The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens.
Prov. 3:19


Appendix: The 2300 days of Daniel

Daniel's 70th Week

Daniel was given a vision by the angel Gabriel that shows a timetable for God's dealing with Israel and Jerusalem:

"Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy." Dan. 9:24

When this time period is completed, transgression and sin will come to an end, reconciliation for iniquity will be made, everlasting righteousness will begin, vision and prophecy will be sealed up, and "the Most Holy" will be anointed. When this vision is compared to the four other time-sequence visions in the book of Daniel, the end point of the seventy weeks aligns with the visible appearance of the Messiah on the earth. These determinations mark the beginning of the Messiah's rule on the earth. This is what "vision and prophecy" testify of.

The first coming of Christ

The vision gives the time of the Messiah's first appearance, marked from the time of the command to restore and build Jerusalem:

"Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself." Dan. 9:25, 26a

The command to restore and build Jerusalem began in the days of King Artaxerxes of Persia, at the end time of the Jewish seventy-year captivity, and the time period of sixty-nine weeks (literally sixty-nine sevens, or sixty-nine seven-year periods) ends with the appearance of Jesus Christ on earth in His first coming. Jesus presented Himself as King by entering Jerusalem on a donkey. Zechariah prophesied of this, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zech. 9:9). A week later Jesus was crucified, fulfilling Daniel's vision that at that time "Messiah shall be cut off."

The time of the New Covenant

At this point the counting of the seventy weeks stopped. God had worked the determination "to make reconciliation for iniquity" through the death of Jesus on the cross. He still had one week (seven years) to fulfill all the determinations, but not immediately following. Jesus was crucified at approximately A.D. 32 or 33. A final completion of the vision requires the city of Jerusalem and the temple to be destroyed, and the passing of seven years that include the "abomination of desolation" with a three and one-half year period of desolation and tribulation, a tribulation unlike any other in all of human history. This did not happen by A.D. 40.

Instead, what begins is the time of the New Covenant as prophesied by Jeremiah the prophet. This is a time where both Jew and Gentile are called to be reconciled to God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

Regarding this, and the drawing in of Gentiles with the Jews, the Apostle Paul writes, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 2:13 - 18). During the church age, God has ordained that all come to Him the same way. There is no separate dealing with either the Gentiles or the Jews.

The city and sanctuary destroyed

Between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks, this will happen:

"And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined." Dan. 9:26b

The Roman commander Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70, according to Daniel's prophecy. God gave Israel approximately one generation to hear and receive the Gospel good news of "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) before ending the temple sacrifices. The book of Hebrews states of Jesus, "And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Heb. 10:11 - 14). With the New Covenant sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to atone for sin completed, God allowed the end of the temple sacrifices that were only a shadow of what was to come.

This happened before the seventieth week begins and could not be the "abomination of desolation" for these reasons:

  1. The destruction of the "sanctuary" is listed in the time frame as happening between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks. It is after this that the Scripture states, "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week" (Dan. 9:27). It is then, in the middle of that final week, that the abomination of desolation is described.
  2. The sanctuary is cleansed at the end of Daniel's seventieth week with the coming of the Messiah: "then the sanctuary shall be cleansed" (Dan. 8:14b). This is three and one-half years after the abomination of desolation. The destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 did not leave a sanctuary to be cleansed, and the Messiah did not visibly return in the middle of A.D. 73 to cleanse it.
  3. Daniel chapter eight describes 2300 days that include the sacrifices, the abomination of desolation, and the trampling of the sanctuary. This requires a starting point for the sacrifices to begin. This is possible only because the temple is already destroyed and no sacrifices are being offered, which happened before the final week of the seventy. This will require a third temple in the end time and the restarting of the sacrifices.
  4. The war of Titus against Jerusalem and the temple mostly culminated in A.D. 70, whereas the "great tribulation" described in Scripture begins with the abomination of desolation, and not before.
  5. Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed by "the people of the prince who is to come" (verse 26). It will not be destroyed by "the prince" himself, but rather by his people. The prince is still "to come." This prince is the Antichrist as described in Daniel's other visions of a king called the "little horn." Since the Antichrist is controlled by Satan, "the people" are those also controlled by Satan.

