This end times deceptions study shows you that the “prince” in the 70 Weeks of Daniel prophecy was Jesus and the “people of the prince” was the Roman army.
The reason this is so very important is that many Pastors teach that it refers to an end-times Antichrist.
The framework for the concepts of the pre-tribulation rapture, the 7-year tribulation period, the need for a rebuilt Jewish temple, the antichrist desecrating the temple,
and the 3 1/2 years of Great Tribulation; are ALL based on the premise that the
prince in Daniel 9:26 is an end-times Antichrist.
By proving that Jesus was the prince in verse 26, the premise of it applying to a future antichrist is invalidated.
And thus, the foundation for all of these end-times concepts is destroyed.
What is being taught today about Daniel’s 70th Week is contrary to what has been taught by the top Bible scholars.
Top Bible commentators like Albert Barnes, John Calvin, Adam Clarke, John Gill, Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Wesley and others; all teach that Jesus confirmed the covenant that is referenced in Daniel 9:27, and they all teach that Jesus and His disciples completely fulfilled the 70th Week of Daniel prophecy.
Today’s Pastors teach that the prophetic clock stopped after 69 weeks and that the 70th week is the end times 7 year tribulation period.
The context of the 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy is NOT about the end-times.
The context of the passage is about Daniel’s people, the Jews, who were due to be released from Babylonian captivity, and Daniel had been praying about their future.
In the passage, God told Daniel (through His angel) that He was giving the Jews one last chance to repent of their sins, to reconcile with Him, and to prepare for their coming Messiah, who would arrive in the 70th week of the prophecy.
And if they did not repent, reconcile with God and accept the Messiah; Jesus would cause them to be desolated by the Roman army which would come against them.
To understand the context of the prophecy, read the complete chapter of Daniel 9.
Daniel 9:25 tells us that Messiah the Prince, Jesus, will arrive to be anointed.
“Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.”
The word Prince in the Greek is nagiyd (5057 in Strong’s), which can mean a commander (as occupying the front), civil, military or religious; generally (abstractly, plural), honorable themes:—captain, chief, excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
We know that nagiyd refers to Jesus, who is the promised Messiah.
The focus of this study is Daniel 9:26-27.
“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
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.“
In verse 26, where it says “and the people of the prince” the word prince is again nagiyd, telling us that it is the same person as the previous verse.
Scripture should be interpreted literally unless it is evident that a symbolic interpretation is warranted by the text.
It is telling us that Jesus (the prince mentioned in the previous verse) will send people to destroy the city and the sanctuary, to desolate the Jews who rejected Him as their Messiah.
Jesus called Himself “the ruler over the kings of the earth,” and that would include the Romans.
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 1:5
Here’s a brief explanation of how this prophecy was fulfilled:
The Romans were the enemy of the Jews and an abomination to them, because of their pagan rituals.
The Roman army surrounded the city, just as Jesus forewarned them in Luke 19:43, “For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side.”
The Roman army standing in the Holy place of Jerusalem represented the ‘abomination of desolation,’ fulfilling Luke 21:20, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.”
Followers of Jesus heeded His warning and escaped Judea before the destruction, and there is not one documented death of a Christian by the Romans.
Because the Roman army cut off the food supplies into the city, famines and pestilences killed many people, fulfilling Matthew 24:7, “And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”
The Roman army entered into Jerusalem en mass (with a flood) in 70 A.D., and desolated the city, the temple and the people, fulfilling Daniel 9:26-27.
During the time of Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21), also known as the “time of Jacob’s trouble“, 1.1 million Jews died during the war with the Romans; hundreds of thousands from infighting, many from famine and pestilence, 10’s of thousands by crucifixion, and hundreds of thousands by the Roman sword.
As the prophecy of Daniel’s 70th week foretold, those that accepted the Messiah escaped the judgment, and those that rejected Him were desolated.
The prophecy was completely fulfilled and matches up with Jesus warnings in the Olivet Discourse.
During Jesus triumphant entry, Jesus lamented over Jerusalem.
In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus and His disciples approached Jerusalem and He told them that the Jews enemies would surround them, and level them and the temple.
“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
“In this your day” and the “time of your visitation” refer back to Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy, which told them exactly what year the Messiah would arrive.
Yet “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10
In Matthew 23, Jesus condemned the Scribes and Pharisees and told them that all of the righteous blood that they had shed would come on them.
