The Seventy Weeks Explained. Gap included???

The Early Fulfilment of Daniel's Prophecy and Early Views of All Believers

May 12, 2023

Now as crazy as this sounds, I'm actually more excited about part two of this series and you'll eventually see why. With that said, let's first do a refresher for everyone.(PATIENCE CHRISTIAN EXPERTS)

The 70 Weeks Prophecy: A the Coming of the Messiah

The 70 weeks prophecy found in the book of Daniel 9:24-27 is a highly debated topic among scholars and theologians. The prophecy speaks about a period of 70 weeks that will culminate in the coming of the Messiah and the restoration of Jerusalem. In this article, we will dive deep into the prophecy and analyze its meaning and interpretation.

How it Works

The 70 weeks prophecy is a symbolic duration of 490 years, with each day of the week representing one year. The starting point of this period is given in Daniel 9:25, which speaks about the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem. From this starting point, the 70 weeks can be divided into three periods: 7 weeks (49 years), 62 weeks (434 years), and 1 week (7 years).

Identifying the Starting Point

To understand the starting point of the 70 weeks, we need to look at the historical context of the book of Daniel. Daniel was a prophet who lived during the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. He prophesied about the future restoration of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah.

There were four decrees issued by Persian and Babylonian kings that allowed the Jews to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its temple. The most commonly accepted starting point of the 70 weeks is the decree of Artaxerxes I Longimanus in 457 BC, as recorded in Ezra 7:13-26.

The Three Periods of the 70 Weeks

The First Period: 7 Weeks (49 Years)

The first period of 7 weeks corresponds to the time it took to rebuild Jerusalem, which was completed in 408 BC.

The Second Period: 62 Weeks (434 Years)

The second period of 62 weeks corresponds to the time from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah. Based on historical records, scholars have marked chronologically the coming of the Messiah at the palm Sunday event, being his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which occurred in AD 30. This gives a total of 483 years (7+62 weeks) from the decree of Artaxerxes to the coming of Jesus.

The Final Period: 1 Week (7 Years)

The final week of the prophecy (7 years) corresponds to the period of time from the crucifixion of Jesus to the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. This is known as the Great Tribulation, a period of intense persecution and suffering of early Christians.

Summary of the 70 Weeks Prophecy

In summary, according to the interpretation of the 70 weeks prophecy, the timeline is as follows:

Decree to rebuild Jerusalem issued in 457 BC
Rebuilding of Jerusalem completed in 408 BC (7 weeks)
Christ's 3.5 year ministry followed by his Triumphal entry into Jerusalem in AD 30 (483 years or 69 weeks being the first half of the final week)
Crucifixion of Jesus in AD 33, followed by a period of 40 years of ministry by the apostles (The "gap" of time for Israel to repent and believe)
Destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70 (the second half of the final week being 3.5 years of the jewish war against Rome 67 to 70AD)

Now I know what you're thinkin’. If the supposed “Gap” was only a generation(40 years in Judaic culture), then how on earth did we get an ongoing 2000 year gap? And if there was no belief in a gap that huge, then what did The Church believe for the past 1800 years?

GREAT QUESTION.

There are two origins of the “Gap" theory. One early, and the other modern. The early position below reveals the early Christians ending their gap by the end of the second temple destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. The other modern position stretches the events of the gap indefinitely, with no end in sight. However, a third thing to consider is that there were 2 early Christians that did try to stretch the gap beyond what the early church thought. Such irony that the early church rejected this, but we will see later churches embrace it…

Some Early Christians Extend The Gap to The Future

Irenaeus and Hippolytus were two Church Fathers from the early period who believed that Daniel's 70th week was yet to be fulfilled in the future. They thought that this 70th week would happen at the end of the gospel age, and were the first to suggest that there was a gap between the 69th and 70th weeks. Some even say that Irenaeus predicted a specific date for the second coming, but i was never able to find such info. Nonetheless that date has already passed obviously.

“If by any chance those of future generations should not see these predictions of his (Irenaeus) fulfilled at the time he (Irenaeus) set, then they will be forced to seek for some other solution and to convict the teacher himself (Irenaeus) of erroneous interpretation” - Jerome (CID) 4th century.

