SPELLING EDITED J-32. WHEN is the MIDST of the WEEK?
Now to some Christians, you may be wondering why I even ask this question, “WHEN IS the middle of the 70th week of Daniel?” So this question may sound peculiar and even nonsensical making no sense to you as yet. The reason why I have asked this question may not make any sense to some of you right now. And that is due to or because of what you have been previously taught concerning the SEVENTIETH week of Daniel. Let me explain what I mean by this. Some Christians have been taught that there is a GAP between the already fulfilled 69 weeks of Daniel and the Seventieth week where the WHOLE seventieth week or the last seven years will occur at the end of days right before Jesus comes again. This point of view would then place the MIDST of the week during the last SEVEN YEARS of GREAT tribulation right before the second coming of Jesus. Other Christians believe and teach that there is NO GAP between the 69th and the 70th weeks of Daniel and thus ALL seventy weeks of Daniel have already been fulfilled by Jesus and the early New Testament church. So then, according to this view, then the MIDST of the week of the 70th week of Daniel has already been fulfilled.
So then, which group of Christians is correct, if so be, either group is correct? And that is why I ask again the question of “WHEN is the MIDST of the week of the seventieth week of Daniel?” VIEW #1. Has the MIDST of the week already been fulfilled? VIEW #2. Is the MIDST of the week yet to be fulfilled in the FUTURE? Or could there be a third view where the correct sound Biblical interpretation of the MIDST of the week is somewhere in the MIDDLE of the above two theories? What I mean by this is “Are we presently living right now IN the MIDST of the week?” Now, the Holy Spirit began to show me some thoughts to ponder a few years ago about there being a little truth from BOTH views as being correct, but that NEITHER of the two above views or interpretations as being entirely accurate. To say this another way there is indeed a GAP or period of time SEPARATING something. So then, those Christians who hold to the gap theory are correct in their interpretation of a GAP. However, there is NO GAP BETWEEN the 69th and the 70th week. So those Christians who believe and teach the NO GAP theory are ALSO PARTLY correct, in that, there is NO gap BETWEEN the 69th and the 70th week. But they are also incorrect in their teaching saying that there is NO GAP at all and the whole seventy weeks of Daniel has already been fulfilled. What the Holy Spirit has shown me is that the FIRST HALF of Daniel's seventieth week has indeed already been fulfilled by the CHRUCH preaching the gospel of salvation to the JEWS ONLY for 3 1/2 years before God turned the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles and NOT by the ministry of Jesus as taught by the Seventh Day Adventist Church denomination and some other smaller groups of Christians. Thus there is no gap BETWEEN the 69th and the 70th week of Daniel, but rather the GAP or the MIDST of the seventieth week of Daniel BEGINS or BEGAN when God turned the preaching of the gospel to the GENTILES. In other words, we are living in the GAP or IN the MIDST of the seventieth week of Daniel right now and have been for almost 2000 years. God will not turn his attention to his people the JEWS a SECOND TIME until the second half of the seventieth week of Daniel during Jacob's time of trouble which is the last 3 1/2 years right before the second coming of Jesus. It will be DURING this time of Jacob's trouble or great tribulation that they will call upon God. I cover all the verses in detail in the study called “A NEW LOOK AT THE 70THE WEEK OF DANIEL!” giving my readers and seekers of the truth the sound Biblical teaching showing that the CHRUCH fulfilled the FIRST HALF or the FIRST 3 1/2 years of Daniel's seventieth week by preaching the gospel of salvation to the Jews FIRST before God turned to the Gentiles. But mere common sense should open the eyes of any believer who is truly seeking the truth of the whole word of God even if it means laying aside what their church denomination has taught them. I mean THINK this through for yourself my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. Most Christians know and agree that the very early church was comprised of ONLY Jews. Well then, if so be, that the GAP began immediately after the 69th week of Daniel and NONE of the seventieth week of Daniel will begin again until the last SEVEN years of great tribulation right before Jesus return, then there should have been NO JEWS saved during the entire 2000 years of the church age. And on the other side of the coin, IF SO BE that ALL the seventieth week of Daniel has already been filled in its entirety, then God would have already FINISHED the transgression of Israel and God's PROMISE of turning to his people a SECOND TIME would be a LIE. The truth of the matter is that the Messiah was indeed cut off or crucified DURING the seventieth week even though his crucifixion occurred only four days into the seventieth week on the fourth day of Daniel's seventieth week. The COMING of Messiah the prince riding on a donkey occurred on the FIRST day of the seventieth week of Daniel. Please read Zechariah 9:9, which is a prophecy of our King and MESSIAH coming riding upon an ass or donkey.
