Other pages of interest:Daniel 11 Explained(condensed ‘one page’ commentary)‘Matthew 24’ Explained(must match Revelation)The ‘Seals’ Explained(Revelation’s timeline revealed)Seven Churches Explained(Past & Present Church Prophecy)See Sitemap for complete listing (by category).Home(timelines and summary)Salvation to Maturity(a simple guide)Daniel 11 Explained(condensed commentary)verse-by-verseRelated pages: The Seals Explained(Revelation’s timeline without contradictions)Matthew 24 Explained(must match Revelation)Added new section: 10-14-2023Related page: Rapture soon-Re-written:9-25-2023The 70th Seven Like I said, Daniel mentions the abomination four times, so I’m adding sections to this page for all of them. Chapters 8 and 12 concern the post-rapture, following the abomination. Daniel 9:27 (below) is Daniel’s only reference to a time period ‘before’ the abomination. [Note: Daniel 11 had events before, but not timing.] Yet, deciphering the correct interpretation of that time period can be rather elusive, as you might expect, since the rapture will be a surprise to most, but not all. (1 Thess 5:4) The time period is 7-years, which starts with a ‘confirmation of a covenant with many’. The word ‘covenant’ just means agreement or promise. I am almost certain that the ‘covenant with many’ was the JCPOA (Iranian nuclear agreement), which was signed in July-2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany), which is literally ‘many’. Yet, “confirmation” can imply some kind of ‘re-affirming’ of an agreement that already exists, which makes identification more difficult. Daniel 9:27 (NIV)“He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Before I get to the confirmation, let me say, I think there is no question that the main subject of Daniel 9:27 is Iran because they are the primary leader of the final empire, starting in Daniel 11:21. They are also the arch enemy of Israel, so it just makes sense. Iran also backs Israel’s other enemies such as Hezbollah (Lebanon) and the Palestinians (Hamas and Islamic Jihad). Some Bible teachers are under the false impression that Israel is the subject of this verse, but that doesn’t make much sense, since the same entity that confirms the covenant also “sets up the abomination” and God’s wrath is “poured out on him.” On the contrary, God’s wrath is poured out on the ‘king of the North’, at the end of Daniel 11, and Israel is aligned with the South. In fact, Israel (the Beautiful Land) gets invaded by the North in Daniel 11:40-43, which is also the 6th Trumpet War (Rev 9), during the post-rapture, when the two witnesses are killed (Rev 11). It all fits together with Iran as leader of the North, and Saudi Arabia as leader of the South, and the JCPOA as the covenant with many. Getting back to the confirmation, I think it implies a sort of ‘reaffirming’ of of the JCPOA. My best guess was always ‘Implementation Day’, which was 6-months after the signing, in Jan-2016, when Iran proved they were in compliance and the first sanctions were lifted. I thought that ‘confirmed’ the agreement. However, 7-years from Implementation Day has already passed, Jan-2023, and the abomination was supposed to be in the ‘middle of the seven’ (NIV) or ‘midst of the seven’ (KJV). By the way, I think ‘middle’ and ‘midst’ are both valid interpretations because it doesn’t have to be the exact middle. I mean, the ‘middle’ of something can be anything between the beginning and end, same as ‘in the midst’. Yet, it seemed to me like we passed the end. For a while, I thought we were in a sort of ‘overtime’, which God can do if He so chooses. However, a friend emailed me with another idea, which sounds more logical the more I think about it. In a round-a-bout way, he implied that Trump’s removal of the US from the nuclear agreement, in May-2018, meant that Iran essentially ‘confirmed’ the agreement with the other five nations because they never pulled out like the US. It makes sense because five nations are still ‘many’. That means the 70th Seven could extend to May-2025, which includes 2024, which is on the 19-year Metonic Cycle! Quick Summary of Modern Verses in Daniel 11 Here is a quick summary of the modern verses to show how they got closer together after the final empire emerged in verse 21. Like I said above, all the verses are not specifically about Iran, but they all aided in Iran’s rise in Mesopotamia, or elements of the North, such as Turkey, coming together with Iran and the North. Verses 15-19 - The rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire, from 1453 to 1919.Verse 20 - The British Mandate, which spanned from 1919 to 1948. Verse 21 – Final Empire begins - The Islamic Revolution in Iran took place in 1979. Verse 22 – Saddam Hussein’s defeat, in 2003, and withdrawal of US forces in 2011gave Iran the opportunity to expand into Iraq. Verse 23 – The interim nuclear deal with Iran was signed in Nov-2013, which eventually put Iran back on the world stage. Verse 24 – The ISIS invasion of Mosul was in June-2014, which ultimately led to Iran gaining a military foothold in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon (ancient Mesopotamia). Verse 