Purpose
Daniel 7 describes the Antichrist as an 11th horn, persecuting God’s people. In Daniel 8, the Antichrist is a little horn. Daniel 11 calls him a vile person. The purpose of this article is to determine whether the “he” in Daniel 9:27, who causes sacrifice to cease, is that same Antichrist.
Daniel 2, 7, 8, and 11
To enable a comparison of Daniel 7, 8, and 11 to Daniel 9, the following is a brief overview of the conclusions of the series of articles on Daniel 2, 7, 8, and 11:
Daniel 2 – Six Ages
Daniel 2 predicts six ages. First, there would be four empires, each ruled by a single supreme king. The vision identifies the first ancient Babylon. The fifth would be a “divided kingdom” (Dan 2:41), when different kings will rule different parts. The sixth would be God’s eternal kingdom, beginning when Christ returns (Dan 2:37-38; 44). Daniel 2 does not mention an Antichrist.
Daniel 7 – The 11th Horn
Daniel 7 describes the same 6 ages, but adds details. In particular, it adds the Antichrist, who will rule during the “divided kingdom,” and who will only be destroyed when Christ returns. The Antichrist is symbolized as the 11th horn of the fourth animal. It is the main character in this chapter. Daniel 7 describes the other kingdoms and kings merely to allow the reader to identify the Antichrist.
The Antichrist is Roman.
Daniel 7 and 8 use animals to symbolize empires. These chapters describe the animals’ heads, horns, wings, etc. As discussed, a comparison of the descriptions of these animals shows that the two animals in Daniel 8, which are explicitly identified as “the kings of Media and Persia” and “the kingdom of Greece” (Dan 8:20-21), are the second and third animals in Daniel 7. It follows that the fourth dragon-like animal of Daniel 7 is the empire after Greece, which we know, from history, was the Roman Empire. This further means that the Antichrist, which is symbolized as the 11th horn growing out of the fourth dragon-like animal, grows out of the Roman Empire.
Daniel 8 – A little horn
Daniel 2 described six ages but no Antichrist. Daniel 7 described the same six ages, but added the Antichrist, and made the Antichrist the main character and focus of the chapter. Daniel 8 continues the trend of focusing on the Antichrist. It only mentions three entities. The first two are the Medo-Persian and Greek empires. The third is a “a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great” (Dan 8:9). This combines the fourth animal of Daniel 7 and its 11th horn (the Antichrist) into a single symbol.
Daniel 11
Daniel 11 does not use animals as symbols but describes a series of kings leading up to the Antichrist.
Interpretations
There is general agreement among interpreters that these four prophecies are parallel. They describe the same crisis and the same Antichrist. However, different schools of thought identify the Antichrist differently:
For Liberals, the Antichrist is Antiochus IV, a Greek king who persecuted the Jews in the second century B.C.
In Dispensationalism, the Antichrist is an end-time tyrant.
In the traditional Historical interpretation, the Antichrist is an evil superpower that arose when the Roman Empire fragmented in the fifth and later centuries, which still exists today, and which will only be destroyed when Christ returns.
Time, Tims, and Half a Time
To further enable a comparison of Daniel 7, 8, and 11 to Daniel 9, this is a brief overview of the conclusions of the article on this period, which is the period during which the Antichrist will rule. In Daniel 7:25, the Antichrist persecutes God’s people for “a time and times and half a time.”
It is equal to 42 months and to 1260 days.
Revelation 12:6 and 14 describe the same events during the same period. However, while verse 6 describes this as 1260 days, in verse 14, it is “a time and times and half a time.” Therefore, these two periods are the same.
As discussed, the Sea Beast in Revelation 13 is the same as the 11th horn in Daniel 7. Both symbolize the Antichrist. However, while the Sea Beast persecutes God’s people for 42 months (Rev 13:5), the 11th horn persecutes them for a time, times, and half a time (Dan 7:25). Therefore, these two periods are also the same.
Combining the previous two paragraphs, a time, times, and half a time = 42 months = 1260 days. They are also numerically equal:
A time, times, and half a time
= one time + 2 times + half a time
= 3½ times
= 3½ years
= 3½ x 12 = 42 months
= 42 x 30 = 1260 days, assuming prophetic months of 30 days each.
It is a very important period.
It is mentioned twice in Daniel and five times in Revelation:
The nations will tread underfoot the holy city for 42 months (Rev 11:2).
God’s two witnesses will prophesy for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth (Rev 11:3).
The woman (God’s people) hides in the wilderness for 1260 days (Rev 12:6) and for “a time and times and half a time” (Rev 12:14).
The beast will have authority for 42 months (Rev 13:5).
Note that it is always the period of persecution of God’s people.
Overview of Daniel 9
To further enable a comparison of Daniel 7, 8, and 11 to Daniel 9, this section provides an overview of Daniel 9. In Daniel 9:24, God promises Israel 70 weeks (490 years), divided into three periods:
-
-
- 7 weeks (49 years)
- 62 weeks (434 years), and
- 1 week (the final 7 years).
-
That last week is the crux of the prophecy, but is described in only one verse (Daniel 9:27). In both the Liberal and Dispensational interpretations, the “time and times and half a time” of Daniel 7 are part of those last seven years:
In the Liberal interpretation, all the prophecies in Daniel describe the crisis caused by King Antiochus IV in the middle of the second century B.C. In this view, both the “time and times and half a time” in Daniel 7 and the last week of Daniel 9 describe that crisis.
In the Dispensational interpretation, the last seven years begin with the Rapture of the Church, seven years before Christ returns. In this view, Revelation 4:1 is the rapture, and everything in Revelation after that verse, including the “time and times and half a time” (Rev 12:14), describes the last seven years of Daniel 9.
