Question of the Week: Are the Abraham Accords the covenant predicted in Daniel 9?
The short and simple answer is no. While peace in the Middle East is a historical exception rather than a rule, the Antichrist’s covenant with many is going to involve more than the nations currently participating in the peace accords being signed right now. It is certainly a foreshadowing, but not a fulfillment of this prophecy.
“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
Daniel 9:26-27 (NKJV)
The prophecy as a whole is as follows;
1. After the Messiah’s execution, a foreign nation will destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. We know this today to be the Roman Empire in 70AD.
2. A covenant will be made with many for 7 years.
3. A man from the nation that destroyed the Temple will violate that covenant half-way through and persecute the Jewish nation religiously. This also implies that the Temple his nation destroyed in the past will be rebuilt during or leading up to his reign.
4. At the end of this 7 year period, the 70 weeks (7 year periods) will be completed as detailed in Daniel 9:24-27.
As stated already, phase 1 of this prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter. Phases 2-4 are referred to as the time of Jacob’s Trouble or the Tribulation Period. It is from this passage and others that we identify the Antichrist ethnically as Roman. And it is also from this passage that we make a distinction from any other peace treaty made in the Middle East involving Israel. The Antichrist will be the one to make this peace treaty for a very specific period of time. The nations involved in it will form his 10 nation kingdom through which he will establish global influence. This understanding of the End Times politically is fairly uncontroversial apart from those who reject the concept in its entirety. We understand these extra details about this prophecy from within Daniel itself, within the Old Testament itself, and further emphasized in the book of Revelation as well.
(Daniel 11:21-28, Zechariah 13:8-9, Revelation 13:1-8, Revelation 17:12-18)
If we compare these statements to what we already know about the Abraham Accords, there are key details missing if we are going to claim that this is a fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy.
1. We are not told the length of time the peace treaty will hold effect. It is expected to go on indefinitely, rather than a 7 year agreement.
2. The only nations explicitly stated to be involved in the treaty are the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Saudi Arabia has announced cooperation in the treaty to allow unimpeded flights between the two nations, and various Sunni states in Northern Africa have also recognized the deal, but it is more out of a mutual distrust of Iran than actually participating in the treaty.
3. The Jewish Temple has not been rebuilt nor has restored Jewish worship through animal sacrifices played any part of this treaty.
(All of the official information about the Abraham Accords can be read on the White House’s own website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/abraham-accords-peace-agreement-treaty-of-peace-diplomatic-relations-and-full-normalization-between-the-united-arab-emirates-and-the-state-of-israel/)
We certainly do not want to turn a blind eye to anything that Israel does involving peace treaties. However, we also don’t want to be so reactionary to these events that we cry “Prophecy Fulfilled” when that simply isn’t the case. Our prayers as Christians should always be for the peace of Jerusalem. This is a good start. However, the false peace established by the man of sin/son of perdition/cruel king of the north/antichrist/etc will be a peace established with more nations than the U.A.E. And even if you consider the United States and Saudi Arabia’s affirmation of the treaty significant, it is still too little information to go on in order to conclude that this is the peace spoken of in Daniel and that Revelation 6:2 is currently taking place.
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