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RichardHyland.net
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Lesson 7 Daniel 9:26
This is a pretty fast read.
We've looked briefly at how Islam totally fits the Bible's definition of antichrist beliefs. We've also looked at what Islam teaches about End Times and saw that it exactly fulfills the prophecies about Antichrist/ False Prophet, right down to the 7 year treaty with Israel. Then we saw that the idea that Rome is part of Daniel's visions does not come from the text itself, but has been ASSUMED mostly because Rome was the next empire in succession despite the fact that it doesn't meet the criteria of the all suppressing, conquering 4th empire that totally conquers all of the other three kingdoms and keeps them.
OK, let's look at Daniel 9:26, the most used scripture to PROVE that we are to watch for Europe to rise, sweep the Middle East, Africa and beyond in a murderous rampage to convert all people to a New World Order, a One World Order. This order or empire according to Scripture is religious first and its civil government comes under that religion. That is the reason for so many references to worship when Scripture describes this kingdom.
What rising, dominant religion do you see rising in Europe, besides Islam? If we are looking to Europe for this empire, Islam can't be part of it, Islam isn't Roman or European. Since we are looking for an empire that curses the God of the Bible and His Son, that leaves out any form of Christianity. Are Hindu's rising in Europe? Are they slaughtering Christians and Jews, who are, by the way, the last day's empire number 1 targets!! Am I making my point?
OK, let's look at the scripture in question.
Daniel 9:26:
....and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
(King James Version)
Notice the very slight, one word difference in this next version!
....and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; but his end shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
(Jewish Publication Society Bible) I think this version may understand Hebrew a little better than King James did!
This verse has been interpreted with a Roman viewpoint because they really read this verse as follows: the people who destroyed the city and the Temple in 70AD will be the people the Antichrist comes from in the last days. They then make all of their assumptions from this viewpoint. They are using the 70AD event to interpret this verse and although the event is true history, the assumption it has led to is incorrect.
Thus far, this verse has been interpreted as follows:
the people (Romans)
of the prince to come (Antichrist, at the end of days)
shall destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (Temple) (both destroyed by Rome in 70AD) .
And that is as far as they go.
I told you what the controversies were, over this verse: what ethnicity the soldiers were, and over which destruction of Jerusalem was being referred to.
The ethnicity of the soldiers is an impossible task. You can prove your point on both sides according to which historian's account you read, and some, like Josephus has both Romans and Turks there. Then you have to figure out what group had the most soldiers, Romans or Turks? Since it cannot be accurately verified and God did not include this information in the Bible account of the siege in 70AD then it is not a factor. We must look at the scripture in another way!
To say that the soldiers were Roman citizens; therefore, the future prince will be Roman is also incorrect. It just so happens, that word, people, in this verse is: H5971 = specifically a tribe.
We are talking about the tribe or ethnicity of the people, not the government. But like I said, with history rewritten, that avenue is futile. So let's look at this verse just on face value.
The people of the prince to come (during end times) will destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (during those end times). How simple!
The Prince's people, will destroy Jerusalem and Jewish sanctuary in the end times. This is a prophetic warning of how the end time Leader's activities will directly effect the city Jerusalem and the Jewish people.
Daniel saw Nebuchanezzar burn the first Temple in Jerusalem then drag all the Jews to Babylon to be slaves. The angel was letting Daniel know it would happen in the end of days. That doesn't mean it can't or won't happen time and again in-between the two times I pointed out. Do you understand, just because the angel says the city and sanctuary will be destroyed in the last days doesn't mean that is the only time it will happen. That is something that has been assumed all these years.
Then it says: but his end shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
This will be how this prince and his people get their just rewards, by Jesus and His army when Jesus frees Jerusalem during the war of Armageddon.
By the way, desolations means: H8074 = to be appalled, stun, stupefy
To put this in today's vernacular, This prince and his people won't know what hit them, literally!!
I know this is hard for Bible us students. The idea that we are to look for Rome to rise again has been taught for a very long time. It has become one of The Sacred Cows of eschatology. But pray about it, and always remain teachable to the Holy Ghost. Remember, revelation comes line upon line, here a little, there a little. So when the angel said that Daniel was sealed until the last days, he meant just that; therefore, some new understanding in these last days about the Antichrist and his empire out of the book of Daniel, should not be a surprise, in fact it should be expected.
If we look on the ground, at the events that are unfolding it is obvious that things are progressing somewhat differently than we have taught. Every time I search the internet for Islamic Beast or Antichrist or False Prophet, I see that many more are moving from a Roman Empire rising to an Islamic one that is already rising!!
If what we see is really what the Bible has been pointing to all along, the hour is much later than any of us thought.
I did my best to keep this shorter than last weeks.
Rhonda