This 70th week of Daniel Bible study will show you that the “prince” in the 70 Weeks of Daniel prophecy was Messiah and the “people of the prince” was the Jews.
The reason this is so very important is that many Pastors teach that it refers to an end-times antichrist.
The framework for the concepts of the pre-tribulation rapture, the 7-year tribulation period, the need for a rebuilt Jewish temple, the antichrist desecrating the temple, and the 3 1/2 years of Great Tribulation; are ALL based on the premise that the prince in Daniel 9:26 is an end-times Antichrist.
What is being taught today about Daniel’s 70th Week is contrary to what has been taught by the top Bible scholars.
Top Bible commentators like Albert Barnes, John Calvin, Adam Clarke, John Gill, Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Wesley and others; all teach that Messiah confirmed the covenant that is referenced in Daniel 9:27, and they all teach that He and His disciples completely fulfilled the 70th Week of Daniel prophecy.
Today’s Pastors teach that the prophetic clock stopped after 69 weeks and that the 70th week is the end times 7 year tribulation period.
The context of the 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy is NOT about the end-times.
The context of the passage is about Daniel’s people, the Jews, who were due to be released from Babylonian captivity, and Daniel had been praying about their future.
In the passage, Elohim told Daniel (through His angel) that He was giving the Jews one last chance to repent of their sins, to reconcile with Him, and to prepare for their coming Messiah, who would arrive in the 70th week of the prophecy. And if they did not repent, reconcile with Elohim and accept the Messiah; He would cause them to be desolated by the Roman army which would come against them.
To understand the context of the prophecy, read the complete chapter of Daniel 9.
Daniel 9:25 tells us that Messiah the Prince will arrive to be anointed.
“Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.”
The word Prince in the Hebrew is nagiyd (5057 in Strong’s), which can mean a commander (as occupying the front), civil, military or religious; generally (abstractly, plural), honorable themes:—captain, chief, excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.
We know that nagiyd refers to the promised Messiah.
The focus of this study is Daniel 9:26-27.
“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
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.“
In verse 26, where it says “and the people of the prince” the word prince is again nagiyd, telling us that it is the same person as the previous verse.
Scripture should be interpreted literally unless it is evident that a symbolic interpretation is warranted by the text.
It is telling us that Messiah (the prince mentioned in the previous verse) will send people to destroy the city and the sanctuary, to desolate the Jews who rejected Him as their Messiah.
Messiah called Himself “the ruler over the kings of the earth,” and that would include the Romans.
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 1:5
Many people say that the prince is Prince Titus, who commanded the three divisions of the Roman army which desolated the temple, city and Jews; but ultimately it was Messiah who caused Titus and the Roman army to carry out this task.
Here’s a brief explanation of how this prophecy was fulfilled:
The Romans were the enemy of the Jews and an abomination to them, because of their pagan rituals.
The Roman army surrounded the city, just as Messiah forewarned them in Luke 19:43, “For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side.”
The Roman army standing in the holy place of Jerusalem represented the ‘abomination of desolation,’ fulfilling Luke 21:20, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.”
Followers of Messiah heeded His warning and escaped Judea before the destruction, and there is not one documented death of a Christian by the Romans.
Because the Roman army cut off the food supplies into the city, famines and pestilences killed many people, fulfilling Matthew 24:7, “And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”
The Roman army entered into Jerusalem in mass (with a flood) in 70 A.D., and desolated the city, the temple and the people, fulfilling Daniel 9:26-27.
During the time of great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), also known as the “time of Jacob’s trouble“, 1.1 million Jews died during the war with the Romans; hundreds of thousands from infighting, many from famine and pestilence, 10’s of thousands by crucifixion, and hundreds of thousands by the Roman sword.
As the prophecy of Daniel’s 70th week foretold, those that accepted the Messiah escaped the judgment, and those that rejected Him were desolated.
The prophecy was completely fulfilled and matches up with Messiah’s warnings in the Olivet Discourse.
During Messiah’s triumphant entry, He lamented over Jerusalem.
In Luke 19:41-44, Messiah and His disciples approached Jerusalem and He told them that the Jews enemies would surround them, and level them and the temple.
“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
“In this your day” and the “time of your visitation” refer back to Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy, which told them exactly what year the Messiah would arrive.
Yet “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10
In Matthew 23, Messiah condemned the Scribes and Pharisees and told them that all of the righteous blood that they had shed would come on them.
“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ “
They “filled up the measure of their Father’s guilt” when they delivered Messiah up to be crucified and when they killed the prophets Messiah sent to them.
The Parable of the Landowner told the Jewish leaders that they would be destroyed.
In Matthew 21:33-46, Messiah told the ‘Parable of the Landowner‘ who leased his vineyard to the vinedressers, but when he sent to gather the harvest, they killed his messengers and then his son.
