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9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most Holy.
"Gabriel shows him that there are seventy weeks determined relative to a redemption from another sort of captivity, which shall commence with the going forth of the edict to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, and shall terminate with the death of Messiah the Prince, and the total abolition of the Jewish sacrifices. In the four following verses he enters into the particulars of this most important determination, and leaves them with Daniel for his comfort, who has left them to the Church of God for the confirmation of its faith, and a testimony to the truth of Divine revelation. They contain the fullest confirmation of Christianity and a complete refutation of the Jewish cavils and blasphemies on this subject."
Seventy weeks are determined tells us immediately that the date is set and nothing can change it--not even the Biblical footnotes of a Satanic-inspired former attorney. There are some governing rules whereby Scriptures must be interpreted and these rules are never permitted to be broken by mankind. Absolutely nothing is ever to be based upon mankind's speculation and surmise. God never gave us the right to surmise about His Word and the interpretation thereof but does, with the prophecy, give the interpretation--if we are but willing to search the Scriptures and find the answers. This is why rule number two is so important. We must always, without exception, base our proofs upon the Scriptures themselves. This is the only Authority in all matters of interpretation. Likewise, with this in mind, history itself will also provide for us and show us the fulfillment of that prophecy as we look upon the unfolding of mankind through the years.
Just as all solid Baptist theologians will agree that the four major empires-- Babylonian, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Roman--were predicted in the Bible, history does show the fulfillment of these empires as they each rose and fell in the annals of mankind's world. So history does offer to us the picture of the fulfillment if we will look at it and find it there. Another major rule governing the prophecy is that the Bible has its own chronology.
"Prior to the publication of Martin Anstey's great work in 1913, all the existing systems of Bible chronology were dependent, for the period of time embraced by the Seventy Weeks, upon sources of information outside the Bible, and which are, moreover, not only unsupported by proof, but are in conflict with the Scriptures. Anstey's system has the unique merit of being based on the Bible alone. Therefore it is capable of being verified by all Bible readers. But for the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks there is no need to resort to any system of chronology, seeing that the prophecy contains its own chronology. In fact, the difficulties and confusion which have arisen in connection with this prophecy are due in large measure to the attempt to make it conform to an incorrect chronology." We need not go to some infidel who assumed certain events happening at certain times. And Daniel is explicit about the chronology. Yea, even, seventy weeks are determined.
This exact and specific determination was set in Heaven by the Triune Godhead and was done so before ever the world itself was created. Of this eternal council, Dr. John Gill writes: "None but the blessed Three in One were of this council and fit to be of it. The thing consulted about was nodus Deo vindice dignus, worthy only of God!" Further, it may be noted about this determining council, "it was to be expected that, in as much as God has been pleased to give in His Word, an exact time-measure from a given event unto Christ, He would also make it clear beyond a doubt what the event is from which the count of years was to begin. And this expectation is fully met." Thus we are able, by employing the Word of God rightly divided, to clearly understand all about this prophecy found in the last few verses of Daniel chapter nine.
Next, let us ask: What is meant by a week? It does not mean seven 24-hour days as we think presently of a week. Because the rules of correctly interpreting prophecy must be based upon the Scriptures first, let us look into God's Word to define this 'week' and reveal what is meant thereby. The answer is clearly revealed to all who will but look into the book of Ezekiel. The riddle, if such be the case, about what is meant is given by the Words of God that He has "appointed thee each day for a year." [Ezekiel 4:6] The interpretation therefore, may be seen to be that a day is symbolical for a year in understanding prophecy. Therefore, if we have a week, the interpretation is that it refers to seven years. Simple mathematics then shows that the Seventy Weeks equals 490 years. Four hundred ninety years were determined for the completion of the prophecy (not 420 years with a gap of over 2,000 years before continuing the prophecy). Nowhere in the Word of God is prophecy ever dealt with by postponing the time factor when that factor is said to be determined. Again, enough said.
