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Daniel |
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Daniel 9:2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
God commanded the Israelites to let the land rest one year in seven. After 490 years of disobedience God sent them into captivity for 70 years.
Daniel 9:24-26a "Seventy sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. 25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One (Messiah Heb.), the ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens, and sixty-two sevens. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two sevens, the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.
The decree was given March 14, 444 BC. See Nehemiah 2:1. 483 years times 360 days of the Jewish year equals 173880 days. See the note on the Calendar in chapter five. 476 Roman years times 365.25 equals 173859 days. A difference of 21 days. So 444 BC plus 476 years equals 31 AD. Add one year, for the calendar, and that comes to 32 AD. March 14 plus 21 days equals April 6. The 69 weeks ended April 6, 33 AD. The exact day Jesus died.
Daniel 9:26b-27 The people of the ruler (prince Heb.) who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. In the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
Titus, the prince "to come," being at war with the Jews stormed Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in 70 AD. If the 69 weeks are literal then the last seven years must be as well. We see here a forty-year gap from the death of Jesus to the destruction of the temple. The temple must be rebuilt and the sacrifices commenced before the "He" can stop the sacrifices again. "He," the antichrist, will form a covenant for seven years. In the middle of which he will stop the sacrifices as described in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Which ends with his death at the Messiahs second coming 3 1/2 years latter as described in 2 Thessalonians 2:8. This then is the seven years prior to the second coming.
Daniel 11:2-32 is fulfilled prophecy.
The four kings of 11:2 are: 1. Darius the Meade 536-530 BC 2. Cambyses 530-522 BC 3. Pseudo-Smerdis 522 BC 4. Xerxes I (see Esther 1:1) 486-465 BC. Alexander the great, 336-323 BC, is in verse 11:3 and Ptolemy I Soter rules Egypt form 323-285 in verse 11:5. In 11:6-10 Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy II, marries Aniochus II as an alliance but Laodice, his first wife, has Berenice and her son put to death. Berenices bother Ptolemy III rules Egypt form 246-221 BC. In 11:11-12 Ptolemy IV 221-203 BC defeats Antiochus III at Raphia in 217 BC. Over 10,000 solders were killed in the battle. In 11:16 Antiochus controlled Israel by 197 BC. In 11:17 Antiochus gave Cleopatra I to Ptolemy V.
In 11:20 Seleucus IV, 187-175 BC, the son of Antiochus the great takes over. Antiochus Epiphanes, who ruled 175-164 BC, is described in 11:21-31. In 11:30 the ships of the Western coastlands (Rome LXX) are the Roman vessels under the command of Popilius Laenas who drove Antiochus back. In 11:31 he desecrates "the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice" and sets up "the abomination that causes desolation" In 11:32 the people of God who resist are the Maccabees. See 1 Maccabees in the OT Apocrypha.
After Antiochus three year occupation, he was driven out by the Maccabees, who ruled in peace from 165 to 64 BC when Pompey took Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed and the Jews, as a nation, were scattered until 1948 when the modern state of Israel was born. So the following happens sometime after 1948.
Daniel 11:35-45 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. 36 "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses (forces KJV); a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. 40 "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians (Ethiopia KJV) in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
This is still future. The "God of forces" is the new age concept that God is simply a force to be used and that we are all gods of which the Antichrist will be chief. The combined lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon are present day Jordan. The Antichrist will not be able to set foot in Jordan because it is protected by a super power. See Ezekiel 38:13. "Not regarding the god (Elohim Heb.) of his fathers" means he is a Jew but does not practice rabbinical Judaism. The "desire of women" is the Messiah, so he does not even appear as a religious Christian or Messianic Jew.
Daniel 12:1-4 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your peopleeveryone whose name is found written in the bookwill be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."
Notice the resurrection of the saved (before the millennial reign) and of the wicked (after the millennial reign) are seen as one event.
Daniel 12:5-10 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
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The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." 8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?" 9 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 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.Daniel 12:11-12 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. 13 "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
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All quotations taken from the NIV unless other wise noted.
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