The Half Week of Daniel.
P. Ben [July 2015]
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A perusal of writings on the subject of the Seventy weeks of
Daniel would inviolably lead many to the conclusion that sixty nine weeks
having ended, there is but one week left for the future. However, this conclusion is founded on a
rather assumed precinct briefed as follows-
It is clear from the passage (Dan 9:25) that sixty nine
weeks were covered between the order* issued to build the city and the
presentation of Messiah the Prince (Christ). In the next verse, the Messiah was
to be ‘cut off’ after threescore and two weeks (that is sixty nine weeks-
inclusive of the seven weeks taken for the street and the wall). It is but a
mistake to assume that the ‘cutting off’ of the Messiah was realized at a time
which exactly coincided with the expiry of the sixty ninth week.
The actual rendering of the line- ‘after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah
be cut off’ points out to indefiniteness as regards to the gap between the last
day of the sixty ninth week and the day on which the Messiah was cut off.
Simply put, the Messiah’s death was to be realized at an indefinite point in
time once the sixty nine weeks were ended. The thought of Christ’s death
coinciding with the last day or the next day of the sixty ninth week ending- is
a forced one and that which had led to much needless speculation involving
non-biblical historical dates in order to back up this view.
*The issuer spoken of here is Artaxerxes
Longimanus (Nehemiah 2).
The account given in the Gospels provide for the fact that
the Lord’s ministry on earth was three and half years. In reality, faith would
have only a half week left to reckon with since a half week* had been passed
over already during the three and half years ministry of our Lord. This means
that the Lord’s three and half years ministry runs into the first half of the
seventieth week. The result is that to intelligible faith, there is but the
last half of the seventieth week that is left and not the whole seventieth
week. After the sixty nine weeks, the Messiah was cut off- but it does not say
when exactly after the sixty nine weeks. But the Gospels provide the link.
*The week is seven years and a half week is three and half
years.
In verse 27, the ‘he’ who shall confirm the covenant with
many for one week is referring not to Messiah the Prince of verse 25 but
instead refers to the ‘prince’ whose people are shown to destroy. In other
words, the ‘prince’ mentioned here is the counterfeit of Messiah the Prince
mentioned in verse 25 and who was ‘cut off’ in verse 26.
The prince who confirms the covenant with many* for one week
refers to the pseudo Messiah of the end times- he who is referred elsewhere as
the Antichrist or the false prophet; he is shown to stop the sacrifices in the
midst of the week.
*The ‘many’ here signifies the mass of the Jewish people.
The question of interest here is to examine the alleged connection between the
Roman involvement of 70 AD’s
The whole context reveals the peculiar settings of the end
times- there is as discussed- a half week left but the pseudo prince of the
coming day covenants with the mass of the Jewish nation for a period of seven
years (one week). To the faithful remnant of the future, there is but only a
half week left but the majority and the apostate Jews agree for one week. The
contrast is exceptionally subtle as settling for one week would amount to
undermining the half week passed under Christ’s ministry. To the apostate
Jewish community, the three and half years of Christ’s ministry (first half
week of the seventieth week) is non-existent - a stark reminder of their vulnerability
to the coming Antichristian deception. It is the case of reversals- the half
week passed under Christ was in association with the Jewish remnant* while the
majority rejected the blessed Lord; whereas the coming pseudo half week under the Antichrist would be in association
with the majority of Jewish apostates while the then Jewish remnant would have
nothing to do with this unholy association.
*There was a remnant from the Jewish nation to whom Christ
associated Himself with during His earthly ministry.
The true Messiah was ‘cut off’ at the end of His ministry-
that is after the three and half years (in the middle of the seventieth week so
to say). The ‘cutting off’ of the Messiah in the midst of the week brings to a
close the tale of Judaism and its legal sacrifices*with the rending of the
veil. Strikingly, the pseudo prince begins afresh the first half of the
seventieth week, which to the faithful is nothing less than blasphemy; and in
the midst of the week, the pseudo prince introduces abominations in place of
the sacrifices.
*Sacrifices under the law have lost their significance
though kept in the millennium for a remembrance of the realities to which they
point to (Ezekiel).
The last half of the seventieth week is when the
antichristian tribulation begins which also corresponds to the practicing of
the Beast (the Roman).
It is important to note that the last half of the seventieth
week is the only period of time that is recognized with specificity in the
Lord’s prophetical ministry. But for this the Gospels and passages from the
book of Revelation along with other passages in the Prophets have to be
referred to- the study which Lord willing would be taken up in the subsequent
article.
(It is important to note that the sixty ninth week ends with
the Messiah’s presentation of Himself to the nation of
Go to Collected-Writings.net