Page 280 - Daniel

following exegesis), which the New Testament declares to be fulfilled in
relation to the second coming of Christ (Matt. 24:15).

The closing portion of verse 26 is not entirely clear. But it seems to
indicate that the destruction of Jerusalem will be like the destruction of
a flood and that desolations are sovereignly determined along with war
until the end. Because of the reference to “the end” twice in verse 26, it
would be contextually possible to refer this to the end of the age and to

a future destruction of Jerusalem. Revelation 11:2 says, “The nations …
will trample the holy city for forty-two months,” a probable reference to
the great tribulation just before the second advent. However, there is no
complete destruction of Jerusalem at the end of the age, as Zechariah
14:1–3 indicates that the city is in existence although overtaken by war
at the very moment that Christ comes back in power and glory.
Accordingly, it is probably better to consider all of verse 26 fulfilled

historically. 63
The same expression of an overflowing flood is used to denote warlike

hosts who annihilate their enemies in Daniel 11:10, 22, 26, 40 and in
Isaiah 8:8. This seems to be a general reference to the fact that from the
time of the destruction of Jerusalem, trouble, war, and desolation will be
the normal experience of the people of Israel and will end only at “the
decreed end” mentioned in verse 27, that is, the end of the seventieth
seven. History has certainly corroborated this prophecy, for not only was
Jerusalem destroyed but the entire civilization of the Jews in the land of

Judea ceased to exist soon after the end of the sixty-ninth seven, and
that desolation continued until recent times.

The prophesied events of verse 26, like those of verse 25, already have
been fulfilled and constitute clear evidence of the accuracy of the
prophetic word. The prophecy of verse 25 gives the high points in
Israel’s history and provides the key to understanding this difficult
prophecy. In contrast to the rather clear fulfillment of verses 25–26,
verse 27 is an enigma as far as history is concerned, and only futuristic
interpretation allows any literal fulfillment.

THE SEVENTIETH WEEK (9:27)