Hello everyone, I have been lurking on this forum for a while now. I finally decided to purchase Part 2 (have not watched yet) so I can join in some of the discussion. When discussing eschatology, the '7-year tribulation' is inevitably brought up. Below are my notes on a study and analysis of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24-27. It is also my current best understanding of this passage. I am looking at Young's Literal Translation (YLT) for these verses. For other verses the NKJV is used. The dates I reference come from the Bible Timeline on biblehub.com, with the exception of the years reigned which come from other sources. Also, without formatting options available on this message board things will look rather cluttered, but I will do my best to organize the information.

[Daniel 9:24-27 YLT] 539 BC

24 'Seventy weeks are determined for thy people, and for thy holy city, to shut up the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to cover iniquity, and to bring in righteousness age-during, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies.

Seventy weeks = ‘seventy sevens or seventy periods of seven’ = 490 years

It is an assumption that a week is seven years, but it is a widely accepted one. It is also supported by Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34 that both equate a day to a year.

The following items must be accomplished at the end of the seventy weeks (490 years). I will revisit them at the end of the passage.

1. Shut up the transgression
2. Seal up sins
3. Cover iniquity
4. Bring in righteousness age-during
5. Seal up vision and prophet
6. Anoint the holy of holies

25 And thou dost know, and dost consider wisely, from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem till Messiah the Leader [is] seven weeks, and sixty and two weeks: the broad place hath been built again, and the rampart, even in the distress of the times.

Three different kings of Persia all made decrees to restore/rebuild the temple or Jerusalem.

[Ezra 6:14 NKJV] 14 So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished [it], according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

Each decree must be carefully analyzed to determine the one that best satisfies verse 25.

1. Cyrus II (539 to 530 BC)
a. Proclamation of Cyrus to rebuild temple 537 BC (2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1, Ezra 6:1-5)
i. The proclamation of Cyrus dealt specifically with rebuilding the temple but not Jerusalem.
ii. Prophesied by Isaiah 711 BC (Isaiah 44:24-28, 45:1-13)
iia. Oddly, Isaiah prophesied that the proclamation of Cyrus would include both temple and city. There is
something I am not understanding here.
iii. This proclamation was issued by Cyrus just two years after Daniel received the explanation from Gabriel
for his vision of seventy weeks. If Daniel possessed the writings of Isaiah then he would have known about
the prophecy and anointing concerning Cyrus as well. There is a possibility that Daniel, upon hearing the
proclamation of Cyrus, believed the seventy weeks had begun.

2. Darius I (521 to 486 BC)
a. Decree of Darius 520 BC (Ezra 6)
i. The decree of Darius was to search for and re-establish the proclamation of Cyrus to rebuild the temple.
ii. The temple was completed in 515 BC, 22 years after the proclamation of Cyrus in 537 BC.

3. Artaxerxes I (465 to 425 BC)
a. Decree explained in letter to Ezra 457 BC (Ezra 7:11-28)
i. The decree of Artaxerxes detailed in his letter to Ezra allowed the Israelites to freely return to Jerusalem,
officially ending the Babylonian captivity. The decree included provisions and resources from Artaxerxes’
own kingdom and enabled Ezra to establish magistrates, judges, and laws in Jerusalem - all are key
components to a city.
b. Sent Nehemiah to Judah 444 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-10)
i. This was not an official decree, but permission granted to Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem. Artaxerxes
gave Nehemiah letters for safe passage and escorts from his army.
ii. Jerusalem still laid waste, and the rampart (wall) had not been built when Nehemiah went.

The decrees by Cyrus and Darius appeared to deal specifically with the temple and not the city. Since Daniel 9:25 mentions Jerusalem, the decree that Artaxerxes gave across the kingdom that allowed and abetted the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem in 457 BC appears the one that best fulfills the verse: “...from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem…”. Thus, I will assume 457 BC is the starting year for the seventy weeks (490 years).

Since Cyrus was the anointed one in Isaiah 44:24-28 and 45:1-13, I can see a strong case for his proclamation in 537 BC being the starting year. However, it then becomes necessary to introduce gaps in the seventy weeks to fulfill the Messianic portion of the prophecy.

Seven weeks = 49 years
Sixty-two weeks = 434 years
457 BC + 49 years + 434 years = AD 27 (year AD 1 immediately follows year 1 BC)

Jesus began His ministry in AD 27.

Sixty-nine weeks (483 years) have now passed.

Many Christian sources mention 408 BC as the year Jerusalem was restored, exactly seven weeks (49 years) after the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 BC. Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of convenient hand-waving involved with this claim because I have not been able to find their source or the particular event they are using to signify the completed restoration of Jerusalem. Verse 25 defines the restoration as the ‘broad place’ and ‘rampart’ being built, also translated as ‘street’ and ‘wall’, respectively. The wall was completed as early as 444 BC. Therefore, I do not have a good explanation as to why verse 25 separately identifies ‘seven weeks’ and ‘sixty and two weeks’.

26 And after the sixty and two weeks, cut off is Messiah, and the city and the holy place are not his, the Leader who hath come doth destroy the people; and its end [is] with a flood, and till the end [is] war, determined [are] desolations.

