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You can download a PDF of this study: The Enmity! – PDF
You can also download and listen to an Audio of this study: The Enmity! – Spotify Podcast
A brief excerpt of the study: The main purpose of this study is to examine the core objective of God, which God intended to bring forth through the Messiah. In that, the primary purpose of the Messiah was not to bring peace upon the earth, but to address the fundamental issue of sin that came on the account of the disobedience of Adam. The depth of which is that, just as sure as sin and death entered through the disobedience of Adam, likewise, through the righteous act of the Messiah, they are annulled. Which in effect became a cause by which the heavenly war was established, as a result peace is a subsequent event that comes to effect when the Kingdom of the Messiah will be established on earth at the conclusion of this Heavenly War.
We will begin with a prayer: We thank you, Lord, for this opportunity, our prayer is for your word to go out in the power of your Spirit so that it might bring repentance to the knowledge of the truth to those who hear, we pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The main text of our study is from, Daniel 9 verse 24, which reads, “Seventy sevens are determined for your people and for the city of your holiness, to finish the transgression, and to seal off sin, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in righteousness everlasting, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Holy of Holies.”
In this verse the angel Gabriel summarised the entire plan of God to redeem mankind from sin in relation to the people of Israel. The subsequent verses that follow, are an elaboration of the method by which the mandate of God is fulfilled within the specified 70 weeks. And the key words that bind these 70 weeks to be of one grouping is that the application of the weeks is specifically geared towards the people of Daniel and his city, that is to say the Jews and the city of Jerusalem. This is a significant point which people who misunderstand these verses consistently make, when they project the 70th week to some phantom week in the future. In simple terms, the angel Gabriel was sent to answer Daniel in response to his prayer and supplication, which he made recognizing the 70 years of desolations he and his people were subjected to at the hand of the Babylonians having come to an end. So the angel gives him the answer to his prayer, from the moment Jerusalem will be restored from the dust ruins, and the Second Temple built, to the moment she will be once more burned to the ground and the Temple within her, on the account of the people that are yet to come. This is the core of the entire message of the Book of Daniel that is contained within 70 weeks, because what is being revealed to Daniel is the end of the Covenant of the Law on the account of the Messiah, resulting in the opening of the way to God for the rest of the world, as to make no distinction between Jew or Gentile. [Acts 17 verses 30 to 31.]
The objective of which is fulfilled within the statement, “to finish the transgression, and to seal off sin, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in righteousness everlasting.” It is very important to note the finality of the statement that declares an end to transgression, and an ultimate end to sin, the magnitude of which can only be understood when considering the resemblance of the Messiah in relation to the first man Adam. Because if we are to understand an end to sin, we must first recognize the moment sin came to effect in the world. As Paul said, “Because of this, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, so also death passed through to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5 verse 12. And God declaring the redemption He was going to bring forth in response to the moment sin entered the world, and death through sin, said to the serpent who is the father and root of all sin, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and above every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat, all the days of your life. And enmity I will put between you and between the woman, and between your seed and between her Seed. He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3 verse 15. The very first verse that identifies the coming of the Messiah also declares to us the primary purpose for which He came, that is to crush the head of the serpent that brought forth sin in the world. And by saying, the Seed of the woman, God was establishing the Messiah was going to be of a type in correspondence to the first man Adam, who was formed from the virgin ground. [Romans 5 verse 14.] We have to remember, it was not plants nor animals, be it in the sea or in the air, but Adam was the first living being that was brought forth from the ground, having preeminence on the earth. [Genesis 2 verses 4 to 7.] Likewise, the coming forth of the Messiah was also directly the work of God, as Gabriel declared to Mary when she asked, “How will this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answering, said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the Holy One being born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1 verses 34 to 35.
