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This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (Luke 21:32)
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The Kingdom of Israel
John Shepard
April 8, 2002
Daniel
The purpose of this article is to analyze the book of Daniel from an amillennial perspective.
End Time Prophecy Leads to Rome | The Kingdom of Israel
Key prophetic passages:
This refers to the Roman Empire. The feet partly of iron and partly of clay does not refer to a future revived Roman Empire as premillennialists often claim (see comment on verse 41).
It is significant that there are two legs because the Roman Empire had two distinct stages: (1) a republic, and (2) and empire.
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The rock is Christ. In smashing the feet He destroyed the political power of Rome. He did this at His resurrection by being King of kings and by ruling and reigning at the right hand of God. He also destroyed the power of Satan that energizes and controls the kingdom of this world.
In a sense our western civilization of today is still Roman. We still use Roman law, we have democratic government with senates (parliaments), and we have republican forms of governments.
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The huge mountain is the church which is Christ's kingdom on earth.
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The Roman Empire was a divided kingdom in the sense that there were many diverse groups of peoples contained within it.
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This verse demonstrates that this extended passage refers to the church as Christ's kingdom. Notice that the eternal kingdom is set up in the time of the Roman Empire. Christ came to earth and was crucified during the Roman Empire. At His resurrection and at the establishment of the church on Pentecost, He set up His eternal kingdom in the church.
At the end of the world at the second coming, Christ will crush all political rule.
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The 4th beast is the Roman Empire and the 10 horns are the first 10 emperors of the Roman Empire. These are:
The 11th emperor is Domitian, 81 A.D. - 96 A.D.
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The little horn refers to the Domitian, 11th emperor of the Roman Empire. He was emperor at the time the book of Revelation was written (read more). The prophecies of Daniel cross-reference with the book of Revelation. John uses the images in Daniel in his writing.
Domitian spoke boastfully by proclaiming himself to be god and demanding that the citizens of the Roman Empire worship him.
It is not clear in what way Domitian uprooted 3 other Roman Emperors. Perhaps it has to do with the civil war in which three emperors came to power in rapid succession (Galba, Otho, and Vitellius). Following this, the Flavian Dynasty began. Domitian was the third, and final emperor of this dynasty.
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This refers to the final great white throne judgment after the second coming of Christ and the destruction of the world.
Verses 9 and 10 form an aside in which the topic of judgment is addressed.
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The river of fire is the lake of fire in the book of Revelation. Its purpose is for judgment.
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The flow of ideas is picked up from verse 8.
This cross-references with the beast in the book of Revelation.
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The other beasts are the world empires previous to the Roman Empire. They are allowed to live in the sense that the world political system under Satan's rule continues until the end of the world, but Christ conquered Satan at the cross.
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The "one like a son of man" is Christ, and the "Ancient of Days" is God, the Father. The "coming with clouds" refers to the second coming of Christ. Notice that Christ is led into the presence of the Father in heaven. Immediately after the second coming, Christ approaches the Ancient of Days at the Great White Throne Judgment.
This verse is significant because it explains the judgment of Satan at Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, in which He sets up His kingdom.
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The church, which is the visible kingdom of Christ in the world, is composed of people from all the nations of the world.
Christ's kingdom began with His crucifixion and resurrection, when He conquered satan.
The new heavens and new earth which is the final phase of Christ's eternal kingdom.
Note that Christ has all authority which He turns over to the Father:
Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. (1 Cor 15:24)
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The saints receive Christ's true kingdom.
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Domitian begins persecution against Christians. The persecution against the church lasted for centuries and will continue until the end of the world.
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Domitian's period of persecution lasted for 3 1/2 years before he died. As emperor, he made radical changes.
The image of 3 1/2 years is often used to represent the church age, so this verse has application to the persecution throughout the church age.
Perhaps Domitian tried to change the liturgical calendar of the church and its church laws.
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Back to the idea that Domitian and the satanic world system will be judged, first at the cross, then at the White Throne Judgment.
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The kingdom is finally given to the believers in the eternal state (the New Heavens and New Earth).
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Verse 3 -- Ram with 2 horns. The Medo-Persian empire.