The way this naturally reads implies that it is immediately after the sixty and two weeks that the Messiah is cut off. However, the Messiah was crucified in AD 30, 3-½ years after the first sixty-nine weeks (483 years) in the middle of the 70th (final) week.

Who is the ‘Leader’ in verse 26? In verse 25, the Messiah had just been introduced as ‘Messiah the Leader’. Up to this point, the only person introduced has been the Messiah. Hence, the ‘Leader’ in verse 26 is the Messiah and it does not make contextual sense for Daniel to suddenly introduce a new character in the same sentence using a title he had just used for the Messiah. Such is not the interpretation of the natural reading of this verse. Additionally, the Masoretic Text uses the word ‘nagid’ in all instances where ‘Leader’ is used, showing the translation is consistent.

How does the Messiah destroy the people and bring about the end of the city and holy place with a flood? One explanation is that the act of the Jewish people killing the Messiah brought judgment upon them in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple that came as a flood (massacre). Many translations actually say it is the people of the ‘nagid’, referring to the Jews, that destroy the city and temple. This is supported by the Masoretic Text which uses the word ‘am’ meaning nation or people. In AD 70 Titus Vespasian and the Romans became the instrument of that judgment and besieged Jerusalem and razed the temple. Not one stone was left on top of another nor was there one not thrown down (Matthew 24:2). I believe this was the very event Jesus foretold in the Gospel of Luke:

[Luke 21:20-24 NKJV] 20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 "Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 "For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

27 And he hath strengthened a covenant with many -- one week, and [in] the midst of the week he causeth sacrifice and present to cease, and by the wing of abominations he is making desolate, even till the consummation, and that which is determined is poured on the desolate one.'

The use of the pronoun ‘he’ can only refer to someone who had already been introduced in the previous verses. The only one introduced has been Messiah the Leader.

The Messiah confirmed a covenant with many during His ministry and caused sacrifice to cease as the sacrificial Lamb in the middle of the 70th week. When the Jewish people crucified the Messiah, they committed an abomination that led to their desolation. The desolation which is determined for them will continue until the end. Worth noting is that the KJV translates the end of the verse as ‘the desolate’ as opposed to ‘the desolate one’.

In AD 34, the 490th (final) year of the seventy weeks, Saul was converted (Acts 9) and brought the gospel to the gentiles, strengthening the covenant with even more.

Let us now revisit verse 24 to see if the tasks contained therein have been accomplished. The context of Daniel 9:24 is that it specifically refers to Daniel’s people (Jews) and Jerusalem, and not the Gentiles: “'Seventy weeks are determined for thy people, and for thy holy city, to…”.

1. Shut up the transgression - Fulfilled
a. Israel transgressed God’s law (Daniel 9:11) and were under the curse of the law. When the Messiah came He
fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17) and redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).

2. Seal up sins - Fulfilled
a. [Matthew 1:21 NKJV] 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save
His people from their sins."
b. [Romans 6:14 NKJV] 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

3. Cover iniquity - Fulfilled
a. Without the shedding of blood there was no forgiveness for sin (Heb 9:22). The blood of the Messiah covered
all iniquity once and for all for those who turned to Him (Ephesians 1:7, Heb 9:14, 1 John 1:7, Heb 13:12).

4. Bring in righteousness age-during - Fulfilled
a. [Jeremiah 23:5-6 NKJV] 5 "Behold, [the] days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch
of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In
His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this [is] His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
b. [Matthew 3:13-15 NKJV] 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14
And John [tried to] prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" 15 But
Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit [it to be so] now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."
Then he allowed Him.
c. [Romans 3:21-22, 25-26 NKJV] 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all
and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ... 25 whom God set forth [as] a propitiation by His blood,
through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins
that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be
just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
d. [Romans 4:5 NKJV] 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is
accounted for righteousness,
e. [Romans 5:21 NKJV] 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
f. [Romans 6:18 NKJV] 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
g. [Romans 10:10 NKJV] 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation.
h. [2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV] 21 For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him.
i. [2 Corinthians 9:9 NKJV] 9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His
righteousness endures forever."
j. [1 John 2:29 NKJV] 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness
is born of Him.

5. Seal up vision and prophet - Fulfilled
a. Jesus was the final prophet and no longer did people receive visions as the Old Testament prophets did.
b. [Deuteronomy 18:15 NKJV] 15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst,
from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
c. [Acts 7:37 NKJV] 37 "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The LORD your God will raise up
for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.'

6. Anoint the holy of holies - Fulfilled
a. [Luke 4:18 NKJV] 18 "The Spirit of the LORD [is] upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the
gospel to [the] poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to [the] captives And
recovery of sight to [the] blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

As shown, verse 24 (and the seventy weeks) have been fulfilled by the coming and works of the Messiah.

