Jovial (12 Oct 2010)
"The purpose of the 7 year covenant in Daniel 9"

Daniel 9 talks about a 7 year covenant, but the purpose of that is to help identify who the False Messiah will be, not to tell us how long the tribulation is.  The tribulation period will not be for 7 years.  I believe the ENTIRE 7 year period in Daniel 9 will come and go before the last 3.5 years mentioned in Rev 12-17.  The False Messiah will only reign for 3.5 years.
 
Israel signed a 7 year covenant with the PLO from Rosh HaShanah 1993 to Rosh HaShannah 2000.  That obviously wasn't the Covenant mentioned in Daniel 9 because the OTHER signs Daniel 9 mentions were not fullfilled in 1993-2000.
 
Obama signed a 7 year covnenat with Russian on Passover of 2010.  IS that the 7 year covenant mentioned in Daniel 9?  I doubt it.  But watch for the other signs, like the daily sacrifice taken away halfway through it.  We'll know for sure by Tishri of 2013 whether that is the Covenant of Dan 9.  If you see the other events in Daniel 9 fulfilled , then maybe either our Prez or Russia's is the False Messiah or maybe someone else invovled in the signing of that treaty.  If the other events don't happen, then no it was not the treaty mentioned in Daniel 9.
 
The purpose of Daniel 9 was to identify WHO the False Messiah will be.  When someone comes along who fullfills all of the events of Daniel 9, you'll know that's the guy.  But the entire 7 year period may come and go before anything in Revelations happens at all.  Daniel 9 will start 10.5 years or more before the Messiah sets up his kingdom on earth.  DO NOT try to fit all of Revelation into a 7 year time box.  That is a big mistake.  Even Daniel 9 tells us what's wrong with that, for we're told the abomination of desolation won't be set up until 30 days after the 7 year period of Daniel 9 ENDS.  Watch this.....
 
כז  וְהִגְבִּיר בְּרִית לָרַבִּים, שָׁבוּעַ אֶחָד; וַחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ יַשְׁבִּית זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה, .  {פ} 27 And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one "Seven"; and half[way] of the "Seven" he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease;
 
Then we're told in Daniel 12:11
 
יא  וּמֵעֵת הוּסַר הַתָּמִיד, וְלָתֵת שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם--יָמִים, אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים. 11 And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and to the giving of the abomination of desolation shall be 1,290 days.
 
Note it says "1,290 days" (43 months), not "1,260 days" (42 months) putting the abomination of desolation at 30 days AFTER the 7 years are over with. 
 
The purpose  of the 7 years in Daniel 9 is not to tell us how long the tribulation will last, but to identify who the False Messiah will be.
 
 
Shalom, Joe
www.messiahalive.net