October 31, 2023

There are other passages of scripture, besides the Book of Revelation, that are prophetic. They need to be considered. The focus of this article will be the Book of Daniel and the visions and dreams God gave him. This book provides the basis for many of our contemporary explanations of the future. Those who believe in a pretribulation rapture and seven years of tribulation find support for those positions in this book. Moreover, this book does contain remarkable prophetic fulfillments.

Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream, Chapter 2

The King had a dream and was troubled by it. He demanded that his magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers reveal not only the dream itself but also its interpretation. That was a tall order, and only the one true God could reveal this dream. If they failed the king, they would be killed, including Daniel and his friends. Daniel intercedes on their behalf. Daniel needed time to seek God, who “removeth kings, and setteth up kings”. Daniel 1:21. God is active and sovereign over the kings and kingdoms of the earth. This truth is throughout the Old Testament.

Daniel told the King of Babylon that only God could give the dream and its interpretation; no man could do it. Daniel said to the king that he saw a “great image, whose brightness was excellent.”

The Great Image was described as follows:

• Head was of fine gold
• His breast and his arms of silver
• His belly and his thighs of brass
• His legs of iron,
• His feet are part of iron and part of clay.

Daniel also told the king that a stone was cut out, without hands, which smote the image on its feet and broke them into pieces, v. 34. Then the rest of the great image, including the head, belly and thighs, breast and arms, and legs, were also broken into pieces and scattered by the wind. All this was done by the stone that was cut out without hands. This stone, that smashed the image, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth, v. 35.

Daniel then told the king God’s interpretation of his dream.

• The king, Nebuchadnezzar (605 B.C. – 562 B.C.), is the head of gold, v. 38. This is the first kingdom.
• The silver is another kingdom, after Nebuchadnezzar, but lesser or inferior to the king’s. This is the second kingdom.
• Then another kingdom, the third kingdom, of brass, which will rule over the earth.
• Then the fourth kingdom will be strong like iron.
• Moreover, this fourth kingdom shall be divided and shall be partly strong and partly broken, iron and part clay.
• In the days of these four kings, “shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed,” v. 44.
• And this kingdom shall break into pieces all these other kingdoms. This is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands (v. 45). This must be a reference to Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

What are these kingdoms? Many theologians and Christians hold the following beliefs.

• The first king is Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire, which stood for 68 years. It fell to the second kingdom.
• The second kingdom is the Media-Persia Empire, which stood for 208 years. It fell to the third kingdom.
• The third kingdom is the Grecian Empire, which stood for 185 years. It fell to the fourth kingdom.
• The fourth kingdom is the Roman Empire, which stood for about 500 years.

Comments

The Bible does not tell us directly which kingdoms are being discussed after the Babylonian Empire. History seems to tell us the story. Some modern scholars believe that Daniel is talking about different kingdoms than those mentioned. They may separate the Medes and the Persian Empires into two kingdoms, and add the Seleucid Empire of Syria and the Ptolemaic Empire of Egypt.

ChatGPT. Early Church Fathers and Greek Orthodox Interpretation

This summary outlines how the early Church Fathers and the Greek/Eastern Orthodox Church interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2. The vision is one of the central prophecies in the Old Testament, depicting successive earthly kingdoms and the ultimate triumph of God’s eternal kingdom.

Early Church Fathers’ Interpretation

The early Fathers, both Latin and Greek, generally agreed that the four metals represented four successive world empires that would rise and fall before the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom. Their consensus was as follows:

• Head of Gold – Babylonian Empire (Nebuchadnezzar)
• Chest and Arms of Silver – Medo-Persian Empire
• Belly and Thighs of Bronze – Greek (Macedonian) Empire
• Legs and Feet of Iron and Clay – Roman Empire and its divisions

The stone ‘cut without hands’ symbolized Christ and His everlasting kingdom. Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and Eusebius all saw in this vision the rise and fall of human empires culminating in the reign of Christ. Jerome, writing later, interpreted the stone as a symbol of the Incarnation of Christ and the growth of His Church throughout the world.

Greek / Eastern Orthodox Interpretation

The Eastern Orthodox Church has preserved this same basic framework but reads Daniel 2 primarily as a theological statement about divine sovereignty rather than a detailed historical timeline. Orthodox commentators affirm that the four kingdoms are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Still, they emphasize the spiritual message: all human power is temporary, while God’s kingdom alone endures forever.

The stone cut without hands represents Christ the Word—the divine Kingdom not made by human effort. The mixture of iron and clay in the statue’s feet is interpreted spiritually as the weakness and instability of worldly rule, and sometimes as the moral division of humanity apart from God.

Summary Comparison

• Early Church Fathers – Emphasized the sequence of empires (Babylon to Rome) and viewed the stone as Christ’s Incarnation and Kingdom, replacing all others.
• Greek Orthodox Tradition – Accepted the same four-kingdom structure but focused more on God’s sovereignty, the fall of human pride, and the eternal reign of Christ.
• Both – Saw the prophecy fulfilled ultimately in the coming of Christ and the establishment of His eternal, unshakable Kingdom.

Conclusion

Both the early Church Fathers and the Greek Orthodox Church interpret Daniel 2 as a revelation of God’s plan for history: earthly empires rise and fall, but the Kingdom of God, established by Christ, the stone cut without hands, will endure forever. The Orthodox view places less emphasis on predicting end-time political events and more on proclaiming the sovereignty of God and the eternal victory of Christ’s Kingdom, according to ChatGPT.

               At this point, it seems reasonable to me that the four kingdoms above are being addressed in this prophecy by Daniel. History verifies the accuracy of these prophetic statements.

Daniel Chapter 4

We now come to the second dream of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel Chapter 4. This time, the King actually speaks about the dream that he had. However, his magicians were unable to interpret the dream. That is where Daniel returns.

A great tree

The king saw a great tree that provided much for all who found shelter and food beneath it. The king also saw, in his dream, that watchers from heaven came down with orders to cut the tree down, but leave a stump. The message also contained the order that the king would become like a beast and eat the grass of the earth until 7 times pass over him (probably 7 years; later in this book, a time is defined as a year).

The purpose of this dream is to remind everyone, and especially the king of Babylon, that the one true God, “ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth up over it the basest of men”, Daniel 4:17. As a side note, think of all the base men (morally low and without estimable personal qualities) who are or have been leaders of nations and our nation in particular. That subject will need to wait for another time.

Daniel told the king that the dream was about himself. He is the great tree. However, the king will become like a beast of the field until he understands that God “ruleth in the kingdom of men”. About a year later, the King’s heart was lifted up in pride about all that he had accomplished “by his might and power”. At that moment, a voice from heaven told him that “thy kingdom is departed from thee,” verse 31. Eventually, the king came to his senses, his reason returned, and he was restored to his kingdom (the stump was left intact, and the proud God can be abased, verse 37).

In the first dream, the King of Babylon was described as the head of gold on the Great Image he saw. Other kingdoms were also mentioned that came after the Babylonian kingdom. In this second vision, which pertained only to the King of Babylon, the Great Tree is the King of Babylon. No other kingdoms are mentioned at all.

Daniel Chapter 7

This is a dream given to Daniel in the first year (around 530 B. C.) of the reign of the new King of Babylon, Belshazzar. He was also the last King of Babylon, before it fell. This is what Daniel, not the king, saw in his dream.

Four Great Beasts  

The four great beasts are identified as four kings and kingdoms in v. 17. At the outset, it seems clear that Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 refer to the same four kings and four kingdoms, even though the descriptions differ. Daniel 2 compares these four kings to precious metals. Daniel 7 compares these kings to beasts.

First beast, first king, first kingdom   

• Daniel 2. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, is the head of gold. This is the first kingdom.
• Daniel 7. The first beast is like a lion and has wings like an eagle. The wings were plucked off. It was lifted off the earth and made to stand upright like a man. A man’s heart was given to it. Recall that King Nebuchadnezzar was given the heart of the beast and ate grass for seven periods of time (a time equals one year). Like a man, this is an image of a man with 10 toes. The number 10 is essential.

Second beast, second king, second kingdom

• Daniel 2. The silver is another kingdom, after Nebuchadnezzar, but lesser or inferior to the first King’s kingdom. It is the Medes and the Persians. This is the second kingdom.
• Daniel 7. The second beast is like a bear, and it raised itself on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth, and they said to the bear, Arise and devour much flesh, v.7:3. The three ribs are said to be three great victories by the Medo-Persian Empire. Those great victories are of Babylon, Lydia, and Greece.

Third beast, third king, third kingdom

• Daniel 2. Then another kingdom, the third kingdom, of brass, which will rule over the earth. This is Greece.
• Daniel 7. The third beast is like a leopard, with four wings on its back and four heads, and dominion was given to it. Alexander the Great had four generals, and each received part of the empire after he died at a young age.  This king died young but accomplished much in a short time. These were rapid conquests like a winged leopard.

