THE PRINCE THAT SHALL COME

by Douglas Ecklund
(Central Florida)

Can it be proven that in verse 26 the prince that shall come refers to the antichrist?

Can it be proven that the people of this prince, being Roman, are conclusive to the antichrist being from a revived Roman empire?

These verses have caused much debate, difficulty and diversity of interpretation.

The most popular view that has come to my attention is that verse 26 refers to the future one world ruler, the antichrist, the prince that shall come. The view holds that the people of the prince to come are Romans who sack Jerusalem and destroy the temple. The view holds that the last day empire is Rome and the antichrist comes out of a revived Roman empire. Verse 27 is interpreted that the antichrist will have a 7 year (1 week is 7 years) treaty and in the middle (3 ½ years) he will break it and cease temple sacrifice.

There could be another way to look at these verses however.

Daniel 9:24
¶ 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.

Verse 24 is pretty straightforward in referring to the Jewish people and Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:25
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: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Verse 25 refers to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and to the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Daniel 9:26
And after 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.

Verse 26 refers to the crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The people of the prince could be Romans.
The prince that shall come could be referring NOT to the antichrist, but to the prince (ruler) Titus, who destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:27
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.

When verse 27 is read, the assumption is made that the HE in this verse refers to the prince in verse 26.
It can not be dogmatically stated that the HE in this verse refers to the prince that shall come and therefore he is from a revived Roman empire.

Verse 27 could be SEPERATED from verse 26.

Verse 27 could be HE the ANTICHRIST. This verse would not refer to the prince in verse 26 and would not therefore identify the antichrist with the prince that shall come or Rome.