How the Mocking of Jesus May Have Fulfilled Daniel’s Prophecy and What It Means for Israel Today
Discover how the mocking of Jesus in Matthew 27 may have fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation, led to Jerusalem’s destruction, and why March / April 2030 may mark the resumption of God’s plan for Israel.
Introduction: What If the Clock Is About to Start Again?
Bible prophecy can seem confusing, but Daniel 9:27 gives us a key. It speaks of a “covenant confirmed for one ‘seven’,” a period of 7 years. Halfway through, something happens: sacrifice ends, and desolation follows.
Seventy ‘sevens’ (490 years total) are decreed for your people and your holy city to:
- finish transgression,
- put an end to sin,
- atone for wickedness,
- bring in everlasting righteousness,
- seal up vision and prophecy,
- and to anoint the Holy Most (is holy, holy—most holy).
Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Decree of Artaxerxes in 457 BC – see Ezra 7:11–26) until the Anointed One (Jesus), the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens’(49 years, ending around 408 BC) and sixty-two ‘sevens’(434 years, ending in 26 AD) — totaling 483 years.
It (Jerusalem) will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. And after sixty-two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off (crucifixion in the spring of 30 AD), but not for Himself. And the city and the sanctuary shall be destroyed by the people of the prince who is to come. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.
He (Messiah) will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’ (final 7 years of Daniel’s prophecy). In the middle of the ‘seven’ (3½ years into His ministry — April 6 — Nisan 15, 30 AD), He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering (Jesus’ death ended the need for temple sacrifices).
And on the wing of abominations shall be one (the governor, Pilate)who makes desolate. And Even until the consummation (entirely, completely, altogether, full end) and which is determined is poured out on the desolate.
What if the mocking of Jesus in the governor’s palace, the Praetorium, just 600 steps from the Temple—connected to the abomination of desolation—is the “wing of the temple” Daniel referenced?
What if Jesus’ death didn’t simply save the world, but also paused a prophetic clock for Israel’s full restoration and recognition of her Messiah?
And what if that clock is about to start ticking again?
Daniel’s Countdown to the Messiah
In Daniel 9:25, the prophet says that from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of “Messiah the Prince” would be 69 weeks of years—483 years. That timeline ends exactly in August of 26 AD when Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan River, goes into the wilderness to endure temptation, and returns forty days later on this thirtieth birthday to begin his ministry.
Gabriel visits Daniel during evening sacrifice – ca. 538 BC
Daniel 9:21–27 — Gabriel appears during the evening offering to deliver the prophecy of the ‘seventy sevens’ concerning Jerusalem and the coming Anointed One.
Decree to rebuild Jerusalem issued by Artaxerxes – 457 BC
Ezra 7:11–26 — This decree begins the countdown of Daniel’s 69 weeks (483 years), culminating with the arrival of the Messiah in September 26 AD and “Him” “cut off” in the spring of 30 AD.
Gabriel appears to Zechariah in the Temple – ca. May 20-27, 5 BC (approx.)
Luke 1:8–20 — Zechariah, serving in the division of Abijah, is visited by Gabriel while offering incense—perhaps during the evening offering. His division’s rotation suggests this likely occurred in May of that year.
Conception of John the Baptist – late June or early July 5 BC
Luke 1:23–24 — After Zechariah returns home (end of May). During her next cycle (a miracle), Elizabeth conceives John the Baptist. John is born Nisan 7 4 BC.
Conception of Jesus (6 months later) – December 5 BC
Luke 1:26–38 — Gabriel visits Mary in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, announcing that she will conceive Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:39–40, 56 — Mary visits Elizabeth immediately and stays about three months, possibly until John is born. This places the Annunciation (Gabriel’s visit to Mary) in December, and Jesus’ conception shortly after.
Birth of Jesus – September 26 4 BC
Luke 2:1–7 — Likely during the fall feast season (possibly Feast of Tabernacles).
Jesus begins public ministry (age ~30) – ca. 26 AD
Luke 3:1–23 — The baptism of Jesus happens exactly 480 years after the completion of the Jerusalem Wall (Nehemiah 6:15). This event also occurs 42 days before the 30th birthday of Jesus, September 27 26 AD, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius. Upon returning from forty days of temptation in the wilderness — on his birthday— Jesus begins his public ministry.
