Chapter 1
The mid-19th Century is known for the rise of Marxism, Materialism, Existentialism, Social Evolutionism, Transcendentalism, and Nelson Darby’s theory on a future prophetic Wrath of God lasting 7 years. The Darby theory is based on Daniel 9:26-27, and passages in Matthew 24, Ezekiel 40, I Thessalonians, and Revelation 11. This article will lay out and expose word by word how Daniel 27 was changed to fit a false narrative and how and why other passages in Matthew, Ezekiel, and Revelation were reinterpreted in order to fit this realignment or agenda. This will be Part 1 of a much longer explanation.
The traditional KJV interpretation of Daniel 9:27 reads: “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.” Can you understand the message being relayed? The failure to give a clear accurate meaning of this passage is a cause for concern. It begins with the main subject “he.” Modern day translators declare that the “he” is the Anti-Christ, yet according to accurate interpretation of the original Hebrew text this is not true.
In the Hebrew mind and in traditional grammatical usage, the thought should continue with the main subject, the anointed prince, from verse 26. “After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed Prince will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the commander (Anti-Christ) who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” Verses 26 and 27 belong in the same paragraph or in the same line of thought. There shouldn’t be a paragraph break as verse 27 describes what the anointed prince does. He, the Anointed Prince and not the commander, “shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week.”
The secondary subject described in verse 26 is in plural form in the Hebrew and therefore is translated: “the people of the coming commander.” This army will “destroy both the city (Jerusalem) and the Temple.” Because this phrase is in the plural it cannot be connected to the singular “he” in verse 27. The subject “He” in verse 27 must therefore be connected to the “Anointed Prince” in verse 26. It would be a grievous error to suggest otherwise. Yet this is what many translators, teachers, pastors, and authors have done as they try to redefine one of the most important prophecies in the Word of God. Many of them may not be aware of the key details that we are discussing in this book. They were taught error and just believed what was said without studying the Hebrew and the Biblical context. It is important for them to understand that the Anointed Prince confirms the Covenant and not this inauspicious “commander and his people” or army. This anointed prince is Jesus Christ who at that time was in Heaven directing Gabriel to make this important announcement about His Coming. Why would Gabriel ignore the purpose of Christ’s birth, ministry, life, death and resurrection which prevails against sin, death and all forms of wickedness, anxiety and fear? Why confuse the issue by talking about something that may happen 2000 or more years later?
The important prophetic declaration in Daniel 9 was made by Archangel Gabriel who also made Messianic announcements to the Temple priest Zechariah and to the Virgin Mary. Gabriel. Like those two announcements he gave Daniel a powerful message about the coming Messiah. It would be out of character for Gabriel to digress from this glorious announcement to introduce an Anti-Christ as the Covenant maker. Why would God’s heavenly messenger skip the Messiah’s New Covenant that would end all sacrifices and offering? Why would he skip the message of hope and steadfast love that God was conveying to His exiled nation? Why would Garbriel also ignore the “desolation” that Christ would suffer at the hands of this coming “commander” and others? This message would be recorded by Daniel for future generations that would also suffer in exile. Again, we must recognize that Jesus Christ himself was conveying this divine message.
We should also note three other mistakes in translation: 1) The correct Hebrew translation for the verb “gabar” is not the word “confirms” but is the more commanding word “prevails.” In the Hebrew Lexicon the word gabar is defined as “to cause to overpower.” Thus, verse 27 should read: “His Covenant will prevail with many for one week.” The New Covenant of Grace “prevails” as the Anointed Prince defeats Satan in the wilderness, sets the captives free, brings sight to the blind, defeats death, and redeems mankind. Jesus is the 2nd Adam born fully man and fully God. He has come to reclaim the right of dominion from Satan and save mankind. Using the word “confirm” would carry less power and authority. God prevails and overcomes Satan, sin and death through Jesus Christ and His Covenant of Grace. The New Covenant prevails over the Old Testament but does not abolish it.
2) We can interpret the 2nd part of verse 27 as: “and He will be made desolate on the wings of abomination.” Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah who fulfills all prophecy and therefore is the suffering servant who is made desolate. A clear way to translate this entire passage is, “The covenant shall prevail for many for one week. In the middle of the week, He (Jesus Christ) shall cause the sacrifices and offerings to cease, and upon the wing of abomination He shall be made desolate.” Jesus Christ was made desolate when He was betrayed by Judas, abandoned by his disciples, denied by Peter, judged by the unrighteous High Priest, rejected and slandered by the angry Jewish mob, and condemned by Pilate. He was again made desolate when he had to carry the cross on which he was then nailed to and died on, bearing the sins of all mankind past, present, and future. To ignore this is to ignore the core of the Gospel message.
