When we consider all the Biblical Scriptures related to this topic, it appears very likely that a temple will be built in the near future, prior to Christ’s return.

When Christ was asked by His disciples what the sign of His coming and of the end of the age [of this present civilization] would be (Matthew 24:3), He referred to the “great tribulation” (verse 21) and, at that same time, “‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (verse 15; compare, too, Mark 13:14, adding, “where it ought not”). In Luke 21:20, in the parallel account, Christ is quoted as saying, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.”

From these passages, we see that the abomination of desolation refers to foreign armies which will desolate Jerusalem. But is this ALL that the term, “abomination of desolation” refers to? Christ pointed out that the prophet Daniel spoke about the “abomination of desolation.” He did do so on three occasions — in Daniel 9:27; 11:31 and 12:11. (An additional similar reference can be found in Daniel 8:13). The way those passages are worded, they seem to refer to more than just armies. Daniel 11:31 states that a king of the North shall muster forces, “and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and PLACE THERE the abomination of desolation.” Daniel 12:11 states: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is SET UP…”

These end-time prophecies predict that a future “king of the North” will invade Jerusalem and take away daily sacrifices — indicating that the Jews will, in the future, begin to bring again daily sacrifices in Jerusalem. It is true that the Jews don’t need to have a temple to bring daily sacrifices (compare Ezra 3:6) — but this does not mean that the Jews will NOT build a temple, to bring daily sacrifices there.

Returning to the prophecy in Daniel 11:31, most commentaries agree that particular passage refers to Antiochus Epiphanes, at least as a forerunner for another end-time fulfillment. As The Nelson Study Bible points out, “Antiochus polluted the altar by offering a sow upon it. He declared the daily sacrifices and other Mosaic ceremonies illegal and committed an abomination of desolation by erecting an image of Zeus in the holy place (9:27; 12:11). Jesus said a similar thing would happen just prior to His return (see Matt. 24:15).”

We should take note of the fact that at the time when the first “abomination of desolation” was set up, Antiochus overran Jerusalem with armies; did away with the daily sacrifices, which were brought AT THE TEMPLE; and erected an image of Zeus (or Jupiter) in the “holy place” — the TEMPLE.

Please note the following comments published on June 24, 2004, by the Arutz Sheva National News: “After their conquest and occupation of Judea, the Syrian Greek Hellenists (c. 168 BCE) attempted to ‘break’ the Jews. They set up an idol and began offering pigs to their pagan deity in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. When they began to spread their heresy among the Jews, they started in a small town called Modi’in. They set up an altar in the town square and instigated some weak Jew to offer a pig up as a sacrifice in plain public view. Public acceptance was meant to imply that the Jews were repudiating the Torah and their covenant with the [God] of their fathers. But in a clear example of the ‘Law of Unintended Consequences’, it sparked a national revolt instead, when a priest by the name of Matityahu took a sword, stabbed the turncoat Jew and the Syrian Greek officials, and declared, ‘Whoever is zealous for the Torah and is steadfast in the Covenant, let him follow me.’ The revolt spread, and ultimately was successful, leading to a liberation of the Judean homeland from occupation. The Jews cleaned-up the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and re-lit the menorah. And Hanukah is celebrated until this day, throughout the Jewish world, as a holiday of the liberation of the Jews and Judaism from pagan culture.”

Since the original abomination, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, involved the existence of the temple, it is reasonable to conclude that the final abomination of desolation will likewise involve an existing temple. Other Biblical passages confirm this conclusion:

We read in Revelation 11:1-2 that an angel of God tells John: “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months [or 3 1/2 years].” Some rightly point out that the term “temple” or “temple of God” in the New Testament can refer to God’s Church [compare Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17]. They claim that the reference in Revelation 11:1-2 speaks exclusively to the Church. Although the Church might be included here, the more obvious and intended meaning is a reference to a literal temple in Jerusalem. After all, the Gentiles will tread the holy city (!) underfoot for 3 1/2 years, and the court which is outside the temple will be given to those Gentiles. It is difficult to see how all these references could just exclusively refer to the Church.

The Nelson Study Bible comments: “John is given a reed like a measuring rod, much like that used by Ezekiel (see Ezek. 40: 3, 5) in his vision of the measuring of the temple (see Ezek. 40-48)… This is the temple of the tribulation period that will eventually be desecrated (see 13:14, 15; Dan. 9:27; Luke 21:24; 2 Thess. 2:4)… Luke 21:24 prophesies that the Gentiles will tread the holy city underfoot until ‘the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.’ Apparently the period of forty-two months is the conclusion of ‘the times of the Gentiles.’ ‘Gentile’ here may also be translated ‘nations’ (v. 9; 10:11).”

Another Scripture, indicating the existence of a future temple in Jerusalem, just prior to Christ’s return, can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Paul writes:

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [of Christ’s return] will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

This “man of sin,” who is also called “the lawless one” in verses 8 and 9, is identified in the book of Revelation as “the false prophet” (compare, for example, Revelation 16:13; 19:20; see, too, Revelation 13:13-14). This religious figure will deceive people through “great signs” (Revelation 13:13; 19:20). We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 that the coming of the lawless one is “according to the working of Satan, with all power, SIGNS and lying wonders.” This false prophet will receive his powers to perform great signs from Satan and his demons (compare Revelation 16:13-14).

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following about the man of sin, in the Plain Truth of June 1967:

“This European power, resurrecting for a VERY short while the Roman Empire, will take over the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2.) They will take the Temple, and plant the palace of their headquarters there. With this coming military leader, pictured in Revelation 17 as the symbolic ‘beast,’ will be a supreme religious leader, called ‘the False Prophet,’ [Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10] and the ‘man of sin.’ So will you turn next to II Thessalonians 2:3-4: ‘Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day’ — the Day of the Lord, verse 2 — ‘shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and THAT MAN OF SIN be revealed, the SON OF PERDITION; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.’ So there will have to be the Temple there!”

The Ryrie Study Bible comments:

“… the Antichrist [this is an incorrect designation — rather, the passage speaks about the false prophet] will desecrate the rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem by placing himself there to be worshipped… This will be the climax of man’s great sin of self-deification, in open defiance of God.”

The Nelson Study Bible adds:

“The man of sin will proclaim himself to be divine and will sit in the temple of God, acting as if he were a god… The man of sin will probably stand in a physical temple in Jerusalem, and declare himself to be a god, the ultimate fulfillment of the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel (Dan. 7:23; 9:26, 27; 11:31, 36, 37; 12:11) and Jesus (Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14). These prophecies may have been partially fulfilled when Antiochus Epiphanes erected a pagan altar to Zeus in the temple of Jerusalem in 167 B.C. (175-164 B.C.), or when Titus destroyed the temple in A.D. 70. Others have interpreted Paul’s reference to the temple of God as a reference to the church.”

However, we read that the returning Christ will consume the man of sin “with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Therefore, this man of sin will exist at the time of Christ’s return. He will proclaim himself to be God, not just “a god.” It is highly unlikely that Paul was talking about the Church as the temple of God in this context. There is no Biblical evidence that the false prophet will be sitting in God’s true Church, proclaiming himself to be God. However, Christ warned His Church in Matthew 24:11 that “many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

One argument that has been advanced for the idea that the “man of sin” is or will be a religious leader within the true Church of God is that he allegedly has to fall away from the truth, which he once knew. This is, however, not in accordance with Scripture. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 does not say that the end-time “man of sin” must fall away from the truth, which he once understood. Rather, the passage only states that Christ will not return “unless the falling away comes first, AND the man of sin is revealed.” It does not say that that man of sin once knew the truth and that he will fall away from the truth.

An additional passage which suggests that the Jews will build an end-time temple in Jerusalem, just prior to Christ’s return, is Psalm 79:1-7. This is an end-time psalm, as verse 6 shows. God is asked to pour out His wrath on the nations — a reference to God’s pouring out of the end-time plagues of His wrath, as described in Revelation 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19. In this context, Psalm 79:1 says: “O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.”

