The Prince that shall come?

[Cyberseeker]

It has been widely taught by modern preachers and popular books that the ‘coming prince’ spoken about in Daniel 9:26 refers to Antichrist. The story goes how the clock stopped after the sixty-ninth ‘week’ and the last ‘week’ - the seventieth - was projected two thousand years into the future after which it resumes when Antichrist is revealed. In the middle of this seven-year period he will enter a rebuilt Jewish temple and cause animal sacrifice to stop, an act of desecration which (they say) is the ‘abomination’ mentioned in verse 27.

This theory is wrong. Apart from the obvious difficulty of jamming a two-thousand year wedge into God’s timeline, it confuses the prophecy’s real intent. The passage is all about atonement, not second coming. The temple is the ‘rejected’ not the ‘desecrated.’ The overspreading abomination was the continuance of sacrifice after it was meant to stop. The central person is Christ, not Antichrist, and the prince who was to come referred to Titus who came forty years after the ‘weeks’ were over.

The traditional view of this passage, held by the Church until last century, was the correct one all along. Christ is the one who confirms the covenant! Christ is the one who causes sacrifice to cease! Christ is the one that makes the temple obsolete! Is this what happened? It surely did. In the midst of the seventieth ‘week’ – in the very midst – God caused the great curtain of the temple to be torn from top to bottom indicating that sacrifice (as far as He was concerned) had come to an end. The atonement was complete! Shortly afterward the ‘other prince,’ Titus the Roman, came and destroyed the temple altogether.

Please examine the text below comparing the alternative notes and notice how naturally the traditional explanation flows with events as they unfolded. For example, the destruction is attributed to “the people of the prince,†not to the prince himself. Such a distinction would be superfluous if it were not for the fact that Titus had instructed his troops to preserve the temple but they disobeyed orders and torched it.

Modern Futurist Interpretation

After the sixty-two weeks Messiah (Jesus) shall be cut off, but not for himself; and the people (Roman troops in ad 70) of the prince who is to come (Antichrist, from revived roman empire) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

He (future Antichrist) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week (3½ yrs after his treaty) shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. (temple desecrated) And on the wing of abominations (situated in a wing of the temple) shall be one who makes desolate, (Antichrists abomination) even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate. (judgement on Antichrist)​

Traditional Christian Interpretation

After the sixty-two weeks Messiah (Jesus) shall be cut off, but not for himself; and the people (Roman troops in ad 70) of the prince who is to come (Titus, a roman general and prince) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

He (Messiah) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week (3½ yrs after his revealing) shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. (temple curtain torn) And on the wing of abominations (ongoing sacrifice an abomination) shall be one who makes desolate, (Titus destroys temple) even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate. (judgement on Jerusalem)​

 

[Sinthesis]

Closer, but no cigar. The temple was desolate long before Titus showed up. Consider the destruction of the first temple where God used Nebuchadnezzar to pour out judgement on the rebellious bad figs. The figs were already bad. It's the same thing here. Therefore, the prince to come is Jesus, and his people are Jews because Jesus is a Jew. Rebellious Jews turned their identity as God's people into an abomination, thus God used Rome to pour out judgement on the rebellious bad figs.

 

[reba]

Sint, speaking of nationalities what makes a Jew a Jew.. member reba.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please no one take off on this question to the duel seed stuff. mod reba

 

[Cyberseeker]

Closer, but no cigar. The temple was desolate long before Titus showed up.

Spiritually desolate tis true. Physically, bigger and prouder than ever.

... the prince to come is Jesus, and his people are Jews because Jesus is a Jew. Rebellious Jews turned their identity as God's people into an abomination, thus God used Rome to pour out judgement ...

So, the rebellious Jews are the 'abomination' and the Romans do the actual damage? Problem is, that's not it exactly what it says. It says, "the people of the prince to come" are the ones who do the damage. Your logic gets a bit convoluted when you try to say it was the Jews who destroyed the temple.

No cigar for you either bro.

 

[JLB]

It has been widely taught by modern preachers and popular books that the ‘coming prince’ spoken about in Daniel 9:26 refers to Antichrist. The story goes how the clock stopped after the sixty-ninth ‘week’ and the last ‘week’ - the seventieth - was projected two thousand years into the future after which it resumes when Antichrist is revealed. In the middle of this seven-year period he will enter a rebuilt Jewish temple and cause animal sacrifice to stop, an act of desecration which (they say) is the ‘abomination’ mentioned in verse 27.

