Spirit of Truth

"But when he, the SPIRIT of TRUTH, comes, he will GUIDE you into all the TRUTH. He will not speak on his own; he will speak ONLY what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to COME." - John 16:13 ❤️☺️❤️

Revelation says, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [7] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Mathew 24 below)” 

“And a great SIGN APPEARED in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (12 tribes/the pharasies crowned jesus with a crown of thrones for mockary purposes because he said he was the jewish king which was true-before crucifixion). She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains (tribulation- this is begining of birth pains) and the agony of giving birth… She gave birth to a male child (jesus messiah second coming, virgin birth of mary), one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (Revelation 12:1-2,5) (this is the beggining of the BIRTH PAINS (likely 2019-2020- which the holy spirit- body of messiah birthed to prepare followers for the second coming on earth) This did occur likely somewhere between 2016/17-2020. Revelation 12 and Virgo; There are some who believe Revelation 12 is a reference to a particular alignment of the sun, moon, and planets around the constellation Virgo. Some believe that September 23, 2017, there will be a unique alignment of sky objects that fulfills this prophetic picture. (This did already occur i believe sometime between 2017-2020). All of this time includes rising birth pains- diseases, climate disaster, phamon, rising war, locusts, wheat and oil are spoken of, gog and magog (russia), the antichrist is or applies the “mark of the beast”- no one can “buy, trade or sell” without it, so this corresponds to digital currency and AI brain chips (yep- crazy, but true). Evil will rise in hollywood- demonic influence, rise of abortion- god talks a lot about this concept going against his will, mockery of gods design with the gender ideology- sorry, its true). His design for the family unit produces prosperity. (We are exactly 2,000 since jesus first coming which directly correlates to Israel’s previous two redemptions and calendar). 

“The woman” is the constellation Virgo. This constellation is represented as a woman in many ancient mythologies—from the groups who lived along the Euphrates, to the Eastern cultures of India and China, to the ancient Egyptians, to the classical cultures of Greece and Rome.

“Clothed with the sun” means the sun will be aligned with Virgo. As the earth moves around the sun, the sun ends up being in the same line of sight with different constellations throughout the year (what we call the signs of the Zodiac). In Septembers, the sun is aligned with Virgo.
“With the moon under her feet” means the moon will be aligned with the feet of Virgo. As the moon moves around the earth, it is also aligned with different constellations from month to month. On September 23, 2017, the moon will be near the feet of Virgo.

“On her head a crown of twelve stars” means there will be 12 “stars” directly above the head of Virgo (12 tribes of israel). The constellation Leo is directly above Virgo’s head, containing what many believe to be 9 bright stars. Through the latter half of the month of September 2017, there will be 3 (father, son, spirit) planets aligned with the constellation Leo, bringing the number of bright “stars” above the head of Virgo to 12. (From Tribe of judah- jesus messiah) 

“She gave birth to a male child” is a reference to Jupiter in the womb of Virgo. Throughout late August and most of September 2017, the planet Jupiter is lined up with the abdomen of Virgo. Jupiter was understood by the ancients to be the king of the planets, thus ruler is seen in the belly of Virgo. (Second coming messiah) 

The Star Prophecy (or Star and Scepter prophecy) is a Messianic reading applied by Jewish Zealots and early Christians to Numbers 24:17. The prophecy was often employed during the troubled years that led up to the Jewish Revolt, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 CE) and the suicidal last stand of the Sicarii at Masada in 73 CE. The Star Prophecy appears in the Qumran texts called the Dead Sea scrolls. "This was the prophecy that was of such importance to all resistance groups in this period, including those responsible for the documents at Qumran and the revolutionaries who triggered the war against Rome, not to mention the early Christians".[1] (it seems since the beginning there was hostility toward christians). 

The Star Prophecy was applied to the coming Messiah himself in contemporary radical Jewish documents, such as the apocalyptic War (revelation new testament) Scrollfound at Qumran. In a pesher applied to the text from Numbers, the War Scroll's writer gives the following exegesis:

…by the hand of the Poor whom you have redeemed by Your Power and the peace of Your Mighty Wonders… by the hand of the Poor and those bent in the dust, You will deliver the enemies of all the lands and humble the mighty of the peoples to bring upon their heads the reward of the Wicked and justify the Judgement of Your Truth on all the sons of men.