“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ “
They “filled up the measure of their Father’s guilt” when they delivered Jesus up to be crucified and when they killed the prophets Jesus sent to them.
The Parable of the Landowner told the Jewish leaders that they would be destroyed.
In Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus told the ‘Parable of the Landowner‘ who leased his vineyard to the vinedressers, but when he sent to gather the harvest, they killed his messengers and then his son.
Jesus then asked the Jewish leaders, “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.”
God gave them every opportunity to bear fruit for His kingdom, but they killed His prophets and His Son, so God destroyed them with the Roman army.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast foretold that Jesus would send an army to destroy the Jews and Jerusalem.
Matthew 22:1-7 says, “And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ‘ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”
Jesus New Covenant was offered to the house of Israel and the house of Judah, as promised in Jeremiah 31:31, but many rejected Jesus and had Him crucified.
Then they killed His disciples, as Jesus had foretold.
God’s vengeance for all of the righteous blood came upon this generation, and Jesus had the Roman army destroy them and burn up Jerusalem.
Jesus foretold the time of Jacob’s Trouble in His Olivet Discourse and told His disciples what sign to look for and how to escape the coming judgment.
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ ; Daniel 12:11 spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Matthew 24:15
Luke 21:20-21 clarifies what the abomination of desolation was. “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.”
The abomination was the detestable enemies of the Jews, the Romans; who would surround Jerusalem, and stand in the holy land to make the place a ‘desolation‘.
Most of the warnings in Jesus Olivet Discourse were fulfilled in 70 A.D., not in the end times.
The context of “those who are in Judea” confirms that prophecy applied to the time of Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 A.D., not the end times. He was warning His disciples who were in Judea.
The context of “pray that your flight is not on the Sabbath” does not apply to the end times, as there are no prohibitions regarding the Sabbath.
But the Jewish rulers would have impeded the Christians from escaping on the Sabbath, because they had so many rules.
Luke 21:24 confirms the context of Jesus Olivet Discourse.
“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
This matches Daniel 9:26-27,
“The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
It’s telling us that there is a determined period of time that the Roman army (gentiles) will desolate the Jews.
Daniel 12 gives us more details about the “time of the Gentiles.” It says that it will be for a total of 1,335 days, which was fulfilled as the Roman army surrounded the city in 66 A.D. and then completed their siege in 70 A.D.
You can read more about the 1,335 day timeline by reading
Daniel 12 Is Not About The Antichrist Or The End Times
The ‘people of the prince‘ in Daniel 9:26 was the Roman army, who poured into the city as a flood in 70 A.D.
“..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.”
So the ‘prince‘ in the 70th week of Daniel is NOT an end-times Antichrist.
And since it does not apply to an end-time Antichrist, the foundation for the 7-year tribulation is invalid. You can read more about this by clicking on 70 Weeks Of Daniel study.
Because of the Jews abominations against God, He made them desolate.
Because of all of the Jews abominations, including delivering Jesus up to be killed, and then killing His disciples, Jesus poured out His wrath on the Jews, through the Roman army.
When Matthew recorded the words “And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” in Matthew 24:3, he no doubt understood “Jesus coming” as meaning His coming in vengeance against the Jews, through the Romans, to end the “latter days” age of the Jewish kingdom.
The “latter days” refers to the time period that occurred when the Jews were released from Babylon in 457 B.C. to 70 A.D when the city, temple and people were desolated.
The Roman army desolated the people and the city.
Matthew 24:21 warned them “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
This the time of Jacob’s Trouble.
Historians record that none of the wicked Jews (who rejected Jesus and who slew the messengers He sent to them) understood what was coming.
Up to the very day of the capture of the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D., they were deceived by false prophets, and were fatuously looking for a miraculous intervention on their behalf.
But abundant documentation reveals that before the destruction of Jerusalem, all the Christians inside the city were able to flee to the mountains and found refuge. Not one Christian perished in the siege, because they saw the sign that Jesus revealed to them.
The Roman army surrounded the city causing death by famine and disease.
The Jews granaries and storehouses of food were destroyed, and supply lines into the city were cut off.
Under pressure of the famine many Jews went out at night into the valleys in search of food. Hundred of Jews were caught every day, tortured and crucified in sight of those on the walls of the city.