And by saying, “you shall bruise him on the heel,” God was declaring the means by which the Messiah was going to win authority over the Earth. And for us to understand this, we need to know what the heel represents, which we find in the story of Esau and Jacob. When Rebecca the mother of Esau and Jacob was having a difficult pregnancy, she inquired of God and God said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your bowels shall be separated; and one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” And when her days to give birth were fulfilled, “The first came out ruddy all over, hairy like a cloak, and they called his name Esau. And afterward his brother came out, and his hand was grasping at the heel of Esau, and he called his name Jacob.” Genesis 24 verses 23 to 26. So Jacob holding his brother by the heel became an illustration of the younger displacing the older, for which reason he was called Jacob, meaning supplanter. Esau was a man of the earth and is a representation of natural mankind which is according to Adam, and like Adam, he is one who gave up his birthright for the sake of food. And Jacob, the father of the 12 tribes of Israel from whom came the salvation of God, is one who acquired that birthright inheritance which the older squandered. So by saying, “you shall bruise him on the heel,” God is revealing the Messiah will obtain the rightful authority over the earth by crashing the head of the serpent, which will come at the cost of His own suffering. As Paul said, “Since the children have partaken of blood and of flesh, He also likewise took part in the same things, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2 verse 14. So, the Heel of the Lord is an illustration of the means by which He obtained authority, as the Lord said when He was raised from the dead, “All authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to Me.” Matthew 28 verse 18.
The simple fact of which is that, as the first man Adam submitted his head to be under the rule of the serpent through which sin found entry into the world, and through sin death. Now, the serpent who held the power of death through sin, his head is now crushed under the heel of the Seed of the Woman who is of the same type as that of the first man Adam, bringing an end to sin and transgression. As Paul says, “For since death is through a man, also through a man is the resurrection of the dead. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive—” 1 Corinthians 15 verses 21 to 22. [Romans 5 verse 18.] Which was the fulfilment of the prophecies of Isaiah that declared the intentions of God saying, “Behold, I lay for a foundation in Zion a stone, a stone tested, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. One believing will not be in haste. And I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumbline; and the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; the overwhelming scourge, when it passes over, then you will be trampled by it.” Isaiah 28 verses 16 to 18. And again, “I will ransom them from the hand of Sheol; I [will] redeem them from death. Where are your plagues, O Death? Where is your destruction, O Grave?” Hosea 13 verse 14.
This is the central issue which God sought to address from the very beginning, that is the issue of Death that came on the account of Sin when Adam fell, which He revealed to us in respect to the Seed of the Woman. And the only way the covenant with Death, and the agreement with Sheol can be annulled, is if in fact the issue of sin that came on the account of the disobedience of the first man Adam is dealt with once and for all. And the primary significance of this event is relayed in the fact that the coming of the Seed of the Woman to crush the head of the serpent, is the first prophecy that is proclaimed in the entire history of all creation. Opening the way for the establishment of a New Creation where the righteous nature of God can be exhibited on account of mankind having become the dwelling place of God. [Ephesians 2 verses 19 to 22.] And the fullness of the truth of God is revealed through the culmination of the prophecies of Daniel and Isaiah, in that, while Daniel speaks of an end to transgression, the sealing off of sin, and the atonement for iniquity, Isaiah simply declared what the outcome will be when such redemption is performed, which is the annulment of the covenant of Death and Sheol. At which point both Daniel and Isaiah declare the establishment of a New Way of governance which is according to Righteousness and Life, on account of the previous state of Sin and Death having been done away.
Likewise John, identifying the moment the prophecy of the Seed of the Woman was fulfilled paints a heavenly picture saying, “And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, and having in womb. And she cries out, being in travail, and being in pain to bring forth.” Then he says, “And the dragon stands before the woman being about to bring forth, so that when she should bring forth, he might devour her Child.” Revelation 12 verses 1 to 2, & 5. Now, many people think the woman that Genesis 3 speaks of is Mary the mother of Jesus, and have associated the vision of John described in Revelation 12 to be a portrayal of her, as such they have made her a central part of their worship, as the queen of heaven. But this is a very wrong and shortsighted view with great consequences, as they say, it is to miss the forest for the tree.