Verse 5 -- Goat with a prominent horn. Alexander the Great.
Verses 9-12 -- Another horn. Antiochus Epiphanes. During his last few years he tried to destroy the Jews. But exactly 3 years (1,095 days) later in 165 B.C. Judas Maccabees recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the temple to the Lord.
Verse 11 -- Took away the daily sacrifice. Antiochus Epiphanes set up a pagan altar about two months before removing the altar.
Verse 14 -- 2,300 evenings and mornings. There was a morning and an evening sacrifice, so this is 1,150 days (3 years plus 55 days) in which the sacrifice was absent.
Verse 25 -- He will be destroyed but not by human hands. Antiochus Epiphanes died of illness or accident -- not by murder.
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The word "seventy" is used many times in this chapter as a literary device. Because Daniel was praying about the release of his people from the 70 years of bondage, God delivers this word to Daniel in terms of the number 70.
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70 7's -- 490 years. There are various schemes for calculating how long a year is -- some assume 365 days, some use the 360 day year of the Jews, some use others. But in each of these methods one thing is clear -- this prophecy unambiguously identifies the appearance of Jesus as the Messiah for those who will accept Him as such. Even modern rabbis who believe that the expected Messiah didn't come because they reject Jesus as the Messiah use Daniel chapter 9 to pinpoint the time of the Messiah's expected appearance.
The most compelling interpretation of this prophecy uses a 360 day year.
The 69 7's refers to the time before Christ.
The 70th 7 is split into two parts (each is 3 1/2 years):
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The decree to rebuild Jerusalem is given in Nehemiah 2:5
I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." (Neh 2:5)
Nehemiah chapters 2 - 6 concern the building of the wall while Ezra chapters 3 - 6 concern the building of the temple.End Time Prophecy | North Forest | Top of page
Cut off -- killed. "After" the triumphal entry (3 1/2 years after His baptism by John the Baptist) Christ was killed and did not receive a political kingdom after all -- He had "nothing" (in human terms). Notice that the verse doesn't say that He was cut off immediately after the 62 7s. In fact it was over three years later in the middle of the 70th 7.
The ruler who will come -- this was Titus. His armies destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D., about 40 years later.
The end -- the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The Jewish War did, indeed, come like a flood. The revolutionaries at the time of Christ who wanted to overthrow the Romans got more and more powerful, and eventually led the nation into a fatal war with Rome. There was no one who could stop it -- God decreed the desolation and it happened.
The discussion concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple interrupted the main chronological flow, but in the next verse it resumes.
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The discussion in the previous verse to the destruction of Jerusalem was an interruption to the chronological flow of ideas, which we now resume.
He -- Christ. This verse is all about Christ and His work. In the premillennial view, it refers to a satanic "antichrist." But in verse 26 we have two people mentioned that the word "he" could refer to: (1) Christ (the Anointed One), and (2) Titus (the ruler who destroys Jerusalem and the temple). Titus doesn't confirm a covenant for many for one seven, so the word "he" in verse 27 must refer to Christ. It certainly fits Him very well. But, in any case, the word "he" certainly doesn't refer to a future "antichrist" as premillennialists claim.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (which I consider to authoritative):
The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatalogical judgment.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 676
Examples are Socialism, Communism, and other utopian visions.
The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 675
Concerning the "gap" theory -- There is no gap between the 69 7's and the 70th 7. At the start of the 70th 7 Christ is revealed, and the 70th 7 is all about Him and His work. His work concludes the 70 7's -- His people are redeemed, just as captive Israel is redeemed after the 70 year period that Daniel is now considering.
(1) Jesus must be present in the 70th 7, since He dies during the final seven. But in the premillennial view in which the 70th 7 is the great tribulation, Jesus is not present at all.
(2) Israel and the Old Covenant were done away with by Christ. The Old Covenant required temple worship, animal sacrifice, and the law of Moses. Once these have been done away with it is impossible to ever go back. But the gap theory "undoes" the work of Christ by reinstating the Old Testament covenant.
From the King James Version: For the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
From the Revised Standard Version: Upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.
