The Seventy Weeks
of Daniel 9
--
Addition:
More Evidence
I believe the 70th week prophecy of Daniel 9 is a very
important
prophecy because it is describing the activities that are scheduled to
take place by the two greatest antagonists of the Universe. These
activities are to take place during the 1335 days that occur immediately preceding
Christ's return, and if we don't understand what each of these two are doing we will be
very susceptible to confusing which one is our Savior and which one only claims to be; but
in reality is our destroyer.
After years of study of all the prophetic books of the
Bible concerning end time events, I became familiar with these events and, in studying
Daniel 9, I could see what was going to happen and which personage was doing which
actions, but I couldn't understand why it should be written in such a way that the
prophecy was not at all clear, unless you studied the other prophetic books to clarify it.
I knew God does not give prophecies that are hard to understand, and that caused me
to ponder.
I wrote one of my booklets on this prophecy about three years ago
and on re-reading it now I feel I have nothing I need to change. I do have some new
insight as to why this prophecy has been so confusing and a stumbling block to so many.
I believe the KJV translation, in all good intentions,
paraphrased a
statement to save the reader some "unnecessary" investigating.
Daniel 9:25 (KJV) — 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...
What the manuscripts actually said was "an anointed
one" which the KJV paraphrased to "Messiah the Prince."
Then the problem really began when Bible scholars and theologians
tried to make this prophecy fit with the first coming and ministry of Christ. This
should be easy, as this event can be studied with perfect hindsight, but it doesn't fit.
Then they implemented the unauthorized rule to use a year for a
day as these events were hopelessly separated in the time frame of the prophecy.
This still didn't fit because the first command to rebuild Jerusalem was given by
Cyrus in 536 B.C. -- not 490 as the 70 weeks would suggest.
After centuries of manipulation of the facts of the prophecy it
still does not fit. The reason for this is the simple fact that the "anointed
one" in the prophecy is not speaking of Christ but of the counterfeit Christ who will
be proclaiming himself to be God above every god.
Most of the present day translations have steered clear of this
paraphrasing, as done by the KJV, but they stretch otherwise as much as possible for you
to see the same thing. Some use the definite article "the" (anointed)
instead of the literal translation of "an" (anointed).
We know that the first combatant in this great contest is the
Anti-Christ. He will set up his rule which lasts for 42 months -- in actual
months. All this I have covered, with its Scriptural basis, in my previous
booklet (#4) on this topic so will not need to repeat this — though the evidence for
this is not in short supply.
The blowing of the 7th trumpet by the 7th angel announces the
beginning of the reign of Christ and occurs immediately at the end of the reign of the
Anti-Christ. Christ implements the seven last plagues at the onset of His reign from
His residence in heaven and does not come to take charge in person until He comes to do
battle with the Anti-Christ (Satan personified as a man).
The first prince introduced in the 70 wk. prophecy is "an
anointed one, the ruler who comes". Remember, he will be the ruler of all the
earth for the time limit of his reign. Paul calls him:
2 Thess. 2:3 (NEB) — "Wickedness that will be
revealed in human form."
2 Thess. 2:7 (KJV) — For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work.
vs. 9 — Even him whose working is after
the working of Satan,
This mystery of iniquity will be revealed when he comes as an
anointed one, and claiming to be the savior of the world.
He is also called the false prophet. Christ is the true
prophet. Notice the intimate family connection this anointed one has with Satan at
the time the angel with the sixth plague pours it on the earth.
Rev. 16:13,14 — Then I saw three evil spirits that
looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon (Satan) out of the mouth of
the beast (who has Satan's logo i.e. 7 heads and ten horns) And out of the mouth of the
false prophet. (Satan personified as a man)
These three are inseparable and might be considered as the three
parts of his godhead. Remember he is the master counterfeiter.
Vs. 14 — They are spirits of demons performing
miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole earth, to gather them for the
battle on the great day of God Almighty. (the battle of Armageddon)
These three demonic entities are inseparably bound in a common
cause. Note the source of the authority that they have to rule the earth.
Rev. 13: 1-8 — And I saw a beast coming out of
the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with crowns on his horns, and on each
head a blasphemous name...
Vs. 2b — the dragon gave the beast his
power and his throne and great authority...
Vs. 5 — The beast was given a mouth to
utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months...
