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Dan 9:24
This verse sets the goals of the 70 week prophecy of Daniel.
(A) "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,"
- This sets the time period at 70 weeks. It is generally accepted here that you must use the day = year prophecy formula (Num 14:34, Ezek 4:6), yielding a time period of 490 years from start to completion.
- The word determined here actually means "cut off". This 70 weeks are cut off from, or begin at the same time as, the larger 2300 day (year) prophecy of Dan 8:14, which has as it's focus the cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven, the beginning of Judgment. So both the 70 week (490 year) and the 2300 day (year) prophecy begin at the same date. Note that you can not arbitrarily apply the year for a day principle in one case and not another, you must remain consistent. Dan 8:26 strongly hints that the 2300 day prophecy in verse 14 is not just 2300 days, but many days more than it literally indicates. This would also support using year instead of day.
(B) "to finish the transgression (rebellion),"
- Meaning to the Jews: end your transgression of (rebellion against) God's Law and return to obedience.
- Alludes to the victory of Jesus Christ over transgression at the cross.
(C) "and to make an end of sins,"
- Meaning to the Jews: repent from sin.
- Alludes to the victory of Jesus Christ over sin at the cross.
(D) "and to make reconciliation for iniquity,"
- Meaning to the Jews: Atonement for sins through sacrificial temple ceremonies (symbolic of Jesus).
- Alludes to the reconciliation for iniquity by Jesus Christ at the cross.
(E) "and to bring in everlasting righteousness,"
- Alludes to the death of Jesus the Messiah at the cross making everlasting righteousness available to all with faith. Without His death at the cross we are all condemned to the second death. By His death on the cross, the requirement of the Law was met and His everlasting righteousness established. Psa 119:142
(F) "and to seal up the vision and prophecy,"
- To fulfill / complete the prophesies of the 70 weeks (the dates of Messiah's / Jesus' baptism and crucifixion). Because Daniel predicted these historical events of the 70 weeks with absolute accuracy, we can also trust that the 2300 day (year) prophecy is just as accurate.
(G) "and to anoint the most Holy."
- As the earthly temple was anointed in Lev 8:10-11, so the heavenly temple was anointed by Jesus as he assumed the role of our High Priest, on his return to heaven. Also, Jesus himself was anointed as the Messiah at His Baptism (Mat 3:16, Mark 1:9, Luke 3:21).
So verse 24 has set the goals of the 70 week prophecy of Daniel. The twofold focus of the prophecy: first on the Jews reconciling themselves with God within the appointed time (490 years), and second, Jesus being baptized and paying the price of sin at the cross for us and becoming our High Priest. Note that there is nothing in verse 24 referring to the millennial kingdom, or the antichrist, or a seven year tribulation and there is nothing to indicate the 490 years are anything but a continuous period of time that ended in 34 A.D.
Dan 9:25
(A) "Know therefore and understand, that"
(B) "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem"
- There were actually four commands issued that can be located in scripture and must be considered:
(1) Ezra 1:1-14, 1st year of Cyrus, dated to 537 B.C.
(2) Ezra 6:1-12, 2nd year of Darius dated to 520 B.C.
(3) Ezra 7:1-27, 7th year of Artaxerxes dated to 457 B.C.
(4) Neh 2:1-8, 20th year of Artaxerxes dated to 444 B.C....
Given the generally accepted age of 30 for Jesus (Luke 3:23) at His baptism in the 15th year of Tiberius (Luke 3:1) which can be independantly and firmly established as 27 A.D., only one of the decrees fits, that being the 3rd decree given in Ezra 7 in the fall of 457 B.C.* The others are either too early or too late to be the command referred to. The decree in Ezra 7 (vs. 23-26), permits civil and religious autonomy to be restored in Jerusalem in compliance with God's law, fulfilling Daniel's prophecy. So starting in the fall of 457 B.C. places the end of the 70 weeks, or 490 years, in the fall of 34 A.D., placing the year of the crucifixion, (which happened in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel), at the Spring of 31 A.D..
- Using this same starting date of the fall of 457 B.C. for the 2300 day (year) prophecy of Dan 8:14, you arrive at the fall of 1844 A.D. as the date for the start of Judgment in heaven (the cleansing of the sanctuary). In the Temple ceremonies of the Jews, this event occurred only once each year, at Yom Kippur, a type for judgment day. It has been underway in heaven since 1844 and continues at this moment. This is why at the second coming there appears to be no judgment - the Saints both living and dead meet Jesus in air (the rapture) and accompany him to the New Jerusalem in heaven, there to reign with Jesus for the 1000 years (John 14:2-3). For more information on the timing of the second advent rapture, see
The truth about the rapture.
(C) "unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:"
- After 69 weeks the Messiah will be anointed by God as such. This happened at the Baptism of Jesus by John when the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and God the father announced Jesus as his Son (Acts 10:37-38). The end of the 69 weeks is mentioned by Jesus in Mark 1:15 when He says "The time is fulfilled". Counting down 69 weeks of years (483) from the fall of 457 B.C. you arrive at the fall of 27 A.D. for the baptism of Jesus. Futurists generally try to tie this event to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Yet Jesus entry into Jerusalem was NOT when He was first recognized as the Messiah, except perhaps by the people of Jerusalem. God the Father and the Holy Spirit anointed him as the Messiah at his Baptism - the entry into Jerusalem pales in comparison to this holy event.
(D) "the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."
- The rebuilding of Jerusalem would be rebuilt despite opposition. (Ezra 4:4,5 and Neh 4 + 6)
Dan 9:26
(A) "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:"
- Following the 62 weeks, the Messiah would be crucified for our sins. The 62 weeks, as we saw in verse 25 above, ended in His baptism. The exact time of the crucifixion is not specified here, but it is in verse 27. In effect, this is saying that the crucifixion will follow the anointing.
(B) "and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;"
- Jesus is the prince that shall come. The unbelieving Jews through their rebellion against God and Roman rule, brought about the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Roman general Titus, crushing the Jewish rebellion, fulfilling this prophecy. The unbelieving Jews had rejected the ultimatum contained in the 70 week prophecy, and their destruction and scattering in 70 A.D. was the result.
- Some think the prince that shall come may apply to Titus, who tried to protect the Temple, but his soldiers destroyed it anyway against his explicit orders. Titus did not confirm any covenant, however, Jesus did (see below) .
(C) "and the end thereof shall be with a flood,"
- According to contemporary historians, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was swift like a flood.
(D) "and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."
- One interpretation continues to apply this to the war with Rome and the destruction of 70 A.D.
- It may also mean that until the end of the war with Satan and sin, Jerusalem and the Temple will be desolate (lack the presence of God), their house being desolate - Mat 23:38 and Luke 13:35. To date this appears to be the case. See also verse 27(C)....