Daniel 9 John Karmelich
There are 2 lessons for
Daniel Chapter 9. This is lesson 2.
1.
Today, I’m only going to cover 4 verses.
a)
The interesting part is I’m not sure I’m going to make
it in one lesson. J
b)
I’m
actually keeping my introduction brief just so I can get written all I
want to say!
2.
Back
in the first Daniel lesson I stated one of my motivations for taking on Daniel
is I wanted to tackle one of the prophetic books of the Bible.
a)
Books
of the Bible can be divided into 4 different writing styles:
b)
When
it comes to prophecy, Daniel and Revelation are probably the two most important
books for Christians to read to understand the full scope of God’s redemptive
plan for mankind, past, present and future.
c)
Daniel
9 is arguably the most important chapter in Daniel on prophecy.
3.
Within
Daniel, the most important verses pertaining to God’s redemptive plan for
mankind are the four we are going to cover today.
a)
Once
you grasp all the implications behind these four verses:
i)
You
will better understand God’s relationship with the nation of Israel and
the Christian church. In many ways the
relationships are mutually exclusive.
a)
The
important thing to remember is that individual Jewish people today get
saved the same way you & I do, through Jesus.
b)
There
is a future redemptive plan for the nation of Israel, also via
Jesus.
(1)
Some
Christians disagree with that view, but so be it. J
b)
Some
of the things I’m covering are controversial within the “greater” Christian
church. Most evangelical Christians
will hold views similar to what I’ll teach today.
i)
Many,
if not most Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians and many Protestant
churches have a different view.
Particularly they don’t agree with the concept of God still
having plans for the nation of Israel.
ii)
Daniel
9 is one of the main reasons I disagree with their “end-time” view.
4.
Let’s
start with Daniel’s prayer request from last week:
a)
Daniel
read in the book of Jeremiah that God said the nation of Israel would be in
captivity for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11). Daniel knew the 70 years were almost
up.
b)
He
started praying for the nation of Israel.
c)
His
requests included asking God for forgiveness for the nation of Israel
for their sins.
d)
His
requests include asking God (indirectly) to restore the Temple.
e)
The
underlying question is the future of the Nation of Israel.
i)
Here
they were in captivity.
ii)
Their
whole ritual process of communication with God and the forgiveness of sin
revolved around worship and animal sacrifices at this temple.
iii)
God
also promised that a descendant of David would be “The Messiah”, who would not
only rule over Israel, but over the whole world. (See Isaiah 9:6)
f)
The
last four verses of Daniel 9 are the answer to that prayer.
g)
Within
these verses is the scope of God’s redemptive plan for the nation of Israel.
5.
There
may be some of you out there who are thinking, “well, I’m not Jewish, why
should I care about all of this?”
a)
The
lessons for the nation of Israel are also relevant to Christians.
b)
Something
to grasp here is God has a redemptive plan for the nation of Israel as
well as for the Gentile church (that’s us!). We’ll discover that God’s redemptive plan for “the church” occurs
as a gap-in-time within the time scope of these 4 verses pf Daniel.
c)
For
all of you not that familiar with this passage of Daniel 9, I ask for your
patience. I’ve studied this passage in
detail many times, and I’m still learning new things every time I study
it. It is a lot to digest and it is an
intimidating passage to a first-timer.
i)
I’m
convinced that understanding of these 4 verses is the key to understanding “end
times” just as much, if not more than the Book of Revelation. These 4 verses hold the scope of the
remainder of human history as God relates to the people of Israel. Within that time frame is the era of the
Christian church.
d)
Ever
heard the riddle “How do you eat an elephant?
i)
The
answer is “one bite at a time!” That is
how we take on these 4 verses.
6.
Daniel,
Chapter 9, Verse 24 beings with the angel Gabriel speaking to Daniel: Seventy `sevens' are decreed for your people
and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for
wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and
prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
a)
I
have to admit, the first time I read this, I had no idea what Daniel was talking
about.
b)
To
understand this passage, it is best to break down each little phrase and
discuss it, and then tie them all together. That is what we’ll do with all four of these verses.
i)
Again,
we’re eating an elephant one bite at a time!
c)
Remember
that up to Verse 19, Daniel was praying.
d)
Verses
20-23 are Daniel being interrupted by a visit by the angel Gabriel.
i)
Those
3 verses are a narrative introduction to Gabriel’s announcement.
ii)
The
first words of Gabriel are here in Verse 24.
7.
