27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,[e] and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
Welcome back, everyone. I am so thankful you are here. If you are joining us for the first time, welcome. We are talking about Daniel, chapter 9, verse 27.
The last time we were together, we started to break down verse 27.
What does the Bible say?
Verse 27 gives us a clue. Let’s refresh.
“27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,[e] and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
We see our one week. What happens during that week or seven years?
As we discussed previously, the antichrist will make a strong covenant with many for seven years.
Scholars believe this will mark the beginning of a time of oppression of the Jewish people known as Jacob’s trouble. This is also known as the tribulation period.
Jeremiah 30:7, “How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it!”
Jacob is Israel.
At the three and half year mark, the antichrist breaks the covenant, and unprecedented persecution of the Jewish people starts as well as followers of Jesus that will last for another three and a half years.
Followers of Jesus? “I thought you said the church was out of here?”
There will be people who come to believe in Jesus Christ during the tribulation.
Now that we touched on the first part of verse 27 let’s look at the latter half.
Big changes coming.
The antichrist also puts an end to sacrifice and offering in the rebuilt temple.
As of June 20, 2021, there is no temple in Jerusalem. The temple that was rebuilt by Ezra, Nehemiah, and the rest when they returned from exile was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. There has not been a temple on the Temple Mount since then. The Dome of the Rock is not the temple referred to in the Bible.
However, the Jews are planning to rebuild the temple for the third time. From what I have heard, reports say they have everything they need to start. How and when that will proceed, I don’t know. But it sure will be interesting from a biblical perspective when it starts.
Desolator
Who is the desolator? This is the antichrist who desecrates the temple and declares himself to be God. Uh oh! You may have heard the phrase, ‘the one who commits an abomination of desolation.’ That guy.
Jesus speaks of this very thing in Matthew 24. Please look at what Jesus says to the disciples when they ask about the end of the age.
Matthew 24:15-16, “So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel, (there’s our feature passage) – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
Jesus told the disciples what was coming and what to look for. Some believe this happened in AD 70 under Nero, but what’s interesting is the phrase ‘let the reader understand.’ Let the reader understand what’s coming. In other words, future, well into the future. At the time Jesus said this and the time Rome destroyed the temple was roughly 30 plus years. Scholars believe Jesus is talking about well into the future when people from everywhere will be reading these words.
When the Romans laid siege to the 2nd temple, they didn’t come as a surprise. They were governing the Jewish people already.
Now, is this warning from Jesus for everyone? Do you live on a mountain in Judea? No. I don’t, so this says to me, he is talking about all those living in Jerusalem when the desolator, the antichrist, comes.
Will he get away with it?
No. God will deal with the antichrist accordingly. There will be judgment. Read Revelation.
A final thought on these passages.
God is not concerned with the past or present when he sends the angel to Daniel. He is concerned with Israel’s future. God’s plan will move forward whether we believe it or not.
I found this in my biblical commentary, and I thought it sums up so much of how many believers are feeling today in 2021. Take a look.
“Much like Daniel, followers of Messiah can become frustrated at the decay, desecration, and corruption of contemporary society and long for God to take action immediately. Nevertheless, those who have trust in Jesus can be encouraged that God has the big picture in view and that he will certainly fulfill his prophetic calendar and establish his kingdom on earth.”
I can’t say it any better than that, my friend. Hold on! God is in control!
Blessings!
The Teaching Lady
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