Zechariah 9:9.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes unto you: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
Now please read the FULFILLMENT of this Old Testament prophecy of the COMING of the MESSIAH the Prince now being recognized by SOME of his people Israel as their King. Matthew 21:1-11.
“And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3. And if any man says ought unto you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them, and straightway he will send them. 4. All this was done, that it might be FULFILLED which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5. Tell you the daughter of Sion, Behold, your King comes unto you, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10. And when he has come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11. And the multitude said This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”
Some Christians celebrate this day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday one week before RESURRECTION Sunday. Let us see if the Bible itself agrees with church tradition. Mark 11:1-11 gives us the same account as Matthew chapter 21 above and then goes on to say in Mark 11:11-17 that Jesus left Jerusalem to go to Bethany and the next day they came back to Jerusalem and on the way, Jesus cursed the fig tree.
Mark:11-17.
“And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide came, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. 12. And on the morrow, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry: 13. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat the fruit of you hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. 15. And they come to Jerusalem:(Which would be the day after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey the day before) and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16. And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Then Mark continues to say that even came again and they left Jerusalem a second time and came back into the city of Jerusalem the next day, which was TWO days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey or day three of the seventieth week of Daniel.
Mark 11:19-27.
“And when even was come, he went out of the city. 20. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which you cursed is withered away. 22. And Jesus answering said unto them, Have faith in God. 23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says. 24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. 25. And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 27. And they come again to Jerusalem: (Which would now be TWO days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem the first day on a donkey, or again the THIRD day of the 70th week.) and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,”
We do not see another mention of time in the gospel of Mark until chapter 14 where Jesus says AFTER TWO days is the Passover AND the feast of the unleavened bread, which are two different events or days.
Mark 14:1,2.
“After two days was the feast of the Passover, AND of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. 2. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.”
The Passover always fell on Nissan 14 or on the 14th day of the first month. The first month on the Jewish calendar is in the SPRING of the year. The feast of unleavened bread always fell on the next day after Passover or on Nissan 15. Both days are feast days, but the feast of unleavened bread was HIGH Sabbath day or an annual Sabbath day. The day of preparation is the day BEFORE a Sabbath day, whether it is a HIGH Sabbath day or a weekly Sabbath day. So then, Jesus was including BOTH days when he said AFTER two days is the Passover AND the FEAST of unleavened bread. In today's speaking, we might say something like; the next two days are the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. Now let us see if PALM Sunday the week before Resurrection Sunday is the exact day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Palm Sunday would then be the FIRST day of the seventieth week of Daniel, which was the first time Jesus entered into the city of Jerusalem that Passover season of when he was crucified. Monday would be the day Jesus cursed the fig tree and the second time Jesus entered into Jerusalem and when he turned over the tables of the money changers, which is the SECOND day of the 70th week. Tuesday would be the day the fig tree dried up and Jesus entered into the city of Jerusalem the third time and the THIRD day of Daniel's seventieth week. Wednesday was Nissan 14 the day upon which Jesus was crucified. So Jesus was crucified or cut off DURING the seventieth week of Daniel on the FOURTH day. Thursday was the HIGH Sabbath or the day of unleavened bread and the FIFTH day of the 70th week. Friday was the day of preparation for the weekly Sabbath and the SIXTH day of Daniel's seventieth week. Saturday was the weekly Sabbath. And the FIRST WEEKLY Sabbath after the Passover is the starting day to count the feast of weeks, which is SEVEN Sabbath's or 49 days. And the 50th day is the day of Pentecost. Thus the day of Pentecost always falls on a Sunday, the first day of the week. So then, counting from this SEVENTH day of Daniel's 70th week 50 days we come to the 57th day of the seventieth week of Daniel on which day was the very FIRST GOSPEL message of salvation where 3000 Jews were saved. Sunday was the first day of the week and the day of our Lord's resurrection, also being the EIGHTH day of Daniel's seventieth week. So then, on the SEVENTH day of the 70th week of Daniel was the first weekly Sabbath day after Passover which began the count of 50 days to the day of Pentecost. Thus the day of Pentecost fell upon the 57th day of the seventieth week of Daniel and also the FIRST day of the church. Peter preached the first gospel sermon ON the day of Pentecost. Now if the first half of the seventieth week of Daniel, which is for the JEWS ONLY is 1260 days that means the gospel was preached ONLY to the JEWS first for 1204 days of the church after the church began on the day of Pentecost, the 57th day of the seventieth week of Daniel. So then, if you add the 56 days before or leading up to the day of Pentecost, the BEGINNING of the church, being on the 57th day, to the remaining 1204 that the gospel was preached to the JEWS ONLY, then you get 1260 days and to WHEN God turned to the Gentiles to BEGIN the MIDST of the seventieth week of Daniel. Let us read Daniel 9:27 in a fresh new way. And if you have not already read the study “A NEW LOOK AT THE 70th WEEK OF DANIEL!”, then I encourage you to do so for all the Scriptures that clearly teach us that it was AFTER THREE years from Paul's conversion to God turning to the Gentiles.