Now John gives us an idea who this woman is in respect to her adornment, which corresponds to the dream of Joseph, when he told his brothers saying, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream, and behold, the sun and the moon and one and ten stars were bowing themselves to me.” And he told it to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will we surely come—I and your mother and your brothers—to bow down before you to the earth?” Genesis 37 verses 9 to 10. Jacob the father of Joseph, whose name the Angel of the Lord changed to be Israel, interpreted the dream of Joseph to be a portrayal of the family of Israel coming to bow before the Messiah. In that, Joseph is a foreshadow of the Messiah that came forth from Israel, who was separated from His brethren for the benefit of the world. [Genesis 49 verses 22 to 26.] So, the sun that clothed the woman, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, is meant to identify the woman as Israel. And the heel of the Lord being associated with Jacob should give us a clear indication of who this woman is, meaning, the authority of the world is obtained through a Son born to Jacob. Therefore, the Messiah being born under the Law is as much significant as being born of a woman, as Paul said, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, having been born of a woman, having been born under the Law, that He might redeem those under the Law, so that we might receive the divine adoption as sons.” Galatians 4 verses 4 to 5. And again, Paul showing the Messiah to be from the Root of Israel says, “Who are Israelites, whose is the divine adoption as sons, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises; whose are the patriarchs; and from whom is Christ according to the flesh, being God over all, blessed to the ages. Amen.” Romans 9 verses 4 to 5.
So, the cultivation of Israel throughout the ages as a well kept vine is entirely geared to bringing forth the Messiah, in order to fulfil the promise made to Abraham, as Paul stated, “And the Scripture, having foreseen that God justifies the Gentiles by faith, foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All the nations will be blessed in you.” Galatians 3 verse 8. The essential point for us to see is that Mary is not the root; she is a product of the vine that has been cultivated throughout the ages for the purpose of bringing forth the Messiah. And the whole picture that is painted across the heavens, where we see the Woman in labour to bring forth her Seed, and the serpent, that is the great dragon standing before her to devour her Child, is the expression of the enmity that was declared in Genesis 3. Meaning, the enmity between the woman and the serpent is not about Mary and the Devil, but Israel and the Devil, an enmity that persists to this very day! The very fact that the Messiah was going to come through the woman resulting in the salvation of the world is what made Israel the target of Satan throughout the ages. As the Lord Himself said, “for salvation is of the Jews.” John 4 verse 22. And this enmity is further established in regard to the great tribulation that came upon the children of Israel on the account of the spiritual war breaking out in heaven, when the Seed of the Woman having become victorious sat on the Throne of His Father, as John writes, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels warred against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels warred back. And he did not have strength, nor was found a place for them any longer in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown out, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, deceiving the whole inhabited world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 12 verses 7 to 9.
The consequence of which was that the dragon sought to destroy the Woman that brought forth the Seed, as John says, “And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had brought forth the male Child.” And again, “And the dragon was angry with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her children keeping the commandments of God and holding the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 12 verses 13, & 17. Please note, even when the devil engages himself in war against her offspring, his anger toward Israel is not abated. So, the dragon did not specifically come against Mary, but he came against the children of Israel and Jerusalem with such vehement anger that the Lord said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never shall be.” Matthew 24 verse 21. And Luke describing those days said, “For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21 verses 23 to 24. It is very important to point out that the Church is not the offspring of Mary, but that of Israel being under the Covenant of the Law. As Paul says of the Covenant of Righteousness upon which the Church is established, “The righteousness of God has been revealed, being borne witness to by the Law and the Prophets. And the righteousness of God is through faith from Jesus Christ toward all those believing.” Romans 3 verses 21 to 22.