Let’s
start with “seventy seven’s” of Verse 24:
a)
The
word for “seventy” literally is “3 times 20, plus 10”. The King James translates this “three score
(score means 20) and ten” which is close to the original text.
b)
The
word for “seven’s”, translated “week’s” in other Bible versions is the Hebrew
word pronounced “shaw-boo-ah”.
c)
This
word “seven’s”, or “weeks” can refer to a 7-day period, or 7-week period
or a 7-month period or 7-years, depending upon the context of
the sentence.
i)
In
Daniel, it is referring to seven years.
We know this by the context of the surrounding verses and
knowledge of history.
ii)
The
same principal applies with this word meaning “weeks” or “seven’s”, the context
of Daniel 9:24-27 tells us that it means a 70-times 7-year period of time.
d)
The
scope of this prophecy is a total of 70 “seven’s”, or 70 times 7 years or 490
years.
i)
The
reason we know this “70-times-seven”term does not apply to weeks-of-days
or months is no significant event happens during that shorter time span.
ii)
The
way we know it means 7-year periods is the context of the
sentence and these 4 verses of Daniel.
The “last” 7-year period also ties to the 7-year period in the
Book of Revelation.
iii)
In
Revelation, this single 7-year period is described in months and in days
(The 2nd half of this “week” is mentioned specifically in both
months and in days in Revelation 11:2-3).
e)
Back
to the verse: It says 70 “sevens” are decreed. The word “decreed” can also be translated
“determined”. John’s loose
translation: “God said 70, God means
70, there is nothing you or I can do to change that time frame”.
i)
I
also believe God is exact. 70
times “seven” is not an approximate figure.
ii)
The
issue is the sovereignty of God. We
can’t change God’s timetable.
8.
Let’s
get back to Daniel Chapter 9, Verse 24, the next phrase is: (70 seven’s) “are
decreed for your people and your holy city”.
a)
The
70 x 7-weeks-of-years” period is for your people and your
holy city.
i)
Who
is Daniel’s “people” and “holy city”?
a)
The
answer is the Jews and the City of Jerusalem.
b)
The
mistake many Christians make in prophecy is that they fail to see that this
specific prediction is focusing on the Nation of Israel and the City of
Jerusalem.
(1)
There
are bad commentaries out there that tie the 70 “weeks” to Christian
timetables. Nonsense! This is a “Jewish thing!” J
9.
Here
is the next phrase of Verse 24: “to
finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring
in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the
most holy.”
a)
Now
that we know 70 “seven-weeks-of-years” are decreed for the Jewish people and
for the City of Jerusalem. The next
question is “decreed to do what”?
This phrase in Verse 24 says the decree is to do 5 things:
i)
1. Put an end to sin(s)
a)
Sin
means to disobey the laws of God. The
word is actually a word-picture to “miss the mark” as if you are shooting a bow
and arrow, and miss the bull’s eye.
b)
A
synonym is the English word “transgression”, which implies willfully
disobeying God’s law. “Sin” itself can
include mistakes where we didn’t realize it was wrong. “Transgression” means you know it was
wrong, and did it anyway.
c)
Most
translations say sins as opposed to the singular “sin” in the NIV.
ii)
2. Atone for wickedness
a)
“Atonement”
literally means to “cover up” the sins, as oppose to “take away” the sins. This is a whole study unto itself. To summarize, your sins are “covered” and
you have forgiveness.
b)
The
Five Books of Moses, particularly Leviticus has a whole set of rituals
and word-pictures as to how to atone for your sins. Most of them tie to Jesus in some prophetic
form and pattern.
iii)
3. Bring in everlasting righteousness
a)
The
key word is everlasting. The problem
with the Old Testament system of forgiveness of sins is that it must be done
regularly and constantly. With Jesus
our sins are forgiven forever.
(1)
This
is why I take the view as long as you believe in Jesus “once saved, always
saved”. We also confess our sins
regularly, but it is for the purpose of maturing us in our faith in God.
(2)
The
salvation issue is at hand here.
The word everlasting as used in the New Testament is usually used
in describing either salvation or eternal damnation.
b)
Remember
one of the key purposes of the Nation of Israel was to “bring the Messiah” into
the world. That is what is being
decreed here. The Messiah who is to pay
the price for our sins (will occur after the first 69 of 70 “weeks”) and then
come to rule and reign after the 70th week.
(1)
There
is a long-gap in time between the 69th and 70th
week. We’ll get to that in a few pages!
iv)
4. Seal up vision and prophecy
a)
This
means there is no more prophecy to the Nation of Israel (remember who
the 70 weeks are addressed to!) other than during these 70
“weeks-of-years”, period!
b)
This
also means that the only prophets being sent to the Nation of Israel are
going to be sent during the remaining 69 weeks-of-years and again during
the 70th week. In the Book
of Revelation, Chapter 11, it speaks of two “witnesses” being sent to the
Nation of Israel.