Fourth beast, fourth king, fourth kingdom

• Daniel 2. Then the fourth kingdom will be strong like iron. This is the Roman Empire.
• Daniel 7. The fourth beast, Rome, dreadful and terrible and powerful, which had iron teeth. This beast devoured, broke into pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from the other beasts, which were recognizable beasts of the earth (a lion with eagle’s wings, a bear with three ribs in its mouth, a leopard with four wings and four heads). This fourth beast had 10 horns, like the 10 toes of the image in Daniel chapter 2. The Roman Empire was the strongest and longest-lasting empire.

But what about the 10 horns? Horns are seats of power, including military, political, and economic power.

The fourth beast (not like a bear, leopard, or lion) has 10 horns, and the little horn comes into the forefront of Daniel’s consideration.

• Daniel 7:24 states that these 10 horns are 10 kingdoms, which come out of this fourth kingdom or fourth beast. The Roman Empire encompassed 10 kingdoms.
• As Daniel considered the 10 horns, another horn came up among them, a little horn. This little horn will subdue three kings and kingdoms (v. 24).
• Before the little horn, 3 of the 10 horns were torn up by the roots.
• The little horn had eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things, v. 8. These are pompous words and boastful rhetoric or language.
• Daniel 7:9-10. Daniel watched until the “Ancient of days did sit…..the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”
• “I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn (little horn) spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame,” Daniel 7:11, emphasis added.
• The rest of the beasts had their dominion taken away but were allowed to live for a season and time, v. 12.
• Daniel saw in his vision one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He went to the Ancient of Days. To Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him. His kingdom is an everlasting one that will not be destroyed. This is the Kingdom of God and of Jesus Christ. Daniel 7:13, 14.
• V 21 states that this little horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them “until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom”, Daniel 7:22.
• V 25, the little horn, “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time (one year), and times (two years) and the dividing of time (one half a year), emphasis added.” (3.5 years)
• “But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him,” Daniel 7:26-28.

Daniel 2 discussed the stone, not hewn by human hands, that would prevail over all other kingdoms and destroy them. This new king and his kingdom shall never be destroyed (Jesus Christ).

• Daniel 2. In the days of these four kings, “shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.” V. 44.
• Daniel 2. And this kingdom shall break into pieces all these other kingdoms. This is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands (Daniel 2:45). This must be a reference to Jesus Christ, the Son of man.

Comments about the little horn of the fourth beast. Many say this is the antichrist. Is it?

          Many refer to the Antichrist as this “little horn.” But that is not the title that this book gives it. This book refers to this entity as the ‘little horn’, not ‘The Antichrist’.

The Antichrist is defined for us in the New Testament. To the best of my knowledge, the following verses are the only instances in Scripture where the word ‘antichrist’ is used. In 1 John 2:18, the author refers to “…you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time.” The author also says this, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son,” 1 John 2:22. Finally, in 2 John, verse 7, it is written, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is the deceiver and an antichrist.”

Given these verses of scripture, we note that there are many antichrists, not just one. An antichrist denies that Jesus is the Christ and that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and blood. At this point, I am unsure whether Antichrist is the same as the little horn. Hopefully, by the time I am done, I will have a better understanding of the little horn and whether there is a person called ‘The Antichrist,’ as most dispensationalists believe.

          Is the little horn a person, a system, or a title? Some say it is a political and or economic empire. Others say the little horn is a world leader. Is it both? This little horn comes directly after and out of the fourth beast, the Roman Empire. It is believed that the ten horns are 10 divisions of the Roman Empire as it broke apart. The little horn brought down three (3) of these 10 Roman empires. This is the list I found:

Visigoths = Spain

Anglo-Saxtons = England

Franks = French

Alemani = Germany

Burgundians = Switzerland

Lombards = Italy

Suevi = Portugal

Heruli = this nation was destroyed

Ostrogoths = this nation was destroyed

Vandals = this nation was destroyed

What does the Bible tell us about the little horn of the fourth beast?

• Daniel 7:8, 20. The little horn came up from among them, the other horns on the head of this fourth beast. These horns are supposedly the kingdoms of Western Europe listed above. The little horn is a little kingdom in this area. The little horn plucked up by the roots three other horns or kingdoms (see the names listed above). A king or a leader will speak for this kingdom.
• This fourth beast, with 10 horns, is the Roman Empire, and the horns and the little horn come from this pagan beast.
• The little horn “had the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things” or “very great things” as it is written in verse 20, which adds, “whose look was more stout than this fellow.”

Revelation 13:4-7 states the following, “And they worshipped the dragon (Satan) which gave power unto the beast (little horn?); and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him, over all kindreds, and tongues and nations,” emphasis added. Note the similarity of this verse in the Book of Revelation with Daniel chapter 7 and its description of this beast (little horn on the head of the fourth beast in Daniel 7). Similarities are:

• Daniel 7:21, 25. “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them.” The next verse says until the Ancient of Days came.
• Daniel 7:25. “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time, times and the dividing of time”, 3.5 years.
• Daniel 7:26. The little horn shall be judged and destroyed. His dominion will be taken away.

Summary of the characteristics of the little horn is:

1. The little horn is proud, arrogant, and boastful
2. The little horn blasphemes God and holy things. Blasphemy is to claim the attributes of God, claim to be God, and claim to forgive sins.
3. The little horn makes war with the saints (believers) and prevails
4. The little horn will change the times and laws of God
5. The little horn has power over all people and nations.

See Appendix 3 for more details on how Jewish, early church fathers, and the Eastern Orthodox Church interpreted this passage.

A gap of time, and the little horn appears again.

After these changes to Imperial Rome, some interpreters believe that this vision of Daniel has a gap in it that extends to the end of times. They think it refers to the little horn beast (also known as the antichrist) in the final days preceding the return of Christ.

Revelation 13:5 talks about the beast that was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words for 42 months or 3.5 years (30 days per month * 42 = 1,260 days). This little horn beast waged war on the saints and conquered them.

Many Christians believe that these are not the church-age saints but the Great Tribulation believers (saints). These are the saints, they believe Daniel is talking about. At the mid-point of the tribulation period, the beast makes war on the tribulation believers, so some of them say.

They believe that ‘The Antichrist’ will agree with the Jews to rebuild the temple and put his own image in the temple and require that all worship him. Tribulations saints will not bow, and the antichrist will conquer these saints for 42 months (3.5 years), and then Jesus returns. This is what some believers today think this means.

Revelation 19:20. The beast was captured, and with it the false prophet. The false prophet did signs, which deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped the image of the beast. These two were slain and thrown alive into the lake of fire.

Let us keep in mind that the prophet Daniel (c. 457-362 BC) received a vision of four kingdoms before the first coming of Christ, culminating in the Roman Empire. What does this have to do with the end of days and the antichrist? Daniel’s dream is about the end of the Roman Empire in the 5^th century. What is the connection to today or the future?

Answer. The fourth beast represents the Roman Empire from 32 B.C. to A.D. 476, when it came to an end. (Rome’s first emperor started in 31 B.C.) Others say the Roman civilization lasted 1,000 years from 753 B.C. to 476 A.D. Both consider the end of the Roman Empire to be 476 A.D.

Many believers see the Roman Empire as a figure or type of a world power that rises in the last days. In Daniel 7, it is a type of the antichrist’s kingdom in the last days. They believe this prophecy has a near-term or immediate fulfillment and a latter-day fulfillment yet to begin. This is the gap. This little horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them. The little horn was given power over the world and the saints (Revelation 13:5-7).

Some Christians believe the mark of the beast occurs at the midpoint of the 7-year Great Tribulation. This prophecy in Daniel is a dress rehearsal for these last days, so they say.

A different view of the little horn of the fourth beast

There are serious doctrinal errors, I think, in the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA). Why bother looking at what they teach? There are also serious errors in most Baptist and Protestant, charismatic and dispensational churches, so why bother looking into what they think? Despite these errors, their teachings are widely accepted, and many Christians adhere to them. That is why they need to be taken into consideration.

One reason why I want to consider the views of the SDA church is its understanding of the Roman Catholic Church. I do not believe that most Christian leaders today understand the Roman Catholic Church and its pagan nature. Most Catholics do not understand their own church and what it actually teaches. Probably the vast majority of Christians believe the Roman Catholic Church is just another Christian denomination. That is a grave error, in my humble opinion.

At this point in my study, I believe the best answer for who the little horn of the fourth beast is directs us to the Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. I know that many others think much differently than I do. I may change my mind as I continue this analysis.

