“… and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined” (Daniel 9:26c).

In Daniel 8:19 we noted the appointed time (mowed) heralded the very end of time (eth qets). To make clear what this was associated with, Gabriel said that it would be at the time of the indignation (zaam), which is God’s wrath or time of God’s final judgment.

From the 70-weeks-of-years prophecy it is clear that there is a direct application to the Jewish people and 70 A.D. But the greater and more important relevance comes at the end of this world’s history. We know this by now because of the 2300-“day” prophecy (Daniel 8:14) and the meaning of eth qets, which directly relates to Michael standing up, tribulation, deliverance of God’s people and the special resurrection (Daniel 12:1-2).

The verse being reviewed now (9:26c) reveals greater details of how all apostate people will come to an end (70 A.D. or very end of time).

The seven churches of Revelation represent seven types of corporate bodies that will exist at the very end of time. Amazing as it may seem, that book categorically notes that only two of those churches will be part of God’s last-day people – Philadelphia and Smyrna – the 144,000 and the martyred groups, His two witnesses. Five have apostatized.

The “end” (qets) comes as a “flood” (sheleph). Though sheleph means a deluge of water, it alludes to a sudden end as quickly and unexpectedly as a flood. In this setting, it would be a “flood of wrath” (Naham 1:8) or judgment on the wicked.[1]

Though Satan, the prince of this world, has had controlling accesses at times to God’s people and church through persecution and martyrdom, he and his agents will at the end be under the controlled wrath of God.

Qets is once again used. At that “end” will be the “desolations” of war. In 8:13 Gabriel said that a transgression would lead to “desolation” (shamen) – utter destruction. In 12:11 Jesus said the “abomination” would lead to desolation or destruction. That occurred literally in 70 A.D. when Titus sacked Jerusalem and the temple. The “city” and the “sanctuary” were destroyed. That will occur once again antitypically at the time of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) just before “Babylon came in remembrance before God” (vs 19) (the “city”). Then the synagogue of Satan (Revelation 2:9) (the apostate “sanctuary”) will be forever gone. Here, war is introduced as the immediate cause of its end. It is as if God is telling all His people, “Don’t be concerned, ultimately apostasy, the little horn, those representing Satan and Babylon, will meet their fate in total annihilation.”

We are reminded of apostasy in Isaiah’s day. God’s people were saying, “Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:10). God bears with sin and deception only so long.

The verse ends with a most comforting word – charats. That destruction has already been decided. In fact, God decreed it. That is amazing and wonderful.

Again, what war (milchamah) will lead to this desolation? Revelation 14–20 opens the door to two wars – both called Armageddon. One is obviously a mortal conflict between men as the four winds are loosened, the other is the final battle between good and evil, principalities and powers, when the “wine of His wrath” is poured out without mixture.

Long before Babylon came onto the scene, Isaiah (chapter 21) and Jeremiah (chapters 50–51) said that it would come to its end – totally – never to rise again. Here, the papacy or little horn, which was part of Babylon, will come to its end – “he shall be broken without hand … he shall come to his end, and none shall help him” (Daniel 8:25, 9:45). The “he-goat” representatives will have a measured period of time to work (Daniel 12:7), but at the end will be the deliverance of God’s people (Daniel 12:1) and destruction of wickedness. Here in Daniel we are seeing in miniature of what the book of Revelation will unfold in greater detail for the world.

“But the cloud of judicial wrath hangs over them, containing the elements that destroyed Sodom. In his visions of things to come the prophet John beheld this scene. This demon worship was revealed to him, and it seemed to him as if the whole world were standing on the brink of perdition….

“When the storm of God’s wrath breaks upon the world, it will be a terrible revelation for souls to find that their house is being swept away because it is built upon the sand.”[2]

“‘Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.’ ‘The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.’ ‘Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned.’ Isaiah 24:1, 3, 5, 6….

“The whole earth appears like a desolate wilderness. The ruins of cities and villages destroyed by the earthquake, uprooted trees, ragged rocks thrown out by the sea or torn out of the earth itself, are scattered over its surface, while vast caverns mark the spot where the mountains have been rent from their foundations.”[3] Desolation will come!

We passed quickly through sixty-nine weeks of the seventy-week prophecy. The issues of Messiah the Prince unfolded. Then suddenly, the theme moved away from that time to the fall of literal Jerusalem, and even more relevant, to messages related to apostasy and corruption at the very end of time. Satan was successful in bringing all too many of God’s people to turn against their very Savior. In these proleptic reflective messages Gabriel opens scenes that depict the final outcome of the little horn’s end-time work of Daniel 8. He lingers long enough to warn what lies ahead for God’s church, then hurries back to the Messiah, only to return again to the end-of-time rebellion.

Remember, remember – in most prophecies there is often a literal meaning. But that is always a metaphor for a deeper spiritual message. Of greater significance is always the spiritual. In it the covenant restoration theme is forever appealed to at the great consummation.