Does Daniel 9:26b-27 Prophesy About End Time Events?

[WilliamL]

Time for those of you who keep saying that the 70th week of Daniel 9:27 is a prophecy about the End Times to make your case, both scripturally and historically. Should be interesting.

I hold the view, because the preponderance of evidence supports it, that the 70th week was fulfilled in the first century AD, and has nothing to do with the End Times. As the following posts from my blog show:

 

Daniel 9:24-27 Examined, Part 6: Do Verses 26b-27 Prophesy Future Events?

Daniel 9:26b “…and people of a leader/commander, the one coming in, he shall cause to destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end shall be with a flood of attackers, and unto an end of battle/warfare, desolations being decreed. 27 And he shall cause to prevail/confirm (or, shall make strong) a covenant for the multitude one week; and in the midst/middle of the week, he shall cause to cease blood sacrifice and offering. And upon/over a wing/corner shall be abominations/idols of a destroyer, even until a (the) consummation/complete end so having been decreed shall be poured out upon a desolator.”

These verses speak about a number of very specific events, and three specific people. An itemization:

1) A commander of a military force shall cause his army to destroy both Jerusalem and its Sanctuary.

2) That commander shall come/go in – in context, into the Land of Israel.

3) The Sanctuary shall be overwhelmed by a flood of attackers.

4) The commander shall cause his people to make or confirm some kind of covenant with a multitude of the people of Israel for seven years.

5) Either approximately or exactly (the Hebrew text allows for either) in the middle of the seven years, the commander shall be the cause of an end to blood sacrifice and other offerings.

6) “An intensive desolator” = “a destroyer” shall commit abominations, and/or bring idols over or upon a wing/corner of the Temple. Nothing indicates that this destroyer is the commander

7) That idolatry shall continue until a complete end, one having been decreed or determined at some point, shall be “poured out upon a desolator.” This water metaphor “poured out” hearkens back to verse 26ʼs

words “its [the Sanctuaryʼs] end shall be with a flood.” Likewise, the ʻdecreed endʼ of verse 27 likely refers back to the ʻdecreed desolationsʼ of verse 26, at least in part.

*          *          *

Most American commentators say that all of these events shall be fulfilled by “the Antichrist” sometime in the future. However, the secondary scriptures that they provide to actually support their assertions are few, and questionable at best. Instead, their arguments rely on a great deal of unsupported presumptions. Starting from the top of the list:

1) They can provide no scripture that prophesies the rebuilding of the Temple prior to the Second Coming of the Messiah. Also, they can provide no scripture that says Jerusalem will be destroyed in the End Times. (Damaged, yes; destroyed, no.)

Daniel 9:24-27 makes no mention at all of “end times,” “latter days,” or any similar term that unequivocally points to the seven events being fulfilled in OUR Latter Days.

2) Daniel 11:40-45 does say that an End Time commander/leader, “the King of the North,” shall enter and occupy the Holy Land. But nothing in that passage speaks anything about a Temple – a notable omission, if one were to actually exist.

3) Likewise, nothing in that passage says anything about the Sanctuary being overwhelmed and destroyed. And the proponents of “the Antichrist” theory can provide no other scripture that says that either.

4) Neither can they provide any secondary scripture that prophesies a 7-year covenant in the End Times, or even mentions any such 7-year event.

5) Plenty of presumptions are offered that string together two 1260-day prophecies (of which there are a number), which theories purport to prove there is a 7-year period broken exactly in its middle when “the Antichrist” reneges on his covenant. But, like the witnesses that testified against Jesus at his trial, “their testimonies [do] not agree” with each other. Mark 14:56

Also, they can provide no secondary scripture that speaks about blood-sacrifice [זֶבַח] being resumed before the return of the Messiah. Daniel 12:11 does not use this term; 9:27 has its only use in Daniel.

6) They can provide no secondary prophecy about idol worship taking place somewhere on the edges/extremities of a Latter-Day Temple or Sanctuary. (Within such a sanctified place, yes: Matthew 24:15 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Outside of such place, no.)