(1)
After
the closing the cannon of the Old Testament, there have not been any prophets
sent to the nation of Israel. The
prophet Malachi is recognized by the Jews and Christians as being the last of
the prophets sent to the Jews.
(2)
The
Book of Hebrews touches upon this.
(a)
“In
the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in
various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by
his Son…” (Hebrews 1:1-2a, NIV)
(b)
“The
last days” refers to the 2,000-year period since Jesus walked the earth. That
verse in Hebrews is also a good argument against additional “Biblical”
revelation by people like Joseph Smith, but I’m getting off topic! J
v)
5. Anoint the most holy.
a)
To
a Jew, to “anoint the “most holy” refers to the Temple.
b)
Remember
Daniel’s prayer mentions how Jerusalem is currently desolated and the Temple
was destroyed.
c)
So
the question is “what does anoint the most holy (Temple) refer to?
(1)
Well,
we have a double-fulfillment picture here.
(2)
A
few years after this prayer, the Jews were allowed to return to the land of
Israel. The first project was to
rebuild the Temple. This is what the
Old Testament Book of Ezra covers.
(3)
This
temple was “remodeled” during the Roman Empire, specifically by “Herod the
Great” who was the first of the Herod’s mentioned in the Bible. That temple was destroyed in 70AD, about 40
years after the crucifixion.
(4)
The
double fulfillment refers to a new future-temple. During the 1,000-year millennium, a new
temple will be in existence. It is
described in detail in Ezekiel Chapters 40-48. Ezekiel’s temple is different in size, scope and function from
Herod’s temple, so we know it is describing something different.
b)
Now
lets tie these 5 declarations together and complete Verse 24. God is telling Daniel through
the angel Gabriel “All right, Daniel here is the deal with Israel. There are 490 years (70 x 7 years) decreed
for Israel for these 5 things. All
five are fulfilled in Jesus!
i)
Jesus
will (1) put an end to sin(s) and (2) atone for wickedness
a)
We’ll
discover in a few verses that 69 of the 70 weeks lead up the first
coming of Jesus. Prior to the end
of the 69 weeks, sins were atoned/ covered up but there was no “end” to sins.
ii)
Jesus
will (3) bring in everlasting righteousness.
a)
Righteousness
refers to right standing before God.
b)
These
70 “weeks-of-years” imply an end to the Jewish system of ritual sacrifice. The constant rituals necessary for the
forgiveness of sins will come to an end after 70 “weeks”. Seventy “weeks” are appointed to bring an end
to sin and an everlasting righteousness. That is fulfilled through Jesus.
(1)
“but
because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save
completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to
intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:24-25,
NIV).
iii)
Jesus
will (4) seal up vision and prophecy.
a)
I
mentioned on the previous page Hebrews 1:1 where it says that in these “last
days” God has spoken through Jesus, period. There are no more prophets to the nation of Israel other than the
69 “weeks” which ended in 32AD (we’ll discuss that in a minute!) and the 70th
“week” which is yet future. There is a
long “gap” between the 69th and 70th week, and I’ll
discuss that in a few pages.
iv)
Jesus
will (5) anoint the most holy.
a)
In
Daniel, the “70-sevens” are decreed to “anoint the most holy” which is the
temple.
b)
A
new Temple is built for the 1,000-year millennium.
c)
This
temple will be used in remembrance of what Jesus did for us in the same
way we take communion to remember how Jesus died for us.
(1)
There
are 9 chapters in Ezekiel describing in detail this millennial
temple. (Ezekiel Chapters 40-48).
10.
Believe
it or not, we made it to the next verse! J Verse 25: "Know and understand this: >From the
issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One,
the ruler, comes, there will be seven `sevens,' and sixty-two`sevens.' It will
be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
a)
In
this verse, we are going to get into some math. If math was tough for you in high school, bear with this. You don’t have to follow the math, just know
that “God says what he means and means what he says!”
b)
What
we have in view here is the first 69 of the 70 “weeks-of years’ or “sevens”.
i)
The
verse says there will be 7 “sevens”, and 62 “sevens’”.
a)
Well,
7 “sevens” plus 62 “sevens” add up to 69 ` sevens’.
c)
Why
does Gabriel break down the 69 “sevens” into “7 and 62 “”?
i)
Commentators
vary on this issue. The seven “sevens”
are listed first.
ii)
What
most people suspect is that it took “seven weeks-of-years” or “7 x 7” or 49
years from the decree to build Jerusalem to finish building “the streets and
trenches” (moats) of the City of Jerusalem. (It may help to re-read Verse 25 at this point and one can see
this.) In summary it took 49 years to
completely rebuild Jerusalem. The City
was in rubble at the time of Daniel’s vision.
a)
In
the Book of Nehemiah, which was future to Daniel, the king of the Medo-Persian
Empire gave the command to rebuild the City.