Daniel 9:27.
“And HE (Speaking of Jesus, Messiah, the PRINCE) shall confirm the covenant (Referring to Jesus confirm or establishing the NEW COVENANT under the NEW Testament in his shed blood being cut off or crucified on the cross) with many for one week: (The MANY here is referring to ONLY the Jews. In other words there will be ONE WEEK or seven years that God will FOCUS his attention on the JEWS) and IN (Or WITHIN or DURING) the MIDST of the week (Spanning from the day God turned to the Gentiles all the way up to the abomination of desolation spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 as being the ARMIES that surround Jerusalem in the last days, which begins the last half of the seventieth week of Daniel.) he (Referring to the prince of the people, the prince of darkness, the god of this present world, that old dragon called Satan and the Devil who will influence ALL his antichrists and antichrist systems throughout the entire history of the church age) shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
In other words, ALL of history from the time God turned to the Gentiles up to the last 42 months or the last 3 1/2 years IS the MIDST of the 70th week of Daniel. Also, notice the last phrase, EVEN UNTIL the consummation or the completion of what has been prophesied and determined to be poured out or executed upon the desolate or desolator as some translations state. To ME, this means NO rebuilt temple on the Holy Mount in Jerusalem. In other words, all the antichrist systems have caused the Jewish sacrifices to CEASE UNTIL the end of the age. The Jewish temple was destroyed in 70 AD and an “abomination”, the Dome of the Rock, was built or placed on the Holy Mount in 685 to 691 AD. And from 70 AD forward the Jewish sacrifices have CEASED. However, the WHOLE seventieth week has NOT YET been fulfilled. There still REMAINS a 3 1/3 year period of time called the time of Jacobs’s trouble and the great tribulation that is yet to be fulfilled right before the coming of Jesus. In Daniel chapter 12 we read in the King James translation where the daily sacrifices would be taken away after 1290 days as opposed to 1260 days. But in the original text, the word “SACRIFICES” is NOT there, but rather it was added by the translators, more on Daniel chapter 12 in a moment. But to be consistent with prophetic language of a lunar 360 day year and the language of the book of Revelation using the 1260 days, then we MUST conclude that the first thirty days of the 1290 days to be WITHIN or during the MIDST of the 70th week if the 1290 days is placed at the end of the 70th week of Daniel. In other words, something takes place for 30 days right before the last 1260 days of the great tribulation. The last 1260 days before the second coming of Jesus is the last half of the 70th week of Daniel and the 30 days subtracted from the 1290 days take place DURING the MIDST of the week right before the last half of Daniels 70th week. Let us now read Daniel 9:26 to see if there is a clue as to what happens during the 30 days right before the abomination of desolation, which is again the Islamic Muslim ARMIES surrounding Jerusalem as we are told in Luke chapter 21 and the BEGINNING of the last half of Daniel's 70th week. Please see the study I have written called “WHAT IS THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION?”, but for now, let us see what clues Daniel gives to us.
Daniel 9:26.