In addition, I believe, along with some others, that the Roman Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon spoken of in the Book of Revelation. I may change my mind if I learn something else while writing these articles in the last days. However, for now, nothing I have read or learned has convinced me that the Roman Catholic Church is not a central figure in the end times. That said, all this can be true about the Roman Catholic church, and the Roman Church may not be referred to in the Book of Revelation or any prophetic pronouncement at all. We may all be wrong in our understanding.

More on the antichrist. How is it to be understood?

Three passages in the Bible that mention the antichrist are: 1 John 2:18, 1 John 4:1-6, and 2 John 7. Other passages or descriptions that refer to such a figure as the antichrist are “the abomination of desolation” in the books of Daniel and Matthew; the “man of lawlessness” and “the son of perdition” in a letter of Paul. The book of Revelation describes a figure: “the beast from the earth and the beast from the sea, whose number is 666.” Over the last 2,000 years, various views about the antichrist have been part of the Christian Church; see the website, theconversation.com.

1. The first view is that the antichrist is the son of Satan, just like Jesus Christ is the son of God. Jesus was born of a pure virgin, while the son of Satan will be born of a whore.
2. The second view is that the antichrist will be an earthly tyrant and trickster. A monk named Adso of Montier-en-Der (c. 920 AD) wrote an article on the subject, addressing the first two ideas about the Antichrist. According to him, the Antichrist would be a Jew from the tribe of Dan, born in Babylon. Being a Babylonian, he would be brought up in all forms of wickedness by magicians, wizards, and sorcerers. Jews in Jerusalem would accept him and kill Christians who refused to take him. He would then rule the world for 7 years before being defeated by the angel Gabriel, Christ, and the army of heaven. Then comes the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment.
3. The third view is that the pope or the papacy is the antichrist. He is no longer a tyrant outside the Christian Church; he is within the church. A deceiver within the church. John Wycliffe (1329-84) believed this was true of the papacy. Martin Luther thought it, and many others believed it until recently. We are told that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. That suggests that Satan will come from inside the nominal Christian church.
4. The fourth view is that the antichrist is one of many, a generic type figure. It might be an individual, a movement, a church, a political system, or a world leader and tyrant. This is a tyrant outside the church. American presidents have been portrayed as the antichrist, including Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama. Donald Trump is also mentioned as a potential. Hillary Clinton may be the only female candidate. Then there is Osama bin Laden. Name your well-known villain, and someone has probably suggested them as the antichrist.

There are numerous views and ideas about the Antichrist and antichrists. That is important to remember. I quoted those few verses of scripture that pertain to this subject.

          The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes that the Roman Catholic Church is the little horn of the fourth beast in Daniel 7, often referred to today as the antichrist. The little horn emerged from the Roman Empire and exercised world power and control for many centuries, from Constantine in 313 A.D. until the French Revolution in 1798. The pope and the Roman Catholic Church have, in fact, changed times and laws, as Daniel predicted. 

Does the Roman Catholic Church exhibit the characteristics of the little horn?

I repeat the summary of the characteristics of the little horn:

• The little horn is proud, arrogant, and boastful.
• The little horn blasphemes God and holy things. Blasphemy is to claim the attributes of God, claim to be God, and claim to forgive sins.
• The little horn makes war with the saints (believers) and prevails.
• The little horn will change the times and laws of God.
• The little horn has power over all people and nations.

You decide for yourself whether the Roman Catholic Church exhibits these characteristics. The Roman Catholic Church has asserted that it alone has the power to set aside even Christ’s commandments. The pope and the church are the final authority, not the Bible or the God of the Bible. The Roman Church has elevated its own traditions above the law and the word of God.

The Roman Catholic Church claims to have the authority to forgive sins. But the Bible declares that only God can forgive sins and that it is blasphemy to take this authority to anyone else. The Roman Catholic Church says that they (not God) determine who goes to heaven and who doesn’t. The Roman Church blasphemes the name of God daily when it claims they have God’s power and His nature. The Catholic Church believes they are the final authority for all nations. SDA leaders believe that during the last days, the Roman Catholic Church will be in total control as it once was.

The Roman Catholic Church has made war against the saints from almost the beginning of the Church age. The Roman Catholic Church has tortured and murdered 50 million plus real Christians, according to a couple of authors I have read. No other religious entity has directly killed more Christians than the Roman Catholic Church, with the only possible exception being the religion of Islam. But what if the mother of harlots, the Roman Catholic Church, helped create the religion of Islam, as some believe? After all, doesn’t the pope believe that Allah and Jehovah are the same God? Doesn’t the pope believe Christians and Muslims serve the same god? He does.

And then there is the role of the Catholic Church in the creation or spread of communism, Nazism, and other forms of government that shed the blood of many millions of souls, including Christians. And what about the Catholic Church’s role in starting or aiding in numerous wars over the years? Daniel states that the little horn of the fourth beast (antichrist?) will make war against the saints of God and prevail. The SDA church believes that this war against the saints of God is not limited to 3.5 years of the tribulation period, but spans the last 1,500 years of history. And the facts support the Roman Catholic war on the saints over a very long period of time.

What does the 3.5 years or 1,260 days represent?   

According to the SDA church, the following is true. Ezekiel 4:6 states, “I have given you a day for a year.” 3.5 years or 42 months (42 * 30 days in a month) = 1,260 days/years. This day-for-a-year principle may or may not be true in the Book of Daniel. The SDA church believes it applies to the prophecy of Daniel. Many Christians believe this 3.5 years (or 1,260 days) applies to the first half of the 7-year Great Tribulation period. However, the SDA church believes it doesn’t, but it represents 1,260 years, not 1,260 days. This is how it is explained according to the SDA church.

“Vigilius….ascended the papal chair in 538 A.D. under the military protection of Belisarius”, History of the Christian Church, vol. 3, p. 327. In 1798, a significant shift occurred for the Roman Catholic Church and Europe. Starting with the year 538 and adding 1,260 years brings us to 1798. More on this later. (Remember the timeline in the first article, Part One, for Revelation chapters 1, 2, and 3.)

“The legally recognized supremacy of the pope began in 538 A.D., when it went into effect based on a decree of Emperor Justinian. This decree made the bishop of Rome head over all the Christian churches, and the definer of all doctrine and the corrector of heretics”. FYI, the correction of heretics included torture and death for the noncompliant.

Labanca, professor of history at the University of Rome, says, “to the succession of the Caesars came the succession of the Pontiffs in Rome. When Constantine left Rome, he gave his seat to the Pontiff.” This professor believed that Constantine gave his authority to the Pope. This was a marriage of the state and church, which would darken many nations for centuries. The Roman church made war against the saints for many years once it assumed this power.

History identifies this power. “The transfer of the emperor’s residence to Constantinople was a sad blow to the prestige of Rome, and at the time, one might have predicted her speedy decline. But the Development of the Church, and the growing authority of the Bishop of Rome, or the pope, gave her a new lease on life, and made her again the capital – this time the religious capital- of the civilized world.” Abbot’s Roman History, p. 236.

“And it was given unto him (the beast or, as some affirm, the antichrist) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all the kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” Revelation 13:7. As mentioned already, during these 1,260 years, the Roman Catholic Church has made war against the saints of God. Unlike other Christians, the SDA church does not view this as a 3.5-year portion of the 7-year Great Tribulation.

“The popes filled the place of the vacant Emperors at Rome, inheriting their power, prestige, and titles from paganism. Constantine left all to the Bishop of Rome…the Papacy is but the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire sitting crowned upon its grave.” Stanley’s History, p. 40. The Church of Rome even uses the title of Pontifex Maximus (supreme pontiff), which it got from the Roman Emperor. This was a title for Caesar, Constantine, and others. Its origin is pagan.

“The church (Roman Catholic Church) may by divine right confiscate the property of heretics, imprison their persons, and condemn them to the flames. In our age, the right to inflict he severest penalties… even death belongs to the church. There is no graver offense than heresy; therefore, it must be rooted out.” Take from Public Ecclesiastical. This quote expresses the view of the Roman Catholic Church. Think back to the characteristics of the little horn, or what some call the antichrist. Is this statement not precisely what one would expect from the antichrist or a little horn described in Daniel 7?

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death: and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast.” Rev. 13:3. The wound seemed to be unto death, but was not; it just appeared to be unto death. Many Christians believe this is a reference to the false prophet, but the SDA church thinks this applies to the Roman Catholic Church, which is the counterfeit of true Christianity. It pretends to be able to forgive sins, pretends to sacrifice Christ in the mass, and seems to be or pretends that the Roman Catholic Church and its pope, bishops, and priests are in fact the mediators between God and man. This Roman Church declares that it opens the door to heaven or hell.

