Now on to Daniel 9:
The most important thing to understand in Daniel 9: is what Daniel is asking for clarification on. Daniel, like every other Jew of the time, wanted to know if God was still going to fulfil his promise to David, that Jesus would be born of the Jews. This was the Jewish share of God's covenant with Abraham. Just as the northern Kingdom of Israel had a punishment time allotted, so here do the Jews, 490 yrs.
24Seventy 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 One.
We are told that it will take 490 yrs. To finish the sin of the Jews
"upon thy people" "to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity". And to seal up and finish this prophecy. It looks like Jesus knew that people would try and stretch this prophecy to over 2500yrs. So he clearly states this prophecy ends in 490yrs.
We must remember he is writing in regards to Jeremiah's prophecy of seventy years, the chapter starts
2: In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem.
490 years to make an end of their sins to fulfil God's covenant with Abraham, and to reconcile them to God by Jesus "and to anoint the most Holy One. "This prophecy clearly states that the 490 years is a further punishment period of the Jews. In this prophecy at the end of 490 years Jesus arrives and this part of the covenant with Abraham is fulfilled. This abomination in these verses can not be the abomination that Jesus speaks of happening in the end times because this abomination happens during the 490 years., before Jesus arrives. Jesus comes at the end of the 490 years.
Here is the verse from the King James.
25: Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Now the Revised Standard
25 Know therefore and understand: from the time that the word went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the time of an anointed prince, there shall be seven weeks; and for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with streets and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."
It is clear these two translations are very different. While the King James Version translated from the Vulgate clearly implies this prince is Jesus by putting the first seven weeks and 62 weeks together, the Revised says it is just a Anointed One and separates the first seven weeks and the 62 weeks.
More over the Revised version says the anointed one will be cut off and have nothing, that is the Septuagint translation, the Hebrew texts translate, "cut off and have no one left". this certainly was not Jesus.
So which translation is correct. As I said at the start we will use the Septuagint and Hebrew versions, as they predate the Catholics who changed many verses in the Vulgate as they have admitted, "to make their meaning clearer"
First we must look at a very large discrepancy in these dates. Jeremiah tells us the Jews would be held captive 70 years.
Historians say Jerusalem fell first in 597BC then in 586 BC the Temple was destroyed. Well quick math will show you that 597 or 586 minus 70 years does not leave one at or 538 BC which is the historical date of Cyrus's edict to Rebuild Jerusalem.
In 608 BC Babylon invades Judea and extracts a tribute from Jerusalem. In the first three months of Jehoiachin reign in 598BC. he stops paying tribute to Babylon. This infuriates Nebuchadnezzars and he takes the Jehoiachin his Sons and all the Nobles of Judea. Captive to Babylon and carries off all the Treasures of the temple
(2Kings24:10-15). 608 - 70 years captivity leaves us at 538BC. This would seem to agree with the Biblical account.
Early in Artaxerxes reign 7yr. 5th month Ezra arrives in Jerusalem sometime about 458BC not 398BC as Catholic history teaches
So first thing that is noticed is the 490 years. Is broken up into 49 years. 434 years. And 7 years. And that the end will result in Jesus' arrival and the destruction of Jerusalem. It also says that war will continue until the end of Jerusalem. It clearly says, that there will be more than one desolation of the Temple "Desolations are decreed"
It says an anointed one will come after 49 years. Who or what is an anointed one? All through Leviticus in at least six places by a quick count Priest are called anointed ones. In Kings, Saul is said to have been anointed by God, this is also true of other Kings including King Cyrus, Who Isaiah says is God's Anointed, and who Ezra clearly states fulfils Jeremiah's prophecy in the Bible. So it would appear that there are a few possible solutions it could be a Priest or a King or Cyrus.
