With the ongoing violence in Israel and West Bank and the US invasion
of the former Babylonian Empire the time is ripe for “new” conspiracy
theories of all kinds, hence The Matrix, Left Behind and the DaVinci
Code. Who is real? Who is Satan? Who was Jesus Christ really? Who is
the Anti-Christ? What is the hidden agenda of the UN, of organized
religion? Where is history headed? I have a conspiracy theory of my own
that stacks up just as well as all the rest.
There is a building that wants to take over my community and the world!
That building is the Seven Oaks Mall in Abbotsford, BC, Canada [or if
you have “mall envy” pick any mall near you, it will do just as well].
I believe that this building is the so-called “abomination of
desolation” referred to in the Old Testament book of Daniel [9:27,
11:31, 12:11] and then quoted by Jesus in the New Testament. In the
past people have speculated about the identity of the abomination: Was
it Roman conquerors in the temple in 70 AD? Is it the Islamic mosque
built on the holy hill in Jerusalem? Is it the graven image that the
Ant-Christ will set up in the temple in Jerusalem during the last days?
End your speculation! I have found the identity of the abomination of
desolation; it is the mall.
I’ve always had this eerie chill go up my spine whenever I drive by the
mall and see the bright colorful signs, hundreds of cars in the parking
lot and people streaming in like there’s no tomorrow. It’s like there’s
something evil and sinister going on inside this sprawling building;
like they’re going inside to worship at some forbidden altar; like they
might not ever come out alive. Some people say they feel this way when
they drive by a Sikh or Buddhist temple but I feel it when I drive by
the mall. The mall is a house of false material worship.
I actually had to go inside the mall once when my son won a prize in
the Science Fair and they made him display his project in the mall of
all places! (The irony is that his project was on the environmental
effects of constructing roads and buildings.) I was sure it was some
kind of sinister plot to try and get unsuspecting parents like myself
into the “abomination” just so they could steal our money! I dashed in
just long enough to see him collect his prize from the naturalist
society, all the while hearing evil voices inside my head, “shop, shop,
shop, you’ll feel much better when you shop, shop, shop.” I tried not
to look
around; just being there made me shudder with revulsion.
Good theology should not be based on mere feelings and personal
experiences. It should come from solid empirical and biblical research.
People might scoff and say, “This is only your personal experience.
I’ve had many trips to the mall and the people inside are perfectly
normal and they are selling perfectly legitimate wares in perfectly
legitimate ways.” Hear me out; it may save your life.
All biblical terms must be interpreted in their proper context and so
also the identification of the “abomination of desolation” must come
from interpreting the term in its proper context. From the context in
Daniel it is clear that the “abomination that causes desolation” refers
to a building that sets itself up as an alternative worship space to
the temple, the dwelling place of God. Is this is not exactly what the
mall does?! It’s now open on Sunday. It is the place where people go to
pay their ultimate allegiance [i.e. drop most of their money] and it is
there that they fellowship with like-minded believers in the food
court.
The term itself also holds a key to its identification. An
“abomination” is something that is “disgusting, intensely hated or
loathed” an “ill omen” according to Webster’s Dictionary. The outward
appearance of a mall does not seem so bad but the Evil One lurks around
every corner store in the mall seducing innocent people into making
life-destroying purchases. Once a person goes inside it gets a hold on
you and involuntarily you are drawn into its evil clutches, compelled
to return again and again even though you hate yourself for all the
money you leave there when all you get in return is an empty feeling.
“Desolation” is the action of leaving something in ruins as in a barren
wasteland. This is exactly what a mall does to the environment, to your
pocketbook and to your soul. Earth, grass, flowers and trees are ruined
by concrete and pavement; your wallet is left barren and empty; your
soul is the same. It all fits; it all makes sense! Why haven’t we seen
this before?! People all over North America rushing headlong to the
mall only to be devoured and consumed by this arch enemy of The Most
High.
A building such as this is none other than the abomination of
desolation; more dangerous than a despot; more luring than a brothel;
more captivating than a cult!” Buyers beware.
Dr. Bob Orgmosgog is the alter-ego of Gareth Brandt who teaches
theology and spirituality at Columbia Bible College and lives in
Abbotsford, BC with his wife Cyndy and their four children. They have
many favorite family activities but going to the mall is not one of
them.