In his history Josephus (father of jesus) observes that Vespasian was destined to be the world ruler who would come out of Judea, and not a Jewish messiah, as the revolutionaries had erroneously (innacurate- the revolutionaries were accurate) anticipated (War 6.312-314). … Josephus may have drawn upon the texts in Daniel 9:25-26 primarily and Genesis 49:10, Numbers 24:17, and Daniel 7:13-14 secondarily. He may have used an Essenic understanding of a messianic world ruler in addition."[2] (this is very chaotic and out of order- after the crucifixtion, thr version used in judiasm was scrambled. Joseph was the birth father of Jesus during his ministry on earth). 

The star has been externalized as an actual star in the sky, the Star of Bethlehem, in the narration of the Gospel of Matthew. The fulfilled Star Prophecy is one of numerous instances of the asserted fulfillment of prophecies that are a main theme of this text. 

The prophecy was also applied to Simon bar Kokhba, messianic leader of the Second Jewish Revolt of 132, whose adopted name bar Kokhbameans "Son of a Star" in Aramaic. (I cant see this being histiriccsly accurate- jesus was the son of david- son of a star).

The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star,[1] appears in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2 where "wise men from the East" (Magi) are inspired by the star to travel to Jerusalem. There, they meet King Herod of Judea, and ask him:

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.[2]

Herod calls together his scribes and priests who, quoting a verse from the Book of Micah, interpret it as a prophecy that the Jewish Messiah would be born in Bethlehem to the south of Jerusalem. Secretly intending to find and kill the Messiah in order to preserve his own kingship, Herod invites the wise men to return to him on their way home.

The star leads them to Jesus' Bethlehem birthplace, where they worship him and give him gifts. The wise men are then given a divine warning not to return to Herod, so they return home by a different route.[3]

Many Christians believe the star was a miraculous sign (IT WAS). Some theologians claimed (not a claim- truth) that the star fulfilled a prophecy, known as the Star Prophecy. Astronomers have made several attempts to link the star to unusual celestial events, such as a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn or Jupiter and Venus, a comet, or a supernova. (All true). 

Read the Passage;   

24“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.25Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.26And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.27And 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.” 
—Daniel 9:24–27

Why Seventy?

Gabriel announced, “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city.” The objects of God’s decree are the Jews and Jerusalem. The number “seventy” is essential for the remaining verses, which divide it threefold, so understanding the source of this number is vital to a proper interpretation.

The number “seventy” appeared earlier in chapter 9 when the prophet was reading in the book of Jeremiah about the desolations of Jerusalem ending after “seventy years” of captivity (v. 2). Gabriel’s message played upon the “seventy” and promised “seventy sevens” or “seventy weeks.” And if the “seventy” in Gabriel’s message played on the “seventy” from Jeremiah 25:11–12 (cf. Dan. 9:2), it is reasonable to assume the “sevens/weeks” played on the years of Daniel 9:2 as well. A decree of “seventy sevens/weeks” probably meant 490 years (70 × 7).

Another issue is whether we should take the 490 years literally or symbolically. Observe first that even though Jeremiah wrote about seventy years of captivity, the Jews were actually in exile less than seventy years. If Gabriel’s message then used that number, perhaps we should expect a figurative or symbolic meaning rather than applying 490 with strict literalism, for not even the number seventy was applied with the sort of precision often expected today. Further pointing us in the direction of nonliteral interpretation of the “seventy sevens” is the probable source of the “sevens.” Seven is a number of completion and perfection, and Leviticus 25:8–12 most likely informed Daniel’s understanding of Gabriel’s message:

You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field.

In Leviticus 25 a multiplication of “seven weeks of years” (v. 😎 resulted in forty-nine years. The fiftieth year was jubilee, a time of freedom and climactic observance. That Gabriel’s message should be understood in light of the jubilee passage in Leviticus 25 is evident by the first division he gives to Daniel in Daniel 9:25: seven sevens/weeks. Next, sixty-two more sevens are given (v. 25b), and then the climactic seven/week receives the most attention (vv. 26–27). The seventy sevens in verse 24 denote jubilee; if seven sevens in Leviticus 25:8 led to jubilee, then seventy sevens in Daniel 9:24 is a tenfold and ultimate jubilee! 