So what shall happen at that specified time? Daniel tells us, by means of the Holy Spirit giving him the inspired verbiage, that this prophecy is upon thy people. Who else can this be but the Jews? Fortunately, none of the scholars deny this portion of the meaning. Therefore, it is certain, four hundred ninety years are determined upon the Jews when this event will come to pass and be completely fulfilled. And that event will be fulfilled down to every detail--including to the city of Jerusalem being destroyed in the 'Great Tribulation' of 70 A.D. But before the destruction of Jerusalem, Daniel writes, shall come the event which shall finish the transgression and make an end of sins and make reconciliation for iniquity and bring in everlasting righteousness and seal up the vision and prophecy and anoint the Most Holy. "It is essential to a right understanding of the prophecy to observe, and to keep in mind, that the six things of verse 24 were to be fulfilled (and now have been fulfilled) by Christ being 'cut off,' and by what followed immediately thereafter, namely, His resurrection from the dead, and His ascension into Heaven. With that simple fact in mind, it will be easy to 'understand' all the main points of the prophecy." That event, the event which was pre-determined before the foundation of the world, was for Christ Jesus to come and die upon Calvary in the year 30 A.D. (The reason for the extra 40 years before the complete destruction of Jerusalem was due to the beseeching of Christ Jesus upon the cross when He prayed: "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do." [Luke 23:34] This was granted at the request of Christ Jesus as a trial or probationary period as found throughout the Old Testament where 40 years is repeatedly talked about.)
Just how would the dying of Christ on the cross fulfill these statements in the latter portion of verse twenty-four?
First, "to finish the transgression." "The transgression of Israel had long been the burden of the messages of God's prophets," notes Philip Mauro in his excellent work on this subject. "It was for their transgression that they had been sent into captivity, and that their land and city had been made a desolation for seventy years." Verse eleven of this same chapter details this as being admitted by Daniel himself. However, even the angel of the Lord was about to show Daniel how the complete fulfillment of this was not yet accomplished and more was to come before the finale in 70 A.D. Yea, to finish this transgression of theirs, nothing shy of crucifying the Son of God would be demanded and brought about by the will of the people of Israel. Yea, even down to the very betrayal itself, was to be accomplished by a Jew. While the Romans may have driven the nails into the cross, it was the Jews who committed the worst of the transgressions in the crucifixion. [John 19:11] Jesus further confirmed this truth about the Jews filling up the transgression at His crucifixion when He proclaimed: "Fill you up then the measure of your fathers? You serpents! You generation of vipers! How can you escape the damnation of Hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes and some of them you shall kill and crucify and some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth. From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias--son of Barachias--whom you slew between the Temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you: All these things shall come upon this generation." [Matthew 23:32-36] (Notice: Not some future generation two thousand years later but the one to whom Jesus was addressing right then and there--this generation! ] Much more could be offered to prove this Truth. But let us move on.
Second, "to make an end of sins." It would be foolish to doubt this point about the coming of Christ Jesus the first time--even if one were an Arminian. It was the reason Jesus came and that was to purge our sins. [Hebrews 1:3] Barnabas, the writer of Hebrews, gave a large list of factual proofs about this truth. It was why Jesus came the first time and none dare deny it.
Third, "to make reconciliation for iniquity." Paul spoke about this fact throughout Romans about how Christ Jesus came to make reconciliation. [Romans 5:8-10] So also he wrote in Colossians. [Colossians 1:12-22] "Keep in mind that the atonement and reconciliation were to be accomplished and actually were accomplished, within the measure of Seventy Weeks from the going forth of the decree by King Cyrus." This was spoken about by Jesus when He exclaimed: "The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent you and believe the gospel." [Mark 1:15] He had come to reconcile the chosen children of God back to the Father who had chosen them from before the foundation of the world. [Ephesians 1:4]
Fourth, "to bring in everlasting righteousness." Be there any that would attempt to deny it is the righteousness of Christ Jesus by which we are justified? Of course not. For the Scriptures clearly teach it is His righteousness imputed to us in the eternal council of the Godhead whereby we are able, as children of God, to stand before the Throne of God and be recognized by Jehovah as justified. [Isaiah 51:8; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Jeremiah 23:5-6] Paul definitely had some strong views upon this subject in Romans and wrote them down for all to read. [Romans 5:1, 9, 18]
Fifth, "to seal up the vision and prophecy." Christ Jesus is the fulfillment of all prophecy throughout the Scriptures. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. [Revelation 1:8, 11] When He came and walked to Calvary, He was the fulfillment of this prophecy and the prophecy was sealed up, completed, fulfilled, "finished." [John 19:30]
Sixth, "to anoint the Most Holy." "Dr. Pusey cites much evidence in support of this idea. But without going into the discussion of the matter at length, we will simply state that we were led thereby to the conclusion that the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ, on the day of Pentecost, thereby anointing (see: 2 Corinthians 1:21) a spiritual temple 'the temple of the living God' (2 Corinthians 6:16), furnishes a fulfillment of this detail of the prophecy. A fulfillment that is not only in keeping with the other five items, but which brings the whole series to a worthy climax...All six items were completely fulfilled at the first coming of Christ, and in the 'week' of His crucifixion. For when our Lord ascended into Heaven and the Holy Spirit descended, there remained NOT ONE of the six items of Daniel 9:24 that was not fully accomplished."