This theory is wrong. Apart from the obvious difficulty of jamming a two-thousand year wedge into God’s timeline, it confuses the prophecy’s real intent. The passage is all about atonement, not second coming. The temple is the ‘rejected’ not the ‘desecrated.’ The overspreading abomination was the continuance of sacrifice after it was meant to stop. The central person is Christ, not Antichrist, and the prince who was to come referred to Titus who came forty years after the ‘weeks’ were over.

The traditional view of this passage, held by the Church until last century, was the correct one all along. Christ is the one who confirms the covenant! Christ is the one who causes sacrifice to cease! Christ is the one that makes the temple obsolete! Is this what happened? It surely did. In the midst of the seventieth ‘week’ – in the very midst – God caused the great curtain of the temple to be torn from top to bottom indicating that sacrifice (as far as He was concerned) had come to an end. The atonement was complete! Shortly afterward the ‘other prince,’ Titus the Roman, came and destroyed the temple altogether.

Please examine the text below comparing the alternative notes and notice how naturally the traditional explanation flows with events as they unfolded. For example, the destruction is attributed to “the people of the prince,†not to the prince himself. Such a distinction would be superfluous if it were not for the fact that Titus had instructed his troops to preserve the temple but they disobeyed orders and torched it.

Modern Futurist Interpretation

After the sixty-two weeks Messiah (Jesus) shall be cut off, but not for himself; and the people (Roman troops in ad 70) of the prince who is to come (Antichrist, from revived roman empire) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

He (future Antichrist) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week (3½ yrs after his treaty) shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. (temple desecrated) And on the wing of abominations (situated in a wing of the temple) shall be one who makes desolate, (Antichrists abomination) even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate. (judgement on Antichrist)​

Traditional Christian Interpretation

After the sixty-two weeks Messiah (Jesus) shall be cut off, but not for himself; and the people (Roman troops in ad 70) of the prince who is to come (Titus, a roman general and prince) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

He (Messiah) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week (3½ yrs after his revealing) shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. (temple curtain torn) And on the wing of abominations (ongoing sacrifice an abomination) shall be one who makes desolate, (Titus destroys temple) even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate. (judgement on Jerusalem)​

Here is what Paul had to say about the subject -

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4


He seems to disagree with you.


JLB

 

[precepts]

I explained on another site Dan 9's desecration is Dan 11:31's desecration. The context is refering to the Greek lil horn Antiochus III, aka "the Great."

The commandment to rebuild Shalem 7yrs before the rebuilding began in 532bc.

Hebrew 490 yrs from 532bc, or 539bc the commandment yr, could never equal 33ad or 70ad. Do the math. The context is post Esther, 20 yrs after, to be exact, the time of Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall, which coincidentally is part of the 70wks prophecy!

 

[JLB]

I explained on another site Dan 9's desecration is Dan 11:31's desecration. The context is refering to the Greek lil horn Antiochus III, aka "the Great."

The commandment to rebuild Shalem 7yrs before the rebuilding began in 532bc.

Hebrew 490 yrs from 532bc, or 539bc the commandment yr, could never equal 33ad or 70ad. Do the math. The context is post Esther, 20 yrs after, to be exact, the time of Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall, which coincidentally is part of the 70wks prophecy!

could never equal 33ad

"Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;


That means the 69th week culminated when Jesus was considered the Messiah, as a full grown Man.

Messiah the Prince was fulfilled on "Palm Sunday" when the whole city came out to proclaim Jesus as "Prince" the son of David.


Messiah the Prince refers to the Messianic proclamation of the people when Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem, where they cried out Hosanna to the son of David, and laid palm branches down before Him. This event is celebrated even to this day as "Palm Sunday".

Hosanna is a Messianic term from psalms 118 that means "save now"! The priest's were angry with the people and asked Jesus to stop them because this was a reference to be made to YHWH.

Psalm 118:21-26
21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!" 10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" 11 So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." Matthew 21:9-11

Jesus said if these people don't praise me the stones will cry out.

This was the prophecy from Daniel being fulfilled and nothing in heaven or on earth was going to stop it from coming to pass!

This event marked the end of the 69th week!

Five days later, after the 69th week, Messiah was "cut off" on Passover.

26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;


The point is the 69th week stretches to 33 AD!