Many Christians attempt to make a distinction between ‘Messiah the Leader’ in verse 25 to the ‘Leader’ in verse 26. When these verses are read under the premise of a second figure, they read very unnaturally and contextually illogical. The premise of a second figure likewise necessitates an explanation of who the figure is, the works that he performs, and the time that he performs them. Much church doctrine has been created in order to provide an explanation for a second figure to the point of pure speculation (e.g., prophetic gap theory). As translated in the YLT, these verses actually read very naturally and do not present any contextual or grammatical issues. The biggest challenge is simply reading and interpreting them without the influence of preconceived dogma.

Unless I receive new revelation, I will no longer be making reference to a 7-year tribulation as I do not believe that is what Daniel 9:27 is saying - the entire belief in a 7-year tribulation stems from a speculative futurist interpretation of that single verse. A ‘7-year tribulation’ is something that has been inserted into scripture entirely by man! It is also why some Christians believe they will be gathered up with Christ (raptured) precisely seven years prior to His coming.

With that said, scripture has much to say regarding a final 3-½ year ‘time of Jacob’s trouble’ because it is well established in Jeremiah 30, Daniel 7, Daniel 12, and Revelation 12-13 of which are parallel passages.

Here is another possible interpretation for the text and translations in vs 26

https://bibleprophecytext.com/books/daniel/chapter-9/

1. Yup, NO 7 year tribulation. But, A Great Tribulation started, I believe with the Stoning of Stephen in Acts. Been in tribulation ever since me thinks.

All your writing/conclusions sounds like it may have come from The Book "The False Prophet" by Ellis Skolfield. If Not, no worries, but you both definitely came to similar conclusions with exceptions on Prophetic Days of Daniel were based on Hebrew years as 360 day year and needed to be converted to 69 weeks, 69 sevens of years so, then we have 69 x 7 or 483 Hebrew years.

Almost 100 years after Gabriel spoke to Daniel, a special decree was granted by Artaxerxes I to Nehemiah (444-445BC). This is the ONLY decree recorded in the Bible that gave the Jews permission to "restore Jerusalem and rebuild its walls," and since Scripture relates to Scripture, we should start counting time from that biblical decree.

The Lord usually spoke to His prophets in a language they could understand. Daniel was a Jew, probably of the royal family (2Ki 20:18), and the Jews had their own 360-day Levitical year.
Since our history is recorded in solar years of 365.24 days, we need to convert 483 Hebrew years to solar years:

483 x .9857 = 476 solar years. Artaxerxes' decree, 444BC + 476 years = 32AD, the cross
right to the year!

The cross, right to the year. But what about those six points that were supposed to be fulfilled during these 70 weeks? Aa-ha!
All but one were fulfilled at the cross.
Did not Jesus (1) finish transgression eternally, (2) make an end of sin, (3) make reconciliation
for iniquity, (4) bring in everlasting righteousness, and (6) anoint
the Most holy with His own precious blood.
Of course, praise the Lord! Point (5), however, was left out: "Seal up vision and
prophecy." This is where those peculiar 7 weeks and 62 weeks come in:

7 x 7 Hebrew years = 48.3 Solar years. 444BC - 48.3 is
395.7BC, Malachi written.

Malachi was inspired to write the last book of the Old Testament in about 396BC. The Scripture to the Jews was complete, and no more was written until the New Testament era!

Brother, I just copied and pasted most of this reply to inspire you to dig into another source of reading you most definitely would like and get inspired by. Since you are on this topic and tracking HIS WORD so well.

All Daniel, and Revelation Timelines shown to be FULFILLED in this man's work. 13 time stamps that you are checking into, including, times, time and the dividing of time. 1260 days 1335 days, two witnesses (Israel, God's chosen people, and The Church who both have always represented Him to this lost world) 42 months etc.

Keep seeking, asking and knocking my brother and let us "STAY AWAKE" for Messiah is coming soon!

https://www.beholdthebeast.com/69_weeks.htm

The False Prophet is not who this world and, the "wide road" church, thinks it is.

Peace
Alex

Hello,

and thanks for being one to notice so far.

If anyone digs enough on specific dates 2000 years ago, most will find a 2 year window, possibly more, -1 year, 0 year, +1 year. I'm just doing research like the rest and pointing out things that appear to match up.

Keep seeking, asking and knocking my brothers and sisters, Messiah will come soon!

Peace

I've heard various historical ideas of the 70th week and while I've considered them, I have been unconvinced. I want to thank you for your likewise detailed post, it has spurred me to question my beliefs and begin to dig in deeper to prove what I have held for some time.

I've struggled with the ancient history and dating because that's so far beyond my area and there are so many opinions. Part 1 of Messiah 2030 actually spurred me to my own study of when the crucifixion happened so as not to just accept off-hand teachings that I had no knowledge of myself. I've been bitten more times than I'd like to admit on that. I won't get into the details on that study here, but the punchline is that I came to the conclusion looking at scripture, some history, Rosetta Calendar, and the heavens through Stellarium of 30 AD. And it answered some questions I had accepted on faith that I was pleased to discover fit all the pieces together. I'm still struggling with combining work like the Star of Bethlehem and Dr. Mike Heiser's 3 BC birth with signs in the heavens that are compelling with 30 AD crucifixion, but with a 4 BC birth and the 30 AD crucifixion timeframe, Yeshua would have been 30 in the fall of 27 AD when He started His ministry as you mentioned and that would cover 3 Passover feasts as described in scripture. All that long-windedness to say your comments on the 69 weeks are compelling in light of what I've studied recently.