Messiah then asked the Jewish leaders, “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.”
The Father gave them every opportunity to bear fruit for His kingdom, but they killed His prophets and His Son, so He desolated them with the Roman army.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast foretold that Messiah would send an army to destroy the Jews and Jerusalem.
Matthew 22:1-7 says, “And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ‘ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”
Messiah’s New Covenant was offered to the house of Israel and the house of Judah, as promised in Jeremiah 31:31, but many rejected Messiah and had Him crucified.
Then they killed His disciples, as Messiah had foretold.
The father’s vengeance for all of the righteous blood came upon this generation, and Messiah had the Roman army destroy them and burn up Jerusalem.
Messiah foretold the time of Jacob’s trouble in His Olivet Discourse and told His disciples what sign to look for and how to escape the coming judgment.
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ ; Daniel 12:11 spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Matthew 24:15
Luke 21:20-21 clarifies what the abomination of desolation was. “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 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.”
The abomination was the detestable enemies of the Jews, the Romans; who would surround Jerusalem, and stand in the holy land to make the place a ‘desolation‘.
Most of the warnings in Messiah’s Olivet Discourse were fulfilled in 70 AD, not in the end times.
The context of “those who are in Judea” confirms that prophecy applied to the time of Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 A.D., not the end times. He was warning His disciples who were in Judea.
The context of “pray that your flight is not on the Sabbath” does not apply to the end times, as there are no prohibitions regarding the Sabbath.
But the Jewish rulers would have impeded the saints from escaping on the Sabbath, because they had so many rules.
Luke 21:24 confirms the context of Messiah’s Olivet Discourse.
“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.”
This matches Daniel 9:26-27,
“The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
It’s telling us that there is a determined period of time that the Roman army (gentiles) will desolate the Jews.
Daniel 12 gives us more details about the “time of the Gentiles.” It says that it will be for a total of 1,335 days, which was fulfilled as the Roman army surrounded the city in 66 A.D. and then completed their siege in 70 A.D. You can read more about the 1,335 day timeline by reading the Daniel 12 Desolation Fulfillment study
The ‘people of the prince‘ in Daniel 9:26 was the Jews.
“..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.”
So the ‘prince‘ in the 70th week of Daniel is NOT an end-times antichrist.
And since it does not apply to an end-time Antichrist, the foundation for the 7-year tribulation is invalid.
Because of the Jews abominations against Elohim, He made them desolate.
Because of all of the Jews abominations, including delivering Messiah up to be killed, and then killing His disciples, Messiah poured out His wrath on the Jews, through the Roman army.
When Matthew recorded the words “And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” in Matthew 24:3, he no doubt understood “Jesus coming” as meaning His coming in vengeance against the Jews, through the Romans, to end the “latter days” age of the Jewish kingdom.
The “latter days” refers to the time period that occurred when the Jews were released from Babylon in 457 B.C. to 70 A.D when the city, temple and people were desolated.
The Roman army desolated the people and the city.
Matthew 24:21 warned them “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
This the time of Jacob’s Trouble.
Historians record that none of the wicked Jews (who rejected Messiah and who slew the messengers He sent to them) understood what was coming.
Up to the very day of the capture of the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D., they were deceived by false prophets, and were fatuously looking for a miraculous intervention on their behalf. But abundant documentation reveals that before the destruction of Jerusalem, all the Christians inside the city were able to flee to the mountains and found refuge. Not one Christian perished in the siege, because they saw the sign that Messiah revealed to them.
The Roman army surrounded the city causing death by famine and disease.
The Jews granaries and storehouses of food were destroyed, and supply lines into the city were cut off. Under pressure of the famine many Jews went out at night into the valleys in search of food. Hundred of Jews were caught every day, tortured and crucified in sight of those on the walls of the city.
The number became so great that there was not enough crosses for the victims, so several were often nailed to one cross.
Jewish infighting led to 100’s of thousands of deaths.
Murders by the Zealots and Idumeans led to 100’s of thousands of deaths, and all of that occurred before the Roman army entered the city. Josephus relates the case of one prominent man who, because of the ‘great tribulation‘ happening all around, and in order to save his family from a worse fate, killed first his father and mother with the sword–they willingly submitting–and afterwards his wife and children, finally taking his own life.
The Roman army killed 100′s of thousands of Jews by the sword.
Before the Roman army invaded Jerusalem, Titus sent Josephus to speak to the Jews, offering them clemency, and exhorting them to yield.
Josephus made a most earnest plea to them not to resist the might of Rome, pointing out that Elohim was no longer with them. But it was to no purpose. The Jews detested the Romans. And they believed that they would be saved.