7) There are scriptures that say the King of the North will “come to his end” in the End Times, as will 2 Thessalonians 2ʼs Son of Perdition, and also the Little Horn of Daniel 7. However, the context of Daniel 9:26b-27 indicates that “the one coming in” is a commander who causes an army of his people to overwhelm and pour out destruction on someone else who has already brought desolation. But nothing in the passage says anything at all about the commander himself being overcome. That, however, is what most proponents of “the Antichrist” theory claim to be the case.

Summary

Those that say Daniel 9:26b-27 prophesies future events concerning “the Antichrist” have no unequivocal evidence from other biblical texts which witness to an End Time fulfillment of 26b-27ʼs seven specific prophecies. What little they offer, mainly having to do with #7 above, is ambiguous and contradictory. So in sum, it is evident that this theory is based upon a great deal of speculation and presumption (sand), but lacks any solid scriptural foundation (rock).

The next article will examine the view that Daniel 9:26b-27 was fulfilled historically.

Edited December 12, 2019 by WilliamL

[WilliamL]

Daniel 9:24-27 Examined, Part 7: Were Verses 26b-27 Fulfilled Historically?

Here is some of the historical viewʼs evidence, showing that Daniel 9:26b-27ʼs seven specific prophecies have already been fulfilled:

1-2) Vespasian, a widely-revered Roman military commander, arrived in the Holy Land in early 67 A.D. Emperor Nero had sent him to quell a revolt begun in 66 by many of the Jews against their corrupt Roman overlords. Vespasian established (caused) these two Roman policies for the duration of the Jewish War of 66/67-73:

I) Any Jew who peacefully re-submitted to Romeʼs authority was to be spared, and be allowed to live in peace. See #4 below.

II) Any Jew who continued to resist that authority was to be ruthlessly subdued. In the Spring, Vespasian, accompanied by his son Titus, three legions, and auxiliary troops altogether amounting to more than 60,000 men, began to war against the rebels in Galilee.

1, 3) Vespasianʼs policy #II ultimately caused the Roman army to destroy both Jerusalem and its Sanctuary, because the Jewish rebels continued to use both places as fortresses of defense.

4) Vespasian, by means of his policy #I, made covenants of peace with a number of important non-resisting cities. Essentially, he was merely “confirming” Romeʼs original covenant with the Jews, which allowed them – uniquely among the peoples of the Empire – to practice only their own mono-theistic religion, provided that they submitted to Roman civil authority.

According to the record by Josephus,

The Jewish War, Whiston version; Preface 8: [Vespasian] took…some of its [Galilee’s] cities by treaties, and on terms.

III:2:4 …the inhabitants of Sepphoris…the largest city of Galilee…received Vespasian, the Roman general, very kindly, and readily promised that they would assist him…

III:9:8 Now the seniors of the people [of Tiberius]…fell down before Vespasian, to supplicate his favor… Vespasian…accepted of their rights hands by way of security…[and] the citizens opened to him their gates…

5) Right about 3½ years/1260 days after Vespasianʼs “coming in” to the land, blood sacrifice [זֶבַח] ceased in the Temple on Tammuz 17 = July 15, 70 A.D. This was a consequence of the Roman armyʼs siege and warfare against Jerusalem, which had caused severe famine and great loss of life.

VI:2:1 …on that very day, which was the seventeenth day of Panemus, [Tamuz,] the sacrifice called “the Daily Sacrifice” had failed, and had not been offered to God, for want of men to offer it, and that the people were grievously troubled at it…

6) Six months earlier, Vespasian had turned over his military command to his son Titus, who continued the war under Vespasianʼs original policies. Vespasian then went to Rome, having been proclaimed the new Emperor by the Senate.