The number became so great that there was not enough crosses for the victims, so several were often nailed to one cross.
Jewish infighting led to 100’s of thousands of deaths.
Murders by the Zealots and Idumeans led to 100’s of thousands of deaths, and all of that occurred before the Roman army entered the city.
Josephus relates the case of one prominent man who, because of the ‘great tribulation‘ happening all around, and in order to save his family from a worse fate, killed first his father and mother with the sword–they willingly submitting–and afterwards his wife and children, finally taking his own life.
The Roman army killed 100′s of thousands of Jews by the sword.
Before the Roman army invaded Jerusalem, Titus sent Josephus to speak to the Jews, offering them clemency, and exhorting them to yield.
Josephus made a most earnest plea to them not to resist the might of Rome, pointing out that God was no longer with them.
But it was to no purpose. The Jews detested the Romans. And they believed that they would be saved.
Titus sought to preserve the beautiful temple, but the Romans soldiers were so enraged at the Jews, that they pushed all of the stones of the temple down, fulfilling Jesus words.
According to Josephus the city was so upheaved and dug up that it was difficult to believe it had ever been inhabited.
A total of 1.1 million Jews died, and 97,000 Jews were taken captive and sold as slaves, fulfilling Luke 21:24.
Some were put into bonds and sold to slavery in the Egyptian mines, thus fulfilling several prophecies that they should be sold into Egypt again, from which God had delivered them.
The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans is a complete fulfillment of the prophecy.
These passages clearly reveal that “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, by the armies of Titus.
Why then should we ignore an obvious historical fulfillment and expect a fulfillment in the future, for which there is no proof?
People argue that since the Romans didn’t desolate the temple in the 70th week, then it wasn’t fulfilled.
But the prophecy does not say that the desolation would happen during the 70th week.
Daniel 9:24 gives the list of things that would be fulfilled during the 70 weeks:
“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.“
Jesus sacrificial death as the Lamb of God and His resurrection, paid the price for their transgressions and sins; it reconciled believers to God; it gave believers everlasting righteousness in Jesus; it ended the Mosaic law and fulfilled all of the prophecies; and it anointed Jesus as their High Priest, who is the corner stone of the spiritual temple of God.
70th week of Daniel Prince deception summary
As you can see, the people of the prince to come that is prophesied in Daniel 9:26 was fulfilled when Jesus sent the Roman army to desolate the Jews who had rejected Him.
This completely invalidates the framework for an end-times Antichrist desolating a rebuilt Jewish temple.
And along with it, it invalidates the concepts of the 7-year tribulation period, the need for a rebuilt Jewish temple, the antichrist desecrating the temple and his 3 1/2 years of Great Tribulation.
And if there is no 7-year tribulation period, then the pre-tribulation rapture concept is proven to be a myth. For an in-depth Bible study on the rapture, click on The Pretribulation Rapture Myth.
Friend, I don’t know about you, but when the Lord revealed these truths to me, it broke my heart, as I had been led astray for so many years.
My heart grieves every time I hear a Pastor teaching the wrong interpretation of the 70th Week of Daniel, as I realize how many people are blindly trusting them.
It is blasphemy to replace the work of Jesus Christ the Messiah, with the Antichrist.
I pray that Christians learn the truth and repent. I pray that Pastors can humble themselves to read this study and learn God’s truth, so that everyone can see how Satan has deceived us, so that we repent and have revival in the truths of the Lord.
I pray that you will share this study with everyone you know, because the end is near and Jesus will return soon, and you need to be alert and prepared, instead of deceived.
The Covenant In The 70th Week Of Daniel Is Jesus New Covenant
Since the “prince in verse 25 and 26 are both Jesus, verse 27 which says that “he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week” applies to the previous noun, which is Jesus. To see how the covenant is Jesus New Covenant, read The Covenant In The 70th Week Of Daniel Is Jesus New Covenant
Scriptures show there is a time and a season for all things. I consider things happening in the news and sometimes I have a definite opinion, othertimes there is no conflicting opinion about what’s happening thats just what is going on. But I Pray The Creator’s will is eventually accomplished.