As mentioned, the period from 538 AD to 1798 AD is 1260 years. “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death.” Rev 13:3. The Roman Catholic Church seems to receive a mortal wound in 1798. Rome, the beast, appears dead but was not. “In 1798 he (Berthier)… made his entrance into Rome, abolished the Papal Government and established a secular one.” (Taken from a video from Amazing Discoveries, America and the End Times. The quote is from the Encyclopedia Americana, 1941 edition).

In 1798, the Catholic Church in Rome lost political power, but not its religious power. In the end times, this political power will be revived under the rule of Satan, known as the dragon. It seemed like a mortal wound in 1798, but it was not. This is how the SDA church explains the 42 months (1260 days are 1260 years) and the fatal wound of the antichrist (the little horn).

“In 1798, he (Berthier) entered Rome on the tenth of February, and proclaimed a republic fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel, to the letter. Half of Europe thought Napoleon’s veto would be obeyed. With that, the Pope and the papacy were dead.” (The Modern Papacy, Rev. Joseph Rickaby, p. 1.) The murder of a Frenchman in Rome in 1798 gave the French an excuse for occupying the Eternal City (Rome) and putting an end to Papal temporal power.” (From Church History, p. 24).

“The aged Pontiff himself was carried off into exile to Valence… the enemies of the Church rejoiced. The last Pope, they declared, had resigned.” The Roman Catholic Church and the French made peace after that. The apparent fatal head wound was healed, according to the SDA church.

Not everyone will follow the Roman Catholic Church in the last days, or will they? Rev. 13:3. Yes, they will, according to the SDA church. Rome will be that universal religious power over the conscience of the world at some future date. Roman Catholicism, by nature, is syncretic, combining Christian and pagan religious ideas, and has been so for many centuries, ever since the reign of Constantine.

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the Beast? Who is able to make war with him? And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13:4-8.

The teacher on this SDA video quotes Romans 16:6. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness.” If we obey anyone other than the Spirit of God, we are servants of that church, person, or entity. He is correct.

Do the Pope and the Catholic Church blaspheme God?

In Daniel 7:25, what does it mean to speak blasphemy? There are two definitions of blasphemy in the Bible. One is in John when they accused Jesus of claiming to be God in the flesh. That is blasphemy. Assuming any nature, right, or power that belongs to God alone is blasphemy.

“The pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God,” Ferraris’ Ecclesiastical Dictionary. This is what the popes believe: they are God and stand in God’s place on this earth. This is some of the blasphemy of the Roman Catholic Church.

The second definition of blasphemy is from Luke 5:21. “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” As mentioned, the Roman Catholic priests claim the right to forgive sins. That is why the Roman Catholic Church has a great emphasis on the confessional. This is blasphemy. Both Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 address the great words and blasphemies spoken by the little horn of the fourth beast.

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. Yet the pope and his priests become the mediator, along with Mary, in direct contradiction to the Word of God. That is no problem for the Pope, because he assumes he can correct or change the Word of God at will.

“The poor sinner kneels at his confessor’s feet. He knows he is not speaking to an ordinary man but to another Christ…He hears the words: I absolve thy sins… and the hideous load of sins drops from his soul forever.” William Doyle, “Shall I be a priest?” p. 14, 15. In this Roman Catholic quote, we read about both definitions of blasphemy simultaneously. Jesus said that after Him, many Christs would come in His name, claiming to be Christ. He told us not to believe them or follow them.

Daniel 7 tells us that the small horn on the fourth beast shall change times and laws. The Roman Church, through the Pope and its traditions, removed the second commandment, for instance. They still have the Ten Commandments, but the second commandment is omitted. It is the one that says we are not to make any image or likeness of man, beast, or anything that man will worship other than God. The Catholics split the 10^th commandment into two to keep the total at 10. There are many more examples of the ‘little horn’ changing the times and laws of God.

As expected, the SDA church claims that the Roman Catholic Church abolished the Sabbath law and altered the time from Friday evening to Saturday evening (Sabbath) to Sunday worship. This is partly true. The Pope may take credit for this, believing that God had not already done the same and had eliminated the requirement of the Sabbath day. Therein lies their guilt because the Roman Catholic Church thought it could do away with a law of God. Shame on them.

“On the venerable day of the Sun, let the Magistrates and people residing in the cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.” Edit of Constantine AD 321. Sunday replaces the sabbath by this decree.

“Christians shall not Judaize (keep Sabbath) and be idle on Saturday (Sabbath), but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day, they shall especially honor.” Council of Laodicea, Canon 29. The Roman Catholic Church, at one time, actually forbade sabbath keeping (they say just like Pharaoh did in the days of Moses). A.D. 1163 Synod of Tbolouse, a decree against sabbath keeping. King Ildenfonsus of Arragon banished Waldenses in 1194 as a consequence. Many of the Waldenses were killed.

This history may be entirely accurate, but it doesn’t make the Sabbath a requirement for today. The Roman Catholic Church, in its pride, may have thought they were setting aside the sabbath day for Sunday, assuming God had not already done so. That is the sin of the Roman Church in believing it had the power to set aside God’s law. I think the Sabbath was given to the nation of Israel, not to the Church. The Sabbath requirement of the 10 commandments ceased when God divorced Israel. And when God established a New Covenant. See my article on the Sabbath for more information.

Another example of changing times and laws follows. We Christians celebrate Easter, which has its roots in pagan origins. The new moon and the law of God determined the Jewish Passover. The Passover could take place on any day of the week, but the Roman Catholic Church, according to the SDA church, wanted it to be on a Sunday, the pagan feast day of Easter. Easter was on the first day of the week, not on any day of the week, like Passover. If perchance the Passover and the feast of Easter fall on the same Sunday, the pope can change the week, as he did not many years ago. Because the Pope equates tradition with scripture and determines its meaning independently, the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope continually reinterpret the laws of God and the Word of God. This video by the SDA church uses Easter as an example of how the Roman Catholic Church does what Daniel said the little horn would do.

Think of all the unbiblical doctrines this false Roman Catholic Church system has introduced to the world. They would include such doctrines as confession, the Eucharist, celibacy of their priests, the sacrifice of the mass, transubstantiation, Immaculate Conception, Assumption of Mary, praying to Mary and saints, infant baptism, and works-based salvation, to name some of the ways that this church has set aside the law of God and the word of God.

Daniel says the little horn will change times and laws. How does the pope do that? The following quote will shock you: “The pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ.” Decretal De Translat, Espiscop, Cap. If that is not blasphemy, then I do not know what the word means.

“The state has not the right to leave every man free to embrace whatever religion he shall deem true.” “The church has the right to require that the Catholic religion shall be the religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other religions.”

“Cursed be those who assert liberty of conscience and of worship and such that maintain that the church may not employ force.” The syllabus of Pope Pius 1X, December 1864. Does that not sound like something the little horn (or the antichrist?) would declare?

Today, our government in the USA is acting like what the Roman Catholic Church believes should be the case for its Church. As this quote reveals, the only church the state — or any state —should allow is the Roman Catholic Church. That is essentially how it was for at least 1,260 years.

 The religion of the little horn (or the antichrist?) will not allow freedom of conscience and freedom of speech. What does the following quote reveal about the nature and character of the Roman Catholic Church? “The unrestrained freedom of thinking and of openly making known one’s thoughts is not inherent in the rights of citizens and is by no means to be reckoned worthy of favor and support,” Pope Gregory XVI.” Can you imagine a more wicked and obscene statement than this?

“If Catholics ever gain a sufficient numerical majority in this country, religious freedom is at an end.” Bishop of St. Louis, November 23, 1851. In the USA, we have enjoyed religious liberty, albeit imperfectly, but to a much greater extent than at any other time in history. If the Roman Catholic Church ever gets back the power it once had, religious liberty is a dead duck. And the persecution of genuine Christians will once again resume.

The SDA church presents some very sound arguments that strongly suggest that the little horn (or the antichrist?) is the papacy. Even so, that might not be the correct explanation. Let us continue to search for the truth.

Daniel Chapter 8      

This chapter is another vision of Daniel. It is a vision of the ram, the goat, and the horn. This vision is in the third year of King Belshazzar, and the first vision was in the first year of this new king.

