Daniel’s Seventieth Week
Contemporary Christian thought has its adherents waiting for what is called a Rapture, which they think is the Day of the Lord/Second Coming of Jesus.
They await a time when unbelievers experience a Great Tribulation which some think they will live thru (mid and post tribulation rapture) and some think they will escape (pre tribulation rapture).
This is followed by a glorious time when Jesus reigns on earth for 1000 years, and then after that taste of Heaven Satan is released to again cause destruction during which time He is finally and utterly defeated and thrown into the lake of fire.
This is the delusion that many Christians live in, believing it totally or in part.
- The restoration of Spiritual Israel in Acts 1:6 refers of the Second Coming of Jesus which is described in Acts 3:19-21.
After His crucifixion Jesus went to prepare a place for us, and He then comes to receive us to Himself in John Chapter 14 verses 3 and 23.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (KJV)
This happens when an individual repents of their unbelief.
This happens at conversion when an individual first places their faith in Jesus.
- There is no rapture. The verses that supposedly refer to this actually refer to the correction of an individual backslidden believer.
- The Millennium is the 1000 year period of Christ’s reign in the life of the individual. It is symbolic of the period when the devil is inactive in the believer’s life and they are obedient and do what Jesus wants.
- The tribulation is what Jesus said would happen if an individual Christian lives “in the world” or lives in a worldly manner, John 16:33. The discipline that follows willful ungodly behavior is actually called “The Day of the Lord”.
Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (KJV)
The application of each of these concepts to an individual as opposed to a group, solves most of the problems of interpretation.
Misunderstanding these four concepts contributes to Christian confusion.
Daniel 9:24-27 is a timeline of sorts. With 69 of the weeks fulfilled through the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the crucifixion of Jesus. There remains 1 week to go and this is described in verse 27.
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation 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. KJV
Jesus will confirm the covenant with many for the entire week.
That confirmation involves Jesus allowing desolation’s. These are the result of the “abomination that causes desolations” or willful sin. These resultant desolations are God’s judgment upon the willful sin of His people, and they continue until God’s desired result or “end” is reached achieved .
The sacrifice for sin is Jesus, but God will Himself cause this sacrifice to cease.
This means that Christians who sin will no longer seek forgiveness through recognizing and confessing their sinful actions as being sinful.
This is in accord with 2 Thess 2:11-12 which indicates that God will send delusion upon a person so that they can be judged. The sacrifice will cease. In other words Christians will no longer appeal to God for forgiveness. They will no longer appeal for forgiveness because their sinfulness has become willful.
God has sent them a delusion which results in their continual sin, 1 Kings 22:21-23. This is so He can judge their behavior and make them realize that it is truly sinful and ultimately cleanse them of it.
1Ki 22:21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’
22 And the LORD said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go forth and do so.’
23 Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has spoken evil concerning you.”
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: (ASV) 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (ASV)
Willful sin is the abomination that brings desolation.
Jesus will make the person desolate until the consummation, or decided end. This involves the sinfulness being rendered idle.
In this manner we can see the fulfillment of 1 Cor 11:32.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
These verses illustrate the Grace that God expresses toward mankind as He teaches Jesus followers to deny ungodliness, Titus 2:11-12.
As a consequence of “willful disobedience” an individual will experience discipline or tribulation called the “Day of the Lord”.
Daniel 9:24-27 is a parable concerning the correction of the backslidden condition of the nation of Israel (Christian individual after the Crucifixion). Daniel 9:24-27 is God’s response to Daniels prayer in verses 4-19 of the chapter.
The discipline/tribulation of the Christian individual ends with a conclusion. Consummation means that something is completely finished. The “end” or desired result is found in 1 Peter 1:9.
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (KJV)
Jesus refers to this consummation as the “end or goal of the age, mentioned in Matthew 24:14.
Mt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2 Peter 3:12 KJV — Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements (elements or rudiments = sinful tendencies per the following references) shall melt with fervent heat?
Ga 4:3; Ga 4:9; Col 2:8; Col 2:20; 2Pe 3:10; 2Pe 3:12
As Rev 20:5 shows, the dead do not live again until the 1000 period/millennium is fulfilled/achieved, or until they are again obedient to Christ.
The spiritually dead do not experience the resurrected life in Christ again until the 1000 year period/millennium is completed/attained. In other words until they stop the willful sin.
Revelation 20