So, the book of Daniel is entirely dedicated to the revelation of the great deliverance which God brought forth in relation to Israel. And it is for this very reason that Daniel finishes his book describing the ensuing Heavenly War which is directly tied to events on earth and says, “And at that time Michael the great prince will stand up, the one standing over the sons of your people. And there will be a time of distress, which has not come to be, from coming to be a nation until that time; and at that time your people will be delivered, everyone being found written in the book.” Daniel 12 verse 1. Please note how Daniel describes the ensuing Heavenly war in the same regard as John, in respect to the angel Michael rising to confront the dragon, and he immediately associates the consequence of the war the same as John, which is expressed in the distress the dragon brought upon the woman Israel. And Daniel illustrated the finality of that moment by saying, “And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, and he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to the heavens, and he swore by the One living forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and with the completing of the shattering of the hand of the people of holiness, all these things will be completed.” Daniel 12 verse 7. And he ends his book with, “And from the time the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up will be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Daniel 12 verse 11. So, the entire conclusion of the book of Daniel is focused on the daily sacrifice having come to an end as a portrayal of the End of the Law, and the resulting desolation, whereby the power of the people of Israel is completely broken, which is illustrated in the dispersing of the people of Israel among the nations. As a result the enmity of Satan against Israel is still expressed in the opposition he brings forth against the establishment of the Home of the Jews, even to the present day.
Now, the fundamental point of the breaking of the Covenant of the Law is also illustrated in the writing of Zechariah, saying, “And I took my staff Favor, and cut it in two, to break apart the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. And it was broken on that day, so the afflicted of the flock watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD. And I said to them, “If it is good to you, give me my wage; and if not, forgo it.” And they weighed out my wage, thirty of silver.” Zechariah 11 verses 10 to 12. Zechariah is describing to us the moment the Lord was betrayed by Judas into the hands of the religious leaders, resulting in the Crucifixion of the Lord. The outcome of which was that the Covenant God had made with all the people, that is to say the children of Israel was brought to an end. Now, this has nothing to do with the Covenant that God made with their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Because if the Covenant which God made with Abraham is broken, then both Jew and Gentile would have no recourse to salvation. However, the only covenant which God entered with all the people of Israel is the Covenant of the Law, as Paul wrote, “For of every commandment having been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, having taken the blood of calves and of goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God commanded unto you.’” Hebrews 9 verses 19 to 20. And the shepherd’s staff which Zechariah broke is meant to be an illustration of the staff of Aaron, by which the flock are meant to be governed according to the Law of Moses, in respect to Sin.
The main point of which is that as Daniel stated the mandate of God as, “to finish the transgression, and to seal off sin, and to make atonement for iniquity,” which in effect meant the Law was annulled having become obsolete, and with it the priesthood of Aaron. As Paul contrasting the Old Covenant to the introduction of the New says, “For indeed, there is a putting away of the preceding commandment, because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law perfected nothing), and the introduction of a better hope, by which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7 verses 18 to 19. And again, “In saying, “new,” He has made obsolete the first; and that which is growing old and aging is near vanishing.” Hebrews 8 verse 13. The question which we need to ask is, why was the Law given. In that, if we can understand the merit of this question, then we can understand why the Messiah had to undo the conditions that came on the account of the disobedience of the first man Adam, through the Sacrifice of Himself. The Law was never meant to be a cure, and can never make anything perfect, because it was meant to be a means by which we recognise the fundamental problem of sin. And God gave the Law of Moses precisely for this purpose as Paul says, “Why then the Law? It was added on account of transgressions.” Galatians 3 verse 19. The main concept of which is that through the Law comes knowledge of Sin, meaning, the fault that was ever present within us which we normally practiced without knowledge comes to light. [Romans 3 verse 20.] The logic of which is that, if a Law is enacted, it is on the account of the acknowledgment of a persistent problem, whereby the intent is to deter infractions through the rendering of judgment. For which reason Paul calls the Law of Moses, the ministry of condemnation and death. [2 Corinthians 3 verses 7, & 9.]
So, when we look to the Law of Moses to be a solution for the problem of sin, then we end up missing the entire point. The Law can never be an end of itself because it cannot resolve the fundamental issue which it seeks to address, that is the corrupted nature of mankind. Since, without sin there would be no need for the Law! [1 Timothy 1 verse 9.] For which reason the Sacrifice of the Last Adam, the Seed of the Woman, translates to mean the annulment of the Covenant of the Law, because the central issue of Sin is addressed once and for all. Whereby, those that draw near to God through the acknowledgment of the Sacrifice of the Messiah now do so with a clean slate, because every aspect of sin committed in all their lifetime finds its root to the first man Adam. For which reason all the families of the sons of Adam are now given the opportunity to approach God as sons through the Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul, recognizing the error of those that failed to grasp the core issue of sin said, “For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish [their] own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God. For the end of Law is Christ, unto righteousness to everyone believing.” Romans 10 verses 3 to 4. The point Paul was making was that those that seek to justify themselves through the Law have not understood the primary purpose which God intended to bring through the Messiah. In that, the coming of the Messiah by His very nature must bring about the abolishment of the Law.
