What Prophecies of Daniel Was Jesus Speaking About?

 

Dennis Edwards

Jesus told us to look at the prophecies of Daniel which speak of the abomination of desolation being set up to understand the timing of the time of the end. Let’s look at the Daniel verses that speak on the abomination of desolation.

 

Daniel 9:27 says, “And he (the Antichrist) shall confirm (or strengthen as some prefer) the covenant with many for one week (or seven-year period): and in the midst of the week, (at the three and a half year mark), he (the Antichrist) shall cause the oblation, (or daily sacrifice), 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.”

 

What we can understand from the above verse is that half way through the seven-year period, the Antichrist shall stop the daily sacrifice or oblation, and place the abomination that makes desolate.

 

What other verses speak into the question of the sacrifice and abomination of desolation. Let us look at Daniel 11:30-31.

 

Daniel 11:30-31 “For the ships of Chittim (Cyprus) shall come against him (the Antichrist): therefore, he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so, shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate.”

 

The United Kingdom has the largest military and naval base on Cyprus, therefore, verse 30 could be alluding to a NATO force coming from Cyprus against the Antichrist half way through the seven-year agreement. The Antichrist at that time will have already been talking secretly with others who do not want to continue in the Holy accord. He gathers a sufficient force, maybe from a peace-keeping contingent present in Israel, or other Middle Eastern nations, and invades the Holy Mount, stops the daily sacrifice and places the abomination that makes desolate. “Makes desolate” seems to indicate that the abomination could be some type of military apparatus that causes great desolation.

 

The last verses that we will look at come from Daniel 8:10-14.

 

“And it (the little horn or Antichrist) 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.” He we see the persecution during the tribulation period. The words host and stars are alluding to the persecuted saints of that time.

 

“Yea, he (the Antichrist) magnified himself even to the prince of the host, (which is Jesus) and by him (the Antichrist) the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host (military force) was given unto him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; (Jesus has said He is the way, the truth and the life, therefore, the Scripture is alluding to true Christianity and its truths being cast down), and it (the Antichrist government) practised and prospered.

 

 “Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint that spoke, 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? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

 

The time period being mentioned in these verses seems to include the length of time the sacrifice takes place together with the length of time the transgression of desolation stands in the holy place. From Daniel 9:27, we understand that the daily sacrifice will cease, or will be “taken away,” as it written in Daniel 11:31, when the Antichrist invades Jerusalem during the middle of the “week,” or seven-year period. Half of seven is three and a half, therefore, “the midst of the week,” refers to three and a half years into the seven-year treaty, or half-way through the seven-year period of the covenant.

 

The seven-year period can be divided into two equal three-and-a-half-year periods. In the other Scriptures we have looked at, the three-and-a-half-year period is recorded as equalling both forty-two months or 1,260 days.  The great tribulation starts when the abomination is set up at the time of the breaking of the covenant, which takes place half way through the seven-year period.

 

The verses in Daniel 8 are telling us that the amount of time that the sacrifice will occur, together with the amount of time the abomination will stand, shall be 2,300 days. The last part of the verse 14 says, “then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” which could be referring to the removal of the abomination of desolation. Do we have any information for how long the abomination will stand?

 

Let’s go to Daniel 12:11.

 

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away,” which we know takes place in the middle of the seven-year period, “and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

 

We conclude that the abomination will be in place for 1,290 days or 30 days longer than the period of the great tribulation which we know is 1,260 days. Why is that? The reason may be that while the rapture takes place “immediately after the tribulation of those days,” the abomination stands longer on the temple mount. It stands 30 days longer. The sanctuary is not cleansed, or the abomination is not destroyed or removed, until Jesus literally arrives from heaven with the heavenly forces during the Battle of Armageddon.

 

Jesus does not remove the abomination at the time of the rapture because He does not land on earth until later. His landing on earth happens during that short 75-day period of the wrath of God found in Revelation 15:5-8 and 16:1-21. That is when the Battle of Armageddon takes place, which we also find in Revelation 19:11-21. Zechariah 14:1-9 talk about the same events, as do Ezekiel 38-39.

 

We speculate, therefore, that during those 30 days, the raptured saints are receiving their rewards at the marriage supper of the Lamb. We find the idea for that in Revelation 19:6-9. In verse 7 we read, “for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.” The five virgins who had their lamps burning with oil, or who were in obedient service to God, got in and the door was shut. Verse 9 says, “Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Immediately following the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation is the invasion of the earth by Jesus Christ and the armies of heaven to destroy the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and their armies. See Revelation 19:11-21.

 

The 2,300 days of Daniel 8 consist of the 1,290 days of the time period of the standing of the Abomination plus the amount of time the sacrifice will take place. If we subtract 1,290 from 2,300, we have 1,010 days of sacrifice. The first half of the 7-year period of the Holy Covenant is 1,260 days. Therefore, by subtracting 1,010 days from 1,260 days, we find that the daily sacrifice should start around 250 days after the signing or initiating of the 7-year period. 250 days is around 8 months and ten days. We speculate then that the rebuilding of the temple or the preparation for the daily sacrifice will take that 8-month period.

 

If our speculations are correct, when the time comes, we should be able to calculate to a certain extent the signs of the times. Noah prepared the ark to the saving of his household. Noah entered the ark before the rains began to fall and God shut him in. Noah was not caught unaware. Likewise, God has given us much insight in His word.

 

Apostle Paul has admonished us to, “Study to show yourself to be approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” 2 Timothy 2:15. Though the days will overtake the world, as a thief in the night, they shall not overtake us. “Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober,” 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

 

In conclusion, when the 7-year Holy Covenant begins, the daily sacrifice starts some 8 months and ten days later. The daily sacrifice will last some 1,010 days until the middle of the 7-year pact. At that point in time, the Antichrist invades Jerusalem, stops the daily Sacrifice, places the abomination of desolations and so begins the great tribulation period spoken of by Jesus and found in many other prophecies of the Old and New Testament.

 

The abomination stands for 1,290 days which is 30 days longer than the 1,260 days or 42-months, or three and a half years of great tribulation. At the end of the tribulation the rapture event takes place when Jesus appears in the heavens and sends forth His angel to collect the elect from the four corners of the earth. As the elect are whisked away to the spiritual realm, the 75-days of the wrath of God begins on earth. During the first 30 days of the wrath of God, the raptured and resurrected saints receive their rewards at the marriage supper of the Lamb in the heavenly realm. The abomination is removed after having stood for 1,290 days during Christ’s and the heavenly host return to take over the earth by God’s spirit.

 

Those who live through the 75-days of the wrath of God and have not received the mark of the beast in the right hand or on their forehead and have not worshipped his image, will live on into the new dispensation. These will be blessed as the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth begins. They will have the opportunity to receive and follow Him who is the author and finisher of our faith. Make sure you’re on the right team. It won’t be long!