Israel’s
71 weeks in Daniel?
These
four verses in Daniel chapter nine have, without a doubt, been the most talked
about and written about four verses in Old Testament prophecy. Because so much
has been read into this prophecy from others who have gone before, its message
has been distorted and twisted to being nearly unrecognizable. The extra baggage
this prophecy has been saddled with by others must be discarded and the prophecy
allowed to speak for itself. Only by accepting the words to mean what their
definitions permit and interpreting them through scripture can we extract its
true meaning. Let’s now study this important passage, not by means of what we
have heard but by what our eyes actually see on the page.
The
numbers that follow selected words are from Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, the
definitions immediately follow this
[24]
Seventy weeks are determined (2852) upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to
finish (3607) the transgression (6588), and to make an end of sins (2403), and
to make reconciliation (3722) for iniquity (5771), and to bring in everlasting
righteousness (6664), and to seal up (2856) the vision (2377) and prophecy
(5030), and to anoint (4886) the most Holy (6944).
[25]
Know therefore and understand (7919), that from the going forth of the
commandment (1697) to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah (4899) the
Prince (5057) shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street
shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous (5916) times.
[26]
And after (310) threescore and two weeks shall Messiah (4899) be cut off (3772),
but not for himself: and the people of the prince (5057) that shall come shall
destroy (7843) the city and the sanctuary (6944); and the end (7093) thereof shall
be with a flood (7858), and unto the end (7093) of the war desolations
(8074) are determined (2782).
[27]
And he shall confirm (1396) the covenant (1285) with many (7227) for one week:
and in the midst (2677) of the week he shall cause the sacrifice (2077) and the
oblation (4503) to cease (7673), and for the overspreading (3671) of
abominations (8251) he shall make it desolate (8074), even until the
consummation (3617), and that determined (2782) shall be poured (5413) upon the
desolate (8074).
#1285
beriyth, a compact:-confederacy, (con-)feder(-ate), covenant, league.
#1396
gabar, to be strong; to prevail, act insolently:-exceed, confirm, be
great, be mighty, prevail, strengthen,
#1697
dabar, a word; a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adv. a cause:-act,
advise, answer, commandment,
#2077
zebach, a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an animal; by impl. a sacrifice (
the victim or act):-offer (-ing).
#2377
chazown, a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:-vision.
#2403
chattaah or chattath, an offence (something habitual sinfulness),
and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice,
#2677
chetsiy,
AV - half 108, midst 8, part 4, midnight + 03915, middle 1; 125
#2782
charats, to point sharply, i.e. (lit.) to wound; fig. to be alert, to
decide:-decree, determine, move.
#2852
chathak, to cut off, i.e. (fig.) to decree:-determine, to divide,
determine, be settled, be marked out
.
#2856
chatham, to close up; espec. to seal:-make an end, mark, seal (up), stop.
#3607
kala, to restrict, by act (hold back) or word (prohibit):-finish, forbid,
keep (back), refrain, restrain, shut
#3617
kalah, a completion; adv. completely; also destruction:-altogether, (be,
utterly) consume (-d), (full, utter)
#3671
kanaph, an edge or extremity; spec. (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a
garment) a flap, (of the earth) a
#3722
kaphar, to cover; fig. to condone, to cancel:-appease, make (an)
atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive,
#3772
karath, to cut (off, down or asunder); to destroy or consume; spec. to
covenant(i.e. make an alliance or
#4503
minchah, to bestow; a donation; tribute; a sacrificial offering (usually
bloodless and voluntary):-gift,
#4886
mashach, to rub with oil, i.e. to anoint; by impl. to consecrate; also to
paint.
#4899
mashiyach, from 4886; anointed; a consecrated person; spec. the
Christ:-anointed.
#5030
nabiy, a prophet or inspired man:-prophecy, that prophesy, prophet.
#5057
nagiyd or nagid, a commander (as occupying the front), civil,
military or religious; honorable themes:-
#5413
nathak, to flow forth; to liquefy:-drop, gather (together), melt, pour
(forth, out).
#5771
avon or avown, perversity, i.e. (moral) evil:-fault, iniquity,
mischief, punishment (of iniquity), sin,
#5916
akar, prop. to roil water; fig. to disturb or affict:-trouble, stir.
#6588
pesha, a revolt (national, moral or religious):-rebellion, sin,
transgression, trespass.
#6664
tsedeq, the right (nat., mor. or legal), just (-ice), right (-eous).
#6666
tsedaqah, rightness (abstr.), subj. (recditude), obj. (justice), mor.
(virtue) or fig. justice, right (-eous).