When The Passover was properly established in the Exodus 12 account, Genesis chapter 14 was a point in time that offers a reminder for Adams offspring to look back to the promise in Genesis 3 verse 15. The seed of the woman, Also to Genesis 22, the heart of what Ha-Shem would do is represented by Abraham ( in His likeness) being a model of The Almighty Father and Isaac a type of the long awaited promise, the beloved son as an offering Gen 22 verse 8
“and Abraham saith, ` Aloheem will provide for Himself the lamb for a offering, my son;`
So the passover of Passover in Exodus was also a for cast of the future where a redeemer would accomplish what none of Adams offspring could. One place it is summarized plainly is Daniel 09 : 24
“`Seventy weeks (Shamita from Nehemiah’s wall)are determined for thy people, and for the Holy city, to shut up the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to cover iniquity, and to bring in righteousness , and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies.”
Genesis 22 verse 13. Isaac was later substituted by a Ram that was provided.
Here is another facet of what the atoning Lamb would accomplish.
Isaiah Ch 53 verse 5 says “And He is wounded for our transgressions, Bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement of our peace [is] on Him, And by His bruise there is healing to us.” ( Isaiah 53 : 5
My opinion
Once the seed of the woman accomplish the Daniel 9 verse 24 -25 prophecies, the reminder sacrifices would be unnecessary for a time.
The proper reestablishing of the Levites and memorial sacrifices has been written about by Ezekiel in Chapter 44. This era that the Nabi is allowed to see and share, has not happened yet, Ha Shem will be on earth like Isaiah also confirmed.
“And it hath come to pass, In the latter end of the days, Established is the mount of YAH`s house, above the top of the mounts, And it hath been lifted up above the heights, And flowed unto it have all the nations.” Isaiah 02 : 2 The Almighty has not done this yet.
The Almighty inspires Isaiah to ask some very important questions in Isaiah 66 verse 1. A primary focal point in verse 5 is on the unusually negative way that the sacrifices are portrayed just before the end the chapter.
Isaiah identifies a point in time when the sacrifices will not be pleasing to The Almighty. In the sequence of events I feel that this happens after the Daniel 9 verse 24 – 25 prophecy of atonement is fulfilled.
To confirm the fulfillment of both the time and the events that are outlined in Daniel 9 verse 24, is a very important study. If my checking of the שִׁבְעִ֜ים (šiḇ·‘îm) seventy, שָׁבֻעִ֨ים, (šā·ḇu·‘îm) weeks of years are correct. From Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the wall there would be 490 years. To the Event that Daniel 9 verse 24 mentions.
During this present era that we are in, if the traditional Sacrifices are offered, this may not be a good idea.
And may already behaving negative effects, Judge for yourselves based on Ta-Na-Kh, true council prayer and the info shared.
Post Script Two other useful bits of info:
“Behold, on the palms of (His Hand)The Hand I have graven thee, Thy walls [are] before Me continually.” Isaiah 49 : 16
THE NAME of YHVH in the Hebrew script, bears pictographic similarities to a hand Yod with a Vav in the middle of it.
You can also see it on a map.
Thanks for listening, I hope that some of the faith based info here has value to.
Shawn B
Regarding your comment on how your heart grieves when you hear a Pastor teaching the wrong interpretation of the 70th Week of Daniel – I know how you feel, trying to unbrainwash my sister on this subject is a real challenge. She sent me an article on preterism so I return the favor and sent her one Jesuit futurism about the history of Jesuit Priest Francisco Ribera – hopefully this will open her eyes because she knows all about the Jesuits.
https://amazingdiscoveries.org/RT_encyclopedia_Futurism_Jesuit_Ribera
The Jesuit’s false explanations have spread through places like Dallas Theological Seminary. This study shows the link. https://revelationtimelinedecoded.com/how-the-leaven-of-the-end-times-prophecy-deceptions-spread/
Thank you – I’ll bookmark that link. Sent her the video Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy and the Jesuit Lie of Futurism – she wouldn’t even open it up, told me to be careful watching videos that don’t line up with scriptures. I’m sure you watched this video which backs up timeline with scriptures, that this was about the Messiah and not the antichrist. It couldn’t be any clearer that this isn’t about the end time antichrist. Hopefully the Lord puts it upon her to open it up and watch it.