Titus sought to preserve the beautiful temple, but the Romans soldiers were so enraged at the Jews, that they pushed all of the stones of the temple down, fulfilling Messiah words. According to Josephus the city was so up-heaved and dug up that it was difficult to believe it had ever been inhabited.
A total of 1.1 million Jews died, and 97,000 Jews were taken captive and sold as slaves, fulfilling Luke 21:24.
Some were put into bonds and sold to slavery in the Egyptian mines, thus fulfilling several prophecies that they should be sold into Egypt again, from which the Father had delivered them.
The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans is a complete fulfillment of the prophecy.
These passages clearly reveal that “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, by the armies of Titus. Why then should we ignore an obvious historical fulfillment and expect a fulfillment in the future, for which there is no proof?
People argue that since the Romans didn’t desolate the temple in the 70th week, then it wasn’t fulfilled. But the prophecy does not say that the desolation would happen during the 70th week.
Daniel 9:24 gives the list of things that would be fulfilled during the 70 weeks:
“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.“
Messiah’s sacrificial death as the Lamb of Elohim and His resurrection, paid the price for their transgressions and sins; it reconciled believers to the Father; it gave believers everlasting righteousness in Messiah; it ended the Mosaic law and fulfilled all of the prophecies; and it anointed Messiah as their High Priest, who is the corner stone of the spiritual temple of Elohim.
70th week of Daniel Prince deception summary
As you can see, the people of the prince to come that is prophesied in Daniel 9:26 was fulfilled when Messiah sent the Roman army to desolate the Jews who had rejected Him.
This completely invalidates the framework for an end-times Antichrist desolating a rebuilt Jewish temple.
And along with it, it invalidates the concepts of the 7-year tribulation period, the need for a rebuilt Jewish temple, the antichrist desecrating the temple and his 3 1/2 years of Great Tribulation. And if there is no 7-year tribulation period, then the pre-tribulation rapture concept is proven to be a myth. For an in-depth Bible study on the rapture, click on The Pretribulation Rapture Myth.
Friend, I don’t know about you, but when the Spirit revealed these truths to me, it broke my heart, as I had been led astray for so many years.
My heart grieves every time I hear a Pastor teaching the wrong interpretation of the 70th Week of Daniel, as I realize how many people are blindly trusting them.
It is blasphemy to replace the work of the Messiah, with the Antichrist.
I pray that people learn the truth and repent. I pray that Pastors can humble themselves to read this study and learn Elohim’s truth, so that everyone can see how Satan has deceived us, so that we repent and have revival in the truths of the Messiah.
I pray that you will share this study with everyone you know, because the end is near and Messiah will return soon, and you need to be alert and prepared, instead of deceived.
The Covenant In The 70th Week Of Daniel Is Messiah’s New Covenant
Since the “prince in verse 25 and 26 are both Messiah, verse 27 which says that “he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week” applies to the previous noun, which is Messiah. To see how the covenant is Messiah’s New Covenant, read The Covenant In The 70th Week Of Daniel Is Messiah’s New Covenant
David Nikao Wilcoxson
Next 70th Week Of Daniel Study: Messiah Fulfilled Purposes Of Daniel 9:24
To sum up, you said “As you can see, the people of the prince to come that is prophesied in Daniel 9:26 was fulfilled when Messiah sent the Roman army to desolate the Jews who had rejected Him.”
David, this is incorrect and unbiblical. Here’s why.
1. The true Messiah was ‘cut off’ in the 483rd year when He was crucified. He died, rose and ascended back to heaven in the 483rd year. Not half way through the 487th year as you suggest in order to make this work. He will not return now until the 490th year of the prophecy.
2. The ‘prince to come’ is not the true Messiah, it is the false messiah. The true Messiah was ‘cut off’ at the end of the 69th week or in the 483rd year so how could this still be referring to the true Messiah?
3. The people of the prince to come are simply all who reject Christ’s offer of salvation by grace through faith. People who reject this simple offer of salvation have no faith and are themselves antichrists. It matters not what they destroy they desolate everything but the gospel is still available for them to accept in order to have salvation.
4. Paul said that Israel is blinded but will be saved at the end of the 70th week as mentioned by the apostle Paul and prophesied in Dan 9 particularly in v24. What does it say will happen at the end of the 70 weeks to Israel?
He will finish the transgression with Israel
He will make an end of sins for Israel
He will make reconciliation for iniquity of Israel
He will bring in everlasting righteousness to Israel
He will seal up the vision and prophecy concerning Israel
He will anoint the most Holy.
Interesting to note that in v.24 Daniel says it is ‘HE’ who will do these things at the end of the 70 weeks. They sound like good things to me. It doesn’t say ‘THEY’ will do anything. This prophecy doesn’t depend on them or any man. God will make it happen no matter how unlikely or unusual it might sound. Do these promises that God made to them in v.24 sound like He is going to destroy them as you say?
