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Daniel's Vision

Much has been said about the “Tribulation Period” even though the term is not mentioned in the scriptures by name. I believe that because God did not inspire the words that identify the “Tribulation Period” by name, we have no way to link a scriptural description to the term -- Tribulation Period -- or way to derive a reliable interpretation. For this reason those who coined the phrase Tribulation Period know more about the term than God does.

For a long time, certain leaders of the church believed that the pronoun “he” in Daniel 9:27 refers to the anti-Christ that will make a treaty with Israel as the final seven year period of Daniel’s dream. First, the “He” is a substitute word (pronoun) relating to a previous mentioned noun of the same gender contained within the interpretation of this dream. According to grammar we have two candidates to choose from, one is the Messiah and the other a prince with noble themes. However, only one of these two candidates can confirm a covenant.  

Let’s also remember that any interpretation of this passage must be confined to the message outlined by Gabriel, the messenger God sent to Daniel. Gabriel spoke of seven specific events of Daniel dream restricted by God’s message.  While it’s difficult for the average Christian to understand the length of the seventy week interpretation, the key to understanding <a href="http://" title=""Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will Daniel continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured o">Daniel 9:24-27 is confined to the objectives described by Gabriel. The terms used in this passage are both spiritual and historical and they are confirmed by other scriptures scattered throughout the bible.  Please take note of the objectives Gabriel speaks of in verse 24.

It’s not difficult to understand that verse 25 speaks of two main objectives, one of rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem and the coming Messiah. Through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah we can understand how the city was rebuilt in perilous times due to antics of Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and his associates that wrote a letter to Artaxerxes, Ezra 4:10.  In their letter they and reported the rebellion of the Jews who were rebuilding Jerusalem, a city the King of Babylon had previously ordered destroyed Jeremiah 52:12-16. However these objectives were completed in two separate time periods. The temple was rebuilt in first group of seven weeks and then an interim period of sixty two weeks elapsed before the coming of the Messiah.

The interim period of sixty two weeks was a time of war as the Babylonian, Persian, Greek empires struggled for supremacy but by the end of the sixty two weeks the Roman Empire came into power and was ruling the city of Jerusalem.  The second objective regarding the coming anointed one occurred during this period. The Messiah was born in the sixty-ninth week closing out the interim period of sixty two weeks. Then the Messiah ministered to the Jewish people for three and a half years during the seventieth week. We know this because verse 26 tells us that “after” the sixty-two weeks the messiah would come and be cut off, but not for himself.  Cutting off speaks of the death of the Messiah as seen in Isaiah 53:8.

Cutting off also speaks the crucifixion of the Lamb of God who died to reconcile man to God.  Thus the reconciliation to atone for sins according to the terms of the message given by Gabriel verse 24.

Verse 26 goes on to tell us what happened after the messiah has been cut off. We Know that because of the Jewish revolt of 70 AD was crushed by a Roman Emperor by the name of Titus, the temple and the city of Jerusalem was destroyed a second time.  When Titus had completely destroyed Jerusalem he returned to Rome and led a triumph full  procession down the main streets of Rome showing slaves taken from Jerusalem along with the Menorah and other sacred articles of worship that graced the temple at Jerusalem.  (See: www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/titus/titus.html. to see pictures of how Emperor Titus was honored).

Verse 27 starts out in the seventieth week (keep in mind that Jesus ministered to Israel during the seventieth week) with the focus on the word “he” – who confirmed a covenant. Confirming a covenant demands that a covenant had to be previously established and in effect.  Understanding the word covenant (beriyth) will help you to associate what confirming the covenant meant. The Hebrew word beriyth refers to a covenant associated with the shedding of blood like those that were used in the sacrificial covenants made with God. A number of references to the Old Testament scriptures about beriyth were used in the context of “My Covenant”, one of which was the covenant God made with Abraham when God passed between the animals that had been cut in half Genesis 15:17-18.

Again confirming is a word used to describe a strengthening of the existing covenant that God had previously established through the law given by Moses.

In the seventieth week John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and proclaimed, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) it was through the death of the Lamb of God and the shedding of his blood that God’s new covenant with man was firmly established.

It is written that he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week Daniel 9:27. In the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.  (The word sacrifice refers to the slaughter of animals and the word oblation refers to the sacrificial offering.) The Lamb of God was crucified on the cross of Calvary in the midst of the week and confirmed with these words.

"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Hebrews 10:16-18

In Mark 14:24 we read the words of that say “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (which is also confirmed by Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, John 6:54, 1 Corinthians 11:25). Jesus Christ submitted himself to do God’s will by saying not my will but thy will be done. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Hebrews 10:10. His death on the cross of Calvary put an end to the sacrificial system because there was no more need to sacrifice to atone for sins.  Let’s remember the blood of the covenant was poured out for many and that covenant of Daniel 9:27 was strengthened with many during the last week of this dream. Christians of today are in this period between the appearance of Jesus Christ and the abomination of desolation.

There is an interim period between the first and second half of the week. During this time the kingdom of Christ grows while the kingdom of darkness wages war against those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus Revelation 12:17.

When we resume our study into the last half of the week we find the language of the King James rather difficult to understand but accurate.

and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:27KJV

  Let’s define some of the words used,

Having several versions of the bible may help you to better understand this mystery. They give a reason to pay attention to other passages because they have a direct bearing on our Lord’s return.

"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand. Matthew 24:15------- "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Mark 13:14

Now look at Daniel 7:25.

Or-- then the end shall come and the decreed that will be poured out on him that is desolate as revealed by this passage

The beast that causes desolation is described I this manner. 

The Abomination that causes desolation is a detestable thing that causes ruin or in other words the detestable thing that make things utterly worthless and useless. When the Abomination that causes desolation is considered for personal use the interpretation could be easily be describing the deeds of the devil that makes men utterly worthless to God due to their sins.

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