Gates of the City

The Sum of the Prophecy

Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon the 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. (Daniel 9:24)

Before we get into this chapter, I know some might be wondering that if I am writing about America in scripture, then why would I be going over the various parts of this prophecy, and even some of the previous topics which to some might seem unrelated. Well, the simple answer is that if this prophecy doesn’t speak of the antichrist and a seven-year tribulation, then we need to understand the prophecy in its true intent, as well as the various other subjects previously addressed. Because if we don’t understand them, then we will just continue to be tossed to and fro with every wind of eschatological theology out there that uses this chapter as part of its foundation. That is why we are told that with all our getting of wisdom and knowledge, we must also get understanding. That clarified, let’s continue.

In Daniel’s vision it is revealed in verse 9:24 that six specific things would transpire after “God was manifested in the flesh” by way of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus. 

The first specific thing addressed in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy  was “To finish the transgression.” “Finish,” signifies the bringing in of an effective restraint against the power of sin, so that it might not have dominion over the people of God anymore. This was brought into effect by the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross for the remission of sins and is made available unto all men through the preaching of the power of God unto salvation through the Gospel. Whereupon believing and repenting and through the acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord, their Lord, believers are sanctified through the Spirit, and forgiven through the blood, that they might be empower through the out-pouring of the Holy Ghost upon them so as to walk in a newness of life, a divine life.

Romans 6:1 – What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² No, God forbid. For how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? ³ For know you not, that as so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, that we were thereby baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, then should we be also in the likeness of His resurrection: ⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies  no more; for death has no more dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He lives, He lives unto God. ¹¹ Likewise reckon yourselves also to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹² And let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither yield you the members of your bodies as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴ For sin ought not to have dominion over you for you are not under the law, but are under grace. ¹⁵ What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ¹⁶ Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked, that though you were the servants of sin, you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, ¹⁸ and being then made free from sin you became the servants of righteousness.

The second thing which was specifically mentioned in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy  was to “ make an end of sins,” with chatta’ah being the Hebrew word for sin which we will look at further below. But this phrase, make an end to sin, does not mean an end to “sin” itself. For if that were the case, it would have been accomplished with the first, which was “finish the transgression,” as all sin is but a transgression of God’s law. Rather this phrase, “end of sins” means an end of the sin-offerings, which the Lord Jesus did when He offered His spotless soul and body on the cross, once and for all, as a sin-offering sacrificed unto God upon behalf of all mankind. In so doing, Jesus caused the authority and mandate requiring the animal “sacrifice and oblation to cease” with His own self-sacrifice upon the cross.

So, let’s look at this word <chatta’ah> which means an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender: punishment – (as of sin), purifying, or purification for sin, sin – or sinner,  as related to an offering).

Here are a few examples of where the same Hebrew word in Daniel 9:24 that was translated “sin” was translated elsewhere as “sin offering,” and was translated such a total of 199 times in the Old Testament. This provides us with sound biblical evidence that it would have been suitable for the translators to have so rendered it as well in Daniel 9:24.

Exodus 29:14 – But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shall you burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering <chatta’ah>.

Exodus 29:36 – And you shall offer every day a bullock for a sin offering <chatta’ah> for atonement: and you shall cleanse the altar, when you have made an atonement for it, and you shall anoint it, to sanctify it.

Exodus 30:10 – And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering <chatta’ah>, of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

Leviticus 4:3 – If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering <chatta’ah>.

Leviticus 4:8 – And he shall lift up from it all the fat of the young bull for the sin offering <chatta’ah>; the fat that covers the inward parts, and all the fat on the inward parts

Leviticus 4:20 – And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering <chatta’ah>, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. ²¹ And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: for it is a sin offering <chatta’ah>, for the congregation… ²⁴ And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering <chatta’ah>.  ²⁵ And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering <chatta’ah>, with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering… ²⁹ And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering <chatta’ah>, and slay the sin offering <chatta’ah>, in the place of the burnt offering. ₃₀ And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. ³¹ And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him. ³² And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering <chatta’ah>, he shall bring it a female without blemish.

The third specific thing addressed in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy  was to “make reconciliation (or an atonement) for iniquity,” which Jesus did once and for all, by offering up Himself upon the cross and shedding His blood. As a result, the sacrifices, or the <chatta’ah>, had become wholly unnecessary. Subsequently, to continue offering them would cause one doing so to prophetically “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and to put Him to an open shame,” (Hebrews 6:6).