The outside walls were completed 52 days (Reference: Nehemiah 6:15), but
I took many more years to finish rebuilding the city.
b)
From
that point there will be another 62 x 7-years (or 434 years) for
the “Anointed One” to come.
d)
To
paraphrase this verse, Gabriel is telling Daniel the following: “Here’s the deal Daniel, from the moment
that a king gives the order to rebuild Jerusalem, which was in rubble at the
moment, “until the Anointed One” will be 69 x 7-years or 483
years.
i)
I
think that decree hurt Daniel. I’m sure
Daniel, like all Jews, wanted the Messiah to come now. Here is Gabriel telling Daniel that the
Messiah is not coming for at least 483 years, and he Daniel
doesn’t know when this “decree” is going to take place.
ii)
What
this decree does tell the Jewish people is when to expect the
Messiah!
iii)
Which
leads to the next great controversy.
Christians point to this verse and say to the Jews, “Look, this verse definitely
points to the time of the Messiah.
a)
Modern
Jews will argue (of course) that this verse does not apply to Jesus, but
(of all people!) to King Herod, as he is the one who modernized the temple of
that day. They will argue since the
word “Messiah” literally means king, it can mean any king.
b)
Their
argument falls apart when you go back to the “5 points” I laid out about the purpose
of this Messiah, i.e. “The Anointed One” will serve.
c)
In
a few moments I’ll explain further how I can prove this is about Jesus.
e)
The
next question is when does this decree begin?
i)
Remember
that the Jews were in captivity in Babylon.
ii)
If
you read the narrative books of the Old Testament, there are 3 books written
during/about/after the period when the Jews returned to their
homeland. Particularly, these are the
books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.
iii)
In
the Book of Ezra, there are several decrees by the King of the Medo-Persian
Empire (the Empire that comes right after the Babylonians) that have to do with
the rebuilding of the Temple within Jerusalem.
None of those decrees have anything to do with the rebuilding of
the City of Jerusalem.
a)
Verse
25 of Daniel says, “the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem”.
iv)
The
only place where a decree is found to rebuild the city is in Nehemiah
Chapter 2. It is not blatantly stated,
but it is implied, as Nehemiah is a top official in that kingdom, and the king
gives Nehemiah a decree to go back to build the walls of the City of
Jerusalem. The first verse of Nehemiah
Chapter 1 begins with “In the (Jewish) month of Nisan in the twentieth year of
King Artaxerxes.” (Nehemiah 2:1a). This date tells us when the decree
was given.
a)
In
Jewish “thought” when a specific day of the month is not stated, it is always
the first day of the month. We
know from secular history that the 1st of Nissan in the 20th
year of King Artaxerxes is March 1st, 445 BC.
b)
Don’t
worry, you don’t have to memorize this to be a good Christian! J
c)
Among
other places, you can find this date in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 10,
p.642. It is a matter of recorded
history.
d)
Some
study bibles incorrectly show the date as 3/1/444 BC as opposed
to the correct date of 445 BC. A 17th
Century Irish Bishop named Ussher used the 444 BC date. Secular historians, who in this case have
done a better job, use the 445 BC Date.
Evidence points to the 445 BC.
11.
OK,
John, why are you getting so obsessed about the March 1st, 445 BC
date? J
a)
In
the late 19th Century, there was a book called “The Coming Prince”
by Robert Anderson. He was a devout
Christian, an attorney, and the head of Scotland Yard in England. He was most famous for being in charge of
the “Jack the Ripper” case. His
life-hobby was a detailed study of Daniel Chapter 9.
i)
You
can find this book at Christian bookstores and on the internet.
ii)
Robert
Anderson was knighted for his findings.
The calculations I’m about to go through are based on Sir Robert
Anderson’s book.
b)
Robert
Anderson figured out that God works on a “360 day year”. If you look at Revelation Chapter 11, Verses
2 and 3, God describes the second half of the 7-year period as being 3 ½ years and
1,260 days. If you divided 1,260 days
by 3½ years, you get 360 days.
