Malachi
Member
Christians who believe in a post- or mid-tribulation Rapture generally overlook Daniel’s 70th week and its application to the nation of Israel. In Daniel 9:26,27 we find: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. The Lord Jesus Christ was referring to precisely this prophecy when He said (Matthew 24:15,16): “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:”
The prophecy of Daniel’s seventy weeks (Dan 9:24-27) is a prophecy applicable strictly to Israel (“Seventy weeks are determined upon THY PEOPLE” v.24) and everything that is stated in the Olivet Discourse applies to Israel.
The “weeks” of Daniel are literally “sevens” (Heb shabua), and are interpreted as either weeks of days or weeks of years (depending on context, see Old Testament Word Studies by William Wilson).
So a total of 70 x 7 = 490 years was determined “until the consummation” (v. 27). And Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ) was “cut off” (crucified) precisely at the end of 483 years from “the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (v. 25).
However a period of seven years (one week) remains to be fulfilled because the Abomination of Desolation has not been erected in the Temple at Jerusalem, and even the Temple itself has not been restored.
It will be noticed above “that in the midst of the week” (3 ½ years after it begins) “the prince that shall come” (the Beast of Revelation 13, or the Man of Sin or the Son of Perdition or the Antichrist) shall “cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease”. So there will be Temple sacrifices at this time but after 3 ½ years the Beast shall put an end to those sacrifices, and erect an image in the Temple which will be required to be worshipped as God: .”.. and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thess 2:3,4).
This is the blasphemous Abomination of Desolation which will trigger the Great Tribulation, which is also “the time of Jacob’s [Israel’s) trouble” (Dan 12:1): And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” This is exactly how Christ described the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).
The prophecy of Daniel’s seventy weeks (Dan 9:24-27) is a prophecy applicable strictly to Israel (“Seventy weeks are determined upon THY PEOPLE” v.24) and everything that is stated in the Olivet Discourse applies to Israel.
The “weeks” of Daniel are literally “sevens” (Heb shabua), and are interpreted as either weeks of days or weeks of years (depending on context, see Old Testament Word Studies by William Wilson).
So a total of 70 x 7 = 490 years was determined “until the consummation” (v. 27). And Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ) was “cut off” (crucified) precisely at the end of 483 years from “the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (v. 25).
However a period of seven years (one week) remains to be fulfilled because the Abomination of Desolation has not been erected in the Temple at Jerusalem, and even the Temple itself has not been restored.
It will be noticed above “that in the midst of the week” (3 ½ years after it begins) “the prince that shall come” (the Beast of Revelation 13, or the Man of Sin or the Son of Perdition or the Antichrist) shall “cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease”. So there will be Temple sacrifices at this time but after 3 ½ years the Beast shall put an end to those sacrifices, and erect an image in the Temple which will be required to be worshipped as God: .”.. and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thess 2:3,4).
This is the blasphemous Abomination of Desolation which will trigger the Great Tribulation, which is also “the time of Jacob’s [Israel’s) trouble” (Dan 12:1): And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” This is exactly how Christ described the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).