The Prophecy - Daniel 9:24-27 - Daniel's 70 Weeks |
Old Testament Prophecy |
24) Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25) So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26) Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27) And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate. |
The city which contains the sanctuary, that is, Jerusalem, would be destroyed by the people of the ruler who will come. The ruler who will come is that final head of the Roman Empire. It is significant that the people of the ruler, not the ruler himself, will destroy Jerusalem. Since he will be the final Roman ruler, the people of that ruler must be the Romans themselves. This, then, is a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem about which Christ spoke in His ministry.(1)
The people of the ruler (prince) who is to come: in this context the word translated people refers to “troops” or “soldiers,” as in Judges 5.2 and 2 Sam 10.13. Sometimes referred to as the “the army of a leader.”(2)
Most scholars believe that this prince or ruler refers to the Roman Emperor Titus. Our Messiah will be a different kind of Ruler. He is eternal with no end. His intent is not to destroy Jerusalem but to love and bless Jerusalem. In end-time prophecy He comes back to earth to save Jerusalem from the end of the Time Of Jacob's Trouble.
Jesus will serve as king of all kings when He returns to earth the second time. Daniel is pre-warning Israel of a coming ruler who's intent is to destroy Jerusalem. This is the exact opposite mission of Messiah Jesus.
The Ruler or Prince referred to in this verse may be the Roman Titus.(3)
Possible connection to the he is next verse: “The ruler who will come” (Dan. 9:26) will be this covenant-maker, for that person is the antecedent of the word he in verse 27. As a yet-future ruler he will be the final head of the fourth empire (the little horn of the fourth beast, 7:8).(1)
Here are some links that have been created to help move around inside of the Daniel 9:24-27 prophecy.
Other links of interest include:
1). Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1364
2). Pťer-Contesse, Ren.̌ ; Ellington, John: A Handbook on the Book of Daniel. New York : United Bible Societies, 1993 (UBS Handbook Series; Helps for Translators), S. 256
3). The Stone Edition Tanach p.1802
