This great prophecy of finality highlights the glorious might of God and what our worship of Him ought to be. It also defines our bestowed inheritance and what our faith and works ought to be.
While Israel was in exile in Babylon because of sin and rebellion, Daniel the Prophet read the book of Jeremiah about the 70 years’ laying waste of Jerusalem and its nearing completion. He then humbled himself in prayer to Yahveh. He prayed that Yahveh would remember His great mercies and restore Israel. His prayer was extended and genuine. In response to his prayer Gabriel, the great messenger of God, was speedily sent by God to Daniel to instruct him about the full answer to his honoring prayer.
Gabriel said, “Seventy sevens are determined for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to seal up sin, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in eternal righteousness, and to close up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Holy of Holies.
Therefore know and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens; again the street and wall shall be built, even in troublesome times. Then after the sixty-two sevens the Messiah will be cut off, but not for Himself, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood, even to the end there will be decreed desolations of war. And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven, but in the middle of the seven he will bring an end to sacrifice and offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the consummation and that which is decreed is poured out on the desolate.”
This rather enigmatic statement - which is of utmost importance - has very focused historical points of assured events!
They are:
* The command to restore and build Jerusalem until the appearance of (Jesus) the Messiah to Israel
* The cutting off, that is, the crucifixion of (Jesus) the Messiah
* The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary
* Desolations of war are decreed until its end
* He will bring an end to sacrifice and offering
* On the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate until the consummation and that which is determined shall be poured out on the desolate
Jesus referred to this very prophecy when He told His apostles what they (and His disciples) would see and what they must do because of the events of judgment that revealed His return in glory and the end of the Age of The Law. In fact, among the events, He revealed that the abomination of desolation was the key event that they must look for and respond to.
In Luke, Daniel’s prophecy is not mentioned. However, in Luke Jesus taught the same signs of actions of urgency because of the end, yet with a different ultimate sign than the abomination of desolation. Luke will be considered after Matthew and Andrew are seen together. His rendition is of another corresponding event that occurred prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. Most probably the abomination of desolation was not mentioned because Theophilus was a Greco-Roman or an Italian who very well may have been a tribune or prefect. If that was the case, he would have more readily seen the sign.
According to Matthew, after Jesus finished extended teaching and correction in the temple He left it with His apostles. Upon leaving they pointed out to Him the architecture of the temple buildings (according to Andrew, one of the group pointed out the manner of stones and buildings the temple was made of). At that point Jesus said, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another which will not be torn down.” They understood His statement to sum up the Day of Wrath and the end of The Age.
[Here, for clarity, it should be pointed out that the King James Version translators and translators of other versions have incorrectly used the word “world” in the place of age. That bad translation is a complete shift away from what Jesus said! He said the signs signaled the end of the age (of the Law of Moses).]
Differences between the records of Matthew and Andrew illuminate the climactic words of Jesus. In Matthew, “Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the very end, the entire completion, the consummation of the age?’” In Andrew, “And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?’” Then Jesus gave them the full answer. He told them they would see those things. Referring to the prophecy that Gabriel gave Daniel, He elaborated. He instructed them about the beginning of “birth pains” of judgment: deceptions about Himself, wars among men, and calamities in nature. He continued. They would also be subject to tribulation, that is, Jewish and gentile persecution. They would see the good message of the Kingdom proclaimed in the inhabited world (the Roman Empire) and their faithfulness to Himself would be put to the uttermost test. Then the end would come. He taught them about that last sign before the culmination: the abomination that makes desolate. He said, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand – is the writers’ instructive gloss) then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his garment. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will (a terminal statement). And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and appears even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles (the birds of prey) will gather.”
This statement of Jesus is full of what was then timely and focused prophetic revelation and teaching which was on the threshold of fulfilling the word of Gabriel to Daniel: to finish the transgression, to seal up sin, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in eternal righteousness, and to close up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Holy of Holies.
To understand the instruction of Jesus and its fulfillment is to understand that the seventieth seven of Daniel has been fulfilled. To understand its fulfillment is to know the spiritual character that has been inherited by God’s people. To understand our inheritance is to understand the full measure of salvation, honor, glory, majesty, and dominion that is due to God!
The dividing point between the listed birth pains and the consummation was the abomination of desolation. That event signaled the time for urgency, the time to act immediately and leave to escape the judgment of God. What was the abomination of desolation that the apostles and disciples of Jesus were to look for?