It is important to understand that the rebuilt Judea had Priest Kings, not separate High Priest and Separate Kings as before the deportation. Either way this is clearly the coming of a ruler 49 years after the word goes forth to rebuild and restore Jerusalem 538BC that puts us at 489BC
Then for 434 years Jerusalem will be built but in a troubled time. After 434 years of rule, this ruling line, will be cut of and have nothing (no heir to the seat of authority). The total number of years since the order to rebuild is now 483 years. If you put Jesus as the Anointed One that is cut off then he was murdered 483 years after the order to rebuild Jerusalem which we know went out in around 538BC. Ezra clearly says it is Cyrus's edict that fulfils the words of Jeremiah. To say some other rulers like Artaxerxes I edict of 458BC is the start date is to call God and Ezra liars. 538BC - 483 yrs. puts us at about 55BC. How can this possibly be Jesus he wasn't even born yet. Further more Jesus was never cut off and had nothing.
It is also important to understand that the last week is to be added in to the 62 weeks. Unlike the first seven weeks, which are clearly defined, the last week is not defined. The whole prophecy ends at the end of verse 26. "and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed" He then goes back in History to explain the first of many desolations of the Temple that will occur.
27And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."
Consider the phrasing he clearly end his thought at verse 26 and then verse 27 he speaks of this Prince who starts the desolation, he then continues on to the exact same end as in verse 26 he assumes the reader has read chapter 11.
Now lets look at History and Scripture and see what we get. 49 years after the word 538BC would put us at about 489BC.
Most Historians can not agree on any of the dates involved. However scripture says this in Zechariah 6:
11: Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; 12: And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: 13: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Here Joshua is named Priest King by God. Most historians believe this took place about 516BC. I am left wondering if this date of 516BC is not off by 27 years. Scripture says Joshua is the Priest King it also says in Daniel that he comes after 49 yrs from the edict, he must have arrived in about 489BC not 516BC unless the date of Cyrus's edict is wrong. I choose to believe Scriptural account and believe God's word rather that the confused historical account of this period. 538 - 49 = 489 ; 489 - 434 = 55 BC - 7years final week = 47BC
Antipater an Arab of Jewish faith, the Father of Herod the Great, became Governor of the Judea in 55BC he was a Arab not a Jew. His son would soon be named King of the Jews by Rome. and his Ascension to the thrown was the beginning of the end to the Priest Kings of the Second Temple Era. In 47 BC the Roman entered the Temple murdered all the Priest including the High Priest and wrapped up the 490 years. No high priest from then on would dare to defy Rome.
In fact Rome installed all the High Priests from 63BC on to 70 AD when Titus destroyed the Temple.. In 67 BC Pompey sided with Hyrcanus II for High Priest against Antigonus. Antigonus revolted and deposed Hyrcanus II Pompey Attacked Jerusalem Killing all the Priests in the Temple and desecrating the Temple by and entering the Holy of Holies.
The final week, , is divided into two halves, which almost all Christian Churches say is Jesus' ministry on Earth and that Jesus is the Prince cut off in the middle of the week. He already was here and taught for three and a half years. They then say this Prince changes identity and turns on the temple for the last 3.5 years. I guess he will also trample the saints for 3.5years.
This is not Jesus, this is one of the Kings of the North of Daniel 11. This week is the seven-year Maccabean war from 167 to 160BC.
This was the start of War and Many Desolations of the Temple, which Daniel is told, will continue until the end of Jerusalem. Here are the dates of the desolations 167BC, 162 BC, 63BC, 47BC, 27BC down to 17 AD is the longest as pictures or plaques of Augustus where set up in every wall of the wing of the Temple and upon the wing of abominations. Tiberius pictures or busts replaced Augustus and were there when Jesus taught in the temple about 26AD.
Jerusalem's end coming with a Flood.
Which also matches with Jesus words in Rev 12:
15: And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
THIS IS THE TRUTH OF DANIEL 9:
If you combine the 62 weeks and the 7 weeks and say Jesus is the anointed on that is cut off you are saying that Jesus was cut off in 55BC which is 483 years after Cyrus's Decree. It makes no sense at all, no matter which translation you use. While I admit it is tempting to move this last week to be the final week of tribulation, the prophecy, the question being asked, and its answer, make it clear that this is not the case. In fact the Great tribulation the time of Jacobs trouble only last for 1335 days not seven years as we will see.
Just The Facts