The Roman Empire, under General Titus, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.
Les Feldick connects this historical destruction to Daniel 9:26, where "the people of the prince that shall come" are said to destroy the city and the sanctuary. The prince is the Antichrist, and the destroying people were the Romans. This matters because it reveals that the Antichrist will come from the geographical area of the ancient Roman Empire, and it sets the stage for the final seven-year period of Daniel's prophecy.
Daniel 9:26 — This verse identifies who would destroy the city and sanctuary — the people of the prince that shall come — directly answering the question.
Daniel 9:26 declares: "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." The verse places the destruction of the city and sanctuary after the Messiah is cut off, and it connects the event to a coming prince and to war and desolations determined to the end. Daniel 9:27 adds: "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 shows the prince making a seven-year covenant and stopping sacrifice and oblation at the midpoint, making the sanctuary desolate. Jesus referred to this prophecy 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:)."
Les Feldick teaches that the Romans, under the general Titus, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. He shows that Daniel 9:26 predicted this when it spoke of "the people of the prince that shall come" destroying the city and the sanctuary. The prince is the Antichrist — written with a small-letter "p" in contrast to Christ, the capital-letter Prince — and the destroying people were the Roman people. Because of this, Les says the Antichrist will one day come out of the geographical area of the ancient Roman Empire. Les also connects the destruction to the coming Tribulation. In Daniel 9:27, the Antichrist will make or confirm a seven-year covenant with the Jews, and in the middle of that week he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. Les emphasizes that temple worship cannot cease unless it is already going, so Israel must have her Temple rebuilt and operating before the midpoint. The Antichrist will then enter that Temple, defile it, and make it desolate — possibly by sacrificing a hog on the altar, as Antiochus the Syrian did — while forcing Israel to worship him as their Messiah.
Les Feldick explains that "the people of the prince that shall come" refers to the people out of which the Antichrist will one day come. He notes that Daniel could not name the Roman Empire because it was still prophetic in his day, but from history we know the Romans destroyed the Temple under General Titus in 70 A.D. The prince — written with a small letter "p" to mark him as the counterfeit Christ — will come out of that same Roman people.
Les teaches that since the people who destroyed the Temple were the Roman people, the Antichrist must come from the geographical area of the ancient Roman Empire. He says the verse tells us that at the time of the Antichrist's appearance, he will come out of the geographical area that comprised the ancient Roman Empire — and Les observes that this is coming to pass before our eyes.
Les argues from Daniel 9:27 that the Antichrist causes the sacrifice and the oblation to cease in the middle of the seven-year covenant. He points out that temple worship must already be going for it to cease — "you can't stop something that's not going." Therefore Israel will get her Temple rebuilt, and the Antichrist will enter it, defile it, and make it desolate.
Jesus warned in Matthew 24:15 that when the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stands in the holy place, those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Les shows that this occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation, when the Antichrist enters the rebuilt Temple, defiles it, stops the sacrifices, and forces Israel to worship him as their Messiah. Les compares this to Antiochus the Syrian's defilement and suggests the Antichrist may sacrifice a hog on the altar.
The Abomination of Desolation at the Midpoint
Jesus tells the twelve on the Mount of Olives that when they see the abomination of desolation — spoken of by Daniel — standing in the holy place, those in Judea must flee. Les positions this at the midpoint of the Tribulation.
The Romans Destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D.
Les explains that in Daniel 9:26, "the people of the prince that shall come" are the Roman Empire, who destroyed the city and sanctuary in 70 A.D., and out of that empire the Antichrist will arise.
The Antichrist Defiles the Rebuilt Temple
Les describes the Antichrist moving into the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, defiling it like Antiochus the Syrian, possibly offering a hog on the altar, and thereby triggering the flight of those in Judea.
The Covenant Broken at the Midpoint
Les explains that after three and a half years the Antichrist turns on Israel, shuts down temple worship, and forces Israel to worship him as their Messiah.
Temple Worship Must Be Operating to Cease
Les reasons from Daniel 9:27 that because the Antichrist causes sacrifice and oblation to cease at the midpoint, the Temple must already be rebuilt and functioning — so Israel will get her Temple rebuilt before the midpoint.
Titus Destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D.
Les identifies the Roman general Titus as the one who destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D., and shows that the Antichrist must come out of the ancient Roman Empire's geographical area.
Sacrifices Cease Only at a Functioning Temple
Les applies the 360-day prophetic year to the midpoint of the seven years and stresses that since sacrifices can only be stopped where they are offered, the Temple must be rebuilt and active.
The Abomination of Desolation on the Altar
Les illustrates the abomination of desolation by comparing it to swine's blood smeared on a synagogue, and says the Antichrist will sacrifice a hog on the Temple altar before wrath is poured out on the desolator.
Daniel 9:26: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
This is the key verse that directly answers the question — it names the people of the coming prince as the destroyers of the city and sanctuary.
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 verse shows the prince's seven-year covenant and his stopping of sacrifice and oblation at the midpoint, which requires a functioning Temple.
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 points to Daniel's abomination of desolation as the sign for those in Judea to flee.
The Roman Empire, under General Titus, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. Les Feldick identifies this as the fulfillment of Daniel 9:26, where "the people of the prince that shall come" destroy the city and the sanctuary. The destroying people were the Romans, out of which the Antichrist will come.
Les Feldick explains that the prince is the Antichrist. He points out that the word "prince" appears with a small letter "p," marking him as the counterfeit Christ in contrast to the capital-letter Prince, Christ. The people out of which this prince comes were the Romans who destroyed the Temple.
Les teaches that the Antichrist will come out of the geographical area that comprised the ancient Roman Empire. Because the people who destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. were Romans, the prince that shall come must arise from that same people group and region.
Yes. Les reasons from Daniel 9:27 that the Antichrist will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease in the middle of the seven-year covenant. Since you cannot stop something that is not going, the Temple must be rebuilt and temple worship operating before the midpoint of the Tribulation.
The abomination of desolation is the act of the Antichrist entering the Temple, stopping its worship, and defiling it, likely by sacrificing a hog on the altar. Jesus referred to Daniel's prophecy in Matthew 24:15 as the signal for those in Judea to flee to the mountains.
Watch the Teaching: All Israel Shall Be Saved — What Romans 11:26 Really Means