“The wings of Abomination” refers to the location or locations where this atrocity took place. Most of Christ’s physical torture and mocking began in the Roman Antonia and ended on the Cross which are both located in the Northwestern “wing” of Mount Moriah. This “wing of abomination” could also refer to the Garden Tomb which is also on Mount Moriah but further away. Both are outside the city wall or on a wing outside the body of the Temple and Temple court. In each case the Lord “was made desolate on the wing of abomination.”
3) It is unfortunate that verse 27 is one of the most misinterpreted verses in the entire Bible. In some versions the word “destroyed” is used instead of “desolate.” Again, “destroyed” is the wrong word to use for Christ cannot be destroyed. He is made “desolate” when he is beaten, scourged, and placed on a cross where He redeems the sins of the world. Jesus Christ is not destroyed. Why would anyone want to change the meaning of this key message? A possibility will be discussed later.
Many people are also told that the book of Revelation foretells of an Abomination of Desolation that happens in an “end time Temple” and that it represents the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. This is a false narrative, for the book of Revelation doesn’t mention the Abomination of Desolation. These prophecy teachers refer to Revelation 13:14-15, which describes “signs that the first beast (the Anti-Christ) performs” and then “the image of the beast that the 2nd beast imparts life to.” They claim all or part of these events happen in a future end time Temple built on the Temple Mount. These supernatural events are not the Abomination of Desolation, and the book of Revelation does NOT state the location where they happen. They could happen at the Vatican or in any place on earth. It is important to note that the Book of Revelation was written 20 years after the real Abomination of Desolation happened in Jerusalem in 70 AD. That is why it is not part of any prophecy mentioned in the book of Revelation! Both Paul and Jesus Christ forewarn of the 70 AD “Abomination of Desolation” because they lived and died prior to 70 AD. We will discuss this in more detail later.
In summary the main theme of Gabriel’s message in about 532 BC was to announce to Daniel and to those who read Daniel’s scroll that a very specific time was set for the Messiah to appear. This Messiah or Prince is Jesus Christ who ministered for half a week or 3.5 years. He would end all sacrifices and offerings, and in his sufferings, he would redeem mankind. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ ended the need for all the Temple’s blood sacrifices and offering. Hence there is no need for a Temple. His glorious Resurrection happened in the middle of the week or after 3.5 years of ministry in about 32 AD. He is “this Temple” that Jesus said was “raised up after 3 days.”
Jesus told the Pharisees that the “Kingdom of God is within us.” Jesus Christ and all who receive Him have become the spiritual “Temple of God.” The final 3.5 years will be delayed for a long span of time just as the 70th week was delayed by hundreds of years. This means that the final 3.5 years of Daniel’s 70 weeks are reserved for a future time when the Wrath of God will judge the sin of the world. Jesus Christ spoke of this future 3.5 years in the Olivett Discourse and never mentioned any 7-year period that needed to be fulfilled. Note that even though Jesus referred to Daniel’s 70-weeks prophecy, He did not say that the “wrath of God” would last 7 years.
Jesus warned His followers to look for the “desolation” spoken of by “Daniel the prophet.” This desolation happened in the Roman siege of Jerusalem beginning in 68 AD when Nero desecrated the Temple, executed both Paul and Peter, and killed all the priests. This was the future “abomination of desolation” that Paul also spoke about. This final destruction would happen 38 years after Jesus gave his Olivett Discourse in Matthew 24. Those who did not flee with just the clothes on their back and would die in Jerusalem. That is why Jesus warned his disciples to leave the city. Twenty years after the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem, John the Apostle wrote about a time of “Tribulation” lasting only 3.5 years. The “Abomination of Desolation” had already happened and now Jesus Christ who has ascended into Heaven gives John a vision of end time events in Chapters 11, 12, and 13 that last only three- and one-half years. Jesus does not describe any 7-year period of tribulation nor any 7-year Wrath of God. Surely this detailed vision would reveal something about a 7-year judgment or wrath. This clearly suggests that Jesus Christ fulfilled the first 3.5 years of the 70th week and was the Covenant Maker who ended sacrifices and offerings for eternity.
We can therefore conclude that only the final 3.5 years of Daniel’s final 7 year prophecy remains to be fulfilled: 1) Daniel 7:25 “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 half a time (three and one-half years).” 2) Daniel 12:7 “The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time (3.5 years). When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed. 3) Revelation 13:5 “And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months (three and one-half years). 4) Revelation 12: 13-14: When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.”
If you understand what has been revealed in this article you will be looking forward to a three- and one-half-year Wrath of God and not to the popular “7-Year Wrath of God” popularized by the futurist prophecy movement. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the first 3.5 years of Daniel’s 70th Week Prophecy given to him by the Archangel Gabriel. This will mean that both the covenant and the betrayal connected to that covenant by a so-called commander or anti-Christ figure will not happen in the future. And if there is another “abomination of desolation” it will not happen in a Temple on the Temple Mount. More about this will be discussed later. Review what you have just learned and realize that these small changes in interpretation will affect the whole of Biblical Prophecy.
