Book of Daniel, Part Two
The Four Beasts Out of the Sea (Chap. 7)
The
seventh chapter of Daniel contains an exciting
prophecy concerning the generation in which we
live. The prophecies in this chapter have
been unfolding before our very eyes since the
Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the date that
Israel was established as a nation on May 14,
1948. The first three verses of the vision are
as follows:
The
traditional interpretation of the four great
beasts of Daniel 7 makes it parallel with the
dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2, and the
great image of gold, silver, brass and iron
mixed with clay, which symbolize the empires of
Babylon, Medo-Persia,
Greece and Rome. Theologians have written
volumes on the four great beasts of chapter 7 in
futile attempts to mold the four empires of
Daniel 2 into the prophecies of chapter 7. It is
important to recognize that Daniel 7 is not a
prophecy of the four world empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and
Rome. However, the prophecies of Daniel 7 do
link up with the revival of the Roman empire in the form of the
ten toes on the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw in
his dream. The beast with ten horns in
Daniel 7:7 represents the same as the ten toes
on the image in Daniel 2, but the other beasts
of Daniel 7 do not correspond to the Babylonian,
Medo-Persian and
Greek Empires. The chart at the end of this
article may help some understand the
relationship of the four beasts out of the sea
with the four world empires of Nebuchadnezzar's
dream.
It
is important to note that Daniel had this dream
and these visions during the first year of
Belshazzar. Belshazzar was a later king of
Babylon who ruled from 555 to 539 B.C., during
Babylon's decline and fall. Belshazzar was
killed the night a hand appeared to him and his
court and wrote a message on the wall.
Daniel later interpreted this message. This was
the same night that the great city Babylon fell
to the Persians led by Cyrus. Daniel was told by
the angel interpreting his dream that the four
great beasts would arise in the future (Daniel
7:17). This excludes Babylon as one of the
beasts.
In
Daniel's vision, these "four great beasts came
up from the sea" at the time that "the four
winds of the heaven strove upon the great
sea." Throughout Scripture, the sea
represents the Gentile nations of the world, and
the four winds striving upon the sea portray a
tumultuous time among the nations. It is a time
of war, commotion and upheaval among the
Gentiles. This is a clear and concise
description of the 20th century: two world
wars have occurred, innumerable conflicts
between nations, ethnic cleansing, riots,
famines, earthquakes, massive storms, floods and
human misery and suffering. The 20th
century has been a time of tumult, strife and
conflict among the nations, unparalleled in the
history of mankind. In the book A History
of the World in the Twentieth Century by
J.A.S. Grenville, the author describes the
twentieth century as "history's bloodiest
century."
As stated above, it is
important to note that Belshazzar was the last
king of Babylon, and he was a co-regent with his
father Nabonidus, as
explained earlier in chapter 5. Babylon was at the
end of being the empire of gold and was certainly
not to rise in the future. This specifically
excludes Babylon as being the lion beast, which
was to rise in the future. Daniel wrote the dream
in verses 1-14 and verses 15-28 provide the
interpretation, which is the sum of the matters.
(Dan 7:2 KJV) Daniel spake and said, I saw in
my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of
the heaven strove upon the great sea.
In Daniel’s dream he saw the
four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea.
Literally, the great sea is the Mediterranean Sea,
but this is to be understood figuratively, so the
great sea would be the political powers of the
world. The sea typifies the Gentile or heathen
nations of the world and pertains to political
systems, which are tempestuous and tumultuous in
contrast to the land, which is settled and calm.
The land or the earth symbolizes Israel and
religious systems, which are more stable and
settled. Religious systems change very slowly,
whereas political systems change quickly. The four
winds of heaven striving upon the great sea
depicts a time of tumultuous upheaval in political
affairs. The 20th century is most
definitely the correct time period for the
fulfillment of this prophecy, as described in the
introduction to this chapter.
(Dan 7:3 KJV) And four
great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one
from another.
Daniel states that four great beasts came up out of the Gentile nations during this tumultuous time in history, and these four great beasts were very different from each other. Please note that all four beasts arise in the order given, but all remain and co-exist with one another. The Ten-Horned Beast tramples down both the Leopard and the Bear, and this firmly establishes that the Leopard is NOT the Medo-Persian Empire and the Bear is NOT the Grecian Empire. The Ten-Horned Beast is the same empire as the Ten Toes on the Image of Nebuchadnezzar in Chapter 2 and this Empire has not yet arisen. The Medo-Persian Empire and the Grecian Empire ceased to exist more than 2000 years ago, so it is absurd to link these empires with the empires of Chapter 2.
The first beast to come up out of the sea is described as follows in the prophecy: Dan 7:4 (KJV) The first was like a
lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the
wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted
up from the earth, and made stand upon the
feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to
it.
Great Britain was blessed by God with great
authority around the globe. God used Great
Britain to assist the Jews in their return to
the Holy Land, and in the establishment of the
State of Israel. The League of Nations gave a
mandate to the British to rule over Palestine.
This was an opportunity for a tremendous
blessing for Great Britain, but it was only
realized in a very limited extent.
God's judgment has fallen on Great Britain since
that fateful time when it turned against God's
chosen people. In Scripture, a beast
symbolizes an enemy of God's people. Thus,
the lion as a beast represents Great Britain in
its opposition to the Jews. The eagle's wings
represent the widespread power of Great Britain
over the earth, but its wings are plucked. The
eagle’s wings also typify the daughter of Great
Britain, which was the United States of America.
Not only was the power of Great Britain
decreased, but the USA was also plucked out of
the control of Great Britain during the
Revolutionary War when America won its
independence from Great Britain. In the years
since World War II, Great Britain's political,
economic and military power has been greatly
weakened, just as God stated in this prophecy
about the Lion. The widespread power of Great
Britain was plucked by God, no doubt because of
its treatment of the Jews after World War II.
Dan 7:5 (KJV) And behold another beast, a second, like
to a bear, and it raised up itself on one
side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it
between the teeth of it: and they said thus
unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
It
was the Great Russian Bear that raised itself up
on the north side of Israel for the purpose of
devouring much flesh. Russia devoured much
throughout the world, but there were three
prominent Baltic countries that were swallowed
up by the bear: Lithuania, Estonia and
Latvia. These countries were conquered and
annexed by the Russians in 1940 and these
countries completely lost their national
identity. Although they lost their identity as
independent countries, they were not completely
assimilated into the Bear because they
maintained their ethnic and cultural heritage.
These three ribs in the mouth of the bear were a
constant source of problems for the Russian
leaders, because of their resistance to
assimilation by the communistic regime. The
three ribs in the mouth of the bear that refused
to be digested by the bear are clearly
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. These were the
last three countries to be swallowed up by the
bear, and all three were devoured by the bear in
1940.
History now records the breakup of the Great
Russian Bear, along with the failure of its
communistic government and its economy. It is
very important to note that the bear has not
been changed from a beast into a man. This is
true because the Bear is yet to fulfill the
prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 where Russia will
invade Israel. This prophecy will be fulfilled
in the first half of the seven-year tribulation
period. Russia will invade Israel, but it will
be destroyed by God in the mountains of Israel.
This will be a climactic event during the first
half of the tribulation period. Russia’s
invasion of Israel will take place as the
fulfillment of the Red Horseman of the
Apocalypse. Consequently, it will not take place
until after the fulfillment of the White
Horseman riding out as the conqueror. This White
Horseman is the Antichrist. It is ironic that
God will use the Antichrist as the leader over
the Ten-Horned Beast to trample down Great
Russian Bear.
Dan 7:6 (KJV) After
this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard,
which had upon the back of it four wings of a
fowl; the beast had also four heads; and
dominion was given to it.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary,
the word leopard is defined as follows:
Definition number 2 above is
the key to the identification of the third beast
in Daniel 7. The sphinx matches this
definition perfectly, and the sphinx is the
international symbol for Egypt. Egypt's
significant role in the prophetic events of the
last days confirms that Egypt will be the beast
"like a leopard."
The
four wings on the back of the leopard Egypt: Syria, Jordan, Iraq
and Saudi Arabia
The
last statement in the prophecy about the leopard
with the four wings on its back states "and
dominion was given to it." This simply
means that this beast will have dominion or
power over the other nations of the world. The
oil that these five countries possess has
already given them power or dominion over the
other nations in the world, including the United
States of America. These five Arab countries
have about 60% of the world's known oil
reserves, and America, Europe and Japan are all
dependent upon their oil. Saudi Arabia alone
could destroy the economies of America, Europe
and Japan by simply turning off its oil pumps.
After Damascus, Syria is destroyed and becomes a
ruinous heap, these Arab nations will likely
form a coalition to retaliate against America,
Israel and other countries. This will very
likely initiate the crisis that causes the
fourth beast out of the sea to rise up and
attack the Leopard. Egypt will become a
wasteland in accordance with Isaiah 19 and the
coalition of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and
Saudi Arabia will be trampled down by the
Ten-Horned Beast. Please read my exegesis of
Isaiah 19 at the following link: Burden of Egypt.
