The Prophecies of Daniel
(by Bob Pulliam)
From time to time you will find the book of Daniel coming into a discussion of Premillennialism. What we have studied to this point in time has already destroyed the foundation of this false doctrine. In the interest of completeness, before we study the true nature of the kingdom and Christ’s return, we will consider portions of Daniel.
In The Days of These Kings...
The first prophecy in the book of Daniel (Dan 2) comes in the form of a dream given to Nebuchadnezzar. In this dream he saw a four part image (2:31ff), and a stone cut out without hands rolled down, struck the image at it’s base, and shattered it. The image represented four kingdoms of the earth (Dan 2:36ff). Nebuchadnezzar was represented by the head of gold (2:38), so the Babylonian empire was the first kingdom. Historically, we know that the three kingdoms which followed were the Medo-Persian; Macedonian (Greek); and Roman.
But this prophecy concerns the kingdom which God would establish. It tells us when God would establish it: "in the days of these kings" (Dan 2:44). This statement comes at the time of the final kingdom mentioned, or the Roman Empire. When we consult the New Testament we find that Jesus was born, lived, died, arose, and ascended in the days of the Roman Empire (Lk 3:1f). This prophecy also tells us what the character of that kingdom will be: "cut out of the mountain without hands" (Dan 2:45). This would not be a kingdom established on physical principles, but spiritual. The kingdom is made by God, and not human hands. When the Roman Empire appears, we should not be surprised to find the God of heaven setting up the kingdom of promise!
The Four Great Beasts...
A similar prophecy to that of chapter two occurs in Daniel chapter seven. Here, rather than an image with four parts, we find four beasts. Although we cannot begin by assuming that the four beasts are parallel with the four parts of the image, we should be ready to accept such if the evidence warrants. That these represent kingdoms is actually disputed by no one. The question is, "which ones?" During the time of the fourth kingdom we find a kingdom given "which shall not be destroyed" (Dan 7:14). Sound familiar?... The one receiving that kingdom is described precisely as we would expect Jesus to be described (7:13).
Search the prophecy and see if you can find any indication that the fourth empire would be destroyed, and then revived. Premillennialists acknowledge that the kingdom was to be established in the days of the Roman empire. They contend, however, that the kingdom is yet to be established under a Roman empire that is to be revived. This is a clear example of juggling scripture to fit a preconceived interpretation. Up to this point we find Daniel teaching that God would establish His kingdom in the days of the Roman empire (which we will find that He did in our New Testament study of this doctrine). That empire saw the rise of God’s kingdom, and no world empire has come again.
The Ram and the Goat...
Daniel 8 gives us a symbolic prophecy a little different than many others we find in the Bible. It specifically tells us precisely to what the symbolism refers. This interpretation is offered in vv15-26. The ram represents the Medo-Persian empire, and the goat represents the Macedonian (Greece). The events referred to occur in the later time of their kingdom (v23). The king that arises (v23ff) describes the activity of Antiochus Epiphanes. All of the events in this chapter were fulfilled well before Jesus came to earth during the Roman empire.
The Prophecy of Seventy Weeks...
Daniel 9 contains a prophecy which specifies seventy weeks:
To finish transgression.
To make an end of sins.
To make reconciliation for iniquity.
To bring in everlasting righteousness.
To seal up vision an prophecy.
To anoint the Most Holy.
From the command to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah would be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks (69 weeks). This command is recorded in II Chronicles 36:22f and Ezra 1:1-4. It is thought that the seven weeks might be called forth separately as the time during which the city would be rebuilt (v25).
As we look at the events of the final week, we find that the Hebrew text does not say that He will "make" a covenant, but instead that he "will cause to prevail". Some versions have "confirm". This prevailing of the Messiah’s covenant can be seen in the book of Acts. The sixty-nine weeks were until Messiah the Prince... We would therefore expect His life on earth, death, resurrection, etc. to be placed at the beginning of this final week. In the middle of the week we find the destruction of Jerusalem (in AD70)
The Premillennialist tries to place a gap between the sixty-ninth week and the seventieth. Can you find mention of a gap?... They tell us that it is there, and that the church was placed in that gap until God would bring to pass the events of the final week sometime in our future. Can you find any specification of time in scripture that was not intended as fully consecutive?
"Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years." (Gen 15:13)
"For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting." (Gen 45:6)
"According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection." (Num 14:34)
The only reason I can see to put a gap in this specification of time is to support a doctrine that is already held to be true. Other than that, the text clearly runs the weeks consecutively. Added to this is the fact that the "abomination of desolation" was specified by Jesus to be involved in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. "on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate" (Dan 7:27)... "Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand)," (Mt 24:15). Such is the very time period we are dealing with here in Daniel 9. Note the statement, "shall destroy the city and the sanctuary..." (V26).
Conclusion...
These prophecies deal with events which are actually in our past. They are a great testimony to the power, wisdom and knowledge of God. He tells the end of a matter at it’s beginning, and it is so.