• The ram had two horns, and they were high, but one was higher than the other. The higher one came up last. (Verse 2). Gabriel said in verse 21 that the ram with two horns is the king of Media and Persia. History tells us that the Persian Empire became the most powerful of the two.
• Ram was pushing westward, northward, and southward. No beast could withstand the ram or deliver out of his hand. He became great. This is the direction of the empire’s conquests. No eastward conquests until later.
• As Daniel was musing all this, a “he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes, verse 5.” This is Greece, and it is associated with Alexander the Great.
• The goat came to the ram and ran at him in a fury. He smote the ram and broke his two horns.
• There was no power in the ram against the goat. The goat stomped on the ram, and no one would deliver the ram.
• The goat waxed very greatly. “When the goat was strong, the great horn was broken and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven”, verse 8. Gabriel said that the rough goat is the king of Grecia, and the great horn is the first king. That king was broken, and four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power, verse 22.
• “And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceedingly great, toward the south, toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”  See verse 9. This might be a reference to an antichrist, not the antichrist. Unlike the little horn of Chapter 7, the horn in Chapter 8 did not brag about its conquest. This other little horn might be a reference to Antiochus Epiphanes, who is undoubtedly a type of little horn or antichrist.
• “And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped on them,” verse 10. The people of God may be the stars of heaven and the host.
• “Yes, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” See verse 11. In 168 B.C., Antiochus Epiphanes prohibited regular Jewish religious practices. This decree led to the Maccabean Revolt. He may have killed a pig on the Jewish altar and made the Jews eat of it as a sacrifice to his idol, Zeus. This is often referred to as “the abomination of desolation.” Antiochus Epiphanes may have stopped the daily sacrifice as Daniel prophesied. Antiochus IV Epiphanes was a Greek Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BCE until he died in 164 BCE.
• “And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground, and it practiced, and prospered.” Verse 12. This period likely lasted approximately 6 years.
• “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” Verse 25.
• “Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto the certain saint which spake, how long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred days (2,300 days); then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” (Verses 13, 14). Some think this means 3.5 years, not just over 6 years. A question not resolved? I defer to the KJV, and that leaves no question that this refers to 2,300 full days, not half days as some have suggested.
• Gabriel was sent to Daniel to interpret the vision, see verses 15 and 16. Gabriel said, “Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.” Verse 17. End of the period of transgression may be the time this passage refers to.
• “Wherefore shut up the vision; for it shall be for many days.” Verse 26. Unlike the Book of Revelation chapter one verse one and Matthew 24, where it is said that the time is close at hand, so don’t shut up the vision, Daniel is told to “shut up the vision, for it shall be for many days”.

A closer look at the 2300-day prophecy in Daniel Chapter 8

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot? And he said to me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days (2,300 days); then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:13, 14, emphasis added.

This website (Got Questions) says this prophecy was fulfilled during the intertestamental period (between the Old and New Testaments). Daniel predicts Antiochus Epiphanes’ actions. This period takes about 6 1/3 years and was fulfilled before the birth of Jesus Christ. (2300/365 = 6.3 years; 2300/360 days in a year = 6.39 years.)

“Antiochus desecrated the temple in Jerusalem and severely persecuted the Jews from about September 171/170 B.C. to December 165/164 B.C., just over 6 years. When he died, the Jews purified and rededicated the temple, just as Daniel had predicted. The events are commemorated in the celebration of Hanukkah”. Got questions website.

As expected, not everyone agrees that Antiochus persecuted the Jews for over 6 years. One site said it was from 168 to 167 B.C., or basically 1 year, not 6.3 or 6.39 years.

That said, this interpretation appears somewhat reasonable to me, unlike the one we will now consider from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Seventh-day Adventist Church prophecy of 2,300 years, because 1 day = 1 year

William Miller predicted that Jesus would return in 1843 or 1844, but neither of these dates occurred as they proclaimed. All of his predictions failed. Jesus did not return. He based this calculation on the 2,300-day/year prophecy. Out of this rose the Seventh Day Adventist denomination. It was founded in 1863 by Joseph Bates, James White, Ellen G. White, and J. N. Andrews.

The 2300 days represent 2300 years; one day equals one year. The first 490 years were predicted to culminate in the coming of the Messiah in 27 A.D. (when Jesus began His earthly ministry). 2300 years less 490 years = 1810 years left.

The ministry of Jesus began around 27 A.D. In about 3.5 years, Jesus was cut off or crucified around 30 to 31 A.D. His ministry was to last through 34 A.D., as these last seven years are prophetic. Using the 34 A.D. date and adding 1810 more years, the prophecy is fulfilled in 1844 A.D., a critical year for Adventists.

William Miller had failed prophecies regarding this date as the return of Jesus Christ. The SDA church now interprets this to mean that the heavenly sanctuary and heavenly judgment would begin in 1844 A.D. They believe that God’s end-time judgment started in 1844 and continues in session in heaven, where it is not visible except through the eyes of faith. Jesus moved from the heavenly Holy Place to the heavenly Holy of Holies to begin a final atonement for humanity, according to Daniel 7:13. I just read this verse and verse 14, and I can’t see any support for their beliefs in either.

As I already mentioned, it is hard not to believe that this heavenly sanctuary idea was made-up so that it did not appear that Miller’s prophecy of Christ’s return from March 21, 1843, to March 21, 1844, was a totally false prophecy. But it was a false prediction because Jesus did not return to earth, as he had predicted.

See Appendix 4 for how the Jews, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the early church fathers, and contemporary evangelicals interpret these 2300 days.

There is a valuable lesson to be learned from all this. We can lose our minds when we become so wedded to an idea or ‘prophetic’ pronouncement that we will believe anything so that we do not need to admit to the truth of a false idea or false prophecy. Our pride will blind our eyes every time.

Daniel Chapter 9, Seventy weeks of years

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 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.” Daniel 9:24-27

Making sense of this passage of scripture is a challenge. There are many interpretations. The basics are as follows.

• ‘70 weeks’ means 70 weeks of years or 490 years (70*7 = 490). 1 week of years = 7 years, two weeks of years = 14 years and so on.
• How long before the Messiah comes? It will be ‘seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.’ This phrase states that the Messiah shall come in 69 weeks of years.
• The first phrase is seven weeks of years. 7 * 7 = 49 years.
• Then it says threescore and two weeks. That is three score or 3 *20 = 60 weeks plus two weeks.’ That is 62 weeks of years * 7 = 434 years.
• 49 years (seven weeks) plus 434 years (sixty-two weeks) = 483 years before the Messiah comes the first time.
• 69 weeks of years = 69 * 7 = 483 years.
• That leaves 1 week of years or 7 years remaining to arrive at a total of 70 * 7 or 490 years.
• “and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.”
• “and in the midst of the week (70^th week, which is the last seven years), he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” That is, after 3.5 years, in the midst of the week of years, the sacrifice will cease.
• “that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” When was the ‘going forward of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem? When was the decree issued?

There are three (possibly four) different views regarding the date of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.

• The first view is that the decree was issued by the Persian king Cyrus, who reigned 559-530 BC. 537 BC is the supposed date of the decree. Ezra 1:1-4.
• The second view was that King Darius 1 reigned 550-486 BC and issued the decree. 518 BC is the supposed date of the decree. Ezra 6:1-12.
• The third view, mainly the SDA viewpoint, associates the decree with Artaxerxes 1, who reigned from 465 to 425 BC. The supposed decree date is around 458 BC. Ezera 7:8.
• Apparently, some folks have thought that there was a fourth decree recorded in Nehemiah 1. It occurred in the 20th year of the reign of Artaxerxes, which would have been around 449 BC, according to the records.
• Most scholars take the first or second view, but this SDA author takes the 3^rd view. His name is P. Gerard Damsteegt, of Perspective Live Digest.org. He notes that all three kings were contributors to the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

How accurate is all this information about the decree dates and the King who issued the decree?

As I was writing this article and addressing this particular subject, while reading the Bible one morning, I came across a passage in Isaiah 44 regarding Cyrus, which was written many decades before he actually lived. It was then that I realized I needed to look into this further. This section is a result of that research.

I believe, along with some others, that the decree by Cyrus must be the one God had in mind. This prophecy was given by Isaiah about 150 years before the decree was issued. This is a remarkable prophecy by Isaiah, for it says,

“That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers, that saith to Jerusalem, thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: that saith to the deep, be dry, and I will dry up the rivers: that saith of Cyrus, he is my shepherd, and shall perform all of my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, thou shalt be built; and to the temple, thy foundation shall be laid.” Isaiah 44:44,45.

Remember, this prophecy was given before Cyrus was even born. And God is telling us that Cyrus would issue this very decree. See also Isaiah 45:1-4, 45:13, 2 Chronicles 36:22, 23, Ezra 1 1-3.

Other decrees, by different kings, do not fit the prophecy. But this leaves us with a problem. The dates shown above for Cyrus do not align with the timing of Jesus. How is this to be reconciled? The answer, according to this source (LetGodbetrue.com), is that the only secular chronology for this period of time is one by “Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer, astrologer, and geographer who lived in Alexandra, Egypt between 70 A.D. and 161 A.D.” There are no eyewitness accounts.