Vss. 7,8 — He was given power to
make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over
every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship
the beast — all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to
the lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
All the earth will be subject to the exercising of the authority
of this satanic beast who has received his authority from the dragon. (Satan).
Now note this lamb-like beast is also noted to be the little horn
that originates from this beast above, and which becomes more and more powerful. He
is the anointed one of Dan. 9:25. Let us look at his credentials in Rev. 13.
Rev. 13: 11 — Then I saw another beast, coming out of
the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. (He looks
like Christ but speaks like Satan).
Vs. 12 — He exercised all the authority of
the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first
beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
Remember, he is exercising all the authority of the first beast,
which was the authority given to him by the dragon. (Satan)
This first beast with the ten horns represents ten kings and
seven blasphemous heads. Note that one of these heads had previously received a
mortal sword wound, but at the time this beast rose out of the sea to begin his reign the
head wound had healed. When did he receive this mortal wound in the past?
To better see how this mortal wound could happen it might be
helpful to see the list of some of the participants in this One World Order evil
conglomerate as listed in Ezekiel and other prophetic books in the O.T. See my
booklet # 4A for details.
Ezekiel 38:5 —
1. Persia (Iran)
2. Cush (Ethiopia)
3. Put (Algeria?)
Vs. 6 —
4. Gomer (France) (see Armageddon booklet)
5. Beth Togarmah (Armenia)
Vs. 3 —
6. Meshech (a province in the area of Moscow)
7. Tubal (present day Georgia of Russia.)
Joel 3:1-8; —
8. Tyre, Sidon and Philistia (Palestinians)
Zeph. 2:8,9 —
9. Moabites and Ammonites (Jordan)
Isaiah 30:30-33 —
10. Assyria (modern day Iraq in previous Assyria.)
These are some of the participants that have been listed for the
multinational army that will assemble to rule the earth during the first three and
one-half years of this coming great tribulation.
Can you see in history where this group has met in battle and
received a seemingly fatal wound, but which they have been recovering from? When
John sees this beast rising out of the sea to rule the earth, he notes that the “fatal”
wound had been healed, etc.
He notes that the "fatal" wound had been healed. I
believe a perfect example of this near fatal wound could be best explained by the
six-day-war in which these nations received a horrible wound from the infant nation of
Israel at that time (1967).
While all of these nations didn't participate actively in this
battle, they were all sympathetic to the cause — and Russia was a major supplier of
the battle equipment with which the Arab world attempted to exterminate the Israelites.
I do believe this multinational combine received a seemingly mortal wound at this
battle and now we can see that they are now near full recovery.
Remember that this lamb-like beast that comes up out of the
earth, while not the same as the first beast which has the dragon's logo in his
description, is intimately associated with it from the very first. He is the little
horn of Dan 7, that grew out of the head of the first beast, and he and the first beast --
both using Satan's authority, will work together to subdue the earth and demand that
everyone worship the first beast. This lamb-like beast is the human element in these
two beasts. Daniel, in describing this beast with the ten horns, says:
Dan. 7:8 — While I was thinking about the horns,
there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the
first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a
mouth that spoke boastfully.
Now let us take one more look at the "an anointed one"
with the general "understanding" that this "an anointed one" applies
to Christ. The next verse introduces another prince who will come. The natural
reasoning is that, if the first one is Christ then the second one must be the Anti-Christ,
and that is how the general impression remains. Note the following:
Dan. 9:26b — The people of the ruler who will
come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood and
desolations have been decreed.
Dan. 9:26b (Amplified) -- And the people of the
other prince who shall come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.
Notice how and when this takes place. Ezekiel in Chapters 38, 39
give the best description of the Battle of Armageddon in the Bible.
Ezek. 38:18-20 — This is what will happen in that
day:
When Gog (Anti-Christ) attacks the land of
Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord.
In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at
that time there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the
birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and
all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence.
The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs
will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. (This is when the prince that
will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.)
Vss. 21,22— I will summon a sword against Gog on all
my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord... I will execute judgment upon him with plague
and bloodshed;
I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones
and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.
This is speaking of the fulfillment of what will happen to the
abomination that causes desolation — the Anti-Christ.
Daniel 9:27b — And on a wing of the temple he
will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured
out on him.
Where is it decreed? Ezekiel 38:22. What is poured out on
him? --
I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning
sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.