Before I answer that question, I will comment on the statement recorded by both Matthew and Andrew, “let the reader understand”. This is an editorial gloss made by both authors in their written documents. It was not in the quote of Daniel, nor was it made by Jesus Who was orally instructing His apostles. It was a clue for direct insight into the prior phrase, “standing in the holy place”. The phrase, “standing in the holy place”, also was not in Daniel, but it was an elaboration of Jesus. Daniel said, “on the wing of abominations will come one”. According to Jesus, “standing in the holy place” fulfilled “on the wing of abominations will come one”. The reader was to understand what the one standing in the holy place meant because it was the urgent signal for immediate action to escape the wrath of God. So, what was the abomination of desolation that the apostles and disciples of Jesus were to look for?
We have the benefit of historical fulfillment to give the answer. At the time of the end there was great and unparalleled upheaval in Judea and in the Roman Empire. The Jews had very successfully rebelled in a series of battles against the repressive ruling hand of Rome to such a decisive degree that Emperor Nero commanded his general Vespasian with Vespasian’s son Titus to finally crush the Jews. On his way to Jerusalem, Vespasian annihilated city after city and town after town and settlement after settlement of the Jews. At the beginning of the aforementioned upheaval in the Roman Empire, Nero committed suicide. That began what has been known in history as “the year of the four emperors”. At the killing of the third emperor and the proclamation of Vespasian as Emperor, he returned to Rome and left Titus to finish the defeat of the Jews. Titus continued the Jewish war with intensity and back and forth successes and defeats until Jerusalem was successfully conquered in the destruction of the Temple on August 30th in the year 70. On that date Titus entered the temple itself, including the Holy of Holies. That was also the terminal point – the end of the Age of Moses. Clearly, Titus was not the abomination of desolation. At that point it was too late to flee for safety.
Prior to that climaxing event three Jewish factions had entered into civil war with each other to take control of Jerusalem. (They only united with each other when Titus began to batter the walls of the city.) One of those factions was led by Simon bar Giora. He had by far the most followers. He took control of the upper and lower city. The second was led by John of Gischala, whose followers numbered less than half of those committed to Simon. He took control of the temple mount with its outer courts. The third leader was Eleazar ben Simon, leader of a faction of Zealots who took control of the inner court of the temple. He had the smallest group of followers. It is the presence and actions of the last two leaders combined that constitute the abomination of desolation. Gabriel termed it “on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the consummation and that which is decreed is poured out on the desolate.” Jesus termed it “the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place”. Taken together, the prophecy of Daniel and Jesus’ restatement and explanation of it are a united whole and are conclusive. By the first months of 68 John and Eleazar took control of the temple, John held the outer court (the wing) and Eleazar held the inner court (the holy place). While both occupants could be seen as standing in the holy place, in this historical context John was to be seen as occupying the wing, the edge, the extremity of the temple. That very event at that very time was the signal for Jesus’ followers to leave the city immediately. The language He used was hyperbolic and it was radically urgent! If they, His contemporaries, did not leave they would suffer the coming catastrophic consequences.
Why labor to make these historical points? The historical facts ground the seventieth seven of Daniel in its historical setting and remove it from the far distant future projection of most interpreters! Jesus was speaking to His apostles, who, together with Luke, wrote about His disciples’ direct and personal participation in the events. He was not speaking to some future generation. Those listeners were Jews living during the catastrophic times of the foretold events. They were the Jews who suffered under Vespasian, Titus, Simon, John, and Eleazar and, obviously, were their actual contemporaries! In Matthew, Jesus said to pray that your departure would not take place on a Sabbath day. Why did He say that? Because the Sabbath imposed business and travel restrictions on Jews who would be hindered on those days. The events that were foretold and their imminent fulfillment all occurred at the end of the seventh decade of the first century AD, about 40 years after Jesus taught His followers what they must look for. That was the terminal point! The prophecy of Daniel and of Jesus was fulfilled!