9:25 Know therefore and understand: That from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks. The street shall be built again and the wall--even in troublous times.
Verse 25. lkçtw [dtw µlçwry twnblw byçhl rbd axm m h[bç µy[bç dygn jyçm d[ bwçt µynçw µyçç µy[bçw : µyt[h qwxbw Åwrjw bwjr htnbnw
The first four words of this verse tells us the vision is easily understood and that it did not take nineteen hundred years before some Bible scholar (?) could figure it out and write it down in his footnotes. But rather the vision was understood from the start. The angel of the Lord is going to explain it for Daniel and give him the necessary clues for solving the puzzle--which he is able to easily do. That from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem. Here is the first major clue. It deals specifically with a commandment issued to restore and build Jerusalem. Not to merely repair the walls as did Nehemiah. But to restore and build.
"The going forth of the commandment (literally word) to restore and to build Jerusalem is one of the most important of the chronological landmarks of Scripture; for from it stretches the measuring line of 483 years unto the Messiah, the Prince. This is a matter that Daniel was specially charged by the angel to know and to understand. Unless the time of the going forth of that word be known, and unless its relation with the entire chronological scheme of the Bible be understood, the Divinely-given measuring line will be of no avail for the very purpose for which it was given," begins Philip Mauro in another work about Bible chronology. It is a proven fact, for anyone who will take the time to study his book on chronology (stretching from Adam to the resurrection of Christ), that the Bible tells us all the information we need to determine when this commandment was given and, furthermore, the Bible is the only reliable source of information on the issuing of that commandment.
It is most important to note about this verse that the time begins, not at the restoring and building of Jerusalem, but "at the going forth of the 'word,' or decree, to restore and to build. That word went forth in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, and, moreover, its going forth was for the express purpose 'that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. (Ezra 1:1) To that end the Lord Himself 'stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation (literally caused a voice to pass) throughout all his kingdom.' Here certainly was a royal 'word' or proclamation going forth. And the express object of it was to release the captives of Judah that they might 'go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is the God) which is in Jerusalem.' (Ezra 1:2-3)"
Mauro goes on to give extensive evidence as to how the Bible gives us the date spoken about in Daniel. Needless to say, however, the date is determined by comparing various Scriptural references and concluding it to be 457 B.C. or 3,589 years after the creation of Adam. In that specific year, "Cyrus becomes sole king. Issues proclamation in his first year releasing the captive Jews and giving permission to 'go up and build the house.' (Ezra 1:14) This year marks the end of the 70 years' captivity, and the beginning of the 70 sevens of years 'determined' upon Daniel's people and his holy city, to finish the transgression, etc. (Daniel 9:24)." And, after careful consideration and study, we may safely deduce, and correctly it may be added, that the "Scriptures do not leave us in uncertainty as to those essential matters of fact."
As was mentioned above, most scholars (?) rely upon Ptolemy's chronology which is false and in great error. Three reasons may be given for this truth, though we do not attack Ptolemy out of spite but simply because he was wrong, and those three reasons are:
"First, that the canon of Ptolemy is untrustworthy as a basis for a system of chronology, its statements being not authenticated in any way; and that, therefore, it should be rejected as unworthy of our confidence, even if it did not come into conflict with the statements of Scripture;
"Second, that the 'commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem,' from which the prophetic period of Seventy Weeks began to run (Daniel 9:25), was the decree of Cyrus the Great, referred to in Ezra 1:1-4;
"Third, that the 483-year period of Daniel 9:25, reaching 'unto the Messiah, the Prince,' ended at the baptism of our Lord, in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, when He was thirty years of age."
And this, it is a Biblical fact, is what is meant by "unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks." John Calvin comments upon this one portion and writes: "Some, again, think the dignity of Christ lessened by the use of the word dygn , negid, prince or leader, as if in his leadership there existed neither royalty, nor scepter, nor diadem. This remark is altogether without reason; for David is called a leader of the people, and Hezekiah when he wore a diadem, and was seated on his throne, is also termed a leader. (2 Samuel 5:2; 2 Kings 20:5.) Without doubt, the word here implies superior excellence."