Therefore, in both the Liberal and Dispensational interpretations, Daniel 9:27 describes the same crisis as Daniel 7.
Similarities
There are some similarities between Daniel 9 and Daniel 7, 8, and 11:
Sacrifices cease.
In Daniel 9, sacrifice and oblation cease (Dan 9:27). Similarly, in Daniel 8, “the daily sacrifice was taken away” (Dan 8:11).
Time similarity
In Daniel 9:27, sacrifices cease in the “midst” of the last seven years. If sacrifices are resumed at the end of the last seven years, sacrifices would “cease” for 3½ years, which seems equal to “a time and times and half a time.” However, Daniel 9 nowhere says that sacrifices would be resumed at the end of the last seven years. On the contrary, it ends in chaos (Dan 9:27).
Destruction
In both Daniel 9 and the other prophecies, destruction is predicted: In Daniel 8, “the place of his sanctuary was cast down” (Dan 8:11). In Daniel 9, “the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.”
Differences
However, the differences between Daniel 9 and Daniel 7, 8, and 11 are much greater than the similarities. Different from the other prophecies, in Daniel 9:
There are no preceding kings.
In the other prophecies, the Antichrist exists until Christ returns, but kings precede the Antichrist. Daniel 7 and 8 symbolize these kings as animals and horns (e.g., Dan 7:17, 24). Daniel 11 describes them in more literal terms. In contrast, in Daniel 9, there are no preceding empires or kings. It is only about Jerusalem and the Messiah.
The focus is on Israel.
While the other prophecies predict a series of heathen empires and kings, covering all time from the time of ancient Babylon until Christ’s return (Dan 7:27; Dan 2:38, 44), Daniel 9 focuses exclusively on Israel and on the 490 years which the vision allocated to Israel (Dan 9:24).
Jerusalem is destroyed.
In Daniel 9, the city will be destroyed (Dan 9:26). None of the other prophecies mention this.
No persecution of God’s
In the other prophecies, God’s people are persecuted (Dan 7:25; 8:24; 11:33; 12:7). In Daniel 9, the Messiah will be killed (Dan 9:26), but there is no mention of the persecution of His people.
The Temple is destroyed.
In the other prophecies, the temple will be profaned by taking away the daily service (Dan 11:31), but it will remain. The “cast down” of the place of his sanctuary in Daniel 8:11 should be understood symbolically because the stars and the truth are also “cast down” (Dan 8:10, 12). In contrast, in Daniel 9, the temple will be completely destroyed (Dan 9:26).
The Temple is restored but then destroyed.
In the other prophecies, the temple is first desecrated and then restored (Dan 8:14). In Daniel 9, the sequence is reversed. The temple will be restored, but again destroyed. Daniel 9 does not mention another restoration. Rather, as stated, it ends in total chaos (Dan 9:27).
The time periods are very different.
The other prophecies in Daniel mention 1290 and 1335 days (Dan 12:11, 12) and 2300 “evening morning” (Dan 8:14). Daniel 9 mentions none of these. Instead, it has 490 years, 49 years, 434 years, and 7 years. And none of these are found in the other prophecies.
If the 2300 “evening morning” (Dan 8:14) are as 2300 sacrifices, of which there were two every day, thus equal to 1150 literal days, it is equal to 3 years and 55 days, and still not equal to anything in Daniel 9.
It does not end with Christ’s Return.
The other prophecies end with:
-
-
- The “time of the end” (Dan 8:17, 19, 12:4, 9),
- Christ’s return (Dan 2:34-35),
- The destruction of the Antichrist (Dan 7:26; 8:25; 11:45),
- The eternal kingdom (Dan 2:44-45; 7:18, 27; 8:25 – without human agency, compare Dan 2:45), and
- The resurrection of the dead, and “everlasting life” (Dan 12:2).
-
None of these are found in Daniel 9. There is no indication in Daniel 9 that this vision goes to the “time of the end.” It ends with “desolate, even until a complete destruction” (v27).
It is a literal prophecy.
Daniel 9 is a literal prophecy:
“The city” is the literal Jerusalem.
The Messiah is a literal Person.
The 70 weeks are literal weeks. Israel had weeks of years in which every seventh was a sabbath year (Lev 25:2-4). God’s covenant with Israel was based on those weeks of years (Lev 26:34-35; 43). As discussed, the 70 weeks were a renewal of God’s covenant with Israel. Consequently, the 70 weeks are literal weeks of years, equal to 490 literal years. We do not need a year-day principle to interpret the 70 weeks as 490 years.
In contrast, the other prophecies in Daniel are symbolic. For example, Daniel 7 and 8 use animals to represent empires.
The “time and times and half a time” is the period during which the 11th horn of the 4th animal in Daniel 7 rules. Given this symbolic context, that period is symbolic and not equal to the literal 3½ years in Daniel 9:27.
Conclusions
Daniel 2, 7, 8, and 11 predict the same crisis, the same series of events, and the same Antichrist. But Daniel 9 is very different from those other prophecies in Daniel. While Daniel 2, 7, 8, and 11 cover all nations and all time, from ancient Babylon to Christ’s return, Daniel 9 focuses specifically on Israel and on the 490 years God allocated to Israel. This implies that Daniel 9 describes a different crisis. It does not describe the Antichrist we find in the other prophecies. It also follows that the “time, times, and half a time,” which is the period during which the Antichrist rules, is not part of the last seven years of Daniel 9.
This argues against the Liberal and Dispensational interpretations, for, in those interpretations, Daniel 9:27 describes the same crisis and the same Antichrist as the other prophecies.