Let me demonstrate from different translations how Dan.
9:27 has a prince involved in the first half of the verse and the other prince in
the second half. Note that this is so:
Dan. 9: 27a (Berkeley Version) -- In a week he
will make the covenant to prevail for many, and in the middle of the week he will make
sacrifice and offering to cease.
27b -- Then on a wing of horrors shall
a desolater come to bring ruin until a fully determined end comes down on the desolation.
(This is clear that the desolater in b cannot be the same as the confirmer in a.)
27a (NASB) -- "And he will make a firm
covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to
sacrifice and grain offerings;
27b — and on the wing of abominations will
come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, is poured out on the one
who makes desolate."
27a (Amplified) -- And he shall enter a strong
and firm covenant with many for one week [seven years]
They are inserting their interpretation (seven years) to be
helpful, like their predecessor — the KJV; but it is really seven days, which is
actually what it says. Nowhere in the Bible are we told that these days represent
years.
continued — And in the midst of the week he shall
cause the sacrifice and offering to cease (for the remaining three and one-half years)
Information within the brackets is supplied by the translators.
(same rebuttal as above)
27b— And upon
the wing or pinnacle of abominations (shall come) one who makes desolate; until the full
determined end is poured on the desolater.
27a (NEB) — He shall make a firm league with the
mighty for one week; and the week half-spent, he shall put a stop to sacrifice and
offering.
27b — And in the train of these
abominations shall come an author of desolation; then, in the end, what has been decreed
concerning the desolation will be poured out.
Paul, in speaking of this same covenant that Christ will make
with the surviving Israelites, says it will occur when He takes away their sins.
This has to be the list of events in the 70th week of this 70 week prophecy.
He also says that it can't take place until the last Gentile is called in.
Rom. 11:25-27 — I do not want you to be ignorant of
this mystery, brothers...
Israel has experienced a hardening in part
until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is
written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from
Jacob, and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
This is not a covenant of the Anti-Christ with the Israelites but
the covenant that Christ makes with them to fulfill a promise He made to Abraham.
Paul quotes from Isaiah about this covenant He made with them.
Isaiah 59:21 — “As for me this is my covenant
with them,” says the Lord,
“My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart
from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their
descendants from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.
I have heard and read many say “yes, that is what He had
planned for them but because of the crucifixion Christ abandoned them and canceled His
promise.” Paul addresses this point as he continues his presentation of the
70th week covenant “He” confirms with them.
Rom. 11:28,29 — As far as the gospel is
concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned,
they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are
irrevocable.
As far as the gospel is concerned they are enemies of God because
they have completely rejected Christ as their Savior. In spite of this, God's call
of them as His chosen, and His promise to take away their sins forever will be carried out
because these are irrevocable.
Note how the lamb-like beast of Rev. 13 and the false prophet of
Rev. 19 are one and the same evil entity:
Rev. 13:13,14 — And he performed great and miraculous
signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven in full view of men. Because of
the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the
inhabitants of the earth.
Now notice the description of the false prophet in Rev.19, in
speaking of the Battle of Armageddon.
Rev.19:19,20 — Then I saw the beast and the k ings of
the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse
and his army. But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who had
performed the miraculous signs on his behalf...
The two of them were thrown alive into the lake of
burning sulfur.
Now note another description of these two worthies being thrown
into the flames together. In this description he is described as the little horn
that was different from the other ten and stronger than they were. He is here
described as being a part of the beast by being its most prominent horn.
Dan.7:11 — "Then I continued to watch because of
the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast (with the
horn attached) was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (burning
sulfur)
Now, for a refresher, look at the demise of Gog and the beast
— multinational army at Armageddon.
Ezekiel 38:21,22— I will summon a sword against Gog
on all my mountains,
(the mountains surrounding Jerusalem) declares the Sovereign Lord...
I will execute judgment upon him
with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning
sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. (the ten
kings with each his army)
Why has God let this obvious simple mistake in this
paraphrase not come to light centuries ago. I believe it is because Daniel was a sealed
book until the time of the end. Notice Daniel's confusion at the ending of his book:
Daniel 12:8,9 — I heard, but I did not understand.
So I asked, "My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because
the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
Vs. 10 — Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked
will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand but those who are
wise will understand.
I believe we are now at the time of the end, and now is the
time to find out what this book and this prophecy is trying to tell us.