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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