Daniel 9.27-The Antichrist's Peace Treaty with Israel Begins Daniel's Seventieth Week
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday January 6, 2008
The Day of the Lord: Daniel 9:27-The Antichrist’s Peace Treaty with Israel Begins Daniel’s Seventieth Week
Lesson # 9
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 9:24.
This morning we will temporarily suspend our studies in the book of Romans by continuing our series dealing with the prophetic subject called “the Day of the Lord,” which we conduct the first Sunday of every month when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
“The Day of the Lord” is “not” a literal twenty-four period but rather is an extended period of time beginning with God’s dealing with Israel after the rapture at the beginning of the tribulation period and extending through the 2nd Advent and the millennial age unto the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.
The “Rapture” of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) triggers the beginning of the “Day of the Lord” and will come like a thief in the night meaning it will come upon the world, unexpectedly.
1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”
The Rapture is immediately followed by the Tribulation period, which is also known by students of prophecy as, “Daniel’s Seventieth Week.”
Daniel’s 70th week refers to a 7-year period that extends from Antichrist’s peace treaty with Israel after the rapture of the church to the 2nd Advent of Christ and is concerned with the nation of Israel exclusively and will be the worst period in all of Israel’s and the world’s history.
This 7-year period is divided into two three and a half year periods with the first three and a half years characterized as a cold war (Mt. 24:6) whereas the last three and a half years are characterized as a hot war (Mt. 24:21-22).
This period will end with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which is the visible return of Christ to planet earth with the elect angels and the Church in order to deliver Israel from her enemies and establish Jesus Christ’s millennial reign resulting in the fulfillment of the four unconditional covenants to Israel (Dan. 2:44-45; Zech. 14; Mt. 24:29-31; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-21).
The church age takes place between the 69th and 70th Week of Daniel and was a “mystery” (Eph. 3:9) meaning it was not known to Old Testament prophets.
God has temporarily set aside Israel because of her rejection of Jesus Christ as Messiah (Rom. 9-11) in order to form the church and to fulfill the Times of the Gentiles so therefore, the last seven years of Daniel’s prophecy have yet to be fulfilled but will be fulfilled after the rapture of the church (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
The church is delivered from the wrath to come during this period.
1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thus far, we have studied the first three major events that will take place during the first three and an half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week:
(1) The rise of the Ten Nation Confederacy called the Revived Roman Empire at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week (Dan. 2; 7).
(2) Antichrist rises to power as the King of the Western Confederacy in Europe (Dan. 7:20, 24; 9:27; Rev. 13:1-10).
(3) The rise of the revived form of the Roman Empire under Antichrist during the first three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week will be accompanied by the formulation of a false religious system under the false prophet (Rev. 13:11-18).
This morning we will study the event that takes place immediately after the rapture of the church, which actually begins Daniel’s Seventieth Week, namely, Antichrist’s peace treaty with Israel, which is recorded in Daniel 9:27.
Daniel 9:24, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.”
A “week” in the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 refers to 7 years of 360 days.
Therefore, the “seventy weeks” refers to 490 years of 360 days of Israel’s history.
These “seventy weeks” or 490 years is divided into three periods: (1) 7 weeks=49 years (2) 62 weeks=434 years (3) 1 week=7 years.
The phrase “your people” refers to the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem and not with world history or church history.
“To finish the transgression” refers to the nation of Israel’s apostasy and sin and wandering over the face of the earth will be brought to its consummation within the 490 prophetic years at the 2nd Advent of Christ, on the Day of Atonement.
“To bring an end of sin” refers to bringing sin into judgment at the cross, and extending forgiveness for sins already committed through faith in the coming Redeemer, the Messiah.
“To make an atonement for iniquity” refers to the Cross of Christ as it affects the restoration of the nation of Israel at the Second Advent of Christ (See Zechariah 12:10).
In the Hebrew text, the phrase “to bring in everlasting righteousness” refers to the millennial reign which will be characterized by righteousness.
The phrase “to seal up vision and prophecy” refers to the fact that all that God promised to Israel throughout her history by means of the prophets will be fulfilled during Christ’s millennial reign.
“To anoint the Most Holy Place” refers to the dedication of the most holy place in the millennial temple which is described in detail in Ezekiel 41-46.
Daniel 9:25, “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.”
“The issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” refers to the decree issued by Artaxerxes Longimanus’ decree in 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8).
“Seven weeks” refers 49 prophetic biblical years beginning with the decree of Artaxerxes in 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:1-8) to the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25).
“Sixty-two weeks” refers to 434 prophetic biblical years beginning with the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and crucifixion in 33 A.D. (Dan. 9:25-26).
Daniel 9:26, “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.”
The statement “after the sixty-two weeks” refers to the completion of 69 of the 70 weeks of Daniel, 483 prophetic years and “the Messiah will be cut off” refers to the death of Christ.
“The people” refers to the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. and the phrase “the prince who shall come” refers to the Antichrist.