Looking Ahead

The reason for a tenfold jubilee is evident in the six results Gabriel listed: God decreed the seventy sevens “to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place” (v. 24). The mention of transgression, sin, and iniquity is significant in light of Daniel’s prayer, which confessed Israel’s sin (vv. 4–15) and pleaded for mercy and forgiveness (vv. 16–19). God was saying to Daniel, “I will take care of the sin. Atonement will be accomplished.” This future work would bring in everlasting righteousness, a permanence that worshipers of Yahweh longed for. 

“Vision and prophet” probably refers to God’s revelation until this atonement was accomplished. Once sin had been dealt with in this future redemptive work, prior revelation would be fulfilled, and eclipsed, by the jubilee event God would accomplish. 

If understood as a hendiadys (two words conveying a single concept), “vision and prophet” may be understood as a “prophetic vision” and may have Jeremiah’s prophecy of return from exile in view. Gabriel was giving Daniel insight into how Jeremiah’s words would ultimately be “sealed” or “confirmed.” Part of God’s atoning plan included anointing a “MOST HOLY PLACE” or, probably more accurately, “most HOLY ONE.” No anointing was ever reported for Solomon’s temple or the rebuilt temple under Ezra (i have more information about israel wrestling with god on my blog). An individual, not a structure, is meant. The “*work of this anointed individual would appear*” shortly in the breakdown of the seventy sevens (vv. 25–27).

Given the stupendous effects of the seventy sevens, it is worth noting that the first sixty-nine sevens do not mention the kind of effects listed in verse 24. 

The seventieth seven, though, includes an anointed one being cut off, destruction of city and sanctuary, and desolations that have been decreed (v. 26).” 

Furthermore, a covenant will be made and sacrifices will end (v. 27). The six remarkable outcomes in verse 24, therefore, would not be accomplished gradually throughout the first sixty-nine weeks. (They would come to pass because of what takes place in the seventieth seven). 😏

Gabriel began telling Daniel what “he should understand”: “From the going out of THE WORD to RESTORE and -build Jerusalem- to “the coming of an anointed one”, a prince, there shall be seven weeks.” The next “sixty-two weeks” (which will be dealt with in the following subsection) specify that Jerusalem “shall be BUILT AGAIN with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.” The first “seven” and next “sixty-two” weeks seem to deal with the whole span of time envisioned in verse 25, which encompasses the “going out of the WORD to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince.”

God promised a spiritual savior, a suffering servant who would take Israel’s iniquities and bear their punishment. —->Jesus in Job - Discover the suffering Messiah in the oldest book of the Bible.

(https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR06VFzwlG9k9ZSyfSJTQ1LDx4hwQ7YmMmAzLLBu0hWDS7VeGuiWE52Ckq4&v=BY_T2uEiTXg&feature=youtu.be#dialog) 

As history unfolded, “the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem” turned out to be the decree of Cyrus permitting the return of the Jews in 538 BC. Having conquered Babylon in 539, Cyrus released the Jewish exiles the following year. Isaiah reported the Lord’s plan to use Cyrus in this manner: “I am the Lord, . . . who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid’” (Isa. 44:24, 28). Later, Ezra recorded, “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing” (Ezra 1:1), and the proclamation specified a return to Jerusalem to “rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem” (v. 3).

Arguments for dates earlier or later than 538 BC fail to account for the specific texts in Isaiah and Ezra linking the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s words to Cyrus’s decree for a return from exile. When Daniel received this message from Gabriel, Daniel was in “the first year of Darius” (Dan. 9:1), whom we have equated with Cyrus the Persian (cf. comment on 5:31), and thus Daniel received the revelation from Gabriel shortly before the royal decree was given. Daniel would not only see the Babylonian captivity come to an end; he would also live through the inauguration of the “seventy sevens” that led ultimately to a tenfold jubilee when the anointed one would come and put an end to sin. The anointed one is mentioned before the “seven weeks” (v. 25a) and again after the “sixty-two weeks” (v. 26). This suggests that the arrival, and atoning work, of the anointed one was the grand goal of the “seventy sevens,” but he would not come until the sixty-two weeks were complete (cf. v. 26).