Another Scripture, which seems to make reference to a future physical temple in Jerusalem, can be found in Psalm 122:1: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’ Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem!” David wrote this psalm before there ever was a temple–the house of the LORD– in Jerusalem.

Other prophetic references to a future temple in Jerusalem could perhaps be found in Ezekiel 8:5, 16, as well as in Ezekiel 9:1-7. All these Scriptures are prophecies for the end-time, and they seem to refer to a physical temple and the abominations which will be practiced in it.

Finally, we find detailed descriptions of a future physical temple in Jerusalem in the book of Ezekiel, beginning in chapter 40. We know from those Scriptures that a literal temple will be in Jerusalem after Christ’s return. Ezekiel 40-46 do not tell us, however, when this future temple will be built. Is it possible that Ezekiel 40-46 describe the very same temple which the Jews will begin to build just prior to Christ’s return?

In conclusion, considering all the Scriptures on the topic, it appears very likely that a temple will be built in Jerusalem just prior to Christ’s return. Most certainly, God will give a clearer understanding about these things, as the time draws nearer.

This possibility exists. In fact, several Scriptures suggest this to be the case.

For instance, we read in 2 Peter 3:12 that we are to be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” — the return of Christ. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (“Strong’s”) defines the Greek word, “speudo,” (under #4692), translated as “hastening,” as “to ‘speed’…, urge on…; by impl. to await eagerly; (make, with) haste unto.”

Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible (“Young’s”) defines the word as, “to hasten,” or, “urge on.” The same Greek word is used, for instance, in Luke 19:5-6 and Acts 22:18 (translated as, “make haste”). In Acts 20:16, it is translated as “(he) hasted” and in Luke 2:16, it is translated as, “(they came) with haste.” Of course, to await or to anticipate eagerly Christ’s return has been the role of every Christian in all ages. Jesus instructed all Christians concerning prayer to ask: “‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven'” (Matthew 6:10). Paul stated about the return of Christ that we should be even more diligent concerning our fellowship as a Church, “…and so much the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). These statements affect all Christians in the Church leading up to Christ’s return.

At the same time, it cannot be denied that passages such as 2 Peter 3:12 or Hebrews 10:25 gain an additional strong meaning for the end-time generation of the Church. In fact, Paul says that all has been written for us, as an example, “upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (compare 1 Corinthians 10:11).

2 Peter 3:12 talks especially to end-time Christians. The literal Greek translation of 2 Peter 3:12 reads, according to The Englishman’s Greek New Testament…, An Interlinear Literal Translation: “…expecting and hastening the coming of the day of God by reason of which [the] heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and [the] elements burning with heat shall melt…” The term “hastening” (as used in the New King James Bible) is therefore a correct rendition. The New English Bible says: “look eagerly for the coming of the day of God and work to hasten it on.” The New Testament in Modern Speech, by Richard Francis Weymouth (“Weymouth”), says: “expecting and helping to hasten the coming of…”

The German Elberfelder Bible says, “beschleunigen.” This German word can mean, “hastening,” and it can also mean, “accelerate.” In this context, we might consider Isaiah 62:7, which says, in the Authorized Version: “And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

How we could possibly hasten (or delay) Christ’s return — to an extent — can be seen in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Although the time frame here encompasses the entire plan of God, it is apparent from the context that the end-time generation is especially addressed here. The context is Christ’s coming, as verses 3-4 make very clear: “…scoffers will come IN THE LAST DAYS… and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’…”

According to 2 Peter 3:9, God may delay Christ’s coming, if Church members, whom God wants to be in His Kingdom, are not ready, due to a lack of serious repentance, . The Ryrie Study Bible points out: “To believers, Peter now says that the seeming delay of Christ’s return is for the purpose of allowing more people to repent.”

Some feel that the precise moment of Christ’s return has been fixed for thousands of years — as the Father “knows” the exact moment of Christ’s Second Coming. They say that according to Christ’s words, the Father knew at least 2,000 years ago, when exactly He would send back His Son: “But of that day and hour no one KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matthew 24:36).” (Mark 13:32 adds that not even the Son of God — Jesus Christ — knows that exact time.)

However, in light of the fact that Christ’s return can be delayed or accelerated, it is very doubtful that God the Father “knew” the exact day and hour of Christ’s return for thousands of years. As we will explain, what Christ is actually saying in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 is that it is within the Father’s authority to decide when the moment of Christ’s return has come, but that moment is indeed conditioned upon certain events.

We need to read Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 together with Acts 1:6-7, which says: “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time [return to] restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 do not say, in connection with Acts 1:7, that the exact time of Christ’s return and the restoration of the Kingdom of God was already fixed more than 2,000 years ago. Rather, it is within God the Father’s authority to decide when to send Christ. Has He already made that decision? Had He decided already 2,000 years ago, when Christ spoke those words, when exactly He would send Christ back to this earth? One might say, God knows everything, but there are certain things that God does not want to know. For instance, God does not want to know whether we will sin tomorrow — He did not want to know, when He called us into His truth, whether we will make it into His Kingdom, or whether we will commit the unpardonable sin. In the same way, it is doubtful, that God had already decided 2,000 or 6,000 years ago, when exactly (up to the second!!!) He would send Christ back, as His decision when to do so depends on some factors.

Both Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 only SEEM to say, at first sight, that the Father “knows,” but that no one else, including Christ Himself, “knows.” However, the Greek word for “knows” is, according to Strong’s, No. 1492, a primary verb, used only in certain past tenses; it is a proposition for “see” (lit. or fig.), and it can mean, by implication, but only when used in the perfect, to “know.” It can also mean, “be aware, behold, CONSIDER, BE SURE, TELL, UNDERSTAND, WISH.”

We should also note that, according to the two passages in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, man, angels and Christ do not know, but only My Father. There is NO VERB here, following “My Father,” so it must be added.

In Acts 1:7, the word for “know” is a DIFFERENT Greek word, see Strong’s #1097. In any event, that passage in Acts 1:7 does not say that God “knows.” It only says that it is not for Christ’s disciples to “know.” In regard to the Father, it is stated that He has “put this” in His own power or authority. Reading Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 together with Acts 1:7, it is apparent that the words which need to be supplied in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 would have to be those showing God’s AUTHORITY to set the date.

Therefore, a possible rendering of Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 would be:

“But of that day and hour no one knows [“understands,” “can be sure”], not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father [“is sure,” “understands,” in the sense of: “decides”].”

The Bible does not say that the Father already decided thousands of years ago, when exactly to send back the Son. If He had, HOW COULD Christ NOT have known? Some claim that Christ knows now — while He did not know 2,000 years ago — but Christ’s statements refer to the time of His return. Christ’s whole point was that He does not know or is sure of it (as He does not make the decision); hence, it is useless for man to try to figure it out.

We do not find anywhere in the Bible that the time of Christ’s return has been fixed thousands of years ago. Some have pointed to 2 Peter 3:8, claiming that God allotted man exactly 6,000 years to rule this earth, and that exactly after 6,000 years, Christ will return. However, that is not what 2 Peter 3:8 conveys. The Scripture reads: “… with the Lord one day is AS a thousand years, and a thousand years AS one day.”

This Scripture does not provide us with a fixed date. The Greek word for “as” is “hos,” and it can also be translated as “about.” (Compare Young’s, under “about.”) In fact, the Authorized Version translates this word 14 times as “about.” For instance, the word “hos” is correctly translated as “about” in passages such as Mark 8:9; Luke 2:37; 8:42; and John 1:39.

Strong’s points out, under #5613, that the Greek word “hos” is “… very variously used, as follows: about, … (according) as (it had been, it were)…, even as (like)…”

2 Peter 3:8 seems to convey that in the eyes of God one day is ABOUT 1,000 years — not necessarily exactly so.

We might also notice Revelation 10:6. The Authorized Version says that there should be “time no longer.” The New King James Bible says, “… there should be delay no longer.” The Ryrie Study Bible comments: “Lit. there will be no more delay.” So say the Nelson Study Bible, the American Standard Version, Weymouth, as well as the Elberfelder Bible (“Frist, Aufschub”) and the Menge Bible (“Verzug”).

The Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, by W.E. Vine, states, on page 333, under “season,” that the Greek word for “time” or “delay,” i.e., “chronos,” must be translated in Revelation 10:6 as “delay.” Vine continues to point out that this is “an important rendering for the understanding of the passage (the word being akin to chronizo, to take time, to linger, delay, Matt 24:48; Luke 12:45).”

Under “delay,” Vine states, regarding “chronizo”: “from chronos, time, lit. means to while away time, i.e. by way of lingering, tarrying, delaying; ‘delayeth,’ Matt. 24:48; Luke 12:45; ‘tarried,’ Matt 25:5; ‘tarried so long,’ Luke 1:21; ‘will (not) tarry,’ Heb. 10:37.”

Since Revelation 10:6 says that there will be no more delay, it shows that there HAD BEEN delay before.

Ezekiel 12:25, 28 is another Scripture which supports the concept of a delay prior to Christ’s return. It reads: “For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will NO MORE be postponed… None of My words will be postponed ANY MORE…” This passage seems to say that at one point, God’s words or prophecies were postponed or delayed; but that the time will come, when they won’t be postponed or delayed any longer. This would be similar to the passage in Revelation 10:6, which says that there won’t be any longer “time” or “delay.”

The Church of God has felt, based on this passage and other Scriptures, that God had held back or delayed certain events to take place in the 1970’s and early 80’s. Also, from what we are seeing now in the world, it APPEARS that God is speeding up events to reach their climax soon (compare Matthew 24: 32-35) — BUT NOBODY CAN BE CERTAIN OF THIS, OR KNOW FOR SURE.

Some claim that the day and hour of Christ’s return have been fixed for thousands of years, by referring to Revelation 9:15: “So the four angels, who had been prepared for the HOUR and the DAY and MONTH and YEAR, were released to kill a third of mankind.” However, Revelation 9:15 talks about the time when the angels will be released to kill a third of mankind — it does not talk about the exact time of Christ’s return. This passage does not even say that the exact time of the angels’ actions had been predetermined thousands of years ago — it only says that when the exact time has come for God to intervene, He will command the angels to act.

Some prophecies are conditional — they are conditioned upon whether man repents. Although it is not very likely that the USA or Great Britain will repent, it IS possible. If they do — or if enough people repent — God may hold back the destruction of the USA and Great Britain. It appears that God would not have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, if He would have found ten righteous, although He said to Abraham earlier that He would destroy it. Something similar COULD BE possible for modern America and Great Britain, as well as other nations. The Scripture in Jeremiah 18:7-11 supports this conclusion. It says that God will relent of the evil which He intended to bring on a nation, if that nation repents. God had Jonah proclaim that in forty days, Nineveh would be destroyed. This SOUNDED like an unconditional prophecy, but it was not, as God did not do it, when Nineveh repented. However, as the book of Nahum shows, Nineveh was destroyed later. The book of Jonah contains a classic case of a DELAYED prophecy. There are also passages in the book of Joel which leave it open as to whether or not God will start the Day of the Lord at a certain time, depending on man’s reaction and repentance (compare Joel 2:12-14). Although unconditional prophecy will not “fail,” time given for certain events to take their full course may. It says that God will CUT SHORT His work (Romans 9:28).

One thing IS certain, however: God’s patience is not limitless, as the parable in Luke 13:6-9 shows. Christ had just warned His audience that they would perish, if they did not repent (verses 1-5). He continued to present a parable about a tree that had not shown fruits for three years. The tree is granted a fourth and last year, to either produce fruit, or to be cut down after that time. This parable implies that God does set a time limit for a Church member to repent and produce fruit. Christ warned in John 15:2, 5: “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away… If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” God has allotted to His Church — and mankind as a whole — a certain amount of time to repent. But there will come the moment when God WILL decide to send Christ back. God will not wait forever for everyone in the Church — and in the world — to repent. As in the times of Jeremiah, the time will come when God will not hear anymore prayers for the people of the world; when He will not tolerate any further delay; and when He will cut short His work (compare Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11). That is the reason why we read in Isaiah 46:13 (Authorized Version): “I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.”

While the fulfillment of God’s prophecies may tarry for a while, the time will come when there will be no more delay or postponement. We read in Habakkuk 2:2-3: “… Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. THOUGH IT TARRIES [for a while, due to God’s longsuffering and patience toward us in the Church], wait for it; Because it will surely come, IT WILL NOT TARRY [once God has decreed the exact time when to send His Son back and to end man’s rule on earth].”

In conclusion, a word of caution and warning: There is a great danger involved with the concept of trying to figure out, exactly, when Christ returns. The one problem is that if people think that God delays Christ’s coming, believing He is still afar off, they may begin to become slack in their Christian lives (compare Matthew 24:48-50). On the other hand, the belief that Christ’s coming is just around the corner can create a sense of fatalism, especially in younger people, who may say, “Why should I think of getting a career, as everything will be over soon?” As we have said before, we must live as if we still had a whole lifetime ahead of us, with long-term goals. At the same time, we need to always be ready spiritually for Christ’s return, and we must continue to watch world events, leading to the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Let us read Daniel 9:24-27 in context, in the Authorized Version:

“(24) 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 [i.e., sixty-nine weeks]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. (26) And after the 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. (27) 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.”

To properly understand this passage, let us note the following quote from Lesson 19 of the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, copyrighted 1961, 1965, and 1967. The publication pointed out that Jesus Christ is the minister of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6); that He was to CONFIRM the covenant for one “week” (Daniel 9:26-27); that His ministry was to be cut in HALF (verse 27); and that Christ will COMPLETE His work of confirming the New Covenant in the future (Same verse; also Hebrews 8:10 and Jeremiah 31:31-34).

The publication continued: “A ‘day’ in the prophecy of Daniel 9:27 represents a year in fulfillment (Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:3-6). Christ ministered three-and-a-half years — ONE HALF of this prophetical ‘week.’ For three-and-one-half years He CONFIRMED — spelled out the TERMS of — THE NEW COVENANT with His disciples who recorded them for us today. By dying for our sins in the MIDST OF the ‘week,’ He put the final STAMP on the covenant and made it binding with His blood. Through Him, ALL PEOPLE can now enter into the New Covenant and become HEIRS ‘according to the promise’ which God made to Abraham (Gal. 3:29). But Daniel 9:26-27 reveals that there yet REMAINS three-and-one-half years of Christ’s ministry to be FULFILLED! Let’s understand. When Jesus returns to this earth He will FULFILL the covenant He made with Abraham. Abraham and his SPIRITUAL seed through Christ will then inherit the world and eternal life.”

A subsequent letter from the Letter Answering Department of the Worldwide Church of God, dated 1987, commented on the passage in Daniel 9:24-27 as follows:

“To explain this prophecy, I will quote from ‘Halley’s Bible Handbook’: ‘The Captivity, which was then drawing to a close, had lasted 70 years. Daniel is here told by the angel that it would yet be ’70 weeks’ till the coming of the Messiah [see verse 24]. The ’70 weeks’ is generally understood to mean 70 weeks of years, that is, 70 sevens of years, or seven times 70 years, that is 490 years. As if the angel were saying, The Captivity has been 70 years; the period between the Captivity and the Coming of the Messiah will be seven times that long. Seven, and cycles of seven, sometimes have symbolic meanings; yet the actual facts of this prophecy are most amazing, as follows:

“‘The date from which the 70 weeks was to be counted was the decree to re-build Jerusalem [see verse 25]. There were three decrees issued by Persian kings for this purpose … The principal one of these was 457 B C [the one given by Artaxerxes]. The 70 weeks is subdivided into 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week [see verses 25 and 27]. It is difficult to see the application of the ‘7 weeks’; but the 69 weeks (including the 7) equal 483 days, that is, on the year-day theory, Ezek 4:6, which is the commonly accepted interpretation, 483 years.