The
fourth beast to rise up out of the sea will be
the infamous Ten-Horned beast. This beast
is described in the following verse:
Dan 7:7 (KJV) After this I
saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth
beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong
exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it
devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the
residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse
from all the beasts that were before it; and it
had ten horns.
The
Ten-Horned Beast will be extremely powerful and
will actually be a form of the revived Roman
Empire. It has been thought for centuries that
the Roman Empire was dead, just as it is thought
that Antichrist is dead, but the Roman Empire
will be revived, just as the Antichrist will be
revived. We will look at some more details in
the exegesis of the rest of this chapter. The
interpretation of Daniel’s dream is given in
verses 14-28.
Dan 7:8 (KJV) I considered the horns,
and, behold, there came up among them another
little horn, before whom there were three of
the first horns plucked up by the roots: and,
behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes
of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
America will be the headquarters for the
Antichrist when he figuratively arises from
death, and his headquarters is that Great City
Babylon, which "reigns over the kings of the
earth." A brief summary follows to help tie it
all together.
Rev 13:2 (KJV) And
the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard,
and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his
mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon
gave him his power, and his seat, and great
authority.
We
will look at some more details of the second
coming of Antichrist in our exegesis of chapter
11. Please read my exegesis of Revelation for
more information and details about Antichrist as
the once and future king of Babylon the Great.
America is definitely the New Babylon (i.e.,
political). The links are as follows:
This has been an
explanation of the prophetic fulfillment of the
four great beasts out of the sea in Daniel
7. These beasts out of the sea are not the
same as the four world empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and
Rome described in the second chapter of
Daniel. Daniel 2 covers a period of 2600
years, but Daniel 7 covers the last hundred
years of this age just prior to the millennial
reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth.
(Dan 7:9 KJV) I
beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the
Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white
as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure
wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as
burning fire.
Daniel continues with the
summary of his dream, which describes the
establishment of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ with
supreme authority over the world and his judgment
by fire on the world. All the kingdoms of the
earth will become as naught when Jesus Christ
returns to establish his kingdom upon the earth.
This verse provides a brief description of Jesus
Christ as the coming King over the earth. His
garment will be white as snow, and garments typify
the works of the individual wearing them. All of
the works of Jesus Christ were pure and untainted
by sin and corruption. The hair of his head is
like pure wool, and wool symbolizes his divine
authority to rule and reign. The divinely ordained
prophets wore the woolen mantel to show their
divine authority as spokesmen for God. The throne
as the fiery flame and his wheels as burning fire
depict his right to judge and purify everyone and
everything that will come under his dominion as
king over the earth.
(Dan 7:10 KJV) A fiery stream
issued and came forth from before him:
thousand thousands ministered unto him, and
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before
him: the judgment was set, and the books were
opened.
The fiery stream is the gehenna
fire of judgment that will go forth from his
throne. The thousand thousands that ministered
unto him are the angels that obey him as the
rightful king over the earth. The ten thousand
times ten thousand that stand before him are the
complete Church in heaven around his throne
standing before him to be judged for their works. Details
of this verse are provided in my exegesis of
Revelation at the following link:
(Dan 7:11 KJV) I beheld
then because of the voice of the great words which
the horn spake: I
beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body
destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
Daniel continues the
description of his dream and he concentrates on
the voice of the Antichrist, which spoke powerful
words. Daniel’s dream continued until the body of
the beast was destroyed in the fire of Gehenna. Both the
Antichrist and the False Prophet will
be cast into the destroying fire
of Gehenna. It is
noteworthy that both will receive their judgment
at the end of the seven-year tribulation period,
whereas the rest of unsaved mankind will receive
their judgment at the Great White Throne Judgment.
The verse is as follows:
(Rev 19:20 KJV) And the
beast was taken, and with him the false prophet
that wrought miracles before him, with which he
deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These
both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning
with brimstone.
(Dan 7:12 KJV) As
concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their
dominion taken away: yet their lives were
prolonged for a season and time.
Daniel was talking about the
leader of the Ten-Horned Beast in the previous
verse and he is talking about the leaders of the
Leopard and the Bear in this verse, which states
that their dominion was taken away, yet their
bodies were not destroyed in the lake of fire
until a particular occasion (i.e., season) after a
set time (i.e., 1000 years). The particular
occasion would be the Great White Throne Judgment,
and the time period is 1000 years later. The
Antichrist and the False Prophet are the only two
people who will have their bodies destroyed in the
Lake of Fire prior to the Great White Throne
Judgment. Even though all of the unsaved dead will
die prior to the millennial kingdom being
established, all will receive resurrection bodies
at the Great White Throne Judgment that will be
destroyed in the Lake of Fire, which is Gehenna Fire.
(Dan 7:13 KJV) I saw in
the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son
of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to
the Ancient of days, and they brought him near
before him.
This verse is describing the
third aspect of the Second Coming of Christ, which
is the return of Jesus in power and glory. He is
like the Son of Man, but He came unto the Ancient
of Days, and drew near unto him. Jesus Christ
appears in the presence of the Father to receive
his kingdom.
(Dan 7:14 KJV) And
there was given him dominion, and glory, and a
kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Jesus Christ receives dominion,
glory and a kingdom where all people, nations and
languages will serve him. His kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom that will not pass away, and
this kingdom shall not be destroyed like all the
other kingdoms of the earth. This is the last
verse describing the dream of Daniel. The rest of
the chapter provides the interpretation of the
dream.
(Dan 7:15 KJV) I Daniel
was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body,
and the visions of my head troubled me.
Daniel was deeply grieved in
his innermost being, and the visions he saw
troubled him greatly. The things that Daniel saw
made a deep impression upon his mind. It was not
the mystery of the images, nor the uncertainty of
the dream that troubled Daniel. It was the things
themselves that passed in his vision that greatly
troubled him. He saw momentous events and
calamities for the people of God that they would
have to endure before the establishment of the
kingdom of God. It was these events that filled
Daniel with anxiety and terror. These events and
calamities are briefly outlined in the rest of the
chapter.
(Dan 7:16 KJV) I came
near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him
the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me
know the interpretation of the things.
Daniel was greatly disturbed by
the visions that he had, so he asked an angel that
stood by him the true meaning of the visions. In
verses 17-27 the angel provides the
interpretation. The interpretation follows the
Semitic style of apocalyptic writing by giving a
brief overview in verses 17 and 18 and then
providing details in the remaining verses. No
further details are provided for the first three
beasts other than what has already been given. The
identification of these three beasts had to await
the fulfillment of the prophecy before they could
be identified, and we have now seen the details of
the fulfillment of this prophecy.
(Dan 7:17 KJV) These
great beasts, which are four, are four kings,
which shall arise out of the earth.
The angel states very
succinctly that the four great beasts represent
four kings which shall arise out of the earth. The
use of the term “earth” is used because the “sea”
was merely figurative of the Gentile nations.
These kingdoms actually arise on the earth out of
the Gentile nations. Please note the future tense
“shall arise” as this establishes clearly that
Babylon cannot be in view. We also
note that in the context these first three
kingdoms arise shortly before the Ten-Horned beast
arises, so they all arise over a relatively short
span of time (i.e., approximately 100 years). The
first beast, the lion, has actually been in
existence and reached the height of its power in
the last 300 years, but its power was removed in
the last hundred years. We know that all four
kingdoms arise up in order, but they all exist
contemporaneously. The Ten-Horned Beast actually
tramples down the Leopard and the Bear.
(Dan 7:18 KJV) But the
saints of the most High
shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
The last part of the brief
overview states simply that the saints of the most
High shall take the
kingdom and will possess it forever and ever.
These saints are clearly overcomers
in the Church, who qualify to reign and rule in
the kingdom of heaven. These saints are not the
nation of Israel, since the nation of Israel
forfeited the kingdom of heaven by their
disobedience when Jesus Christ came to earth the
first time. These two verses complete the overview
of the dream, but Daniel wants to know more
specific information about the fourth beast, which
differed so much from the first three beasts.
These details provide more information about the
Ten-Horned Beast and its leader, who is the
Antichrist.
(Dan 7:19 KJV) Then I
would know the truth of the fourth beast, which
was diverse from all the others, exceeding
dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails
of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and
stamped the residue with his feet;
The fourth beast was very
different from the first three, and it was
exceedingly dreadful. This means it was a terrible
beast exciting extreme terror and fear in those
saints who will be persecuted by this beast. The
Third Reich under Adolph Hitler would be a prime
example of the kind of terror and fear that will
be incited under the reign of Antichrist. The
teeth of iron confirm that this kingdom will be
the revived Roman Empire that will wield almost
insurmountable strength and power. The nails of
brass signify the judgmental nature of this beast.
