A City Of Refuge

What early Protestants had to say about the 70th Week of Daniel

January 11, 2015 James Arendt

Daniel 9:24-27 is the famous “Seventy weeks” prophecy of the Book of Daniel. Most contemporary theologians and Bible scholars agree that verses 24 to 26 are talking about the Messiah, Jesus Christ, but they say the final “week” or seven years has not happened yet but will be the last seven years just before the return of Christ. They also say that the “he” of verse 27 is the future Antichrist and the “covenant with many for one week” is some kind of religious pact or treaty that the Antichrist will make with the Jews which will permit the rebuilding of the Temple of Solomon so that the Antichrist will set up the Abomination of Desolation inside it and proclaim himself to be God. Would you consider that a fair assessment of current fundamentalist eschatology? It sure now seems to me reading all that into Daniel 9:27 is pure speculation!

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. — Daniel 9:27 KVJ

The fact is, most Protestant leaders up to sometime in the 19th century did not hold the view that Daniel 9:27 will be fulfilled by a future Antichrist, but that it was already fulfilled by Jesus Christ! The “covenant with many” is the new covenant of grace, and the 7 years is the time from when Jesus started His ministry till the time Stephen was stoned by the Pharisees. Don’t believe it? Please read what the Protestant Reformers had to say about it: CONTINUE READING HERE: