The Time Gap Between Daniel 9.26 and 27
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday December 11, 2013
Daniel: The Time Gap Between Daniel 9:26 and 27
Lesson # 282
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 9:24.
Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” (NASB95)
As we noted in our study of the different interpretive approaches to the seventy weeks prophecy, there is disagreement as to whether or not there is a gap of an indefinite period of time between the completion of the sixty-ninth week and the seventieth.
Also, as we have pointed out, dispensationalism in contrast to other interpretive approaches views Israel’s rejection of her Messiah and His death as taking place after the sixty-ninth week and the completion of the six divine objectives mentioned in verse 24 are left for the seventieth week.
Those who argue that the seventieth week follows immediately after the sixty-ninth week historically apply the divine objectives in verse 24 to the church, which they then view as the new Israel.
However, adherents to dispensationalism which strictly adheres to the literal method of interpreting prophecy recognize a distinction between God’s program for the church and His program for Israel.
Thus, dispensationalists view the fulfillment of the seventieth week is yet future.
Replacement theology or a some call it “supersessionism” is based on two major premises: (1) the nation of Israel has somehow completed or forfeited its status as the people of God and will never again possess a unique role or function apart from the church; and (2) the church is now the true Israel that has permanently replaced or superseded national Israel as the people of God.
Michael J. Vlach lists several variations of supersessionism, i.e. replacement theology: (1) punitive or retributive: This emphasizes that God has rejected Israel for her disobedience and punishment by God as the reason for its displacement as the people of God. (2) economic: This view teaches that Israel is replaced by the church because her role in the history of redemption expired with the coming of Jesus and the establishment of the church. (3) structural: This view is a hermeneutical approach and refers to the narrative logic of the standard model whereby it renders the Hebrew Scriptures largely indecisive for shaping Christian convictions about how God’s works as Consummator and as Redeemer engage humankind in universal and enduring ways and thus ignores or removes the Hebrew Scriptures of the OT from having a voice. (The Master’s Seminary Journal, volume 20, number 1, pages 59-64)
Therefore, replacement theology or supersessionism contends that the nation of Israel has absolutely no future whatsoever in the plan of God.
Now, those who adhere to this view believe there will be a future “salvation” of Israel, but this salvation does not mean a “restoration” of Israel.
The difference between a salvation of Israel and a restoration of that nation is that salvation means simply that many Jews will believe in Christ and be saved while on the other hand restoration involves Israel being replanted in Palestine and given a role and mission to the nations.
A restoration of Israel means that the nation will have a role and a place of prominence that is not shared with any other group including the church.
Dispensationalists accept both concepts and believe Israel as a nation will be saved and they also believe Israel will be restored to a place of prominence among the nations.
Now, some supersessionists do not believe in either a salvation or restoration of Israel while some believe in a salvation of Israel but do not believe in a restoration of that nation.
No supersessionists believe in a restoration of Israel and is the major factor that distinguishes them from dispensationalists.
Therefore, dispensationalists view a prophetic postponement of the seventieth week or in other words they view there being a time gap between the fulfillment of the sixty-ninth week and the seventieth.
Those who argue against a time gap contend that there are no gaps in the fulfillment of prophecy.
However, it is clear from Scripture that the prophetic postponement of the seventieth week is in agreement with many passages in the Old Testament which reveal the two advents of Christ.
There is clearly a time gap and postponement in the fulfillment of prophecies pertaining to the second advent of Christ.
Randall Price has an excellent comment and writes “The revelation of a prophetic postponement in the fulfillment of the eschatological aspect of the messianic program is in harmony with numerous passages in the Old Testament that reveal the two advents of Christ (e.g.. Gen. 49:10-12; Deut. 18:16; 2 Samuel 7:13-16; Isa. 9:1-7; 11:1-2, 11; 52:13-59:17-21; 61:1-11, cf. Lk. 4:16-19; cf. 7:22; Zeph. 2:13-3:20; Zech. 9:9-10; Joel 2:28; cf. Acts 2:17; Mic. 5:2-15; Psalm 2:7-8, cf. Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5; Psalm 22:1-32; Psalm 34:14, 16; Mal. 3:1-3; 4:5-6; 53:10a, 11). Daniel's concern is with his People (vss. 20, 24; cf. 12:1) and the restoration that Jeremiah predicted would come after the seventy year exile (Jer. 25:11-12; cf. 2 Chron. 36:21). Jeremiah's prophecy of restoration (Jer. 30-33), like the prophecies of Isaiah (Isa. 40-66) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 33-48) included predictions of both immediate (post-exilic) restoration and future (eschatological) restoration. The post-exilic prophets understood this distinction, realizing that though they were enjoying a restoration under EzraZerubbabel, the complete nationalspiritual restoration had been delayed for the future. This is seen, for example, in one of the signal events of restoration - the rebuilding of the Temple (Hag. 2:3-9).”