“‘This 483 years is the period between the decree to re-build Jerusalem and the coming of the ‘Anointed One,’ [see verse 25]. The decree to re-build Jerusalem, as noted above, was 457 B C. Adding 483 years to 457 B C brings us to 26 A D, the very year that Jesus was baptized and began his public ministry. A most remarkable fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy, even to the year. Further, within 3 1/2 years Jesus was crucified, that is, “in the midst of the one week” “the Anointed One” was “cut off,” “purged away sin and brought in everlasting righteousness,” [see verses 24, 26, and 27].’

“We must make one slight correction in Mr. Halley’s figures. His overall calculations are correct, but he did not account for the ONE YEAR which is gained in making the transition from B.C. to A.D. dates. Because there is no year 0, one year is gained and must be added to the A.D. date. It was A.D. 27 when Jesus was baptized and began His ministry — not A.D. 26… It is significant that in Daniel’s prophecy of the ‘seventy weeks’ (Dan. 9:24-27), Jesus was to be cut off ‘in the midst of the week.’ While this prophecy has the application of a day for a year, so that this 70th week became a literal seven years, Christ being ‘cut off’ after three-and-a-half years’ ministry, as He was, yet it is significant that He was also ‘cut off’ on the middle day [Wednesday] of a literal week (page 9).”

The understanding of the Church of God has been that Daniel 9:27 refers to the First Coming of Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice, as well as His confirmation of the New Covenant. Some commentaries claim, however, that the covenant mentioned in Daniel 9:27 refers to a future treaty between a European prince and the nation of Israel — the Jews — which is to last for 3 1/2 years.

Eerdman’s Handbook to the Bible explains: “Verse 26 seems to point to the death and rejection of Christ and the destruction of the temple which followed in AD 70 — with a wider reference at the end. But the subject of verse 27 is not at all clear. ‘He’ is taken by some to be the Messiah, by others to be the destroying prince of the previous verse.”

For instance, the Ryrie Study Bible claims: “The prince of verse 26, the antichrist… will make a pact with many (of the Jewish people) at the beginning of the Tribulation period. But in the midst of the week (i.e. 3 1/2 years later) Antichrist will break his covenant and desecrate the Temple by demanding worship of himself in it.”

The Nelson Study Bible concurs, stating in regard to Daniel 9:27: “‘He’ may be a reference to the antichrist, who will confirm a covenant with Israel. ‘In the middle of the week’–that is, three and one-half years later–he will break the covenant.”

Unger’s Bible Handbook claims something similar: “During the first half [of the final week of seven years] the ‘prince’ (world ruler, ‘little horn’ of 7:8, 24-25) will make a covenant with the Jews, who are restored in Palestine with a resumption of the temple worship. In the middle of the week the covenant is broken, worship for the Jews ceases (2 Thess 2:3-4), and the time of the Great Tribulation ensues.”

Apart from the fact that these commentaries, especially Unger, confuse the identity of the “little horn” (an end-time religious leader) with the beast (an end-time political leader), there is little reason to believe that the “covenant,” referred to in Daniel 9:27, refers to a future treaty between a political or religious leader and the Jews. In fact, the Bible shows that a treaty or confederation will be made between the beast (the end-time king of modern Assyria) and certain Arab nations AGAINST the Jews — not WITH them (compare Psalm 83:2-8).

The Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, states that Daniel 9:27 may contain an “allusion” to Antiochus Epiphanes, but that the passage clearly talks about “Christ the Prince,” His Sacrifice, and the New Covenant.

The “New Bible Commentary: Revised,” explains convincingly, on page 699:

“Who is the one that causes the covenant to prevail? Many find the subject in ‘the prince who is to come’ of v. 26, and refer this, either to Antiochus, or to the Roman ruler of a future, revived Roman Empire. However, the word prince is there in a subordinate position, and it is very unlikely that this word should be the subject in v. 27. It is better to regard the subject as the Messiah, since He has been the most prominent Person in this passage. The covenant which is to prevail is the covenant of grace wherein the Messiah, by His life and death, obtains salvation for His people. The seventieth seven… thus has reference to the time of our Lord’s earthly life. For half of this seven the Messiah, by means of his death, causes the Jewish sacrifices to cease (cf. Heb. 8:13).”

Based on the foregoing, the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates in Canada and Great Britain do not see a reason to deviate from the long-held teaching of the Church of God on this subject, and confirm the Church’s understanding that Daniel 9:27 refers to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the “Prince of Peace,” and not to a future political or religious leader of a revived Roman Empire.

The Scripture that some use to teach this concept is Matthew 24:22. Various translations use the terms “cut short” in quoting the words of Jesus Christ. For instance, the NIV states: “‘If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.'” Similarly, the NKJV renders this verse: “‘And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.'”

What days will be “cut short” or “shortened”?

In verse 3 of Matthew 24, some of the disciples asked Jesus: “‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'” Jesus answered them by revealing events far into the future, and He concentrated His response on the events of the generation alive at the time that the Father would send Jesus back to the earth to forcefully intervene in world affairs.

Jesus stated: “‘Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things know that it is near–at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but MY WORDS WILL BY NO MEANS PASS AWAY'” (Matthew 24:32-35).

Jesus is very clear in stating that what He has spoken regarding prophecy will come to pass–all of it! This includes even everything written in the Old Testament regarding the end time, as Christ is the “Word of God” — the Father’s Spokesman –, inspiring those writings (compare Revelation 19:13; John 1:1, 14). In the parallel record of Luke, we find this statement by Jesus: “‘For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled'” (Luke 21:22). Time and again, Jesus spoke of fulfilling the things written about Himself, and there is no record of Him not completing all that was written about Him (Compare Matthew 21:4; John 13:18; Matthew 26:56; John 19:28). Jesus emphatically stated that He fulfilled ALL that was written about Him: “Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me'” (Luke 24:44).

In very plain language, Jesus taught about His role, and He further declared that the Word of God would be carried out: “‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled'” (Matthew 5:17-18).

This comprehensive statement from Jesus applies to specific prophecies about Him for the time of His physical lifetime, and they apply to yet future events involving not only Himself but the entire Word of God!

From this we can understand that all of what God’s Word has recorded concerning prophecy will be fulfilled!

Some refer to 1 Corinthians 13:8, claiming that this passage says that certain prophecies will not be fulfilled. However, this is not what that passage conveys. It reads: “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail.” Later, in verse 13, Paul says: “And now abide faith, hope, love.” The contrast here is between something which will endure forever, and something which will only endure for a while and then vanish away.

Please note that Paul is using different words for “fail” in verse 8. In the Greek, the word associated with “love” is “ekpipto,” which means, according to Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, “to fall off or away.” The Greek word associated with “prophecy” is, “katargeo.” It means, according to Young’s, “to make useless.” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible gives, as one possible rendering, the expression, “vanish away.”

While love will always endure (as it is part of God’s character–in fact, God IS love), prophecies will cease. This could be a reference to inspired preaching by men (as there will come a time when all men will have been changed into spirit beings–or those who did not qualify for God’s Kingdom will have ceased to exist); or, it could refer to prophecies of the future. If the latter, then they will cease when the events prophesied will have come to pass.

Paul is not saying that some of God’s prophecies, if they are UNCONDITIONAL, will not come to pass. It is true, however, that God has given certain prophecies which are conditional; that is, they depend on whether or not man repents. Notice, for example, Jeremiah 18:7-11; or the entire book of Jonah.

What then is meant in Matthew 24:22? What will be “cut short” or “shortened”?

