I read the Book of Daniel as an apocalypse, not a prophetic book. Those who compiled the Hebrew Bible, in fact grouped the book of Daniel in a section called "the Writings";and not with the prophets.
The apocalyspses of Chapter 7-12 focus on the four world powers of Babylon, Media, Persia and Greece. In Ch 7 the kingdoms are depicted as four awful beasts rising out of the chaoiic sea. The final beast spouts 10 horns. These horns represent the ten rulers who follow the death of Alexander the Great. Then an eleventh horn appears and to make room for it, three horns fall off. This 11th horn represents the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who displaces three rulers when he came into power. This 11th horn speaks arrogantly, which is an allusion to the desecration of the temple by Antiochus in 167 BCE. Immediately following the eleventh horn comes the Ancient One who takes a seat on the throne. The Ancient One sits in judgement and consequently Daniel sees the 4th beast put to death. The arroagant horn has been silenced. Then coming in the clouds is one like a "son of man" (v.13 NIV), who is given dominion, glory and kingship so that all the nations shall serve him. His dominion is eternal and his kingship never destroyed (v. 14). The scene depicts the arrival and establishment of the kingdom of God.
The remainder of the book of Daniel reiterates the opening scenario of Chapter 7, using different imagery and differing emphases. The end of chapter 8 describes the horrors that antiochus IV imposed on the Jews in Jerusalem during his reign. Daniel's response comes in the form of a prayer of confession for his sins and the sins of the people (Dan. 9), indicating that the persecutions wrought by Antiochus IV were understood as discipline or punishment brought on the the sins of the people. The Chapter ends with with the words of hope that seventy weeks have been decreed for the punishment, after which the end will come and the desolator (Antiochus IV) will be destroyed (9:27).
A little bit of history, in 167 Antiochus IV decreed that the whole kingdom should be one people and that the Jews would no longer be allowed to follow customs strange to the Greek world. The people were commanded to build alters and shrines for idols. The temple was renamed for the Olympian Zeus. Jews were forbade to worship their God. Turning the temple of God into the temple of Zeus presented a horrible crisis for the Jews because it cut to their religious and cultural core. The command to worship Zeus meant heresy, an abomination to the one true God, and something they could never do. Antiochus IV commanded that any Jew failing to follow this decree be killed. 1 and 2 Maccabees of the Apocrypha are also a response to the horrors the Jews suffered under Antiochus IV.
I think for me the one of the biggest weakness in depensationism lies in the 2000 year gap between the 69 and 70 week. I just do not see or understand it. I am sorry I mean no disrespect.
~Micah
I'm in agreement here with the 4 kingdoms. I dont' think that Ch 11 and Ch9 refer to the same abomination. But Jesus does refer to the abomination that causes desolation as referred to by the Prophet Daniel as occuring in his disciples lifetime. Since many of the devout in Jerusalem and Israel/Judea were looking for the MESSIAH that was prophecied in Dan 9 and Dan 9 ONLY, we can associate Jesus' reference to the abomination that causes desolation that is refered to in Dan 9.
I don't know how Holden associates Isaiah 28 prophecies with occurances supposed to happen 2500 years in the future any more than Dan 9's prophecy is limited to a 490 year time period; just as Jeremiahs prophecy was limited to a 70 year time period. (By the way, the 490 years is representative of the 70 X 7 that Jesus tells his disciples how many times they should forgive.)
I understand that Isaiah 28 is speaking of Christ, in laying the stone in Zion, but it is refering to the time of his salvation as occured at the cross. Salvation and judgement go together. If one doesn't have salvation, one has wrath. This is confirmed by Jesus and the disciples.
Luke 20:18, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
Matt 21:44, And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
I Peter 2:8, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Rom 9:32,33 Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith,
but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
I think this last passage is helping to clarify Isaiah 28 which in context refers to Ephraim's study in the scriptures. Line for line, precept for precept Isaiah 28:10, doctrine is exposed. But they do not attain to doctrine, but fall back and are broken Is 28:13. and God adds 'judgement' to their study. Is. 28:17 They have studied, and for whatever reasons they think they have eternal life.
I dont' think this covenant that Ephraim makes refers to a covenant with a prince at all. It refers to an agreement and understanding that they had with themselves that either by works of the law (such as studying) or by being genetic descendants of Israel they would be favored by God and be spared the scourge of death. Their 'agreement' or understanding that they covenanted with death was recorded in vs 15; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us:
Jesus says: John 5:39. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Matt 21:44, And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Thus, even IF the covenant and the prince would be refering to a ruler of the world who covenants with the leaders of Israel, (which I totally disagree with) the time is refering to the time of Christ and the crucifiction through the scourge of death upon those leaders. Now, I could understand how this could be referring to how the leaders of Israel covenanted with Judas to obtain Jesus death. But they did not covenant with the "Prince" or the Roman authorities. Remember how Pilate had desired to set Jesus free but the crowd called for Barabbas.? Pilate washed his hands of the event.
Thus again, the application of both Dan 70 weeks and Isaiah 28 do not point towards a 2000 year gap, but point towards their fulfillment in Christ as confirmed by Christ and also Paul, Peter and Luke.
If Holden would allow the "He" of Dan 9:27 to be the Messiah, as proper grammatical structure AND as the Hebrew Parallelisms in prophecy and biblical writings would both support, then the covenant that Jesus Confirms among many for 7 years is the multifaceted Gospel that was spoken both to Adam/Eve and to Abraham and is found fulfilled in Christ (Gods) atoning death.
Mal 3:1
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
(By the way, what part of the end time scenario do dispensationalists apply this verse in Malachi?)
Luke 1:67
Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 "Blessed
is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who
have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy
promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
Acts 3:25.
Ye are the children of the prophets, and
of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though
it is only a man's covenant, yet
if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.
16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one,
"And to your Seed," who is Christ.
17 And this I say,
that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later,
cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
18 For if the inheritance
is of the law,
it is no longer of promise; but God gave
it to Abraham by promise.
Purpose of the Law
19 What purpose then
does the law
serve? It was added because of transgressions,
till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made;
In our day and age, with the Scofield Bible saying: 1962 Edition, "FOR A NATION TO COMMIT THE SIN OF ANTI-SEMITISM BRINGS INEVITABLE JUDGMENT" and with the Hagee going a step further, saying, "Every anti-Semite is going to spend eternity in Hell without God."
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=5554303
the church and Christian zionism has seemingly reciprocated those statements and redifined the Gospel of Eternal life. That gospel according to Christian zionists is as easy as 'blessing Israel'. "Every pro-semite is going to spend eternity in Heaven with God." Those who bless Israel, God will Bless, those who curse Israel, God will curse. Hagee says that it is of non-consequence to proselityze jews. He's not concerned of sharing Christ with them or their need of salvation. But what would Paul say?..... If anyone brings any other Gospel but the one we preached, let THEM be accursed.
Thus, Haggee and others have again stumbled at that stumbling stone of Christ.
It is almost as if dispensationalism and zionism have gone back in time to a time before Christ came to earth and apply all prophecies to the supposed future coming of the Jewish Messiah. Problem is, he already came just as prophesied.
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
This is as close to a one-verse refutation of one of the Laws of dispensationalism and of Christian-zionism that I can imagine.