Athanasius here sees the 70 Weeks of Dan 9 as fulfilled in Christ, who he describes as the "Holy of Holies." This is similar to Tertullian's "Unction," or Clement's "Holy of Holies." Like Tertullian, he sees the destruction of the temple as a result of the Jews' rejecting their Christ. The end of the Law, in this sense, made Christ to be the only possible choice for the Jews. And so, he sees the 70 Weeks of Dan 9 as fulfilled in Jesus' generation of the Jews, who rejected him, and who thus suffered the destruction of the temple. Here is a clear linkage between the 70 Weeks of Dan 9 and the Olivet Discourse of Jesus, finding the destruction of the temple a fulfillment of what Jesus foretold. The ensuing Great Distress of the Jews would then logically be a continuation of this judgment, following after 70 AD.
Athenasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373) On the Incarnation of the Word, Sec. 39. XXXIX.
Do you look for another ? But Daniel foretells the exact time.
Objections to this removed.
But perhaps, being unable, even they, to fight con-
tinually against plain facts, they will, without denying
what is written, maintain that they are looking for these
things, and that the Word of God is not yet come.
For this it is on which they are for ever harping, not
blushing to brazen it out in the face of plain facts.
2. But on this one point, above all, they shall be all
the more refuted, not at our hands, but at those of
the most wise Daniel, who marks both the actual
date, and the divine sojourn of the Saviour, saying :
" Seventy 1 weeks are cut short upon thy people, and
" upon the holy city, for a full end to be made of sin,
" and for sins to be sealed up, and to blot out iniquities,
" and to make atonement for iniquities, and to bring
" everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and pro-
" phet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies ; and thou shalt
" know and understand from the going forth of the
" word to restore 2 and to build Jerusalem unto Christ
"the Prince." 3. Perhaps with regard to the other
(prophecies) they may be able even to find excuses
and to put off what is written to a future time. But
what can they say to this, or can they face it at all ?
Where not only is the Christ referred to, but he that is...
...to be anointed is declared to be not man simply, but the
Holy of Holies; and Jerusalem is to stand till his
coming, and thenceforth, prophets and vision cease in
Israel. 4. David was anointed of old, and Solomon and
Ezechias ; but then, nevertheless, Jerusalem and the
place stood, and prophets were prophesying, Gad and
Asaph and Nathan, and, later, Esaias and Osee and
Amos and others. And again, the actual men that were
anointed were called holy, and not Holy of Holies. But
if they shield themselves with the captivity, and say that
because of it Jerusalem was not, what can they say about
the prophets too ? For in fact when first the people went
down to Babylon, Daniel and Jeremy were thei-e, and
Ezechiel and Aggams and Zachary were prophesying.
XL.
Argument (1) from the withdrawal of prophecy and destruction
of Jerusalem, (2) from the conversion of the Gentiles, and
that to the God of Moses. What more remains for the
Messiah to do, that Christ had not done ?
So the Jews are trifling, and the time in question,
which they refer to the future, is actually come. For
when did prophet and vision cease from Israel, save when
Christ came, the Holy of Holies ? For it is a sign, and
an important proof, of the coming of the Word of God,
that Jerusalem no longer stands, nor is any prophet
raised up nor vision revealed to them and that very
naturally. 2. For when he that signified was come,
what need was there any longer of any to signify him ?
When the truth was there, what need any more of the
shadow ? For this was the reason of their prophesying
68 Refutation of the Jews.
at all namely, till the true Righteousness should come,
and he that was to ransom the sins of all. And this
was why Jerusalem stood till then namely, that there
they might be exercised in the types as a preparation for
the reality. 3. So when the Holy of Holies was come,
naturally vision and prophecy were sealed and the king
dom of Jerusalem ceased. For kings were to be anointed
among them only until the Holy of Holies should have
been anointed ; and Jacob prophesies that the king
dom of the Jews should be established until him, as
follows : " The ruler 1 shall not fail from Juda, nor the
"Prince from his loins, until that which is laid up for
; him shall come ; and he is the expectation of the
" nations." 4. Whence the Saviour also himself cried
aloud and said : " The 2 law and the prophets prophesied
until John."
Athenasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373) On the Incarnation of the Word, Sec. 39. XXXIX.
Do you look for another ? But Daniel foretells the exact time.
Objections to this removed.
But perhaps, being unable, even they, to fight con-
tinually against plain facts, they will, without denying
what is written, maintain that they are looking for these
things, and that the Word of God is not yet come.
For this it is on which they are for ever harping, not
blushing to brazen it out in the face of plain facts.
2. But on this one point, above all, they shall be all
the more refuted, not at our hands, but at those of
the most wise Daniel, who marks both the actual
date, and the divine sojourn of the Saviour, saying :
" Seventy 1 weeks are cut short upon thy people, and
" upon the holy city, for a full end to be made of sin,
" and for sins to be sealed up, and to blot out iniquities,
" and to make atonement for iniquities, and to bring
" everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and pro-
" phet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies ; and thou shalt
" know and understand from the going forth of the
" word to restore 2 and to build Jerusalem unto Christ
"the Prince." 3. Perhaps with regard to the other
(prophecies) they may be able even to find excuses
and to put off what is written to a future time. But
what can they say to this, or can they face it at all ?
Where not only is the Christ referred to, but he that is...
...to be anointed is declared to be not man simply, but the
Holy of Holies; and Jerusalem is to stand till his
coming, and thenceforth, prophets and vision cease in
Israel. 4. David was anointed of old, and Solomon and
Ezechias ; but then, nevertheless, Jerusalem and the
place stood, and prophets were prophesying, Gad and
Asaph and Nathan, and, later, Esaias and Osee and
Amos and others. And again, the actual men that were
anointed were called holy, and not Holy of Holies. But
if they shield themselves with the captivity, and say that
because of it Jerusalem was not, what can they say about
the prophets too ? For in fact when first the people went
down to Babylon, Daniel and Jeremy were thei-e, and
Ezechiel and Aggams and Zachary were prophesying.
XL.
Argument (1) from the withdrawal of prophecy and destruction
of Jerusalem, (2) from the conversion of the Gentiles, and
that to the God of Moses. What more remains for the
Messiah to do, that Christ had not done ?
So the Jews are trifling, and the time in question,
which they refer to the future, is actually come. For
when did prophet and vision cease from Israel, save when
Christ came, the Holy of Holies ? For it is a sign, and
an important proof, of the coming of the Word of God,
that Jerusalem no longer stands, nor is any prophet
raised up nor vision revealed to them and that very
naturally. 2. For when he that signified was come,
what need was there any longer of any to signify him ?
When the truth was there, what need any more of the
shadow ? For this was the reason of their prophesying
68 Refutation of the Jews.
at all namely, till the true Righteousness should come,
and he that was to ransom the sins of all. And this
was why Jerusalem stood till then namely, that there
they might be exercised in the types as a preparation for
the reality. 3. So when the Holy of Holies was come,
naturally vision and prophecy were sealed and the king
dom of Jerusalem ceased. For kings were to be anointed
among them only until the Holy of Holies should have
been anointed ; and Jacob prophesies that the king
dom of the Jews should be established until him, as
follows : " The ruler 1 shall not fail from Juda, nor the
"Prince from his loins, until that which is laid up for
; him shall come ; and he is the expectation of the
" nations." 4. Whence the Saviour also himself cried
aloud and said : " The 2 law and the prophets prophesied
until John."