Terrible judgments will be meted out on Christians
and Jews alike. Christians will be greatly
persecuted during the first half of the seven year
tribulation period, but then Antichrist will turn
his attention to the Jews in the last half of the
tribulation period. The first half is called the
hour of trial for Christians, and the last half is
called the time of Jacob’s trouble. Millions of
Christians and millions of Jews will receive a
judgment of death simply because of their status
as being the people of God. This is why Daniel was
so disturbed by the dream. Please read my exegesis
of Habakkuk at this link: Book
of Habakkuk, since Habakkuk suffered the
same anguish as Daniel at seeing the sufferings of
God’s people, the Church and the nation of Israel.
This fourth beast is the same
beast described in Revelation chapters 17 and 18.
Please read my exegesis of these two chapters at
the following link: The Fall of
Religious and Political Babylon.
The fourth beast is the final,
resurrected form of the Roman Empire having seven
heads and ten horns and controlled by a woman of
harlotry. The harlot typifies both the political
and ecclesiastical aspects of Babylon the Great,
which was incorporated in the seven empires of
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia,
Greece, Rome and the United States of America
(Mystery Babylon-political). In the above link
chapter 17 describes the ecclesiastical aspect of
Mystery Babylon, and chapter 18 describes the
political aspect of Mystery Babylon. The final
form of the revived Roman Empire is the Ten-Horned
Beast, but it is controlled politically by the
Antichrist and ecclesiastically by the False
Prophet. The harlot symbolizes both the
ecclesiastical and political forms of Mystery
Babylon, which are the Vatican and the USA. The
leader of the ecclesiastical form is the False
Prophet and the leader of the political form is
the Antichrist. Both of these beasts are described
in my exegesis of Revelation chapter 13 at the
following link
It is completely relevant and
much more than an interesting side note that the
reappearance of both the Antichrist and the False
Prophet is by way of apparent resurrections from
the dead. Just as the Roman Empire was thought to
be dead, both of its leaders—ecclesiastical and
political—are thought to be dead. All three will
appear to be resurrected from the dead. The above
link describes this in more detail.
(Dan 7:20 KJV) And of
the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other
which came up, and before whom three fell; even of
that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things,
whose look was more stout than his fellows.
Daniel specifically wants to
know more about the ten horns in the head of the
beast, and the eleventh horn, which arises among
the other horns. There will actually be 13 horns
initially but the Antichrist will arise among the
13 and pluck up three by the roots. This will
leave ten horns with the Antichrist as the
eleventh horn. Antichrist and his kingdom are
called a little horn in verse 8 above. As
explained above, a little horn is a horn that has
been broken or shattered. Antichrist has already
been broken with his mortal head wound, and his
kingdom is yet to be broken when the Republic
fails.
NOTE: The little horn is also
mentioned in Daniel 8:9, but this is in reference
to Antiochus Epiphanes,
who is a type of the Antichrist.
(Dan 7:21 KJV) I
beheld, and the same horn made war with the
saints, and prevailed against them;
As Daniel watches in his dream,
the Antichrist makes war with the saints and
prevails against them. This is the persecution of
the main body of the Church, which is left behind
in the Firstfruits
Rapture of the Church. Please read the following
links for a detailed explanation of the Firstfruits Rapture:
(Dan 7:22 KJV) Until
the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given
to the saints of the most High; and the time came
that the saints possessed the kingdom.
Daniel continues to watch the
events taking place until he sees the Main Harvest
Rapture of the Church take place. It is at this
time that Jesus Christ takes over the reign and
rule of the earth and his overcoming saints will
participate in his kingdom. These are members of
the Church who have been overcomers
and qualify to reign and rule with Jesus Christ.
These Christians will also be given the
responsibility for judging the world (1 Cor 6:2).
(Dan 7:23 KJV) Thus
he said, The fourth
beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,
which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and
shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it
down, and break it in pieces.
The angel responds to Daniel
stating that the fourth beast will be the fourth
kingdom upon the earth, and it shall be different
from all the kingdoms before it. This kingdom will
dominate the entire earth. This fourth beast is an
ordinal number referring to the fourth kingdom of
the four kingdoms in this dream. There were other
kingdoms prior to these four kingdoms, but this
dream specifically refers to the circumstances
leading up to the kingdom of Antichrist.
(Dan 7:24 KJV) And the
ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that
shall arise: and another shall rise after them;
and he shall be diverse from the first, and he
shall subdue three kings.
The angel now addresses
Daniel’s pointed question about the ten horns on
this fourth beast. He states that the ten horns
represent ten kings that shall arise in the
future. The angel also states that another horn
shall arise after them, but he shall be very
different from these earlier kings. He shall put
down, abase or cast down three kings. The meaning
is that this eleventh horn will overthrow or
deprive three of these previous kings of their
sovereignty. He himself will have established and
possessed a kingdom of his own. We know from other
Scriptures that this king is the Antichrist, and
he will have returned from the dead to take over
the kingdom of Babylon the Great, which is the
United States of America. We have already
established that this is not a literal
resurrection, but a figurative resurrection.
NOTE: It is not certain if
there will be ten kings after the Antichrist has
subdued three kings, or if there will only remain
seven kings after the Antichrist has subdued three
kings. Revelation 17 and 18 seem to point to ten
kings remaining, since it is the Ten-Horned Beast
that Antichrist controls.
(Dan 7:25 KJV) And he shall speak
great words against the most High, and shall
wear out the saints of the most High, and
think to change times and laws: and they shall
be given into his hand until a time and times
and the dividing of time.
This king will speak against
the most High, which means he will set God aside
and regard and promote himself as God. He shall
also “wear out the saints” of God. This means that
he will afflict, harass and persecute the saints
of God. These saints are the ones who will inherit
the kingdom of God, so these are the Main Harvest
Christians who are left upon the earth to be
purified for 42 months. This is confirmed in
Revelation 13:5 and in the last sentence of this
verse as three and one-half years. The changing of
times and laws belongs to the perfect power of God
(Dan 2:21), who is the creator and ordainer of times (Gen
1:14). These times and laws are the foundations
and main conditions of life and actions that
emanate from God, and only God can change them.
However, Antichrist will be given authority to act
unchecked by God for a period of 42 months. All
men upon earth will be affected by his actions,
but Christians will be affected most during these
42 months, since he will specifically seek them
out to kill and destroy. Please read my exegesis
of Habakkuk at the following link for a closer
look at this extreme persecution of main harvest
Christians by Antichrist:
(Dan 7:26 KJV) But the
judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the
end.
This verse is a little bit
obscure as to its meaning, but the “judgment”
refers to the judgments of God that will take
place in the last half of the tribulation period.
Antichrist will have authority during 42 months,
but then God’s rain of judgments will come upon
the earth and the kingdom of Antichrist. His
dominion will be taken away and utterly consumed
and destroyed. This time of judgment by God is
called the Day of the Lord, and there are numerous
Scriptures that describe it. The prepositional
phrase “unto the end” refers to the end of the Day
of the Lord at the end of the seven-year
tribulation period.
Please read the following link for more
details on the Day of the Lord:
(Dan 7:27 KJV) And the
kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to
the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve
and obey him.
This verse refers to the
kingdom of heaven, which is the reign and rule of
heaven over the earth. The area refers to the
earth and the reign and rule comes from heaven.
This reign and rule will be given to Christians
who qualify to reign and rule with Jesus Christ in
his kingdom. The reference to “all dominions”
refers to the earthly aspect of the kingdom, and
it addresses the reign and rule of the nation of
Israel and all saved Gentiles outside of the
Church Age who qualify to reign and rule in the
earthly aspect of the kingdom. All dominions on
the earth will serve and obey Jesus Christ. Please
read the following link for more details on the
three aspects of the kingdom of God:
(Dan 7:28 KJV) Hitherto is the
end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my
cogitations much troubled me, and my
countenance changed in me: but I kept the
matter in my heart.
This verse ends the dream and
the explanation of Daniel’s dream and relates the
effect of the dream and its explanation on Daniel.
Daniel was greatly troubled in his thoughts to the
point that his whole appearance and demeanor were
changed, but he kept the dream and the explanation
of the dream to himself, except that he recorded
them in this passage of Scripture. This passage of
Scripture can only be unveiled and understood in
the last hundred years with the fulfillment of its
prophecies. The vast majority of pastors, teachers
and Bible scholars have still not understood the
meaning of the Lion, the Bear and the Leopard in
this important chapter of Daniel.
The
table on the following page provides a visual
aid to help in understanding the relationship
between the four kingdoms of chapter 2 and the
four beasts of chapter 7. It is of utmost
importance to understand that chapter 7 provides
the details and circumstances leading up to the
rise of the kingdom of Antichrist. We are in
that time period right now, as both the Lion and
the Bear have already arisen, and we are on the
verge of the arising of the Leopard with Four
Wings on its Back. Also, the rise of the
European Union has set the stage for the arising
of the Ten-Horned Beast. The power and authority
of Antichrist has already been broken, and the
power and authority of his kingdom is on the
verge of being broken. We will be able to see
and understand more of these details in our
exegesis of chapters 9, 10 and 11.
