Greg Wilson (5 Mar 2023)
"REPLY TO Mike P."

REPLY TO Mike P. Re: See Why David W. Rowley Broke with His Baptist Brethern Regarding the "Confirmation of the Covenant" & the Nature of the Rapture

Mike:  Thank you for your article posting by David W. Rowley.  I am in agreement with just about every item discussed in his paper.   However, I must disagree with his conclusion that the first half of Daniel’s 70th week was fulfilled by Jesus’ earthly ministry for the following reasons based on his article.

Mr. Rowley states:

  1. Christ himself caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease, “in the midst of the week” (27) by

offering himself as the final, once for all, sacrifice for all mankind.  (Page 44)

  1. The “sacrifice and oblation” in verse 27 DO NOT contain sin sacrifices.   Go to the Blue Letter Bible and look at the Hebrew words used for “sacrifice” and “oblation”.  The Hebrew word in KJB for sacrifice is “zebach”.  It is not a sin offering.  It is a peace offering.  The Hebrew word for oblation is minchah. It is a food offering.  It is not a sin offering.  The word for sin offering is “chatah”.   That word does not appear in the verse.   See: Greg Wilson (12 Sep 2021) "Re: Donna Danna (5 Sept 2021) Answer: What Sacrifice Does Jesus Cause to Cease in the Midst Daniel’s 70th Week?"
  2. Therefore, Mr. Rowley’s statement is incorrect and his premises fails to prove that Christ’s sin atoning sacrifice was fulfilled in Daniel 9:27b.

 

  1. Now He [Jesus] announces the beginning of the seventieth. There is no mention of any “intermission”.  There is no scripture anywhere suggesting “an indefinite period of time” separating the 7th week from the 69th. In reality  the beginning of the seventieth week and the start of Christ confirming the covenant occur with the beginning of His public ministry and last until the crucifixion. (Page 44)
    1. That is an interpretation without foundation.  The “time is fulfilled” is the appearance and ministry of the promised Messiah.   Verse 26 states that Jesus, the Messiah, was cutoff [killed] after the 69th week.  It DOES NOT say Jesus was cutoff in the 70th week.  Now as for Mr. Rowley’s claim that “We Baptists often talk about being silent where scripture is silent.”, he has quite a lot to say.  There are too many places in the Scriptures which omit “intermissions”.  Isaiah 61:2b as quoted in Luke appears to omit mentioning the duration of the Church Age which is separated by a “comma”.  See: “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;”    To assert that there is no intermission between Daniel’s 69th and 70th week is do deny the undisclosed intermission following the “acceptable day of the Lord and the day of  vengeance.

 

  1. “and Christ Himself said it did, the ministry of Christ certainly meets the requirements of the text, "he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week."  (Page 51)
    1. What the author is missing is a complete understanding of the nature of the Abrahamic covenant.  First and foremost, Christ fulfilled the law in His life and ministry.  (Galatians 3:17). 
    2. But, Christ also fulfilled the spiritual aspects of the Abrahamic covenant manifested in the Kingdom of God given to a people who would produce fruit.  There are two prongs to the Abrahamic covenant: (1) the spiritual promises to eternal life in Christ by faith, and (2) the physical promises to Israel, remnant Israel. (Romans 9:6, 27; 11:27)  So, Christ fulfilled the covenant of the law and the spiritual aspects of the Abrahamic promises which issue through Isaac, the child of promise which is Christ.
    3. The physical and special spiritual promises of the Abrahamic covenant to the MANY or remnant Israel during the seven-year period known as the time of Jacob’s Trouble.

 

  1. The covenant confirmed. So, by whom was the covenant confirmed? Let's explore: (Pag 54) 

The cited passage in Galatians 3: 14-17 stating:  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

    1. Paul is saying that the Abrahamic covenant was “the confirmed covenant”. (See: Genesis 22:16-17, 1 Chronicles 16:16-17; Psalm 105:6-10; Daniel 9:27; Isaiah 59:21)
    2. The promise was made to Abraham and his seed [through Isaac] which is Christ.  Paul is saying that this Abrahamic promise [the land, and overcoming enemies, etc.] is not affected adversely by Christ’s fulfillment of the law.  Christ’s atoning work did not annul the Abrahamic promises in Christ to Israel.  Those physical promises to remnant Israel have simply been deferred to the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.
    3.  “For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.”  Hebrews 7:28. This oath came after the law as a prophecy about in Christ. 
    4. “The Lord hath sworn [oath], and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.”  Psalm 110:4-5.    Here is another undisclosed “intermission”.  At the First Advent Christ becomes the High Priest under oath and at the Second Advent His right hand strikes in the day of wrath.

 

In conclusion, this is one of the best papers I have read in many years.  The author studied under one of my favorite Bible teachers.  

 

Thanks again Mike P.

 

Sincerely, Greg Wilson