Now the reason why no one ever treated the Daniel prophecy in the way that they have is simply because the early church learned from the apostles the importance of fulfilled prophecy concerning christ. If christ did not fulfil all of the prophesies concerning Him, Daniel 9 being at the center of it all, then they were as Paul said “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

It was on this very belief, that the early church expounded on their position of faith handed down from Christ and The Apostles. The eschatology of time statements alone in the new testament clearly shows why the early church taught what they taught. This can't be stressed enough. With that being said, the following is what the early church taught and wrote concerning Daniel 9 and the seventy weeks.

The Early Christians Close Daniel's Prophecy to 70AD

Barnabas 80AD: “For it is written, ‘And it shall come to pass, when the week is completed, the temple of God shall be built…in the name of the Lord.’ I find…that a temple does exist. Having received the forgiveness of sins…in our habitation God dwells in us….This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord.” (Epistle Of Barnabas 16:6)

So Barnabas connects Daniel’s vision of seventy weeks with the prophecy of Haggai 2:7-9 and the building of a “spiritual temple,” being the Church. The author of the Epistle of Barnabas obviously believed that Daniel’s 70th week was fulfilled with Christ’s first advent. This was when the Old Temple was destroyed and the new “spiritual temple” was initially established. Writing in 100 AD he clearly believed the 70th week of Daniel was already completed.

The Catholic encyclopedia On the epistle of Barnabas

“This abstract discussion of Judaism is the sign of an epoch when the Judaizing controversies were already a thing of the past in the main body of the Church. In settling the date of the letter reference is often made to verses 3-5 of chapter four, where the writer, it is believed, finds the fulfilment of the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 7:7, sqq.) in the succession of the Roman Emperors of his time.” (New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia)

Origen, Clements disciple says, (185-254 AD): “The weeks of years, also, which the prophet Daniel had predicted, extending to the leadership of Christ, have been fulfilled.” - Principles, 4:1:5

Clement of Alexandria 150-215AD: ”From the captivity at Babylon, which took place in the time of Jeremiah the prophet, was fulfilled what was spoken by Daniel the prophet as follows: [Here he quotes Daniel 9:24-27 in its entirety.] …And Christ our Lord, “the Holy of Holies,” having come and fulfilled the vision and the prophecy, was anointed in His flesh by the Holy Spirit of His Father. In those “sixty and two weeks,” as the prophet said, and “in the one week,” was He Lord. The half of the week Nero held sway, and in the holy city Jerusalem placed the abomination; and in the half of the week he[Nero] was taken away, and Otho, and Galba, and Vitellius [were also taken away]. And Vespasian rose to the supreme power[Emperor], and destroyed Jerusalem, and desolated the holy place. And that such are the facts of the case, is clear to him that is able to understand, as the prophet said" - Clement stromata book 1, chapter 21

In his mind, Clement may have indeed or may not have tied the final week of Daniel’s 70-Week prophecy to the book of Revelation, as is often done by Dispensationalists and non-Dispensationalists alike. If he did, though, then by definition he was an advocate for Revelation’s early authorship, i.e. before 70 AD, which appears to be the case because he clearly taught that Daniel 9:24-27 was entirely fulfilled by the end of the Roman/Jewish War. In any case, his view of Daniel 9 was certainly Preterist and, as we will see, so also was his view of Matthew 24 and other passages thought by Futurists to be unfulfilled.

Tertullian 160AD “Vespasian, in the first year of his empire, subdues the Jews in war; and there are made lii years, vi months. For he reigned xi years. And thus, in the day of their storming, the Jews fulfilled the lxx hebdomads predicted in Daniel ." (An Answer to the Jews chapter 7 and 8.)

Eusebius (314 AD): “When the captivity of the Jewish people at Babylon was near its end, the Archangel Gabriel [told Daniel that Jerusalem would] be destroyed, and that after the second capture and siege it will no longer have God for its guardian, but will remain desolate, with the worship of the Mosaic Law taken away from it, and another new Covenant with humanity introduced in its place… ‘For ending disobedience, and for completing transgression [Daniel 9:24].’ I think that our Saviour's words to the Jews, ‘Ye have filled up the measure of your fathers [Matthew 23:32],’ are parallel to this… [T]here follows the prophecy of the new Covenant announced by our Saviour. So when all the intermediate matter between the seven and the sixty-two weeks is finished, there is added, ‘And he will confirm a Covenant with many one week,’ and in half the week the sacrifice and the libation shall be taken away, and on the Holy Place shall come the abomination of desolation, and until the fullness of time fullness shall be given to the desolation. Let us consider how this was fulfilled.” - Proof of the Gospel, book 8 Chapter 2

Athanasius 326A.D.

