The Daniel 9 Debate: The 3rd Temple, Tribulation & Anti-Christ (Part 1)
Several months ago I spent some time reading Daniel in its entirety. While reading Daniel 9, I had a revelation into 2 verses that contain a lot of controversy in the world of prophecy interpretation. The traditional christian view built entire theological doctrines around it, but I can see where the interpretation comes when reading the NIV. With many “messianic” teachers still teaching the same thing, I felt it was time to dispel the myth. The KJV, although not without error, was produced long before man’s past century doctrines played a role in manipulating the verses in question. So, we will use it to study from. There are however, several other translations that get this translation correct as well.
Before we get started, read Daniel 9 in complete context… the entire chapter. It will only take a few minutes but will greatly increase your discernment in these matters. For bonus points, read it once in NIV and then again in KJV. You should notice stark differences in 9:24 and 9:27 especially.
Ok, assuming you’ve taken the time to read (HINT – HINT), let’s continue looking at these 2 verses in more detail beginning with verse 24.
Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Did you catch it? Try reading with the understanding that the prophecy is about the first coming of Yeshua (Jesus).
Contrary to doctrinal theology we’ve been taught, Yeshua’s ministry was not 3 1/2 years… but rather 70 weeks. In order for Yeshua to be the perfect Passover lamb sacrifice, He had to be a one year old without blemish.
Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
3 1/2 years would have disqualified Him as the messiah. There is much more on this topic and why His ministry was 70 weeks that began on the first day of Hanukkah and ended at Passover. Please see our teaching Was The Ministry Of Yeshua Just Over A Year Long?
The only reason I bring up Daniel 9:24 is because christian theologians and prophecy experts use this verse to teach a 70 weeks of Daniel end time prophecy calendar. It’s a lot of mental gymnastics about 69 weeks or weeks of years with a final week tagged on at the end that’s split from the rest. Then divided in half to create a 7 year tribulation that’s really only bad for the last half.
His word is not complicated and confusing! They teach the last “week” of Daniel is in 9:27 with a split in the definition of who “he” is… the first part being our Messiah and the second half being the anti-christ (There several other ways this timeline is produced and taught as well). Let’s review this verse further, first in the NIV and then KJV and test it out.
Dan 9:27 (NIV) He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
Dan 9:27 (KJV) And he shall confirm the covenant (H1285) 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.
If you take a moment to review this verse and compare the versions closely, you’ll should see some key differences in this passage on how its worded and the order in which the words occur. This makes a BIG difference. I believe the NIV and similar texts have been modified to fit this 70 week of Daniel end time prophecy belief. But, this doesn’t add up for several reasons. Let’s dissect the verse from the KJV and see why…
1) He shall confirm “the” covenant. – Meaning, it already existed.
2) The definition of the word Covenant from H1285 is pretty deep in its context.
From H1262 (in the sense of cutting (like H1254)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh): – confederacy, [con-]feder[-ate], covenant, league.
Yeshua was sacrificed between the two thieves (pieces of flesh) to renew the covenant according to tradition of how the covenants were made. For more on Threshold and Blood Covenants, see the video teaching by Rico Cortes.
3) “many for one week” – He was confirming the existing covenant for 7000 years = 1 week.
Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
4) “in the midst of the week” – Yeshua came just before the 4000 year mark in the midst of the “week”.
5) “he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” – Because He became the sacrifice.
6) “overspread of abominations…” – I think we can all agree there is an overspreading of abominations going on, and because of this He made the temple desolate.
7) “even until the consummation” – There will NOT be a third temple built until Yeshua establishes it in the Millennial kingdom (7th Day). The #3 is prophetic and denotes divine perfection. Does it make since that He would establish the 4th temple? Not to me at least. Yeshua said He would rebuild the temple on the third day… This is a multilayered prophecy with a SOD level view as He was not only speaking just of His human body here. If man attempts it, it’s because they are forcing it of their own accord and they won’t succeed.
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
8) “determined shall be poured upon the desolate” – I believe this is the final judgement being spoken of here that will occur on a future Yom Kippur.
9) No 2nd Witness – This might be the biggest reason. There is nowhere in scripture that brings a second witness to the idea of a 7 year peace treaty that’s broken in the middle by the anti-christ that we gather from the NIV produced doctrine. NONE. Everywhere else it speaks of a 3 1/2 year timeline of 1260/1290/1335 day time periods. Important events like this always have at least two witnesses in scripture somewhere. There is none to be found for supporting a 7 year tribulation.
Keep in mind that the Biblical calendar is 360 days with twelve 30-day months. So, one time, two times and half a time, equals 3 1/2 times: 3 1/2 years… which equals 42 months or 1260 days.
7 Scripture References for the 1260 Day Tribulation:
Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:7, Revelation 11:2, Revelation 11:3, Revelation 12:6, Revelation 12:14, Revelation 13:5
If you’re wondering where this leaves the pre-tribulation rapture, please see our teaching section on the Rapture.
So, if Yeshua said that the Abomination of Desolation would occur as spoken of by the prophet Daniel, where is this prophecy located then if not in Daniel 9:27?
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
I’ve come to view Daniel 12:11 as being the final and future Abomination of Desolation, but the context really begins in Chapter 10 and reading through Chapter 12. Why does this one get ignored when it’s the last occurrence!
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily (H8548) [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
First, take note that the word “sacrifice” here is in italics in the KJV and not present in the original Hebrew text. This is significant, and I believe points to a different form of sacrifice than what we have come to expect. So, now that “sacrifice” has been removed, we now need to study the word used for “daily” in this text.
“Daily” – (H8548) תּמיד tâmı̂yd taw-meed’
From an unused root meaning to stretch; properly continuance (as indefinite extension); but used only (attributively as adjective) constant (or adverbially constantly); elliptically the regular (daily) sacrifice: – alway (-s), continual (employment, -ly), daily, ([n-]) ever (-more), perpetual.
So, now we have the word “daily” left alone without a direct connection to the daily burnt offerings. What is being done daily today, that has a symbolic relationship to the daily sacrifices that could be taken away?
During the times of the tabernacle and the temple, the continual sacrifice was done twice daily. Once in the morning and again in the evening on the third and ninth hours. There is a lot of prophetic significance to this, include Yeshua’s crucifixion that occurred on the third hour and his death happening on the ninth hour of the day. But there is something else, something we are supposed to be doing… – prayer.
Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Did you know that Orthodox Jews today pray daily at the Temple Mount at those times? Without fail, Orthodox Jews will go and stand at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and offer up their daily sacrifice of prayer on the third and ninth hours of the day. (For more information on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th hours – see our teaching titled The Bread of Life)
There has been a lot of talk in the news during the past few months about shutting down Jewish access to the Western Wall to reduce friction with Muslims on the Temple Mount. What if this was to happen and the daily prayers at the Temple Mount and Western Wall ceased? Could the “daily sacrifice” that Daniel was speaking of in Daniel 12:11 be prayer at the Temple Mount that will be taken away?
Right now, this is just speculation and what if… because we do not know for sure what the “daily” truly is. Only that it’s being done continually. But hopefully this teaching has helped to redefine your views, held doctrines or at least prompted additional study on the third temple and the coming tribulation timeline.
Shalom
NOTE: Part 2 will be discussing the various definitions of greek words used for “temple” within the New Testament.