It is very important to understand that Gabriel was speaking here of the event of the work of the cross, which would bring to an end the necessity of the ceremonial sin-offerings as defined under the law, and not an end to the commission of sin itself by humanity. For some having misunderstood and failing to make this distinction have made two grave errors thereby. One, some say this prophecy cannot be fulfilled until men no longer sin, and two, they completely misinterpret the Apostle Paul’s words below which were written to the believers in Corinth.

2^nd Corinthians 5:21 – For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

I know some will draw back at this statement, but the Lord Jesus Christ never became sin; rather He became a sin-offering “for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Consider Young’s Translation of Isaiah below –

Isaiah 53:4 – Surely our sicknesses He has borne, And our pains, He has carried them, And we have esteemed Him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵ And He is pierced for our transgressions, Bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement of our peace is on Him, And by His bruise there is healing to us. ⁶ All of us like sheep have wandered, Each to his own way have we turned, And Jehovah has caused to meet on Him, The punishment of us all.

Dear reader, Jesus never became sin. He was never anything but holy, “a lamb without spot or blemish.” For even under the Ceremonial Law we see that the sins were imparted to the scape goat and not to the sacrificial lamb.

Leviticus 16:8 – And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. ⁹ And Aaron shall bring the [first] goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. ¹⁰ But the [second] goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and he shall let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness… ¹⁵ Then shall he kill the [first] goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: ¹⁶ And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. ¹⁷ And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he comes out and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. ¹⁸ And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the [first] goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. ¹⁹ And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. ²⁰ And when he has made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the [second] live goat: ²¹ And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the [second] live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the [second] goat, and he shall send him [the second goat] away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: ²² And the [second] goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: for there he shall let go the [second] goat in the wilderness. 

It is noteworthy that the Hebrew word for scapegoat is <`aza’zel>, or “Azazel.” According to Britannica,

“Azazel, in Jewish legends, [is] a demon or evil spirit to whom, in the ancient rite of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), a scapegoat was sent bearing the sins of the Jewish people. Two male goats were chosen for the ritual, one designated by lots “for the Lord,” the other “for Azazel” (Leviticus 16:8). The ritual was carried out by the high priest in the Second Temple and is described in the Mishna. After the high priest symbolically transferred all the sins of the Jewish people to the scapegoat, the goat destined “for Azazel” was driven into the wilderness and cast over a precipice to its death. Azazel was the personification of uncleanness and in later rabbinic writings was sometimes described as a fallen angel.”

While admittedly not a reliable source, Wikipedia says, “In the Bible, the name Azazel appears in association with the scapegoat rite; the name represents a desolate place where a scapegoat bearing the sins of the Jews during Yom Kippur was sent. During the end of the Second Temple period, his association as a fallen angel responsible for introducing humans to forbidden knowledge emerged due to Hellenization, Christian narrative, and interpretation exemplified in the Book of Enoch. His role as a fallen angel partly remains in Christian and Islamic traditions.”

While in the Bible we do not find a fallen angel or demon with the name of Azazel, as stated above, he is mentioned in the Book of Enoch as “a fallen angel. He is a leader of other fallen angels and responsible for evil in the world. He has led so much destruction that the book encourages Jewish readers to ascribe all sin to him. This idea is related to the scapegoat as mentioned above and could be the reason “scapegoat” is translated as Azazel in some translations of the Bible.

“The term Azazel is highly debated but can be identified as another name for Satan. The Azazel goat of Leviticus is sent into the deserted wilderness, representing the people sending their sins back to the place they came from. In both the Bible and the Apocrypha, we find Azazel far from the people and ways of God.”

(SOURCE: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/is-the-fallen-angel-azazel-found-anywhere-in-the-bible.html)

Therefore, to say Jesus became sin is contrary to His eternal divinity, as well as to His incarnation; whereby as a man He became both the justification and righteousness of God, as well as that of all those who believe in Him, while the devil “sinned from the beginning.”

Romans 3:21 – But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ²² Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.

Philippians 3:9 – And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Colossian 2:9, (Montgomery New Testament) – For it is in Christ that all the fullness of deity dwells bodily.

1^st Timothy 3:16 – And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among nations, believed on in the world, and received up into glory.

1^st John 3:8 – He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

2^nd Corinthians 5:21, Oracle Translation – For He has made Him, who knew no sin, a sin-offering for us; that we might become the justified of God, by Him.

The fourth specific thing addressed in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy  was to “bring in everlasting righteousness, or as Commentator Adam Clarke would say, “the righteousness, or righteous ONE, of ages.” As a reference to that person who had been the expectation of faith and the subject of the prophets’ predictions throughout all the ages of the world; beginning with the promise God made to Eve, that she ultimately would bring forth “seed,” and that He would avenge her and with “His” heel would bruise the head of the serpent.