There are gaps between the 7 weeks and 62 weeks that allows for this.

JLB

 

[Cyberseeker]

Here is what Paul had to say about the subject -

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

He seems to disagree with you.

I never said there would not be a future Antichrist. I only said that he is not found in Daniel chapter 9's prophecy of the 70 weeks.

Paul and other New Testament writers were referencing Dan 7:25, not Dan 9:27 but futurists assume both texts are speaking of the same event. They aren't. Chapter 7 is about 'beast' empires, chapter 9 is about atonement.

 

[precepts]

"Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;


That means the 69th week culminated when Jesus was considered the Messiah, as a full grown Man.

Messiah the Prince was fulfilled on "Palm Sunday" when the whole city came out to proclaim Jesus as "Prince" the son of David.


Messiah the Prince refers to the Messianic proclamation of the people when Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem, where they cried out Hosanna to the son of David, and laid palm branches down before Him. This event is celebrated even to this day as "Palm Sunday".

Hosanna is a Messianic term from psalms 118 that means "save now"! The priest's were angry with the people and asked Jesus to stop them because this was a reference to be made to YHWH.

Psalm 118:21-26
21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!" 10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" 11 So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." Matthew 21:9-11

Jesus said if these people don't praise me the stones will cry out.

This was the prophecy from Daniel being fulfilled and nothing in heaven or on earth was going to stop it from coming to pass!

This event marked the end of the 69th week!

Five days later, after the 69th week, Messiah was "cut off" on Passover.

26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;


The point is the 69th week stretches to 33 AD!

There are gaps between the 7 weeks and 62 weeks that allows for this.

JLB

All that said and done, the 7yrs to the commandment to go and rebuild Shalem was im 539bc. It was 7yrs to Cyrus' commandment in 532bc.

From my studies, the 490 yrs began on the 70th yr anniversary of the 1st Temple's destruction, the yr of the 2nd Temple's completion by Joshua, son of the high priest Josedech, Zerubabel, and Ezra. By the way, this is the same Joshua that's crowned King and high priest post Babylon.

There's a 70yrs span from the Temple's destruction to it's rebuilding. The Temple was destroyed in the 11th yr of the Judaic King Zedek. There's an other 11yrs reign prior to King Zedek, King Akim who was put under tribute in the 3rd yr of his 11 yrs reign. His son reigned 3yrs after, succeeded by his uncle, King Zedek, his father's brother enthroned by nebuchadnezzar.

Israel, from the temple destruction to Darius the Mede's conquering Babylon, spent 40 yrs. It was 7yrs to Cyrus, and 23 yrs to the 2nd temple's completion, 70 yrs! That's also 62 yrs, 40 yrs in Babylon, Zedek's 11 yrs, Akin's 3yrs, and Akim's 8 yrs under Nebuchadnezzar rule, which equals 62yrs to Darius from Nebuchadnezzar, 7yrs to Cyrus, equals 69 hebrew yrs! The 70th yr was an Exodus!

The 490 yrs begins at this point. The 2nd Temple took 23 yrs to rebuild from 532 bc to 509bc, rebuilting it 70 yrs after it's destruction. 490 hebrew yrs equals 483 bc yrs, minus 509 bc equals 26-24 bc, the beginning of Augustus Ceasar's reign as the 1st Roman Emperor.

 

[JLB]

All that said and done, the 7yrs to the commandment to go and rebuild Shalem was im 539bc. It was 7yrs to Cyrus' commandment in 532bc.

From my studies, the 490 yrs began on the 70th yr anniversary of the 1st Temple's destruction, the yr of the 2nd Temple's completion by Joshua, son of the high priest Josedech, Zerubabel, and Ezra. By the way, this is the same Joshua that's crowned King and high priest post Babylon.

There's a 70yrs span from the Temple's destruction to it's rebuilding. The Temple was destroyed in the 11th yr of the Judaic King Zedek. There's an other 11yrs reign prior to King Zedek, King Akim who was put under tribute in the 3rd yr of his 11 yrs reign. His son reigned 3yrs after, succeeded by his uncle, King Zedek, his father's brother enthroned by nebuchadnezzar.