And Matthew, Mark and Luke, capture this moment saying, “And Jesus, having cried again in a loud voice, yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn into two from top to bottom.” Matthew 27 verses 50 to 51. God, who said to the children of Israel, do not come near the mountain that burned with fire when the Covenant of the Law was established, has Himself now opened the way by tearing the veil from top to bottom in a portrayal of the annulment of that Covenant. Because in Christ, sin is no longer imputed against anyone, therefore there is no need for a barrier between mankind and God. As Paul says, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not reckoning their trespasses to them, and having put into us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5 verse 19. Likewise, Daniel describes the daily sacrifice being taken away, and Zechariah speaks of the breaking of the staff, all of which are meant to be an illustration of the annulment of the Covenant of the Law.
And Hosea describing the ensuing age says, “For many days the sons of Israel will dwell without king or prince, and without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the sons of Israel will return, and they will seek the LORD their God and David their king, and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the latter days.” Hosea 3 verses 4 to 5. By saying, the sons of Israel will seek the LORD their God and David their King, Hosea is making it clear that they are not going back under the Law to establish its ordinances. Since, David their King, as a Messianic figure which is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, takes central prominence in respect to seeking God. [Ezekiel 34 verses 23 to 24, & Ezekiel 37 verses 24 to 25.] So, just as Joseph is a Messianic figure in respect to the age applicable to the world, David is to Israel. The general timing of which is at the end of the times of the Gentiles, which both Luke and Paul describe in Luke 21 verse 24, and Romans 11 verses 25 to 27.
As such, all the elements we have spoken thus far are entirely encompassed within the 70 Weeks which Daniel speaks of saying, “And you shall know and you shall understand that from the going forth of the word to return and to rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah, a Prince—seven sevens; and sixty and two sevens: it will return and it will be built—street and trench—and in distress of the times! And after sixty and two sevens, Messiah will be cut off, and not for Him. And the people of the leader who is coming will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end is in a flood, and until the end, [of] war and desolations are determined. And he will make strong a covenant with the many for one seven; and in the middle of the seven the sacrifice and offering he will make cease, and on a wing of abominations he shall make it desolate, until the consummation that is decreed is poured out on the one bringing desolation.” Daniel 9 verses 25 to 27. Now, the key to understanding Daniel is in realising how his writing intertwines human figures with spiritual forces of wickedness. The concept of which is that at the end of the Covenant of the Law the judgement that came to effect is not against mankind, but against the spiritual forces who are the rulers of this age. As the Lord said, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.” John 12 verse 31.
So throughout his writing Daniel describes the same events over and over from different perspectives. In Daniel 7 he describes to us the beast of Rome portrayed with 11 horns, now when saying beast, he is not referring to a metaphor of a civilisation, but an actual personhood of a principle spiritual power that upheld that empire in relation to the 11 emperors of Rome. Which Daniel later establishes saying, “And in the latter time of their reign, at the completion of those transgressing, there will arise a king, strong of face and understanding riddles; and his power will be mighty—not by his power—and marvelously He will destroy, and he will prosper in what he does, and He will destroy the mighty ones and the people the holy ones. And by his cunning he will also make prosper deceit under his hand, and in his heart he will magnify himself. And when at ease he will destroy many; and against the Prince of princes he will rise, and without human hand he will be broken. ” Daniel 8 verses 23 to 25. We need to bear in mind, Gabriel is giving an interpretation of the vision that contained statements like, “And to the Prince of the host he became great, and from Him was taken away the daily sacrifice, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. And an army will be given over, along with the daily sacrifice, because of transgression, and he will cast down truth to the ground; and he will act, and will prosper.” Daniel 8 verses 11 to12. So, to this one king is attributed the entire history of Rome, whereby through the rulership of the various emperors a significant part of the prophecies are applied. For example, rising against the Prince of princes which is in reference to the Messiah being cut off, is attributed to Emperor Tibirius as illustrated in Daniel 11 verses 21 to 22. While the daily sacrifice being taken away, and the destruction of the holy people and Jerusalem being burnt to the ground, is attributed to General Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian. [Daniel 11 verses 30 to 35.] All of which are bound under this one spiritual king that upheld the empire of Rome. And this theme is also expressed in Daniel chapter 10 and 12, in relation to the prince of the people of Persia, the prince of the people of Greek, as well as Michael the prince of the people of Israel.