I mentioned previously the way Luke reported those events to Theophilus. Luke did not look at the events in the Jewish context of Matthew and Andrew. He instructed Theophilus within his particular vantage point. Theophilus may well have been a tribune or prefect. This probable assessment accounts for his title, “Most Excellent” and the inferred notion by Bible interpreters that he may have paid for Luke’s compilation of his two volume narrative and history. Furthermore, it is Luke’s rendition of the sign that lends weight to the probable identification of Theophilus. Be all that as it may, the sign he was to look for was clear. That particular sign was concurrent with the abomination of desolation spoken of to the Jews by Jesus and through Matthew and Andrew. Theophilus was to look for (through historical reference) encampments (of combatants) around Jerusalem. All interpreters that I am aware of believe that Luke spoke of Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem. Likewise, almost all translators render this singular use of stratopedon in the New Covenant Scriptures as “armies”. The interpretation, then, is that it was the four Roman legions of Titus encircling Jerusalem that constituted the sign to flee. There are two issues which refute this common interpretation. First, when Titus’ armies surrounded Jerusalem, it was too late to flee. Titus besieged the city in the month of April in the year 70. He progressively entrapped and cut off the city until he entered the conquered and burning temple four months later. Second, the sign in Luke was given in place of the abomination of desolation and was coincident with it. What occurred that fulfilled the sign of Luke? What occurred that happened around Jerusalem at the same time that the abomination of desolation stood where it must not stand? In the early months of 68 armed militants of Idumaeans, in league with the Zealots, approached Jerusalem from the south and encamped in the south and southwestern areas around it. They numbered around 20,000 men. At the same time Simon bar Giora approached Jerusalem with his 40,000 men and encamped to the east, north, and northeast of the city. The purpose of these warring factions was to overthrow the moderate ruling parties of the Jews of Jerusalem and take control of the city. These events occurred at the same time; the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place and encampments of militant combatants surrounding Jerusalem. They all happened a full two years before Titus arrived with his Roman legions to finally crush Jerusalem and fulfill the prophecies of Daniel and Jesus! When Titus arrived is was too late to flee the outpouring of God’s wrath in great tribulation against the Jews. When the Zealots occupied the Temple and the Idumaeans and Simon surrounded Jerusalem there was time to flee from the fulfillment of the days of vengeance. The Jews living at that time clearly saw and understood the ultimate defiling of the Temple when John and Eleazar used it as their fortress of war. Theophilus would have clearly seen the large militant factions surrounding Jerusalem at that time. This focus of Luke puts him on like footing as Matthew and Andrew. Operating in the gifts of the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom, he wrote his inspired fact based narrative to Theophilus. The churches’ futuristic interpretations of the warnings of Matthew, Andrew, and Luke completely miss the reality of Jesus’ teaching.
This brings us to the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy and Jesus’ elaboration of it.
The words are ultimate. When the signs and their outcomes happened in the year 70 the words of the prophecy were fulfilled! Transgression was finished! Sin was sealed up! Iniquity was atoned for! Eternal righteousness came! Vision and prophecy were closed! The Holy of Holies was anointed! All of these things that were known in partial measure through the sacrificial death of Jesus under The Law of Moses were brought to completion in the fulfillment of the seventieth seven at the coming of the Lord Jesus the second time in judgment under the Law of Moses! Jesus taught that all of the things prophesied would come upon and be fulfilled in the generation in which He lived! He taught that Heaven and Earth (the old order age under Moses) would pass away but His words would never pass away! The end of the age that the apostles asked Jesus about was to be fulfilled soon and then the Day Age would arrive. At the very end of that last generation of the Age of the Law the Father said through Jesus Who said through John, “Behold I am making everything new.” The force of the declaration from The Father cannot be missed! The verb “making” is in the present indicative active form! At that time God was actively doing that! The word “new” is the translation of kaina – new in quality; new that has not seen service before! God said, “Behold! I am presently making all things new in quality!”
A very important fact must be emphasized precisely because it was emphasized by God for the purpose of His administration in glory! It powerfully concerns the time of fulfillment of the seventy sevens related by Daniel and Jesus’ exposition of that time. Daniel saw a series of visions about the oppressive world order related to his people.
