My friend Luke shared the below with me. If you study Eschatology from the Bible, you should know that the following doctrines most evangelicals hold to be true are based on a false interpretation of Daniel 9:27, namely, the Antichrist will make a treaty with the Jews and Israel for a 7 year period during which he will allow the Jews to rebuild the temple of Solomon. Please know that this doctrine was created by a Jesuit priest circa 1585, and was rejected by Protestants until sometime in the 19th century through Jesuit infiltration into Protestant churches and seminaries. It began when Darby and Scofield taught dispensationalism. The purpose was to sidetrack Protestantism and to get the Protestants eyes off the Pope and the Papacy as the true Antichrist of the Bible. Did it work? You know it did!
I was asked to give confirming Scriptures for all these points. Normally verses are given to teach a doctrine. In this case I will show how Daniel 9:27 was incorrectly interpreted to support popular but false Endtime doctrines.
My comments of Daniel 9:27 in parenthesis show what Protestants up to the beginning of the 19th century used to teach and believe.
And he (Jesus Christ) shall confirm (not make) the (definite article) covenant (the Covenant God made with Abraham, not a treaty as modern translations say) with many (Jews) for one week (seven years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (when Jesus was crucified 3 1/2 years after He began His ministry, He became the ultimate sacrifice for sin which ended the need for animal sacrifice. The second 3 1/2 year period was the ministry of the Apostles to the Jews up to the stoning of Stephen and the calling of Paul to give the Gospel to the Gentiles.), and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple 40 years later.) — Daniel 9:27
- There is no seven-year countdown to Armageddon – prophesied in the Bible. The Scripture used to support a final 7 years is Daniel 9:27: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week… Protestant Christians up to the 19th century used to teach the seven year confirmation of the Covenant was fulfilled in Christ and His Apostles up to the stoning of Stephen.
- There is no Antichrist seven-year Middle East peace covenant – prophesied in the Bible. The Scripture used to support a Middle East peace covenant is Daniel 9:27: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week… Protestant Christians up to the 19th century used to teach the Covenant is the same Covenant of Daniel 9:4, namely the Covenant that God made with Abraham.
- There is no rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem as a result of a seven-year peace covenant – prophesied in the Bible. Protestant Christians up to the 19th century never taught the Temple will be rebuilt! The idea it will be rebuilt is pure speculation and wrong interpretation of “and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, ”
- There is no Antichrist that is going to make or break a seven-year peace covenant – prophesied in the Bible. Protestant Christians up to the 19th century used to teach the “he” of Daniel 9:27 is Jesus, not the Antichrist.
- There is no Antichrist that is going to stop the Jews from sacrificing in the middle of a seven-year peace covenant – prophesied in the Bible. Protestant Christians up to the 19th century never that that! Part of Daniel 11:31 is used to support this, “and shall take away the daily sacrifice“, but history says it was fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 BC when he set up an altar to the pagan god Zeus in the very temple of God at Jerusalem.
- There is no Antichrist that is going to sit in a rebuilt Jewish Temple in the middle of a seven-year peace covenant – prophesied in the Bible. Protestant Christians up to the 19th century never taught this. The idea of a rebuilt Temple of Solomon is pure speculation based on the reasoning: “How can the Antichrist stop the Daily Sacrifice when the Daily Sacrifice can only be performed in the Temple? Therefore, the Temple must be rebuilt for the Daily Sacrifice to be resumed in order for the Antichrist to stop it!” This type of interpretation in called eisegesis, or a reading into Scripture something that is not there.
- There is no Antichrist that is going to declare himself to be god in the middle of a seven-year peace covenant – prophesied in the Bible. This idea came from the wrong interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Protestant Christians up to the 19th century used to teach this Scripture is fulfilled by the Popes of Rome. The “temple of God” is the Church, according to the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? The Popes claim to be God / Christ on earth!
For the biblical and historical reason behind this, please see The 70th Week of Daniel Delusion on this website.
James
Thanks for publishing this.
A note about the third article of your “… beliefs in a nutshell”: Should read, “Who died on a cross made of wood”.
By the way, I am thinking about your beliefs in a nutshell and wondering if I might post it in an abridged manner on my site. Along the border area for many years the Catholic Church has been infiltrating fledgling and developed non-denominational, and we have been talking and praying about just such a message for those we want to bring deeper into our confidence.
I had thought that the first statement should be a renouncement of Catholicism and the Pope — a difficult hurdle for many here — as prelude for autonomous, self-governing, Spirit-led home fellowship. What do YOU think?
Once we bound over that hurdle, we can move forward.
Love in Christ,
Mike and Karen
I’m sorry, James, I love you but there are too many things in Daniel 9:24-27 that were not fulfilled in Jesus’ day or even the Early Church. Not the least of which were the things Jesus himself said in Matthew 24 et. al. about those verses. No 7-year holy covenant, no Second Coming then, gospel of the kingdom preached to all nations.
The Bible is not written for such obscure decoding, it is straightforwardly written, just like Genesis One.
My friend, I am basing my views on what Bible teachers used to teach about Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24 before the 19th century. Believe it or not Daniel 9:27 was considered by all Protestant Bible scholars to be a Messianic prophecy fulfilled by Jesus Christ and not by some future Antichrist!!! There are many articles on this website that talk about it in detail. For starters, please see http://www.jamesjpn.net/eschatology/the-70th-week-of-daniel-delusion/
and
http://www.jamesjpn.net/eschatology/preterism-futurism-historicism-3-schools-of-interpretation-of-bible-prophecy/
James, perhaps you can help us understand what our Lord meant by Great Tribulation, where He used it. And does that tie in with Paul’s statements of the man of sin being revealed before the day of the Lord, and his being destroyed by the lord at His appearing. I’d be interested in your take and the prior church teachings on that. Also how are we to view Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (KJV). And
How does this tie in with Daniel 12:9-13, And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Daniel 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
Daniel 12:13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. (KJV)
If you have already written on this just let us know where. Thanks.
Jerry, I used to think that Matthew 24 was talking about tribulation in the Endtime, but now it’s abundantly clear to me Jesus was talking about the destruction of the Temple, Jerusalem, and the killing of the Jews by the Roman army in 70 A.D. Certain Scriptures in Matthew 24 I didn’t understand before are now clearer than ever!
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Matthew 24:34
Messiah berated the Jewish leaders (as recorded in Matthew 23) and He proclaimed that all of the righteous blood would be poured out on them, on that generation, saying “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:36
A Biblical generation is 40 years. Messiah taught the Olivet Discourse in 31 A.D. The siege of Jerusalem, and the desolation of the Jews and the temple, took place in 70 A.D.; so indeed, it did happen in their generation. I used to think Matthew 24:34 was referring to the generation since the establishment of Israel in 1948. Ha ha! What a delusion that was!
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: Matthew 24:20
The Jewish leaders of Messiah’s day did observe the Sabbath, and they would have closed the gates of the city and prevented anyone from leaving the city on the Sabbath.
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matthew 24:21
If this time of great tribulation took place in the end times, before Messiah returned, then it would make no sense; because there could never be another time of great tribulation.
Messiah is not talking about the number of people who were killed, but the sheer horror of being an unbelieving Jew at the time, and the sheer horror of the scene; as 1.1 million Jews were dead in and around the small city of Jerusalem, with bodies stacked in the city, with blood all over the place, with crucified bodies filling the trees around Jerusalem, and with wild animals feasting on their flesh.
About the verses in Daniel 12, the “time of the end” began with the New Testament. The world has experienced 2000 years of Endtime so far. The Apostle John clearly says so:
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.