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Daniel cannot be interpreted beyond the events of Revelation
because it was the Revealing of the prophecy Daniel
was instructed to seal up. Both Daniel and Revelation
were to be understood at the "time of the end"
which is identified as "at hand" (in the
1st century) throughout the New Testament. (John 12:31;
I Cor. 10:11, Hebrews 9:26, Rev. 1:3) "O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end" (Daniel 12:4) "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." (Rev. 22:10) When we read from Daniel about these events that are being revealed by the Revelation, they limit the time within it was to be understood: "...the book portrays prophetically historical occurances which are (1) presented as fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets (Rev. 10:7) and (2) the avenging of those prophets witht he apostles (Rev. 11:18; 16:6; 17:6; 18:20, 24; 19:2). Daniel taught, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon the 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" (Dan. 9:24). The Messiah would be cut off and the sacrifice caused to cease inthe midst of the seventieth week. All of htis would take place before the city and sanctuary were destroyed (Dan. 9:25-27). Jesus refers to Daniel's prophecy in His Olivet discourse while describing the destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15). He further said, "For these be the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled" (Luke 21:22). The only things written when Jesus spoke were the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets contained the "mystery of God declared to his servants the prophets" (Rev. 10:7). Since the Apocalypse was designed to show "things which must shortly come to pass" (Rev. 1:1; 1:19; 4:1; 22:6) in fulfillment of the mystery of God, it must of necessity predate 70 A.D.! To teach the Apocalypse was penned after 70 A.D. forces a contradiction between the two messages of Jesus. Furthermore, since the book portrays the avenging of the apostles and prophets (Rev. 18:20), it must predate 70 A.D. because Jesus said the apostles and prophets would be avenged in the destruction of Jerusalem (Lk. 11:45-52; Matt. 23:34-39). If the apostles and prophets were avenged at Jerusalem as Jesus said, how could they also be avenged elsewhere? A study of the nature of the avenging pictured by Jesus and John shows they are the same. These and many other convincing arguements demonstarte the Apocalypse was written prior to 70 A.D." - Arthur M. Ogden, "The Development of the New Testament."
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