I agree with the accepted notion that 70 sevens is 490 years as seen in scripture. The final week of years is the completion of God's stated dealing with Israel for 490 years. 483 of those years I believe were fulfilled till the arrival of the Messiah and the start of His ministry as stated and I'm with you up to verse 26. Aside from these verses connecting Daniel, John and Yeshua's testimonies, I believe a plain reading of Daniel 9:24-27 outside any other scripture is fairly clear.

Verse 24 defines the context of who the prophecy is for, Israel and Jerusalem. It also defines the context of the scope of this prophecy (below).

Verse 25 speaks in relation to these contexts that part of the prophecy is from the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to the Messiah the Prince (Meshiach Nagid) The time is 69 weeks (of years).

Verse 26 says after this first 69 weeks, (30 AD) The Messiah is cut off, not for Himself and (70 AD) the people of the prince that shall come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. You mentioned "prince" being nagid and that is accurate, but contextually in scripture it's used as the ruler, chief ruler, and many times paired with "over Israel." While we know prophetically Yeshua will fulfill that role in the millennium, we also know that the man of sin will pretend to fill that role as well. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 Given everything else in scripture, I have a hard time placing the people of Yeshua as the ones that destroy the city and sanctuary both historically and spiritually.

Verse 27 states that he (the prince that shall come, whose people were in 70 AD destroying the city and temple) will confirm a covenant with many for one week (completing the 70 weeks defined in the context of verse 24). In the midst of that week of years the prince that shall come will cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, overspreading abominations to make it desolate throughout the time of the wrath of God to be poured out on the desolate. (This brings to mind Revelation 11:1-2 and the outer court read under foot for 42 months.) There is a flow of time that I see in these passages from the beginning of the 70 weeks to the final week. I also have issues with considering the idea that the Messiah only confirmed the new covenant/testament for a week. I don't quite understand how He caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease in 30 AD when it continued to 70 AD.

I don’t really hold any particular theory about the identity of the man of sin being from the West or Islamic or Jewish, but a lot of things fit together with a Jewish antichrist, whether originally from Israel, the West or Islamic. The latter seems less likely given the decades-long push of Jews out of these nations, but it's not out of the question.

To me, a plain reading of these four verses in context within these passages alone tell me several things. Daniel 9:2 shows us what started this vision of Israel's future. Daniel believed the prophet Jeremiah and the word God gave him that Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. He then proceeds to repent for his people who clearly turned their hearts from God and disobeyed. Daniel wanted to know the future of his people given the desolation of God's sanctuary (temple).

There is a clear flow of time from the definition of the context of the prophecy to the completion of the wrath of God:

1) The start of the 70 weeks are defined with the initial starting point following the 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
2) 69 weeks of years pass during which the city and temple are rebuilt
3) After the 69 weeks, at some undisclosed period of time, the Messiah is killed for our sins
4) After the 69 weeks, at some undisclosed period of time after the Messiah is killed, the people of the prince that shall come will destroy the city and sanctuary
5) The final week is introduced in which he, which was previously mentioned as being the prince of the people that destroyed the sanctuary at a previous time, will confirm a covenant with many for that week
6) In the midst of that week he will cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease and overspread abominations making it desolate
7) This will happen until the consummation and that determined shall be poured out upon the desolate.

The people of the prince that shall come destroy the city and temple. From the sequence of events, the Messiah is crucified 40 years before the destruction yet it is the people of the prince that shall come yet future that destroy the temple. Besides YLT, what other versions have past tense for the verb come? I looked at 15 translations that all show future tense for the prince's coming, not past. Let me be clear, I'm not a Greek or Hebrew scholar, but if you put הַבָּא from the masoretic text in Google translate, it translates it to "next," a future tense not past tense. See, I just proved how unscholarly I am!

If the people of the prince that shall come destroy the city and temple, then it follows that it is a different person from the Messiah that did already come and went to the Father's house, thus defining a new character after the Messiah and before the one that confirms the covenant for one week. It is this "he" that I believe is referred to, the prince of the people in 70 AD, that confirms a covenant for one week, which if we follow the sequence of these passages, is after 70 AD at some unspecified period of time. I won't get into the "he" coming from various places based on his people, I think that will become irrelevant when we start so see events unfold in the time before the abomination of desolation.

Let me clarify that I do not believe in a "7-year tribulation." I see no association scripturally with the 70th week of Daniel and tribulation. Quite the opposite, I think that Daniel, John and Yeshua clarify the unparalleled time of tribulation as occurring in the midst of the 70th week, not the duration of it.