If the “seven weeks” (v. 25a) began at the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC, a literal calculation would put their completion around 489. Because no significant biblical or prophetic event occurred in that year, the “seven weeks” were probably not meant as a literal forty-nine years. Rather, we should see the “seven weeks” (or “seven sevens”) as alluding to Leviticus 25:8, where Yahweh told Moses, “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years.” The first “seven weeks” in Daniel 9:25a, therefore, prepared Daniel and the reader for an expectation of jubilee. The “seven sevens,” begun in 538 BC, probably extended through the rebuilding of the temple and the city walls during the ministries of Ezra and Nehemiah. The temple was completed and rededicated in 515, while the city wall was finished in 444.

Referring to Jerusalem, Gabriel told Daniel that “for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.” There is no indication that a gap of time should be inserted between the first seven sevens and the next sixty-two. Since verse 26a says the “anointed one” would come after the sixty-two sevens, clearly the first seven did not culminate with the anointed one’s work.

Relating the sixty-two sevens (v. 25b) to the seven (v. 25a) is not as difficult as may be initially thought. The sevens are consecutive and uninterrupted. The period of sixty-two sevens probably extended from the time of Nehemiah to the time of Jesus (the anointed one). As with the first seven sevens, we should not press the sixty-two sevens with strict literalism with the intent to specify exactly 434 years. It is a round number, symbolic of the time period from Nehemiah to Jesus.

There may be further significance to the “sixty-two sevens” of verse 25b. The only other time the number “sixty-two” appeared in the book of Daniel was in 5:31, where it says Darius conquered Babylon, “being about sixty-two years old.” Strengthening the connection between 9:25b and 5:31 is the fact that the episode of chapter 9 occurred during “the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede” (9:1a), and the only prior occurrence of “Darius the Mede” was in 5:31.

Freedom for Captives

Darius/Cyrus would decree freedom for the captives in Babylon. Cyrus was a type of the Messiah, for the latter would also give freedom to captives—to captives of sin and death, out of the deepest exile by way of a new and greater exodus. The book of Isaiah gave prior biblical precedent for viewing Cyrus typologically: he is God’s anointed shepherd in Isaiah 44:28–45:1. Cyrus would deliver the captive Israelites as their political savior. In the same section of Isaiah foretelling the work of Cyrus (Isaiah 40–55), God promised a spiritual savior, a suffering servant who would take Israel’s iniquities and bear their punishment (Isa. 42:1–9; 49:1–7; 52:13–53:12). The liberation through Cyrus would one day be surpassed by a far greater liberation through the suffering servant, Jesus Christ, whose work of atonement would be an ultimate jubilee. Perhaps, then, the age of Cyrus when he conquered Babylon (“sixty-two”; cf. Dan. 5:31) served as the basis for the symbolic period leading to the antitype of Cyrus, the anointed one who would suffer in the place of sinners and, in doing so, would conquer sin and death through his resurrection.

For “sixty-two weeks” the city of Jerusalem (including its temple) would remain rebuilt “with squares and moat, but in a troubled time” (9:25b). Gabriel’s words probably denote that from Nehemiah to the Messiah, the city would remain standing. The “squares and moat” were mentioned probably to indicate complete restoration. Gabriel did not elaborate on the “troubled time,” but it may refer to the atrocities committed by the Greek Empire under Antiochus IV Epiphanes . 

These verses are best understood in an A-B-A'-B' pattern. They tell about the seventieth week, which received the most attention in Gabriel’s message to Daniel:

A. “And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.” (v. 26a) 
B. “And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.” (v. 26b) 
A'. “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.” (v. 27a) 
B'. “And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (v. 27b)

In this structure, A and A' refer to the same event: the sacrificial work of the anointed one. Sections B and B' each have a single event in mind as well: the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. Below we will contend that the seventy sevens of chapter 9 reach fulfillment in the vicarious death of Jesus Christ and in the destruction of the Jerusalem temple.