David you continue to tell me that this website proves how Messiah fulfilled the full 70 week prophecy back 2000 years ago. You say it was Messiah who stopped the sacrifice half way through the 70th week but you can’t back it with scripture.
The true Christ was ‘cut off’ at the end of the 69th week. He will return on the final day. The great day of the Lord. The prince who is to come in Dan 9:26 is the antichrist. The people who are ‘of him’ are simply rejecters of the truth and they desolate everything.. You can twist it, turn it, ignore it all you like but it will not change the facts. The antichrist will rule over this earth during the last 7 years which will be a time of tribulation for Israel, otherwise known as Jacobs trouble. The Lord Jesus will return and overthrow him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of His coming right at the very end of that seven years which will complete the 490 year period and the prophecy will then be fulfilled.
Well Tim, I have patiently shared my perspective; but it seems that you have nothing to learn from me; so I am not going to continue this discussion. Time will tell how the 70th week of Daniel was fulfilled. Keep learning and growing in the faith! David
Thanks David. You have done a lot of work here so I’ll stay off commenting. I’m happy to chat any time, feel free to email me if things ever change.
Can u both be right if this was fullfilled can it have a fullfilment again
The 70th week of Daniel pointed to the promised Messiah, not the antichrist, so no it won’t be fulfilled again. The verses have absolutely nothing to do with the antichrist and the end times. They are about the promised Messiah, who the Jews rejected and delivered up to be killed, and their just punishment was the desolation of their temple and city, by the Roman army.
In Matt. 24:29 it says, “immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven be shaken,and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.
If the “tribulation of those days” were just the Romans under Titus destroying invading Jerusalem this verse wouldn’t make much sense. I would like your thoughts. Thanks
In prophecy; the sun, moon and stars; are symbolic of earthly dignitaries, great political authorities and great lights in the political or religious heavens.
We know this because in Genesis 37:8-10, Joseph had a dream, ..”And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me. So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” It was symbolic of the power structure.
Here are examples which are clearly not about the literal sun, moon and stars.
Isaiah 13:10 is referring to the Babylonian leaders being removed from power by the Medo-Persians. “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.“
Isaiah 13:17 confirms this with, “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,”
Isaiah 34:3-5 foretold the destruction of the Edomites and other nations which were enemies. “Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.”
Ezekiel 32:6-8 points to the Babylonians desolating Egypt, removing the Pharaoh (Sun) and his leaders (moon) from power. “I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee. And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.”
Applying the symbols to Matthew 24:29, we can see that the Jewish leaders having their power structure removed, is clearly indicated. As a result of the ‘people of the prince‘ of Daniel 9, the Roman army of Prince Titus; the temple and Jewish leadership system were desolated in 70 A.D.
Here’s a study that provides more information. http://theolivetdiscourse.com/the-sun-moon-and-stars-of-matthew-24-29/
David, actually pretty well presented. If people would start looking at prophesy from the destruction of the temple and work backwards, they’d see Daniel fulfilled. Here are 2 thoughts for you:
Matt. 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
@ Thess. 2:11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie
Still happening today; the strong delusion.
You and I have a few differences but as a whole, we have both been warning people of the deception of PreTrib Rapture, the absence of a singular antichrist and the destruction of the temple.
The book of Hebrews is the least used book of the Bible by false teachers/teachings.
Stay encouraged brother.
Hi Don, thanks for sharing your insight.
Yeah, you don’t see people reference Hebrews a lot these days; but it has amazing insight about Messiah.
Keep learning and growing in The Way!
David
I have struggled for many years in trying to understand how the antichrist was going to cut off sacrifices in the middle of the seven years. It just didn’t make any sense. Thank you for sharing your insight on this! This makes so much more sense!
But I am a bit confused that you say there is an end to the Mosaic law. Do you mean just the sacrifices part, or the instructions as well?
Thanks – Amy
Thank you for your comment Amy! That’s great that you’re seeing the truth about the 70th week of Daniel.
I don’t believe that I said that there is an end to the Mosaic law, I said that Messiah’s death ended the need for temple sacrifices. All of the sacrifices of the lambs pointed to Him, but they aren’t necessary anymore as Messiah has died for our sins.
That was confirmed by the Father when the temple curtain was torn in two.
I still celebrate the Holy Feast Day of Passover in remembrance of what Messiah did for me, but I don’t have a lamb sacrificed and then eat it. Here’s a study about the feast days and how the enemy hid them. http://comeoutofher.org/the-scriptural-holy-feast-days-were-hidden/
Does that make sense?
David