And without any supporting evidence, this is taken to be fact, even though Ptolemy lived hundreds of years after the time period of the temple’s rebuilding. Therefore, it is taken on faith because no other chronology exists. “The critical problem with Ptolemy’s chronology, in light of the Biblical record, can be quickly summarized. Ptolemy’s date for the first year of Cyrus is 536 B.C. Therefore, it is easy to see why Cyrus, based on Ptolemy’s chronology, could not have been the king who gave the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem. If Cyrus gave the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem in 536 B.C., the 483 years from the 70 weeks prophecy would only take us to 53 B.C., some 80 years short of the manifestation of Jesus the Christ at the beginning of His public ministry.”

This is why many Biblical ‘scholars’ use Artaxerxes, in his 20^th year, as the decree date, for Ptolemy determined that date to be around 456 B.C. And if we use that date, we arrive at A.D. 27, which seems reasonable as the start date of Jesus’ public ministry. However, the passage in Isaiah states that King Cyrus will proclaim the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem. The prophecy is based on Cyrus and not another king. Therefore, the dates usually given for these Kings are not accurate. Makes one wonder what else is not correct.

Bottom line. Do you trust this person, Ptolemy, or the Bible for the facts and the truth? Will you listen to Bible scholars or the Word of God? For me, the answer is easy: I will always defer to the Bible for the truth and not scholarship, so-called. For more information, please visit this website and the article written by Paul S. Crosby, May 2013.

Why did God destroy Judah, Jerusalem, and the temple?

The prophet Jeremiah stated that it was due to Israel’s apostasy. God’s patience had worn out, and only His wrath remained. God said that for 70 years, they would be in captivity to the Babylonians.

Why 70 years of captivity in Babylon?

Israel had not kept the 7th-year sabbath (not the 7th-day sabbath) for 490 years. 490 / 7th year sabbaths = 70 years. Every 7 years, for the full year, the land and the people were to rest. This is the seventh year sabbath, not the weekly sabbath. The Jews missed 70 of them; hence, their Babylonian exile will be 70 years.

When is the end of the 70 years?

The final destruction of the temple and Jerusalem took approximately 1.5 years, spanning from 587 BC to 586 BC. 586 B.C. less 70 years = 516 B.C., which marked the end.

Summary                      Decree

First view                       537 BC       0

Second view                  518 BC       -19

Third view                     458 BC       -60

? fourth                          449 BC       -9

Total from top to bottom               -88 years difference

Technically, the date from 586 B.C. to 516 B.C. represents the full 70 years of punishment. That is very close to the second view at 518 B.C. It is within 2 years of the actual date of the 70-year period ending.

What is the problem with using this date?

If we use 518 or 516 B.C., we end up with Jesus being born way too early. 518 – 483 = 35 B.C. and if we use 516 – 483 = 33 B.C. Both dates put the death of Jesus at zero or with a B.C. date. From what I can tell, many scholars believe that Jesus died in A.D. 33. However, one site claims that He died on April 3, A.D. 33. How accurate is this date? I wouldn’t bet anything on it.

When was Jesus born, when did He begin His ministry, and when did He die?

          Starting the calendar with the birth of Jesus Christ didn’t come about until the 6^th century. A monk named Dionysius calculated the date of Jesus’ birth. He used both scripture and historical information. He calculated that Jesus was born in the 753^rd year of the Roman Empire. That year was subsequently renamed as A.D. 1, and we have been using that calendar ever since.

Apparently, he made a few errors according to current scholarship. It appears that Jesus may have been born a few years earlier than we thought. (website, Reasonabletheology.com). This site states that Jesus was probably born 6 to 5 B. C. Their calculation seems ‘reasonable’ given what we know and what we think history tells us. It is tough to trust historical secular documents.

          When did Jesus begin His public ministry with the baptism of John? Based on the dates we have for the reign of Tiberius, the baptism of Jesus by John would have occurred in A.D. 26. We believe he was in his early 30s when he began his public ministry. We estimate that the ministry lasted approximately three and a half years. That places His death and resurrection in the years A.D. 29-30. That means Jesus was 34-36 years old when He died. That places His birth around 6 B.C. Scripture does not give us an exact date, nor does history.

Refer to Appendix 5 for details on how the early church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and current-day evangelicals interpret Daniel 9.

From the ‘Got Questions’ website, the following information is provided as it relates to this passage in Daniel 9.

“Seventy sevens have been decreed to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince. There will be seven sevens and 62 sevens, and it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after 62 sevens 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.”

The prophecy goes on to say that “from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven sevens (434 years)…then after 62 sevens the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing.”

Nebuchadnezzar had Jerusalem dismantled around 587/586 B.C. This prophecy in Daniel was issued after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, with seven seven-year periods and 62 seven-year periods, or 483 years, until the Messiah would show up. After the culmination of the 62 seven sevens, or after 483 years, the Messiah would be cut off.

Babylon used a 360-day year based on the lunar cycle, not the solar year.  Therefore, 483 × 360 days in a year = 173,880 days. Today we use a Gregorian calendar with a 365-day per year schedule.

When was this decree to rebuild the temple given, and by whom? “The Persian emperor, Artaxerxes, issued this decree sometime in the month of Nisan in the 20^th year of his reign or 445 B.C”. (You will note that this date is closest to the 449 B.C. date or the ‘fourth view.’ It is 4 years off.)

“From 445 B.C. and adding 173,880 days brings us to A.D. 32. This is the time of Jesus’s ministry and crucifixion. Daniel was likely given the exact date of the death of Jesus Christ, but the uncertainty about the calendar, days in a year, and the actual date of the death of Jesus, we can only get close.” I guess we get to decide what the word ‘close’ means.

“490 years into three smaller units as outlined in scripture: 1) one of 49 years, 2) one of 434 years, and 3) one of 7 years.” The final week or the final 7 years are divided into two halves, each lasting 3.5 years.

49 years + 434 years = 483 years of the 490 years total.

“The first 49 years account for the time it took to rebuild the city and the temple. (Not everyone agrees that it took 49 years to rebuild the temple. One site claims it took 20 years.) If we convert the calendar to 365 days per year, we go from 483 years to 476 years on our solar year. Adjusting for the switch from B.C. to A.D., 476 years after 444 B.C. places us at A.D. 33.”

Where does the 7-year Great Tribulation period come from?

“Of the 70 sevens, 69 have been fulfilled in history already. One week is left, or 7 years remain and are yet to be fulfilled.” Many Christians refer to this as the Great Tribulation period, spanning 7 years or 1 week, divided into two parts, each lasting 3.5 years. Daniel says nothing at all about this final week being any tribulation at all, let alone the Great Tribulation. The concept of a seven-year Great Tribulation originates from the prophecy of Daniel. And this is the only place in the Bible that even talks about a seven-year period that might be a period of great tribulation, someday in the distant future. But that is not what Daniel said; you can read it for yourself.

The significant problems with this view are;

1) There is a gap of 2,000 plus years from the end of the 69^th week and the beginning of the 70^th week. That is the approximate gap as of today. However, the gap could persist for many hundreds of years. We do not know when Jesus will return. The time gap between the 69^th and the 70^th week of the year is unknown.

Obviously, the passage in Daniel makes no direct mention of this enormous span of 2,000-plus years. That seems out of place to me. Why would anyone even think that makes sense? I suspect the reason is that they want to make this a prophecy about end-time events, not about the first advent of the Messiah.

This dispensational view is new to church history, as I understand it. Mr. Darby popularized this view in the 1830s. During this time (mid-1800s), the assault on the credibility of the Bible also began, by several folks both within and outside the Church. Men began to question the age of the earth; German higher criticism of the scriptures challenged the trustworthiness of the scriptures, and Charles Darwin wrote his book on evolution. Henceforth, theologians began to accommodate scripture to materialistic evolution. One such compromise is the “gap theory”. This theory, which some Christians still hold today, posits that a gap exists between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, spanning millions, if not billions, of years. Is this the God of the gaps?

2) The dates work only if you assume that the decree date of 445 B.C. is accurate. As you will recall, this is the fourth view and is different by 4 years from the one stated earlier at 449 B.C.

See Appendix 6 for details regarding the 70 weeks of years, timing, and origin of the assumed Great Tribulation period of 7 years.

An alternative view by the Seventh-day Adventist Church

All of Daniel 9 (all 70 weeks of years) was fulfilled when Christ came to earth and died for our sins. Christ died on the cross around AD 34, and the city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 AD. I found the SDA website, the Voice of Prophecy website, and the YouTube channel helpful.

Four hundred ninety years of apostacy by not keeping the 7^th year sabbath = 70 years of Babylonian captivity, said God to Jeremiah. That started in 605 B.C. or at the end of 586 B.C. when the temple was destroyed and the city was burned. In my opinion, we should likely begin the 70-year count from 586 B.C. That means the punishment ends in 586 – 70 = 516 B.C. as already mentioned. But it seems that no one counts from that date. See my earlier comments about why this approach doesn’t seem to work, as it puts the birth and death of Jesus in a B.C. date or at zero.