Jerusalem is to stand till His coming (Daniel’s reference to Messiah’s appearing in His First Advent), and thenceforth, prophet and vision cease in Israel…but from that time forth all prophecy is sealed and the city and Temple taken" - On The Incarnation Chapter 6

Augustine (354-430 AD): “For let us not suppose that the computation of Daniel’s weeks was interfered with by this shortening of those days, or that they were not already at that time complete, but had to be completed afterwards in the end of all things, for Luke most plainly testifies that the prophecy of Daniel was accomplished at the time when Jerusalem was overthrown.” (Matt. 24:22, Golden Chain)

Sulpcius Severus 403AD (On Daniel's Seventy Weeks)

"But from the restoration of the temple to its destruction, which was completed by Titus under Vespasian, when Augustus was consul, there was a period of four hundred and eighty-three years. That was formerly predicted by Daniel, who announced that from the restoration of the temple to its overthrow there would elapse seventy and nine weeks. Now, from the date of the captivity of the Jews until the time of the restoration of the city, there were two hundred and sixty years." (p. 254, ch. 11, Sacred History)

Cyril of Alexandria 420AD: "Now three score and nine weeks of years contain four hundred and eighty-three years. He said, therefore, that after the building of Jerusalem, four hundred and eighty-three years having passed, and the rulers having failed, then cometh a certain king of another race, in whose time the Christ is to be born."

Theodoret 430 AD: (Closes the period three years and a half after the suffering of Christ) “and so they begin the last week at the baptism of Christ” (Quoted by Willet)

Notice this is a clear position of the first 3 1/2 years beginning at Christ's ministry.

The Early Christians End The Gap at 70AD

And with that, there is now a gap to address, which Eusebius seems to have acknowledged in some sense too. The only reason a gap exists because this part of the prophecy strictly focuses on the first half of the week and the last half of the week despite events that happened between the 2 parts of that week. And what was the event of that Gap?... The time to forgive. Thanks to Daniel's prayer centuries ago. The disciples were FIRST preaching to the Jews just as Jesus did. Jesus said…."He that receiveth you receiveth me" Matthew 10:40. They were not allowed to go to the Gentiles YET, only to the Jews Matthew 10:5-6 being the extent of his earthly ministry being 3 1/2 years of preaching and witnessing to the Jews. After his resurrection the gospel went to the gentiles which is again the beginning of the gap for unrepentant israelites to join in repentance and salvation. Paul had his vision and conversion, Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews for preaching (blasphemy that Jesus was the Son of God). As well as Peter had his vision. NOW they were allowed to go to the gentiles and to the whole world and preach the gospel because it was time…"And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles" Acts 22:21. Remember in Acts 11:15-18 the Holy Spirit came down a second time, now for the Gentiles, because the one week (7 years) had been fulfilled for the Jews in hopes they would ALL repent and come to Christ.

So now both Jews and Gentiles can receive the promise of the fathers through Jesus. "If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:29. So the first 3 1/2 years is Christ's earthly ministry. The Gap not mentioned in the verse but events that happened between the two times was an answer to Daniel's prayer, repeated by Jesus in telling how long they should have time to receive forgiveness.

And now for the final 3 1/2 years.

The prophecy of Daniel 9 stated that Messiah would confirm the covenant (or would cause the covenant to prevail) with many of Daniel's people for the "week" or seven yyears.Yes, notice the ancient position is not the anti christ confirming the covenant but the messiah. We ask then, when Christ came, was his ministry directed in a special way to Daniel's people —to "Israel" (Dan. 9:20)? Yes! The event of the “end to sacrifice and offering” took place in another sense when the temple (the place of sacrifices and offerings) was destroyed in 70 AD.

Besides Clement and Tertullian, others who viewed Jesus as the “he” of verse 27 include reformers John Wycliffe (1324- 1384), Martin Luther (1483-1546), John Calvin (1509-1564), and Isaac Newton (1643-1727). So the ancient view almost always include not only just the church fathers but early protestants. Calvin, for example, said: "For [Daniel] then said, Christ shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and shall cause the sacrifices and oblation to cease. Afterwards, the abomination that stupifieth shall be added, and desolation or stupor, and then death will distill, says he, upon the astonished or stupefied one. The angel, therefore, there treats of the perpetual devastation of the Temple. So in this passage, without doubt, he treats of the period after the destruction of the Temple; there could be no hope of restoration, as the law with all its ceremonies would then arrive at its termination. With this view Christ quotes this passage in Matthew 24, while he admonishes his hearers diligently to attend to it…

Without the slightest doubt, this prophecy was fulfilled when the city was captured and overthrown, and the temple utterly destroyed by Titus the son of Vespasian. This satisfactorily explains the events here predicted" (Todd Dennis [9], 2009).

