The 70 weeks are determined on Daniel's people and the holy city Jerusalem. How are you reading the gentiles into the 70 weeks?
I think you need to stop and start reading the Scripture again about the Jews and the Holy City and how the Gentiles can be part of it.
Zechariah 12:3
- "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."
It's the allegorical story of two Jerusalems. One earthy, of this world and the flesh carnal, and remains at war with all around her--and one Spiritual, not of this world but of heaven, which is not carnal and has been comforted and is at peace. Yes, this passage points to judgment upon the earthly Jerusalem for sin, but also symbolism and imagery regarding their efforts at work to build and carry this city themselves, and their rejection of the unburdensome Stone as the Spiritual foundation of that building.
Psalms 127:1
- "...Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."
A Spiritual Nation, a Spiritual City, a Spiritual Temple, all with Spiritual Jews.
This is what the nation of Israel and their facsimiles the Dispensationalists don't understand about prophesy. Briefly, this all speaks of the earthly stone that men are laden with vs the Spiritual stone that is no burden to them. The burdensome stone represents something oppressively heavy. Jerusalem is this burdensome stone because its people (as they still do today) attempt to build and uphold the nation of Israel, the Holy City Jerusalem, and the Holy Temple and bear it
by their own efforts. They are the prophesied builders (Mark 12:10) who by their own means and their own hands want to build earthly nations, kingdoms, cities and Temples,
foolishly thinking this is what prophecy requires and what God desires. And this is the great weight of Jerusalem that was and still is truly oppressing both them and every Zionist that is connected with this philosophy. By contrast, Christ is the Jerusalem that is a "Burden-less Stone" and is not heavy or oppressive to its people. Indeed He came as the foundation Stone of the builders that He might relieve their burden, but they (like the Dispensationalists who sprang from their root) want nothing to do with a Spiritual Israel and are obsessed with a temporal land, Jerusalem, and Temple. In other words, Christ came as the Stone that would give them rest from these heavy burdens that no human could carry on their own, and they refused that type of Stone, that type of Messiah, that type of Kingdom. Take for example what Christ said in Matthew chapter 11:
Matthew 11:28-30
- "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
- Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
- For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Christ Jesus Himself is the Stone whose burden is light as compared to the burden of earthly Jerusalem, because He does all the heavy lifting Himself! Selah! Christ is the burden-less stone that the builders (Jews) rejected! Get it? And that
rejection means that they had to bear the heavy burden of sin themselves. Something mankind cannot do, and anyone who tries will come under God's judgment. That's why Christ came as the Spiritual nation, the Spiritual Israel, God's "true" only begotten Son called out of Egypt, the Spiritual Jerusalem from above, the Spiritual city of Peace, the Spiritual Holy Temple wherein we can enter into the true holiest of Holies in a Spiritual way through His flesh (Hebrews 10:20). For some reason this Spiritual understanding of God's truth
offends many like you, Dougg! However, it is in this Spiritual Jerusalem only that God's chosen people may cast off that heavy and burdensome stone. For they think of Prophecy in earthly / worldly terms as concerning the people residing in a plot of dirt in the middle east. Consider the prophesy of Christ's coming and the language of this Spiritual Jerusalem that will learn war no more:
Isaiah 40:1-3
- "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
- Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
- The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
This
Jerusalem represents the elect people of God who will study war against God no more because they are the Jerusalem that is Spiritual and comforted by God. It's not earthly Jerusalem, or the physical city in Israel that finds Peace and safety, it is the people of this burdenless Stone. These are two distinct and separate Jerusalems, as diverse as Hagar and Sarah
and the Covenants with Israel that they represented.
One Jerusalem Christ wept over and prophesied its desolation:
Matthew 23:37-38
- "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
- Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."
This Jerusalem is the burdensome stone that has been cast down, and remains at war with God, who has brought its people to desolation for their rejection.
Yet, the other Jerusalem God has forgiven and comforted and made peace with. She is the Israel of God, a Holy Nation, a holy City, a Holy Temple, not made by the work of men's hands, but made without hands. This Jerusalem has a burdenless foundation stone whereupon we build, and it is this Stone that brought His people's rest and peace with God. The burdensome stone Jerusalem is surrounded with armies because she never has any peace and once the True Stone was rejected, God sent judgment upon it.
How ironic that a Holy City of God whose name means "Peace" would be found in captivity and at war wherein she was left desolated and in bondage/captivity with her children even to this day, while the Jerusalem which is from heaven would be set free and brought everlasting peace and safety. The allegory of the two groups is striking, but clearly understandable through Spiritual eyes opened by the power of the Revelator.
Galatians 4:23-26
- "But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
- Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar.
- For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
- But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all."
Here God illustrates the two Jerusalems. One of the flesh, a burdensome stone, represented by Hagar, at war with God and so remains to this day in bondage with her children. The other from above, set free from spiritual bondage/captivity by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought peace. This is the Jerusalem whereupon the Israel of the flesh stumbled upon in God's judgment.
Now, who is really Daniel's People and his Holy City of Daniel 9:24 here?
THEY are whom Christ has confirmed a covenant with, the very Messiah the Prince, who arranged with?
What about the Gentiles? Didn't you read the Scripture?
Eph 2:11-14
[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
Uncircumcision by that which is called the
Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
[12] That
at that time ye were without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and
strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and
without God in the world:
[13] But
now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
[14] For he is our peace,
who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Think about it. This is why Christ confirmed a covenant with his blood so that Gentiles can be included into the commonwealth of Israel along with Jewish Elect. They are ALL Danie's people and are part of Holy City Himself which a cornerstone of that foundation!
If you deny this, then obviously you are a dispensationalist, which teaches a division between the Jews and Gentiles by keeping the 70 weeks of Daniel all about the Jews and the physical city of Jerusalem. You missed the spiritual picture, buddy.