The final week of years is the completion of God's stated dealing with Israel for 490 years. If the crucifixion was the middle of the week, then there's a whole series of events that should have taken place that have not.
* Daniel 12:6-7 gives a period of 3 1/2 years until the holy people are scattered in the context of unparalleled time of tribulation earlier in Daniel 12:1. Note this unparalleled time by its nature must match up with that of Matthew 24:15 and Jeremiah 30:4-7.
* Daniel 12:11 gives a period of 1290 days from the abomination of desolation
Revelation 13:5 states the beast is given power for 42 months to make war with the saints. This lines up with the idea of scattering the power of the holy people and Revelation 12's account.
* Revelation 12:7-17 details the dragon coming to earth knowing he has a short time and attacking first Israel and after she is protected for 3 1/2 years, turns to the remnant and those holding the testimony of Christ. In context with the rest of these passages, this fits with the idea of the dragon giving the beast his power and focusing first on Israel in Judea, then after the saints of Israel are protected, moving globally.
* Daniel 7:25 speaks of the beast and his power over the saints, who are given into his hand for 3 1/2 years.

He will confirm the covenant. This same word used elsewhere to prevail, strengthen, make strong, bind up anything broken, make firm, act proudly toward God. I would argue that the new covenant was once for all and is as strong as it will ever be, for those who accept it. As Yeshua said, it is finished, and after He conquered death it was evident to everyone aware that the New Covenant, shining out of the foreshadow of the covenant with Israel made at Sinai, was a completed work that had defeated death.

What makes sense to me is a plain reading that the prophecy in context of Daniel's people and the holy city Jerusalem, it speaks to a strengthening of a covenant related to Israel and Jerusalem. Given that Israel has been blinded as of the triumphal entry (Matthew 23:39, Luke 19:41-44, Romans 11:1-28, John 12:40, 2 Corinthians 3:14), the strengthening of the covenant would fall in line with what would produce the declared event in the midst of the week, the stopping of the sacrifice and oblation.

In Christ, that was all done away with, but very often Christians talk about the third temple and sacrifices from a Christian perspective as though Israel is not still blinded. All you have to do is look at what is happening at the Temple Institute and orthodox Judaism to see they are working toward a third temple. It follows that if the 7 years determined for Israel and Jerusalem to complete these things consists of a stopping of the daily sacrifice and a confirmation or strengthening of the covenant to get there, that the starting of the sacrifice and oblation would be part of the strengthening of that covenant from Sinai.

Sacrifices and Offerings of the Mosaic Law - The daily sacrifice part of Mosaic covenant. (Leviticus 1, Leviticus 6:8-13, Numbers 28:3-29, Numbers 39) Therefore it would follow that the strengthening of the covenant tied to a stopping of the daily sacrifice in the midst of the week implies the strengthening had to do with the daily sacrifice beings stopped.

While the daily sacrifice was done away with the new covenant, God has a promise to fulfill in the remaining time designated for Israel and Jerusalem. I believe this is why the seals being opened allows the man of sin to start the 70th week of Daniel. It's While the covenant with many to bring back the daily sacrifice that will be stopped in the midst of the week is not necessary, Israel is blinded and will be until the fulness of the Gentiles at the catching away of the bride at Christ's coming at the day of the Lord.

The first seal is a rider on the white horse with a bow, the same word for "a token of a covenant" in Genesis 9:13, and a crown was given to him and he went forth to conquer. (See False Christ by Chris White) I think God is in control of the timing of His dealing with Israel, but uses their blindness and the dragon's desires (John 5:43) to use this time to refine Israel through fire.

The daily sacrifice did not stop until 70 AD when the city and temple were destroyed by the people of the prince that will come. 3 1/2 years prior to that and after it did not bring about the prophesied events Yeshua mentioned.

Matthew 24:14-15 Yeshua states that the Gospel of the kingdom will be preached to the whole world and then the end will come. This is immediately followed by "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place"

I should clarify that I do believe Luke 21 account is different from Matthew's and Mark's accounts. Verse 12 diverges to a point previous to the start of the prophecy of the future by stating "but before all these…" and describes what I think is the time around 70 AD. It's like God wrote the Gospels to warn the faithful in Judea both in 70 AD and in the future after the abomination of desolation. It returns to the future prophetic time by stating "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." The next verse is regarding the future sun, moon and star event of the sixth seal.

Yeshua puts the unparalleled time of great tribulation at the midst of the week Daniel spoke of. He also puts the sixth seal after the tribulation of those days. (Matthew 24:29-31, Luke 21:25, Mark 13:24-27) The signs of the sixth seal follow the time of Jacob's trouble and coincide with the sudden destruction of God's wrath. (Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Isaiah 2:12-21, Isaiah 13:6-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)

From my understanding, this weaves a narrative that is found solely in scripture from several witnesses (Daniel, John, Yeshua) pointing to events that must logically be associated and exact day prophecies that define a framework that fits in with the compilation of those passages. Which leads to what your detailing of verse 24 prompted me to dig into some more.

I tend to take the English translation of the KJV because if I'm going to remember scriptures and search for them, the words matter to quickly reference them again so I decided to stick to one primary translation as that's what I started with. To be honest, I've assumed the meaning based on my understanding of English and not the context of where that Hebrew or Greek word was used elsewhere to define the meaning. So I decided to focus on that to better understand what these prophetic fulfillments meant in light of how these words are used elsewhere in scripture.

