In the writings of Josephus we read of the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and of the mass destruction which was inflicted upon the city and the Jewish population in A.D.70. Titus, the son of the Roman emperor, Vespasian, was the leader of the Roman army. If you have not read the story of this first century conflict, I suggest that you do.

Many writers who advocate a variety of prophetic theories, especially "Preterism," have pronounced the events of this war between the Jews and the Romans as being the "fulfillment" of certain scriptural prophecies.

Some think it fulfilled a large part of  Daniel 11; others say it fulfilled portions of Matthew 24.

In reading these writers, however, it appears that either the writers have a "blind spot," else they presume they can "pull the wool" over the eyes of at least most of their readers.

For example, IF the events of A.D.70 fulfill the eleventh chapter of Daniel [11:21-45], where is the "parallel" of events, nations, and persons of Daniel 11 to those of A.D.70?

How is any thing close to being a reasonable comparison of the "king of the north" of Daniel 11 to the Roman general, Titus? When did Titus, for instance, ever build his "palace" in Jerusalem [Daniel 11:45]? This is merely one of the items in Daniel 11 which will not "fit" the A.D.70 scenario.

Those who opt for the idea that A.D.70 fulfills Matthew 24 are faced with the same problem, for if A.D.70 fulfills Matthew 24:15 (the "abomination of desolation;" see Daniel 11:31), then they must show us how Titus is a fulfillment of the man in Daniel 11 who is responsible for the "abomination of desolation."

To evade this necessity, some say that Daniel 11 was fulfilled in the past by Antiochus Epiphanes long before the birth of Christ. The obvious problem with this theory is that Jesus Christ placed the "abomination of desolation" AFTER his own time, therefore it could not have been fulfilled by Antiochus before Christ came.

This idea that Antiochus fulfilled Daniel 11:31 was first presented in the book of First Maccabees of the Apocrypha, and it was later adopted by Romanist Jerome (340-420 A.D.) in his commentary on Daniel; subsequent writers have simply repeated the idea as being factual. For numerous historical contradictions and inaccuracies of this theory, see the Commentary by Keil and Delitzsch on Daniel. They contend that "the prophecy does not furnish a prediction of the historical wars of the Seleucidae and the Ptolemies... the historical reality does not correspond with the contents of the prophecy in anything like an exhaustive manner" (Vol 9, pg. 450). After the "thrashing" given to this theory by K & D, it is surprising that any one still repeats the Jewish-Jeromian 'theory'.

For A.D.70 to be a fulfillment of Matthew 24, it would necessarily mean that it is also the fulfillment of Daniel 11 [see Matthew 24:15], yet there is simply NO Scriptural correlation that can be made between Daniel 11 and the events of A.D.70. I have asked more than one of the "A.D.70 theorists" to demonstrate any Scriptural similarity between Daniel 11:21-45 [which presents the career of the "king of the north"] and what took place in A.D.70 under Titus, and none of them has made the effort to do so. This includes noted author Michael Horton (www.christianity.com/ace), and even Evangelist John L. Bray — who has made a ministry out of the A.D.70 "hobby-horse."

One effort which has been made to "escape" the problem is what is called the "double-fulfillment" of Daniel 11 — first by Antiochus, then later in A.D.70. But this explains nothing, for Christ referred to a FUTURE "abomination of desolation, SPOKEN OF BY DANIEL" (Matthew 24:15). Therefore, Daniel's prophecy is the "Rule," or "Standard," by which to "Measure" any alleged "fulfillment." When one compares the A.D.70 scenario to Daniel 11, the "puzzle" does not "fit."

The obvious conclusion is that Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15 HAVE NOT BEEN FULFILLED, neither in A.D.70 nor at any time since.

It is a simple matter to rack up quotation-after-quotation from various writers who have repeated the foregoing theories on both Antiochus and A.D.70, but the problem is none of them presents evidence to correlate Daniel 11 with the events of A.D.70. I welcome any comments on this matter from my readers.

My view is that we still look to the future for the fulfillment of Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15 and the related events of those passages. A Middle East king (not the Pope and not a leader from Europe) will fulfill Daniel 11:21-45, conquering the nations of that area and building his "palace" in Jerusalem [Daniel 11:45]. This man is Daniel's "little horn," Paul's "man of sin," and Revelation's "beast." He arises in the northern area [Daniel 11:21], and through a series of conflicts and wars, dominates the nations of the Middle East. He will be defeated and destroyed at the second coming of Christ.

Critics of my views on the "Little Horn" of Daniel chapters 7-11 are usually either "preterists" or "historicists" in their interpretation of prophetic Scriptures. Preterists say the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D.70 fulfills much of what I believe is yet future. Historicists say Roman Catholicism fulfills Revelation on the "beast" and the papal system is the Antichrist. In a word, both interpretations have arbitrarily declared that certain events and persons "fulfill" prophecy. I say "arbitrarily" because the Scripture of course nowhere declares that A.D.70 or Romanism fulfilled anything.

The Preterists and Historicists who are critical of my mere "speculation" about the prophecies of Daniel in relation to current events in the Middle East have suggested that I am guilty of the very thing which they have already done — namely, claiming a "current event" fulfillment of prophecy! The fact is, I have only presented a conjectured "parallel" between the career of the "Little Horn" and that of Saddam Hussein while clearly stating this this conjecture is NOT a conclusion — that is, I could certainly be wrong.

So I have not "gone" as far-off the "deep end" as my critics — they are the ones who have already made a conclusion, declaring that post-biblical events in time have already "fulfilled" prophecy. I reject their claims that the prophecies have been fulfilled because they have no authority for them. Their only "authority" is to quote the Apocrypha, Jerome, the "Fathers," the Protestant Reformers, etc, and these sources are no more than human authorities who said that certain "current events" fulfilled prophecy. If Luther and Calvin declared the Pope to be the Antichrist, is that the "final word?" If John L Bray and his cadre of authors say that A.D.70 fulfills the "abomination of desolation," is that the absolute truth? What message from Heaven revealed this "Truth"?

I have not set myself up to tell you about the "Fulfillment" of prophecy; rather, the Preterists and the Historicists, plus certain ones among the premill "futurists" (Lindsey, Van Impe, etc.), are the ones who have "gone-over-board" & declared certain things as "fulfillments." At the worst, all I have done is to present a general "parallel," suggesting the "possibility" (humanly speaking) that current events taking place in the Middle East could be what Daniel prophesied in chapters 7-11. Thus far, that conjectured "parallel" is holding up, and as long as Saddam is alive, I am inclined to think it will hold up.

  — Read the whole "parallel" in my book, NOT ONE STONE, details follow below

The Preterists and Historicists are "stuck in the mud" of their "fulfilled" theories. I am not "stuck in the mud" of declaring anything as a "fulfillment." All I am doing, is "watching" and "comparing" to Scripture, especially Daniel, chapter eleven. The Preterists, Historicists, and most Futurists avoid Daniel 11:21-45 like a Plague!

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Author: Bob L. Ross

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  CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

"If I read the word aright, and it is honest to admit that there is much room for difference of opinion here, the day will come, when the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout, with the trump of the archangel and the voice of God. Some think that this descent of the Lord will be Post-millennial — that is, 'after the thousand years' of his reign. I CANNOT THINK SO. I conceive that the advent will be PRE-millennial — that He will come first; and then will come the millennium as the result of his personal reign upon earth. But whether or no, this much is the fact, that Christ will suddenly come, come to reign, and come to judge the earth in righteousness." [from Justification & Glory MTP Vol 11, Year 1865, pg. 249, Romans 8:30 (age 31)]