In the entire record of Matthew 24, Jesus presents an overview to His followers (that includes us in our own generation) of events in the world that will lead to His return. However, He specifically states that we will be only able to recognize the generation of His return (verse 34), but not the exact day (verse 36), nor the exact times or seasons (Acts 1:7), that is, the exact year or the season of that year. Horrific events of wars, earthquakes, persecutions and great tribulation will arise during the period leading to God’s intervention in human affairs. This time period will be unique for its misery and stark hopelessness, with the real certainty of life being eradicated from the earth (Compare Matthew 24:21-22)!

When Jesus does return to this earth, He will face the challenge of dealing with a planet that has been devastated! Isaiah 49:8 states that the coming Messiah would “‘…restore the earth.'” Great future damage will occur to the earth–much of it at the hand of mankind. We find this ominous statement in Revelation 11:18: “‘The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those WHO DESTROY THE EARTH.'”

We understand, then, that God will send Jesus Christ back to this earth to stop what mankind is doing. Through science, various nations have now gained access to the power of nuclear weapons, as well as biological agents, along with other unimaginably vile inventions capable of destroying life on the entire planet. Prophetic events yet to occur indicate that men will begin wars in which these devastating devices will be unleashed on such a scale that only the intervention of God through Jesus Christ will put an end to this coming suicidal madness! (Our writings consistently warn of these impending occurrences. “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord” deals with many of the specific prophecies in this regard; also, please see our internet video program at www.standingwatch.org.)

The answer to what will be “cut short” or “shortened” is exactly stated in Scripture: It is “the days” (Matthew 24:22), when all these terrible end-time events will take place. In other words, man’s time to completely destroy life will not be allowed to run its full course, as God will cut short the destructive actions of a world in rebellion against God–one that will even fight Jesus Christ at His return (Compare Revelation 19:11-21). None of God’s Word will be “cut short” or “shortened.” In fact ALL that God has prophesied unconditionally for the future will come to pass until the last jot and the last tittle are completely fulfilled!

First of all, it is important to realize that we must receive our teachings from the Bible; so even IF Mr. Armstrong HAD taught that there would still have to be a future king of the South, we still would have to be able to back up such a teaching with Scripture. We have published several articles in previous Updates (Q&A in Update 154; Comments from our Readers in Update #156), and we have also placed a StandingWatch program regarding the king of the South on our Web, showing that Scripture does NOT DEMAND a future king of the South. In addition, we are also pleased to state that Mr. Armstrong did NOT teach something contrary to this fact, several false claims of some notwithstanding.

Hours of research have established that Mr. Armstrong has never written that the final fulfillment of the prophecies about the coming king of the South are certainly yet to come. In fact, Mr. Armstrong wrote an Editorial in 1967, which was published in the Plain Truth, pointing out that the prophecy of Daniel 11:40 WAS fulfilled. There is no further mention of a king of the South after Daniel 11:40. It is clear that Mr. Armstrong, since 1967, never taught that there would definitely be a future king of the South, “attacking” or “pushing at” the future king of the North or Europe.

Further, Mr. Armstrong never taught that the king of the South would be a confederacy of Arab nations, in some way led by Egypt, as some teach today. In 1983 Mr. Armstrong wrote, “Ethiopia… is the only possible government that could be the king of the South.”
The idea of an Arab confederacy at odds with Europe seems to somewhat contradict, to an extent, the prophecy in Psalm 83, implying a confederation between Arab nations AND the future leading nation of Europe, Assur or Germany, AGAINST Israel.

Mr. Armstrong expressly rejected the idea that Egypt would or could be the king of the South. He clearly taught that at the time of Daniel 11:42, Egypt is NOT the king of the South. Compare his booklet on “Middle East in Prophecy.” He wrote that for the last 2,000 years since 31 B.C., the “king of the south… cannot be the king of Egypt.”

It is true that there have been occasional articles published in the Church, suggesting or stating that there still will be a future king of the South. None of these articles were written by Mr. Armstrong. It is correct that in December of 1980 and in June of 1983, a staff writer wrote in two Plain Truth articles that some type of Arab-Moslem confederation is coming as a king of the South, but Mr. Armstrong did not teach this. In his articles, the staff writer omitted to mention Mr. Armstrong’s strong belief that Daniel 11:40 HAS already been fulfilled.

We cannot assume that Mr. Armstrong agreed with the staff writer’s articles, only because they were published in the Plain Truth. Mr. Armstrong wrote in the Good News of October/November 1979, page 1, in response to a personal letter from a member concerning a discrepancy between what he preached and what the Church published: “With all the day-to-day administration responsibilities over the entire globe-girdling Work, it is difficult for me to read every article in The Good News and The Plain Truth before publication.” Thus it is clear that we cannot be certain of Mr. Armstrong’s approval for every article and idea presented in the Church’s publications during this time period. Especially when important details of prophecy were omitted [such as the fulfillment of Daniel 11:40] and thus by default the teaching contradicted what he himself wrote.

Prior to his death in 1986, Mr. Armstrong wrote one more time on the subject in the September 1983 issue of the Plain Truth, once again stating the historical fulfillment of Daniel 11:40. He at that time also wrote: “Ethiopia… is the only possible government that could be the king of the south.” This article appeared in the very next issue in the publishing cycle after the staff writer’s article, so it appears to be a correction of erroneous doctrine done with as little humiliation for the author as possible on Mr. Armstrong’s part.

In conclusion, it is important to let the Bible be our guide. The Bible is not clear that there needs to be a future king of the South, since history has shown that the prophecy in Daniel 11:40 concerning the king of the South was fulfilled, and Scripture could allow for, but does not demand, that this prophecy be dual in fulfillment. The current view of some, which DEMANDS the coming of another king of the South and identifies him as a confederation of Arab nations, under Egpyt’s leadership, is certainly in contradiction to the clear teachings of the Bible.

Ireland consists of two separate countries — the South, also known as Eire, and the North. The North (or Northern Ireland) has been historically linked with Great Britain. The British people, and the people in Northern Ireland, are descendants from Ephraim, one of the two sons of Joseph (a son of Jacob or Israel). The people in the South (or Southern Ireland) are descendants from ancient Dan, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. (Please note that the descendants of Dan can also be found today in Denmark. This Q&A only discusses Dan’s descendants in Southern Ireland).

History shows that the original settlers of the Emerald Isle were the “Thuatha De Danaan” – – descendants from ancient Dan.

We read the following prophecies about Dan: “Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel” (Genesis 49:16). This did happen, to an extent, in the ancient past, and it will happen again in the future, AFTER Christ’s return. We also read, in Deuteronomy 33:22: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.” Genesis 49:17 states: “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.” We find an example of such cunning cruelty in war, which could also be compared, at times, with modern-day Guerilla warfare, in Judges 18:27: “So they… went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire.” We also find described, in verse 29, their custom to name cities after the name of their forefather Dan; and we note their ancient and modern involvement with idolatry, as described in verses 30-31, and in Amos 8:14.

Southern Ireland or modern Dan has, in its past, been linked with Germany– especially during World War II, when they supported Germany against Britain and Northern Ireland in different ways. For instance, German submarines docked at Southern Ireland’s ports. During the blackout, people in Southern Ireland lit up windows to show the German airplanes where to go to bomb the shipyards in Northern Ireland. This friendly relationship between Southern Ireland and continental Europe, especially Germany, has continued after the war. Several years ago, continental Europe pumped 1 million pounds a day into Southern Ireland to save it from bankruptcy.

During the time of World War II, Winston Churchill recognized that Great Britain owed a great amount of gratitude for its survival to Northern Ireland. He wrote in 1943: “But for the loyalty of Northern Ireland…, we should have been confronted with slavery and death.” Presently, both the United Kingdom and Ireland are members of the EU, but the days of Great Britain’s membership in the EU are most likely numbered. At the same time, it appears that Southern Ireland or Eire will be strongly linked with the United States of Europe, apart from Great Britain. Southern Ireland rejects the British throne.

The Bible clearly predicts that a future European power bloc (perhaps by utilizing help from Southern Ireland) will conquer and enslave the United Kingdom.