The words unto the Messiah tells us with all requisite clearness and absolute certainty to just what point in the 33-year lifetime of Jesus on this Earth as the measure of 69 weeks (483 years) reaches to that specific date. Many are the proofs of this and may be searched out in-depth over the many pages Mauro devotes to it. This is a most clear indication that the things that were to be consummated within the 'determined' period of Seventy Weeks were matters that concerned, not only the Jews by themselves, but all of mankind--Jews and Gentiles alike--and it had to do with the salvation of God's chosen and elect children. From the day God had created Adam until this event wherein Christ Jesus would be baptized by the first Baptist, God had dealt strictly with the Jews--with a very few exceptions. It had been the history of the Jews that filled the Old Testament but now it was about to change. Beginning with the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare you the way of the Lord, a new period of history was beginning wherein God would deal with both the Jews and the Gentiles. One wherein the dealings were to be matters of world history on a grand scale.
Consequently, we must now turn to Gentile chronology to complete this analysis and understanding. It was the complete time wherein Christ Jesus had come in the fullness of time.
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.
Verse 26. µynçw µyçç µy[bçh yrjaw .wl yaw jyçm trky abh dygn µ[ tyjçy çdqhw ry[hw .Pfçb wxqw :twmmç txrjn hmjlm Åq d[w
Of verse 26, Adam Clarke writes: "And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary— By the 'prince' Titus, the son of Vespasian, is plainly intended; and 'the people of that prince' are no other than the Romans, who, according to the prophecy, destroyed the sanctuary, çdqh hakkodesh, the holy place or temple, and, as a flood, swept away all, till the total destruction of that obstinate people finished the war."
It was precisely 483 years from the going forth of the decree to restore and build Jerusalem that Christ Jesus was baptized by John the first Baptist. That, in other words, was the first 69 weeks. One week now remained in the prophecy given to Daniel. And the final event of the prophecy was to take place within that 7-year (one week) period. And all six predictions of verse 24 would occur during that final week. But before going any further, duty demands, because of the multitude of heresy accepted by the vast majority of professing Christians, that we discuss the idea of: Are the Seventy Weeks consecutive? For it is at this point that the Scriptural teachings and the 20th century theologians (?) part company on a large scale. It is the difference between the Scriptural Historicist view point and the heretical Futurist view point which "has no basis whatever in the Scriptures. It is entirely a work of the imagination, resting upon nothing but unprovable assumptions."
Again, it is wise to notice the first words within this prophecy: Seventy Weeks are determined. "These are words of clear and certain meaning. They are just the words which would be used by one who wished to be understood as saying that, within the measure of 70 weeks, the six things specified in Daniel 9:24 would happen. If the speaker meant something very different, even that the specified things would not occur for more than two thousand years, [as the Futurist view point falsely teaches] then manifestly the words used by him could serve only to mislead those who trusted in them." In support of our Scriptural argument, we appeal solely to the Scriptures and not the Satanic-inspired Biblical footnotes of a heretic. After having read the entire Bible through many times, this writer can never remember having found anything where any determined period of time, "expressed in the way always used for that purpose (that is, by stating the number of time-units making up the complete measure) been treated according to the view we are now discussing. Never has a specified number of time-units, making up a described stretch of time, been taken to mean anything but continuous or consecutive time-units."
First, in every instance where periods of time are given before the event occurs in the Bible prophecies they always mean that the time-units composing the period named are continuous. Mauro calls it "a necessary law of language that the time-units be understood as being connected together without a break." One of the most obvious and greatest examples of this is the seventy year prophecy God gave to Jeremiah. [Jeremiah 29:10] It was the very prophecy Daniel read and knew about the forthcoming decree of Cyrus, etc. Further, dear reader, THERE WAS NO POSTPONEMENT BETWEEN THE WEEKS OR YEARS OF THAT PROPHECY! Another even better example, not that this one was not good for it is absolutely TRUE, is the example given by Christ Jesus Himself about His death and resurrection. Over and over He spoke about how, after three days in the grave, He would rise again. And He did as He said WITHOUT ANY POSTPONEMENT BETWEEN THE DAYS! Suffice it to say, these two prove the false idea of a postponement is exactly that--FALSE! Prophecy does not contain a postponement or Gap and, it may added, the only gap is that between the ears of the false prophet who concocted this hair-brained idea--Francisco Ribera and C. I. Scofield.
