I wont go deep into the covenant here. although most do not realise that the covenant/promise. given to Abraham has never changed even to this day. rather the changes in the promise/covenant have been opened up more and more over time to eventually be understood through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins.
That being said I would like to address this passage in Daniel 9:27.
Many have misunderstood this passage due to a lack of study on their own part to ascertain the true meaning.
SO with that said lets take a closer look at the passage and its context.
Notice first that the context is found in verse 24
Dan 9:24 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.
Interestingly enough This prophecy tells us that God has given his chosen people/Israel (Seventy sevens) or in other words 70*7 which =490. now this is interesting when you think about it. In this time Israel is told to finish transgression which means stop breaking the law. and put an end to sin.
so this is a time to seek God for forgiveness and obey him. Notice the words of Jesus when asked how many times we should forgive those who sin against us.
Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Notice that the time Jesus gives is also 70*7 which is 490 times. this is the same as the time that God gave Israel to put an end to sin and to atone for wickedness. (atone means to become one with God) see the atonement teachings in exodus and Leviticus.
so Israel has 490 what to atone?
Eze 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.
Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
Here we see that prophetically 1 day = 1 year so the time given here is 490 years to atone for wickedness and put away sin.
so when does this 490 years begin?
Answer: Dan 9:25 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.
The Angel says that it starts at the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem thus we must find this time to know when it will start.
So when did this happen?
Answer: Ezr 7:11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.
Ezr 7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
Ezr 7:13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
Ezr 7:14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
Ezr 7:15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
Ezr 7:16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
Ezr 7:17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 7:18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.
Ezr 7:19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
Ezr 7:20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
Ezr 7:21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
Ezr 7:22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
Ezr 7:23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
Ezr 7:24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
Ezr 7:25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
Ezr 7:26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
It goes on so i suggest reading it in its entirety. but it is here that the full realisation of the prophecy of Daniel comes to be. in the year 457 b.c.
now some may ask how we know its this decree and not one of the other two given. the answer is simple. Artaxerxes decree was made up of the other two decrees before it and the added point of keeping the laws of God. so the decree was not fully realised until Artaxerxes made his decree.
Ezr 6:14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
the Prophecy of Daniel did not just say rebuild only but also to restore. it was only at he decree of Artaxerxes that this came to be by the hand of the Lord. Not only were they to rebuild but they were also to restore the laws and practises of the God of heaven.
now let us examine verse 25 again to see what else we can learn from it.
Dan 9:25 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.
notice that the prophecy stretches to the Messiah the prince. which shall be 7 weeks which would mean 7*7days = 49 years and three score and two weeks, now for those who do not no. a score is 20 thus three score is 3*20= 60 and two weeks means 62 weeks which is 62*7 =434 years
so from 457 b/c we know that the Messiah the prince shall be on the scene after 434years plus 49 years. this would be 483 years after 457 b/c when the decree was given.
this take us to the year 27 ad. what happened on the year 27 ad?
Answer: this is the year that Jesus was baptised by John and the anointed by the Holy Spirit. by the way Messiah means anointed one. How do we know this?
Answer: Luk 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
Luk 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Note that Jesus was baptised here but we are told when earlier in the chapter at what time.
Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
By history we can find the 15th year of Tiberius which is exactly 27 ad. wow can you see it. the time fits exactly as God predicted it would.
Jesus understood the Prophecy of Daniel and how it pointed to Him as the one who would be anointed to preach the gospel at that exact year. we will soon learn that it is this same prophecy that Jesus was able to know when it was his time to die for mankind. but listen to the words of Jesus.
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Notice Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel and to bring healing to mankind.
also take note of Jesus words after he was baptised and come out of the temptation in the wilderness he begins to preach and says.
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus understood that the prophecy in Daniel was fulfilled that spoke of the anointed one coming. not only that but the last week or 7 years of the prophecy had now begun.
let us take a look at verse 26
Dan 9:26 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.
notice here that we are told that after the threescore and two weeks that the anointed one/Messiah will be cut off. but not for himself. The words to cut of here actually mean to be destroyed and even more specifically relate to covenant. So after this time the anointed one will confirm the covenant. now let me ask you, who is the better covenant?
Answer: Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Jesus is our covenant between God an man. Jesus is our anointed one. and the time prophecy states that after 27 ad which was when Jesus was baptised and began to preach in the power of the Holy Spirit. After this time He would establish the covenant and be cut of or die.
When exactly would this happen according to Daniel?
Answer:
Dan 9:27 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 we are told that in the middle of the week (7 years) he would confirm this covenant with many. this would be 3 and a half years after 27 ad. this leads us to 31 ad when Jesus was crucified in history. again the prophecy is accurate before its time.
the passage goes on to clarify.
"and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease..."
so he would cause the sacrifices and the sin offerings to stop. How?
Answer:
Heb 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Jesus came to be our sacrifice for sin. he came in a human body and died for our sins. thus there was no need after this time for the sacrifices and offerings in the sanctuary any more. because the better sacrifice had come. the new covenant was established by Jesus Christ.
but wait there is still 3 and a half years left for the 490 year prophecy. Now remember that this prophecy was given to Gods nation to put away sin. they were given 490 years to do so.
Now the Jewish nation had rejected the covenant when they rejected Jesus on the cross but at that time it was not too late. remember the words of Jesus after he rose.
Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Notice Jesus first sent them to the very people who rejected Him. His own nation. why because the time was not yet up they still had 3 and a half years to atone. (be one with God). but what happened at the end of the 3 and a half years?
Answer:
Act 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Stephen was the first Christian Martyr in 34 ad exactly 3 and a half years after the death of Jesus on the cross. it was at this time that Saul was called by God and the gospel then went out to the gentiles.
The time of the Jewish nation being the chose of God had ended. yes there are Jews that are being saved. but no longer are they the nation of God. This prophecy was fulfilled exactly. God is in control.
Another reason it is important to understand this prophecy is because it shows us that end time Israel which means overcomer. is not about literal Israel but rather the true church of God which is Jew and gentile alike. but that is a hole other study.
this has not been an exhaustive study on the subject. you will notice i did not explain everything in the texts but rather focused on the main point. This prophecy is already fulfilled. blessings all may God bless you in your getting to know Him better.