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself (Jesus is cut off on the fourth day, which basically BEGINS the seventieth week of Daniel): and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (The people of the prince are everyone who is NOT a Christian, but concerning prophecy, the Jews are not the people of the prince even though they are not yet following the true Prince, the Messiah Jesus. You see, Satan is the god of this world and all people who are NOT born again to cry Abba Father to our creator are children of the devil and his voice they will follow. So then, the Roman armies that destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary in 70 AD during the early part of the MIDST of the week are the people of the prince of darkness, the prince of the principalities and powers of the air, ruling over the fallen angels who are the principalities of the air.); and the END thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
The war between the prince of the air or Satan and God's people is still yet waging. The early part of the MIDST of the week BEGAN with a WAR around 70 AD and the END of the MIDST of the week shall also BEGIN with a WAR. And then UNTO THE END of the war will bring an END to the 1335 days spoken of in Daniel chapter 12. So then, 30 days BEFORE the last half of the seventieth week of Daniel will be the BEGINNING of a WAR. Thirty days later Jerusalem will be surrounded by Islamic Muslim ARMIES to BEGIN the 1260 days or the last half of the seventieth week of Daniel. IMMEDIATELY AFTER the tribulation of those days, there will appear SIGNS in the SUN and the MOON and the STARS that will cause men's hearts to fail them for things coming on the earth. Then shall THEY SEE the SIGN of the Son of man coming in great clouds of glory at the second coming of Jesus? The rapture of the church will take place at this time and we shall be CHANGED from being mortal to immortal and be caught straight up into the air where the angels will gather us all together from one end of the earth to the other to a place called Armageddon to help Jesus execute the WRATH of God for 75 days. HAPPY are those who will be left of the nations who survive the WRATH of God unto the 1335 day. The 1335th day is NOT the END of days. The END of days of this present age, the age of the church, will end AT the RAPTURE of the church and the 144,000 sealed Jews to be preserved alive in their mortal bodies to go into the 1000 year reign of Jesus along with those left alive of the nations to be taught of the Lord during the Millennium. The ONLY people who will receive ETERNAL LIFE at the END of days, the end of this present age, the age of the church, AT the RAPTURE of the church, will be those of us who ARE Christ's AT his COMING. Following the rapture of the church will be 75 days of the WRATH of God and the REMNANT of Israel will still be on the earth suffering the wrath of God, but God will lift his wrath and deliver his people, the REMNANT of the Jews who were taken captive by the Muslims during the 3 1/2 years of the great tribulation. All the charts or timelines that I have seen made by other prophecy teachers show the midst of the seventieth week exactly in the middle of the last seven years with exactly 1260 days on each side of the midst of the week, which to ME, leaves NO DAYS, not even one hour or one minute for the MIDST of the week. I mean according to the pre-tribulation and mid-tribulation view there is NO GAP or NO space of TIME for the abomination of desolation to take place. Here is a pre-tribulation timeline from another website taken from a search on Google images. You see, dear children of God, the prophetic year is 360 days exactly and 1260 days +1260 days equals exactly SEVEN prophetic years leaving NO days left for the MIDST of the week. No matter if it is future or already fulfilled. But if the GAP is placed right after the FIRST HALF of the 70th week, that has ALREADY been fulfilled by Jesus and the church preaching to the JEWS ONLY, then the LAST HALF of the 70th week is yet future, then the MIDST of the week fits perfectly with ALL the prophecies.
Here is Daniel 12:11 from the Septuagint translation of the Bible. “And from the time of the removal of the PERPETUAL sacrifice (Again, the word SACRIFICE is NOT in the original text so the first part of this verse should read, And from the time of the removal of the PERPETUAL or the ETERNAL), when the abomination of desolation shall be set up a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
Now, there are two possible interpretations of Daniel 12:11 when the correct translation is used. We will look at the above Septuagint translation first and then we will take a closer look at a LITERAL translation. In the above Septuagint translation, we can interpret the word PERPETUAL as being the removal of those who ARE Christ's at his coming that has just been given their reward of ETERNAL LIFE and are CAUGHT UP into the air to meet Jesus in the AIR over the place called Armageddon to help Jesus execute the WRATH of God. The next phrase in this verse of Scripture is speaking of the END of the DESOLATIONS at the END of the war between the people of the prince and Israel. This desolation that is placed at the end of the 1260 days might very well be an atomic nuclear weapon.