#6944
qodesh, a sacred place or thing; sanctity:-consecrated or hallowed
(thing), holiness, (most) holy,
#7093
qets, an extremity; adv. after:- + after, (utmost) border, end,
(in-)finite, X process.
#7227
rab, abundant (in quantity, size, number), exceedingly, full, great,
many, much, plenteous, populous.
#7673
shabath, to repose, i.e. desist from exertion;
(cause to, let, make to) cease, celebrate, cause to fail, keep
#7843
shachath, to decay, i.e. (cause) ruin, batter, cast off, corrupt, destroy
(-er, -uction), perish, spill, lose,
#7857
shataph, to gush: by impl. to inundate, cleanse; by anal. to
conquer:-drown, (over-) flow or welm, rush.
#7858
sheteph, [from 7857] a deluge (lit. or fig):-flood, outrageous,
overflowing.
#7919
sakal, to be (cause, make or act) circumspect and hence
intelligent:-consider, expert, instruct, prosper,
#8074
shamem, to stun (or grow numb), i.e. devastate or stupefy:-make amazed,
be astonied, astonish(-ment),
#8076
shamem, from 8074; ruined:-desolate.
#8251
shiqquwts or shiqquts, disgusting, i.e. filthy; espec. idolatrous
or an idol:-abominable filth, detestable (thing).
#8269
sar, a head person ( of any rank or class):-captain, chief, general,
governor, lord, master, prince, ruler.
Daniel
9:16-19: Daniel prays for his people and for Jerusalem and the temple, which
were in ruins.
[22] Gabriel arrives to give Daniel “skill and understanding.”
Gabriel’s
message states: 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (Daniel’s
people Israel vs. 20) and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem vs. 16).” Take notice
of the number “seventy.”
Seventy
weeks to accomplish 6 tasks, all of which were completed by Yahshua Messiah (see
references for proof).
1.
“to finish (3607) the transgression:” Is. 43:25, 53:4-8; Ps 103:12; Ro.
3:25; Gal. 3:19; He. 9:15.
2.
“to make an end of sin:” Jo. 1:29; Ro. 3:25, 5:18, 6:6-7 & 8:3; 2 Co.
5:21; He. 9:12 & 26; 1 Pe. 4:1; 1 Jo. 3:5.
3.
“make reconciliation (3722) for iniquity (5771):” Ro. 5:11; 2 Co. 5:19; Col.
1:20-22; He. 2:17.
4.
“bring in everlasting righteousness (6664):” Mt. 3:15; Ro. 3:21-26,10:4; 2
Co. 5:21, 9:9; Ph. 3:9; 1 Pe. 2:24.
5.
“seal
up (2856) the vision (2377) and prophecy (5030):”
This could be understood from reading Luke 24:44 (also Mt. 26:54-56; Lu.
18:31 &24:24-27; Ac. 3:24), that the Messiah was to fulfill or complete
“the vision and prophecy.” This explanation would overlook the true
definition of “seal up” (see #2856). From this we see it means to close up
Israel’s understanding of, not only this prophecy, but also visions and
prophecies, Daniel’s and all others, relating to Yahshua the coming Messiah.
Is. 8:14-17 shows how God will be a sanctuary, perhaps to a few (remnant), and a
stumblingstone to many. In vs. 17 Daniel’s words are echoed by Isaiah, “Bind
up the testimony, seal the law.” A comparison of the following portions of
scripture clearly demonstrates how God withheld understanding from all but a
remnant of Israel: compare Is. 29:10-13 with Mk. 7:6 & Ro. 11:8-10; Is.
65:8-9 & 10:20-22 with Ro. 9:27-33; Is. 11:1-5 & 10-13 with Ro. 15:12;
Is. 65:1-2 & 15 with Ro. 10:20-21; Hos. 1:10 with Ro. 9:24-27 & 1 Pe.
2:10; Is. 8:14 with 1 Pe. 2:8; Ps. 69:22 with Ro. 11:9.
6.
“to
anoint (4886) the most Holy (6944).” Many take the “most holy” to mean
Yahshua or Yahweh, but this Hebrew word is defined as “a sacred place or
thing,” not a person, and is almost always referring to the Holy of Holies or
the articles used therein. The KJV translators in many passages have rendered it
“most holy place,” in order to convey the true meaning (see Ex 26:34,
Nu 18:10, Eze 41:4).
The
first day of each year Yahweh instructed Moses to set up the tabernacle and
anoint it (Ex 40:2).
Ex
29:36 Thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and
thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. 37 It shall be an altar most holy (6944).
See He. 9:18-22.