25 – Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen, in March 2015, because they said the Houthis were allied with Iran. (South vs. North)Verse 26 – The attempted coup in Turkey, in July 2016, turned Erdogan away from Saudi Arabia and more towards Russia, Iran, and Assad. Verse 27 – The G20 summit, in Sept 2016, where Erdogan sat with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, from Saudi Arabia, despite accusations that Saudi Arabia at least knew about the attempted coup ahead of time. Verse 28 – Later, in Sept-2016, President Rouhani of Iran used the UN General Assembly to complain to the P5+1 that the US wasn’t upholding their end of the nuclear deal (JCPOA), which resulted in the unfreezing of most of Iran’s wealth, which further financed their spread into ancient Mesopotamia. Verse 28 is the first of the modern verses to use the term ‘king of the North’ and it refers to Iran. Verses 29-30 – In Dec-2016, the UN Security Council approved resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlements and demanded that all building be stopped. Note: That vote was historic because the US refrained from vetoing as they normally did. In Dec 2017, the UN voted 128-9 to condemn Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel, thus “forsaking the holy covenant.” As you can see, the verses went from being about one-century apart, to about one-year apart. They got even closer, in 2016, which is understandable, since 2016 was on God’s timeline of 37’s, which has a lot to do with the Muslims. Yet, I now realize that God works on multiple timelines, at the same time, and His 19-year Metonic cycle has more to do with the land of Israel that He promised the Jews. At first glance, it would seem that a gap has been forming, since Dec-2017, but I don’t think so because I think God left verse 30 vague on purpose, like Seal 5, so the date of the rapture would not be obvious. In other words, verse 30 talks of ‘venting his fury against the holy covenant’ and ‘showing favor to those who forsake the holy covenant’. Well, the “holy covenant” is the land of Israel that God promised. The Muslims, especially Iran and the Palestinians have been condemning the holy covenant since Israel became a nation again, but more so recently. Showing favor to others who forsake is just trying to rally other nations to their cause. The Palestinians continue to that regularly by asking to be recognised in the UN. My point is: Verse 30 is already satisfied, but will continue until the uprising in verse 31 takes place. That is similar to Seal 5, concerning Christian martyrs spreading the gospel, which will also continue until the 6th Seal is broken and the Rapture takes place. Therefore, God left both accounts vague to keep the exact date secret, but there’s no gap in either. Note: 26 & 27 go together The Tsunami at the Abomination and Rapture Here are a couple more examples of scripture that prove the relation between the abomination and the 6th Seal rapture. I have already said that Jesus instructs Judea to ‘flee to the mountains’ when the abomination is set up (Matt 24:15-18) and there are people hiding in the mountains who see Jesus in the air and mourn during the 6th Seal (Rev 6:15-17). I think Luke and Amos, below, describe a tsunami that is generated by the 6th Seal earthquake, which will cause Judea to ‘flee to the mountains’ whether they recognize the abomination or not. This provides another connection that shows the abomination and 6th Seal rapture happen together, since the tsunami causes them to flee. Luke 21:25-2725 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Amos 8:8-10 8 "Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt. 9 "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noonand darken the earth in broad daylight. 10 I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping. So, as you can see, Amos even mentions the earthquake (land trembling) before the water rises and subsequently recedes, just like a tsunami. Scientists have long known that tsunamis have hit Israel, in the past, so they expect another in the future. That’s why Israel even has methods of early warning and signs to show people how to evacuate the coastal regions and head to higher ground (flee to the mountains). Thus, in a prophetic way, I think Jesus was connecting the abomination to the earthquake of the 6th Seal by telling them to flee. The 2300-day Post-Rapture Tribulation Daniel mentions the abomination in chapter 8 in reference to the 2300-days that take place after it. Those 2300-days are the post-rapture tribulation, from Revelation, when the Trumpets and Bowls will take place (not the Seals because Seals 1-5 are in the pastand Seal 6 is the rapture itself, when the abomination also takes place). Note: Many people confuse the 70th Seven, which I discussed above, with the post-rapture tribulation, but they are not the same. For one, the abomination happens in the ‘midst’, ‘middle’, or generally ‘within’ the 70th Seven, but ‘starts’ the post-rapture tribulation, which is the 2300-days in Daniel 8. Thus, they overlap to some degree, as I’ve illustrated on the left, but they cannot be the