Verse 26 of Daniel 9 introduces "the prince that shall come." He is to be the head of a revived Roman Empire. That the Roman Empire is to be revived does not hang on this prophecy alone. Revelation 13 and 17 both speak about this great power of a future day; 17:8 describes it as one that "was" and then ceased to exist—"is not"—and later "shall be present" (J.N.D. Trans.). It was the Roman Empire that destroyed Jerusalem in the days of Titus, about A.D. 70. Later it was broken up, and for centuries it ceased to exist as a unit. But in a day that is near at hand it will come up out of the turmoil of the nations in a new form. It will have ten confederated governments under a central head—described here as the "prince that shall come."
In Daniel 2 the course of Gentile world powers is described in the vision of the image of a man. The legs of iron represented the Roman Empire of the past, and then, looking on to the end of Gentile dominion over the Jews, the last state of the Roman Empire is depicted in the "ten toes" of the feet. Here again we have ten parts of this future power. There was nothing between the legs and feet, indicating that there would be no universal power between the days of Rome in the past and the Roman Empire of the future. Several have tried to achieve world power but never accomplished it.
Then in Daniel 7 the Roman Empire of the past is described as a "dreadful and terrible" beast; such we know Rome was. Then it pictures the future of the same power in these words: "and it had ten horns." Everywhere the testimony of Scripture is uniform as to the form of the future Roman Empire. There is also another "little horn" in Daniel 7 which describes this same "prince that shall come." The little horn comes up and dominates the whole beast. In fact in Revelation 13 this great prince is called "the beast" himself.
This Roman "prince" will make a league with the Jews for a period of seven years. Before this takes place we, Christians, are to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. He may come at any moment. After the Church is taken to heaven the ways of God with His earthly people will again begin to unfold. The interrupted "seventy weeks" will be resumed; the last "week" or seven years must be fulfilled. During these seven years the Roman Empire will assume protection of the Jews and give them Palestine as a home land, but still under their Gentile domination. The Arabs (who at present are vigorously protesting the admittance of more Jews to Palestine) will continue to be the enemies of the Jewish occupation of that land. They will probably perfect what they now seek—a federated Arab state—which is described in Isaiah as the "king of the north"; that is, north of Palestine. Daniel 8 and 11 also go on to develop the picture of this "king of the north" of the future, and Psalm 83 gives the list of his confederate peoples.
For fear of the Arab world the Jews, who will have gone back to Palestine in unbelief seeking a home land rather than their Messiah, will readily turn to the Roman Empire for protection and accept a contract with this "beast" for seven years. He will permit them to re-establish their Jewish ritual and rebuild their temple. This will stir the Arabs to great resentment, but the overwhelming strength of the Roman Empire will apparently guarantee safety to the Jews. Now the 27th verse should read,
"And he shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease."
Some have misinterpreted this "covenant" to mean the "new covenant" which the Messiah will make with Israel, but that plainly could not be the case for He will not make one for seven years nor will He break it. This is "a covenant" entered into by the Jews and their false Messiah—the antichrist—on the one hand, and the head of the Roman Empire on the other. It is also made with "the many" or the mass of the Jews. There will be a faithful remnant who will refuse this proffered aid and suffer for it, but the many will readily accept it.
"Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge [the `king of the north' or the 'Assyrian] shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves."
Then the prophet Isaiah goes on to tell that their agreement shall not stand and that the overflowing scourge will tread them down. God will see to it that judgment will overtake them; but He also gives a word of encouragement to the faithful few by telling them of Christ the "sure foundation" for them who trust in Him (v. 16).
After one half of the week—31/2 years—has run its course, this "prince" will break his contract with the Jews to the extent that he will cause all their ritual and sacrifices to cease. As wicked as the Jewish leaders and most of the Jewish people will be, this "prince" will be worse. He will hate even the mention of. God and seek to obliterate all acknowledgment of Him in any way. He will substitute total idolatry for their reestablished religious services. The antichrist, the Jewish leader, will be his guilty coadjutor and tool.
"And he shall... think to change times and laws [Jewish ritual]; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."
Here we get the specified time of enforced idolatry as "time"—one year; "times"—two years; "the dividing of time"—one half year; or three and one half years. This corresponds exactly to breaking his league with them and establishing idolatry in the "midst of the week"; that is, after the first 3 1/2 years, and with 31/2 years to go.
The Lord Jesus also foretold this terrible and gross idolatry in Matthew 12. The unclean spirit of idolatry had gone out of the Jews after their return from Babylon. They have not been idol worshipers since, but in that day the unclean spirit of idolatry will go back into them, with seven other wicked spirits, and their last state shall be worse than the first. And for this "protection of abominations" (J.N.D. Trans.) there is going to be a desolator. The "king of the north," whom they fear, will surely be a scourge in God's hand because of their return to idolatry. Their contract with the Roman prince shall not save them from the devastation which "shall be poured upon the desolate"—the Jews.
The Lord Jesus referred to this idolatry in Matthew 24 as the "abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel" in the 12th chapter. An idol will be placed in the temple according to Matthew 24 and will be the sign for the godly Jews to flee Jerusalem in great haste. The terrible times called "the great tribulation" will follow the institution of idolatry. It will last 31/2 years and be called "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:77Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7)). Of course it will be a time of trouble for the whole world also, but there will be special vengeance on the Jews for their return to idolatry and for their acceptance of a false Jew, called the "antichrist." The 31/2 years are also spoken of as 1260 days in Daniel 12, and in Revelation 13 as 42 months.
Dear fellow-Christian, we stand upon the very threshold of the coming of the Lord and of those awful events which will follow on this earth. We are not looking for the formation of the Roman Empire but rather for the Lord; that is, we should be. Some Christians have put events foremost and have lost in their souls by it. The Lord would have us watching for Himself and not waiting for some event that may not be seen before we leave this world. Things will happen very rapidly after we are gone. We see the coming events casting their shadows now, but we are not waiting for events. Let us keep in mind our Lord's own words:
"Surely I come quickly."
And may our response be,
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
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