THE SEVENTY WEEKS AND THE GREAT TRIBULATION
(REVISED EDITION 1921)
by Philip Mauro
A Study of the Last Two Visions of Daniel and the Olivet Discourse of the Lord Jesus Christ. “I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days.” (Dan. 10:14)
In this work by Mauro, he has two parts. He begins by examining some principles to guide the interpretation of prophetical passages. He then begins in the OT with the commandment to restore Jerusalem, and the details of the seventy weeks. He has two chapters on the Messiah, and then discusses the seventieth week. He deals with the question are the 70 weeks consecutive? Daniel’s last vision. Next he takes up “the King” and the time of trouble. The next section or part is the NT counterpart. He examines the Lord’s Olivet Prophecy. He then looks at Josephus’ description of the Seige of Jerusalem.
CONTENTS
PART ONE
CHAPTER I Principles Governing the Interpretation of Prophecy
Nothing Should be Based upon Surmise–Proofs Should be Drawn from the Scripture Itself, which is the only Authority in Matters of Interpretation–But History Must be Appealed to in order to Show Fulfilment of Prophecy. BIBLE CHRONOLOGY: The Bible Contains its own Chronology.-“DANIEL THE PROPHET”–An Exact Time-Measure to the Coming and Crucifixion of Christ–Special Features of the Prophecy of The Seventy Weeks.
CHAPTER II The Commandment To Restore and To Build.
Differences of opinion as to the Starting Point of the Prophecy Arising from Disregard of Bible Chronology–The Defectiveness of all Systems Based on the “Canon” of Ptolemy–Martin Anstey’s Chronology Based on the Bible Alone. THE DECREE OF CYRUS THE GREAT—Isaiah’s Prophecies Concerning Cyrus. Josephus’ References to Cyrus–Decrees by later Persian Kings–Nehemiah’s Work on the Wall.
CHAPTER III Details of The Seventy Weeks
The Six Predictions of v. 24. The Division of the Period into Three Parts–“To Finish the Transgression.”–“To Make an End of Sins”–“To Make Reconciliation for Iniquity”-“To Bring in Everlasting Righteousness”–“To Seal up Vision and Prophecy”–“To Anoint the Most Holy Place.”
CHAPTER IV “Unto The Messiah The Prince”
The Terminal Point of the Sixty-Nine Weeks; The Baptism and Anointing of Jesus–The Manifestation to Israel, the Beginning of the Lord’s Ministry–Proofs which fix the Terminal Point of the 483 Years–The Prince.
CHAPTER V Messiah “Cut Off”
The “Time” and the “Hour”–The Lord’s Earthly Ministry–The Judgment: “The Prince that Shall Come”–Different Opinions as to the Time of His Coming–Titus, Son of Vespasian, was the Prince (or Commander) of the Roman Armies which Destroyed the City and Desolated the Land-The Terms of the Prophecy Forbid its Application to a Future Personage.
CHAPTER VI The Seventieth Week
The Interpretation of verse 27–Who is the Person Referred to? What “Covenant” is it? And what Sacrifices?–“For One Week”–The Septuagint Rendering.
CHAPTER VII Are The Seventy Weeks Consecutive?
The Idea of a Detached and “Postponed” Seventieth Week Examined–Various Proofs that the Seventy Weeks are a Continuous Measure of Time–The Past Fulfilment of verse 27 Proves this–Many Bands that Clasp the Seventieth Week Firmly to the Other Sixty-nine–Why the Entire Period is Divided into Three Parts–The Overspreading of Abominations–The Decree of Cyrus Again–The Remainder of the Seventieth Week–God’s Prophetic Time Measure.
CHAPTER VIII Daniel’s Last Vision
Outline of the Visions of Daniel 7, 8, and 9–How the Last Vision Came to be Given–The Prophetic History of Daniel l 1–The “Latter Days”–The “Thing” Revealed to Daniel–The Persian Era–The Macedonian Era–Alexander the Great and His Successors–Ptolemy Philadelphus–Antiochus the Great–Ptolemy Epiphanes–Antiochus Epiphanes (the “Vile Person”)–His Persecutions of the Jews–The Uprising of the Maccabees, and their “Exploits.”