Any gap then, according to this view, was not a 2000-year gap between weeks 69 and 70, but a roughly 37-year gap between Christ’s ascension and the 3.5 year period of great tribulation leading up to Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD (spoken of in verse 26b and 27b). This gap or time interval is said to have been foreseen in Christ's usage of Isaiah 61:2 as Jesus chose to quote it in Luke 4:18-19. On the surface there seems to be no gap in Isaiah’s statement, but Jesus alluded to one when He stopped after stating that He had come to “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” in luke 4. The part He didn’t quote then (“and the day of vengeance of our God”) He later referred to at the end of His ministry when He predicted the destruction of Jerusalem: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near…for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written…For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people…” (Luke 21:20-24). The nearly 40-year gap then served the purpose of giving Israel a generation within which to repent.

In this way Isaiah 61:2 and Daniel 9:27 refer to the same two time periods, separated by the same gap. Those 2 periods being the acceptable year of the Lord (the 3.5 year-ministry of Jesus) and the day of vengeance (the 3.5 year-siege on Jerusalem leading up to its destruction, what Jesus called “great tribulation” in Matthew 24:21). Therefore, the first half of the 70th week (3.5 years) established the New Covenant, and the second half of the 70th week (3.5 years) a generation later confirmed the New Covenant by completely abolishing the Old Covenant temple system. The kingdom of God, already established in heaven when Jesus ascended and being lived out among those who followed Christ, was then fully established on earth and given to the saints (Daniel 7:27). It was taken from national Israel and given to the Church, the people whom Jesus said would produce its fruits (See the ‘Parable of the Tenants’ in Matthew 21:33-45). Some see no gap at all, contending that the last half of the 70th week was fulfilled during the 3.5 years following Jesus’ ascension (31-34 AD). In this view the Jews were given priority in hearing the gospel, but Philip’s evangelistic trip to Samaria in 34 AD marked a time when the gospel began in earnest to go to non-Jews. The “wing of abominations” then refers to the fact that after Christ’s work on the cross, every temple sacrifice was abominable and a rejection of Christ. These abominations continued for 40 years until, finding that Israel would not repent, the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. This last statement reflects Calvin’s view when, referring to the phrase “wing of abominations,” he said, "I have no hesitation in referring this language of the angel to that profanation of the Temple which happened after the manifestation of Christ, when sacrifices ceased, and the shadows of the law were abolished."

He 'Jesus' confirmed 'The Covenant' (The Everlasting Covenant) with the Jews. Once time was up, then the gospel went to whole world. He fulfilled it all…. During the last 40 years of the temple’s existence, however, according to numerous Jewish sources, the practice of hanging a cloth after the sacrifice miraculously turning white never did so again after the crucifixion.

This is the ancient position long held by the early church from the beginning of its times. And still is…… HOWEVER, those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat its errors and follies. This rings true. Irenaeus made some interesting claims, and the church rejected it. But these same claims resurfaced 1400 years later, and this time, due to the printing press, spread like wildfire. And there was no putting that fire out.

Later Christians Make Daniel's Prophecy Indefinite, Hence The MODERN Gap Theory

Francisco Ribera was a Jesuit priest who lived in the 16th century. He developed a futuristic interpretation of the book of Revelation, which he believed would take place in the distant future, and this view was later known as dispensationalism.

Ribera's work on Daniel's prophecy was written with the goal of countering the Protestant interpretation that the Catholic Church was the Antichrist and the Whore of Babylon mentioned in the book of Revelation. He taught that the 69th week of Daniel's prophecy was concluded at Jesus' baptism, and that the 70th week was postponed until the end of the age. This was a futurist interpretation that differed from the historicist view of most Protestants during that time. Ribera believed that the Antichrist was an individual who would appear in the future, rather than a contemporary organization like the Catholic Church. By proposing this alternative interpretation, Ribera hoped to undermine the Protestant critique of the Catholic Church and defend its legitimacy.

Ribera's futurist interpretation was a departure from the traditional view of historicism, which held that the prophecies of the book of Revelation were being fulfilled throughout history.