The
Four Beasts of Daniel Chapter 7 As Related
to the Four Empires of Daniel Chapter 2
| The Four
Empires of Daniel Chapter 2
(605BC-Present) |
|
| Babylon (Head
of Gold) |
|
| Medo-Persian
(Chest & Arms of Silver) |
|
| Greece
(Stomach & Thighs of Bronze) |
|
| Rome (Legs of
Iron) |
The Four Beasts
of Daniel Chapter 7 (1700AD-Present) |
| Rome
(Believed to be dead) |
Great Britain
(Lion) |
| Rome (Believed to be dead) | Russia (Bear) |
| Rome (Believed to be dead) | Egypt
(Leopard) |
| Rome Revived
(Ten toes of Iron & Clay) |
Rome Revived
(The Ten-horned Beast) |
The Ten Toes of Iron
& Clay in Chapter 2 and The Ten-Horned Beast
in Chapter 7 Are One and the Same. The Other
Empires & Beasts Are Not the Same. Chapter 2
is an Overview of Gentile Dominion Covering 2600 Years.
Chapter 7 Provides the Details Leading up to the
Revived Roman Empire in the Form of the
Ten-Horned Beast and Covers Approximately 300
Years. Daniel Follows the Semitic Style of
Apocalyptic Writing, which is to First Provide
an Overview, and then to go back and Provide Details. Chapter
2 Provides the Overview while Chapter 7 gives
Details. Chapter 8 Provides the Details for Medo-Persia and Greece.
Daniel’s Vision of the Ram
& Goat (Chapter 8)
Just as chapter 7 provided details leading up to the revived Roman Empire in the form of the Ten-Horned Beast (i.e., the ten toes of iron and clay), this chapter provides the details of the Medo-Persian and Grecian empires. The events of the New Testament take place during the Roman Empire. It is important to note that Babylon is not addressed in this vision, since the vision took place at the end of the Babylonian empire. The details of the Babylonian empire were addressed in chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5. Details about Daniel in the Medo-Persian Empire were given in chapter 6. Details about the breakup of the Grecian Empire into four segments under four of Alexander’s generals are given in chapters 10 and 11, and included in chapter 11 is the transition from the first coming of Christ to the Second Coming of Christ. Details of the last half of the seven-year tribulation period are given in chapter 12 starting with the Main Harvest Rapture of the Church in verses 1 and 2.
(Dan 8:1 KJV) In the third year
of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me,
even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared
unto me at the first.
Belshazzar was made co-regent
of Babylon in 553 BC, so Daniel had this vision in
about 551 BC. Belshazzar
died the night that the Persians overthrew Babylon
on October 12, 539 BC, so Daniel had this vision
12 years before the fall of Babylon. Daniel had
this vision, which is the second vision that
Daniel had while Belshazzar was king. The first
vision was described in Chapter 7 and occurred in
the first year of the reign of Belshazzar.
(Dan 8:2 KJV) And I
saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw,
that I was at Shushan
in the palace, which is in the province of Elam;
and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
In this vision Daniel saw
himself in the citadel of Susa in the province
of Elam.
Susa was an ancient
city of the Elamite, Persian and
Parthian empires
of Iran. The modern Iranian town of Shush is
located on the ancient site of Susa. Esther became
queen in Susa and saved the Jews from genocide. It
is significant that Susa was not taken by
the Persians until 538 BC. Daniel also saw himself
beside the Ulai
Canal, which was most likely the eastern branch of
the Eulaeus (Karkheh)
River. In verse 16 Daniel speaks of being between
the banks of the Ulai,
so this points to the Eulaeus
River, which divided about 20 miles north of Susa.
The river is currently the location of the Karkheh
dam and power plant in Iran. Ulai
means “my leaders”.
(Dan 8:3 KJV) Then I
lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there
stood before the river a ram which had two horns:
and the two horns were high; but one was higher
than the other, and the higher came up last.
In vision Daniel looked up with
his eyes and saw a ram with two horns, and the two
horns were high, but one was higher than the other
horn, but the higher horn came up last. We know
from the facts already given that Daniel is seeing
the rise of the Medo-Persian
Empire with the higher horn representing Persia
under Cyrus and the first horn representing the
Median Empire, which came up first in 612 BC with
the sack of Nineveh and lasted “until 549
BC when Cyrus the Great
established the Achaemenid Empire
by defeating his overlord and grandfather, Astyages, king of Media.”
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_Empire.
This was the beginning of the Medo-Persian Empire
under Cyrus the Great. Cyrus placed his 62 year
old father-in-law as the king of Babylon with
the name of Darius the Mede. The Achaemenid Empire,
which is the Medo-Persian
Empire lasted from 549 BC until 330 BC during
the wars of Alexander the Great.
(Dan 8:4 KJV) I saw
the ram pushing westward, and northward, and
southward; so that no beasts might stand before
him, neither was there any that could deliver out
of his hand; but he did according to his will, and
became great.
Daniel saw the ram pushing
westward, and northward and southward, so that no
beasts could stop him. This is an accurate
description of the conquests of the Medo-Persian Empire, as
described in Wikipedia online encyclopedia: “The
empire was forged by Cyrus the Great,
and spanned three continents, including
territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal
regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant
population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya.” Medo-Persia under Cyrus
was clearly the unquestioned empire of the time
for about 220 years, so this one verse spans a
period of 220 years.
It is significant that the Hebrew
word for “ram” figuratively means a strong man,
leader or chief. It is thought that the
prophetic interpretation of the ram points to
the Antichrist, who is also described very well
in this verse.
(Dan 8:5 KJV) And as I
was considering, behold, an he goat came
from the west on the face of the whole earth, and
touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable
horn between his eyes.
Next in Daniel’s vision a male
goat came from the west over the surface of the
earth without touching the ground, and this goat
had a conspicuous horn between its eyes. It is
clear from verse 21 that the goat represents the Macedonian Empire and
the conspicuous horn is the first king, who is Alexander the
Great. Alexander III of Macedon was
the son of Phillip II of Macedon and Alexander
created one of the largest empires in ancient
history. He did come from the west from Macedonia
and he came to the throne in 336 BC and died 13
years later at age 32. In his brief reign of 13
years, the impact of his conquests lasted for
centuries in his spread of Greek culture into the
east. Alexander the Great is one of the most known
figures of antiquity, and he is remembered for his
tactical ability, his conquests and his spread of
Hellenism.
After being crowned king,
Alexander first secured the Balkan states and he
then crossed the Hellespont into Asia to begin his
conquests eastward toward Susa. He conquered the
Persian forces in Asia Minor and proceeded into
Syria, Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia and then the
Persian capital of Susa. The rapidity of his
conquests is described in this verse as if he did
not even touch the ground. The “face of the whole
earth” refers to Alexander’s incursion into all
countries from Greece into Persia, and even into
India. This verse is very brief but highly
descriptive of Alexander’s conquests.
(Dan 8:6 KJV) And he
came to the ram that had two horns, which I had
seen standing before the river, and ran unto him
in the fury of his power.
Alexander conquered the
Persians at the pass called the Persian Gates and
he invaded the eastern capital Persepolis and
conquered the Persian Empire in totality. The
Persian Empire fell to Alexander in 330 BC. This
victory over the Persian Empire is briefly but
clearly described in the following verse.
(Dan 8:7 KJV) And I
saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved
with choler against him, and smote the ram, and
brake his two horns: and there was no power in the
ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to
the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was
none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
This verse clearly describes
the fierce Battle of
the Persian Gate. Alexander almost
lost the battle, and he lost numerous troops
against the Persians, but his anger, determination
and brute force brought about his victory over the
Persian army, opening the way for Alexander to
proceed to the eastern capitals of Persepolis
& Pasargadae in Persis.
The battle was fierce and the Persians
successfully withstood Alexander at this pass for
30 days.
(Dan 8:8 KJV) Therefore the he
goat waxed very great: and when he was strong,
the great horn was broken; and for it came up
four notable ones toward the four winds of
heaven.
Alexander was crowned king over
the Persian Empire, so the Grecian Empire
definitely “waxed very great” and was very strong
at this point in time. At the height of his power
Alexander the Great became gravely ill after
drinking a large bowl of unmixed wine. His fever
began after a night and a day of drinking with his
friend Medius of
Larissa. It was rumored that Alexander had been
poisoned, but he got progressively worse for 13
days until he finally died. Poisons at that time
would have not taken this long to act. His death
has been ascribed to various ailments, including
malaria, typhoid fever, pyrogenic
spondylitus,
meningitis, West Nile virus and acute pancreatitus. Clearly,
Alexander’s health had declined after years of
heavy drinking and major wounds suffered in
battle. Alexander died in Babylon in the palace of
Nebuchadnezzar II. Thus, the great horn was broken
and the empire was up for grabs by the most
powerful of his men. It is rumored that on his
deathbed he was asked who would take over his
kingdom, since he had no children at the time.
Alexander’s supposed response was “To the
strongest!”
