THE APOSTASY.
But before I go on to speak of the antichrist, who will be one of the chief features of the apostasy, it will be well, in order to simplify these things for the help of those who are not much acquainted with this part of truth, to allude briefly to the prophecy of Daniel, usually termed “the seventy weeks,” as it is during the last of these weeks that the apostasy takes place.
In Daniel 9:2424Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. (Daniel 9:24) we find, “Seventy weeks” (that is, weeks of years, 490 years) “are determined upon Thy people” (the Jews), “and upon thy holy city” (Jerusalem), and “to finish the transgression... and to bring in everlasting righteousness.”
This period in the next verses is divided into three-seven weeks, threescore and two, and one. During the seven the street and wall of Jerusalem were to be rebuilt, which took place as described in the book of Nehemiah; then at the close of the sixty-two (that is, sixty-nine altogether) we have Messiah the Prince, Christ. He came into the midst of His people. “And after (the) threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself, or, as the margin gives it, and more correctly “shall have nothing.” This also came to pass: instead of Messiah being received and His kingdom established, He was cut off, crucified, and had nothing down here; but God raised Him from the dead to His own right hand and commenced a fresh administration. Sixty nine weeks had run out, and one week was lacking to close the chain.
What do we get next? “The people of the prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary?” This is exactly what happened. The Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. But mark carefully God says: “The people of the” (or “a,” as it should read) “prince that shall come.” The prince here mentioned is a prince who has not yet appeared. The Romans being the people, it follows the prince must be a Roman prince.
Christ being cut off after the sixty-ninth week, the chain of seventy weeks is broken, and the whole of the wonderful hour of the calling out of the church of God, the administration of the great mystery (Eph. 3:2-11, 5:32), comes in before the seventieth is completed— all the dates of Scripture having reference to the earth or the earthly people Israel, the present nearly nineteen hundred years not being reckoned in the prophecy, but let in, as it were, as a heavenly parenthesis between the dealings of God in the past and in the future with His earthly people. The church being completed, the saints will then be caught up, and the Jews, now scattered, will come into prominence again. This Roman prince, as the last verse of this ninth of Daniel (Dan 9:2727And 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. (Daniel 9:27)) teaches us, will confirm the (“a”) covenant with (“the”) many (Jews) for one week (the missing link completing the chain of seventy). Christ will appear at the close to bring in the blessing of the kingdom and everlasting righteousness.
The object of this covenant will be twofold. The Jews at this period will have gone back in great numbers to their own land by the aid of a certain maritime power (Isa. 18), and will seek protection at the hand of the great head in the West, the Roman prince, in order to carry on their temple-worship, and also against a powerful enemy known in prophecy as the Assyrian, or king of the north (Isa. 10; Dan. 8:23-25; 11:40-4523And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:23‑25)
40And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:40‑45)).
But in the midst of the seven years the prince (Roman) will break his covenant with them, and, aided by the antichrist, cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and set up an idol in the temple. This is the hour spoken of in Matthew 24:15-2215When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: 17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:15‑22) of which the Lord warned the disciples: “When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.... for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh he saved; but for the elect’s sake” (the Jewish remnant) “those days shall be shortened.” The setting up of the abomination or idol in the temple is the signal for instant flight on the part of the God-fearing remnant of Judah at that day. On account of this act God will use the Assyrian as a desolator, as the rod of His wrath, to chastise the apostate Jews, until the judgment determined by Him shall have been poured out. (See also Dan. 9:27; 12:1127And 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. (Daniel 9:27)
11And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11)).