Ex
30:10
Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with
the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make
atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto Yahweh.
Ex
40:9 Thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint (4886) the tabernacle, and
all that is therein, 10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering,
and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy
(6944).
11 Thou shalt anoint (4886) the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
Can
we see how Yahshua also did “anoint the most Holy?” First compare Mt. 27:51
with He. 10:19-20, then look at He. 1:3, “When he (Yahshua) had by himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
He
9:11 Messiah being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and
more perfect tabernacle. 12
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered
in once into the holy place. 23
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens
should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these. 24 For Messiah is not entered into the holy places made
with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us.
The
priesthood has been transferred to Yahshua who anointed, not the earthly “most
Holy,” but the true “most Holy” in heaven itself before the presence of
Almighty Yahweh.
“Seventy
weeks are determined (2852).” The Hebrew word for “determined” is only
used this once in the entire Bible, meaning here to cut a portion off or out, to
mark out or divide off. Whom and where was this period of time allotted to? Not
to mankind as a whole or all the nations, but to Daniel’s people, the Jews,
and the holy city, Jerusalem. Listen to Gabriel, you’ll see this prophecy does
not applied to the end time world when Yahweh pours out His wrath on all mankind
but only to the House of Judah. What was this period of time set aside to
accomplish? Listen again to Gabriel and not to men with vivid imaginations and
you’ll hear him point out the six requirements we have just reviewed, all
perfectly completed through the work of Yahshua Messiah. The seventy weeks were
designated for the build-up to and completion of the Messiah’s work, nothing
else.
Keep
in mind that verse 24 describes the mission, the assignment, with seventy weeks
to carry it out, whereas verses 25-27 lay out the general scheme of how it will
unfold. It is also important to note that the second half of verse 26 breaks off
from the chronological flow and jumps ahead to the destruction of Daniel’s
people and the holy city. Gabriel, as part of the seventy-week mission, did not
speak of the punishment of the Jews which was to follow and so we see it also is
not included in that time frame. When we get to verse 27 it again reverts back
into the chronological order until the word “cease,” when it leaps ahead
once more to describe the consequences that will be suffered by the Jews as a
result of rejecting this prophecy.
Falling
back to verse 25 we read where Gabriel pictures for Daniel how and when these
things will take place. He states that from the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem
“unto the Messiah the Prince” shall be 69 weeks. Everyone agrees
(Christianity anyway) the Messiah is Yahshua Messiah and that 69 weeks = 483
years.
[26a]
“And after (310) threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.”
“AFTER 69 weeks” (62+7), which means not before the 69 weeks and not during
the 69 weeks but AFTER, which leaves only the 70th week left. A 2000-year gap
cannot be inserted here because this sentence is describing the 70th week by
stating, AFTER, “shall Messiah be cut off.” If you insist on taking the 70th
week 2000 years into the future you will also have to postpone the crucifixion
until then as well, because it takes place AFTER the 69 week are complete. As we
shall see it takes place smack-dab in the middle of the 70th week.
(Question: Is Friday the middle of the week?)
[26b]“and
the people of the prince that shall come.” Where did this prince come from?
What prince is he talking about? Only one prince has been mentioned in this
entire chapter and that was in the previous verse, “Messiah the Prince.”
Many KJV Bibles include in their margins starting after the word himself, “and
{the Jews} they shall be no more his people, or, and the prince’s
{Messiah’s, vs. 25} future people” shall destroy the city ... This in no way
can be claimed as Daniel’s writing and at best can only be used to lead us to
see these people as instruments of God’s judgement.
Everywhere
everybody agrees that in vs. 25 “Messiah the Prince” is Yahshua Messiah and
vs. 26 “Messiah be cut off” is also Yahshua, then it only stands to reason
“the prince” in vs. 26 is the prince in verse 25, the one we’ve been
talking about all along and not someone who has not even been mentioned and is
supposed to appear after all six requirements of this entire prophesy have been
completed.
History
confirms that the Romans destroyed “the city and the sanctuary.” How can we
then believe that they are “the people of the prince,” who is Messiah and
not Titus the Roman prince? Is. 63:8 tells us Messiah is the “Saviour” of
“my people” (Israel vs. 7). But in vs. 10 “he was turned to their enemy,
and he fought against them.” We believe the destruction, in 70 AD by the
Romans, was brought on Israel by their disobedience and rejection of the
Messiah. Most Christians believe this, regardless of how they interpret the 70
weeks. Why then is it so difficult to see that the instruments for this
judgement would be called “the people of the (Messiah) prince?”