Note: Alexander did have a son, Alexander IV, who was born to Alexander’s wife Roxane after Alexander’s death, but he was never a serious contender for Alexander’s throne. He and his mother were murdered during the reign of the Diadochi.
The Diadochi were the
rival successors of Alexander the Great, and the
Wars of the Diadochi came after
the death of Alexander. This also began the
Hellenistic period of Greek history where the
Greek philosophy and styles, language, culture and
religion received widespread acceptance throughout
the empire of Alexander the Great. Hellenism is
the reason the New Testament was penned in koine Greek. Koine Greek was the
common language of the people and was different
from classical Greek.
Upon the death of Alexander
June 10, 323 BC there was an immediate dispute
among his generals regarding Alexander’s
successor. There was revolt in Greece 323 BC to
322 BC, and then four successive Wars of the Diodochi that lasted from
322 until 301 BC where numerous leaders fought for
control of the Empire. These wars resulted in four
primary leaders who stood out in fulfillment of
verse 8 above. These generals are Ptolemy I Soter, Cassander, Lysimachus and
Seleucus I Nicator with their
respective divisions of the Greek Empire shown on
the following map from Wikipedia:
The Diadochi
kingdoms after the battle of Ipsus, circa 301 BC.
Kingdom of Ptolemy I Soter Kingdom of Cassander Kingdom of Lysimachus Kingdom of Seleucus I Nicator Epirus Other Carthage Rome Greek colonies
(Dan 8:9 KJV) And out of one of
them came forth a little horn, which waxed
exceeding great, toward the south, and toward
the east, and toward the pleasant land.
From 175 BC to 164 BC the Seleucid Empire was
ruled over by another king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
He was the literal fulfillment of this verse. We
will provide more details about Antiochus in our
exegesis of chapter 11, but Antiochus was an
important but evil ruler who expanded the Seleucid
Empire toward Egypt, and he came close to taking
over the Ptolemaic Empire. He controlled Israel
(i.e., the pleasant land) and did horrible and
despicable things to the Jews and the Jewish
religion. Antiochus was a type or a picture of the
coming Antichrist, who will also desecrate the
temple in Jerusalem. Antiochus desecrated the
Jewish temple by offering a sow on the altar and
placing pagan idols in the temple. This
took away the daily evening and morning sacrifice.
We will see in the following verses that the
persecution of the Jews by Antiochus lasted for
2300 evenings and mornings, until the temple was
cleansed and the sacrifice was restored by Judas
Maccabeus. The following is an excerpt from
Wikipedia regarding him: “He led
the Maccabean
revolt against the Seleucid Empire
(167 BC-160 BC) and is acclaimed as one of the
greatest warriors in Jewish history
alongside Joshua, Gideon and David.”
“The
Jewish feast of Hanukkah ("Dedication")
commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship
at the temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC, after
Judah Maccabee
removed the pagan statuary.”
(Dan 8:10 KJV) And it
waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it
cast down some of the host and of the stars to the
ground, and stamped upon them.
Antiochus became an influential
and powerful force against the Jews, who are
referred to in this verse as the “host of heaven”.
The word for host means that which goes forth from
heaven and this is clearly a reference to the
Jewish people who brought us both the Word of God
and the Messiah. The Jews are God’s elect people
for bringing salvation to the world. Antiochus was
very powerful in his persecution of the Jews, and
“to cast down some of the host” means that
Antiochus overthrew and caused the violent deaths
of numerous Jews. The casting down of the stars
refers to the corruption of some of the Jewish
priests and the overthrow and subjugation of the
Jewish priests who were not corrupted. To stamp
upon them means that he oppressed and abused the
Jews in the extreme. The exploits and harsh
treatment of the Jews by Antiochus were a
forerunner of the horrible treatment they received
under Hitler and the coming treatment of them by
the Antichrist in the Time of Jacob’s trouble.
Thus, this prophecy of the horrible treatment of
the Jews was literally fulfilled by Antiochus, but
it will have a prophetic fulfillment under
Antichrist, and there have been figurative
fulfillments under Hitler and other rulers who
have persecuted the Jews in the extreme.
(Dan 8:11 KJV) Yea, he magnified
himself even to the prince of the host, and by
him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and
the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
Antiochus even exalted himself
to the point that he even came against the “prince
of the host” which is a reference to the Messiah,
who is the chief prince of Israel. Antiochus was
even allowed to desecrate the temple (i.e., the
sanctuary) and the evening and morning sacrifices
ceased for a long period of time. The “place of
his sanctuary” refers to the Most Holy Place in
the temple, since this is the place where God
dwelled upon earth. This desecration of the Most
Holy Place immediately begs the question of why
did God allow this. Clearly, this was a punishment
on the Jews for their corruption by the Greek
culture and traditions. We will see this in the
details of this vision in the following verses.
This self-exaltation by Antiochus will be repeated
by Antichrist during his reign upon the earth.
(Dan 8:12 KJV) And an host was given him
against the daily sacrifice by reason of
transgression, and it cast down the truth to the
ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
The Jews (i.e., the host) were given over to the authority of Antiochus because of their transgression (i.e., rebellion) and he opposed the truth of God and he was successful in his purpose to desecrate the temple and humiliate the Jews. Please note that the Jews and the temple were given over to Antiochus because of the rebellion or unfaithfulness of the Jews. This will happen again to the Jews during the last half of the seven-year tribulation period. This will be discussed in more detail in chapters 10 and 11, which record the final vision of Daniel.
(Dan 8:13 KJV) Then I
heard one saint speaking, and another saint said
unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be
the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the
transgression of desolation, to give both the
sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
Daniel hears The Holy One
speaking, and he hears another holy one asks the
particular Holy One a question about the length of
time that the daily sacrifice, the desecration of
the temple and the persecution of the Jews would
last. Please note that this is talking about all
three of these transgressions and not just the
desecration of the temple. This is important as
the desecration of the temple and the taking away
of the daily sacrifice did not last a full 2300
days, but the total time for all three, including
the persecution of the Jews, did last 2300 days.
Antiochus ruled the Seleucid Empire
from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC for
a total of 11 years. We know that Judas Maccabeus
led the rebellion of the Jews against Antiochus
and the Syrians from 167 BC to 160 BC, and he
cleansed the temple and restored the sacrifice on
December 14, 164 BC. Thus, we can simple count
back 2300 days to about August 170 BC to determine
the time that Antiochus began his campaign of
sacrilege against the Jewish people. It was in 170
BC that Antiochus had been compelled by the
Romans to leave Egypt, and he marched against
Jerusalem, massacred the inhabitants, and
plundered the Temple. This was clearly the
beginning of the 2300 days of severe persecution
of the Jews and the resulting desecration of the
temple and the taking away of the daily
sacrifice. As stated already, this abomination
of desolation will have a second fulfillment
during the last half of the tribulation period
when Antichrist enters the temple (i.e., the
Great Synagogue) and claims to be God. This
desecration of the temple and the severe
persecution of the Jews will also last 2300
days. The details of this prophecy will not be
known until it is fulfilled.
(Dan 8:14 KJV) And he
said unto me, Unto two
thousand and three hundred days; then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed.
The response from The Holy One
to the other holy one is that the severe
persecution of the Jews, the overthrow of the holy
people and the desecration of the temple will
occur for 2300 days before the temple is cleansed
and sacrifice is restored.
(Dan 8:15 KJV) And it
came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the
vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold,
there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
The vision of Daniel has ended
in this verse, but Daniel seeks for the meaning of
the vision. In Daniel seeking after the meaning, One appears before him as
the appearance of a man. This One who appears to
Daniel seems to be a Christophany,
or a preincarnate
appearance of the Christ. This is true because He
is clearly higher in authority than the other holy
one, which is the angel Gabriel. We know that
Gabriel is an arcangel,
and the only one in a higher position than an arcangel would be a member
of the godhead. Thus, it is natural and reasonable
to assume that this Person who appears as a man is
Christ prior to his incarnation.
(Dan 8:16 KJV) And I
heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and
said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the
vision.
The man’s voice speaks to the
other holy one, which is Gabriel, and commands him
to make Daniel understand the vision. This
statement begs the question “Who commands an arcangel to do anything,”
and the only possible answer is a member of the
godhead.
(Dan 8:17 KJV) So he
came near where I stood: and when he came, I was
afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto
me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of
the end shall be the vision.
The angel Gabriel approaches Daniel in response to the command to make Daniel understand the vision. Gabriel tells Daniel that the vision applies to the time of the end. The “end” in this verse has two references and both pertain to the reign of two evil leaders that will persecute the Jews and desecrate the temple until the time of the arrival of a deliverer. The reign of Antiochus ended with the revolt of Judas Maccabeus and the establishment of the Hasmonean Dynasty. The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia: “The Hasmonean dynasty was established under the leadership of Simon Maccabaeus, two decades after his brother Judah the Maccabee defeated the Seleucid army during the Maccabean Revolt in 165 BC. The Hasmonean Kingdom survived for 103 years before yielding to the Herodian Dynasty in 37 BC.” The reign of Antichrist will end with the coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of his Millennial Kingdom. Judas Maccabeus was clearly a type or picture of the coming of Jesus Christ to end the persecution of the Jews and establish a kingdom.
