THE GREATEST PROPHECY EVER GIVEN - PART THREE

Daniel 9:24-27 has been called "The Greatest Prophecy Ever Given." It is certainly one of the greatest! It contains an overview of God's special prophetic dealings with Israel from the time of the command to rebuild Jerusalem (see Neh. 2:1-8) until the setting up of the Messianic kingdom. This prophecy is commonly called "The Seventy Weeks of Daniel". A "week" is a unit of seven. Daniel 9 speaks in terms of a week being a unit of SEVEN years. Seventy weeks (units of 7 years) tallies out to a total of 490 years.

Outline of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel – Dan. 9:24-27

v. 24 - A Summary Overview of the 70 Weeks

v. 25 - 69 Weeks (483 years) culminating in the Triumphal Entry
[Past - Has been fulfilled]

v. 26 – The GAP period [Present - Being fulfilled]

v. 27 – 70th Week (7-year Tribulation Period) [Future - Will be
fulfilled]

We live at the time of the END! How close precisely we can't say, but Paul in 1 Cor. 10:11 said that we are those “upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” But someone says, “that has been true for 2000 years.” I would agree, but of special note is that Israel is now back in the land reconstituted as a nation. That is a very significant development. In order for “last days” prophecy to be fulfilled Israel once again has to be back in the land. Much of last days prophecy relates to Israel as a nation and to Jerusalem as a city. In order for the 70th week of Daniel to be fulfilled, Israel physically has to be in the land. They are there. In order for Antichrist to sign a 7-year covenant with Israel they have to be in the land. They are there. In order for this development to happen Israel has to be desperate for peace. They are there.

Following an unspecified amount of time in the GAP period, characterized by Israel experiencing ongoing war and desolations, comes the FINAL 70th week of God's special prophetic dealings with Israel/Jerusalem. This final 7-year period of time will begin with Antichrist signing a 7-year covenant with Israel as dealt with in Daniel 9:27.

Daniel 9:27 (NKJV)
27 Then he [Antichrist] shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

In my view the stage is right now being set for the 70th week of Daniel. We don’t know when that will happen, but Israel being back in the land is a major stage setting reality. For this reason Israel being back in the land as a nation is called “The Last Days Super Sign”.

Antichrist will sign a 7-year covenant with many for one week. "Many" evidently refers to the MAJORITY of the Jews who will enter into this covenant with him. In this covenant Antichrist will evidently guarantee peace for Israel with the liberty to once again build and worship in their temple on the temple mount. This will undoubtedly be heralded as the greatest “peace deal” of all time. Little will Israel realize that this reality is a “covenant with death” as it is called in Isa. 28:15-18 (cf. Zech. 11:15-17). Note the word “covenant” is a very strong word emphasizing a BINDING agreement. It is the very same word God used when He made a covenant with Abram in Gen. 15:18.

But then in the middle of the week (that is 3 and ½ years in) Antichrist pulls one of the greatest “double-crosses” of all time as he breaks this STRONG covenant by going into the rebuilt Jewish temple and declaring himself to be God (cf. Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:5-8).

2 Thessalonians 2:4 (NKJV)
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

When Daniel 9:27 says, “on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate”, note that this is the phrase Jesus referenced as “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel in Matt. 24:15. The word “wing” is thought to refer to the high point of abomination or perhaps to the idea of “overspreading” in the sense that this one will cover all he does with abomination. Antichrist will carry on until the consummation which is determined is poured out on him, which will be his destruction personally carried out by Jesus at the Second Coming (cf. Dan. 7:11, 2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:20).

Note that three times in this text in Dan. 9:24-27 the word “determined” is found, as seen in verses 24, 26, and 27. None of this is left to “chance”. It is all according to the determined PLAN of God. Just as the first 69 weeks were literally fulfilled to the letter culminating in Jesus being presented as the KING of Israel on Palm Sunday (cf. Zech. 9:9; Lk. 19:28-44); and just as that which relates to the GAP PERIOD involving Christ's death and the destruction of the temple has literally been fulfilled; just as ongoing war and desolations related to the GAP PERIOD is literally being fulfilled; so also, will all that which pertains to the 70th week literally be fulfilled, just as it is determined.

They keep saying that we are living in “uncertain times”. They couldn’t be MORE wrong. The times are CERTAIN, and they have a determined outcome. What God has said regarding the Times of the Gentiles has been and is being fulfilled to the letter. What Christ has said regarding the building of His Church is being fulfilled in this the Gap Period. What God has said regarding His special 490-year dealings with Israel has been and will yet be fulfilled to the letter. One final climactic 7-year period (the 70th week) remains to be fulfilled.

What God has determined will have a fulfillment!

Psalm 33:10–11 (NKJV)
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.

The book of Daniel writes in BOLD LARGE PRINT, “GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER THE TIMES!” He is sovereign over ALL times. Daniel 9:24-27 stands out as a monumental prophetic testament to the reality that God is sovereignly in control of history thus making it ONE OF GREATEST PROPHECIES EVER GIVEN!