The
first time Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, God’s servants destroyed
it. Jer. 25:9 states, “Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant.” God
even says He will profane His own sanctuary, “I will profane my sanctuary” (Ezk.
24:21). The Old Testament is chalked full of events where Israel was repeatedly
punished by God using heathen armies because of their constant disobedience. In
Is. 10:5 & 6 He uses the Assyrian army as “the rod of my anger, and the
staff in their hand is mine indignation”
against His “hypocritical nation.” In Hosea 1:9 God declares, “ye
are not my people, and I will not be your God.” Yet in the next verse He
embraces a people, “it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living
God.” What people are these? John 1:11-13 explains it, “He came onto his
own, and his own receives him not. [12] But as many as received him, to them
gave he power (1849) to become the sons of God,” and these children are not
descended from flesh but spirit (see vs. 13). How can we know Hosea speaks of
the New Covenant assembly as God’s chosen children in this age? Paul
substantiates Hosea in Ro. 9:24-26.
So
Yahweh has in the past used Babylon and Assyria to destroy Israel for Him and
called them His servants or people, and so it should be no surprise that He
would use Rome in the same capacity and call them the people of His prince.
[26c]
“and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” If this is God’s
doing can we say with certainty that He determined beforehand that His city and
sanctuary would be laid waste? In Lev. 26:30-33 He does just that, “And I will
destroy your high places,” [31] “And I will make your cities waste, and
bring your sanctuaries unto desolation (8074),” [32] “I will bring the land
into desolation (8074),” [33] “And I will scatter you among the heathen,
...and your land shall be desolate (8077), and your cities waste.” Yahweh used
the same Hebrew word (desolation #8074) with Moses as He did with Daniel, He
meant what He said and took credit for the desolation.
[27c]
“for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate,” just as
He forewarned, “even until the consummation, and that determined shall be
poured upon the desolate.” Isaiah describes this same thing in 10:22, “the
consumption (completed destruction) decreed (determined same Hebrew word) shall
overflow (Dan. vs. 26, with a flood, same Hebrew word) with righteousness
(justice #6666).” [23] “For Yahweh God of hosts shall make a consumption,
even determined, in the midst of all the land.” Yahweh, God Himself, will
destroy Israel, not any antichrist. This is how the NIV translates this verse,
“Yahweh, Yahweh Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the
whole land” (Is. 10:23).
Yahshua
laid it out clear as a bell in Mt. 23:37-38, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...how
often would I have gathered... and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate(2048).” He then departed from the temple and said to the
disciples concerning the buildings of the temple, “There shall not be left
here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down (24:2).”
In
70 AD the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, repeated
invasions and destruction continued until 135 AD, “the end of the war” of
vs. 26 or “until the consummation” of vs. 27. Howard Fast tells us in The
Jews Story of A People, pg. 136, “The Judean hills were desolate
and lifeless, and Samaria would never recover from the destruction wreaked upon
her by the Romans, in return for her joining the Jewish rebellion. Funk and
Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, vol. 15, pg. 60 states, “When the rebellion
was finally put down by Rome, Judea was prostrate.” Yahweh fulfilled this
prophecy to the very letter using the Romans as His instruments of desolation.
Is
51:17
Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of
Yahweh the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling,
[and] wrung [them] out.
[27a]
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:” Can we make the
“he” apply to some future prince 2500 years in the future, not even named in
the context of the prophecy, or must it pertain to the subject mentioned. We
know that the pronoun “he” is not to be connected with the word “prince”
in the expression “the people of the prince,” for prince is the object of
the modifying clause “of the prince.” A pronoun cannot properly have as its
antecedent (go before) the object of a modifying clause. To be grammatically
correct the pronoun “he” must refer back to the noun “Messiah!”
One
of the most incredible distortions imposed upon this prophecy is the
unbelievable fact that many assert this pronoun “he” refers back to the
prince in the phrase “the people of the prince,” whom they insist is Titus.
Yet this pronoun for Titus is not Titus they tell us, no, it is someone who will
live nearly 2000 years after Titus, someone they identify as the Antichrist. So
they create three princes out of the one mentioned by totally disregarding the
context, the rules of grammar and verification through other scriptures.
Since
“he” does indeed speak of “Messiah,” can we see where Messiah did
“confirm the covenant with many (Jews)?” Indeed we can because the New
Testament corroborates the Old, Gal. 3:17, “the covenant, that was confirmed
(4300) before of God in Messiah.” By whom did God confirm the covenant? Paul
says it was confirmed in Messiah. Another confirmation of the truth is Ro. 15:8,
“Yahshua Messiah was a minister...to confirm (950) the promises made unto the
fathers.” He confirmed the promises (1860) God formed into a covenant with
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Another testimony is He. 9:16-17, quoting vs. 17,
“For a testament is of force (949) after men are dead: otherwise it is of no
strength at all while the testator liveth.” The word “force” is from the
same Greek word translated “confirmed” in Ro. 15:8, see Mt. 26:28; He. 8:6
& 10:9.
Although
this was an everlasting covenant, it was only confirmed or in force with the
“many” for one week. In Mt. 15:24 Yahshua says, “I am not sent but unto
the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This is also seen in Ac. 3:26 “Unto
you first God, having raised up his Son Yahshua, sent him to bless
you,” Peter is here speaking to the “men of Israel” (vs. 12). Paul says
the same thing in Ro. 1:16, “to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek.” Even after the Christians were scattered following Stephen’s death
they were “preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only” (Ac. 11:19),
see Mt. 10:5-6 & Jo. 1:31. Why did God cutoff preaching to the Jews? The
answer is found in Ac. 13:46, “It was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you: but seeing you put it from you (vs. 45), and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles,” also
Mt. 21:42-45; Ac. 28:27 & Ro. 10:21. When did this happen? Ac. 18:6, “Your
blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the
Gentiles,” and Ac. 28:28.
The
word “many”(7227) is used throughout the Old Testament to signify a group of
people or even a nation.
Here
are just a few instances: Ex. 5:5; 1 Ki. 4:20; Ezr. 10:13; Is. 8:15; Dan. 8:25
& 11:33; Mal. 2:6.
He confirmed (strengthen or brought into force) a covenant with many (all
Israel) but only a few (the remnant) accepted it, the rest were blinded (Ro.
11:7).
[27b]
“and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to
cease,” this has lead some to say this is where the antichrist breaks the
covenant with the Jews mentioned above. Look again, it does not say the covenant
is broken, for that matter the covenant is not even mentioned or implied. The
second action does not have to necessarily be the undoing of the first, if it
does then the covenant is only for 3½ years and not seven. Did the Messiah
“cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease?” Hebrews chapter 10 tells
us it is so. Verses 1 and 2 explains how if under the law sacrifices could have
made man perfect, they would “have ceased to be offered,” and in vs.
14 that was the result, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified.” Now reading verses 5 through 12, we see in vs. 9, “He
(God the Father) taketh away the first, (vs. 5 “Sacrifice and offering,”)
that He may establish the second” (vs. 5 the body of Messiah to be the final
sacrifice). Showing in vs. 19 that we may now enter into the Holy of Holies
through the new veil, which is Messiah’s flesh (vs. 20). That is why at the
moment of the Saviour’s death the old veil was “rent in twain from the top
to the bottom” (Mt. 27:51). This was God demonstrating that the building on
the Temple Mount was no longer His dwelling place, just as Yahshua had
prophesied in Mt. 4:21-24. In He. 9:8 we see the way into the holiest place of
all, God’s presence, was not yet made manifest (Messiah manifested in the
flesh, vs. 11 & 1 Ti. 3:16) while the first tabernacle “was yet
standing.” A. T. Robertson, in Word Pictures in the New Testament Vol.
5, pg. 397, translates this last phrase as “(having standing stasin
#4714), the first tabernacle still having a place.” W. E. Vine, in Vine’s
Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words vol. 4, pg. 72 sees it
this way, “to have a standing, lit., has a standing.” Strong’s #4714, “stasis,
a standing, i.e. (by analogy) position.”
These
definitions are from Strong’s Greek Dictionary.
#
949 bebaios, stable (lit. or fig.):-firm, of force, steadfast,
sure.
#
950 bebaioo, from 949; to stabilitate (fig.):-confirm, (e-)stablish.
#1849
exousia, (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. force, capacity,
freedom, influence:-authority, liberty,
#1860
epaggelia, an announcement (for information, pledge; espec. a divine
assurance of good):-message, promise.
#2048
eremos, lonesome, i.e. (by impl.) waste:-desert, desolate, solitary,
wilderness.
#4300
prokuroo, to ratify previously:-confirm before.
We now can plainly see that this four-verse prophecy has two primary parties involved, 1) Yahweh, with His Son Yahshua Messiah, and 2) the chosen people Israel, in this case the Kingdom of Judah. There is no antichrist, no seven-year agreement or future seventieth week and no abomination of desolation in the newly built temple. One of the principal reasons that has led to such a colossal misunderstanding is the combining of fragments of this prophecy intermingled with fragments of others, including the next three chapters of Daniel, particularly Dan 12:11. Sorry, but the 71st week only exists in the minds of the misinformed.