And when the Messiah is cut off after the 69th week, at this point Daniel says, “And the people of the leader who is coming will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end is in a flood, and until the end, [of] war and desolations are determined. And he will make strong a covenant with the many for one seven; and in the middle of the seven the sacrifice and offering he will make cease, and on a wing of abominations he shall make it desolate.” Please Note, the building of Jerusalem and the temple along with the coming of the Messiah the Prince, are all contained within 7 weeks and 62 weeks. Meaning, every other event that is described after is part of the last week. In that, the destruction of the city and sanctuary are a product of a spark that started first when the end of the daily sacrifice was instigated, and ignited to a fully fledged war with the establishment of the abomination of desolation, which are all part of the same 70th week. And this point is illustrated in the previous chapter saying, “And I heard one holy one speaking; one holy one said to the one who was speaking, “Until when is the vision of the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, the giving over of both the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled? And he said to me: “Until two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings—then the sanctuary will be made right.” Daniel 8 verses 13 to 14. The answer of 2,300 days contains the entire period that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, starting with 1,290 days from the moment the daily sacrifice is stopped, to the establishment of abomination of desolation which the Lord Himself warned saying, “Therefore when you shall see ‘the abomination of desolation,’ having been spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place—” Matthew 24 verse 15. This was followed by 1,010 days of Jewish-Roman war that began under Emperor Nero and the leadership of General Vespasian in 67 AD, and was brought to conclusion under Emperor Vespasian and the leadership of his son, General Titus in 70 AD.
So, Daniel is not separating the leader of the people that will destroy the city and sanctuary and bring about the desolation, from the one who makes the covenant, since they are part and parcel of the same event. The Leader of significance is not Nero, but Vespasian, about whom Daniel prophesied saying, “And the ten horns: From the kingdom, ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the former, and three kings he will bring low. And he will speak words against the Most High, and the saints of the Most High he will wear out, and he will intend to change the times and the law; they will be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time.” Daniel 7 verses 24 to 25. Emperor Vespasian is one who came to power in the year of 4 Emperors at the fall of Emperor Nero, and it is during his reign that Jerusalem was totally destroyed. But the most important point of note is that he is part of the same beast to whom the ten horns that were before him also belonged. The point we are trying to impress upon you is that the entire 70 weeks is meant to be an illustration of the culmination of events that brought an end to the Covenant of the Law and the people, resulting in the desolation of the mountains of Israel.
Now, by saying “the end is in a flood,” which is in respect to the events that transpired against Jerusalem and the children of Israel, the reference is for us to understand the connection to the Heavenly war which began when Christ was taken up to heaven, which John described in Revelation 12. The outcome of that war was that the dragon was cast to the ground with his angels, and in turn the dragon sought to destroy the woman, which John described saying, “And out of his mouth the serpent cast water as a river after the woman, so that he might cause her to be carried away by a flood.” Revelation 12 verse 15. And Daniel follows this with, “until the end, [of] war and desolations are determined.” So, when saying “until the end of the War,” the reference is not about the end of the Jewish-Roman war, since the end of that war brought about desolation. But the reference is to the single most important war of significance, that is the Heavenly War, the conclusion of which will result in the enmity that was against the Woman Israel coming to an end, and the mountains of Israel will once more be a place of worship, where nations from the furthest corners of the world will come to worship the Lord, who will make His dwelling in Jerusalem. [Zechariah 8 verses 20 to 23.]
