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.