Israel, from the temple destruction to Darius the Mede's conquering Babylon, spent 40 yrs. It was 7yrs to Cyrus, and 23 yrs to the 2nd temple's completion, 70 yrs! That's also 62 yrs, 40 yrs in Babylon, Zedek's 11 yrs, Akin's 3yrs, and Akim's 8 yrs under Nebuchadnezzar rule, which equals 62yrs to Darius from Nebuchadnezzar, 7yrs to Cyrus, equals 69 hebrew yrs! The 70th yr was an Exodus!

The 490 yrs begins at this point. The 2nd Temple took 23 yrs to rebuild from 532 bc to 509bc, rebuilting it 70 yrs after it's destruction. 490 hebrew yrs equals 483 bc yrs, minus 509 bc equals 26-24 bc, the beginning of Augustus Ceasar's reign as the 1st Roman Emperor.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations. Matthew 1:17


Babylonian Captivity to Christ = 14 generations = 560 years

Time of Captivity = 70 years

560 -70 = 490 years = 70 weeks


JLB

 

[Sinthesis]

Sint, speaking of nationalities what makes a Jew a Jew.. member reba.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please no one take off on this question to the duel seed stuff. mod reba

The same things that they always were; is what you believe and what you do accepted by the Jewish community as Jewish. The genetics don't mean squat, and never did other than as Messianic promises. As todays Jews still don't recognize their Messiah, you can see how they could also still be mistakenly concerned with genetics.

 

[Sinthesis]

Spiritually desolate tis true. Physically, bigger and prouder than ever.

So, the rebellious Jews are the 'abomination' and the Romans do the actual damage? Problem is, that's not it exactly what it says. It says, "the people of the prince to come" are the ones who do the damage. Your logic gets a bit convoluted when you try to say it was the Jews who destroyed the temple.

No cigar for you either bro.

The Jews spiritually destroyed their city and sanctuary. The Romans just physically plowed under that which was already spiritually dead. The spiritual desolation is what is important. Spirit vs flesh. The spiritual damage the Jewish leadership did to Judaism in their effort to be their own messiah (therefore an antichrist) and deliver themselves from bondage to Rome, is what lead directly to their physical destruction. God would not allow that kind of arrogance to represent His Name to the world.

 

[Cyberseeker]

The Jews spiritually destroyed their city and sanctuary. The Romans just physically plowed under that which was already spiritually dead.

Whadoyamean "just?" If the Roman physically destroyed the city, then they are the 'people' irrespective of whether the Jews deserved it or not.

 

[Cyberseeker]

I believe Titus was the one Daniel referred to as 'the prince who was to come.' He was not just any Roman general; he was the son of Emperor Vespasian and crown prince. This fact in itself is yet another fulfilled prediction in Daniels detailed prophecy.

But an objection to Titus is that he does not fit descriptions of Antichrist, nor did he install an ‘abomination’ in the temple. However, it is an assumption to expect it in the first place. Yes, scripture speaks of a future ‘Man of Sin’ but Daniel’s reference to him is found in chapter 7, not chapter 9 which is to do with Messiah’s atonement and the destruction of the old method of atonement. The separate visions contained in Daniels writings should not be muddled together.

Another objection asks, “how can the seventieth week stretch over forty years to include the events of Christs ministry through to the fall of Jerusalem?" The answer is quite simple. The fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple was not in the actual seventy weeks. Daniel simply added the information to his prophecy as an addendum to the 'weeks' in order to explain what the eventual outcome would be.

Cyber

 

[reba]

The same things that they always were; is what you believe and what you do accepted by the Jewish community as Jewish. The genetics don't mean squat, and never did other than as Messianic promises. As todays Jews still don't recognize their Messiah, you can see how they could also still be mistakenly concerned with genetics.

Closer, but no cigar. The temple was desolate long before Titus showed up.
Consider the destruction of the first temple where God used Nebuchadnezzar to
pour out judgement on the rebellious bad figs. The figs were already bad. It's
the same thing here. Therefore, the prince to come is Jesus, and his people are
Jews because Jesus is a Jew. Rebellious Jews turned their identity as God's
people into an abomination, thus God used Rome to pour out judgement on the
rebellious bad figs.

In my head these 2 post of yours don't go together. SPLANE

 

[precepts]

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations. Matthew 1:17


Babylonian Captivity to Christ = 14 generations = 560 years

Time of Captivity = 70 years

560 -70 = 490 years = 70 weeks


JLB

Assuming it was 14 generations, stil having to subtract 70 yrs over 490 yrs, of course.