So, when Daniel says, “until the consummation that is decreed is poured out on the one bringing desolation,” he is telling us the moment the heavenly war is brought to a close. The main point of which is that, he is not speaking about a human figure as Emperor Vespasian, the architect of the destruction of the Jewish people, but the principle spiritual power of Rome who brought about the desolation of Jerusalem. In regard to which John writes, “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, having been gathered together to make war with the One sitting on the horse and with His army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, the one having done the signs before him, by which he deceived those having received the mark of the beast and those worshiping its image. The two were cast living into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Revelation 19 verses 19 to 20. Please note, for the beast to be captured and thrown in the lake of fire, this means the beast is a living entity just as much as the false prophet. In that he is part of the cohorts of spiritual powers of wickedness along with Satan, Death and Hades. The key point of which is that Daniel through his writing intertwines the working of spiritual forces as it relates to their human counterparts, be it in respect to the individual or that of a nation. Consider, Satan brought about the betrayal of the Lord by working through the son of perdition, Judas. [John 13 verse 27.]
So, the same beast that worked with the 11 horns of Rome to bring about the desolation of Israel, that is the beast of perdition is now subject to the full force of the judgment of God. As John says of this beast, “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go into destruction.” Revelation 17 verse 8. Meaning, the Heavenly War is brought to conclusion, when the first entity that stands at enmity with Israel is made subject to the eternal judgment of God, along with his human representative. Think of the magnitude of this event, in that this beast and his false prophet are the very first created beings that will ever go into the lake of fire, one from the spiritual realm, the other from the natural realm. [Isaiah 24 verses 21 to 22.] And John associates the conclusion of this Heavenly War in the subjugation of Satan and says, “And I saw an angel descending out of heaven, holding in his hand the key of the Abyss, and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the Abyss, and shut and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed.” Revelation 20 verses 1 to 3. With this one statement, John illustrated the enmity that was spoken of in the Garden of Eden, between the Woman and the serpent being brought to an end. This marks the beginning of the period which Ezekiel described saying, “And they will be no longer as prey for the nations, and the beasts of the land will not devour them; and they will dwell in safety, and no one will frighten them.” Ezekiel 34 verse 28. A period of utter peace and tranquility which Isaiah, Zechariah as well as many others speak about when the kingdom of the Messiah is established on Earth and Satan is cast down to the Abyss. [Ezekiel 37 verses 25 to 28.]
Now, the question we need to ask is, why is the 70th week separated by nearly 40 years from the previous 69 weeks which are consecutive. The simple answer is, the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ has instigated a whole New Age, which is the entire point Daniel was making, in regard to the end of the Law and the preference of the people of Israel, as Amos said, “Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O sons of Israel, against all the family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: “Only you have I known from all of the families of the earth.” Amos 3 verses 1 to 2. So the 40 years represent the grace of God given to the children of Israel to come to faith under the New Covenant that was established through the Lord Jesus Christ. Which is meant as an illustration of the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness unable to take possession of the promised land under the leadership of Moses. And it was through the leadership of Yeshua they crossed the Jordan River and into their inheritance, as Moses said, “The LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, “Even you shall not go in there. Joshua son of Nun who stands before you, he shall go in there; strengthen him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.” Deuteronomy 1 verses 37 to 38. Likewise, the inheritance of the Kingdom of God is also dependent on recognising Yeshua the Messiah, and not the Law of Moses.
As a result from the 70th week which is 40 years after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of God in effect was fully opened to the entire world, where there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile. [Revelation 14 verse 6.] This moment is described in the writing of John as the silence before the storm saying, “And I saw another angel, having ascended from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried in a loud voice to the four angels to whom it had been given to them to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” Revelation 7 verses 2 to 3. And again, “And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” Revelation 8 verse 1. This moment of reprieve was given to mark those from among the children of Israel, who came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with the seal of God on their foreheads, which is to say those whose names are written in the Book of Life. [Luke 10 verse 20.] As Daniel also made a point by saying, “At that time your people will be delivered, everyone being found written in the book,” which was in respect to the destruction that followed on the account of the ensuing Heavenly War. Here the important point to bear in mind is that in the midst of the turmoil that came upon the people of Daniel, deliverance is granted to those whose names are written in the Book of Life, as the Lord said, “And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the elect, those days will be shortened.” Matthew 24 verse 22. The elect here is a reference to the election of Grace that is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Paul pointed out saying, “So then also, in the present time, there has been a remnant according to the election of grace.” Romans 11 verse 5.