The Scope of the 70 Weeks

Regarding the scope, I've always taken the translation at face value, which I should know better. Context matters and I found this study quite revealing personally. Keep in mind throughout that the context of this prophecy is "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (Israel) and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem)," not Christianity. I think this is an important differentiation from your perspective on these conditions. I tend to think temporally vs. eternally. I understand the difference, but I also know we are locked in space-time and while it may be done eternally before the creation, we are not in that dimension and prophecy is all about perspective in time related to God's plans for mankind.

To finish (h3607) the transgression (h6588)
* "Finish" - Occurs 19 times. Restrained = 4, shut up = 4, stayed = 3, withhold = 2, keep back = 2, forbid = 1, refrain = 1, retain = 1, finish = 1
* "Transgression" - Occurs 93 times used as transgressions, trespass, sin, rebellion against God, brothers,

Taken in context of the same word used throughout the Old Testament, it should better read "to restrain and shut up the transgression/sin." It seems pretty generic to restrain sin, so when is the transgression no longer restrained? Perhaps when the restrainer is taken out of the way? Calls to mind Michael the restrainer, who stands for the people of Israel, that is taken out of the way and triggering the abomination of desolation in the midst of the week. We are told this is an unparalleled time in Judea related to Israel and that it's the ultimate personification of transgression. It may have little to do with the temple, but rather with the man of sin, given power by the dragon, declaring himself to be god in the temple with great deception attempting to deceive the elect. It highlights the possibility that some such as Chris White have posited that the man of sin will present himself as the Jewish messiah, being the great deception, and literally coming in his own name and being accepted by Israel after rejecting the Messiah. John 5:43
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To make an end (h2856) of sins (h2403) -
* "to make an end" - Occurs 27 times meaning seal = 24 and also stop, mark. This sounds pretty much like is translated in this verse.
* "sins" - Occurs 299 times and is self-explanatory, but is sometimes also many times referred to with the sin offering for atonement.

In context of the words used, this seems very hard to say was completed historically. Obviously generically it is not fulfilled, but even in the millennium there will be sin against God. However, this prophecy is focused on Israel and Jerusalem. The end of Israel's sins has not come to pass and God is not done with His chosen people. Jeremiah 31:31-40, Zechariah 13:8-9, Zechariah 12:10-14, Matthew 23:37-39. I think this ties in pretty well with the idea that many Christians have against a rebuilt temple. They say, "that was done away with by Christ!" I agree, but we live in a temporal world stuck in space-time. Israel is not there yet. They still corporately reject their Messiah and look to the old ways that were always insufficient and a foreshadow of the fulfillment in the chief cornerstone that was rejected. Until they recognize Him, they are atoning for sin old school, insufficiently. When they are taken to the wilderness and protected and the bride is caught up to meet the Messiah, the remnant that fled Judea will mourn for Him and be refined through the fire of God's wrath. They will come to accept Him and when the 1260 days of protection are fulfilled, they will enter into the promised land with their Messiah ruling and He will remember their sins no more.
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To make reconciliation (h3722) for iniquity (h5771)
* "Reconciliation" - 103 times, make an atonement, much of the time in relation to the burnt offering, appease, pardon, pacify, sin purged
* "Iniquity" - 232 times, iniquity, punishment, mischief, sin

Looking at the context of other passages using these words, I would say this has a lot to do with making an end of sins through the burn offerings, through the acceptance of the ultimate sacrifice foreshadowed in the daily sacrifices. Reconciliation for iniquity may have happened 2,000 years ago, but in the context of Israel, they are blinded to it until they seek His face. Hosea 5:15
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To bring in (h935) everlasting (h5769) righteousness (h6664)
* "bring in" - Occurs 2,591 times, brought/bring, came/come, went/go, enter
* "Everlasting" - Occurs 438 times, everlasting, forever, always, of old, perpetual, in the negative never
* "Righteousness" - Occurs 119 times, righteousness, just, justice, even [balance],

This is pretty self-explanatory based on the context where used. In the context of Israel and Jerusalem, it would seem this would be fulfilled at the end of the 70th week when Yeshua is ruling the earth from Jerusalem in the millennial temple Ezekiel describes and Israel is come out of the 70th week recognizing their Messiah and the eternal sacrifice that has redeemed them to Him.
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To seal up (h2856) the vision (h2377) and prophecy (h5030)
* "seal up" - Occurs 27 times, same as "to make an end of sins" sealed, stopped, mark
* "the vision" - Occurs 35 times, vision in context of viewing and understanding what's to come
* "Prophecy" - Occurs 317 times, prophet(s)

In context of Israel and Jerusalem, the end of the 70 weeks is the natural and wild branches eternally connected/grafted to the root which is Christ. The Old Testament prophets had visions related to Israel such as this from Daniel and many times is clearly stated to be related to Israel. Once Israel has accepted Yeshua, there is no more dealing with Jew and Gentile in Christ apart from each other. Just dealing with the unbelieving world apart from God's eternal family from all nations, tribes and tongues.
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To anoint (h4886) the most Holy (h6944)
* "Anoint" - Occurs 69 times, anoint (smear, spread liquid)
* "Most Holy" - Occurs 467 times, "most holy, or holy holy" in the temple where the ark of the covenant was placed, holy [ground, convocation, habitation, Sabbath, men, garments, place, things, crown, ], Holiness

