Hi John and Doves,I had been preparing an article on this topic for some time, and it is still
not complete, but I will try to get it done this week. The writing of Daniel
Matson - David Burnette - Cal Werner have spurred me on.Since the article is a long one, I'll post it in PARTS. God Bless all you
watchers. EAR
DANIEL’S PROPHECY OF 70 WEEKS (i.e. 490 YEARS) AND THE COVENANT – PART I
Daniel 9: KJV
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Here are some subject headings that will help to clarify this prophecy – colour coding might also help.
v.24 Time Frame – Seventy weeks
v.24 The Focus – Concerns the Jews and Jerusalem and Messiah’s salvation
The Purpose – a) to finish the transgression
b) to make reconciliation for iniquity
c) to bring in everlasting righteousness
d) to seal up the vision and prophecy
e) to anoint the most Holy.
v.25 The Timing - Concerns the going forth of the word to rebuild Jerusalem until the City is rebuilt and the appearance of Messiah THE PRINCE.
v.26a Result a) Concerns the Messiah THE PRINCE after 7+62 weeks (i.e. 70th ) and his fate.
v.26b Result b) Concerns the destruction of Jerusalem and the sanctuary
v.26c Result c) Concerns the end of the 70 year period outlined above
v.27 The Covenant - Concerns the work of Messiah in confirming the covenant, and what happens as a result of Messiah being cut off in the midst of the final 70th week.
i.e. 1) HE shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease
2) HE shall make IT desolate by the overspreading of abominations
3) IT will remain desolate and what has been determined shall be poured out until the consummation.
The above is my understanding of the Bible Passage. In accordance with the instruction contained in Rev. 22:18, I have added nothing, and taken nothing away from the plain text (KJV) This passage does not suggest a 7 year covenant by a Roman Antichrist nor does it require a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem prior to the Day of the Lord.
The time frame of this prophecy is 70 weeks – to suggest that Daniel did not cover the full 70 weeks, would be discrediting him and suggest that he could not add to 70. He quite clearly covers 69 weeks and then states that Messiah confirms the covenant for one final week, but that in the middle of the last (i.e. 70th week) something happens. He has already stated what it is – i.e. Messiah is “cut off” – this is what causes the temple sacrifices to cease. He does mention the “end” of the 70th week twice. I therefore conclude that he covers the whole period of time – 70 weeks of years – i.e. 490 year time frame He adequately covers the whole 70 weeks as it relates to the Jews and Jerusalem and the work of Messiah. However, there is to be a consummation
TWO DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THIS PASSAGE LEADS TO TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT END-TIMES SCENARIOS
The two views most espoused by modern interpretations are quoted as follows from –
The New Bible Commentary by London Inter-Varsity Fellowship (quote…
- “A very widespread interpretation today is that of the dispensationalist school of thought. The advocates of this view naturally differ among themselves in some respects, but their position is essentially as follows.
The beginning of the seventy sevens is usually taken to be the 20th year of Artaxerxes, which is said to be 445 B.C. (Nehemiah 2). The period of seven sevens refers to the restoration from exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the period of sixty-two sevens carries one on to the triumphal entry of Christ. The promises made in verse 24, however, according to this view, were not fulfilled at Christ’s first advent, and the seventieth seven does not immediately follow the sixty-ninth. Instead there intervenes a long parenthesis which is known as “the Church Age” a time that was not revealed to the Old Testament prophets. When this parenthesis runs its course Jesus Christ will return for His people, and the seventieth seven (seven years in length) will begin. The “prince” of verse 26 will make a covenant with many Jews for one seven. In return for allegiance to himself he will permit them to erect their temple and perform sacrifices. In the midst of the seven (i.e. after 3 ˝ years) he will violate the covenant, and a fierce persecution will break out which will last for the remaining 3 ˝ years of the seven, when Christ will return with His saints to reign for one thousand years.
From the exposition outlined above it will be seen that the present writer (Edward J. Young, Ph.D. Professor of Old Testament in Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia.) considers that the difficulties which this view entails are very great.”
2. “The traditional messianic interpretation entails less difficulty than do the others and at the same time does justice to the language of the text. Upon this view the seventy sevens serve as a symbolical number for the period that has been decreed for the accomplishment of the messianic salvation (verse 24). In verse 25 we are taught that two segments of time elapse from the issuing of a word from God to rebuild Jerusalem until the appearance of Christ. After these two segments have elapsed, the Messiah will be cut off by death and Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed by the Roman armies of Titus. The Messiah, however, will cause the Jewish sacrifice to cease by means of His death, and He will do this in the midst of the seventieth seven. As a consequence, the temple will be destroyed, and the destruction will continue until the end appears which has been appointed by God. The precise point of termination of the period of seventy sevens is not revealed. The emphasis, rather, is not so much upon the beginning and termination of this period as it is upon the great results which the period has been set apart to accomplish.”…end of Quote.)
It appears to me that these two different interpretations of the above prophecy would lead to vastly different end-time scenarios for their future fulfilment. - Continued in Part II