The gap theory in general, which is also known as the Ruin-Reconstruction theory, was later developed as a way to reconcile the long ages of geology with the biblical account of creation. This theory posits that there was a gap of indeterminate length between the first two verses of Genesis, during which time the earth underwent a catastrophic event, such as the fall of Satan or a global flood, that destroyed the original creation. The second verse then describes God's reconstruction of the earth. This was applied to modern views of eschetology.

It wasn't until 1826 that the teachings of Ribera were rediscovered by Dr. Samuel Maitland, a librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Maitland wrote a pamphlet on the futurist interpretation, which gained some attention among theologians. It was in the 19th century when it gained popularity in the form of dispensationalism, which was popularized by John Nelson Darby and C.I. Scofield. Hence today we have the far futurist end times last days eschatology of our modern day.

Just like the church fathers, there are some interesting confessions these dispensationalists have about their own position and history of it. Truth, is NEVER without its roots. It is chained and fueled from what has come before it, and continues to nurture it. So what historic giants or voices from the past are Futurist Dispensationalists standing on?… not much. But we all say that we stand on the Bible yet this the big problem with Sola scriptura. It gives one a pass to not have to give an account for the of early Christians who lack what they teach. So again, with scripture alone as one's basis, new teachings are allowed to flourish. Even if they were once Heresies. Without scripture alone however, any new teachings would be condemned along with all of the other heresies by the church just as they were in the past. With that being said, here are the voices of the Futurists themselves.

John Van Diest

"The apostles and first century church universally expected His return in their lifetime, which is why they were so motivated to live holy lives and so dedicated to evangelism and reaching the world for Christ." ("The Signs of the Times Imply His Coming,") - John Van Diest from his book, 10 Reasons Why Jesus is Coming Soon: Ten Christian Leaders Share Their Thoughts: Multnomah publishing, p. 191

Arthur Conan Doyle (1919)

Then comes prophecy, which is a real and yet a fitful and often delusive form of mediumship -- never so delusive as among the early Christians, who seem all to have mistaken the approaching fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, which they could dimly see, as being the end of the world. This mistake is repeated so often and so clearly that it is really not honest to ignore or deny it." (The Vital Message, p.118)

H. J. Schoeps (1961) "It is undeniable that Paul, with the whole of primitive Christianity, erred about the imminently expected parousia." (The Theology of the Apostle in the Light of Jewish Religious History, p. 46)

“I would never say that there is no one in the early church who taught preterism. . . . Don’t be foolish enough to say that nothing is out there in church history, because you never know. . . . There is early preterism in people like Eusebius. In fact, his work The Proof of the Gospel is full of preterism in relationship to the Olivet Discourse.1 - Thomas Ice, “Update on Pre-Darby Rapture Statements and Other Issues”: audio tape (December 1995).

“History records that our Lord’s words [in Matthew 24:1-2] were fulfilled to the letter in A.D. 70. In that year the Roman army under the command of Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem. . . . And so Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled literally; not one stone was left upon another” - Thomas Ice

(How can he say this and still be a dispensationalist?)

"It is true that the system of theology known as Dispensationalism is of recent origin.” - Lewis Sperry Chafer

“The fact that something was taught in the first century does not make it right (unless taught in the canonical Scriptures), and the fact that something was not taught until the nineteenth century does not make it wrong, unless, of course, it is unscriptural. . . . After all, the ultimate question is not, Is dispensationalism–or any other teaching–historic? but, Is it scriptural?” - Charles Ryrie

"the historical fact is that the early church fathers' view on prophecy did not correspond to what is advanced by pretribulationists today except for the one important point that both subscribe to the imminency of the rapture." - John Walvoord

“The preponderance of evidence seems to support the concept that the early church did not clearly hold to a rapture as preceding the end time tribulation period. Most of the early church fathers who wrote on the subject at all considered themselves already in the great tribulation. Accordingly Payne, as well as most other posttribulationists, takes the position that it is self-evident that pretribulationism as it is taught today was unheard of in the early centuries of the church. Consequently the viewpoint of the early church fathers is regarded by practically all posttribulationists, whether adherents of the classic view or not, as a major argument in favor of posttribulationism. However, the fact that most posttribulationists today do not accept the doctrine of imminency as the early church held it diminishes the force of their argument against pretribulationism.” - John Walvoord, The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation

But the most important sign in Matthew has to be the restoration of the Jews to the land in the rebirth of Israel. Even the figure of speech ‘fig tree’ has been a historic symbol of national Israel. When the Jewish people, after nearly 2,000 years of exile, under relentless persecution, became a nation again on 14 May 1948 the ‘fig tree’ put forth its first leaves.129 -Hal Lindsey, The Late Great Planet Earth., p. 53

(Nothing, in Matthew 24 traches that Jesus wanted people to understand that he was promising Israel would become a nation again.)

"A number of doctrines that are now widely held within evangelical circles were first discovered by the Brethren (post 1830 AD) or were promoted and propagated by the Brethren. In no particular order these include: pre-tribulational rapture, dispensationalism" (Plymouth Brethren: Theological contributions of the Brethren: FAQ #16) - Hal Lindsey

“What generation? Obviously, in context, the generation that would see the signs — chief among them the rebirth of Israel. A generation in the Bible is something like forty years. If this is a correct deduction, then within forty years or so of 1948, all these things could take place. Many scholars who have studied Bible prophecy all their lives believe that this is so.” (The Late Great Planet Earth, p. 54) - Hal Lindsey

“If Preterism is true, which it emphatically is not, the saints of God would have ceased waiting for God’s Son from heaven after A.D. 70. Such a postulate, whether expressly stated or implied, is nothing more than a confused set of tattdemalions(!) – that is, it is an attempt to dress a feeble and ugly theology in the refined garments of intellectualism… I suppose it is possible to affirm this unveiling, or full disclosure, took place in A.D. 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed. But we will not believe such an assertion, and are offended by the carnal boldness of those who take it upon themselves to suggest such a thing.” - Given O. Blakely, 2003: Preterist Prattle

(This proves partial preterism. He acknowledges early christians waiting for christ to come. Christ came in AD70, which we have church fathers such as Eusebius and John Chrysostom to name a few that preached this. And yet Christ alsl will return in the second coming, which the early Christians preached and put into the nicene creed itself.)

“Some Christians have entered God’s Rest. But the Church as a whole, Israel, has not yet entered God’s Rest. At the rapture, the Church as a whole will enter God’s Rest. I believe the Rapture will be 40 years from 1967, in 2007.” - Philip Brown 2001: This Generation Shall Not Pass

“The idea that the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 could be the prophesied end of the world, does not stand up to examination. The Jewish “world” is based in its blood, its scriptures, and its synagogue. None of these was destroyed or abolished in AD70. To make prophecies in the Bible about the second coming of Christ, and the end of the world, refer to events of AD70 misrepresents these prophecies, because nothing was destroyed that had not been destroyed in times past, and nothing was destroyed that was essential to the Jewish world’s continuance into the future.” - Ron Graham, Was the Jewish “World” Destroyed in AD70?

(Except for the temple…. And the fact that he calls Christ's coming “the second coming”, when it was never called that, being his first coming)

In 1 John [2:18] the apostle speaks of “the last hour.” He is referring here to the new economy of God’s grace, warning that even in this church age there would be “many antichrists . . . by which we know that it is the last hour” - Tim LaHaye

(LaHaye left something out. John “CHILDREN, it is the last hour. . . .” And how did these first-century “children” know this? “Because many antichrists have arisen[PAST TENSE], from this we know that it is the last hour.”)

“Now we are ready to examine the key to the timing of this whole passage and answer the disciples’s question of Matthew 24:3, “When will these things be?” The key is found in verse 34. Jesus said, “This generation will by no means pass away till all these things [the second “things”] are fulfilled” - Tim LaHaye

(Tim eisogetes by adding to the text words that extend the timing of Christ's words to later times)

“...until the days of Edward Irving, who was excluded from the Presbyterian church for heresy, no one ever heard of this "coming for," and "coming with" the saints; no one ever intimated that the saints would not be on the earth in the days of the Antichrist. - Robert Cameron, "Notes by the Way," 'Watchword and Truth', XXIV (January, 1902), 395. / from Fuller, p.112-3]

"Now, be it remembered, that prior to that date, no hint of any approach to such belief can be found in any Christian literature from Polycarp down.... Surely, a doctrine that finds no exponent or advocate in the whole history and literature of Christendom, for eighteen hundred years after the founding of the Church - a doctrine that was never taught by a Father or Doctor of the Church in the past - that has no standard Commentator or Professor of the Greek language in any Theological School until the middle of the Nineteenth century, to give it approval, and that is without a friend, even to mention its name amongst the orthodox teachers or the heretical sects of Christendom - such a fatherless and motherless doctrine, when it rises to the front, demanding universal acceptance, ought to undergo careful scrutiny before it is admitted and tabulated as part of 'the faith once for all delivered unto the saints." - Dr. Robert Cameron, Scriptural Truth About The Lord's Return, page 72-73).