The other reason this date doesn’t work is that it isn’t the time the prophet Isaiah stated, which relates to Cyrus and his decree, rather than the other decrees mentioned earlier. God tied the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple to this decree from Cyrus.

This website uses the following math. Four hundred ninety years start at 457 B.C. (see earlier comments. 458 B.C. is the third view. There is a 1-year difference. Very close. 457 B.C. to 27 A.D. plus 3.5 years twice = 490 years. They say A.D. 27 was the year of Jesus’ baptism (the start of His actual ministry), and 3.5 years of His earthly ministry bring us to A.D. 31. The second 3.5 years end the 490-year prophecy. Jesus was crucified at the midpoint of the last week and was cut off. There is nothing left to fulfill, all 70 weeks accounted for, so they say. (Earlier, I mentioned the following. Jesus was likely born in 6 or 5 B.C. His baptism was likely in 26 A.D., and His death and resurrection were in 29-30 A.D. That means Jesus died at the age of 34 to 36 years old. Most of this is very close to the SDA dates given above.)

The last 3.5 years of the previous seven years are a lingering question in my mind. Shortly after Jesus died and was resurrected, He ascended into heaven. It seems these last 3.5 years are not accounted for reasonably.

Scripture says the Messiah is cut off halfway through this last week or the last 7 years. God foreknows the future, so why isn’t this a prophecy of 490 years less 3.5 years or 486.5 years? Assuming God’s foreknowledge, a possible explanation is that the general prophecy of 70 weeks of years (490 years) is meant to be modified by the phrase, “in the midst of the years the sacrifice shall cease.” In the middle of the 70th week of years, Jesus is crucified and the curtain of the temple is torn in two from top to bottom. If accurate, that might mean the 490 years should be reduced by 3.5 years to 486.5 years. That seems like a possibility to me.

This view does not project a future tribulation period of 7 years or a gap of 2,000 years or more. In 70 A.D., the city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed for the last time. SDA states that this is the abomination of desolation.

This passage in Daniel 9 says that in the middle of the 70th week, he (Jesus) shall end the sacrifice and offering by his death (Daniel 9:27). When Jesus died, the temple curtain was rent in two from top to bottom.

Decree                 Jesus starts                   last week

457 B.C.               27 A.D.                           34 A.D.

457 B.C. to 34 A.D. = 490 years (not counting year 0 on the calendar; as there was no year 0, it went from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D.). 457 to 34 A.D. = 491, less 1 year at year 0 = 490 years.

We have 69 weeks from 457 to 27 A.D. or 484 years. We also have 1 week of years or 7 years from 27 A.D. to 34 A.D., with two 3.5-year segments. There are 70 weeks of 7 years in each week, or 490 years. (See my comments above about the idea that the 70^th week of years is to be modified and reduced by 3.5 years to 486.5 years. In the midst of the years, the Messiah is cut off.

Problems with the Adventist view

As previously mentioned, understanding the problems with this view is essential. It assumes that the ministry of Jesus started with His baptism and ended about 3.5 years later with His death. The remaining 3.5 years are accounted for based on things that may be true but are not clearly stated as such. Did Jesus end this last 3.5-year period of time with the death of Stephen after His own death? I do not know.

Or could the end of the second 3.5-year period be when Paul was sent away from the Jews to start reaching out to the Gentiles, as some suggest? This would signify the end of the Jewish outreach. Again, I do not know, and I have not yet found any satisfactory answers.

The SDA church says Stephen is the first Christian martyr. Not sure that is true, but even if it is true, why is that important? And how do we know Stephen died at this time?

That said, this view seems to me to be the best of the options thus far. But it is not a completely satisfying answer. I wonder what I am missing?

Daniel 10

The following is from the Angels in the Glen YouTube channel, Jan. 2020. This is another SDA site.

Daniel received this vision in the 3^rd year of Cyrus, king of Persia. That is the date of the vision. Cyrus, in the 3rd year of his reign, is 536 to 535 BC. Their choice of a decree date is 457 BC. This represents a 78-year difference. One site says that Cyrus reigned from 539 to 530 BC. (See my earlier comments about the inaccuracies or inconsistency of the various decree dates. In addition, Issiah predicted that Cyrus would issue a decree to rebuild.)

  This SDA teacher states that 605 BC marks the date from which the 70 years of Babylonian captivity commence. Therefore, the 70 years of punishment ended in 535 BC; 70 years have now been completed. The temple and the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt.

This is why I believe the 70 years began in 586 BC, not in 605 BC, when the King of Babylon first initiated his conquest of the southern kingdom of Judah. The King of Babylon took prisoners to Babylon in 605 BC, but he did not destroy the temple in Jerusalem at that time. Nor did he destroy the city of Jerusalem until 586 BC. The destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem occurred in 586 BC. By this time, in 586 BC, the Jews were presumably using the temple for some or all of their religious observances. Those ended when the temple was destroyed in 586 BC, not 605. Our dates are off by 19 years.

Daniel fasted for 21 days or 3 weeks. He was likely in his mid-to-upper 80s when he fasted. Not only earthly conflict, but also angelic conflict, is pictured in this chapter. These conflicts center around rebuilding the city and the temple. Without the temple, the Jews can’t worship God with sacrifices and offerings and feast day observances.

The angel touched Daniel and told him that from the first day he humbled himself, God heard and sent a messenger to answer his prayers. “But the prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” Daniel 10:13, 14. Recall that Persia is the second kingdom, the bear.

The person Daniel saw was the preincarnate Christ, the man. Compare this man with John’s vision of Jesus Christ in Revelation. Rev. 1:13-18.

In Jeremiah, 29:10, “For thus saith the LORD, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.” This speaker says that this was accomplished in 535 or 536 BC, when Jesus visited Daniel.

The power of prayer and fasting is pictured in this chapter and Chapter 9. Daniel fasted for 21 days in his seeking of God. God answered him. I mention this in passing only. I am particularly interested in the prophetic aspects of this chapter, rather than the other critical lessons contained in Daniel and the various chapters.

 Fallen angels did not want the temple rebuilt and withstood Gabriel. Angelic beings are very much involved in these conflicts regarding the will of God over nations.

Recall that 457 BC is the decree date, and 2,300 days and nights, or 2,300 years, bring us to 1844 AD. I have already covered that prophecy.

Daniel chapter 11

The following quote is from Matthew Henry’s commentary on this chapter, starting on page 1,111.

1) “The angel Gabriel lets Daniel know the good service he has done to the Jewish nation in the first year of Darius the Mede, who destroyed Babylon and released the Jews out of that house of bondage…..which likely met with much opposition. Thus, by the angel, and at the request of the watcher, the golden head was broken, and the axe laid to the root of the tree. Note, we must acknowledge the hand of God in strengthening those who are friends to the church for the service they are to do, and in confirming them in their good resolutions; herein he uses the ministry of angels more than we are aware of…

2) Now I will tell thee the truth, that is, the true meaning of the visions of the great image, and of the four beasts, and expound in plain terms what was before represented by dark types.

There shall stand up three kings in Persia, besides Darius, in whose reign this prophecy is dated, chapter 9:1. Mr. Broughton identifies these three as Cyrus, Artaxerxes (also known as Cambyses to the Greeks), and Ahasuerus, who married Esther, also known as Darius, son of Hystaspes. To these three, the Persians gave the following attributes: Cyrus was a father, Cambyses a master, and Darius a hoarder.

There shall be a fourth, far richer than they all, that is, Xerxes, of whose wealth the Greek authors take notice. By his strength (his vast army consisting of 800,000 men at least) and his riches, with which he maintained and paid that vast army, he stirred up all against the realm of Greece. Xerxes’s expedition against Greece is famous in history, and the shameful defeat he suffered…Daniel did not need to be told what disappointment he would meet with, for he was a hinderer of the building of the temple; but soon after, about thirty years after the first return from captivity, Darius, a young King, revived the construction of the temple, owning the hand of God against his predecessors for hindering it, Ezra 6:7.

3) He foretells Alexander’s conquests and the partition of his kingdom, v. 3. He is the mighty King that shall stand up against the Kings of Persia. He shall rule with great dominion, over many kingdoms, and with a despotic power, for he shall do according to his will and undo likewise, which by the law of the Medes and Persians, their kings could not. When Alexander, after he had conquered Asia, was worshipped as a god, then this was fulfilled: that he should do according to his will. That is God’s prerogative, but was his pretension. But his kingdom shall soon be broken, and divided into four (4) parts, but not to his posterity, nor shall any of his successors reign according to his dominion, none of them shall have such large territories nor such an absolute power. His kingdom was plucked up for others besides those of his own family. Arideus, his brother, was made king in Macedonia; Olympias, Alexander’s mother, killed him and poisoned Alexander’s two sons, Hercules and Alexander. Thus was his family rooted out by its own hands. See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the powers by which they are got. Never was the vanity of the world and its most incredible things shown more evidently than in the story of Alexander (the Great). All is vanity and vexation of spirit.” I love the way Matthew Henry writes his commentary on the books of the Bible.