Under Titus, in early July the Romans captured the fortress-tower of Antonia on the northwest כְּנַף/corner of the Temple Mount. War V:5:8; VI:1:7 It provided access to the Temple complex via a narrow passage, which led “as far as the corner of the inner court of the Temple.” VI:1:8 This tower was elevated עַל/above/over the Temple, which allowed the Romans to look down upon the Temple and its courts. VI:1:5; 2:5

The “abominations of a destroyer” that ensued consisted of the most savage combat between Romans and Jews, including instances of Jewish fratricide; piles of corpses within the Temple complex; and the Jews and then the Romans setting fire to the Temple’s own cloisters across from the Roman-occupied Antonia. Also, the Romans began bringing their idolatrous ensigns (Aquilae), to which sacrifices were offered, into the Antonia Tower, and then into the Temple precincts. VI:1:7; 6:1 They were called Aquilae because of the eagle perched on top of them, a symbol of Jupiter.

VI:Endnote 24 …Tertullian truly says in his Apologetic…that the entire religion of the Roman camp almost consisted in worshipping the ensigns, in swearing by the ensigns, and in preferring the ensigns before all the [other] gods.

The destruction by fire of the Temple occurred during its capture on Ab 9/10 = August 4/5; followed by the destruction of upper Jerusalem (Zion) in early September. Thus Titus fulfilled the prophecy of “abominations/idolatry of a destroyer.”

7) A Jew named John of Gischala was the leader of a group of Zealots who had originally taken control over and ruthlessly dominated Jerusalem.

II:21:1 [He was] a treacherous person…and for wicked practices he had not his fellow any where. …[H]e laid waste all Galilee… IV:3:13 Now it was John who…was the occasion of all these [the party of the moderate High Priest Ananus in Jerusalem] being destroyed. He was a man of great craft, and bore about him in his soul a strong passion after tyranny…

By 70 A.D., Johnʼs Zealots had lost control over the city to another rebel leader, Simon, but still held the rebels’ highest and most fortified ground, that of the Temple complex. When the Romans ultimately came in “with a flood” of attackers to overwhelm the highly fortified inner courts and Sanctuary, “the consummation/end having been decreed” was “poured out upon [this] desolator.”

Summary

 

Simply stated, every one of the seven specific events prophesied by Daniel 9:26b-27 are found to be well-fulfilled by the events of the 7-year Jewish War of 66/67-73 A.D.

The last stronghold of the Jewish rebellion, Masada, fell in 73. Roman military rule over Judea ended not long afterward, and civilian rule was re-instituted.

Daniel 9:26b-27 prophesied three different men to come: a leader/commander of an army, a destroyer, and a desolator. Vespasian fulfilled the first prophecy, Titus the second, and John the Zealot the third.

*          *          *

Nothing in the passage of Daniel 9:24-27 can be demonstrated to have any unequivocal prophetic message for OUR time, despite the great deal of hype to the contrary. It doesn’t mention at all

– any “abomination of desolation of the Holy Place [Sanctuary]” (Matt. 24:15; cf. Deut. 7:25-26 and Dan. 11:31);

– the time of the end/latter time/latter days, or any similar term;

– the Great Tribulation/“time of trouble such as never was” (Dan. 12:1);

– the saints, or any flight of God’s people;

– Messiah’s coming in the clouds, Divine Judgment, and/or the establishment of God’s kingdom;

– the King of the North’s or the Little Horn’s demise;

– or the raising of the dead.

These topics are discussed elsewhere in Daniel’s End Time prophecies. Why are none of them found here? Because this is not a prophecy about the end of the Church Age, but rather about the end of the Jewish Age. Remember, Gabriel said that this prophecy of 70 weeks was to be “upon thy [Danielʼs] people,” that is, “my [Danielʼs] people Israel,” and no one else. Dan. 9:24, 20

Every prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 has already been fulfilled. History sometimes repeats itself in type, but never in such detail that it duplicates such a specific series of events.

Final Notes

One issue that has rightly troubled many commentators is the gap in time, presumed by both the future and historical views, between the end of the 69 weeks of years and the beginning of the 70th. Some few people believe there was no gap, and the last seven (or three and one-half) years immediately followed the death of Jesus. However, they can provide no plausible argument for the fulfillment of the seven events prophesied by verses 26b-27. Nothing of the kind occurred in the 30s A.D.