Jesus Confirmed the Covenant, Then Became (an) the Abomination of Desolation
Daniel 9:27 says:
“He will confirm the covenant with many for one seven; in the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.”
Jesus confirmed the new covenant in His blood (Matthew 26:28). However, for 3.5 years, He preached, healed, taught, and pointed Israel to the Father. He spoke of new wine needing new wineskins, of the Law being written on hearts instead of stone tablets, and of how He came not to judge but to save. He called His listeners to repentance, offered forgiveness apart from temple sacrifices, and welcomed the outcast, the Gentile (unclean), and the sinner—all clear departures from the old covenant system. Through His words and works, He was revealing the heart of a new covenant, one not based on ritual, but on relationship with God through Jesus, the Son of God.
Then He was “cut off” (Daniel 9:26)—crucified halfway through the final seven.
At that moment, the veil in the temple was torn. The need for temple sacrifice ended (for those who believed in Jesus for salvation). A new way to God had been opened.
The Abomination That Caused Desolation
So what exactly is the abomination of desolation Daniel referenced, and how does it relate to Jesus?
Matthew 27:27–31 gives us the clue:
- Jesus was stripped of His clothes—and later lifted up naked before the public.
- He was crowned with thorns, not with royalty.
- Gentlile Roman guards bowed down and mocked Him, calling Jesus the “King of the Jews.”
- Roman soldiers gave him a reed to hold, then clubbed Him with it.
The sinless Son of God was shamed in the palace of the Roman governor—the seat of earthly authority in Jerusalem, and the very place connected to “the people of the prince who is to come.”
Jesus was rejected at the highest level by His people. Israel’s leaders handed over their Messiah to be killed. What if the mockery and humiliation of the Anointed One who would put an end to sin and His rejection by His own people is the true abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel.
And the result? As Daniel said, desolation.
Desolation Fulfilled: The Abomination of Desolation and the Fall of Jerusalem (70 A.D.)
Just 40 years later, in 70 A.D., Roman armies crushed Jerusalem. The Temple was destroyed. Thousands starved during the seige. Those who remained were killed by the sword. Daniel’s words came true:
“The end will come like a flood… desolations have been decreed.”
Jesus Himself predicted this:
“Your house is left to you desolate… You will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'” (Matthew 23:38–39)
Jesus warned that when you see the abomination of desolation standing in (near) the holy place where it does not belong (Mark 13:14), let the reader (of Daniel) understand. He went on to advice his followers to leave, scatter, get out before a flood of destruction comes.
The Pause—And the Prophetic Gap
What about the rest of the 70th week? If Jesus was cut off at 3.5 years, April 6 — Nisan 15, 30 AD. So what happened to the last 3.5 years of the 70th week?
Could it be that this abomination of desolation marked a pause—and the Time of the Gentiles began?
For 2,000 years, the focus shifted to the Gentiles (Romans 11:25). But according to Daniel 9:27 there remains 1,260 days left. Are those reserved for Israel?
Is April 2030 the Restart?
If Jesus was crucified on April 6 AD, and the prophetic clock paused then, could it resume 2,000 years later?
That brings us to April 2030.
That date could mark:
- The return of God’s focus to Israel
- A Jewish revival, eyes opened to Jesus as Messiah
- The start of the final 3.5 years (Revelation 11–13)
Daniel’s clock may start again. And it may be very soon.
Israel is Coming Back
Ezekiel 36–37 foretold the dry bones coming to life. In 1948, Israel became a nation. In recent decades, Jewish people from around the world have returned to their land.
More than that, many are now returning to their Messiah.
The clock is ticking.
The Decree Fell on Him First. Then It Fell on a Nation.
Jesus bore the decree. He took the punishment. The desolation that Israel deserved fell on Him first.
But because His people rejected their Messiah, Jerusalem, the Temple, and the nation fell in 70 A.D.
Now, the time of the Gentiles is drawing to a close. The final 3.5 years may soon be upon us.
Are you ready? Are you watching?
Over and over Jesus cautioned his disciples to watch, be ready, be looking for His return. When Israel says, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” the end will not be something to fear—but something to welcome if we are ready.
Want to Learn More?
- Read Matthew 24 alongside Daniel 9 to understand how the abomination of desolation bridges both passages.
- Study Revelation 11–13 and see how the abomination of desolation may tie into future prophecy.
- Watch what happens in Jerusalem in 2030
God’s Word is never late. And it’s never wrong.