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Verses 1 - 35 refer to happenings after the Old Testament and before the New Testament.
This is a reference to Antiochus Epiphanes. During his last few years he tried to destroy the Jews. He abolished temple worship and set up a pagan altar in the temple. But exactly 3 years (1,095 days) later in 165 B.C. Judas Maccabees recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the temple to the Lord.
Verses 36-45 refer to Herod.
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That time (1st occurrence) -- the preceding verses (Daniel 11:36-45) talk about the activities of a king. Premillennialists usually consider this to be the coming antichrist but in the context it makes better sense to identify this king as Herod. Then in Daniel 12:1 we have the phrase "at that time" referring to the time of Herod. In the time of Herod, Jesus was born and later declared Himself to be king of the Jews. But because they rejected Him, God destroyed them in judgment about 40 years later.
Michael -- An archangel who: (1) fights spiritual battles against worldly kingdoms (Dan. 10:21), and (2) disputes with Satan (Jude 7 and Rev. 12:7)
Time of distress -- the Jewish War from 67-70 A.D. in which Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. This time of distress was the worst from the beginning of God's creation of the nation of Israel (the beginning of nations) because it resulted in the complete destruction of the nation. The modern nation of Israel is not the restored Israel and there are no prophetic events associated with modern Israel.
That time (2nd occurrence) -- as we will see in verse 2 the time has shifted to emphasize the final destination of all people, good and wicked alike.
Your people -- the Jews but specifically the remnant -- those who believe. But he uses the formula "the church = Israel" to refer to all believers.
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Resurrection and final judgment or final reward for all. This is the destruction of the world at the second coming of Christ and the great white throne judgment.
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The words are sealed until they are unsealed in the New Testament. They are unsealed in the Olivet Discourse, the book of Revelation and many other passages.
The time of the end is the church age.
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How long "before" these things are fulfilled. In other words how long until the fulfillment is "completed." How long from the time the destruction of the Jews (distress) begins until it is finished.
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There are five events in prophetic history in which the time period of 3 1/2 years (42 months or 1,260 days) occur:
| End to sacrifice | Abomination causing desolation | |
| Epiphanes | He stopped the sacrifices in the temple | He set up a statue of himself in the holy of holies |
| Christ | His death on the cross ended forever the need for temple sacrifices | His murder on the cross (at Golgotha on a wing of the temple) at the hands of his people, the Jews, resulted in God's permanent destruction of the nation of Israel |
| Jewish War | The revolutionaries stopped the sacrifices on behalf of the Romans (this event started the Jewish War) | (1) The rebels used the temple as a military base, (2) Eleazar allows armed terrorists into the temple to live and (3) there were murders and massacres in the temple |
| Domitian | Symbolic -- that Christ's sacrifice is null and void | Declares himself to be god and demands worship |
In this passage it is the Jewish War that is referred to (continuing the context from verse 1). The end of the Jewish War with the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and the nation of Israel symbolized the end of God's dealings with Israel. From this point on, is was clear to all Christians who might have still had doubts about it, that God had transferred His focus to the church and that He was finished with the nation of Israel. The final destruction of the temple in August, 70 A.D. was a powerful sign of this truth, but the actual fulfillment was during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ which was orchestrated by the Jewish leaders. It was this event that resulted in God's judgment and permanent rejection of His chosen nation Israel.
The 3 1/2 years refers to the church age in which there will be persecution, distress and hard times for Christians.
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1,290 days is 1,260 days (3 1/2 years or 42 months) plus 30 days. According to Josephus, between May and August of 66 A.D. two events took place:
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It took several years until the violence by the Romans against the Jews was over. From August 70 A.D. until April 74 A.D is 1,335 days. Josephus records that the massacre of Massada occurred May 2, 73 A.D.
Whether the reference to 1,335 days is 45 days after the destruction of the temple (1,290 plus 45 = 1,335) or 1,335 days after the destruction of the temple, in either case, the Jews who survive the horrific violence from the Romans were certainly blessed.
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Rise -- final resurrection at the second coming of Christ immediately before the destruction of the world and final judgment.
End of the days -- the end of the world at the second coming of Christ.
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