Daniel 9.24b-The First Three Divine Objectives of the Seventy Sevens
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday January 7, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 9:24b-The First Three Divine Objectives of the Seventy Sevens
Lesson # 284
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.” (NASB95)
“To finish the transgression” is composed of the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) “to” and its object is the verb kā·lā(h) (כָּלָה) (kaw-law´), “finished” which is followed by the noun pě·šǎʿ (פֶּשַׁע) (peh´-shah), “the transgression.”
The verb kā·lā(h) means “to finish, to bring to an end” in the sense of bringing a process to completion referring to a forcible cessation of an activity and always points to a complete stop and not a mere hindrance to something.
Here in Daniel 9:24, the verb kā·lā(h) is used with the noun pě·šǎʿ, which means “the transgression” and thus, the word speaks of bringing to completion the transgression, which is a reference to the corporate rebellion of Israel.
The preposition lĕ is prefixed to the infinitive construct form of this verb and governs it and is functioning as a marker of purpose indicating that the first purpose of the seventy sevens or weeks (490 prophetic years) is to bring to end or to finish the transgression.
The noun pě·šǎʿ means “rebellion” referring to the corporate apostasy of the nation of Israel and refers to the unrepentant disobedience of the majority of Jews in the nation of Israel since Gabriel has told Daniel that the seventy sevens or 490 prophetic years are related to his people, the Jews and his holy city, Jerusalem.
Specifically, the word describes this sin as “rebellion” against God since the word is speaking of willful rejection of God’s authority or in other words intentional disobedience on the part of the nation of Israel.
“To make an end of sin” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), which is not translated and followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) “to” and its object is the verb ḥā·ṯǎm (חָתַם) (khaw-tham´), “make an end of” and then we have the noun ḥǎṭ·ṭā(ʾ)ṯ (חַטָּאת) (khat-taw-aw´), “sin.”
The basic meaning of the root of this verb ḥā·ṯǎm is “to seal” and can also convey the idea of “closing” something up, “sealing” it securely to prevent tampering or accessibility.
However, here in Daniel 9:24 the verb means “to seal” but in the sense of ending something or bringing something to a successful conclusion, thus, many translations simply render the word “to put an end to” (NET, ESV, NIV, NLT).
So this word expresses the idea of sealing something up for the purpose of bringing to an end the corporate sin of Israel.
The preposition lĕ is prefixed to the infinitive construct form of ḥā·ṯǎm and governs it and is functioning as a marker of purpose indicating that the second purpose of the seventy sevens or weeks (490 prophetic years) is to put an end to sin.
The noun ḥǎṭ·ṭā(ʾ)ṯ is in the singular and means “sin” referring to an offense against a particular standard, which in our context refers to the nation of Israel as a corporate unit committing an offense against the Mosaic Law.
“To make atonement for iniquity” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), which is not translated and followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) “to” and its object is the verb kā·p̄ǎr (כָּפַר) (kaw-far´), “make atonement for” which is followed by the noun ʿā·wōn (עָוֹן) (aw-vone´), “iniquity.”
The verb kā·p̄ǎr means “to cover” over something or to expiate expressing the idea of reconciliation.
Most translations render the word “to atone, to make atonement” for iniquity.
Here in Daniel 9:24 the verb kā·p̄ǎr means “to atone in the sense of covering something so thoroughly and completely that it is no longer in sight, thus to expiate.”
The preposition lĕ is prefixed to the infinitive construct form of kā·p̄ǎr and governs it and is functioning as a marker of purpose indicating that the third purpose of the seventy sevens or weeks (490 prophetic years) is to atone for iniquity.
The noun ʿā·wōn refers to sin describing it as iniquity in the sense of it being wickedness and wrongdoing with emphasis upon volitional responsibility and guilt for a wrong incurred and is also used in a collective sense referring to the sum of a collection of sins.
Here the word is used of the corporate sin of the nation of Israel and describes this sin as iniquity or wickedness.
Daniel 9:24 “Seventy units of seven years have been decreed for the benefit of your people as well as for the benefit of your holy city in order to put an end to the rebellion and in addition to bring sin to an end as well as to atone for iniquity.” (My translation)
Gabriel now proceeds to describe for Daniel the six-fold objectives of the seventy sevens or 490 prophetic years.
The first three deal with the corporate sin of the nation of Israel, which will be brought to an end at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ since at that time their will be a national regeneration of Israel as a result of the majority in Israel exercising faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
This faith appropriates the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Thus, the basis for the first three is the substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The first three objectives will take place on the Day of Atonement which takes at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
The last three deal with the millennial kingdom, which will be established at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
“To put an end to the rebellion” speaks of the corporate rebellion of the nation of Israel against God being brought to an end on the Day of Atonement which will occur at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
This phrase does not refer to the cross of Jesus Christ since the nation of Israel continued to rebel against God after the cross.
However, the cross of Christ is the basis for this rebellion being brought to an end.
Rather it refers to the Day of Atonement which will occur at the Second Advent since at that time the rebellion against God by the nation of Israel will come to an end since at that time there will be a national regeneration in Israel.
“To bring sin to an end” also speaks of the corporate sin of the nation of Israel being brought to an end on the Day of Atonement which again will occur at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
This phrase does not refer to the cross of Jesus Christ since the nation of Israel continued to sin and rebel against God after the cross.
However, the cross of Christ is the basis for Israel’s sin being brought to an end.
Rather it refers to the Day of Atonement occurring at the Second Advent since at that time the corporate sin of Israel will be brought to an end since at that time there will be a national regeneration in Israel.
At the Second Advent the majority in Israel will exercise faith in Jesus Christ for eternal salvation and will be regenerated and receive the forgiveness of their sins.
So at the Second Advent the corporate sin of Israel will be brought to an end.
“To atone for iniquity” is again another reference to the corporate sin of the nation of Israel but this time being atoned for on the Day of Atonement which again will occur at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
This phrase does not refer to the cross of Jesus Christ since the nation of Israel continued to sin and rebel against God after the cross.
However, the cross of Christ is the basis for Israel’s sin being atoned for.
Therefore, this third objective refers to the Day of Atonement which will take place at the Second Advent.
At that time the corporate sin of Israel will be atoned for in the sense that the majority in Israel will exercise faith in Jesus Christ which appropriates the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Therefore, we can see that the first three objectives for the seventy sevens or weeks (490 prophetic years) refers to the corporate or national sin of the nation of Israel being brought to an end on the Day of Atonement which will take place at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
At that time the majority in the nation of Israel will exercise faith in Jesus Christ so as to appropriate His finished work on the cross which He accomplished during His first advent (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 37; Zechariah 12; Romans 11:25-27).
Thus, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross affects the national regeneration and restoration of the nation of Israel.
The implication of these first three objectives is that the seventieth week has yet to take place in history and is still yet future since these three objectives and the last three are all to be fulfilled within the seventy weeks.
At this time in history, the nation of Israel is still in rejection of Jesus Christ and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ has yet to take place.
Another implication which would be obvious to Daniel based upon his knowledge of the Mosaic Law is that God would provide a future sacrifice, which would satisfied the demands of His holiness that sin and sinners be judged.
This sacrifice would be future from Daniel’s perspective in the sixth century B.C. and would deal with the corporate sin of his people.
The sin of his people could never come to an end without a sacrifice to satisfy God’s holiness. In other words, these first three objectives mentioned by Gabriel in Daniel 9:24 could never be accomplished or fulfilled without a sacrifice which would completely satisfied the demands of God’s holiness.
The blood of the animal sacrifices stipulated in the Mosaic Law could not satisfy but only the blood of Christ.