nolidad, I agree with you regarding the general principal that the 70th week has not begun yet.
The transgression though is not that of Israel.
Daniel did not have a vision in Daniel 9. Yet Gabriel said - consider the vision. What vision? Daniel had a vision in Daniel 8 regarding the little horn's transgression of desolation, which includes the stoppage of the daily sacrifice. Which Daniel was informed would be time of the end.
"The" transgression that will be finished when it happens as per the vision in Daniel 8, is the transgression of desolation by the little horn person.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
24 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 to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Hi Douggg:
Well I would have to disagree with you for the context of the vision of Daniel 8 does not allow for it! Let us look at the passage you are emphasizing.
Dan. 8:
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down.
12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
The vision is first of the Medes and Persians (ram with 2 horns)
2nd it describes Alexander the great (goat with notable horn) who conquered the Medes and Persians.
Right in the midst of Alexander conquering he died young and his kingdom was divided into four ruled by:
Cassander,
Ptolemy,
Antigonus, and
Seleucus.
From the Seleucus dynasty came Antiochus IV Epiphenes. It is he who is being spoken of in this vision. He was the protoype for the abomination of desolation. He caused the sacrifice to cease for the 2300 days, until the Maccabean revolt drove him out and they cleansed the temple. Antiochus was a very evil ruler. Slaughtered a pig on the altar, set up gods in the temple compound, sluaghtered Jewish women and threw them off temple mount etc.etc.
But considering that the abomination of desolation (Dan. 9) happens at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel, the sacrifice will cease only for only 1260 days till Jesus returns, then for 75 more days after that! It does not fit the vision.
But is there a specific sin that the nation has committed that has to end? The answer is yes and is found in MAtthew 12. The national rejection of Jesus as the Messiah on the basis He was demon possessed.
Because of this sin, the kingdom to be given to Israel was pulled from that generation and will be given to a future generation of Israel.
The 70-135 AD judgment took place where Israel lost its temple, its sacrifice for nearly 2 millenia now, lost its Holy City and its nation and were scattered to the nations as was prophesied and the land became barren as was prophesied!
But God also prophesied that He will force the nation of Israel into the bond of the covenant (the New Covenant) and that during the tribulation years 2/3 of all Israel will be killed but the 1/3 left will call upon the Lord and be saved as a nation (Zech 13). A remnant is being saved to day but as Paul said that even still today when Moses is read, there is a veil over the hearts of teh Jews! But it also is declared that there is a day coming when that veil will be lifted (when the fulness of the gentiles come in) and all Israel at that time frame will be saved!
So based on teh flow of Daniel 8, the time of the sacrifice removed- I cannot see how we can make the transgression of this one (Antiochus) be the transgression of Daniel 9. I believe that these two chapters are speaking of two separate transgressions. One by AntiochusIV, and the other the national rejection of Jesus by Israel. That event spoken of in Matt. 12 has had still enormous consequences for ISrael!
Hope this helps.