In his reference to Daniel in verse 14, Jesus was probably
referring to one or all of these three sections of that book:
Daniel 9:27 He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the middle of the week
he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the wing of
abominations shall come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and
that determined, shall wrath be poured out on the desolate.
Some people get the idea of a seven-year tribulation, with a
rapture at the halfway point, from this verse. (They take a week, seven days,
as standing for a seven year period.) If that idea is correct, it would seem to
be a second meaning, with the first one being the destruction of the temple,
referred to by Christ (see above). It would also mean that a day is a symbol
for a year. Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Daniel 11:16 But he who comes against him shall do according
to his own will, and no one shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the
glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction. 17 He shall set his face
to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable
conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give him the daughter of
women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither be for him. 18 After
this shall he turn his face to the islands, and shall take many: but a prince
shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; yes, moreover, he shall cause
his reproach to turn on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the
fortresses of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be
found. 20 Then shall stand up in his place one who shall cause a tax collector
to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory; but within few days he shall
be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. 21 In his place shall stand up a
contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom: but
he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
22 The overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be
broken; yes, also the prince of the covenant. 23 After the treaty made with him
he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with
a small people. 24 In time of security shall he come even on the fattest places
of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his
fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and plunder, and substance:
yes, he shall devise his devices against the strongholds, even for a time. 25
He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a
great army; and the king of the south shall war in battle with an exceeding great
and mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall devise devices against
him. 26 Yes, they who eat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall
overflow; and many shall fall down slain. 27 As for both these kings, their
hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table: but it
shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. 28 Then he
will return into his land with great substance; and his heart will be against
the holy covenant; and he will take action, and return to his own land. 29 At
the time appointed he shall return, and come into the south; but it shall not
be in the latter time as it was in the former. 30 For ships of Kittim shall
come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and shall return, and have
indignation against the holy covenant, and shall take action: he shall even
return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces shall stand on his part, and they
shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the
continual burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that makes
desolate. 32 Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by
flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and take action.
33 Those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall
by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days. 34 Now when
they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall join
themselves to them with flatteries. 35 Some of those who are wise shall fall,
to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the
end; because it is yet for the time appointed. 36 The king shall do according
to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god,
and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper
until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be
done. 37 Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women,
nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his place
shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers didn’t know
shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant
things. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign
god: whoever acknowledges him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause
them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price. 40 At the time
of the end shall the king of the south contend with him; and the king of the
north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with
horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall
overflow and pass through. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and
many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his
hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall
stretch out his hand also on the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not
escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver,
and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians
shall be at his steps. 44 But news out of the east and out of the north shall
trouble him; and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to
sweep away many. 45 He shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and
the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one shall help
him.
This may be about the end times, but that’s not the mostly
likely meaning, since Jesus seems to have referred to this passage in relation
to the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century A. D. The original meaning
of Daniel was also probably as a prophecy of the destruction of the temple
before the time of Christ. (See the Wikipedia article
on Antiochus Epiphanes.) It is possible that God intended these prophecies to
be about both the destruction of Jerusalem and the end times. The prophecies
about Christ’s early life, discussed above, all seem to have had at least two
meanings.
There’s also this passage:
Daniel 12:7 I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above
the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to
heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they
have finished breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things
shall be finished. 8 I heard, but I didn’t understand: then I said, my lord,
what shall be the issue of these things? 9
He said, Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time
of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be
refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall
understand; but those who are wise shall understand. 11 From the time that the
continual burnt offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes
desolate set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred ninety days. 12
Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred
thirty-five days. 13 But go you your way until the end; for you shall rest,
and shall stand in your lot, at the end of the days.
These writings of Daniel, and the statements by Jesus in
Matthew, are apocalyptic. Perhaps they are prophetic, also. We should always be
careful in interpreting these kinds of Biblical literature.
The above is an excerpt from my recently self-published e-book, Does the Bible Really Say That?, which may be obtained free of charge, or purchased from Amazon for $0.99, which is the lowest price Amazon lets an author set. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain.
The previous post in this series is here. God willing, the next post in this series will continue a discussion of this topic, prophecy. Thanks for reading.
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