          This period is known as the Intertestamental Period, spanning about 400 years between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. No canonical books were written during these 400 years. “The apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees record the history of this time period. The information in Daniel 11 is so accurate that secular scholars insist that it must be prophecy ex eventu, that is, prophecy “after the fact,” which is not really prophecy at all. Indeed, apart from God’s omniscience and His ability to reveal the future to His prophets, this would be the only rational conclusion.” Taken from the Got Questions website, Gotquestions.org.

          This website gives a detailed explanation of this chapter and how it was fulfilled in actual history. Very interesting. Chapter 11 primarily focuses on the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, a ruthless and tyrannical king. He is associated with the coming of the antichrist by many because of the evil this King did to the Jews and the temple of God. He stopped the daily sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem and faced resistance during the Maccabean Revolt, which began in 167 BC. He claimed to be God by adopting the title Epiphanes. (Is this where we get the expression, “I just had an epiphany?”) He chose the Jewish Sabbath day for worship.

          “Many believe this final paragraph refers to a final king of the North who will outdo even Antiochus in his pride and blasphemy. He will be the final antichrist at the end of history. In this scenario, the identities of the two kings have yet to be revealed.

Others see this section as referring to Antiochus V, the successor of Antiochus IV, and the end of the Greek Empire. The Romans, who conquered Syria, became the new “king of the North” and then went on to defeat the Greek King in Egypt (the king of the south) and the rest of the Mediterranean world, ultimately destroying the temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Yet even the mighty Roman Empire fell and could not be helped.

Still others see a dual fulfillment: the prophecy refers to both the events in the years before Christ and to events at the end of time before His second coming.” Those two events are separated by around 2,000 years.

Daniel chapter 12    

“Daniel 12 continues to telescope events to the very end of history and the resurrection and final judgment. Once again, the king of the south refers to the ruling king in Egypt, whoever he may have been at the time, rather than a specific individual. If the final verses of the chapter refer to the yet future “end times,” then the identity of the king is yet to be revealed, and his territory may or may not include Egypt.” Got Questions website.   

          Futurists view this chapter as the end of the age, encompassing the tribulation period that follows the rapture of the Church. In verse one of chapter 12, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

          “During the Great Tribulation, there shall be an unprecedented attack to exterminate the Jews, but they will be delivered by Michael the archangel.”

“We know that the time mentioned here is the end of the Gentile age. These points refer to Daniel 11:36-45, the time of the ascendance of Antichrist during the final tribulation period. During this period, Michael the archangel (Jude 9, 10:13, 21) ministers with special attention to protecting Israel during that Gentile time (Isaiah 26:20-21; Jer. 30:7; Matt. 24:21). The time of trouble refers to the Great Tribulation. Notice also that the deliverance of those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book (the book of the saved), is not before this time, but during.” From Bible-studys.org.

Problems with this view

For the Jewish people, there have been many “times of trouble, such as never was” over the centuries. Preterists might say this refers to the coming destruction of the Jewish nation in AD 70 after the Jews rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Moreover, we are told that about 6 million Jews died in WW2, ending in 1945. Can it get more horrific than that? Yes, it can, if you imagine it can, by making the Bible predict such an event as the Great Tribulation period of 7 years. But Daniel says nothing about a rapture before the Great Tribulation, and Daniel says nothing about a Great Tribulation period of seven years. Dispensationalists rely on the 70th week of Daniel to bring their end-time prophecies to life.

I am not convinced that the 70th week, with a 2,000-plus year gap, is accurate or reasonable.

Another viewpoint to consider

Let us examine a Historicist view of the last book of Daniel, chapter 9. “And at that time,” when persecution is at its hottest, Michael shall stand up. The angel shall stand up in the providence of Jesus Christ and work salvation for the Jews under Antiochus.” The quotes in this section are taken from the commentary of Matthew Henry, written from 1704 to 1714.

“And after the destruction of antichrist, of whom Antiochus was a type, Christ shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, shall appear for the complete redemption of all his. When Christ appears, he will recompense tribulation to those that trouble his people. There shall be a time of trouble, threatening to all, but ruining to all the implacable enemies of God’s kingdom among men, such trouble as never was since there was a nation. This is applicable, 1. To the destruction of Jerusalem, which Christ calls (perhaps with an eye to this prediction) such a great tribulation as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, Matt. 24:21”. This is the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70. Like the destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem in 586 B. C., it was a horrific scene. The murder of 6 million Jews in the Second World War is another example.

“At this time thy people shall be delivered,” from the mischief and ruin designed them by Antiochus, even all those that were marked for preservation, that were among the living,” Isa. 4:3. When Christ comes into the world, he will save his spiritual Israel from sin and hell, and will, at the second coming, complete their salvation; even the salvation of as many as were given him, as many as have their names in the book of life, Rev. 20:15.”

“Note, God’s time to succor and relieve his people is when their affairs are brought to the last extremity; in the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen that Isaac is saved just when he lies ready to be sacrificed. Now the event answered the prediction; Josephus says expressly, in his book on the wars of the Jews, that Antiochus, surnamed Epiphanes, surprised Jerusalem by force, and held it three years (3 years) and six months (6 months), and was then cast out of the country by the Asmoneans or Maccabees. Christ’s public ministry continued three years and a half, during which time he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, and lived in poverty and disgrace….” Page 1110, 1111.

“Here is something added more particularly concerning the time of the continuance of those troubles, in what is said to Daniel, where we have the event fixed from which the time of the trouble is to be dated, from the taking away of the daily sacrifice by Antiochus, and the setting up of the image of Jupiter upon the alter, which was the abomination of desolation…….the continuance of their trouble; it shall last 1,290 days, three years and seven months (as some reckon) three years and six months and 15 days; and then it is probable, the daily sacrifice was restored, and the abomination of desolation taken away, in remembrance  or which the feast of dedication was observed even to our Saviour’s time, John 10:22. Though it does not appear by the history that it was exactly so long to a day, yet it appears that the beginning of the trouble was in the 145^th year of the Seleucidae, and the end of it in the 148^th year; and either the restoring of the sacrifice, and the taking away of the image, were just so many days after, or some other previous event that was remarkable, which is not recorded.” Page 1115.

“The completing of their deliverance, or at least a further advance towards it, which is here set at forty-five days (45 days) after the former, and, some think, points to the death of Antiochus, 1335 days after his profaning the temple…..It is said (Mac. 6:16) that Antiochus died in the 149^th year of the kingdom of the Greeks, and (2 Mac. 9:28 and 10:1) that the Maccabees, under divine conduct, recovered the temple and the city.”

“Many good interpreters make these to be prophetical days (that is, so many years), and date them from the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (70 A.D.); but what events they then fall upon, they are not agreed.”

Isn’t it interesting that, way back when Mr. Henry wrote this in the first years of the 18th century (400 years ago), there were already theologians who thought that these prophecies in Daniel might represent years, not days. By the way, dating from A.D. 70 and adding 1260 years brings us to A.D. 1330. Adding 1295 years brings us to 1365. Pretty sure Jesus didn’t return then. Apparently, there is something wrong with their understanding of scripture as it relates to this subject of the end times.

“Others date them from the corruption of the gospel-worship by the antichrist, whose reign is continued in the Apocalypse to 1260 days (that is, years), at the end of which he shall begin to fall; but thirty years later he shall be quite fallen, at the end of 1290 days; and whoever lives forty years longer, to 1335 days, will see glorious times indeed.” Page 1115 of Mr. Henry’s commentary on the Book of Daniel.

It does make some sense that the reign of Antiochus and the reign of the antichrist in the book of Revelation are similar. However, just because it seems logical to me and others does not mean it makes sense to God.

Mr. Henry was unsure whether this prophecy in Daniel extended that far into the future. He did know that there would be an end to the suffering of the true church of God, but that we must wait patiently for it and stand in faith. He knew that the best of men are, “often much at a loss in their inquiries concerning divine things, and meet with that which they do not understand.” Page 1115.

I love that last comment. Before the year 1700, many devoted followers of Christ were asking the same questions that we still ask today. And we are still not settled on most of this, even today, after so many centuries of searching. Is that a message for us? I wonder if the prophecy of Daniel is still sealed up. Let us continue in our study of the Word of God.     

          The following article, Part 3, will look into Revelation chapters 4 through 7 of the Book of Revelation. After that, Part 4 will consider a variety of subjects, including the doctrines of the Great Tribulation and the Rapture.