Glad to find your articles. After looking at 26 and 27 I am certain that they are not chronological. “And he shall confirm the Covenant” is simply summing up what he has just said in the preceding verses. The prince desolates in verse 26 and the desolation is again in 27. You certainly can’t have the “antichrist” desolating Jerusalem and then immediately in 27 confirming a covenant to do again what he has already done in 26. “And he shall confirm the Covenant” reminded me of “And so all Israel shall be save” in Rom 11 where Paul sumed up his thoughts of chapters 9-11.
Thank you for sharing your insight Don!
Verses 26 and 27 have provided much confusion to people. The message is split. The first part of each verse go together, and the latter part of each verse go together, and as you noted they seem reversed in order. If you put it in chronological order, it would look like this:
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 after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. 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 saints saw the Abomination of Desolation, the Roman army surround Jerusalem; and they fled Judea to the mountains of Pella; and Jewish historian Josephus says that not one was killed. And so all Israel was saved!
Here is my study series on the 70th week of Daniel. http://70thweekofdaniel.com
Here is my study series on the Olivet Discourse. http://theolivetdiscourse.com
Excellent study! The heresy of a future 70th week in Daniel chapter 9 has plagued our beloved faith for generations. It’s responsible for much of the heretical resurgence of Chiliasm, and in one of it’s most dangerous forms. A fleshly nationalistic type of gospel has emerged, and is only one of the deadly results of such Millennial teaching. There couldn’t be a better eschatological deception qualifying as the final end time Lie that deceives, if it were possible, ”even the very elect.” Congratulations!
Thank you for your comment Patrick! The deception about the 70th week of Daniel is so important, that I posted many studies about it at the 70th Week Of Daniel Deception website. http://70thweekofdaniel.com
Hi David
Regarding end time prophecy topics to be covered. I know you have mentioned the Revelation 12 sign briefly in one of your posts but I wonder if you would consider looking at it in more depth please. It seems hugely significant as its occuring this year. The pre tribbers are using it to confirm a pre trib rapture as in verse 6 it has the child (church) ?? being snatched up to the throne room of God.
Your insights on this would be appreciated
Thanks
Ann
Hi Ann 🙂 I think that a lot will be made out of the Revelation 12 sign. Just keep in mind that the prophecy in that chapter is about Satan using the Roman Empire to try to wipe out the earthly church, so it’s already been fulfilled. http://revelationtimelinedecoded.com/revelation-12-the-pagan-roman-empire-beast/
I think that false prophets will make a lot out of it, pointing to a potential rapture scenario. And if an Israeli peace agreement is signed, it will reinforce that perception.
And who knows, the enemy may stage a fake rapture scenario on that date, to make people believe that they’ve been left behind.
This Revelation summary study shows where we are at on the fulfillment timeline, and what will happen next as we await Messiah’s return. David
http://revelationtimelinedecoded.com/revelation-fulfillment-timeline-summary/
In Dan 9: 25-27 Daniel uses the phrase “Messiah the Prince” and “…people of the prince who is to come shall destroy…”. And later referring to this same destroying prince as “…he shall confirm…” and …”he shall cause…” and “…he shall make desolate…”
There is a capital P in Messiah the Prince, lowercase p in the prince who comes to destroy. This prince is also three times referred to as “he” lowercase h not He as is tradition in KJ Bible.
If the King James translators intended for us to think they are all referring to the same person, Jesus. Wouldn’t they have consistently capitalized all references to Him?
In Christ,
Jim
I can’t account for the punctuation of the King James writers Jim, but I can see the fulfillment of the 70th week of Daniel. http://70thweekofdaniel.com/
And I can see the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse, which was about the desolation of the temple and Jews. http://theolivetdiscourse.com/
And I can see the fulfillment of Daniel 12, which foretold the time of tribulation for the Jews, from 66-70 A.D., when the temple and city were desolated; and 1.1 million Jews died in and around Jerusalem from famine, pestilence, infighting, suicide, crucifixion and by the Roman sword. http://theolivetdiscourse.com/daniel-12-is-not-about-an-end-times-antichrist/
Daniel 9, Daniel 12 and Matthew 24 are inter-related.
Daniel 9 foretold that because the Jews would reject their Messiah, the city and temple would be desolated by the people of the prince, the Roman army.
Matthew 24 foretold the desolation of the temple, and the sign that it was about to take place, the abomination of desolation, which Luke 21:20 told us was when an army surrounded the city.
Daniel 12 gave to timeline of the 1,290 and 1,335 days, from 66-70 A.D., when they were desolate.