CHAPTER IX “The King”
Various Attempts to Identify this Personage–The “Break” Theory–Proofs that the Prophetic Narrative is Continuous–“Herod the King”–Herod’s Dynasty Filled Out the Last Stage of Jewish History “Until the Indignation”–“According to His Will”–Exalting and Magnifying Himself–“The Desire of Women ….. The God of Forces”–The Testimony of Josephus as to Herod–The Time of the End–Farquharson’s Commentary–Defeat of Antony and Cleopatra by Octavius Caesar–Edom, Moab and Ammon–The Treasures of Egypt–Tidings from East and North–Herod “Troubled”–His Outbreak of “Great Fury”–His Palace and His End.
CHAPTER X The Time Of Trouble
Michael the Great Prince–A Time of Trouble such as Never Was–Many Awakened–They Who Make Wise-Many Shall Run To and Fro–How Long the End?–A Time, Times and a Part–The Taking Away of the Daily Sacrifice–The Period of Three and a Half Years in Scripture.
CHAPTER XI The Wise Shall Understand
Who are “the Wicked” and “the Wise” ?–Many Purified and Made White, and Tried–False Prophets–Have These Prophecies a Future Application?
PART TWO
CHAPTER XII The Lord’s Olivet Prophecy
Christ’s References to the Approaching Destruction of Jerusalem–The Importance of that Event in History, and in God’s Dealings with Mankind–Prophecies Concerning Jerusalem–Wrath to the Uttermost–Future Troubles for Mankind–Concerning Antichrist.
CHAPTER XIII Outline of the Olivet Prophecy
The Three Main Purposes of the Discourse–The Great Tribulation or the Days of Vengeance–The Sign to Flee-The Three Parallel Accounts of the Olivet Prophecy-“When Ye Shall See”–Self-Inflicted Sufferings–Tribulation “Such as Never Was.”
CHAPTER XIV Mark’s Account of The Olivet Prophecy
The Question of the Four Disciples–The Stones of the Temple–The General Warnings–The Sign of the Approaching “Desolation”–Those Days to be “Shortened”-False Christs and False Prophets–Proof that the Three Evangelists Refer to one and the same Tribulation–The Siege and Dispersion Foretold by Moses–The Abomination of Desolation was the Roman Armies, not an Idol in the Sanctuary–Luke’s Account: Is it the Same Discourse? Israel’s Last Probation–The Time of Jacob’s Trouble-The Great Tribulation of Revelation VII.
CHAPTER XV Josephus’ Description of the Siege of Jerusalem
The Days of Herod Agrippa II and His Great Oration–Felix and Festus–The Sicarii–False Prophets–“That Egyptian”–Three Million at the Passover–The Cruelties of Florus–The Strange Retreat of Cestius–The Days of Vengeance–Josephus Taken Prisoner by Vespasian–Titus Succeeds Vespasian in Charge of the Roman Armies–The Internal Strife in Jerusalem–The Cruelties of the “Tyrants” –The Last Passover–Famine, Blood, and Fire–Unspeakable Sufferings–The Capture of the City and Dispersion of the Nation.
CHAPTER XVI Concluding Comments
Edersheim on Matthew XXIV–The Four Divisions of the Prophecy–The Beginning of Sorrows–A Strong and Illuminating Contrast–The Two Illustrative Parables: The Fig tree and The Man Taking a Far Journey–Signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars–The Times of the Gentiles.
APPENDIX THE SEVENTY WEEKS AND THE GREAT TRIBULATION
NOTE from Historicism.com:
The author, Philip Mauro, is not writing from a traditional Historicist perspective: he differs from the position that we hold in several areas. Among these differences are his teachings concerning the millennium and the symbolic meaning of the three-and-a-half years. This work is very valuable nonetheless. The focus of opinion in this book–regarding the seventy weeks and other visions in Daniel–is shared by many well known Historicist teachers of the past few-hundred years.