Revelation 11:18 says that Jesus is coming to destroy those who ARE DESTROYING the earth.
“And the nations were angry, and your WRATH IS COME, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.”
Now let us take a closer look at the LITERAL translation of Daniel 21:11.
“And from the era, he is taken away the continually and to give of abomination one desolating days thousand two hundred and ninety.”
So in the literal translation, it appears that the ONE DESOLATING shall be taken away from the era or age to be bound for a thousand years. And it appears that the ONE DESOLATING in the last days will desolate CONTINUALLY for 1290 days. In other words, in the literal translation of Daniel 12:11, there are not two points with a notable event marking one point of time that from that one point to another point is 1290 days. Again the word sacrifice is NOT in the original text, but rather it was added by the translators. In other words, the one desolating, which I believe will be the Islamic Muslim armies will desolate or make all-out war with Israel CONTINUALLY for 1290 days and that Jesus will return to TAKE AWAY this continual desolating of Israel by the Islamic Muslim Armies to deliver or rescue his people Israel. This is called the WRATH of God and the REMNANT of Israel will still yet be ON the surface of the earth during the wrath of God. So then 30 days before the 1260 days equals 1290 days of the continual war with Israel by the surrounding Islamic Muslim armies seeking to wipe every last Jew off the face of the earth. Add another 75 days for the WRATH of God and that brings us to the 1335 days spoken of in Daniel 12:12 where those of the nations who survive the wrath of God by calling upon the name of the Lord shall be saved alive in their MORTAL bodies to go into the Millennium to be taught of the Lord. Now both of the above interpretations are in agreement with the rest of Scripture that clearly teaches us a POST tribulation but yet PRE-WRATH rapture of the church AT the time of the SECOND COMING of Jesus BEFORE the 1000 year reign of Jesus. The saints are indeed given ETERNAL LIFE and taken away at the coming of Jesus and Satan is also taken and bound for 1000 years at the second coming of Jesus. We are not told EXACTLY when Satan is bound, whether it is immediately at the second Jesus returns, sometime during the latter end of this war in heaven when Satan is cast down to the earth or at the very end of the wrath of God and right before Jesus begins his 1000 year reign on the earth. But what does it matter to know the exactly when so long as what we believe and teach agrees with the word of God that Satan will be bound DURING the 1000 year reign of Jesus as Revelation 20 teaches us in simplicity? So then, either interpretation still is in agreement with the rest of God's word. However, I myself am leaning more toward the Septuagint translation because Jesus most likely will still be making WAR with Satan and the fallen angels DURING the WRATH of God for another 75 days or unto the 1335 days of Daniel chapter 12. Just to recap and review what I have said in this study, the GAP or the MIDST of the seventieth week Daniel BEGINS or rather began when God turned to the Gentiles and it will CONTINUE up to the abomination of desolation that begins the LAST HALF of the 70th week ending with the second coming of Jesus. Here is a timeline that will help you see that the GAP is between the first and last half of the 70th week of Daniel and not between the 69th and 70th week, which leaves NO days left for anything to take place so logically the pre-trib and mid-trip gap theory is just a WORD on a chart and makes no sense whatsoever. The 70th week began four days before the cross of Jesus and does not end until the second coming of Jesus, which is FAR more than 7 years. So the only LOGICAL solution is for the GAP or the MIDST of the week to BEGIN WHEN God turned the gospel to the GENTILES. Since I could not find anyone else teaching anything even close to this interpretation that God is showing to me I had to make my own timeline in three separate drawings so it would be big enough to read. Also, I should mention here that there is one-half of God's wrath before the 1000 years and the last half of God's wrath at the end of the 1000 years. I explain this is some other end-time studies I have written. When God turned to the Gentiles that is when the MIDST of the 70th week of Daniel began. The church age CONTINUES right through the time of great tribulation to the second coming of Jesus. The 3 1/2 years of great tribulation is the last half of Daniel's 70th week AND the last 3 1/2 years of the church age as well. I have also many other studies giving many other verses that show without a doubt that the church will go through the period of great tribulation and thus there is NO PRE-tribulation rapture of the church. There IS indeed a rapture of the church, which takes place AT the SECOND coming of Jesus. Below is a link to the list of studies that I have written about the end times. Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God. Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark. RETURN TO HOMEPAGE AT |