Daniel 9:27
“He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.””
What does Daniel 9:27 mean?
This is one of the most discussed and debated verses in the Bible, so you're in good company if it feels mysterious. Daniel is describing a future period of covenant and judgment, speaking about someone making agreements with many people for a seven-year period, then breaking those promises halfway through and stopping the sacrifices and offerings that were central to Jewish worship. The language about "abominations" and "desolation" points to profound spiritual and political upheaval. Different Christian traditions interpret this verse very differently, some seeing it as describing end-times events still to come, others connecting it to events in the first century. What nearly everyone agrees on is that Daniel is painting a picture of broken promises, spiritual darkness, and God's judgment unfolding according to his predetermined plan, even when circumstances look chaotic or hopeless. For many readers, the core comfort is simply this: God knows what's coming, and nothing catches him by surprise.