heard a good 'ole boy Baptist minister make the comment, "Let 'em try!", when discussing the WTS version of the destruction of Babylon the Great.

  But I can also see how even an attempt to stomp out all religion could ignite "The Great Tribulation."

  Doug Mason: Does this mean that in the UN they would vote for and implement tanks rolling out on themselves, for bombs to be dropped on their own countries, to sink their own ships and so on?

  I doubt it. I never pictured it happening that way. But I can see these member states voting in favor of some policy to essentially step on religion. I'm not as familiar with the political moods in France and England, but I can see how a couple more Obama-esque administrations could result in a UN ambassador being given the go-ahead to support such a thing. Given the shift away from religion in the U.S. and even more so in Europe, I can see the majority of the population supporting it as well.
• 

  Doug Mason

  Thank you for clearing my old befuddled mind. As you would guess, I am analysing the July 15, 2013 Watchtower magazine.

  Slimboy and EdenOne - do you object to my including your responses, suitably acknowledged, in my Study?

  Thanks,

  Doug
• 

  The Searcher

  My understanding of the Great Tribulation is based on the following reasoning:

  Jesus initiates the Great Tribulation: Revelation 2:21-22 - "And I gave her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her fornication. Look! I am about to throw her into a sickbed, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds."
• 

  AnnOMaly

  The UN will have to get unanimous approval to dispense with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights first.
• 

  Phizzy

  With the WT's 100% failure rate with predictions I would place a modest bet that it never happens.

  What is happening, as education is becoming much more sceinetific and realistic, i.e teaching knowledge that is of practical use, nations are becoming more secularised, apart from the U.S.A which is stuck back in the 19th Century.

  As more and more people realise the truth of one of Christopher Hitchen's favourite phrases "Religion poisons everything" there will be a groundswell of opinion to get religion out of Politics and Public life, which will be a good thing.

  When this begins to happen in the U.S.A, when you Yanks elect your first Atheist President say, then it will dawn on the GB of the WT that this is happening and no doubt they will herald it as the start of what they predicted, when in fact it will be nothing of the sort, simply societies and people growing up and leaving their childish superstitions behind.
• 

  jw07

  How exactly would that be enforced? If that fairytale scenario occurs then people of ALL religions will cling to their religions even more and meet for, and spread their ideas underground. Especially if military action is being taken, even christian soldiers would be fighting and saying prayers between every magazine change, and ready to become suicide bombers for their faith. It's like the war on terrorism: wrong or right an idea cannot be wiped out through physical force.
• 

  breakfast of champions

  I'm prepping for zombies, dammit!

  I see ENTIRELY POSSIBLE's scenario being far more likely than the Watchtower's UN fantasy.