“Actually the Church Age occurs in an unmentioned parenthetical period between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks,” writes Scofield disciple William MacDonald. There is no where in the Scriptures that teaches a separation of these weeks--not even in Daniel. I do not deny what he says about it being “unmentioned.” Why should it be mentioned? There is a good reason for it. That is because it is not there in fact. (And, if I were to be as sarcastic as I feel toward him and his writings, I would state emphatically that the only “parenthetical period between” anything is that between his ears. But I will prefer that be “unmentioned” also.)
Second, the first 69-weeks bring us to the baptism of Christ Jesus but not to His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Whereby Israel, we may add, would complete her role in the transgressions against God by betraying and crucifying the Son of God. This was to occur within the midst of the week, as is talked about in the next verse, and would be that thing wherein He would confirm the Covenant made in the eternal council of the Godhead about the Son coming and dying for the elect of God. It would take place three and half years into Christ's ministry--or the midst of the week. At that time, because of His sacrificial death, as is repeatedly taught in Hebrews, there was no longer any need for the sacrifices to continue after the Perfect Sacrifice had been offered up. Therefore, Christ Jesus, by His death, burial, and resurrection, would cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This would take place in the middle of the last week or the 70th Week.
Third, the things predicted in verse 27 below were to be the means whereby those predictions of verse 24 would be accomplished and fulfilled. "Thus the first and last parts of the prophecy are bound firmly together. It is impossible to detach the 70th week from the other 69 without destroying the prophecy as a whole. For if the 70th consecutive week from the starting point was not the 70th of the prophetic period, then none of the six predicted things came to pass within that period. In that [Futurist-Dispensational] view they all happened in an unmentioned Gap between the 69 (which brought us 'unto the Messiah') and the 70th which is yet future. Thus, according to this [Futurist-Dispensational] view, the prophecy has been completely falsified."
Last, God has given to us a measuring stick or canon whereby we may examine and evaluate a prophet or someone who claims to be a prophet for the Lord. That measuring device is found in Deuteronomy 18:21. (See also: John 14:29) According to what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy, and he did write it, the Seventy Week prophecy must be interpreted "according to its plain and ordinary sense, else those who looked for the fulfillment of it in its time would have been fully justified in rejecting it as the thing which the Lord had not spoken." Thus it is more than obvious to all who are not subject to the curse of 2 Thessalonians 2:11, and many there be suffering from this in the 20th century, that the time-units in Daniel ARE CONSECUTIVE and NO POSTPONEMENT IS TO BE FOUND ANYWHERE!
The question is then asked: Why apply a different rule to the 70th week than the first 69 weeks? There is absolutely no reason. Nor should we apply a different rule. There is no dispensational gap anywhere in the Scriptures whereby God has slipped in 2,000 years without telling us and calling it 'the church age.' It is high time to awake out of sleep and go back to believing the Scriptural teachings and not the footnotes and writings of a heretic and his disciples.
It is now necessary to look at the latter portion of this verse. "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." Who is the people of the prince that shall come?
"Notwithstanding, however, the differences of translation, it is not difficult to gather the meaning of the passage. Indeed, so far as we are aware, all expositors agree that it foretells the exterminating judgment of God, which in due time was executed by the Roman armies under Titus, by whom the city was overwhelmed as 'with a flood' (a figure often used for an invading army), and the city and the land were given over to the age-long 'desolations,' which had been 'determined' in the counsels of God...Who is the prince that shall come? At this point we are confronted with a question which very seriously affects the interpretation of the prophecy. Taking the words according to their apparent and obvious meaning (which should always be done except where there is a compelling reason to the contrary) [and there is none here] it would seem quite clear that 'the prince,' whose people were to destroy the city and the sanctuary, was Titus, the son of the then emperor Vespasian, he (Titus) being the 'prince' or 'leader' who was in actual command of those armies at the time. In fact we are bold to say that the words of the prophecy, which are the words of God sent directly from Heaven to Daniel, do not reasonably admit of any other interpretation."
But why did not the predicted judgment take place at the time Jesus was crucified? Mauro answers this, as this writer has written above, and shows it was because of Jesus' prayer that a probationary period of 40 years was granted. "The predicted judgment did not immediately follow; for Christ prayed for His murderers in His dying hour, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' (Luke 23:34) In answer to that prayer the full probationary period of forty years (30 to 70 A.D.) was added to their national existence, during which time repentance and remission of sins was preached to them in the Name of the crucified and risen One, and tens of thousands of Jews were saved."