(Dan 8:18 KJV) Now as
he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on
my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and
set me upright.
As Gabriel was speaking to
Daniel, Daniel was in a deep sleep with his face
toward the ground. Gabriel touched Daniel and set
him upright, and began to explain the vision to
him.
(Dan 8:19 KJV) And he
said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be
in the last end of the indignation: for at the
time appointed the end shall be.
Gabriel tells Daniel that he
will make Daniel understand what shall happen at
the time that great indignation will occur for the
Jewish people. Gabriel states that the end of the
indignation will occur at its appointed time. This
verse confirms that all and any persecutions of
God’s elect people is by divine appointment and
does not occur outside the will of God. This is
true for Israel, the Church and all Gentiles saved
outside the Church Age. God is in control of all
history and nothing happens outside of his divine
plan.
(Dan 8:20 KJV) The ram
which thou sawest
having two horns are the kings of Media and
Persia.
This verse confirms our
explanation of the ram earlier, as it states
explicitly that the ram represents the kings of
Media and Persia. As stated above in the exegesis
of verse 3, the king of Media was Astyages,
and the king of Persian was Cyrus the Great.
(Dan 8:21 KJV) And the
rough goat is the king of Grecia:
and the great horn that is between his eyes is the
first king.
This verse confirms our
explanation of the goat in verse 5 above as
representing the Macedonian Empire and the
great horn as representing the first king who
was Alexander the
Great.
(Dan 8:22 KJV) Now that
being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four
kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not
in his power.
This verse confirms the death
of Alexander at the height of his power and the
rise to power of the Diadochi kingdoms
under four of Alexander’s generals. This verse
also confirms the lack of an heir of Alexander
who would take over the kingdom at his death.
(Dan 8:23 KJV) And in
the latter time of their kingdom, when the
transgressors are come to the full, a king of
fierce countenance, and understanding dark
sentences, shall stand up.
This verse confirms the rise of Antiochus IV Epiphanes as the ruler at the end of the reign of the Diadochi at the time that the transgressors of Israel have come to the end of their reign. Antiochus was actually the last ruler that transgressed or trespassed on the holy land before the rise of the Hasmonian Dynasty and the period of 103 years of Jewish sovereignty. The words for “fierce countenance” refer to the impudent and harsh presence of Antiochus in the holy land. Antiochus was characterized by his offensive boldness, his impertinence and his insolence toward the Jewish people. The phrase “understanding dark sentences” refers to his discernment of the true nature and purpose of the Jewish people as being the elect of God who are to carry out the purposes of God. Antiochus knew the significance and the importance of the Jewish people, and his rise to power was clearly not from his own power but the power of Satan. This is confirmed in the following two verses.
Note: This description of Antiochus is also an explicit description of the Antichrist, who will act in the same manner and under the same power as Antiochus. Theologians argue over whether this is a description of Antiochus or a description of Antichrist, but it is a description of both. Antiochus was the literal fulfillment of this verse, and Antichrist will be the prophetic fulfillment of this verse.
(Dan 8:24 KJV) And his power
shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and
he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall
prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the
mighty and the holy people.
As stated above, Antiochus was a mighty force against the Jewish people, but his power was from Satan and not from himself. The phrase “destroy wonderfully” means that his surpassing ability to destroy will be beyond his own power, and his success and his accomplishments in destroying numerous people, including the Jews, will actually be the power of Satan operating in him. Again, this is also a description of the Antichrist when he will turn on the Jews and persecute them during the time of Jacob’s trouble during the last half of the tribulation period.
(Dan 8:25 KJV) And through his
policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in
his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his
heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he
shall also stand up against the Prince of
princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
The word for “policy” refers to the cunning and craft of Antiochus, who prospered for a period of time in his deceit and treachery against the Jewish people. He was very proud and exalted himself in his own mind, and his methods of instilling Greek culture into the holy land corrupted many Jews and especially the Jewish priests. Many Jews became corrupt by the deceitful and pernicious practices of Antiochus. In the end Antiochus even stood up against the Prince of princes when he went into the Most Holy Place in the temple and profaned it. Antiochus came to his end without the intervention by man. He died suddenly by disease in 164 BC. In like manner, Antichrist is a proud man and will come to his end and be cast into the Lake of Fire without any intervention by man.
(Dan 8:26 KJV) And the vision of
the evening and the morning which was told is
true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for
it shall be for many days.
The fulfillment of the vision
of the 2300 evenings and mornings actually took
place in approximately 165 BC, while Daniel
received his vision in 550 BC, which is almost 400
years earlier. Daniel knew the vision foretold a
terrible time for the Jews, but he did not
understand the details of the vision. Daniel was
told to keep the vision secret as it would be
fulfilled a long time in the future. The literal
aspect of this vision was literally fulfilled with
the desecration of the temple by Antiochus, but
the prophetic interpretation of this vision is to
be fulfilled again when Antichrist desecrates the
temple in the middle of the seven-year tribulation
period.
(Dan 8:27 KJV) And I
Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days;
afterward I rose up, and did the king's business;
and I was astonished at the vision, but none
understood it.
The vision was so traumatic
that Daniel was literally sick for a period of
days, but afterward, he rose up from his sick bed
and resumed the king’s business. The vision
astonished Daniel, but he did not understand the
details of the vision. The purpose of prophecy is
not so we can predict the future, but for the
express purpose of confirming the truth of God’s
Word and confirming that God is in control of
history, including the kings and kingdoms that
arise and fall at God’s will. Even though we
cannot predict the fulfillment of the details of
prophecy, we can certainly recognize the events
when they are fulfilled. Even secular writers
recognize the accuracy of Daniel’s prophecies
after they are fulfilled, and they even attempt to
place Daniel’s writings after the actual events
take place rather than hundreds or even thousands
of years prior to the events.
The Vision of the Seventy Weeks (Chapter
9)
The vision of the Seventy Weeks is a major vision of Daniel that provides a timeline for the first and second coming of Jesus Christ to planet earth. Many Bible scholars and students of Bible prophecy have tried to understand this vision for many years. Sir Isaac Newton seems to have best understood the prophecy of the seventy weeks, but only a few prophecy students of today have understood Newton’s explanation of the seventy weeks. Following Newton’s understanding of the meaning of the prophecy, we will attempt to explain the timeline when we get to those verses.
(Dan 9:1 KJV) In the first year
of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over
the realm of the Chaldeans;
The
vision of Daniel took place in the first year of
Darius the son of Ahasuerus.
The more common name for Ahasuerus
is Xerxes, and it is commonly thought that this
Ahasuerus was Xerxes
I. The Ahasuerus of
the book of Esther is thought to have been Artaxerxes II. This
Darius is Darius I or Darius the Great, who was
the father-in-law of Cyrus the Great. He was
made king over Babylon when Babylon was
conquered by the Persians, but he died a year
later at the age of 63. It was at this time that
Cyrus became king over Babylon. Thus, Daniel had
this vision within a year of the night he read
the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar.
(Dan 9:2 KJV) In the
first year of his reign I Daniel understood by
books the number of the years, whereof the word
of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that
he would accomplish seventy years in the
desolations of Jerusalem.
In
the first year of the reign of Darius I, Daniel
understood the books of Jeremiah about the
seventy years of exile for the Jews and the
seventy years of desolation for Jerusalem.
Daniel knew the time of the desolation of
Jerusalem was approaching its end, and this
meant the time of the return of Jews to Israel
was close.
(Dan 9:3 KJV) And I set my face
unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth,
and ashes:
Understanding
that the time was close for the end of the
exile, Daniel set his face toward the Lord God
and sought by prayer and supplications, with
fasting, sackcloth and ashes to understand the
time frame for the end of the exile.
(Dan 9:4 KJV) And I prayed unto
the LORD my God, and made my confession, and
said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God,
keeping the covenant and mercy to them that
love him, and to them that keep his
commandments;
Daniel
prays to God and confesses his sin to the
“dreadful God”. The word for dreadful means one
who instills godly
fear. Daniel continues in stating that God is
the one who keeps the covenant, and he is also
the One who shows mercy to them that love him
and to them who keep his commandments. These
criteria for receiving mercy from God are very
important, but disdained by many in the Church.
We are to fear God, love God and keep his
commandments in order to receive mercy from Him.
(Dan 9:5 KJV) We have sinned, and
have committed iniquity, and have done
wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing
from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
Daniel
identifies with Israel in his confession of sin,
as he states that “We have sinned, and have
committed iniquity, done wickedly and rebelled
against God by departing from his “precepts” and
from the ordinances of God. The word for
judgments should have been translated
“ordinances” since it seems doubtful that they
could have departed from God’s judgments. These
are all sins that Israel committed and Daniel
takes responsibility right along with the rest
of the Israelites.
