The Left Behind novels teach that Daniel's 70th week-of-years predicts a tribulation during which an Antichrist like their fictional Nicolae Carpathia would make a covenant with Israel, and then break that covenant. In their official defense of Left Behind theology titled The Truth Behind Left Behind, with Introduction by Tim LaHaye, apologists Mark Hitchcock and Thomas Ice write that "The seven-year Tribulation is a cornerstone of the entire Left Behind series." (page 89) Then they go on to discuss Daniel 9:24-27 as the basis for this teaching, calling this passage "the indispensable key to all prophecy." (page 90)
However, they teach this by splitting apart Daniel's '70 weeks' prophecy, leaving the first 69 of those weeks back in ancient times and moving the 70th week two thousand years into the future, in modern times.
This is not what the plain reading of Scripture indicates; nor is it the traditional understanding. Consider what Calvin and Luther said about it. They understood the 70th week to come right after the 69th week, beginning during Christ's ministry on earth.
This is what Daniel actually wrote:
Seventy 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. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 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.And this is how Calvin understood the 70th week:
"The angel now continues his discourse concerning Christ by saying, he should confirm the treaty with many for one week. ...the angel says, Christ should confirm the covenant for one week..."
—John Calvin, "Lecture Fifty-First"
"In the last Lecture we explained how Christ confirmed the covenant with many during the last week..."
—John Calvin, "Lecture Fifty-Second"
Available on the web at http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/comment3/comm_vol25/htm/iv.xx.htm on the "Christian Classics Ethereal Library" provided by Calvin College of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Luther had a similar understanding:
"For when Christ sent out the Gospel through the ministry of himself and of the Apostles, it lasted three or three and a half years, that it almost amounts to the calculation of Daniel, namely the 490 years. Hence he also says, Christ shall take a half a week, in which the daily offerings shall cease; that is, the priesthood and reign of the Jews shall have an end; which all took place in the three and a half years in which Christ preached, and was almost completed in four years after Christ, in which the Gospel prospered the most, especially in Palestine through the Apostles (that when they opened their mouth, the Holy Ghost fell as it were, from heaven, as we see in the Acts of the Apostles), so that a whole week, or seven years, established the covenant, as Daniel says; that is, the Gospel was preached to the Jews, of which we spoke before."
—Martin Luther, "Sermon for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity; Matthew 24:15-28"
from his Church Postil, first published in 1525
available online at http://www.orlutheran.com/mlsemt2415.html
The traditional understanding is that Daniel's 70th week does not refer to an end-times 7-year tribulation during which a character like Left Behind's Nicolae Carpathia makes a treaty with Israel and then breaks it. Rather, it refers to the 7 years during which Jesus, and then his Apostles preached the Gospel exclusively to God's covenant people, the Jews.
|
Daniel's 70th week came right after the 69 weeks, not 2000 years later as an end-times tribulation as Left Behind teaches. "Christ confirmed the covenant with many during the last week..." - John Calvin MORE |
The Tribulation Jesus spoke of was a tribulation on "this people," the Jews, beginning when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem — not a 7-year period in the end times as Left Behind teaches. "'for then shall be great tribulation, such as had not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.' All this pertains still to the Jewish nation." - Martin Luther MORE |
|
The Antichrist is not a future leader like Left Behind's Nicolae Carpathia, but came to power when the Roman Empire, which was restraining it, got out of the way. The papacy and Islam are "the two horns of Antichrist." - John Calvin MORE |
The Temple in Jerusalem does not need to be rebuilt, with its priesthood and sacrifices, to fulfill prophecy. "He will make to cease the sacrifice and offering ... Christ ... offered himself up as a victim, then all the rites of the law came to a close." - John Calvin MORE |
|
The Abomination of Desolation was fulfilled by the Romans at the desolation of Jerusalem. "But the abomination of which Daniel writes is that the Emperor Cajus, as history tells, had put his image in the temple at Jerusalem as an idol, for the people to worship, after everything there had been destroyed." - Martin Luther MORE |
Daniel's 70th Week for unbelievers after the Rapture. Christ is coming once, not twice as Left Behind claims. 'the Lord himself shall descend from heaven ... Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up ... to meet the Lord in the air ... then sudden destruction cometh upon them ... and they shall not escape.' - Paul MORE |
| RELATED SITES: 1260days The Tribulation, the Antichrist and end-times events in the light of the Holocaust, the restoration of Israel and the rise of radical Islam AnswerJW.com AnswerJW.com helps you answer Jehovah's Witnesses from the Bible BeastsOfRevelation The 7-headed beast of Rev. 13 is a composite of the 4 beasts of Daniel 7, which were the empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. So it appears to represent human rulership, a monster empowered by the dragon, Satan the Devil. BibleForetoldHolocaust.com The Third Reich murdered more than 6 million Jews. Holy Scripture foretold this would happen. BlueHelmetsToJerusalem The prophecies about Jerusalem have serious implications for our modern world. Complete book to download or read online. Comments from the Friends Complete books and booklets online refuting Jehovah's Witnesses, including How to get Jehovah'sWitnesses to LISTEN and After Death - what? ...according to Jesus Christians, Repent! Jesus tells Christians, "Repent, or else..." Jerusalem Verses Many blame worldwide terror on the situation in and around Jerusalem. Long ago the Bible foretold a time when the world would focus on that Holy City. LeftBehindAnswered.com The new LEFT BEHIND teachings answered from Scripture. Will unbelievers get a 7-year second chance after the rapture? Not according to Luther and Calvin. Left Behind Answered Verse by Verse Read online the complete book LEFT BEHIND Answered Verse by Verse from David A. Reed, author of Mormons Answered Verse by Verse and Jehovahs Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse Messiah Is Coming Don't let so-called Jews turn you away from the living God! Don't let so-called Christians turn you away from the Messiah! ProphecyTimeline Prophecy was fulfilled by the Holocaust, by the restoration of Israel to the Promised Land, and by the end of Gentile control over Jerusalem. The Great Tribulation A future time ruled by the Antichrist? Not according to Scripture. Compare the same passage in Matthew and Luke. Why Believe the Bible Two predictions can be used to prove the Bible reliable. The first is the prophecy that the gods of the Gentile nations would be forgotten, in favor of the God of Abraham. Why Read the Bible You get the full flavor of the written Word of God only when you read it in its own context - not when a few verses are sandwiched into a book or sermon. CONTACT |