Therefore a “prophetic year” is a 360-day year.
a)
There
are other places in Revelation that tie a “year” to 360 days.
ii)
The
Hebrew calendar of Daniel’s time was based on a 360-day year, with an odd-way
of adding a few days every 11 years to make up for the difference. Most of the ancient calendars had a similar
sort of 360 days in a year and “make-up-the-difference-somehow” system.
iii)
Remember
that 69 weeks-of-years are decreed from the time the walls are to be rebuilt until
the time of the “Anointed One”.
a)
69
times 7 years is 483 years times 360 days is 173,880 days.
(1)
For
you “math-challenged people”, hang in there! J
b)
Here
is the math:
c)
From
445 B.C. to 32 A.D. is 476 Julian (365-day) years
(1)
(It
is not 477AD, because there is no year 0).
(2)
476
years times 365 days-in-a-year = 173,740 days.
(3)
Adjustment:
from March 14th to April 6th, add 24 days
(a)
(The
decree to rebuild the city came on March 14, 445BC)
(4)
Adjustment:
for leap years in the period, add 116 days
(5)
The
total number of days from March 14, 445 B.C. to April 6, 32 A.D.: 173,880
days.
(6)
(Source
for table: David Guzik’s commentary).
d)
“Gee,
isn’t that about the time Jesus was crucified?
Yes!
e)
Before
we finish, one of the classical debates is the exact year Jesus was
crucified. Most early church
historians point to the year 32 AD.
I’ve got a lot to cover tonight, and it would require a whole
separate lesson to prove that is the correct date.
(1)
Jesus
started his ministry in the fall of AD 29.
He ministered through 4 Passovers.
The 4th one was his crucifixion.
iv)
You
can find lots of critics of Sir Robert Anderson’s work. Most of them are people who don’t want to
take the Bible prophecy that literally.
a)
There
are also alternative views of the 69 weeks tying to other dates besides
April 6th of 32AD. Some of
them are worth noting, but I’m still convinced Robert Anderson’s research is
the best.
b)
“No
one today is able dogmatically to declare that Sir Robert Anderson's
computations are impossible." (John F. Walvoord)
c)
Let’s
get back to the question; what is significant about April 6th, 32
AD?
i)
Most
commentators, including myself believes this ties to Palm Sunday, and not
Easter Sunday. “The” Easter Sunday,
i.e., “Resurrection Sunday” is the Sunday after the Jewish Holiday of
Passover. Jesus was crucified on
Passover. Passover is always on
the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nissan (See Leviticus
23:5). We know that the 14th
of Nissan in the year 32 AD fell on April 10th. That would mean Palm Sunday, which is the
Sunday prior to Easter, would be April 6th in 32 AD.
ii)
Palm
Sunday is the day Jesus publicly presented himself as the Messiah.
a)
If
you study the Gospels carefully, you will notice when Jesus performed miracles,
he would then tell the healed person, essentially, “to keep your mouth
shut”. Part of the reason was if Jesus
was thronged with people wanted to get cured, he couldn’t preach.
iii)
Yet
on Palm Sunday Jesus arranged to be worshipped. If you read the accounts of Palm Sunday in
all 4 Gospels, Jesus allowed himself to be worshipped as Messiah and arranged
the riding on the donkey.
iv)
While
Jesus’ disciples heralded him as Messiah, the multitudes soon rejected
Him. The Jews wanted a ruling
Messiah, not one who would die for their sins.
v)
Jesus
said after his rejection on Palm Sunday,
“Now as He (Jesus) drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42saying,
“If you (people of Jerusalem) had known, even you, especially in this your
day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your
eyes. (Luke 19:41-42, NKJV).
a)
Notice
Jesus says in Luke 19:42 “In this your day”.
(1)
“Your
day” means the day of the fulfillment of the 69 “weeks”!
(2)
The
decree in Daniel said that 62+7 “weeks” will be from the day a king allows
Jerusalem to be rebuilt until the “5 points” happen that all tie to Jesus. They all come fulfilled in this day.
b)
To
be blunt, Jesus held the Jews accountable to know about the 69 “weeks”
coming to this day. Even if they
couldn’t know the exact day, they should have known roughly when
to expect the Messiah!
c)
In
Luke 19:42, Jesus said, “now they are hidden from your eyes”.
(1)
What
is “hidden”? The Jews ability to corporately
accept Jesus.
(2)
I
believe from this verse, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday was too
late for the Jews to accept Jesus. They
became “hidden” from their eyes the same way God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in
the Book of Exodus.
d)
Verses
43 and 44 of Luke 19 describe how Jerusalem would be destroyed. In AD 70, Millions of Jews were killed by
the Roman army and the Temple was leveled.