When Great Britain is severely punished for their sins, many will come to repentance. We find this astonishing prophecy about Britain’s future in Deuteronomy 30:1-3: “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you.”

However, this prophecy about Britain’s repentance might not apply, in the same way, to Southern Ireland. All the factors listed in this article may very well contribute to the reason why modern Dan (Southern Ireland) will have to wait for God’s salvation (compare Genesis 49:18, Authorized Version). We note that Revelation 7:4-8 describes a time following the “Great Tribulation” — when God will “seal” 144,000 modern descendants from the houses of Israel and Judah. God will do this to protect them during the Day of the Lord from His wrath to come over this earth. We find that 12,000 from each tribe will be sealed — except for the tribe of Dan. It appears that only very few from the tribe of Dan will come to repentance, prior to Christ’s return.

For more information on the future of Great Britain, including Northern Ireland, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Many believe, based on prophecies contained in the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel, that immediately before the return of Jesus Christ, a powerful Arab leader or “king of the South” will still arise in the Middle East. Daniel 11:40-41 says: “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack [or: push at] him [the king of the North]; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown…”

Historically, and following the entire Biblical prophecy in the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel, we can determine that at the time described in verse 40, the king of the North constituted the ninth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, or the sixth resurrection of the “Holy” Roman Empire, led by Mussolini and Hitler, and that the king of the South was at that time Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia. And in fact, Mussolini came against Ethiopia like a whirlwind, using airplanes, and conquered it.

But, what about today or the immediate future? Will there occur another conflict between the king of the North — the final LEADER of the 10th resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, or the 7th resurrection of the “Holy” Roman Empire — and a king of the South, a final LEADER in the Middle East? Perhaps — but not necessarily so.

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following in a personal of the Plain Truth, dated June 1967. We are adding emphasis by pointing out startling statements by Mr. Armstrong which have been — overall — overlooked or forgotten by God’s people today. In quoting from Daniel 11:40, Mr. Armstrong explained:

“‘And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him …’ — that is, at the king of the north. The modern remnant of the ‘king of the south’ of this prophecy is Ethiopia. Anciently, Egypt was the country of the king of the south. But few Egyptians remain in Egypt today. Arabs, of a different original stock, have generally replaced the real Egyptians. The people descended from those who were of ancient Egypt, in its southern portions, are the Ethiopians. And the Italians were the remnant and successors, of the people of the king of the north. This prophecy WAS FULFILLED February-March, 1896, when King Menelik II of Ethiopia ‘pushed at’ the Italians, defeating Italy at Aduwa. Italians thirsted for revenge. Finally, their opportunity came, in 1935, under the military machine developed by Mussolini. Continue the prophecy, verse 40: ‘… and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind [in the air], with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships: and he shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass over.’ Notice, a whirlwind comes IN THE AIR. So DID Mussolini’s air forces. He sent down many ships, much cavalry, and tanks [modern ‘chariots’]. And his forces, in planes, ‘passed OVER.’… Continue: VERSE 41: ‘He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown …’

“There is a TIME-LAPSE between verse 40 and verse 41. After Mussolini captured Ethiopia he added it to Libya, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland. Mussolini had signed a concordat with the Vatican, and publicly announced the rebirth of the ROMAN EMPIRE, with King Victor Emmanuel Emperor, and himself the Duce or Premier. But Mussolini’s bubble of a Roman Empire was short-lived. Most people never actually noticed he had proclaimed its resurrected existence. It is described in another prophecy — Revelation 17 — as the insignificant sixth ‘head’ of the mysterious symbolic ‘beast,’ [of the “Holy” Roman Empire] that was, and is not, and yet is. But the final seventh head [of the “Holy” Roman Empire, or the tenth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire] is soon to rise. It is in the preliminary stages of coming into existence now, in the six-nation Common Market. Soon there will be ten European nations in a political-military union, that will shock and dumbfound the world. Verse 41 refers to THAT succession of the Roman power which became the ‘king of the north’ in the prophecy of Daniel 11. So notice what this COMING ‘United States of Europe’ WILL DO: VERSE 44: ‘But tidings out of the east and out of the north [Russia] shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious, holy mountain [Palestine]; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.’ So this now-forming European… power will invade Palestine, and move its headquarters there! But verse 41 adds [omitted above]: ‘… but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.’ The Turkish people today are ‘Edom,’ and the people of Jordan are the present-day descendants of Moab and Ammon — descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew. They will still be in that land…

“This European power, resurrecting for a VERY short while the Roman Empire, will take over the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2.) They will take the Temple, and plant the palace of their headquarters there. With this coming military leader, pictured in Revelation 17 as the symbolic ‘beast,’ will be a supreme religious leader, called ‘the False Prophet,’ [Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10] and the ‘man of sin.’ So will you turn next to II Thessalonians 2:3-4: ‘Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day’ — the Day of the Lord, verse 2 — ‘shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and THAT MAN OF SIN be revealed, the SON OF PERDITION; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.’ So there will have to be the Temple there!”

Did you catch that? As Mr. Armstrong explained, the prophecy in Daniel 11:40 has ALREADY BEEN FULFILLED. And verse 40 is the LAST TIME where the king of the South is mentioned! Beginning with the second half of verse 40, we read exclusively about the king of the North and his activities, and, in verse 44, about rumors from the east and the west. This means, then, that there DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ANOTHER end-time king of the South. If there were to rise one, following the historical and Biblical records, as set forth in the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel, it would have to be — mainly — modern Ethiopia. But, as we said, ALL WHICH STILL NEEDS TO BE FULFILLED (and which the previous king of the North — under Mussolini — did NOT fulfill), is the invasion of the Glorious Land by the future and final king of the North (verse 41), including Jerusalem (verse 45), as well as the overthrow of “many countries” (verse 41), including Egypt, and the “Libyans and Ethiopians” following at his heels (verse 43).

It is entirely possible that the prophecy in verse 40 is a type of future events to be repeated — but it DOES NOT HAVE TO BE this way. It is NOT necessary, based on Biblical prophecy, that there will still arise an end-time “king of the South,” attacking or pushing at the end-time king of the North. Christ could return without such an event having to occur first.

In the context of Matthew 17, Peter, James and John accompany Jesus to a high mountain, and then, in verse 9, Jesus says, “‘Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.'” In this vision they witness Jesus being transfigured and appearing in His glorified state. Along with Jesus, Moses and Elijah also appear. In the parallel account of Mark 9, these disciples wonder at the instruction from Jesus when He spoke of His resurrection: “So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant” (verse 10).

Their curiosity led to the question we find recorded in Matthew 17:10: “And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?'” The scribes, along with the rest of the religious leadership of that time, did not understand how the Messiah would first appear. Not understanding the scriptures, they were only looking for the establishment of Israel’s kingdom and the destruction of their enemies. Following the resurrection of Jesus, even His disciples asked: “‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel'” (Acts 1:6)?

Not unlike some people today, the scribes of Jesus’ day narrowly focused on the prophecy found in Malachi 4. The last two verses of this chapter state: “‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD, And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse'” (verses 5 and 6).

This sweeping prophecy will culminate in the establishing of the Kingdom of God on the earth. However, God has been preparing for this event through His carefully prepared plan–a great master plan that was established even before the creation itself (Compare 1 Corinthians 2:7 and Titus 1:2).

Continuing in Matthew 17, Jesus explained, “‘but I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He spoke of John the Baptist” (verses 12-13).

John the Baptist was uniquely commissioned in this Elijah-like role: “Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying…” (Luke 1:67); Then, in verse 76, John’s father makes this statement: “‘And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.'”

During his short ministry, John the Baptist drew the attention of the Jews and they sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to question him. John 1:19 records their question: “…’Who are you?'” John answered that he was not the Christ, nor Elijah nor the Prophet. What he emphasized is recorded verse 23: “He said: ‘I am The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.'”