Likewise, the future view has no convincing biblical argument for a nearly 2000-year gap. The historical view does provide a legitimate reason for a gap, however, which is this: 40 years (or days) was Godʼs standard period for the testing of His people Israelʼs obedience. In particular, God tested Israelʼs faithfulness for 40 years after they entered into the Mosaic Covenant at Mount Sinai. All the Israelites of adult age who failed that test died.

God likewise allotted 40 years to test whether the Jewish people, and especially their religious leaders, would accept or reject Christ’s New Covenant. After those 40 years were fulfilled, the rebels against the New Covenant had their holy city and Temple destroyed, which effectively ended many mandated practices of the Old Covenant. That covenant required both a Temple and a place to gather for the yearly festivals of the Law. Both places were destroyed, and the Temple was never rebuilt.

Jesus prophesied just such a “desolation” for the city, people, and Temple of his day, saying that these were “the things having been written.” Luke 21:22; “the things” referring to the events of verses 6 and 20-21. Only one Old Testament “written” prophecy fulfills this statement, and that is the passage of Daniel 9:24-27. (Micah 3:12 was not fulfilled until the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba War, which ended in 135 A.D.) In particular, Jesus singled out the corrupted and rebellious religious leaders of his day – ha-poshim/the apostates (Dan. 8:23) – whose pesha would soon be “utterly restrained” (9:24):

Matthew 23:29 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! … 31 …you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. … 35 …upon you shall come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth… 36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem… 38 Behold, your house [that is, the Temple] is left to you desolate.”

In saying these words, Jesus was in effect both witnessing to and re-decreeing the “decreed desolations” of Daniel 9:26b and 27, and prophesying that those desolations would be fulfilled during the generation of the first century A.D. Which they were.

[dhchristian]

1 hour ago, WilliamL said:

Nothing in the passage of Daniel 9:24-27 can be demonstrated to have any unequivocal prophetic message for OUR time, despite the great deal of hype to the contrary. It doesn’t mention at all

– any “abomination of desolation of the Holy Place [Sanctuary]” (Matt. 24:15; cf. Deut. 7:25-26 and Dan. 11:31);

– the time of the end/latter time/latter days, or any similar term;

– the Great Tribulation/“time of trouble such as never was” (Dan. 12:1);

– the saints, or any flight of God’s people;

– Messiah’s coming in the clouds, Divine Judgment, and/or the establishment of God’s kingdom;

– the King of the North’s or the Little Horn’s demise;

– or the raising of the dead.

These topics are discussed elsewhere in Daniel’s End Time prophecies. Why are none of them found here? Because this is not a prophecy about the end of the Church Age, but rather about the end of the Jewish Age. Remember, Gabriel said that this prophecy of 70 weeks was to be “upon thy [Danielʼs] people,” that is, “my [Danielʼs] people Israel,” and no one else. Dan. 9:24, 20

Every prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 has already been fulfilled. History sometimes repeats itself in type, but never in such detail that it duplicates such a specific series of events.

Sorry, But your theory does not account for verse 24.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 

Has Israel finished the transgression yet? What transgression? The Piercing of Messiah (Zech. 12:10).

Have they made an end to sins? No, they still do not recognize Jesus as their Messiah.

Have they made reconciliation for Iniquity? They have not received Jesus as the Messiah, so no not yet.

Have they Brought everlasting righteousness? They will when Christ rules in the millennium.

Have they sealed up prophecy and vision? No Many prophecies remain yet to be fulfilled such as Ezekiel 37-39.

Have they anointed a most Holy (Place)? No, because there is no temple in Jerusalem. 

All of these things are yet future, and despite the similarities in events happening in 70 Ad to the ones described in verses 26-27, They are yet future events. As Abominable as the events of 70 Ad were, they were not part of the restoration of Israel, and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. Beware, because Satan has this knack for trying to Mimic God, because he wants to be Like God. Just like the Dragon, the beast and the False Prophet make up the unholy trinity.