The "prince who is to come" could not be the Roman commander Titus for these reasons:

  1. Titus did not proclaim himself to be God, sitting in the temple as God, as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thess. 2:3 - 4). Rather, history shows Titus was reluctant to desecrate a temple but did so only when forced. Contrary to Titus, the Antichrist "shall speak pompous words against the Most High" and "shall exalt himself in his heart" (Dan. 7:25 and 8:25).
  2. Titus did not deceive the Israelites such that they initially received him as the Messiah (see below). The "prince who is to come" will be initially embraced as the Messiah.

The "prince," unlike Titus, will be destroyed by the visible coming Messiah Himself:

  1. "He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. 'But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.' " (Dan. 7:25 - 27).
  2. "He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means" (Dan. 8:25b).
  3. Jesus taught, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place ... then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be ... Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matt. 24:15, 21, 29 - 30). And also, "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matt. 24:27). The visible coming of the Messiah will smash, as the "stone" in Daniel chapter two, the end-time reign of the ten kings and the "little horn."
  4. Scripture shows regarding the Antichrist: "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:8). This is not the case with Titus.

The Roman commander Titus does not fit the description of the "little horn." Neither does his war against Jerusalem and the temple fit the description of events in the seventieth week. Rather this time is in accordance with Scripture, which shows this happening between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks.

The seventieth week

After the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the final week of the seventy is described:

"Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate." Dan. 9:24 - 27

The notable event of this seven-year period is the abomination of desolation that occurs mid-way. The "he" of this section is the "prince who is to come," and one who will "confirm a covenant" with many. The time of this is comparable to the time of Daniel's other visions, where the time of the abomination of desolation is placed three and one-half years before the coming of the Messiah. Common in these visions is the "little horn," or final ruler, of the Roman Empire.

A covenant of deception

That the "little horn," or Antichrist, confirms a covenant with Israel yet is extremely wicked in bringing "an end to sacrifice and offering" and desecrating the sanctuary, shows the deception he will employ. He will present himself as a Messiah, although a false one. His beguilement of the people is spoken of by Jesus: "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive" (John 5:43). Daniel was told, "Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule" (Dan. 8:25a). Paul wrote, "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:9 - 12). The deception of the Antichrist is only revealed half way through these final seven years, as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: "he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thess. 2:4).

It is only toward the very end of these seven years that Scripture shows repentance in Israel after a full realization of the truth of God. The nation of Israel will recognize Jesus as the Messiah and call upon Him: "I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Ps. 118:21 - 26).

"To finish the transgression"

The end result will be "To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy" (Dan. 9:24).

The "transgression" at its core began with the transgression of Adam and Eve against God. Through the deception of Satan they were beguiled to think that they could "be like God." Rather than submit to God, they transgressed His commandment and exalted themselves to rely on their own resources, understanding, and strength. (See "The Fall and the Restoration"). In essence, they set themselves up as an idol above God. In the Fall of Adam and Eve, a self-centered, self-exalting nature was propagated to all of mankind. As Romans states, "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Rom. 5:18 - 19). This states that "through one man's offense judgment came to all men," and "by one man's disobedience many were made sinners." The human race that descended from Adam and Eve inherited a sin nature from them. Judgment "came to all," and "condemnation." The end result of the Messiah's work will be "to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness." The Romans passage shows "through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life" and "by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." This is the work of the Messiah.

Israel was chosen by God to be a special people to Him, and to represent Him to the world: that He is God alone, there is no one else like Him, He alone is to be worshipped and exalted, He is holy, He is righteous, and sin must be repented of and atoned for in order to approach Him. Israel thus becomes a model for the whole world to understand God. God uses the model of Israel in the seventieth week of Daniel to show the nature of the transgression and how He deals with it, through repentance and a turning to the Savior. He completes the work "To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy" (Dan. 9:24).