(1)
Listen
to the last phrase of Verse 44 by Jesus: “because you did not know the time
of your visitation. (Luke 19:44,
NKJV).
(2)
Jesus
held the Jews accountable to know about the 69 “weeks”! A horrible punishment ensued for the failure
to recognize Jesus.
e)
An
epilogue to all of this is the corporate rejection of Jesus by Israel is
not forever. In Luke 13:35 Jesus
says, “assuredly, I say to you (Israel), you shall not see me until the
time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’”
(NKJV). The key word is “until”.
(1)
There
will be a future day when the nation of Israel recognizes the mistake they make
about Jesus. I believe this happens in
the second half of the 7-year tribulation period after the Antichrist, who they
thought was the Messiah “double-crosses” them.
(2)
Paul
also teaches that the corporate rejection of Israel by Jesus is not forever in
Romans Chapter 11.
12.
OK,
time for a breather. J You don’t have to remember
all the math and know the history of Israel to be a good Christian. Here are some key points for us to learn
from all this is:
a)
God
says what he means and means what he says.
When God says 69 “weeks” are determined, you can trust the promises of
God to be fulfilled.
b)
God
has a plan and destiny for the Christian church as well as the Jewish
people. God made unconditional
promises to the Nation of Israel in Genesis.
This is why the corporate rejection of Israel cannot be permanent.
i)
The
same way God makes unconditional promises to us about our
salvation. We can “mess up” our rewards
in heaven by disobedience, but as long we believe in Jesus, the New Testament
promises to us are also unconditional.
c)
The
last thing is God knew in advance all of this. God is perfect, and a perfect God cannot learn. The corporate rejection of Israel was
necessary for a “period of time” so God can collect up a group of people who
collectively, we call “The Church”.
i)
“Does
this mean that God has rejected his Jewish people forever? Of course not! His
purpose was to make his salvation available to the Gentiles, and then the Jews
would be jealous and begin to want God’s salvation for themselves.” (Romans 11:11, The Living Bible,)
13.
Two
verses, down, two to go! Verse 26: After the sixty-two `sevens,' the Anointed
One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will
come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:
War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
a)
Here’s
the first phrase: “After the 62
`sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off”.
i)
The
Hebrew word for “cut-off” means to be executed. It implies a violent death, like oh, say, a
crucifixion. J
ii)
One
of the reasons we know this applies to Jesus is after the
7 and 62 “weeks” period of time, this “anointed one” is violently killed.
b)
The
next phrase is “he will have nothing”.
The King James says “but not for himself”.
i)
Commentators
are mixed on this one. It may refers to
the fact Jesus had no money/assets upon his death.
ii)
Based
on King James and New King James translation, it says he will be executed “not
for himself”. This implies Jesus dying
on our behalf.
14.
Now
lets look at the 2nd sentence of Verse 26: “The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and
the sanctuary.”
a)
The
key phrase is “ruler who will come”.
b)
This
is not talking about Jesus.
There is another ruler coming.
c)
Earlier,
I mentioned that the City of Jerusalem was destroyed about 40 years after Jesus
death and resurrection. This is a
historical fact that occurred in 70AD.
i)
A
Roman army lead by Titus Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.
ii)
An
interesting side note is that Titus went on to become Emperor of Rome. There is even an arch in Rome that
commemorates this victory over the Jews.
15.
This
leads to the 3rd sentence of Verse 26: “The end will come like a flood.”
a)
When
the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple was burned. The Temple itself was lined with silver and
gold, and the Romans wanted to persevere that.
Therefore a flood-of-water was used to put out the fire and extract the
gold from the stones of the temple.
b)
The
point of all this is that history proves the Bible is right. If you look at the events that occur right after
the 69 “weeks”, it ties to what Daniel predicted. This is why we know that “weeks” means weeks of years, as
opposed to weeks-of-days or months.
c)
Even
modern Judaism acknowledges that the 69 “weeks” ties to this time period. Again, they believe it was talking about
King Herod, who modernized the temple.
They further acknowledge the destruction came via a flood. The mistake they make is the interpretation
of “The Anointed One” and what that meant.
16.
Last
sentence of Verse 26: War will continue
until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
a)
Let’s
start with the words “the end”. The end
of what?
b)
Remember
that 70 “seven’s” are decreed for the Nation of Israel. I believe the “end” is the final 70th
“week”. The 7-year period covered in
most of the Book of Revelation. There
is a gap of time between the 69th and 70th
week. It is hinted at in this sentence
by saying “war will continue until the end”.
i)
The
Bible has many “gaps” in time where the thoughts are not continual.
ii)
The
most famous is Jesus reading Luke, and talking about himself:
a)
“The
scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him (Jesus). 18Unrolling
it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:17-18a, NIV).