same because the abomination is ‘within’ one but ‘starts’ the other. Plus, the 2300-days is equal to 78-lunar months, or about 6.3 solar years, which is a different length of time from a ‘seven’. So, having said that, Daniel 8:13-14, below, is an extraordinary prophecy because it summarizes the whole 2300-day ‘post-rapture tribulation’ into a few key events. Daniel 8:13-14 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled-the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" 14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated." Key Events:(1) The “rebellion that causes desolation” is obviously the ‘uprising and abomination’, combined, as they are combined in Daniel 11:31, along with the abolishing of the daily sacrifice. Those events all happen together and ‘start’ the 2300-day tribulation. (2) The “surrender of the sanctuary” is when the antichrist kills the two witnesses, 1260-days into the 2300-days (Rev 11:7), and takes over the 3rd Temple (2 Thess 2:4), which is built while the two witnesses supervise and protect the Temple Mount. (Rev 11:3-6) That invasion is also the 6th Trumpet War (Rev 9 & Daniel 11:40-43), in the approximate ‘middle’ of tribulation. (3) The “host that will trampled underfoot” are the armies of the antichrist that are killed at Armageddon (7th Bowl), at the ‘end’ of tribulation, at which time Jesus will reconsecrate the sanctuary, since it will be defiled by the antichrist. So, God amazingly summarizes the beginning, middle, and conclusion of tribulation, all in one verse, which will take 2300-days (note: an “evening and morning” is how God described ‘one day’, during Creation. (Gen 1:3) Full Moons in the Bible Personally, I think there’s a really good chance that the abomination and rapture will happen ‘on or near’ a full moon (within a couple of days) because almost all the biggest events in the Bible happened near a full moon. [Note: A full moon occurs on the 14th or 15th of the lunar month because a lunar month averages 29.5 days and starts on a ‘new moon’ (dark).] For example, the Biblical Flood started on the 17th of the 2nd month (Gen 7:11) and the ark landed on Mt. Ararat on the 17th of the 7th month (Gen 8:4), which means that the Biblical Flood started and stopped ‘near’ full moons. Secondly, God defined the original Passover as being on the 15th of the 1st month (Exodus 12:6), which started their journey from Egypt. The Israelites reached Mt. Sinai on the 15th of the 4th month (Exodus 19:1), so their journey to visit God both started and stopped on full moons, just like the flood. Then, God descended on Mt. Sinai with fire and thunder on the 3rd day, which was the 17th of the 4th month, still ‘near’ the full moon. Of course, Jesus was crucified on the morning of Passover, which was the 15th of the 1st month, and raised on the 3rd day, which was the 17th, very similar to God’s appearance on Mt. Sinai. Another example is when the Israelites began marching around Jericho, on the 15th of the 1st month (Josh 5:10), which essentially ended their journey and began their conquest of the Promised Land. That means, the 40-year Exodus began and ended on full moons. Additionally, Purim is near a full moon because the war that it commemorates was on the 14th and 15th of the 12th month. (Esther 9:21) Plus, God also defined the Feast of Tabernacles as starting on the 15th of the 7th month, which is a full moon. (Lev 23:34) The Feast of Tabernacles is the only feast that is specifically mentioned as being celebrated during Jesus’ 1000-year reign on earth. (Zech 14:16-19) Plus, if the 6th Seal rapture happens ‘on or near’ a full moon, then the Seals would also start and stop near full moons, since Seal 1 was the resurrection (17th), and Seals 6 and 7 happen on the same day. Consequently, If that happens, the 2300-day ‘post-rapture tribulation’ would also start and stop ‘on or near’ full moons because 2300-days is almost exactly 78-lunar months (within 1-day). Therefore, based on Bible history, there’s a very good chance that the abomination and rapture could happen ‘on or near’ a full moon, which would continue the trend. I mean, it makes sense to me because God used full moons for the Flood and Exodus, in the beginning, so why not the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls, at the end? Chartshowing the offset between 70th Seven and 2300-day Tribulationclick to enlargeThe Abomination in Daniel 12 The fourth and final time Daniel mentions the abomination is in Daniel 12:11-12. (below) The main thing to notice about Daniel 12 is that it’s not a continuation of Daniel 11, which clearly ends with the antichrist coming to his end. On the contrary, it’s a prophecy about Daniel’s own people, the Jews, which it refers to twice in verse 1 as “your people.” The timing of Daniel 12 clearly goes back to the abomination and rapture because verse 1 says, “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then,” which is almost the exact same as Matthew 24:21, following the abomination. Verse 2 refers to the rapture when it says, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake.” Of course, that is referring to Jews who convert to Christianity, of whom there are many, starting with the disciples. Verse 3 jumps to the 144,000 Israelites in the post-rapture, when it says, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Verse 10 is similar to verse 3 when it says, “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.” These verses use the same adjectives as in Daniel 11:33-35, also following the abomination. Therefore, it’s talking about the 144,000 who are “refined, purified, and made spotless,” by refusing to take the ‘mark of the beast’. They are martyred for refusing in Revelation 14. The question is asked, ‘How long will it take for these things to be fulfilled?’ and an answer is given: “a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.” (v7) That refers to the 3.5 years (1260 days) that the two witnesses prophesy, after which they will be killed by the armies of the antichrist. (Rev 11:7) All that was to introduce the verse in Daniel 12 that includes the abomination. Daniel 12:11-12“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.” Notice the highlighted words ‘from’ and ‘and’, which clearly illustrate that the counting starts at the abolishing of the daily sacrifice ‘and’ the abomination, which happen together, just as they happen together in Daniel 11:31. I say that because I’ve had multiple emails from people who try to change the word ‘and’ to ‘to’, and say that there are 1290 or 1335 days between the sacrifice and abomination, which is false and deceptive because they are changing the verse and ignoring Daniel 11:31. There must be a false teacher or church denomination that teaches that sort of thing because I don’t think multiple people would take it upon themselves to change the verse in such as drastic way on their own. I hope not. Anyway, don’t listen to anyone who does that because they are changing God’s prophecy. Plus, they make no sense because they end up trying to add and subtract the 1260, 1290, and 1335, and end up making excuses for why it doesn’t equal 7-years or 2300-days. In reality, the 1260, 1290, and 1335 are all milestones on the same 2300-day timeline, following the abomination and rapture, so there’s no need to add or subtract anything. Daniel 12 doesn’t actually say what happens at the 1290 and 1335-day milestones, but I’m pretty sure I know. As I said, the two witnesses are killed by the antichrist after prophesying for 1260 days (Rev 11:3,7), which leaves the 144,000 unprotected from the antichrist, who is allowed to exercise his authority for 42-months (Rev 13:5), which is the same length of time as 1260-days. For that reason, I think the antichrist is somehow injured in the earthquake that happens when the two witnesses ascend to heaven, which also kills 7000 people. (Rev 11:12-13) At the end of 42-months, after the earthquake, a different beast arises, one with ‘2-horns’ rather than 10-horns and 7-heads (Rev 13:11). That 2-horned beast is the false prophet who performs great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven. (Rev 13:13) The reason I think the antichrist (leader of the 10-horned beast) is injured during the earthquake is that the false prophet does everything “on his behalf” and forces everyone to “worship the first beast whose fatal wound had been healed.” (Rev 13:12) Therefore, the antichrist must get severely wounded, but doesn’t die. The false prophet also forces everyone to receive the ‘mark of the beast’ else they can’t buy or sell. (Rev 13:16-17) The ‘mark of the beast’ is mentioned in the 1st Bowl (Rev 16:2), so all this must happen between the 7th Trumpet (Rev 11:15), when the two witnesses ascend, and the 1st Bowl, which is a relatively short window of time. That’s why I’m pretty sure that the 1290-day milestone is when the false prophet enacts the ‘mark of the beast’ in Israel, approximately one month after the two witnesses are killed. The 1335-day milestone is when the 144,000 will be rounded up and martyred for refusing the mark, which means they will only have to avoid the mark for 45-days. Yet, 45 days without buying and selling will be difficult enough, and most could be near starvation. That is consistent with Jesus’ prophecy concerning the 144,000, saying “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matt 24:22) The “elect,” in this case, are the 144,000, whose days will be shortened. Jesus added, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible.” (Matt 24:24-25) The “great signs and miracles” clearly refers to the false prophet because that is the same phrase as Rev 13:13. However, the 144,000 are given God’s seal in Rev 7, so they are not deceived like everyone else. Instead, they are martyred, in Rev 14, which is between the 7th Trumpet and 1st Bowl, so my explanation of the 1290 and 1335 makes perfect sense. Of course, they are “blessed” for ‘waiting for and reaching the 1335th day’ and being martyred because they refused the ‘mark of the beast’, which means they will become “priests” during Jesus’ 1000-year reign on earth, after Armageddon. (Rev 20:4-6) Here’s a timeline illustration of the 2300-days [post-rapture tribulation] (not to scale): -Added:10-14-2023Seals 1-5(past 2000-years)(Done)-