“I know that the system I teach [the pretrib secret rapture and related subjects] is full of holes, but I am too old and have written too many books to make any changes." - Harry Ironside - Note: This statement is quoted by Robert Summers in his publication the Biblical Evangelist, May 13, 1983. This quote was popularized by Dave MacPherson and John L. Bray

"Until brought to the fore through the writings and preaching and teaching of a distinguished ex-clergyman, Mr J. N. Darby, in the early part of the last century, it [rapture theology] is scarcely to be found in a single book or sermon through a period of sixteen hundred years". [230-1830 AD] (Harry Ironside, The Mysteries Of God, 1908).

"no hint of any approach to such a belief can be found in any Christian literature from Polycarp down, until the strange utterances given out in the Church of Edward Irving ... by women speaking in tongues." ... Then, according to Cameron, "they recovered the long-neglected truth that a 'Second Coming' of the Lord was 'the hope' of the Apostolic Church" ... Since that day was then eighteen centuries closer than in Apostolic days, they "became possessed of the feeling that it was the 'midnight' hour of Christendom, that the Advent was at the very door," ..[Gerd Theissen, p.188-9]

A final question to ponder on for next time.

What of The Jews?…

The answer to this is a whole other story but for now I'll leave you with this…

The following passage is from the Talmud: Rosh Hashanah 31b. It reads

“Originally they used to fasten the thread of scarlet on the door of the Temple court on the outside. If it turned white the people used to rejoice, and if it did not turn white they were sad…For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red.”

After Christ was crucified and resurrected, their sacrifices were never the same… Ever… This tradition demonstrates the truth that from the time of Jesus’ death the sacrifices and offerings of the temple did nothing to atone for Israel’s sin. Sins that they needed to repent from. Especially rejecting their messiah. They were given 40 years, and we know what happened. They continued on in their same old covenant practices that God had closed. They ignored the new covenant along with the messiah, and remained in a desolate temple that was destroyed in 70AD by The Lord himself through the roman armies. James B. Jordan (1988) suggests that the phrase "wing of abominations" likely originates from Numbers 14:37-41, where Israelites were instructed to wear blue tassels on the corners of their garments as a reminder to maintain a path of holiness. However, Jordan posits that an apostate Israel would not possess "wings of holiness" but would instead be symbolically marked by "wings of abominations" (cf. Matthew 23:38, where Jesus declared Jerusalem a desolate house). Taking into account the events leading up to 70 AD, particularly the appointment of a false high priest in 67 AD, Jordan proposes that Daniel 9:27b can be understood as follows:

"On the wing of abominations [apostate Judaism & priesthood] will come one who makes desolate [the apostate High Priest], even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate [at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70]."

And all of these events in the end

1. Finished the transgression… "He was wounded for our transgressions." Isaiah 53:5

2. made an end of sins… "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29, 1 John 3:5, 1 Cor 15:3, "For he shall save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21, "He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Hebrews 9:26 Jesus made an end of sins through His own sacrifice, if not what is the gospel then.

3. made reconciliation for iniquity… This is the gospel, Jesus came not only to atone but to reconcile. 2 Cor 5:19, Roman 5:10, Col 1:20, Eph 2:14-16, Isaiah 53:5.

4. brought in everlasting righteousness… "The Lord our Righteousness" Jeremiah 33:16, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" 1 Cor 1:30. Romans 3:21-22, 2 Cor 5:21

5. sealed up the vision and prophecy[for a time]…. "And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed" Isaiah 29:10-11. Jesus while weeping for the city of Jerusalem said… " If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes." Luke 19:42,

And

6. anointed the Most Holy…. 'Messiah' means the Anointed One. "Anointed" Luke 4:18, "The Holy One of God" Mark 1:23, "But ye denied the Holy One" Acts 3:14, "How God anointed Jesus" Acts 10:38.

I hope this shows you the origins of what view was consistent throughout church history, and the origins of the novel view that has come to our day, and how the prophecy leads us to the first century.

Next time we will see in part 2 what the jews do with Daniel.

Till next time

Matthew’s Substack

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