The Covenants In The Book Of Daniel

The Covenants of the Book of Daniel

The prophet Daniel was given a clear and concise timeline of certain future events:

‘And he [Antichrist] shall confirm [strengthen/cause to prevail] the covenant with [the] many [Israelites] for one week [Daniel’s 70th 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.’ (Daniel 9:27)

The Antichrist will initiate the last seven years by confirming, strengthening, causing an existing covenant to prevail that he has made with [the] ‘Many’ in the nation of Israel. The Hebrew word translated ‘Confirm’ is used 25 times in the Old Testament and emphasizes the act of prevailing or strengthening:

Isaiah used this same word to indicate the Lord’s prevailing actions during the coming Day of the Lord:

‘The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: He shall cry, yea, roar; He shall prevail against His enemies.’ (Isaiah 42:13)

Zechariah also employed this word on two occasions when he described the Lord’s future strengthening of His re-gathered people during the Day of the Lord:

‘And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph…And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in His name, saith the Lord.’ (Zechariah 10:6,10)

Therefore, the word ‘Confirm’ in Daniel 9:27 focuses upon the strengthening of an existing covenant, thereby causing it to prevail. It can be said that the Antichrist will literally ‘Put teeth into’ an existing agreement which is the starting point for the last week or seven years which have been determined by God upon Daniel’s people and his holy city. (Daniel 9:24)

Exactly what this covenant contains is not indicated in the text. However, from the information given in the book of Daniel and the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, it is clear that the Antichrist will be a powerful political leader with great military clout capable of making a covenant to guarantee peace for Israel which has been the prevailing opinion of students of Bible prophecy.

But, the fact that the Antichrist confirms an existing covenant at the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel means that he has already established this covenant/agreement with Israel during the days, months or years prior to his action of confirming, strengthening, causing this existing covenant to prevail.

Isaiah indicates the deadly nature of this future covenant:

‘Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem, Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves…And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.’

(Isaiah 28:14, 15, 18)

The many in Israel will put their trust in this covenant thinking that: ‘When the overflowing scourge [God’s Day of the Lord judgment] shall pass through, it shall not come unto us’. The Lord makes it clear that this will not be the case in that future day:

‘From the time that it goes forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation [sheer terror] only to understand the report [what it means] …For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act. Now, therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.’ (Isaiah 28:19, 21, 22)

The world wide judgment of God is here indicated beginning with those in Israel and going forth being empowered by His wrath when He will ‘Bring to pass His act, His strange act’ which is described as a ‘Consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.’

The word ‘covenant’ is used by Daniel six different times. The first time it refers to God’s covenant:

‘And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments.’(Daniel 9:4)

Then the 70th Week covenant of Antichrist mentioned above found in Daniel 9:27, and again in chapter eleven the word appears: