In the middle of the 7-year period, the Antichrist will halt Israel's temple sacrifices and desecrate the temple, forcing Israel to worship him.
Daniel 9:27 shows the prince causing the sacrifice and oblation to cease in the middle of the week. Les Feldick explains this means the temple must already be rebuilt and operating, and that the Antichrist then enters it, makes it desolate, and forces Israel to worship him as their God.
Daniel 9:27 — This verse directly describes the seven-year covenant and the midpoint crisis when sacrifice and oblation cease and the temple is made desolate.
The Book of Daniel describes a seven-year covenant and its midpoint crisis: “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” (Daniel 9:27). Jesus points to this same event in Matthew 24:15: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” These verses show that a covenant is made for one week (seven years), and that in the middle of that week sacrificial worship is stopped and the temple is made desolate.
Les Feldick ties Daniel 9:27 to the tribulation's midpoint. He explains that the Antichrist, who arises from the territory of the old Roman Empire, signs a seven-year treaty with Israel, restarting God's prophetic clock (Clip 0). At the end of three and a half years—1,260 days—he “cause[s] the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” (Clips 1, 2, 6). Because something must be operating before it can be stopped, Les concludes Israel will have rebuilt the temple and restored sacrificial worship under the Antichrist's protection (Clips 2, 3, 5, 7). Then the Antichrist enters the temple, commits the abomination of desolation, makes it desolate, and forces the Jew to worship him as God (Clips 1, 4). For the first half, Israel thinks he may be the Messiah; at the midpoint they realize he is not (Clip 6). Les also notes the two witnesses are killed and resurrected at this time (Clip 4).
Les repeatedly points to a simple observation: “in order for something to cease, it has to start” (Clip 2). Since Daniel 9:27 says the sacrifice and oblation cease in the middle of the week, the temple must be rebuilt and its worship operating by that time (Clips 2, 3, 5, 7).
Daniel 9:27 says the prince “shall make it desolate” through the overspreading of abominations. Les explains that at the midpoint the Antichrist enters the temple, not to make peace but to defile it, and he forces Israel to worship him as God (Clips 1, 4). He does this after stopping all temple offerings.
During the first half of the seven years, Israel enjoys the Antichrist's protection and permission for temple worship; Les says they are “so enraptured” and may wonder whether he is the Messiah (Clips 5, 6). At the midpoint, when he stops sacrifices and desecrates the temple, they recognize he is not the Messiah but their oppressor (Clip 6).
Les points to the two witnesses being killed, lying in Jerusalem's street for three days, then being raised to life and seen by the whole world via satellite technology (Clip 4). This occurs at the same midpoint when the Antichrist returns from his European headquarters to defile the temple (Clip 4).
Seven-Year Treaty Starts the Clock
Les teaches that the Antichrist comes from the old Roman Empire area and signs a seven-year treaty with Israel, restarting God's prophetic clock.
Midpoint Ceases Sacrifice
Les explains that at the midpoint the Antichrist causes the temple sacrifice and oblation to stop, then makes the temple desolate with the abomination.
Sacrifices Must Be Operating
Les shows that for the sacrifice to cease it must first be operating, so Israel is worshiping at the temple during the first half.
Treaty and Temple Requirement
Les connects the seven-year treaty with Israel and her neighbors and notes that the midpoint stopping of sacrifices requires a temple.
Temple Defiled and Two Witnesses
At the midpoint the Antichrist enters the temple to defile it and force Israel to worship him; the two witnesses are also killed and raised at this time.
Rebuilt Temple and Enthralled Israel
Temple worship must be running for it to stop; Israel will rebuild the temple and be thrilled with the Antichrist's peace and protection.
From Hopes of Messiah to Desolation
Israel initially thinks the Antichrist may be the Messiah, but at the midpoint he makes the temple desolate and their hopes collapse.
Daniel 9:27 and Temple Rebuilt
Les walks through Daniel 9:27 to show that the temple must be built and operating for the Antichrist to stop sacrifices in the middle of the week.
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.
This is the key prophecy of the seven-year covenant and the midpoint desolation.
Matthew 24:15: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Jesus refers to the Daniel prophecy and tells readers to understand it.
At the end of three and a half years, which Les identifies as 1,260 days based on the biblical 360-day year (Clips 1, 2).
It means the temple sacrifices and offerings stop. Les points out this can only happen if the temple had been rebuilt and worship was already taking place (Clips 2, 3, 7).
Yes, Les teaches the Antichrist returns from Europe, enters the temple, defiles it, and forces Israel to worship him as God (Clip 4).
Yes, Les says that under his protection and temple worship, Israel is enraptured and wonders if he is the Messiah, but the midpoint desecration reveals otherwise (Clips 5, 6).
Watch the Teaching: Jacob's Trouble: Why the Tribulation is for Israel, Not the Church