Is what John said in contradiction with what Jesus said of him, that “Elijah has come already?” Not at all. John knew who he was and the work he was to do. He knew that he was not the Messiah nor the Prophet. He also knew that he was not Elijah. Perhaps what he did not understand was that his work was an Elijah-like commission–in the manner that Malachi chapter 4 speaks of. However, Jesus Christ did know this and revealed it to His disciples as recorded in Matthew 17. Also note what an angel of God testified to Zacharias concerning John the Baptist: “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17). The angel did not say that John would be Elijah, but that he would have that kind of role to fulfill.

Even John did not know who the Messiah was until he baptized Jesus: “‘I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God'” (John 1:33-34). What John did know and do was to fulfill the work that God gave to him. Jesus said of John: “‘Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist'” (Matthew 11:11).

John the Baptist preached repentance from sins, and he and his disciples baptized many. However, Jesus’ disciples baptized more than John (see John 4:1-2). Indeed, John’s work prepared the way for what Jesus accomplished. Yet the greater work was done by Jesus in ways far beyond preaching and baptizing.

Clearly, the Bible speaks of a future time when some will come “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” The most direct prophecy of that event is found in Malachi 4. Note the time setting depicted in verse 5: “‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.'” The specific work to be done then will be much the same as what John the Baptist did. “‘And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse [utter destruction]'” (Malachi 4:6). The way in which this will be done is for both fathers and children to turn to the law of God (see verse 4).

We also find this description of what Jesus Christ did as Peter preached at Jerusalem: “‘To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities’ ” (Acts 3:26). In verse 24 of this same chapter in Acts, Peter says: “‘Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.'” Peter had already shown that Moses had, as well, spoken of God raising up a Prophet like him (verse 22).

Acts 3:21 speaks of Jesus Christ in this way: “‘whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.'” This was not an exclusive message from either Elijah or John the Baptist. Rather, the message of restoration of all things points to the establishment of God’s Kingdom on this earth. This is the same message that Jesus commissioned the Church to proclaim: “‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come'”(Matthew 24:14). What will end is the corrupt rule of Satan’s government. What will be restored is God’s government.

Since the time of John the Baptist, the Church of God has been carrying out an Elijah-like role in teaching the way of life that God instructs all to follow. Beyond that first generation of the Church, only in recent times has the work of the Church arisen to such a level that it impacted people all over the earth. That occurred during the lifetime of Herbert W. Armstrong as God empowered him to preach the gospel powerfully through the mass media of print, radio and television. Indeed, many heard that message and–like what happened in the time of John the Baptist–they repented and turned their hearts to obeying God.

Not unlike the first generation of the Church of God, the Worldwide Church of God (founded by Mr. Armstrong) has been overthrown through deceptive teachings from false ministers. As a consequence, we now find the people of God straying from the truth that they once believed. However, some have remained faithful to their calling to carry on the work of the Church.

Scripture shows that at the time of the end, there must yet arise a powerful witness of warning to both the modern nations of Israel and Judah, as well as to the entire world (This will be before the work of the two witnesses!). That work will have dramatic impact in the coming years. Note what Jesus said in this regard: “‘Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake'” (Matthew 24:9). Jesus gave this answer as a direct response to His disciples. He was speaking prophetically about His future disciples! Much like John the Baptist was called upon to do, the Church of God will face the task of proclaiming the intervention of One Who will bring peace–this time forcibly! The Elijah message at the beginning centered on this thought: “‘If the LORD is God, follow Him'” (1 Kings 18:21). That is what Malachi prophesied, it is what John the Baptist proclaimed, it is what Jesus taught and commissioned His followers to teach–it is the message that will carry on being proclaimed into the Kingdom of God!

Revelation 11 shows that two prophets will arise just before Christ returns. They will be imbued with power from God, much like Moses and Aaron, to work powerful signs before the whole world. It is interesting to note that in the vision seen by Peter, James and John, it was Moses and Elijah who appeared (Compare Matthew 17). They are dead and buried, but the two witnesses of God are different individuals–they will prophesy during the time when modern Israel and Judah will be punished, and many of them who escape death will become captives scattered and sold all over the world. These two people will contend with the great false religious leader then alive as well as the government leaders of the revived Roman Empire. Not only will they proclaim God’s soon coming punishment of the earth, but they will have power from God to bring about awesome miracles to withstand Satan’s evil influence and to wake up any who might repent. Verse 7 indicates that they will “finish their testimony.” Exactly what that testimony is can be understood from the prophecies found in Zechariah 4. In verse 14, the two olive trees mentioned earlier in the chapter are identified as “‘These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.'” In verse 7, we find the message that will be proclaimed: “‘And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!””

That “capstone” is Jesus Christ. He is the stone that the builders rejected (Compare Luke 20:17; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8) Jesus Christ is the One Who will restore the earth (Compare Isaiah 49:8). That restoration will involve this physical world which will have come to the brink of extinction. That restoration will also be the establishment of God’s Kingdom and the teaching of God’s ways in order that mankind may truly become the sons and daughters of God and inherent eternal life and peace forever more (Compare Romans 8:18-22).

Elijah will be with Jesus Christ and the others who attain the first resurrection. Elijah, like all the faithful men and women living in past generations, is in the grave–he is dead. But Jesus Christ has already led the way for us. He has been resurrected and He is alive and at the right hand of God. He has promised to return to this earth. Then and only then will we see the restoration of all things as the great master plan of God continues to its completion. Finally, as Revelation chapters 21 and 22 show, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, will dwell in the midst of their family. “‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away'” (Revelation 21:4).

We are glad to do so. The following is a very brief summary and only relates, in passing, a few pieces of the Biblical, historical or archeological evidence, to raise interest and curiosity:

The ancient tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, is dominant in the United States of America. Ephraim, another son of Joseph, basically constitutes the English-speaking, Anglo-Saxon member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly known as the British Commonwealth). This includes modern countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, as well as part of South Africa. There are actually many proofs which establish these facts. We read in the Bible that a descendant of the house of David would always rule over the house of Israel, throughout all generations, until the return of Jesus Christ (who will then, as a descendant of David, rule over the house of Israel forever). In Ireland, tradition marks the arrival in the first half of the sixth century B.C. of a small group of people led by a white-haired prophet, known as Ollamh Fodhla. Irish tradition identifies this man as the prophet Jeremiah. The traditional belief of the kings of Scotland and England is that the house of David was transferred, through Jeremiah, to northwestern Europe from Palestine. When Jerusalem fell, Jeremiah brought with him the daughter of the last king of Judah, Zedekiah, who then became queen of Ireland. Today, the throne of David can be found in England.

The tribe of Judah (the Jews) is scattered among all nations, with a large number now living in the modern state of Israel.

Other ancient tribes of the house of Israel seem to be located in the following areas:

Reuben can be found today in parts of modern France; Dan in Ireland and part of Denmark; Benjamin in Norway and Iceland; Zebulon in the Netherlands; Issachar in Finland; Gad in Switzerland; Asher in Belgium and Luxembourg; and Naphtali in Sweden. We are unable to determine the modern identity of Levi and Simeon, as they were prophesied to be scattered among the rest of the tribes of Israel (compare Genesis 49:7). Strong evidence suggests that many in Wales are descendants of Levi, and some Scots — especially around Glasgow — are descendants of Simeon, as well as of Levi.

We should mention, of course, that people from many other countries have joined and settled among all of the above-mentioned nations. This means that not everyone living in the United States, for example, is a descendant of the tribe of Manasseh.

Some have claimed that the American Indians are the descendants of the “lost tribes” of the ancient house of Israel. This is incorrect. Biblical research, history and archeology reveal that the American Indians are descendants of Tiras, son of Japheth, one of the three sons of Noah. Tiras was one of Noah’s grandsons. Tiras is referred to in Genesis 10 and in 1 Chronicles 1:5. He became the most isolated branch of Noah’s grandsons. The American Indians are closely related to groups of Asiatic peoples in eastern Asia, who likewise descended from Japheth. Certain American Indian tribes are also closely related linguistically to peoples of northeastern Asia. We find the name “Tiras” preserved among various New World Indian tribes, such as, Tauri, Taras, Turas, Dures, Dorasques, and Atures.