(Dan 9:6 KJV) Neither have we
hearkened unto thy servants the prophets,
which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes,
and our fathers, and to all the people of the
land.
Daniel
continues enunciating the errors of Israel in
not listening to the prophets that God sent
them. These prophets spoke in the power and
authority of God to the kings, princes and to
all the people. Instead of listening to the
prophets, the Israelites killed the prophets
(Dan 9:7 KJV) O Lord,
righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of
faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah,
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto
all Israel, that are near, and that are far
off, through all the countries whither thou
hast driven them, because of their trespass
that they have trespassed against thee.
Daniel
repeats that shame was upon their faces,
including the kings, the princes and the fathers
because of their sins. The sin and rebellion of
Israel against God is a primary theme of the
Bible. It will continue until the Return of
Jesus Christ in power and glory at the end of
the seven-year tribulation period. It is at this
point that Israel will receive their atonement,
and the vision in this chapter provides a
timeline for this atonement.
(Dan 9:9 KJV) To the Lord our God
belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
Daniel
states that God is merciful and forgiving, even
though Israel has rebelled against him. God will
be merciful and forgiving to Israel, but they
must first be brought to repentance through much
tribulation and hardship. God will be merciful
to Israel when they have repented of their sins
and turn to God for forgiveness.
(Dan 9:10 KJV) Neither have we
obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk
in his laws, which he set before us by his
servants the prophets.
Daniel
reiterates that Israel has not obeyed the voice
of the Lord to walk in the laws, which was given
to them through the prophets.
(Dan 9:11 KJV) Yea, all Israel
have transgressed thy law, even by departing,
that they might not obey thy voice; therefore
the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that
is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because
we have sinned against him.
Daniel
continues in stating that all Israel have
transgressed the law of God, and departed from
God and refused to obey his voice. Therefore,
the curse of God is poured upon Israel and the
promise (i.e., oath) that God made in the Law of
Moses would be carried out, just as stated. The
oath is given in Deuteronomy chapter 28, and the
oath promises blessings to Israel if they will
hearken unto the Lord and be obedient to his
statutes. The blessings are detailed in Deut.
28:1-14. The curses are detailed in Deut.
28:15-68 if Israel does not hearken to the Lord
and obey his statutes.
(Dan 9:12 KJV) And he hath
confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges
that judged us, by bringing upon us a great
evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been
done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
Daniel
states that God has confirmed his words of
warning that was detailed in Deut. 28. Just as
stated in Deut. 28:15-68, God has brought great
calamity upon the children of Israel, both the
northern and southern kingdoms in the exile from
their land. The calamity upon Israel has not
been equaled in any other nation in the world.
(Dan 9:13 KJV) As it is written
in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon
us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD
our God, that we might turn from our
iniquities, and understand thy truth.
As is
written in Deut. 28, all the evil stated has
come upon Israel in detail, and Israel as a
nation has not confessed their sins before the
Lord, nor have they sought repentance from their
iniquities in order to understand the truth of
God. Everything that has come upon Israel has
been a result of their sins, and disobedience to
God. A small segment of Israel did repent and
return to the land of Israel, but the final
dispersion of Israel occurred in 70AD and
continued up until the 20th century,
when Israel was reestablished as a nation and
millions of Jews returned to Israel, but they
returned in unbelief. The entire land
inheritance of Israel will not be returned to
them until they turn to God and to Jesus Christ.
The holocaust brought Israel to their knees
enough to return to the land and establish the
State of Israel. The Jews will return to God the
Father during the first half of the seven-year
tribulation period, and they will finally come
to Jesus at the end of the seven-year
tribulation period when Jesus Christ returns in
power and glory.
(Dan 9:14 KJV) Therefore hath the
LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it
upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in
all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed
not his voice.
The
Lord did as He promised in bringing evil upon
Israel for their disobedience. God is righteous
and requires righteousness from his people. This
righteousness is the practical righteousness
that comes through the sanctification process of
studying and abiding in God’s Word.
(Dan 9:15 KJV) And now, O Lord
our God, that hast brought thy people forth
out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand,
and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day;
we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
Daniel
refers back to the time that God brought Israel
out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and
made a name for himself
that endures today. The knowledge of the Jews
coming out of Egypt and passing through the Red
Sea is common knowledge throughout the world. At
the time this is written, Israel and Judah are
again in captivity in Assyria and Babylon. God
did it once, so He can certainly do it again.
(Dan 9:16 KJV) O Lord, according
to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let
thine anger and thy fury be turned away from
thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because
for our sins, and for the iniquities of our
fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a
reproach to all that are about us.
Daniel
beseeches the Lord to turn his fury away from
the City of Jerusalem, the holy mountain, which
would refer to the temple mount in Jerusalem
where the first and second temple stood before
being destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and Titus. God
allowed the destruction of both temples because
of the iniquities of the Jewish fathers. As a
result Jerusalem and the people of Israel have
become a reproach to all the nations.
(Dan 9:17 KJV) Now therefore, O
our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his
supplications, and cause thy face to shine
upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the
Lord's sake.
Daniel
continues in his prayer to God to hear his pray
and supplications and to change his attitude
toward the sanctuary of Israel, which was
currently desolate at the time this was written.
Daniel asks the Lord to do this for the Lord’s
sake.
(Dan 9:18 KJV) O my God, incline
thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and
the city which is called by thy name: for we
do not present our supplications before thee
for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
Daniel
asks God to listen to him and to open his eyes
and look upon the desolations of Israel caused
by the disobedience of Israel. Daniel asks God
to do this not because of the righteous deeds of
Israel, but because of God’s great mercies.
(Dan 9:19 KJV) O Lord, hear; O
Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer
not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and
thy people are called by thy name.
Daniel
pleads with the Lord to hear his prayer and
forgive Israel, since the City of Jerusalem and
the people of Israel are called by the power and
authority of God and not by anything in their
power that they are able to do.
(Dan 9:20 KJV) And whiles I was
speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin
and the sin of my people Israel, and
presenting my supplication before the LORD my
God for the holy mountain of my God;
It
was during Daniel’s prayer that God sent the
archangel Gabriel to Daniel to respond to his
prayer and give a timeline for the atonement and
restoration of Israel. Daniel states that he is
praying for the holy mountain of God. Literally,
the holy mountain of God is Mount Zion, which is
the temple mount in Jerusalem, but figuratively
it refers to the New Jerusalem, which will be
the headquarters for the Kingdom of Heaven. The
holy mountain of God is the center of the
Kingdom of God. Daniel is using figurative
language to emphasize his prayer for the kingdom
of Israel. A mountain in Scripture refers to a
kingdom, whether earthly or heavenly. We know
that Israel as a nation lost its inheritance in
the heavenly aspect of the kingdom, but Israel
will receive its inheritance in the earthly
aspect of the kingdom. Thus, it appears that
Daniel is praying for Israel in regard to the
heavenly aspect of the kingdom that Israel was
to have inherited. Israel did not actually lose
the inheritance in the heavenly aspect of the
kingdom until 70 AD, when the kingdom was
finally taken away from Israel, and the
destruction of the temple took place and the
Jews were dispersed throughout the world. Israel
was actually on probation for the three years of
Jesus’ ministry and the following 37 years
leading up to 70 AD. The total time of testing
for Israel was 40 years, which is the number of
testing. It is highly significant that in the
vision that follows, Gabriel never gives Daniel
assurance in regard to the “holy mountain of my
God”. Gabriel does give him other assurances
about the end for Israel, which will be
addressed in the following verses. The atonement
of Israel and its restoration in the holy land
of Israel is assured and will occur under the Abrahamic Covenant,
which is unconditional. The heavenly aspect of
the kingdom is conditional and requires the
obedience of Israel. This is the message
preached for 3 ½ years to Israel—Repent and be
baptized for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Since Israel as a nation failed to repent, the
kingdom of heaven was taken away from Israel and
given to the Church.
(Dan 9:21 KJV) Yea, whiles I was
speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom
I had seen in the vision at the beginning,
being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about
the time of the evening oblation.
While
Daniel was still praying, the Archangel Gabriel
appeared to Daniel and touched him at the time
of the evening sacrifice. Gabriel was the one
who appeared to Daniel in his previous vision in
chapter 8 about the ram and the goat. Daniel
emphasizes how swift Gabriel comes to him, since
he appears before Daniel has finished his
prayer. Travel in the spiritual realm is
instantaneous, but Daniel refers to it as “being
caused to fly swiftly”.
The
word for “touched” means that Gabriel arrived or
approached Daniel and he approached Daniel at
the time of the evening sacrifice.
(Dan 9:22 KJV) And he informed
me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I
am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
Gabriel
gives Daniel some information, which means that
Gabriel showed himself as being discerning and
attentive to the requests of Daniel. Gabriel
also talked to Daniel and told him that he was
going to give him comprehension and insight in
the matter at hand. Gabriel was also going to
give him knowledge and wisdom in regard to
Daniel’s petitions to God.