(1)
In
Luke 4:21, Jesus states that this day this prophecy is fulfilled.
(2)
In
Luke, Jesus is quoting from Isaiah Chapter 61, Verses 1 and 2.
b)
Jesus
stopped on a comma in Isaiah. In
Luke, the quotation ends in a “period”.
Here is the same verse in Isaiah:
“
(1)
to
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, (Isaiah 61:2b)
c)
Since
the world has not been destroyed, I can safely say, “The day of vengeance” by
Jesus hasn’t happened yet. J
d)
Therefore,
the “comma” in Isaiah has lasted for 2,000 years!
e)
My
point is that “long time gaps” do occur in Bible prophecy.
f)
Therefore,
we have a 2,000 year-so-far time gap between verses 26 & 27.
iii)
So
when does the 70th “week” begin?
We don’t know. The Bible says
so.
a)
Only
God-the-Father knows when the 7-year tribulation begins.
b)
(References:
Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32, Romans 11:25)
c)
The
verse in Daniel says, “war will continue until the end”.
i)
God
is telling Daniel that the ruling Messiah does not come right after the
flood. War will continue, historically,
as it has for the past 2,000 years.
d)
Remember
that the 70 “weeks” are for the Jewish people and the Nation of
Israel.
That is what the “scope” of the 70 “weeks” is all about.
e)
Between
70AD when Israel was destroyed, and May 14, 1948 when the modern nation of
Israel came about there was no nation of Israel.
i)
Now
that Israel exists as a nation, the 70th “week” has not begun
yet. The 70th week involves
the Temple being rebuilt and that has not happened yet.
ii)
The
verse says, “war will continue until the end”.
iii)
Modern
Israel has been at a state of war most, if not all of its modern history. God said in Daniel that wars would
exist until “the end”.
iv)
Since
Satan’s plan is to thwart, stop, or just slow down God’s redemptive game plan,
who do you suppose is behind all of this effort to wipe out the State of
Israel? That should give you a
fresh prospective as you read your newspaper!
f)
Notice
the phrase “desolations have been decreed.”
i)
That
ties to a phrase Jesus used: “So when
you see (in the future) standing in the holy place `the abomination
that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the
reader understand-- 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the
mountains.” (Matthew 24:15)
ii)
The
actual phrase “abomination that causes desolation” is mentioned in Verse 27 of
Daniel. We’ll get there in a few
minutes. J
a)
Jesus
was quoting this passage of Daniel as a warning to the Israelites.
b)
There
are 2 views on this. The first is Jesus
warning of the coming destruction of Israel, approximately 40 years later. That would tie in very well with Daniel.
c)
A
second view is that it is also distant-future. It applies also to
the final 7-year period, also described in the Book of Revelation. Revelation was written about 90 AD, after
the destruction of the Temple. In
Revelation the Antichrist demands to be worshipped as God. That is what we’ll talk about in Verse 27
of Daniel, which we’ll now take on:
d)
(I
warned you these 4 verses cover a lot of ground! J)
17.
Verse
27: He will confirm a covenant with
many for one `seven.' In the middle of the`seven' he will put an end to
sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an
abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out
on him. "
a)
OK,
who is the “He” that opens this verse?
Grammatically, it would refer to the last “noun” used in Verse 26. That would be: “the ruler who will come”
i)
To
be blunt, this is the Antichrist. The man controlled by Satan to be the coming
world leader.
b)
Next,
He (Antichrist) “confirm a covenant with many for one `seven”
i)
“Confirm”
can also be translated “to enforce”. It
may be a new peace treaty, or one already in existence and be “forced
upon them”.
ii)
“The
Many” refers to the majority of the Israelites. A minority will disagree.
a)
A
view is that the “Jewish Christians” who are around during this 7-year
period is the minority. Others say it is just a Jewish minority.
iii)
“For
one seven”: This is the 70th
“week” of Daniel’s 70-“week” prophecy.
c)
Here
is the next sentence of Daniel 9:27:
“In the middle of the`seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and
offering.”
i)
Since
“sacrifice and offering” exist, this means “he”, the Antichrist, will allow
the Temple to be rebuilt. Many
commentators, and myself, believe that the majority of Jews will accept
this guy as their Messiah as he allows the Jews to rebuild the temple.
ii)
The
other possibility is the Temple is rebuilt prior to the 7-year period,
and when the Antichirst, begins this covenant (a fancy word for contract), the
final seven-year period begins.
iii)
It
is possible that animal sacrifices don’t begin until this 7-year period
begins.
a)
I
wonder what the Society for the Prevention to Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is
going to say about this? J
iv)
The
“double-cross” comes in the middle of this “seven” when the Antichrist puts
and end to sacrifice and demand that he be worshipped as God.
a)
That
is another reason why I disagree with the Orthodox Jews who believe this
prophecy was about Herod the Great.
