Q: Do the prophesies of Daniel apply to the Church Age? Should we be looking for the Jews to tear down the Al-Aqsa mosque, rebuild their temple, restore animal sacrifices for sin, and expect a future Anti-Christ to come and destroy it all, desecrating the temple?
A: No. Because all of this has already happened.
None of these texts below refer to an End-Time anti-christ yet to come. They were written as prophesy for the people of the time of Christ and the words were fulfilled then by the end of the 1st century A.D.
Many end-time teachers use these scriptures incorrectly as a basis to predict things that are yet to come in our time and beyond - this because they lack a sound education in history and the major events of the Biblical past.
They are still marvelous as prophesy - to be written 400 years before the events happened, and with such staggering accuracy, is nothing short of miraculous.
A lot of the so-called "end time prophesies of" Daniel have already occurred from the time of Alexander the Great and the division of his empire after his death into four kingdoms through to the time of the Roman Empire under Titus. These are known to historians as the "Wars of the Diadochi".
Halley’s Bible Handbook does a great examination on this, laying out a strong preterist case for Daniel 11 & 12.
Daniel 11:3 refers to Alexander and the eventual split of his kingdom into 4 realms: Ptolemy in Egypt; Seleucid in the east; Pergamon in Asia Minor (Turkey); and Macedonia. 11:42 refers to Ptolemy and the preceding verses describe nearly exactly the course of the 40 years of war after Alexander’s death until the stabilization of the regions. The divisions and subsequent wars played out exactly as Daniel predicted 400 years before they occurred.
"After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, Judea became part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt until 200 BCE when King Antiochus III the Great of Syria defeated King Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt at the Battle of Panium. Judea then became part of the Seleucid Empire of Syria. King Antiochus III the Great, wanting to conciliate his new Jewish subjects, guaranteed their right to "live according to their ancestral customs" and to continue to practice their religion in the Temple of Jerusalem" (source)
This is an excellent presentation by Bruce Gore on Antiochus IV Watch Here
Daniel 11:45 refers to the Greek Citadel called the Acra he erected in Jerusalem.
Daniel 12:11 refers to two events: 1) when Antiochus IV enters Jerusalem and outlaws animal sacrifice and other Jewish laws and customs, and then 1290 days later 2) when the Temple was "made desolate"
"In 167 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. He also, according to Josephus, "compelled Jews to dissolve the laws of the country, to keep their infants un-circumcised, and to sacrifice swine's flesh upon the altar; against which they all opposed themselves, and the most approved among them were put to death." (wikipedia citing Josephus)
Hannukah is celebrated by modern Jews in remembrance of the Maccabee's revolt against Antiochus, and their subsequent rededication of the temple. Judas Maccabee also rebuilt the walls as prophesied by Daniel 9:25.
(Daniel 9:25) says "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." By the time of Christ, John 10:22-23 depicts Jesus present for the Hannukah remembrance at Solomon's Colonnade (porch)
In fact, in accordance with Daniel 9:26, Jerusalem, and the Temple were destroyed utterly in AD 70 by Roman Emperor Vespasian's son and general, Titus. Titus eventually became Caesar himself and took on the name Titus Caesar Vespasianus, after his father.
Josephus claims that because they were gathered for Passover, over 1.1 million jews were killed in Titus' Seige of Jerusalem (AD 70) and that "Titus and his soldiers celebrated victory upon their return to Rome by parading the Menorah and Table of the Bread of God's Presence through the streets."
Daniel 9:24 is interesting in that it seems to give a time frame during which certain things must occur which did actually occur.
- To finish the transgression and make an end to sins. "The transgression" is Adam's sin, as in bring the sin of man to an end, also ending sacrifices for sins.
- To make reconciliation for iniquity and bring in everlasting righteousness. This would be accomplished by the crucifixion of Jesus and subsequent resurrection.
- To seal up the vision and prophesy. Meaning the words of Daniel are already fulfilled.
- To anoint the most Holy. This does not mean the temple, but Jesus himself. Being anointed in life and in death by John for his ministry and by the women who anointed his body.
Daniel 12:1 most likely refers to the edict of Herod (Rachel’s Lamentation) to kill all the newborn children in Judea, and the soon coming of Christ the Deliverer.
(Daniel 12:2) refers to the many resurrections that happened in Jerusalem when He, Jesus Christ, was crucified. (Matthew 27:50-54).
(Daniel 9:24) speaks of 70 weeks. This is typically interpreted as "weeks of years" referring to the destruction of the Temple by Titus in AD 70.
(Daniel 9:26-27) speaks of the cutting off of the Messiah (crucifixion, end of the earthly ministry) and how subsequently Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed. It was in fact destroyed by the Romans and their "prince" (note Titus was the SON of Emperor Vespasian at the time, thus a "prince") and thus the final ending of potential jewish sacrifices and temple worship was complete.
A pagan Roman temple was set up on the former site of Herod's Temple.
Today, we see the Al-Aqsa mosque in its place atop the "Dome of the Rock"
It is time to "seal up the vision and prophesy" of Daniel.