Who Is to Come

Gabriel’s next words, “after the sixty-two weeks,” indicate the seventieth week is now in view. He declared that “an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.” This “anointed one” is the prophesied Messiah, a figure fulfilled by Jesus, the “Christ” (i.e., the anointed one; cf. Luke 2:11). Some interpreters have suggested that the “prince who is to come” (Dan. 9:26b) is the future Antichrist.1 There could be no greater contrast between potential referents! We should opt for understanding both figures as “Christ,” however, making the “anointed one” and “prince” identical. First, when Gabriel mentioned “anointing” two verses earlier, it was in relation to a most holy person who would end sin and make atonement (v. 24), and the apposition “a prince” after “an anointed one” in verse 25 suggests we should equate the titles. Second, it is unlikely that the “prince” of verse 25 and the “prince” of verse 26 refer to different people. More naturally, the reader should understand “prince” to have the same referent in verses 25 and 26: he is the Messiah, not the Antichrist. Third, no time gap is specified before the seventieth week, yet many Antichrist views require a gap of thousands of years. Such a passing of time has no textual warrant in Daniel 9. Just as we should not project a time gap between the seven sevens and the sixty-nine sevens, so we should not project a gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth sevens.

The prediction that this anointed one would be “cut off and shall have nothing” was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross. He was taken outside the city gate and crucified, abandoned by his disciples and forsaken by the Father (Matt. 26:31; 27:60; Heb. 13:12–13). The seventieth week of Daniel, then, included the redemptive work of Jesus. Given the six remarkable goals of Daniel 9:24, this “cutting off” of the anointed one would be the means of finishing transgression, ending sin, atoning for iniquity, ushering in everlasting righteousness, confirming the prophetic vision, and anointing a most holy person.

A prophecy concerning Jerusalem’s city and temple came next: “The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.” As we have seen, the “prince who is to come” is the same “prince” (or “anointed one”) as in verse 25: the Messiah, Jesus. This means “the people of the prince” were the Jews. The prophecy may seem outrageous, then, when it says the Jews will destroy Jerusalem and the temple! After the redemptive work of Jesus, the temple was destroyed in AD 70, and the Jews had a role in it. The Romans, led by Titus, were involved in the destruction, but the transgression of the Jews—particularly their rejection of the Messiah—led to the Messiah’s judgment on their temple and city, just as they were complicit when the first temple was destroyed in Daniel’s own day. The account of this event given by Josephus, in The Wars of the Jews, “is adequate historical proof that the destruction of Jerusalem was entirely the fault of the Jewish people, just as Dan 9:26b predicts.”2

Jesus prophesied the temple’s destruction (Matt. 24:1–2), and said that his contemporary generation would not pass away before it happened (v. 34). Jerusalem would be surrounded by armies, which meant “its desolation has come near” (Luke 21:20). Gabriel’s words were fulfilled in AD 70: the sanctuary’s end came like a flood, with war to the end, for God had decreed its desolation. The imagery “with a flood” pictures the total destruction of the Romans’ victory over Jerusalem.

Having looked at the A and B sections of Daniel 9:26, we will now see how Gabriel’s words take us through the same events again, first the redemptive work of the Messiah and then the judgment on Jerusalem and the temple (A' and B', respectively).3

Speaking of the anointed one, the prince who would come, Gabriel declared, “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.” The “one week” in view is the seventieth seven. Gabriel was referring to the Messiah’s redemptive work as taking place in the climactic period of the “seventy sevens.” Gabriel’s words did not predict a temporary covenant. In conjunction with prophecies in Isaiah and Jeremiah, this “strong covenant” was probably the new covenant (cf. Isa. 53:10–12; Jer. 31:31–34). The book of Hebrews explains that the anointed one’s vicarious offering has put an end to the sacrificial system (Heb. 9:11–10:25).

The Messiah would make this covenant with “many” (Dan. 9:27; cf. Isa. 53:11– 12), which seems to denote not universality but diversity:4the new covenant would include Jewish and Gentile believers. Jesus alluded to Daniel 9:27 and Isaiah 53 when he said of the cup at the last supper, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:27–28). The Son of Man “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

Gabriel prophesied that “for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering.” This specification meant the seventieth week would involve more than just the Messiah’s work of redemption. As Daniel 9:27b prophesies, the seventieth week would also involve the Messiah’s work of judgment on Jerusalem. The seventieth seven, then, is divided in half, with the first three and a half years referring to the work of redemption. Just as the seventieth week in verse 26 consisted of the anointed one being cut off (v. 26a) and the city and sanctuary being destroyed (v. 26b), so verse 27 recapitulates these two ideas and divides the seventieth week in half.

Likely the second three and a half years is reflected implicitly in the language of verse 27b: “On the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”5 A desolator would cause abominations until his own destruction occurred. “Wing” may mean “extremity,” and thus extreme abominations would be in view (cf. 11:31; 12:11), brought about by a swiftly attacking army. Jesus referred to “the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel” (Matt. 24:15), and surely Jesus had in mind Daniel 9:26–27. Significant for interpreting 9:26–27 is Matthew’s observation that Jesus was addressing the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Matt. 24:15). In Luke 21:20 Jesus referred to Jerusalem’s approaching “desolation” by the (Roman) armies. The “desolator” was probably a corporate way of depicting the Roman legions, or perhaps Titus (the Roman general) himself fulfilled this role. Jesus prophesied that such days would be “days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. . . . For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:22–24). Jesus also specified the time frame: “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place” (Luke 21:32). In AD 70 the temple was destroyed. The seventieth seven—a period encompassing the work of redemption for the many, as well as the work of judgment against Jerusalem and the temple—had reached completion.

Peter Gentry provides a perfect summary:

The vision of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, then, can be explained simply. It refers to a period of seventy sabbaticals or periods of seven years required to bring in the ultimate jubilee: release from sin, the establishment of everlasting righteousness and consecration of the temple. During the first seven sabbaticals the city of Jerusalem is restored. Then for sixty-two sabbaticals there is nothing to report. In the climactic seventieth week, Israel’s King arrives and dies vicariously for his people. Strangely, desecration of the temple similar to that by Antiochus Epiphanes in the Greek Empire is perpetrated by the Jewish people themselves, resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem. These events are fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the coming king. His crucifixion is the sacrifice to end all sacrifices and the basis of the New Covenant with the many.

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[b]
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Read the Passage from revelation- (revelation is full of BIZAAR symbolism and allegory and is incredibly CONFUSING- it took me years of intense study to get a grasp and really takes the holy spirit to illuminate its deeper meaning). 

Then  I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.12It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.13It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people,14and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.15And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.16Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.18This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
—Revelation 13:11–18

A Great Beast

John sees a beast rising out of the sea, summoned by the dragon on the seashore (12:17). The sea was a place of chaos, danger, and evil for the Hebrews (cf. comment on 21:1). The vision draws on Daniel 7:3, where Daniel sees “four great beasts . . . out of the sea.” The beasts in Daniel represent great empires, and a great empire — almost certainly Rome — is in John’s mind as well. The kingdom rising out of the sea is not humane, civil, or supportive of its citizens. Instead, it is like a ravaging and ferocious beast, preying on its citizens.

The beast described here is probably the fourth beast seen by Daniel (Dan. 7:7, 19, 23). The beast in Revelation has extraordinary power, for it has ten horns, with ten diadems (Rev. 17:12; cf. Dan. 7:20, 24)—symbols of ruling authority—on its horns. It has seven heads, also signifying its authority and power. The dragon had seven heads and ten horns (Rev. 12:3), and he clearly has given his authority to the beast. The beast with its horns and diadems parodies the Christ (cf. 5:6; 19:12), just as the dragon does. The seven heads bear blasphemous names, which are perhaps Roman claims to deity, such as “Lord,” “son of God,” and “Savior” (cf. also 17:3), revealing again the divine pretensions of the beast. The beast is not confined to the Roman Empire; it refers to Rome but applies also to every manifestation of evil in all governments throughout history, and also to the final conflict to come at the end.