Ancient Chaldeans or Babylonians can be found today in central and northwestern Europe. Some of the ancient Chaldeans were driven northward out of the Near East by the Assyrians and Medes prior to 610 B.C. They headed west into the Roman Empire. They settled in northern Italy, southeastern France, and parts of Spain and northern Africa.The ancient Chaldeans of Babylonia were also sent into exile to Syria in the Greek period. The Latin Romans often bought these people as slaves; afterward, their descendants were freed.

The ancient Assyrians can be found today among some of the Germans, Austrians and other German-speaking countries. Small portions of ancient Assyrians can also be found today in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries. The Assyrians had settled, around 550 B.C., at the southern shores of the Black Sea, and then moved north. They migrated into Central Europe. Historical works point out that Germanic tribes had migrated into Europe from the countries around the Black Sea. The ancient tradition of the city of Trier has it that the city was founded by the Assyrian king Trebeta, son of Ninus. Josef K.L. Bihl writes, “In Deutschen Landen”: “The inhabitants of Trier maintain that their city is the oldest in all Europe… Trier was founded by Trebeta, a son of the famous Assyrian king Ninus. In fact, one finds… in Trier the inscription reading, ‘Trier existed for 1300 years before Rome was rebuilt.'”

The modern people of Poland are descendants of Elam, a son of Shem. The Elamites named the most famous mountain in their land Elwend. The Germans used to refer to the Poles as “Wends.”

In addition, strong evidence suggests or proves, depending on the case, that the following Biblical terms describe, or may prophetically refer to these modern nations:

Amalek — PLO
Ammon — Jordan
Aram — Syria
Cush — India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia
Elam — Iran
Esau or Edom — Turkey, perhaps also, in some instances, Palestinians
Ishmael — Saudi-Arabia
Javan — Greece
Lot — Jordan
Magog — China
Moab — Jordan, perhaps also Western Iraq
Pathros — India
Put — Libya
Shinar — Iraq
Teman — Turkey
Togarmah — Siberia
Tubal — Russia

Bible prophecy clearly speaks of many nations which will be the focus of end-time events. These nations can be traced through both the foundation of the Biblical record and the verification of secular history. National identities are being revealed in our generation by those who actually fulfill events which God foretold. Therefore, it is especially important that we continue to carefully watch world events in order to fully understand their true meaning along with the identity of individuals and nations spoken of by God in the remarkable prophecies of the Bible!

For further information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.” If you can read and understand German, you may also want to download from our Webpage our free German booklet, “Deutschland in der Prophezeiung.”

Much has been speculated as to the identity of the 144,000. However, if we let the Bible speak for itself, the answer becomes rather obvious.

Let us begin our analysis by quoting from a letter of the Worldwide Church of God, dated November 1987:

“In verse 1 [of Revelation 7] we find that the Day of the Lord — the time of terrible plagues — is to be delayed temporarily UNTIL the servants of God have been sealed. According to the sequence of prophesied events, this sealing is yet IN THE FUTURE. It will occur AFTER THE COMING GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE HEAVENLY SIGNS, but just BEFORE THE PLAGUES of God’s judgments are poured out.

“Next, notice Jesus’ own explanation of the 144,000. They are 144,000 of the TRIBES OF ISRAEL, 12,000 of each tribe. The tribe of Dan is not mentioned — perhaps because they went to idolatry anciently, and will thus have to WAIT for God’s salvation (Gen. 49:1, 18). The 144,000 are to be given SPECIAL PROTECTION DURING THE DAY OF THE LORD.

“The 144,000 are sealed BY the Holy Spirit, IN their foreheads (minds). Revelation 14:1 shows that it is the Father’s name that is written there. Jesus’ very last prayer was that His Church would be kept in the Father’s name (John 17) [emphasis in original and added].”

This explanation is in accord with Mr. Armstrong’s writings, the late human leader of the Worldwide Church of God until his death in 1986. Please note the following excerpts from his booklet, “The key to the book of Revelation”:

“It is vital to understand the distinction between the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. The heavenly signs do not occur until AFTER the Tribulation (Matt. 24:29). But they are to come BEFORE the ‘Day of the Lord’ (Joel 2:31)… But just as we come to the time of the terrible DAY OF THE LORD to strike, an angel appears holding back the four winds (Rev. 7:1-3), which are the first four Trumpet plagues (Rev. 8:7-12) of the Day of the Lord.

“They are held back until the 144,000 are sealed, and the great innumerable multitude of ALL NATIONS turn to God and His protection.

“The 144,000 are 12,000 from each of the literal tribes of Israel. They are sealed by the Holy Spirit, IN their foreheads, and it is the FATHER’S NAME that is sealed there (Rev. 14:1). THE TIME OF THIS SEALING, THEN, IS YET FUTURE — AFTER THE TRIBULATION, AFTER THE HEAVENLY SIGNS… The innumerable multitude shall have COME OUT of THE Great Tribulation (Rev. 7:14… ) [emphasis in original and added].”

In considering the Biblical revelation regarding the 144,000, we can see the following:

1) None of the 144,000 have already been sealed.
2) The 144,000 will be sealed in the future, AFTER the Great Tribulation.
3) The 144,000 will be sealed in order to be protected from the plagues of the Day of the Lord.
4) The 144,000 are physical Israelites that will be alive at the time of their sealing.
5) 12,000 of each tribe of Israel will be sealed. Since the tribe of Dan is omitted, the tribe of Joseph is represented through Joseph and through his son Manasseh (Revelation 7:6, 8).
6) Since the 144,000 will be sealed AFTER the Great Tribulation, they will have to go THROUGH the Great Tribulation. There is no indication in the Bible that they will be protected from the Great Tribulation at a place of safety.
7) As the 144,000 will be protected from the plagues of the Day of the Lord, so the “great multitude” (Revelation 7:9) will turn to God for protection as well.
8) The “great multitude” is not a part of the 144,000, but it is a separate group of peoples.
9) The “great multitude,” which “no one can number,” consists “of ALL [other, that is, non-Israelite] nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues.”
10) The “great multitude” had to go through the Great Tribulation as well. They will not be at a place of safety, to be protected from the Great Tribulation. Revelation 7:14 reads: “These are the ones who COME OUT OF the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Today, neither the 144,000 nor the great multitude have turned to God. But they will — when they remember the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God, which is being preached today, and which will continue to be preached by God’s church (compare Matthew 24:14; 28:18-20), combined with the activities of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:1-6), the martyrdom of some of the saints (Revelation 6:9-11; 12:13-17) and the sufferings of national Israelites and Jews during the Great Tribulation, and the heavenly signs. When the 144,000 find themselves in the midst of the Great Tribulation, they will reflect and come to their senses. THEN they will repent — not before then. Speaking of the modern houses of Israel and Judah, we read a remarkable prophecy in Deuteronomy 30:1-3, 6, and 8. This prophecy refers to “the latter days” (Deuteronomy 31:29) and might also include a description of the conversion of the 144,000:

“Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you RETURN to the Lord your God (i.e., REPENT) and OBEY His voice, according to ALL that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul (describing CONVERSION), that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity (which will be experienced by the modern houses of Israel and Judah during the time of the Great Tribulation)… And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, THAT YOU MAY LIVE (that is, that you might be PROTECTED from the PLAGUES of the Day of the Lord)… And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command you today.”

When the 144,000 turn to God, become converted and receive the Holy Spirit, they will be protected from the plagues of the Day of the Lord. Their conversion is still in the future. It will take place after they, together with the great multitude of ALL [non-Israelite] nations, have experienced the fiery trial of the Great Tribulation.