Daniel 9:27 Grossly Mistranslated in Modern English Bible Translations
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This class is for students of Bible prophecy, and especially of prophecy about the Endtime.
I used to believe that Daniel 9:27 will be fulfilled by the Antichrist being processed by Satan during a final 7 year reign on earth just before the return of Jesus Christ. Imagine my surprise to learn Daniel 9:27 was considered a Messianic prophecy by all Protestant Christians before the 19th century! They believed it was fulfilled by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago! I came to this realization from December 2014 after holding the popular but mistaken interpretation for 40 years. It was thanks to a dear brother in Christ, David Nikao, who opened my eyes by his website: http://70thweekofdaniel.com/
King James Bible (KJV)
And he shall confirm the covenant 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.
KJV Daniel 9:27 included with my comments in parentheses:
And he (Jesus Christ) shall confirm (not make but confirm the Covenant that already existed) the (definite article) covenant (the Covenant God made with Abraham) with many (people of Israel) for one week (seven years): and in the midst of the week (at the 3 1/2 year point when Jesus was crucified) he (Jesus) shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, (cease animal sacrifices for sin because Jesus the Lamb of God became the ultimate sacrifice. The second half of the 7 year Covenant or 3 1/2 year period was the ministry of the Apostles to the Jews up to the stoning of Stephen and the calling of Paul to give the Gospel to the Gentiles.) and for the overspreading of abominations (the invasion of Jerusalem by the Roman Army) he (Jesus, through General Titus) shall make it desolate (destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate (the Jews, Jerusalem and their Temple, i.e. the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple 40 years later by the Roman Army which was an abomination to the Jews and which desolated Jerusalem and the Temple.)
I hope you see clearly the second half of Daniel 9:27 is talking about the destruction of the Temple of Solomon and Jerusalem. This is also what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 25:15,16
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:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
The “abomination of desolation was not some idol the Antichrist plants in a third future Temple of Solomon which is what nearly all evangelicals today believe, it was the Roman army’s attack of the city of Jerusalem which resulted in the desolation of that city, the destruction of the Temple of Solomon, and the death of over one million Jews. The Bible is its own best commentator. Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke tells us clearly what exactly the Abomination of Desolation is!
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
I submit therefore as Luke unequivocally states, the Abomination of Desolation was the Roman Army which destroyed and desolated both Jerusalem and the Temple. This was fulfilled in 70 A.D. When you understand this, you will see why “let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains” makes perfect sense! Jesus was talking to the Jews of His time, NOT us! You will also understand what Matthew 24:34 means.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Which generation? The generation of the people Jesus was talking to when sitting at the foot of the Temple! Its destruction was 40 years later, and most of them would be alive. The attack on Jerusalem by the Roman Army was the Great Tribulation Jesus was talking about! But due to a twisted interpretation of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24, many evangelicals today believe the generation Jesus is talking about are the baby boomers who were born around the time of the creation of the State of Israel by the antichrist United Nations in 1948. This is what I call Endtime delusion!
Now let’s compare the King James version translation of Daniel 9:27 to modern translations:
New International Version
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.”
Notice it says “a covenant” rather than “the covenant”. This denotes something not specifically talked about previously. In the KJV, “the” is used to show this covenant already existed from years past and is not something in the future. The covenant is referring to the covenant God made with Abraham which Daniel talks about in verse 4 of Daniel 9:
And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Also, the KJV does not say, “at the temple he will set up an abomination”. The NIV translation of that verse is itself an abomination!! It sounds as if the translators were thinking of Daniel 11:31 when they translated that verse:
And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
I submit to you that the events of Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 9:27 are two different events! Daniel 11:31 is talking about Antiochus IV placing an image of Zeus in the Temple of Solomon.
Antiochus IV’s army desecrated the Temple and stopped the daily sacrifices. On the 15th of Kislev, in December 168 BCE, the Syrians built a pagan altar over the altar of burnt offering in the Temple and placed an image of Zeus Olympius upon it. Ten days later, on the 25th of Kislev, swine’s flesh was offered on the altar to Zeus.
Please see http://www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Daniel11 to read the true historical fulfillment of Daniel chapter 11.
New Living Translation
The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
See the difference between this and the KJV? “a treaty” “set up a sacrilegious object”
English Standard Version
And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
Note the indefinite article a used before strong covenant. Moreover, “for half of the week” is not the same meaning as “in the midst of the week” which is what the KJV says.
Good News Translation
That ruler will have a firm agreement with many people for seven years, and when half this time is past, he will put an end to sacrifices and offerings. The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest point of the Temple and will remain there until the one who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him.”
“The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest point of the Temple”? Where do they get this from?
English Revised Version
And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and for the half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the consummation, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolator.
“and for the half of the week” is not the same meaning as “in the midst of the week”.
Young’s Literal Translation
And he hath strengthened a covenant with many — one week, and in the midst of the week he causeth sacrifice and present to cease, and by the wing of abominations he is making desolate, even till the consummation, and that which is determined is poured on the desolate one.’
“strengthen a covenant” is not the same thing as “confirm the covenant”.
I value the King James Version above other English versions except for the Geneva Bible which is nearly the same and has great notes that clearly teaches the correct interpretation of Daniel 9 and Matthew 24.
Daniel 9:27 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
And he [a]shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to [b]cease, [c]and for the overspreading of the abominations, he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Footnotes:
- Daniel 9:27 By the preaching of the Gospel he confirmed his promise, first to the Jews, and after to the Gentiles.
- Daniel 9:27 Christ accomplished this by his death and resurrection.
- Daniel 9:27 Meaning, that Jerusalem and the Sanctuary should be utterly destroyed for their rebellion against God, and their idolatry: or as some read, that the plague shall be so great, that they shall be all astonied at them.
Wow! Is that clear as a bell or what? The footnotes of the Geneva Bible confirm what I am trying to teach in this article, namely Daniel 9:27 was fulfilled by Jesus Christ, not a future Antichrist, and that this is what the early Protestants believed and taught.
I really wonder sometimes about the motivation of King James in creating another English translation of the Bible in the year 1611. He didn’t like the commentaries in the footnotes in the Geneva Bible. He thought some of the commentaries challenged his authority as king. What if the KJV was never translated and the English speaking world continued to use the Geneva Bible? I dare say if English speaking Christians stuck with the Geneva Bible, they would not have followed the false doctrines of Dispensationalism created by John Nelson Darby, they would not be supporting the State of Israel, they would not believe in a rapture of the saints before a great tribulation period, they would not be expecting a rebuilt 3rd Temple of Solomon in the Endtime, and they would absolutely KNOW who the Antichrist is — the Pope who stands in the midst of the Temple — the Church — and proclaims he is the successor of Christ and without him, the Pope, you cannot be saved.
I submit to you the reason for all the bad modern translations of Daniel 9:27 is part of the “Counter Reformation” which is a Jesuit plot to undo the Protestant Reformation. The Jesuits aim was to get Christians’ eyes off the Pope as the biblical Antichrist! Did it work? What do you think?
The Timeline of Daniel 9:24-27 Illustrated
This meme is courtesy of David Nikao Wilcoxson 70thweekofdaniel.com
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