(Dan 9:23 KJV) At the beginning
of thy supplications the commandment came
forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou
art greatly beloved: therefore understand the
matter, and consider the vision.
Gabriel
tells Daniel that at the very beginning of his
supplications, the commandment came down from
God for Gabriel to go to Daniel and inform him
of the plans of God for Israel. Gabriel also
tells him that Daniel is greatly beloved by God.
This is clear in the details of this vision,
since Daniel prays to God and God sends an
archangel to make Daniel understand the matter
at hand and to understand the vision. The matter
at hand is Israel’s atonement and restoration.
The vision is Gabriel’s appearance to Daniel
while Daniel was wide awake and conscious and
telling Daniel the timeline for Israel’s
restoration and atonement.
(Dan 9:24 KJV) 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.
Gabriel
gives a time period of seventy weeks for the
full working out of Israel’s deliverance.
Without going into detail, these weeks refer to
weeks of years and not to days. In addition,
each week of years starts on the first year
after a Sabbath year, so it is not just any
seven year period. We will discuss the weeks in
more detail in the following verses. The seventy
weeks make up the time period that will pass
before Israel will receive its atonement and
restoration. Israel and Jerusalem are
inextricably tied together for the atonement and
restoration to take place. Thus, the seventy
weeks must pass before the rebellion (i.e.,
transgression) of Israel ends. Also, the seventy
weeks must pass before the sins of Israel come
to an end, and atonement (i.e., reconciliation)
for Israel takes place. This will be the time of
the establishment of the millennial kingdom,
when “everlasting righteousness” will be
established. This will also be the time that
Daniel’s vision about the seventy weeks will end
and all prophecy will be fulfilled in regard to
Israel. The prepositional phrase “to anoint the
most Holy” has to refer to the holy city of
Jerusalem, since it is referred to as the holy
city at the beginning of this verse. Thus, the
city of Jerusalem will be the eternal capital of
Israel at the start of the millennial kingdom,
and it will no longer be a divided city.
The Seventy Weeks of Daniel
(Dan 9:24-27 KJV) 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. {25} Know
therefore and understand, that from the going
forth of the commandment to restore and to build
Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be
seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the
street shall be built again, and the wall, even
in troublous times. {26} 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. {27} 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.
Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks in Daniel
9:24-27 concerns three time periods dealing with
the nation of Israel. Each of the first two time
periods begins with a proclamation for Israel to
return to and restore Jerusalem, and it ends with
the coming of Messiah the Prince to the faithful
ones looking for his coming. The first time
Messiah the Prince came was to the shepherds
abiding or working in the fields at night. They
were wide-awake tending the flock of sheep. The
second group was the wise men looking for the
coming of Messiah the Prince.
The first decree or proclamation that went out to return to and restore Jerusalem was in 444 B.C. and this decree was issued by the Persian king Artaxerxes, who gave the Jews permission on Nisan 1, 444 B.C. to rebuild Jerusalem. A week is a specific seven-year period ending with a Sabbath year. Since 444 B.C. was a Sabbath year that ended on Rosh Hashanah 444 B.C., the sixty-two weeks ended on Rosh Hashanah 10 B.C. The prophecy is clear that the coming of Messiah the Prince would be after the sixty-two weeks. Jesus Christ did come to earth in 4 B.C., according to Ussher’s Chronology. This was actually six years into the sixty-third week, but it was after the sixty-two weeks just as the prophecy states. Thus, the first period ended with the coming of Messiah the Prince after the sixty-two weeks, and Messiah was cut-off or killed, just as the prophecy states.
The
second time period began with the Jerusalem
Proclamation on January 23, 1950, but the start
of the first of the seven weeks did not begin
until Rosh Hashanah on the first of Tishri in
the year 1956. 1956 would have been the last
possible year that would begin a week.
| Note: Tishri is the first month of the Hebrew civil year and starts on Tishri 1. It is the seventh month of the Hebrew ecclesiastical year, which starts on Nisan 1. Tishri usually occurs in September-October on the Gregorian calendar. Tishri 1 occurs at sundown on September 16, 2012. The Main Harvest Rapture of the Church will occur on Tishri 1 or Tishri 2 forty-two (42) months after the Firstfruits Rapture occurs. Thus, the day and hour of the Main Harvest rapture will still be unknown after the Firstfruits Rapture. The 13 Hebrew months are: Nisan, Iyyar, Sivan, Tamuz, Av, Elul, Tishri, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Sh’vat, Adar I and Adar II. Adar II is the intercalary month and only occurs every few years. There will be an Adar II starting in about April 2013. This is how God will squeeze in 42 months between the Firstfruits Rapture and the Main Harvest Rapture. See the following link for more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tishri |
If this is correct and our understanding of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks is correct, then the seven weeks began on Rosh Hashanah 1956 and ended on Rosh Hashanah 2005. This would mean the seven weeks began on the first of Tishri 1956 and ended on Rosh Hashanah 2005. In order for the prophecy to be accurately and completely fulfilled, Messiah the Prince must rapture the First fruits of the faithful and wise in the spring before the first of Tishri on Rosh Hashanah 2012. Just as Messiah the Prince came the first time after sixty-two weeks plus six years, it seems highly probably that He will manifest himself in the First fruits Rapture after the seven weeks plus six years. This would place the First fruits Rapture in the spring of 2012. It would also allow for Antichrist to appear in the spring and establish himself in power in order to “confirm the covenant with many” at the beginning of the last week on the first of Tishri on Rosh Hashanah 2012. The following chart depicts the three time periods in Daniel’s Seventy Weeks in accordance with the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-26:
|
Time Period in Weeks |
Start of Period |
Dates of Week(s) |
Event After the Period |
| Sixty-two Weeks |
Decree of Artaxerxes on Nisan 1, 443 B.C. |
Tishri 1, 443 B.C. - Tishri
1, 9 B.C. (Total of 434 Years) |
Birth of Messiah the Prince in 4 B.C., which was 62 weeks & 6 years after the start of the 62 weeks on Tishri 1, 443 B.C. |
| Seven Weeks | Jerusalem Proclamation January 23, 1950 | Tishri 1, 1956-Tishri 1, 2005 | Messiah the Prince Raptures the First Fruits before Tishri 1, 2012, which would be 7 weeks and six years after the start of the seven weeks on Tishri 1, 1956. |
| One Week | Antichrist confirms the Covenant on or before Tishri 1, 2012 | Tishri 1, 2012-Tishri 1, 2019 (Total of 7 years) |
Reconciliation of Israel at the Second Advent of Christ, which would take place no later than Tishri 10th, 2019. The Feast of Atonement is Tishri the 10Th, and would be the Day of Israel’s Atonement. |
It
must be remembered that a week in Scripture is
an exact seven-year period of time that begins
at the New Year on Tishri the 1st and ends on
the same date at the end of a Sabbath year. The
last of the seven weeks ended with the Sabbath
year on Rosh Hashanah 2005. Only sixty-two weeks
elapsed after the Decree of Artaxerxes until the
birth of Jesus Christ, and it seems certain that
only seven weeks will elapse after the Jerusalem
Proclamation until the First fruits Rapture of
the Faithful & Wise. If our understanding is
correct on this, then we have less than one year
left before the First fruits Rapture takes
place. We do not know the day and hour, but
“that day” is not coming upon us unawares.
The first sixty-two weeks of Daniel ended when Messiah was born, and then Messiah was “cut off” or killed when He was crucified as atonement for our sins. The Church Age was implemented after the end of the sixty-two weeks and after the rejection of Jesus Christ as Israel’s king. The kingdom of heaven was taken away from Israel and given to the Church, but Israel was given a final 40 years to receive Jesus Christ as king. At the end of the 40 years the kingdom of heaven was finally taken away from Israel, and Israel was cut off from being a nation in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Roman General Titus. The Jews were scattered among the nations for two days (i.e., 2000 years), while God is taking out a people for his name, which is the Church (Acts 15:14). God began working with the Jews again in the Zionist movement before the turn of the 20th century. God’s purpose was to regather Israel and establish Israel as a nation. Even though Israel was established as a nation in 1948, the time clock of the seven weeks in Daniel’s seventy weeks did not start until the Jerusalem Proclamation on January 23rd 1950. We have already seen that the seven-week period extends from Rosh Hashanah 1956 until Rosh Hashanah 2005. The seven-week period has ended, so it is very close to the time that Messiah the Prince will remove the Faithful and Wise in the First fruits Rapture of the Church. This event should occur just before the end of the eighth week, to allow just enough time for Antichrist to make his appearance and initiate the last week in Daniel’s Seventy Weeks. Of course, this is contingent upon our correct understanding of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks. We have been striving to understand Daniel’s Seventy Weeks for 34 years, and we have been wrong before in our understanding. However, it must be remembered that the understanding of God’s prophetic Word is progressive in nature as we get closer to the time of the Return of Jesus Christ. We believe the time is very, very close and that our understanding of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks is correct.