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.
Verse 27. .dja [wbç µybrl tyrb rybghw .hjnmw jbz tybçy [wbçh yxjw .µmçm µyxwqç Pnk l[w : µmwç l[ _tt hxrjnw hlk d[w
Before continuing, let us notice what Calvin says about the word many in this verse. He writes: "I take the word “many” here, µybr, rebim, comparatively, for the faithful Gentiles united with the Jews. It is very well known that God’s covenant was deposited by a kind of hereditary right with the Israelites until the same favor was extended to the Gentiles also.
Therefore Christ is said not only to have renewed God’s covenant with a single nation but generally with the world at large." In other words, the gospel was now to be preached to the whole world and not just to the Jews as Christ had first commanded His disciples to do.
Now we come to the final verse and the one that also causes great disagreement among the so-called theologians of today. Rather than waste time writing about what it is not, this writer would prefer to write about what it is and, it may be observed, only mention that which it is not in passing proof of what it is. The whole verse hinges on the word He after the opening word and. Again, it is important to remember, this entire prophecy is about the coming of the Messiah--not some Antichrist--but the Christ Jesus Himself. With this Scriptural truth in mind, it is easy to continue with our understanding and interpretation without getting bogged down in assumptions and massive speculations for which none have any Biblical proof. "If we take the pronoun HE as relating to 'the Messiah' mentioned in the preceding verse, then we find in the New Testament Scriptures a perfect fulfillment of the passage, and a fulfillment, moreover, which is set forth in the most conspicuous way. That pronoun must, in our opinion, be taken as referring to Christ, because: (a) the prophecy is all about Christ, and this is the climax of it; (b) Titus did not make any Covenant with the Jews; (c) there is not a word in Scripture about any future 'prince' making a covenant with them...Each of them is completely fulfilled in the inspired accounts of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ given in the New Testament. Those three points are: (1) confirming the Covenant with many; (2) what happened in the midst of the week; (3) causing the sacrifice and the oblation to cease."
In dealing with these three points, let us begin with:
(1) Confirming the Covenant with man. The preposition for is not really there. Therefore, the reference to one week is not speaking about the duration of time but the time when it was confirmed. That Covenant, we then may correctly and safely deduce, was confirmed by the shedding of the blood of Christ Jesus on Calvary (Hebrews 9:14-20) in the 'one week' which, of course, was the final week of the prophecy and was determined. Many Scriptural verses could be offered as further proof of this fact including the entire four gospels.
(2) In the midst of the week. We have already seen how it is that a day represented a year in Ezekiel. Therefore, a week would represent seven years in prophecy. The midst of that week would be three and a half days into the week or three and a half years into the ministry of Christ Jesus when He would be crucified or cut off. Again, many verses could be employed to prove this including the entire gospel account of John.
(3) He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. As already mentioned above, the writer of Hebrews spent chapters 8-10 showing how the Spirit of God, with solemn emphasis, set aside the Old Covenant, which contained the yearly offering of sacrifices, and no longer was it needed but it ceased. Behold, a New Covenant was confirmed and, in that New Covenant, Christ Jesus was the Perfect Lamb of God.
Of verse 27, Adam Clarke writes: "Alas for the overspreading of abominations
he shall make it desolate— This clause is remarkably obscure. µmçm µyxwqç Pnk
kenaph shikkutsim meshomem, 'And upon the wing of abominations causing amazement.'
This is a literal translation of the place; but still there is no determinate
sense. A Hebrews MS., written in the thirteenth century, has preserved a very
remarkable reading here, which frees the place from all embarrassment. Instead
of the above reading, this valuable MS. has Åwqyç hyhy lkyhbw ubeheychal yihyey
shikkuts; that is, 'And in the temple (of the Lord) there shall be abomination.'
This makes the passage plain, and is strictly conformable to the facts themselves,
for the temple was profaned; and it agrees with the prediction of our Lord,
who said that the abomination that maketh desolate should stand in the holy
place, Matthew 24:15, and quotes the woGideon-Medium> dia danihl tou frofhtou,
by Daniel the prophet. That the above reading gives the true sense, there can
be little doubt, because it is countenanced by the most eminent ancient versions.
