I've just become aware of new (to me) information that has totally changed my perspective of the "end times". Based on what I have learned from a number of different teachers and prophets...
There is about to be a great war along the Euphrates and Israel will suffer greatly. Trump will support Israel and help them enter into a seven year covenant to bring peace which will also create the Palestinian State. This will allow the third temple to be built, but will be a terrible mistake. After three and a half years of "peace" the tribulation will begin when the antichrist nullifies the covenant - and you probably already know the rest of the story...
Get busy with the work of the kingdom folks...we have about eight years before we see Yeshua in the clouds.
Though I recognize that the peace treaty between the antichrist and Israel is one of the views that are taught by virtually everyone in prophecy today, IMHO it has become one of the sacred cows of eschatology. The foundation that this cow is fastened upon is Daniel 9:26,27
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof
shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he 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.
This passage is used to predict prophetically the Second Coming of Christ without examining its fulfillment within the context of its original fulfillment. I am fully aware that a particular prophecy can have multiple fulfillments, usually in groups of 3, however, the proponents of this peace treaty have failed to thoroughly examine the text.
Some things that become obvious when examining this text.
1 This passage is sadly lacking in evidence connecting it to Matt. 24:15. Jesus quotes Daniel as saying that you would see him standing in the holy place, also mentioned in Mark 13. To connect these dots with Daniel would take you to Daniel 11:31.
2Messiah is cut off after 62 weeks, not 69
3 A son of the king who could also be the commanding general would come with many people and destroy the city and the sanctuary. This was fulfilled in time context by Titus, both the son of Ceasar Vespasian and the commanding general of Rome's forces in Israel
4Unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Also referred to elsewhere as consumation.
5The covenant being confirmed is a phrase that means that the covenant is fulfilled, not begun.
6 A type of sacrifice will be made to end because of something that happens in the midst of the week.
7 There will be an overspreading of abominations which will result in the desolations (presumably mentioned above)
8 The desolations will continue until consummation, and the desolations will be poured upon the desolate
In the original time context fulfillment (at or around the time of the Messiah being cut off) there are only 2 candidates to fulfill these passages, Christ and Titus. Some of them will be fulfilled by one and the rest by the other. In a parallel prophecy, each instance must be fulfilled exactly as stated with no deviation or it cannot be considered prophecy. So when I look at the original fulfillment this is what I find
Christ is cut off. The destruction of the prince that comes (approximately 40 yrs later) is the result of an overspreading of abominations. At the time of His crucifixion you find the fulfillment of multiple covenants being fulfilled because they all were pointed to the same event in the future, the Seed of Abraham being sacrificed as a substitution for man to provide restored fellowship with God. What feast day was fulfilled by this sacrifice? Passover, also depicted in the first 3 chapters of Leviticus as 5 separate sacrifices known as the sacrifice and oblation mentioned above. The meat and drink offering (Pescha). The sacrifice was divided into 3 sacrifices, the Sin offfering, the Burnt offering, and the Trespass offering or Peace offering. Ever wonder why there were 3 crosses that night? (Though I know their crucifixion had nothing to do with the atonement for sin). The other two crosses were there to provide a picture. One of them rejected Christ and became the picture of the Burnt offering, the other made his acceptable peace offering by acknowledging his trespass and Christ of course was the Sin offering (the meat and drink offering completed the evening before). In the midst of the week, Christ fulfilled the covenant and caused the Passover sacrifice to cease according to Hebrews. Did that stop the slaughter of innocent lambs? No. For that reason, that God's perfect lamb was considered an insufficient sacrifice, the succeeding Passover sacrifices became a stench in Gods nostrils that he could not stomach. The only way to stop it became to destroy the temple where it was being offered, thus Titus. According to Josephus, Titus never stepped foot in the Holy Place as the flames were so hot when he got there he couldn't approach. There was also no treaty or covenant ever proposed between Titus and the Jews in Jerusalem much less fulfilled.
So in conclusion, Christ fulfilled the covenant, not Titus. Christ's death in the midst of the week was the reason for the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. The rejection of Him was the catalyst for the destruction of the temple by Titus. Until the war (I believe Armageddon) it will be desolate (without the shekinah glory of God). That being said, due to the references in Daniel 11:31 (also chapters 8&12) I believe that the Temple will be rebuilt and the Jews will attempt to restart Temple sacrifices thus resulting in the antichrist stopping the daily sacrifices (dedication sacrifices).
To utilize this passage to prove an end times peace treaty is simply a wall built with untempered mortar.