God Bless. 

[Last Daze]

12 hours ago, Da Puppers said:

I think that you need to read Jeremiah 25.  The context of Daniel 9 is that Darius sits as the installed king over the realm of the Chaldeans.   This means that this is just after (the 1st year)  Cyrus' defeat of the Babylonian dynasty of Nebuchadnezzar...His sons' rule.  Cyrus took Babylon 47 years (586 - 539) after the destruction of Jerusalem,  which was the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar (605 - 562).  It had only been about 66 years.

Thanks for your reply.  It's good to see things in their context.  That was well explained and easy to follow.

12 hours ago, Da Puppers said:

Both have to deal with the judgment of Babylon the great.   Rev 17 is the desolation upon that great city, Jerusalem,  and the nations of the world that is then followed by the simultaneous 42  months reign of the beast from the B.P.

I do agree that Jerusalem will become desolate.  And I think we agree that the harlot (in her end time context) is referring to nefarious Jewish influence.  But I see the city that the 10 kings destroy as a city other than Jerusalem, a city where globalism (the feet of iron and clay) is headquartered, a city where the harlot rides the globalist agenda.

 

Edited December 13, 2019 by Last Daze

[dhchristian]

11 hours ago, Da Puppers said:

I have already established that the decree of Cyrus did not take place in the 70th year of desolations upon Jerusalem.   Those 70 years are referring to Jer 25.  With Dan 9, we now know that Babylon's 70 years will culminate at the same time as Israel's 70 sevens.   This is why there appears to be a passage of time between Rev 17 and 18.  Both have to deal with the judgment of Babylon the great.   Rev 17 is the desolation upon that great city, Jerusalem,  and the nations of the world that is then followed by the simultaneous 42  months reign of the beast from the B.P. ,  and the 42 month desolation of Jerusalem.   Her desolation,  [Babylon is fallen,  is fallen in Rev 14] will accentuate the rebuilding of Babylon  that God may reward her for her sins.  Israel will return to build Babylon,  only to be told to come out of her,  Rev 18:4.  All nations will drink of the cup of the wine of the wrath of God almighty.  

Interesting Interpretation of the Rev. 17 and 18. Never seen it Put like that before. 

[Justin Adams]

70 years is over. Revelation is largely if not all apocryphal as it says it is in the first verse.

We had better look for a different future to the one espoused by prophecy experts. It is not going to be as most have been led to expect. But it will be "as in the days of Noah" - just look around you.

Read about the antediluvian epoch that is all there if you care to study it.

 

[dhchristian]

Just now, Justin Adams said:

Revelation is largely if not all apocryphal

Only Those who do not have the Holy Ghost can make such a claim. Those of us who have the Holy Ghost, Know the Book of revelation is The Word of God. He has confirmed the validity of this Book many times.  

[Alive]

21 minutes ago, Justin Adams said:

70 years is over. Revelation is largely if not all apocryphal as it says it is in the first verse.

We had better look for a different future to the one espoused by prophecy experts. It is not going to be as most have been led to expect. But it will be "as in the days of Noah" - just look around you.

Read about the antediluvian epoch that is all there if you care to study it.

 

Would you please repeat that, but slower this time?

[Justin Adams]

1 hour ago, Alive said:

Would you please repeat that, but slower this time?

Simply put:

Revelation 1:1 King James Version (KJV). 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John...

Daniel's vision(s) was finished at the Cross and Pentecost. Revelation happened by 70 AD. Read Josephus' account of the fall of Jerusalem. Tribulation like never before seen and complete destruction plus millions killed and carried away. (Matt 24)

In the very end, Yeshua comes during a fierce battle between humans and fallen holy ones with The Lord championing His Saint and His Holy Ones. There is much carnage and a lot of fire. Hell is finally destroyed and all believers (all Israel 'the seed of Abraham') shall be saved.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Justin Adams

[Alive]

Now this is a new one! I have never heard before.

To be clear--are you saying that you think all of the events in Revelations have already happened?