Genesis 3:15 – , And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.

The fifth specific thing addressed in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy  was to “seal up the vision and prophecy. Meaning to “close up” or “complete” the vision and prophecy, to put “an end” to the necessity of any further revelations apart from those given to us by the prophets and apostles, completing the canon of Scriptures. For the same Hebrew word which was translated “end,” as in “make an end of sins,” is the same word which was translated “to seal up.” This too points to Jesus who fulfilled all the prophecies which related to His coming, His person, His sacrifice, and the glory that should follow.

Ephesians 2:18 – For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ¹⁹ Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²² In whom you are also together built for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Hebrews 1:1 – God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, ² Has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; ³ and Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and Who upholds all things by the word of His power, that after He had purged our sins, has sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

2^nd Peter 1:21 – For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 

1^st Peter 1:10 – Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, and who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: ¹¹ Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. ¹² Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us did they minister the things, which are now being reported unto you by them who have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things even the angels desire to look into.

From the three passages of scripture above, we can see that the “prophets” through which “God… spake,” spoke as they “were moved by the Holy Ghost.” And these “prophets… who prophesied” did so by “the Spirit of Christ which was in them.” Peter says this good news continues “by them [the apostles] that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.”

The sixth specific thing addressed in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy was to “anoint the Most Holy,” signifying the consecration or appointment of our blessed Lord Jesus, the Holy One of Israel, to be the Prophet, and Priest, and King of all mankind.

Hebrews 7:18 – For there is a disannulling of the commandment which went before because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. ¹⁹ For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; whereby we now can draw nigh unto God. ²⁰ And inasmuch as not without an oath was He made a priest: ²¹ (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by Him that said unto Him, The Lord has sworn and will not repent, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. ²² Wherefore, by so much more was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. ²³ And truly they were many priests, and that because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: ²⁴ But this man, because He continues ever has an unchangeable priesthood. ²⁵ Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. ²⁶ For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷ Who needs not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then for the people’s: for this He did once when He offered up Himself. ²⁸ For the law made men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, makes the Son our High Priest, who is consecrated for evermore.

Consequently, we see by the scriptures that “there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by which we draw nigh unto God.” These are the six things which the 490 years of Daniel’s seventy weeks point to as going to be fulfilled. However, remember these 490 years were divided into three distinct periods, of which to each specific events were assigned.

• Seven weeks, or 49 years
• Sixty-two weeks, or 434 years
• One week, or 7 years

The first seven-weeks period spoke to the restoration and repairing of the wall and streets of Jerusalem, where we see Ezra and Nehemiah employed in restoring both the sacred constitutions and civil establishments of Israel. This work lasted forty-nine years after the commission was given by Artaxerxes king of Persia. 

Ezra 7:21 – And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, that it be done speedily, ²² Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. ²³ Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? ²⁴ Also we certify to you, that touching any of the priests and Levite singers, or porters, or Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, that it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them. ²⁵ And you Ezra, after the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach them that know them not. ²⁶ And whosoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

By including the second time period of 62 weeks it brings the total to 483 years, at which end thereof the prophecy states “Messiah the Prince” would come. Howbeit, it should be understood that the conclusion of both these periods must take in the ministry of John the Baptist, for Jesus our Lord stated, “The law was until John.”

Matthew 11:13 – For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Many believe “the prophets and the law” were only up until John, but not including John. However, the Greek word <heos> translated “until” is the same word used in the genealogies of Matthew 1:17, “So all the generations from Abraham to <heos> David are fourteen generations; and from David until <heos> the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto <heos> Christ are fourteen generations.” 

Matthew 1:2-6 – ¹Abraham begat ²Isaac; and Isaac begat ³Jacob; and Jacob begat ⁴Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat ⁵Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat ⁶Esrom; and Esrom begat ⁷Aram; And Aram begat ⁸Aminadab; and Aminadab begat ⁹Naasson; and Naasson begat ¹⁰Salmon; And Salmon begat ¹¹Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat ¹²Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat ¹³Jesse; And Jesse begat ¹⁴David…

It is evident that the first period “from Abraham to David” is defined by the inclusion of David, and so it continues as such all the way to Christ which, like David, from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations, and the ministry of John was before Christ – as John was the one in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord.

Isaiah 40:3 – The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Matthew 3:3 – For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight.

John 1:22 – Then they said to him, Who are you so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say of yourself?  ²³ He said, I am “the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said.

Therefore, it would be inappropriate to exclude John the Baptist from these “prophets and the law”  which prophesied “until John,” for they all prophesied until the coming of our Lord, which would mark the beginning of the third period, even the seventieth week of Daniel. It is during this time, that last week or seven-year period, that someone would “confirm the covenant with many for one week.”