Now, the manifestation of this spiritual war that was expressed against the children of Israel, is extended to include her offspring, the Church. [Revelation 12 verse 17.] In regard to which Paul said, “The wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6 verse 12. As Israel was pulled out of the world in the flesh and made an enemy to the spiritual hosts of wickedness. Likewise, the Church is also pulled out of the world in the Spirit being made a New Creation, as a result a target for the same spiritual forces of wickedness. And since the Church is composed of Jews and Gentiles, the separation from the world which is in the Spirit is far more significant, as the Lord said, “Do you think that I came to give peace on the earth? No, I say to you, but rather division. For from now there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-inlaw and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12 verses 51 to 53. The fundamental division the Lord was speaking about even to permeate the close knit family bond of flesh and blood is one of nature, in that, one member of the family can be according to the New Creation and be in the Spirit, while the rest remain in the flesh. Which makes the one that bears the seal of God a target for spiritual forces, having escaped the kingdom of darkness to be a member of the Kingdom of God, therefore is perceived as an enemy to all those that belong to the world. [Colossians 1 verses 13 to 14.]
So the same enemy that targets the Jews, targets Christians that are of the New Creation. This is illustrated in a fundamental shift of tactics which the beast implements, in that, the objective of the beast of Rome with his consecutive 11 Emperors was the total destruction of the people of Israel, which was brought to effect at the height of their rejection of the Gospel of God. However, the same beast will once again come into prominence in respect to his false prophet, at a time when Israel will once again come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as described in Revelation 11. So, this time the beast with his false prophet will implement a system by which believers will be made subject to a forced worship under threat of beheading. [Revelation 15 verse 2, & Revelation 20 verse 4.] So, the mark of the beast is not aimed at controlling the masses, but is entirely geared in illustrating those that have lost their souls. [Revelation 13 verses 14 to 18.]
And this is the fundamental difference between the prophecies of Daniel and John, whereby, the beast Daniel speaks of, destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple and became the cause of desolation. While the beast which John describes, is composed of ten kings of different nations working in collaboration with one another, as John says, “And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour, along with the beast. These have one mind, and they shall give up their power and authority to the beast.” Revelation 17 verses 12 to 13. The evidence of which is clearly visible even now, where Western nations that trace their roots to Greco-Roman civilisation that once were bastions of freedom seem to be capitulating to Islam, to ideals that will surely bring about their end. And the beast through his false prophet does not seek to destroy the city of Jerusalem nor the Temple, but seeks to show himself as god, as Paul says, “The man of lawlessness shall have been revealed—the son of destruction, the one opposing and exalting himself above every so-called god or object of worship—so as for him to sit down in the temple of God, setting forth that he himself is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 3 to 4. As such, the beast John describes is not an object that causes desolation, but rather one who stands at the very edge of the closing of the days of the desolation of Israel, when the consummation that is decreed is poured out on him.
In conclusion, the mandate of God described in the Book of Daniel was intended to declare to us the end of the Covenant of the Law, thereby setting aside the preference which is through the Law in respect to election according to the flesh, whereby both Jew and Gentile are now equally given access to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul says, “For He Himself is our peace, having made both one and having broken down the barrier of the partition of hostility, having annulled in His flesh the law of commandments in ordinances, so that He might create in Himself the two into one new man, making peace, and He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, by it having slain the hostility. And having come, He proclaimed the gospel: peace to you, the ones far off, and peace to those near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Ephesians 2 verses 14 to 18. So, in the dispensation of the New Covenant, the Woman is no longer in focus, but her offspring the Church that is the New Creation. As Paul says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are of Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3 verses 26 to 29.
Bread Bait. 
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