So by that I know what Daniel 9:25-27 means.
“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.”
“As you can see, the people of the prince to come that is prophesied in Daniel 9:26 was fulfilled when Jesus sent the Roman army to desolate the Jews who had rejected Him.” ETD
THE PEOPLE OF THE COMING PRINCE. You say as do many before and with you that the ‘coming prince’ was Jesus.
I put it to you that the Roman army were not ‘the people of’ Jesus. The phrase ‘people of’ denotes an allegiance, or agreement towards to the prince, by using the word ‘OF’.
Yes all people ‘belong’ to Jesus Christ because He is Lord of all. But that does not mean that ‘the people’ belong by allegiance to Him unless they have personally taken that step.
The phrase “Spirit of God” tells us that the Holy Spirit is OF God, belongs to God in nature and essence; is wholly allied to God in every respect.
The ‘children of God’ in Scripture denotes those who have yielded to God and belong to Him, and have congenial and filail relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
The mother of David, means the mother that lawfully and wholly belongs in relationship to David. You know all this.
The ‘people of God’, ‘Tree of Life’, riches of Christ, means the same thing.
Where an object is involved it refers to ownership, belonging to. Where person or persons are invloved it means that and more.
So as not to confuse things, on the other side; the prince of darkness, the hosts of Hell, the Lake of Fire, the children of this world, the mark of the beast; the mother of harlots – all indicate the same thing – ownership, possession; complicity and agreement and allegiance, conscious and deliberate social interaction between the two parties (in the case of two conscious beings).
That is what OF denotes
So when Daniel tells us by the Holy Spirit that the PEOPLE OF THE PRINCE to come, or coming prince, destroys the temple etc, it refers to those people who consciously and deliberately belong to the ‘prince’ specified – there is an agreement between them. There was and is a debate among scholars as to who this prince is.
Daniel uses this word OF amany times in our chapter 9.
Darius son OF Ahasuerus.
Ahasuerus the seed OF the Medes
realm OF the Chaldeans
desolations OF Jerusalem
etc etc. All belonging to.
The Roman troops that destroyed Jerusalem had no king (prince) but caesar. Their agreement was with CAESAR; infact they had to swear allegiance to him, and thus to his immediate subordinates. They were pledged to him consciously.
Their prince was Caesar, their khaiser. The troops of the prince – Caeser – emporer, did the destroying.
While they belonged to Jesus the Creator because He had made them, they were not His through an alliance, allegaince or conscious deliberate relationship with Him.
There is no question about the 70AD tragedy being a fulfillment of prophecy. But as I have already said in the past, Bible prophecy can have multiple fulfillments over periods of time.
There have been many antichrists, which John has already told us of, but the ‘mother’ of them all is yet to be revealed. An antichrist comes to the scene when wickedness is on the increase. When wickedness is about to hit its highest peak, then the most infamous one of all will arise. This age, this generation is at that peak; wickedness is abounding today like no other age before it, although Noah’s age and Lot’s age have the same hallmarks, which Jesus points out.
But this age is the daddy of them all. There are many antichrists today, but they will all bow soon to their satanically possessed lord whoever it is.
If the “he” of 9:27 is Messiah – Jesus Christ, and ‘Jesus’ strengthens that covenant with many for one week – seven years, it rasies a problem.
We know Jesus Christ of Nazareth has made an Everlasting Covenant with His blood. So the covenant dealt with in Daniel 2 can’t be that one.
One view is that it is the covenant made centuries before. A covenant is made before it is enacted. A covenant strengthened can only be strengthened after it is made. And he shall confirm the covenant. And the text tells us that this confirming is for one week; one seven year period.
CMR writes…”After the Messiah arrives, the text simply continues with the chronological description: “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off….” (Daniel 9:26) This verse is simply saying that after the second period of 434 years (the 62 weeks) has gone by, the Messiah is to be “cut off.” It then continues the chronological statement from the point of the ‘cutting off’ and says that at some unspecified time after the Messiah is cut off, “the city and the sanctuary” will be destroyed. ( …CMR adds)
“In the next verse, the prophecy provides us with the details of the cutting off of the Saviour. Again, the focal point of the entire prophecy is the Messiah, so after He arrives, “he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week….” (Daniel 9:27) This is precisely what would be expected as when He arrived, there would be “one week” left to the 70 weeks.” source, above 2 paragraphs, Christian Media Resource.