The 490 yrs, the 70wks of 7 yrs, is the span of Daniel's prophecy of the Beast kingdoms post Babylon, post the 2nd temple's completion. This is why the 4th Beast didn't have a definate description. Daniel's visions spans the Persia/Medes (the ram) and Grecia (the goat).

 

[precepts]

I believe Titus was the one Daniel referred to as 'the prince who was to come.' He was not just any Roman general; he was the son of Emperor Vespasian and crown prince. This fact in itself is yet another fulfilled prediction in Daniels detailed prophecy.

But an objection to Titus is that he does not fit descriptions of Antichrist, nor did he install an ‘abomination’ in the temple. However, it is an assumption to expect it in the first place. Yes, scripture speaks of a future ‘Man of Sin’ but Daniel’s reference to him is found in chapter 7, not chapter 9 which is to do with Messiah’s atonement and the destruction of the old method of atonement. The separate visions contained in Daniels writings should not be muddled together.

Another objection asks, “how can the seventieth week stretch over forty years to include the events of Christs ministry through to the fall of Jerusalem?" The answer is quite simple. The fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple was not in the actual seventy weeks. Daniel simply added the information to his prophecy as an addendum to the 'weeks' in order to explain what the eventual outcome would be.

Cyber

EDITED to read..... We obviously disagree in our understanding of the Scriptures. reba

Scriptures are facts that align with historical records. Dan 9 and 11:31's desecration of the daily sacrifice historically took place during the context of Dan 11.

It was the Greek lil horn, during the time of the hellenization of the Jewish Nation into Pharisees and Sadducees, that replaced the Aaronic high priesthood, without it's rightful heir.

The Abomination of desolation, aka Malachi 1 and 2's warning to the false priesthood post the Greek lil horn's reign! The fake priesthood and Maccabean false kingship that lasted to Christ's generation, 70ad.

This are scriptural and historical facts!

 

[JLB]

EDITED to read..... We obviously disagree in our understanding of the Scriptures. reba

Scriptures are facts that align with historical records. Dan 9 and 11:31's desecration of the daily sacrifice historically took place during the context of Dan 11.

It was the Greek lil horn, during the time of the hellenization of the Jewish Nation into Pharisees and Sadducees, that replaced the Aaronic high priesthood, without it's rightful heir.

The Abomination of desolation, aka Malachi 1 and 2's warning to the false priesthood post the Greek lil horn's reign! The fake priesthood and Maccabean false kingship that lasted to Christ's generation, 70ad.

This are scriptural and historical facts!

Scriptures are facts that align with historical records. Dan 9 and 11:31's desecration of the daily sacrifice historically took place during the context of Dan 11

You quote a specific scripture from Daniel 11:31, yet when it comes to Daniel 9 you don't give a verse reference, as you did referring to Chapter 11.

Daniel 9:26 refers to the destruction of the city and sanctuary. That took place in 70 AD.
Daniel 9:27 refers to a completely different event that involves "temple activities" taking place and coming to an end again, clearly after the time when the temple and city was destroyed.

Furthermore, verse 27 makes no mention of the any destruction of the temple of any kind.


JLB

 

[precepts]

You quote a specific scripture from Daniel 11:31, yet when it comes to Daniel 9 you don't give a verse reference, as you did referring to Chapter 11.

Daniel 9:26 refers to the destruction of the city and sanctuary. That took place in 70 AD.
Daniel 9:27 refers to a completely different event that involves "temple activities" taking place and coming to an end again, clearly after the time when the temple and city was destroyed.

Furthermore, verse 27 makes no mention of the any destruction of the temple of any kind.


JLB

The taking away of the daily sacrifice is the common bond in Dan 9:27 and Dan 11:31. To claim 70ad was the fulfilment is to deny the fact of the corruption of the Aaronic high priest lineage and reign, and the reign of illegitimate Jewish kings.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were hellenized, illegitimate rulers, from the time of the Greek lil horn Antiochus III the Great to the 2nd temple's destruction.

 

[Sinthesis]

In my head these 2 post of yours don't go together. SPLANE

We can identify Jesus' people either carnally or spiritually.
Jesus was physically a Jew. His heredity was of the Jews, i.e. His people(ancestry) were Jews. Of course from our graceful point of view, Jesus' people(believers), or children(spiritual), aren't defined by heredity. This Christian world view, however, was not yet made evident to people in Daniel's era, so we should interpret the prophecy as Daniel would have.