However, it is this very last seventieth week which has become known as “the Seven Year Tribulation,” or “the Great Tribulation,” or simply “The Tribulation.” Yet nowhere in regard to this vision does the Angel Gabriel mentioned anything that remotely resembles what has become widely accepted as a world-wide event taking place for a seven-year period or even a three and a half year period, such as the theme in the popular “Left Behind” series. However, Gabriel does mention an “overspreading of abomination” and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:25 – 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: and 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. 

Verses 26 and 27 are where the popular “Seven Year Tribulation” theology takes off by the insertion of an antichrist world leader. This is done by interpreting the “prince” which “shall come [and] shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” as the antichrist. By doing so it has become widely accepted that the antichrist is the same “he” in verse 27 who “shall confirm the covenant.” However, those holding to this interpretation are obligated to contort the phrase “confirming the covenant” into “making a peace treaty” with Israel.

This “peace treaty” will supposedly introduce a temporary solution which brings an end to Israel’s Middle East crisis. There are two problems with this interpretation. First, “make a treaty” and “confirm the covenant” do not mean the same thing. For to “make a treaty” means one is being introduced; while “confirming the covenant” implies reinforcing what has already been established. Second, there are many more Arabs killing Arabs than there are Arabs and Jews killing each other. Grant it, Israel without a doubt is in the heart of the Middle East Crisis, but Israel’s existence is not the sole cause of the instability in the Middle East; sin is.

However, according to this theology sometime before all this can happen, it is asserted that a third Jewish temple MUST be rebuilt, otherwise how can the people of the antichrist destroy what doesn’t presently exist? Then, depending on whom you asked, either the Jews or the antichrist will then reinstitute animal sacrifices in it, and continuing with this theology, later “in the midst of the week,” or after three and a half years into “The Seven Year Tribulation,” the antichrist breaks this theoretical treaty with Israel and then causes the reinstated sacrifice and the oblation to cease and destroys the city and the sanctuary. This supposedly marks the beginning of the last three and a half years which will usher in the worst part of “The Seven Year Tribulation.”

However, let it be clear to all reading that I do not embrace this interpretation as the truth, for Gabriel clearly states the “vision” is about the Jewish people, Israel, Jerusalem, and their Messiah Jesus Christ; God manifested in the flesh. I do however recognize that “the prince that shall come and shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” after Messiah the Prince has been “cut off” will be an altogether different prince than Messiah. For historically it cannot be denied that the Roman General Titus, son of the newly appointed Caesar Vespasian and thus truly a prince, came with his army and did exactly as the Angel Gabriel said. Why then Titus is being so widely disregarded in the present-day interpretation of these verses completely eludes me. Especially when every translation mentioning how after the Messiah is cut off that this other prince comes for the expressed purpose of destroying Jerusalem and the Temple, called the sanctuary or holy place, with other translations recognizing this prince as a ruler or leader of these people who come for that very purpose according to the will of God.

Daniel 9:26 (Youngs Literal Translation), And after the sixty and two weeks, cut off is Messiah, and the city and the holy place are not his, the Leader who has come does destroy the people; and its end is with a flood, and till the end is war, determined are desolations.

 (Modern King James Version), And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not [for] Himself. And the people of the ruler who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And the end of it shall be with the flood, and ruins are determined, until the end shall be war.

 (World English Bible), After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end of it shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined.

But just how does all that dovetail with Revelation 11?

Revelation 11:3 And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy a thousand, two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. ⁴ These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.  ⁵ And if anyone will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone will hurt them, so it is right for him to be killed.  ⁶ These have authority to shut up the heaven, that it may not rain in the days of their prophecy. And they have authority over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. ⁷ And when they complete their testimony, the beast coming up out of the abyss will make war against them and will overcome them and kill them.  ⁸ And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. ⁹ And many of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will see their dead bodies three days and a half, and they will not allow their dead bodies to be put in tombs. ¹⁰ And the ones who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, and will make merry, and will send one another gifts, because these two prophets tormented those living on the earth. ¹¹ And after three days and a half, a spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. And great fear fell on those seeing them. ¹² And they heard a great voice from Heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they went up to Heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. ¹³ And in that hour a great earthquake occurred, and the tenth part of the city fell. And seven thousand names of men were slain in the earthquake. And the rest were frightened and gave glory to the God of Heaven.

So, the question is, just how does all this happen if Jerusalem is destroyed by the antichrist’s army, and consequently, we will look again at this more later in Chapter 17.