The Vulgate reads, Et erit in templo abominatio, 'And in the temple there shall
be abomination.' The Septuagint, kai epi to ieron bdelugma twn erhmwsewn, 'And
upon the temple there shall be the abomination of desolation.' The Arabic, 'And
upon the sanctuary there shall be the abomination of ruin.'"
The latter portion of that final 70th week was another three and a half years that extended to the murder of Stephen by Saul of Tarsus and the Pharisees outside of Jerusalem. Because of Jesus' prayer on the cross, in 30 A.D., Jerusalem and the Jews were spared another 40 years--which is always the number in the Bible for trial or probationary period and is employed over and over in this meaning. So is the explanation of the Seventy Week vision which the angel of the Lord gave unto Daniel and interpreted for him so that he would know when the Messiah was to come and the destruction of Jerusalem for their rejection of the Messiah. If this be the meaning, and it is a Scriptural fact that it is, then there is no need to point out all the fallacies of the Dispensational-Futurists.
The following is from P. Mauro's Table Twelve.
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In the 7th month of the year last mentioned (the 1st of Cyrus, 3589) the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. But not until the 2nd year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the 2nd month did they begin to set forward the work of the house of the Lord. (The intervening 7 months would doubtless have been needed for building habitations for themselves). So we have the date of the beginning of the second Temple. | 3590 |
456 |
In the 3rd year of Cyrus (Daniel 10:1) Daniel had the vision recorded in chapters 10-12 of his prophecy, in course of which he was informed that 3 kings of Persia should yet stand up (after Cyrus) and that the 4th should be far richer than they all. This 4th king was the fabuously wealthy monarch Xerzes, who 'stirred up all against the realm of Grecia;' and the 'mighty king' who succeeded him, and whose kingdom was broken, and divided toward the four winds of Heaven, but not to his posterity, was Alexander the Great, whose kingdom was divided between his four generals. This vision was in the 3rd year of Cyrus. | 3591 |
455 |
From the decree of Cyrus in his first year there were to be 'seven weeks and three score and two weeks unto the Messiah, the Prince.' The 'seven weeks' (49 years) are apparently the measure of the 'troublous times' during which the street and wall of the city were to be built. This would bring us (the reckoning being inclusive of the year of the decree was issued) to: | 3637 |
409 |
From the 1st year of Cyrus 'unto Christ' that is to His baptism, was 483 years, which would bring us to the year 4071; and since the Lord was then beginning to be 30 years of age, we have for the year of His birth on September 21st. | 4041 |
5 |
Add 30 years to His baptism (15th year of Tiberius Caesar) | 4071 |
26 A.D. |
Add three and a half years to His crucifixion, the Ascension, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and we have, as the year of those, the greatest by far of all events in the history of the Heavens and Earth. | 4075 |
30 A. D. |
This table shows us that the life of Jesus upon this Earth ended at His ascension in the year 30 A.D. Three and a half years after that, approximately, Stephen, the first martyr was stoned to death by Paul and the other Pharisees outside of Jerusalem--concluding the full Seventy Weeks. And so we are able to determine exactly when Christ was born; that is, up to the year of His birth from the Biblical references found here in Daniel.
Dare any to claim this is impossible? It is because they deny what the Scriptures say about the Seventy Week vision which Daniel was given by the Lord. It is because they follow the heresy of C. I. 'The Big S' Scofield and his two forerunners: Francisco Ribera and John Nelson Darby. But when we are willing to throw away those demonic-inspired footnotes of 'The Big S' and rely solely upon the Scriptures, when we are willing to burn those books written by heretics like Pentecost, Wolvoord, Ryrie, and other Dispensational lunatics, we will find the Scriptures can give us an abundance of information about many wonderful things. Perhaps that is why Philip Mauro chose to call his excellent book: The Wonders of Bible Chronology.
One final note before we explore the history of this false teaching and refute it by the Word of God. "Futurists teach that 'tribulation' and 'wrath' are added to the 70th week. Some teach the first three and a half years as tribulation, and the second half of this terrible period, wrath. The 'rapture' of the church has various interpretations within the framework of this most eventful week: Pretribulationists--put the rapture at the beginning of the week; Posttribulationists--put the rapture at the end of the week. And some put it in the middle of the week. Regardless of their rapture theories, [and that is all they are--THEORIES], they all revolve around the 70th week of Daniel's time measure occurring in the future at the end of the age. The [false] teachers of this Roman theology are numerous. And to make things worse, some Futurists teach three very perplexing scenarios."