This could be several things in context to the end of the 70th week appointed to Israel and Jerusalem. We know that Yeshua will rule the world with a rod of Iron from Jerusalem so it could be the anointing of His habitation there. Ezekiel speaks of a temple larger in scope than any historical temple in great detail and given the temple was to be crafted after the temple in heaven, the millennial temple and the most holy place from where Yeshua will reign could be anointed. This will be the start of the 7th day according to the Lord so it could be the anointing of the millennial Sabbath rest. It very well could be all of these things together, ushering in the millennial reign of Christ at the very end of the 70th week when Israel enters into the promised land accepting Yeshua as their Messiah and fulfilling the promise made to Israel and ending the prophecies and visions in the 7th day.

I'm aware of hard-held beliefs based on the point I started focusing on Bible prophecy and I'm ready to assert that I'm wrong. I have been many times and I will be again I'm sure. I'm not afraid to change my perspective as I grow in my understanding of God's Word. I agree there is no 7-year tribulation and my perspective is distinctly pre-wrath, defined outside the constraints of the term tribulation. However, I am also distinctly futurist in my view because the promises are not fully realized, for both Israel and the bride.

May God continue to bless you as you remain in Him.

@ALEX L HARMON

Hello sir, I have not read the book you mentioned but have read interpretations by various authors and did my best to test them against God's Holy Word.

I want to discuss the Hebrew years (I believe the authors of Messiah 2030 use the term Biblical years) and the conversion to solar (aka tropical) years. This is a topic I am not well versed in but you have spurred me to finally delve into it.

First, our modern day Gregorian calendar of 365 days/year uses leap years of 366 days/year to keep sync with the solar year of 365.2422 days/year. The rule is one leap year every four years, but every 100 years we skip the leap year unless the year is evenly divisible by 400. This results in an average of 365.2425 days/year using the Gregorian calendar which keeps it very close in sync with the solar year but still is not perfect. The discrepancy is 27 seconds/year ahead of a solar year, or 1 day in 3236 years.

Technically, when dating using BC and AD, we should be converting to Gregorian years as opposed to solar years because the system is standardized under it, even though the discrepancy would be small.

The modern-day Jewish calendar employs 7 leap years that consist of 13 months in a 19-year cycle to keep in stride with the solar year. It also is not perfect, and the discrepancy is 7 min/year ahead of a solar year, or 1 day in 216 years.

I understand the Hebrew (Biblical, prophetic) year to be 360 days/year as you mentioned, but the Jewish people needed a way to synchronize their calendar with the solar year so that holidays like Firstfruits and Shavuot, which are supposed to be observed in the Fall to commemorate God for the harvest, do not slowly creep further and further back seasonally and eventually end up being observed in the summer, spring, and winter due to the 5.2422 days the Hebrew calendar is short from being a full solar year of 365.2422 days. I am assuming the ancient Israelites also employed this system, or a system like it, in their calendar by at least the time of Daniel if not earlier. Somebody please tell me if they know.

If so, would this not negate the need to convert Hebrew years to Gregorian years? Remember, the discrepancy of a year in the Jewish calendar compared to the solar year is 1 day in 216 years. While huge compared to the much more precise Gregorian calendar, it is small in a time span of seventy weeks (490 years).

Blessings to you.

@A Watchman

Thank you for your thoughtful and brilliant post sir. You have given a sound scriptural and rational basis for your position and I do not have much to to say that further affirms or denies at this time. However, I have some remarks below.

Regarding verse 27 and the phrase 'he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week', I believe a more accurate translation is 'he shall confirm a covenant with many - one week'. You can check the Masoretic Text and tell me if you agree, which you are adept at using. What does this small difference mean? I am not versed in Hebrew sentence structure or grammar but I believe it means that the confirming of the covenant with many will be established and take place to a large degree for one week, but is not restricted (bound) to happen for only one week.

I admit that when looking at the fulfillment of the six items in verse 24, I may have zoomed too far out from the scope of Israel to include the gentiles. I fully agree that God's work with Israel is not finished and their eyes are not opened.

I am ready to admit wrong and pivot as I grow in understanding as well. In fact, I don't really consider any eschatological belief of mine to be stone unless it has occurred.

I must admit that I rely heavily on the work done by those far more scholarly than I who put together Blue Letter Bible, which is a great tool for searching the scriptures and my technical knowledge is very limited. (https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/dan/9/1/t_conc_859027) So let me state outright I am not an expert in Hebrew, or even English for that matter! I'm also not officially educated in Bible prophecy, just passionate about discovering the hidden Truths in God's Word and feel called to be a watchman.

In terms of the "for one week" vs. "one week," I would agree based on the site that the Masoretic text is "one week" and the for was likely added by translators to make the phrase more English sounding.