Daniel’s visions are not linear even though they detail historically epochal events. They, like those of The Revelation of Jesus, are highly symbolic in their proclamations of the events of the time of the end. Regarding the time of the end Daniel is both distinct from and unified with The Revelation of Jesus. Daniel’s prophecies speak of the time of the end of Antiochus IV. He was the brutal oppressor who intended to completely wipe out the Jewish way of life. Those events would happen in the last days, also called the end of days of oppression. Daniel also prophesied of the end of the age that would happen in the last days of the Law of Moses. Approximately 240 years separated those two distinct times of the end. Antiochus set up the abomination of desolation which signaled the end. The zealots occupying the temple were the abomination of desolation which signaled the end. There was an outstanding distinction of illuminating importance. Daniel was told to conceal or seal up the visions because the events spoken of concerned the last days or future days. John was told not to seal up the words of Revelation because the fulfillment of the events was near. John used an at-hand judgment phrase which underscored the imminence of the fulfillment of Revelation. He said, “And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does unrighteousness, still do unrighteousness; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still do righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.’ Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Daniel prophesied of the downfall of Antiochus approximately 375 years before Antiochus died. Jesus prophesied of the end of the Age of The Law approximately one to two years before it happened.
In summary, Daniel was told to seal up the vision about Antiochus because it pertained to “many days in the future”; also called “the time of the end”. Jesus said the exact opposite, precisely because the fulfillment of time of the end had arrived. Furthermore, the end in view of both prophets (Daniel and Jesus) has this massive distinction; Daniel prophesied of the end of Antiochus. Jesus prophesied of the end of Age of the Law of sin and death.
Here is the word through John, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things passed away.”
And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ Then He said to me, ‘They are done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’”
My comment: “the sea” in the opening statement symbolizes trouble and turmoil as witnessed to in the Scriptures. The removal of crying, death, mourning, and pain were directly related to the presence and function of the Law of Moses; the condemning task master, powerless to impart righteousness and the fruits of freedom. The new and eternal inheritance was for the overcomer who exercised faith in Jesus Who Himself is the Law of God, imparting eternal righteousness and the fruits of freedom!
Continuing the word through John, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations. And there will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him; and they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night, and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them, and they will reign to the ages of the ages.
And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His slaves the things which must soon take place.
“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does unrighteousness, still do unrighteousness; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still do righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the authority to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”
My comment: Within the city on both sides of the eternal river stands the tree of eternal life functioning forevermore, perpetually healing all of the faithful of God as they continually eat from its provision. The One also known as The Branch is The Healing Tree! There is no longer any curse is a restatement of the passing away of the first things, the Mosaic Law, the then current Heaven and Earth that produced death, crying, sorrow, and pain in the very function of its administration. The throne of God and of the Lamb is manifested! His slaves-sons serve Him in intimate full knowledge – His name is written on their foreheads. They see His face! He is their Light! They reign through the ages of the ages!
Finally, to underscore, highlight, and make manifest the fact that Jesus returned in glory in 70AD to establish God’s Kingdom in all immortal, incorruptible, imperishable, and eternal life, 10 times He said in His Revelation through John that the events covered in His coming would happen quickly or soon or were at hand. He opened His message and finished His message with these 10 statements. They fail to understand His words who do not see that He wrote His Revelation to seven representative assemblies in Asia Minor who existed in the latter half of the first century AD, and that it was to them that He gave dire warnings that would issue into immediate consequential results; all occurring in the latter half of the first century.
Returning to the same end-of-days events which were soon to take place and that were spoken of as such to the apostles, it is only non-listening people or they who change the meanings of His words who fail to grasp the glorious truth of what He said to the believers of the generation of Matthew, Andrew, John, Mary, Joanna, Salome, and everyone else who followed Him when He taught in Galilee and Judea.
The partial was made complete! The down-payment was made the full inheritance! The child became the man! The Kingdom of God fully arrived!
In summary, consummated maturity arrived!
How should you be living? You should not be constantly deferring your inheritance, strength, and worship established in the truth of Jesus to a future hope created by the churches’ interpretations. Stop using their wood, hay, and straw to build upon Jesus the foundation! Such works will come to nothing when you give account for the deeds done while in this life. Instead, use the God-ordained materials worthy of Jesus; gold, silver, and specious stones! They will be richly rewarded in Paradise! Jesus and His apostles taught and expected total victory in His full administration realized in the complete manifestation of His Kingdom. They also taught greater holiness, victory, and glory at His arrival to subjugate all things to Himself. Jesus is the author and perfecter of believing God! He is everything! How should you be living?
Glory to God in the highest! Peace has come on earth to us whom He favors!
Take your inheritance and really live in it!
SALVATION, HONOR, AND GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!