Herod never did anything like that and there was no 7-year
“contract”.
d)
Here
is the key part of this verse: In the
middle of the`seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.
18.
Here
is the last sentence of Daniel 9:27. (I
bet you didn’t think I’d make it, did you? J): And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that
causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. "
a)
Remember
that Jesus, quoting Daniel, said “the abomination of desolation”. This is the direct quote tied to this verse.
b)
I
don’t have to comment further on this sentence, unless I want to do a full
commentary on the Book of Revelation!
(Don’t worry, I won’t. J) In summary, the last 3 ½
years of Revelation is when all those horrible judgments happen on the earth.
c)
The
last phrase says, “until the end that is decreed is poured out on him”.
i)
This
is a description of how the Antichrist is killed.
ii)
“But the beast (Antichrist) was captured…,
and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his
behalf… The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning
sulfur.” (Revelation 19:20, NIV).
iii)
To
summarize most of Revelation in one sentence:
“a lot of people get killed, but God wins in the end.”
19.
I
want to get on my soapbox for a second before I give some closing thoughts.
a)
I
happen to have a strong view that the church is raptured before the 7-year
tribulation begins. Many good Bible
studying Christians disagree with me, so keep that in mind.
i)
That
view is called the “post-tribulation view” or “post-trib.” for short.
ii)
If
you believe the church is gone prior to the tribulation, you’re a
“pre-trib”.
b)
If
you study the end-time passages in the New Testament, you can make a pretty
good case for the church going through the tribulation. There are some very impressive arguments and
I can see myself how it is interpreted that way.
i)
The
mistake they make, (in my humble opinion), is not that they don’t
understand “end-times”, it is that they don’t understand the role, purpose
and function of the Gentile church.
ii)
Seventy
(70) seven’s/weeks-of-years” are decreed, or determined for the
nation of Israel.
a)
The
concept of the “church” was a mystery in the Old Testament (See Ephesians
5:32). The word “mystery” in the Greek
means “something hidden up to now.”
b)
Every
aspect of Jesus’ birth, life, death, 2nd coming, everlasting rule
can be found somewhere in the Old Testament.
c)
There
is no mention of the Gentile “church” because it was a mystery.
d)
My
point is if the first 69 “weeks” are for Israel, then the
70th “week” is for Israel!
It is not for the church.
e)
One
of the purposes of the 70 “weeks” is to make an end of sins!
f)
My
sins and your sins were made an end to at the cross.
g)
Therefore,
since a purpose of the 70 weeks is to make an end of sins, there is no
reason for “the church” to be there in the 70th week!
(1)
By
the way, lots of people do get saved during the 70th week.
I simply believe if you study Revelation carefully, they are a different
“group” of believers.
(2)
OK,
off my soapbox. J Remember, a lot of good Christians disagree with this view. They have every right to be wrong. J
20.
OK,
Let’s wrap it all up.
a)
To
be a Christian, you don’t have to know all the mathematical details about how
the 69 “weeks” tie to Palm Sunday. For
those of you who like that type of stuff, there are wonderful
commentaries on this. I encourage you
to read the book “The Coming Prince” by Sir Robert Anderson, either on the
internet or at a Christian Bookstore.
b)
What
you do have to know is that God is in charge, his plans will happen.
c)
These
4 verses give strong support to the accuracy of the Bible. Let’s say any other so-called “holy book”
try to pull off a prophecy that accurate!
i)
God’s
timing is always perfect.
d)
God
has a future redemptive plan for you, as a believer as well as the Nation of
Israel. God made unconditional
promises to the nation of Israel, and we can trust those promises just
as we can trust the unconditional promises God makes to us.
e)
Jesus
taught: “So be prepared, because you
don’t know what day your Lord is coming.”
(Matthew 24:42, New Living Translation).
21.
Let’s us pray:
Lord, you know all things. In
your wisdom, you have ordained the days for Israel, just as you have ordained
the days of our lives. Through your
Spirit, may we live our days for you being your witness. May we know your presence and your will for
our life, moment by moment, as you work through us, working out your redemptive
plan for mankind. This we ask, in the
precious name of Jesus, Amen.