Daniel 9:27, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
The statement “he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week” refers to Antichrist making a 7 year covenant with Israel, which actually begins Daniel’s 70th week (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
The expression “firm covenant” means that Antichrist will not renew an existing treaty but will establish an original one that contains strong and firm guarantees with the Israeli leadership ensuring Israel’s security.
“The many” does “not” mean that Antichrist will make this covenant “with all” since the definite article in the Hebrew text that precedes the adjective rav (br^) (rav), converts the adjective into a noun and means, “the leaders” which is a reference to the military and political leadership of the nation of Israel at that time.
Therefore, Daniel 9:27 teaches that Daniel’s 70th week comes after the rapture but does “not” begin with the rapture.
So, while the rapture will precede Daniel’s 70th week (Great Tribulation period), it does “not” begin Daniel’s 70th week but rather the signing of the peace treaty between Antichrist and the leadership in Israel will begin it.
Daniel 9:27a indicates that he will pretend to be Israel’s benefactor and make a treaty with her but will turn against her in the mid way point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and will persecute Israel and occupy Jerusalem for three and a half years.
Revelation 6:1-2 records the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven breaking the first of the seven seal judgments, which results in the appearance of the Antichrist on the stage of history as a peace maker and who is depicted as riding on a white horse.
Revelation 6:1-2, “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”
Notice that the rider sat on a white horse, which is significant since white is a symbol of peace, thus the symbolism is that Antichrist will come as a peacemaker.
One of Antichrist’s first accomplishments will be to find a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict with a peace treaty with Israel according to Daniel 9:26-27, which begins Daniel’s 70th week, the unprecedented time of Jacob’s distress (Jer. 30:7).
Also, notice that the rider’s weapon is a bow, yet no arrows are mentioned.
The bow is a symbol of distant victory and since no arrows are mentioned it seems to indicate that he gains his victory by bloodless tactics.
That all this is true is indicated further by the fact that peace isn’t taken from the earth until the second seal.
Antichrist will have a hidden agenda since his purpose is not world peace, but rather world domination since Revelation 6 goes on to say that he goes out conquering and to conquer.
Today the world is ripe for the rise of such a man with his world government as an answer to international problems.
Prominent world leaders and movements have posed the idea that what we need is a world order with a charismatic leader who can mold the world into harmony and peace.
In his book, written in 1973, The Day the Dollar Dies, Willard Cantelon quotes a number of world leaders to this effect. He writes: Harold Urey said, “The only escape from total destruction of civilization will be a world govern¬ment.” Robert J. Oppenheimer stated, “In the field of atomic energy, there must be set up a world power.” Arthur Compton added his word, “World gov¬ernment has become inevitable.” Dr. Ralph Barton Perry of Harvard said, “One world government is in the making. Whether we like it or not, we are moving toward a one world government.” Professor Hocking wrote, “Therefore the alternative is that we vest all political power in one agency and resign that power ourselves.”
This covenant between Antichrist and Israel is a peace treaty, which will guarantee Israel’s safety in the land and suggests that Israel will be in her land but will seek support that she had previously.
The United States is nowhere in prophecy and is thus no longer a superpower at the time of Antichrist’s rise to power.
The United States is the greatest benefactor of Israel since her return to the land in 1948 and so it is easy to see why Israel would seek an alliance with a superpower with the United States no longer a major player on the world stage.
Therefore, it appears that she will seek a treaty with the Revived Roman Empire, the United States of Europe headed by Antichrist and she will welcome the peacemaking role of Antichrist and the Revived Roman Empire.
So early in the 1st half of the Tribulation a ten-nation federation will be arrayed in the west with headquarters at Rome and is designated in Scripture “ten horns” in Daniel 7:7-8, 23-24, Revelation 13:1-10, and 17:8-10, and is sometimes called the Revived Roman Empire.
The ruler of this federation is the Antichrist, who is referred to in Scripture as “the beast” (Rev. 13:1-2), the “little horn” (Dan. 7:8), the “prince that will come” (Dan. 9:26-27), the “man of lawlessness” (2 Th. 2:3-10), and the “scarlet beast” (Rev. 17:3).
The agreement between Israel and Antichrist stipulates that he will rush to the aid of Israel in the event of an enemy attack (Dan. 9:27; cf., 11:38-39).
This leads us to the communion service and so therefore, could we have our ushers pass out the communion elements and let us take a few minutes to meditate upon the Lord and prepare ourselves for the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is a commandment given by the Lord Jesus Christ to every church age believer to bring into remembrance His Unique Person and Finished Work on the Cross, both of which serve as the basis for fellowship with God and each other as members of the Body of Christ.
In the communion service, the bread portrays the sinless humanity of Christ, which was sacrificed for us and the wine portrays His spiritual death as our Substitute, both of which serve as the basis for fellowship with God and each other.
The communion service is also a reminder that we have fellowship not only with God but also with each other as members of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.”
1 Corinthians 11:23, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread.”
1 Corinthians 11:24, “and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:25, “In the same way {He took} the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink {it} in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”