“PLACE OF HIS SANCTUARY” THROWN DOWN

20. Who are “the army of the heavens” and “the stars” that the small horn tries to bring down?

²⁰ The small horn “kept getting greater all the way to the army of the heavens, so that it caused some of the army and some of the stars to fall to the earth.” According to the angelic explanation, “the army of the heavens” and “the stars” that the small horn attempts to bring down are “the people made up of the holy ones.” (Daniel 8:10, 24) These “holy ones” are spirit-anointed Christians. Because of being brought into a relationship with God by means of the new covenant, made operative by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, they are sanctified, cleansed, and set apart for God’s exclusive service. (Hebrews 10:10; 13:20) Having assigned them as heirs with his Son in the heavenly inheritance, Jehovah views them as holy. (Ephesians 1:3, 11, 18-20) In Daniel’s vision, then, “the army of the heavens” refers to the remnant on earth of the 144,000 “holy ones,” who will reign in heaven with the Lamb.—Revelation 14:1-5.

21. Who occupy a “holy place” that the seventh world power attempts to desolate?

²¹ Today the remaining ones of the 144,000 are earthly representatives of the “heavenly Jerusalem”—the citylike Kingdom of God—and its temple arrangement. (Hebrews 12:22, 28; 13:14) In this sense they occupy a “holy place” that the seventh world power tries to trample on and make desolate. (Daniel 8:13) Speaking of that holy place also as “the established place of [Jehovah’s] sanctuary,” Daniel says: “From him [Jehovah] the constant feature was taken away, and the established place of his sanctuary was thrown down. And an army itself was gradually given over, together with the constant feature, because of transgression; and it kept throwing truth to the earth, and it acted and had success.” (Daniel 8:11, 12) How was this fulfilled?

22. During World War II, how did the seventh world power commit a notable “transgression”?

²² What was the experience of Jehovah’s Witnesses during World War II? They suffered intense persecution! It started in Nazi and Fascist countries. But soon ‘truth was being thrown to the earth’ throughout the vast domain of the ‘small horn whose power had become mighty.’ “The army” of Kingdom proclaimers and their work of preaching “the good news” were banned in almost all of the British Commonwealth. (Mark 13:10) When these nations conscripted their manpower, they refused to grant ministerial exemption to Jehovah’s Witnesses, showing no respect for their theocratic appointment as ministers of God. Mob violence and various indignities were experienced by Jehovah’s faithful servants in the United States. The seventh world power, in effect, tried to take away a sacrifice of praise—“the fruit of lips”—regularly offered to Jehovah by his people as “the constant feature” of their worship. (Hebrews 13:15) That world power thus committed the “transgression” of invading the rightful domain of the Most High God—“the established place of his sanctuary.”

23. (a) During World War II, how did the Anglo-American World Power stand up “against the Prince of princes”? (b) Who is “the Prince of princes”?

²³ By persecuting “the holy ones” during World War II, the small horn put on great airs “all the way to the Prince of the army.” Or, as the angel Gabriel states, it stood up “against the Prince of princes.” (Daniel 8:11, 25) The title “the Prince of princes” applies exclusively to Jehovah God. The Hebrew word sar, translated “prince,” is related to a verb meaning “exercise dominion.” In addition to referring to the son of a king or a person of royal rank, the word applies to a head, or a chief one. The book of Daniel mentions other angelic princes—for example, Michael. God is the Chief Prince of all such princes. (Daniel 10:13, 21; compare Psalm 83:18.) Can we imagine that anyone could stand up against Jehovah—the Prince of princes?

27. What evidence was there that “the constant feature” was restricted during the persecution-filled years of World War II?

²⁷ While the 2,300 days ran their course during World War II, which began in 1939, the offering of “the constant feature” at God’s sanctuary was severely restricted because of persecution. In 1938 the Watch Tower Society had 39 branches supervising the work of the Witnesses worldwide, but by 1943 there were only 21. Increases in the number of Kingdom proclaimers were also small during that period.