Final Week - Abomination
The final “week” of the prophecy includes verbal links to the other visions of Daniel, especially the “abomination of desolation” – Daniel 9:27.
The
most striking features common to the several visions are the “abomination
that desolates” and the cessation of the daily burnt offering. The failure
to see these connections leads to erroneous interpretations.
- (Daniel 9:27) - “And he will make a firm covenant with many for one week, and in the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and upon the wing of abominations will come one that desolates; and even to the full end, and that determined, will wrath be poured out upon the desolate.”
“He will make a firm covenant.” The figure
designated as the “leader” or nagid is the subject of
the verb rendered “confirm.” He “confirms” (gabar),
or perhaps better, he “strengthens” the covenant - (Strong’s - #H1396).
“With many” refers to the occupants of the city who submitted
to the “leader,” and this is in contrast to those who refused to do so, the
same group that was “corrupted” by him in the preceding verse. Note the
following parallels:
- (Daniel 11:30-32) - “Then will come in against him the ships of Cyprus, and he will be disheartened, and again have indignation against a holy covenant, and will act with effect, and again gain intelligence, concerning them who are forsaking a holy covenant. And arms from him will arise, and will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and will set aside the continual burnt offering, and place the abomination that astounds. And them who are ready to deal lawlessly with a covenant will he make impious by flatteries, but the people who know their God will be strong and act with effect.”
- (Daniel 12:10-11) - “Many will purify themselves and be made white and be refined, but the lawless will act lawlessly, and none of the lawless shall understand, but they who make wise shall understand; and from the time of the removal of the continual burnt offering and the placing of the abomination that astounds will be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
The “covenant” made with the “many”
alludes to the same event described in the interpretation of the ram and the goat, the “king
of fierce countenance” who “corrupted” the saints (“By his
cunning he caused deceit to succeed in his hand… and by their careless security
he will corrupt the many” - (Daniel 8:23-25).
“He causes the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.”
This is a clear link to the preceding vision when the “little horn”
desecrated the sanctuary, removed the daily sacrifice, and erected the “transgression
that desolates.” Likewise in chapter 11, the “king of the
south” set up the “abomination that desolates” and
removed the “daily burnt offering.”
In the present passage, the installation of the “abomination” follows the “covenant” that the “leader” makes with the “people.” Thus, the same events are in view in all three visions, especially, the defilement of the sanctuary - (Daniel 8:8-14, 11:31,12:10-11).
The concluding events occurred in the last “half of the week,”
the latter part of the final or “seventieth week.” The period is described
elsewhere, although with different terms and imagery:
- (Daniel 7:25-26) - “And he shall speak words against the Most-High and will wear out the saints. And he will think to change the times and the law, and they will be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.”
- (Daniel 8:19-26) - “Behold, I will make you know what will be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongs to the appointed time of the end…And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance…he also will stand up against the prince of princes but will be broken without hand…but shut up the vision; for it belongs to many days to come.”
- (Daniel 12:6-8) - “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? It will be for a time, times and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things will be finished.”
“On the wings of abomination, he comes desolating.”
The Hebrew noun rendered “abomination” refers to objects that are ritually
unclean, such as idols, heathen altars, and pagan sacrifices. It means
that which is “detestable, abominable” - (Strong’s #H8251), and in the Hebrew Bible, the term is applied to
idolatrous objects - (Deuteronomy 29:17 – “And you have seen their abominations,
and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold”).
What the term “wing” refers to is not clear. The
Hebrew clause reads, “and upon a wing of abominations, desolating.”
It uses the common noun for the “wing” of a bird or insect. Here,
it may be metaphorical for an “extremity” of something, perhaps the four
“wings” or “horns” of the altar of burnt offering. But the
intended referent is not clear - (Exodus 38:2).
“Even until the end, and that a determined one, which will
pour down upon the desolater.” More accurately, “and until the end,
what was decreed was pouring out upon him who was desolating.” That is, the
“leader” who “desolated” the sanctuary would himself be desolated
as “decreed,” presumably by God.
The Hebrew term is applied twice in the passage: “desolations
are decreed… until the end, a decreed one.” “Decreed”
occurs in a similar context in the next vision:
- “The king will do according to his will… he will prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is decreed will be done” (Daniel 11:36).
“Poured down” refers to the same reality as the “flood”
in the preceding verse. In the end, the one who “desolated” the sanctuary
will himself be overwhelmed with desolation.
The verbal links are important, especially the references to the “abomination
that desolates.” They demonstrate that the same events are in view in the
visions of chapters 7, 8, 9, and 11, and in the conclusion of the book - (Daniel
12:10-11).
The
“seventy weeks” end with an ambiguous conclusion. However, the prophecy is
neither the highlight nor the conclusion of the book. The connections to
its other visions are critical for understanding the vision. And while the
prophecy of the “seventy weeks” includes several ambiguities, the
historical references in chapters 8 and 11 are clear and explicit.
The
prophecy provides several chronological clues to the larger picture, and it
keeps the focus on the “abomination of desolation” and the desecration
of the sanctuary. However, the audience must continue to examine the remainder
of the book to gain further insight.
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