Another important factor in the favor of the dispensationalists view that God’s program for the church is distinct from His program for Israel and that there is a time gap between the fulfillment of the sixty-ninth and seventieth week is that they view the church as a mystery.
This means that the church age was not known to Old Testament prophets like Daniel.
In relation to the Greek New Testament, the noun musterion referred to Bible doctrine that was never revealed to Old Testament saints but was revealed through the Spirit to the church.
It referred to God’s set of instructions for the church age believer, which were not known to Old Testament saints.
In Colossians 1:24-2:3, Paul taught that the indwelling of Christ in church age believers is a mystery not known to Old Testament saints.
It was a mystery that the Gentiles would be “fellow heirs with Christ” (Ephesians 3:4-6).
Ephesians 3:1-13 teaches that it was a mystery that the Gentiles through faith in Christ would become fellow heirs with Jewish believers, fellow members of the body of Christ and fellow partakers of the four unconditional covenants of promise to Israel.
In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul taught that the eternal union between church age believers and the Lord Jesus Christ is also described by Paul as a “mystery.”
The resurrection of the church is a mystery (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
In Romans 16:25, “mystery” refers to the plan of salvation for both Jew and Gentiles and is now fully revealed during the church age by the Spirit through the apostles to the church, which was not fully known to the Old Testament prophets of Israel.
The content of this mystery is Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection for both Jew and Gentile.
Another factor in favor of the dispensationalist interpretation and their view that the church is not the new Israel is that they recognize that the unconditional nature of the covenants to Israel make clear that there is still a future for the nation of Israel and the church is by no means the new Israel.
The four great unconditional covenants to Israel: (1) Abrahamic deals with the race of Israel (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:16; 22:15-18). (2) Palestinian is the promise of land to Israel (Gn. 13:15; Num. 34:1-12). (3) Davidic deals with the aristocracy of Israel (2 Sam. 7:8-17) (4) New deals with the future restoration of Israel during the millennium (Jer. 31:31-34).
Replacement theology is refuted by the nature of the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants, which are all unconditional meaning that their fulfillment is not based upon the faithfulness of Israel but rather they are based on the faithfulness of God.
The unconditional nature of the promises of these four covenants means that Israel’s unbelief throughout human history does not nullify or negate or stop them from being fulfilled.
Therefore, the church can not possibly replace Israel because God always sets aside a remnant of Jewish believers throughout history based on His faithfulness to the unconditional promises
He made to Israel in the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants.
There are several major factors which support the view that there is a time gap between the fulfillment of the sixty-ninth week and the seventieth.
First, the six divine objectives which appear in Daniel 9:24 must be fulfilled within the seventy weeks.
However, these have emphatically not been fulfilled historically.
For instance, the objective of anointing the most holy place has not taken place within the 490 years.
The holy place was destroyed in Daniel 9:26 but then in Daniel 9:27 we see it rebuilt since sacrifices were allowed under the “firm covenant.”
However, this temple does not presently exist.
Therefore, one must see a future fulfillment during the seventieth week in Daniel 9:27, which thus necessitates a time gap, which corresponds to the church age as we noted.
A second major factor supporting a time gap is that Daniel 9:26 says that the Messiah will be cut off after the sixty-nine weeks and not during the seventieth week.
Thirdly, the “he” in Daniel 9:27 refers to “the prince who is to come” in Daniel 9:26, if one follows the rules of grammar which would support the view that the nearest antecedent for the “he” in verse 27 is “the prince who is to come” in Daniel 9:26.
Connected to this third point, is that if the “he” in Daniel 9:27 is the Messiah, then one cannot reconcile the fact that the temple sacrifices continued until 70 A.D. over thirty years after the crucifixion of Christ.
Furthermore, the “he” in Daniel 9:27 breaks the covenant.
At what point did Christ make a covenant with the Jews and then broke it?
There is nothing in the New Testament which would even suggest this.
Another major factor which supports the time gap is that the events mentioned in the last three and a half years of Daniel 9:27 fit perfectly with the events described in the book of Revelation.
Furthermore, if the first sixty-nine weeks have been literally fulfilled in history, then we would expect the seventieth week to be as well.
Of course we have not seen a literal fulfillment in history of the seventieth week.
We have not seen a Roman dictator make a seven-year treaty with Israel and then break it in the middle of this seven year period.
Nor, have we seen in history a Roman dictator put a stop to the sacrifices in the temple.
In fact, no temple is standing in Israel today.
However, Christ’s first advent and presentation of Himself to the nation of Israel as her king has taken place literally in history as recorded in the gospels and thus fulfilling literally Daniel 9:25.
We have also seen the fulfillment of Daniel 9:26 and the cutting off of the Messiah after this presentation, which is recorded in the gospels.
Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Romans as predicted in Daniel 9:26.
Thus, it follows that if Daniel 9:25-26 were fulfilled literally in history, then we can expect the same for Daniel 9:27.