I also agree with you that the confirming a covenant is stated as one week, but not bound to that time. If I'm correct in my belief that the prince that shall come is the one that makes the covenant, then I think the statement of "one week" is likely God's stating the prophetic fulfillment of the whole of the 70 weeks prophecy for Israel and Jerusalem.

As I stated in my other post about the first half of the 70th week below, God is in control of when the confirming of the covenant takes place as He is the only one worthy to open the scroll. The man of sin may confirm the covenant on God's timing, but God is also in control of when the restrainer is removed, the dragon cast down, and the time of Jacob's trouble that will stop the daily sacrifice takes place.

So I think that God is telling Daniel that the 70th week may be triggered by who we later know as the man of sin that will take away the daily sacrifice, but the whole week is the Lord's to fulfill in His own timing.
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Excerpt from other post
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Looking at this in a more Israel-focused context, the idea of a Jewish antichrist seems to fit the more I learn of this perspective and think about it, comparing it to scripture. Right now Israel is fairly secular, but if a strong man arose in the ranks of Israel who would confirm the old Mosaic covenant, allowing the rebuilding the temple against all odds, then that could quickly change. Interestingly there may be an alignment with the first seal being opened.

Revelation 6:1-2
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow (G5115); and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Note that we see the rider on the white horse of the first seal is given a bow, what I once thought tied to the conquering he would be doing like a bow and arrow, but the arrow left unmentioned. Then I did a word search and the first time a bow is mentioned is the rainbow that was a token of a covenant.

Genesis 9:12-13
And God said, This [is] the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that [is] with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow (LXX G5115) in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

Daniel 9:27
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.
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The man of sin may be enacting his own plans that are told in prophecy, but only because God is allowing it to perform His greater work in sifting His people from modern Israel and bringing them back into relationship with Him.

I thought Daniel 9 was about Jesus. I thought this was a widely held view. The abominations being daily sacrifices. The covenant being the seed covenant with Abraham.

It may be pretty widely held, but as I've learned there are lots of ways things can be taken. I think Daniel 9 as a whole is about Israel and Jerusalem, the prayer for and understanding of her future. Yeshua is mentioned as a key point of time in the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:25-26. It defines the end of the first 69 weeks and that He will be cut off not for Himself but I believe the mention of the arrival and death of the Messiah are the only two times. The other prince that shall come and "he's" mentioned in verses 25 and 26 would speak to the mystery of iniquity and the man of sin associated with the causing of the sacrifice and oblation to cease.

I knew God had rejected Israel's sacrifices before, in searching it I came to Amos 5. I believe it to be historical, but it does call out the day of the Lord as part of it and reading it made me think of this exact time from when Israel starts the daily sacrifice again to the day of the Lord. I'll post excerpts, but it's better to read it as a whole for those interested.

Amos 5:17-27
And in all vineyards [shall be] wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD. Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. [Shall] not the day of the LORD [be] darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept [them]: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name [is] The God of hosts.

Israel can sacrifice all they want, but if they are not in relationship with God and instead adulterous and worshipping other gods, the very feast days He told them to keep and sacrifices to make will be hated by Him and rejected. So in a sense God could see their sacrifices as abominable in English terms.

However it says "for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Because of the overspreading of abominations "he" shall make it desolate.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

I don't think that the idea of the daily sacrifice is what God rejects, it is the doing so while rejecting Him. When it comes to the abomination of desolation, the antichrist declaring himself to be god will be the abominations that will make desolate. There may be many Jews during the first half of the 70th week that are worshipping God in truth, but they will have to make a decision once the abomination of desolation happens.

God will tempt and test them by allowing a great deception of the man of sin coming in his own name to have them follow him instead. He will come with great power and authority and many will follow him because of it. If you think about it that's why many Jews rejected Yeshua at His first coming. They wanted the conquering Messiah to save them from Rome, but they got the suffering Servant who took away the sins of the world instead, meek, lowly and unremarkable in their eyes.

There's a big stigma about Israel's sacrifices being desired by God or not. Many are up in arms over the idea because Christ died once and for all and the sacrifices are no longer needed. While that is true, the sacrifices were never sufficient to enter the "holiest of all," they were foreshadows of the fulfillment in Christ. Hebrews 9 The priests went into the first tabernacle and the high priest went in with blood to the Holy of Holies once a year. These are physical, but the holiest of all is the heavenly Holy of Holies that the model represents and without the blood of the Son of God to atone for our sins, we would never enter that place.

How Ezekiel 40-48 describes the millennial temple and sacrifices, we may just discover that Yeshua will not stop the daily sacrifice in the fourth temple of the millennium. I can't say exactly why aside from it being a memorial and continuation of God's ordinances to Israel. The only difference is that during the millennium, He will not hate their offerings and all the world will pilgrimage there. While I don't fully understand the reasoning behind it, I have to take every part of God's Word seriously. Where I find apparent contradictions, I must search the scriptures more to compare against. Ultimately scripture has answered scripture and a harmony is achieved, I'm just nowhere near understanding it all.