This explanation on the “one week’ rasies another question. If the 70 weeks aka 70 weeks of years can’t be broken up, but are sequential and only sequential, then the death of Messiah being in the middle of the last week still leaves 42 months to be fulfilled. If the 70 can’t be broken up neither can the seven.
As we knwow, Jesus ascended into Heaven after 40 days (1 month and 10 days after His resurrection). This still leaves the last half of the week incomplete. If Jesus was alive in the first half of that covenant week, and dies midway, we have a problem regarding the last half of the week – 3 and a half years.
If the first half of the week was Jesus ministry years, what about this last half?
For example: If Jesus died say AD 31, then AD 34 would have seen the end of that covenant week if the time frame can’t be broken up.
The following quotes taken from biblehub.com
Matthew Henry writes on the ‘he’ – the prince; “As a matter of fact, if it refers to the Lord Jesus, this was done by his personal instructions, his example, his sufferings and death, and the arrangements which he made to secure the proper effect of his work on the minds of the people – all designed to procure for them the friendship and favor of God, and to unite them to him in the bonds of an enduring covenant.” (he adds) “The “prince” appears merely as the instrument pre-ordained by God, by whose people both city and sanctuary are to be destroyed.”
“IF IT REFERS TO THE LORD JESUS” (my caps)…interesting comment by Matthew. MH is careful not to be dogmatic.
Likewise with Barnes.
On the final seven years for the 70th week Barnes writes …” It may not be practicable to make out the exact time of “seven years” in reference to this, and it may be admitted that this would not be understood from the prophecy before the things occurred;….”
“MAY NOT BE PRACTICABLE TO MAKE OUT THE EXACT TIME OF SEVEN YEARS” (!!??) Another interesting comment by a well reputed scholar.
Benson Commentary states; “The confirmation of the Christian covenant in one week, or seven years, includes its full effect, both in the conversion of many myriads of the Jews, and in the first-fruits of the Gentile Church.”
This raises the question and begs an answer from the erudite.
If this 7 year covenant had a specific start point, which all scholars agree on, then it must also have a specific finish point. Benson makes a generalization that cannot be pinpointed, yet according to this view the starting point can be pin-pointed.
Barnes is a bit more honest when HE says “It may not be practicable to make out the exact time of “seven years” in reference to this…”
It appears some fine scholars can be a bit loose on the finishing spot, but as the the beginning it is fixed at Jesus baptism. Most strange especially when later generations swear by their interpretations as being spot on, and irrefutable. If the scholars are slow to be dogmatic with all their learning, and it leaves unanswered questions, then how can we be so dogmatic, yet use their arguments as our foundation?
Comments anyone?
You sure use a lot of words Ian. Let me make it simple. During Messiah’s 3 1/2 year ministry, He confirmed that He was the promised Messiah who would ratify the covenant made with Abraham. When Abraham took Isaac up to sacrifice him, Isaac asked ‘where is the lamb?‘ and Abraham said that Elohim would provide the lamb. Abraham believed by faith that the promised Messiah would atone for His sins.
Messiah confirmed that He was the promised One by healing people, by raising people from the dead, by the depth of His understanding. He gave the Jews one sign, the sign of Jonah. Then He confirmed that He was the promised Messiah when He rose again three days later. He confirmed that He rose again by showing Himself to witnesses.
On the day of Pentecost He confirmed that He was the Messiah when He poured out His Father’s Spirit on the disciples, who then preached the Gospel to visiting Jews in their own language, and 3,000 Jews believe in Him that day.
He told His disciples to continue to preach the Gospel to the House of Israel. And they preached the resurrected Christ, to confirm that it was Him who fulfilled prophecy.
Then when Stephen preached the resurrected Christ, he was stoned to death by the Jewish leaders. This marked a turning point in the narrative of the book of Acts, and you see a dramatic change, when the Gospel was also preached to the Gentile nations.
So for seven years Messiah and His Disciples confirmed to the House of Israel that He was the promised one. Simple as that.
Don’t complicate the text with all of your rationalizations.
Instead believe in Elohim that He indeed fulfilled His own 70 week prophecy in 70 weeks.
For if a 70 week prophecy is not completely fulfilled in 70 weeks, then it is invalid.