Some Awaiting the 70th Week of Daniel Are Blind to Current Events
Daniel 9:27 is about the 70th Week of Daniel, and it may very well be the most misinterpreted prophecy in the entire Bible. The early Protestant Reformers saw it as a Messianic prophecy fulfilled by none other than the Lord Jesus Christ! Most modern-day evangelicals (with the notable exception of Pastor Chuck Baldwin) view it as prophecy fulfilled by the Antichrist who will come to power in the unknown future. Christians who hold this eschatological view follow a school of prophecy interpretation known as Futurism.
Verse Segment | Modern Evangelical Interpretation | Protestant Reformers Interpretation |
---|---|---|
And he | the Antichrist | Jesus Christ |
shall confirm the covenant | shall make a treaty | shall confirm the Covenant of grace God made with Abraham. |
with many for one week | with the Jews and leaders of the world’s religions for 7 years in the future | with the people of Israel for 7 years from the beginning of Jesus’s ministry which began in 27 AD to the stoning of Stephen in 34 AD which was the start of persecution of Christians by the Jews. |
and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease | The Antichrist will stop the daily sacrifice in a rebuilt temple of Solomon. | Jesus was crucified three and a half years after the start of His ministry. Jesus, the Lamb of God, became the ultimate sacrifice for sins which meant there was no more need for daily animal sacrifices, and hence, no more need for a physical temple to do them. |
and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, | The Antichrist will start a world wide persecution against all who refuse to worship him. | Jesus through the Roman General Titus will desolate the Temple of Solomon |
even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. | Jesus will return, fight the Antichrist and his armies, and throw them into hell. | Jesus will cause the Roman army to destroy both the Temple and Jerusalem to put an end to the Jews’ Christ-less religion as punishment for Israel’s rejection of their Messiah. |
It’s been my observation that Christians who hold the modern evangelical futurist interpretation of the 70th Week of Daniel cannot see what is happening today, I mean, right NOW, as a major attack by Satan and his forces against the world, and against God’s people! And what has happened so far?
- Area wide lockdowns
- Mask mandates, people arrested in some counties for not wearing a mask though outdoors
- Quarantines / house arrest if suspected of having Covid
- Vaccine mandates for work or medical care
- Vaccine passports. My wife and I cannot eat in resturants any longer
You can probably add more to that list. Has any of this happened before in history on a worldwide scale? And what is the reason the government is giving us? All in the name of public safety to prevent catching a virus that causes disease the vast majority of the people survive from.
In some countries, government policies are more draconian than others. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand seem to be the worst. In the USA the Republican states opted to have less strict measures, and now even some Democrat states are following suit.
Some countries are requiring proof of vaccination to even shop at the grocery store! How is that different from the Mark of the Beast of Revelation chapter 13? It’s not different!
How many Christians today believe the Beast of Revelation Chapter 13 is already in place? I sure do. The response to the pandemic has been global government tyranny. Pastors in Canada have been arrested for holding church services during the lockdowns.
How many pastors today are standing up to government tyranny? I know only of Chuck Baldwin, John MacArthur, Artur Pawlawski and a few other pastors in Canada. How many pastors are telling their congregations to avoid the experimental Covid jabs at all costs? Only Chuck Balwin as far as I know. Some evangelical leaders are even encouraging their flocks to get vaccinated saying that vaccines “alleviate the curse.” That’s blasphemy in my opinion! Only Jesus Christ can alleviate the curse! Those who know the Lord can claim His protection!
The world has started to say no to it all. The truckers convoy in Canada is outstanding in my opinion! And yet some people are calling it false or controlled opposition. Why? I think it’s the same people that think it’s too late to resist antichrist government tyranny at this point in time. They are expecting great tribulation based on a wrong interpretation of Matthew 24!
Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
In another article, I explain in detail why the “great tribulation” of Matthew 24 is not a future event.
Summary
How a person looks at current events is dependent on how whether he or she is a Futurist or not. Most Baptists and Pentecostals are Futurists. The Presbyterians and some others continue to hold the standard Protestant interpretation of the 70th Weeks of Daniel as a past event.
As children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, we must not let the devil’s people take away our God-given rights without a fight! We must stand up to tyranny. God is still on the Throne and prayer changes things! The gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ!