Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Dispensationalism's Doctrinal Deceptions Part 3.Daniel's "Seventieth Week" is Yet Future

           There is a key passage of prophetic Scripture found at Daniel 9:24-27 which must be accurately understood to lay a foundation for what is to follow. It sets boundaries for the complete consummation of the Old Testament covenant and the introduction of the New Covenant in Christ. To breach a precise point of termination opens a pathway to completely corrupt all that follows its designated termination. This is precisely what the advocates of dispensational theology have done. So to rightly understand where and how they have wrested the Scripture text we need to examine first what they have said and then present a clear exposition of the passage.
            To begin with it is necessary to define what is meant by the opening verse of the passage which is verse 24 where we read: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy; and to anoint the most holy.” An understanding of the “weeks” is necessary to interpret what follows. The weeks are weeks of years that is to say that each “week” represents a period of seven years so seventy weeks is 70 X 7 or a total of 490 years. (See Lev. 25:10 and cont.) Take note of the verse as concerns all that happens within the weeks.
             From the notes in the Scofield Reference Bible 1967 edition page 913 we read:
“The proof that the final week has not been fulfilled is seen in the fact that Christ definitely relates its main events to his second coming (Mt.24:6, 15). Hence during the interim between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week the whole period of the Church set forth in the N.T.but not revealed in the O.T." This statement is wresting the Scriptures. Is it at the end of the age that in Christ we discover “to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness, and o seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy,”? Clearly it is not as all of the above was accomplished at his first advent by his finished work of redemption on the cross. The anointing of the most holy refers to his baptism and the decent of the Holy Spirit upon him.  Each of the other stated facts in the series was accomplished in his death on the cross.  So, all of these were accomplished within the seventy weeks or at his first advent.
            “Know ye therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two week, the street shall be built again, and the wall even In troublous times.” (Verse 25) So we need to confirm from Scripture when these events occurred. We see in the verse a total of sixty-nine weeks from the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince who is Jesus Christ. The commandment referenced concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem is given by Artaxerxes the Persian king and is found detailed in the seventh chapter of Ezra. The 483 years or 69 weeks carries us forward then to the anointing of Christ, i.e. His baptism which begins the seventieth week (last seven years). This is to bring the gospel of their Messiah to Israel, i.e. the Jews. His personal ministry is 3 ½ years leading to his crucifixion.
            We will then see in verse twenty-six that “Messiah shall be cut off” (crucified) which is further clarified in verse twenty-seven where we read: “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause sacrifice and oblation to cease…” This again refers to his crucifixion ending sacrifice and oblation. The portion “confirm the covenant for one week”requires further explanation. This final week bringing the gospel and their Messiah to Israel covered one week (seven years). His ministry covered the first half until he was crucified in the middle of the week (3 ½ years). His desiples were commissioned by him to further spread the word which now included the meaning of his death and resurrection for an additional three and one-half years to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel."
            The seventy weeks determined (verse 25) are consummated with these events so it is necessary to understand how the consummation occurred. Acts chapter seven gives the account of Stephen’s sermon to the Sanhedrin –the counsel of seventy which represented the hierarchy of Jewish authority. Stephens sermon recounts their history and their rebellion. “Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your fathers did, so do ye.” (Acts 7:51)  So this official rejection of Christ brought to an end forever God’s dealings with Israel. A new covenant was initiated bringing the gospel to the nations (Gentiles).
            Further commentary on the prince that shall come and the desolations determined to fall on Jewish Israel are important (vs.27).  In 70 AD the Roman general Titus invaded Judea and Jerusalem destroying completely the city and the temple. This of course is the judgment of the Lord upon them for their rejection of Christ.
            Dispensationalists using the corrupted Scofield Reference Bible as their mode of communication have advanced a very different narrative of these most important verses in Daniel chapter nine. They contend that sixty- nine of the seventy weeks were concluded when Jesus entered Jerusalem just prior to his crucifixion. It is Interesting that they leave that most important event out of their narrative--His crucifixion and resurrection. Then we have a two thousand year or more “gap” until the Antichrist makes a covenant with a restored Israel allowing them to resume animal sacrifice in a rebuilt temple. He breaks the covenant with them after 3 ½ years and they come under persecution. This is obviously anti-Semitism so the perpetrators must be punished. They of course would be devoted Christians. This covenant encompasses a total of seven years and then Israel is established for a millennial reign with Christ from Jerusalem.
             My next blog will take up a strong  refuting of this heresy of the millennial reign of Jews on the earth.

David Lance Dean                            visit my website and previous blogs:

                                                         authordavidlancedean.com

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