Six Promises of Christ to His People and City: Daniel 9:24 (Part 1 of 2)

This is an article written in 2010, written when I was still in Amillennialism. As such it requires a lot of rewriting. But because a lot of this is still, I believe, quite valid – and was the product of much study – I have been wanting for a long time to give this an overhaul and offer it again for your consideration. As always, I am open to comments (cross-examinations and/or kudos equally welcomed. I don’t claim to have finally arrived on all points.)

Six Promises of Christ to His People and City: Daniel 9:24 (Part 1 of 2)

The first correction I make to the original article is the title, which did not include “and city”. But that qualifying phrase is prophetically significant.

There may very well be as many interpretations as there are weeks to this prophecy of Daniel 9:24– 27. While many different views have been around for a number of centuries a sizable consensus of Christianity has agreed that the fulfillment of these six promises were to be achieved through the Messiah - and that they were fulfilled during the century of Christ’s life on earth. That second phrase, although more controversial for some, is borne out by Scripture.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Hebrews concerning Christ, refers to Him as “the Author and Finisher of our faith”, Hebrews 12:2. This prophetical passage before us dwells and details the wonderful steps of those promises, promises given to the Jews and - by His grace-given faith - all of us who have also entered into those same promises, Galatians 3:16; 6:16; 2nd Cor. 1:20. To know this passage and to meditate on its truths can’t help but strengthen our faith and magnify our Redeemer. God’s people are constantly in need of the Living Waters and of the Balm of Gilead.

But the modern futurist and dispensational interpretation tends to downplay this and trade it for fictions that have much to do with Antichrist but little to do (except for the white horse scene at the very end) with Christ.

Certainly, in eternity we will finally enter into the real blessing of being with Christ but, we recognize that much of what others are looking for in the future we already have now. How many of us Preterists, when singing the usual hymns with out futurists friends, have had to mumble other words in those obligatory 4th stanza Jesus-is-coming-soon lines! We finally know that much of the supposed future comfort is or ought to be a present possession. The Blessed Hope is not a transient event, but a Person who reigns right now. And because He reigns we overcome, as salt and light. And as soldiers in the Good Fight. Not heading for our mental bunkers.

All of this becomes much more a reality for us when we take these six promises in Daniel 9 to heart, studying how Christ has fulfilled every one for our benefit and application.

Here is the text that we need to study:

“Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish [“restrain”] 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.”

“Seventy weeks” = one unit = 490 years. This was dealt with earlier. If I can convince you what the six foretold events here are, and to Whom they refer, the timing will take care of itself.

These are the six actions that Christ has brought about:

1. Restrain transgression.
2. Make an end for sins.
3. Make reconciliation for iniquity.
4. Bring in everlasting righteousness.
5. Seal up the vision and prophecy.
6. Anoint the Most Holy.

Gabriel comes to Daniel in answer to his prayer. Actually the angel’s answer is even larger than the prophet’s prayer. (This reminds of Eph. 3:20-21 and Romans 8:26). Daniel had asked for understanding of the two visions (Dan. 7 and 8, respectively) in light of his finally understanding from Jeremiah that the Captivity must soon come to an end.

Daniel asked for clarity on the physical captivity of his people. The angel, exceeding his expectations, declared also the release of the people of God from spiritual captivity.

This is now the second time that Gabriel appeared to Daniel. In the previous chapter, two years earlier, he had given understanding concerning the earlier kingdoms and the destruction of Solomon’s Temple as well as the times afterward. An instructive compare/contrast study would be the two temple judgments in these two chapters, Dan. 8 and 9. There are similarities and differences. In Dan. 8:13 we read of that earlier temple’s “transgression of desolation”. That earlier desolation, severe as it was, was not permanent. After a period of about six and a third years the temple was finally cleansed, v. 14.
However, the judgment of the temple mentioned in Daniel 9, Herod’s Temple, faced permanent destruction, which the Messiah later referred to as the “abomination of desolation”, Matt. 24:15, which had an “end with a flood”, Dan. 9:26 – 27. 1


One reason the verses in Daniel 9 are often misunderstood is because they are plucked out, without regard for the clarifying context of the previous chapters of like theme, in this case, Daniel chapters 2, 7, and 8. Each of these chapters deal with the same trials afflicted on the people of God. 2



I realize this is a lot of preambling to the main point here but I think it is important background.

His People, His City
When we read this passage we should remember that the response of Gabriel, first of all, has reference to the concerns of Daniel – to his people, city (mentioned six times in his prayer), and sanctuary. Of course we, by faith and gracious inheritance, enter also into these promises, but there is a danger when Christians rush to the universal application, forgetting context. To understand the recipients and context of the passage helps to nail down both application and timeline.

The first three events promised in Daniel were of things to be removed, taking care of a negative situation – our sin. For God to do His work, He must first rectify the mess we have made. This reminds us of God’s mission for the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 1:10):

“See, I have this day set you [speaking to the prophet] …
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down.
To build and to plant.”
While it is important to see ourselves in this passage in Daniel 9 it is just as important to see the antecedents: the transgression of Daniel’s people and city and people, v.11, and going back to the arch-transgression in the Garden.
To Finish THE Transgression
Notice that it is “THE transgression”, not transgression in general. This likely points to a single instance of transgression. Daniel had indeed confessed that “all Israel have transgressed your Law” but I think that the angel’s reference to transgression, while encompassing Daniel’s concern, also points back to the sin of Adam. The transgression of the first Adam was ended by the obedience of the Second Adam. And that, of course, was how the transgression was finished. Romans 5:12 – 19 brings this out. Verses 12, 15, and 18-19 summarize this point pretty well:

12. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
15. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
18. Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
19. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

And Paul in 1st Corinthians 15:21-22 writes in the same vein:
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

And in verse 45 he strengthens the connection, identifying Christ as the “last Adam”.

It should be obvious with a careful reading of these six promises that they all have their fulfillment in that period. There is no gap. This plain reading is very often ignored by many futurists. But it is also overlooked by a number of Preterists, Partial and especially all too many Full Preterists.

Continued below

 

To Make an End of Sins

Many of us older folks remember the first Gulf War and the televised images of oil wells in the Gulf region burning almost out of control. The smoke from the burning could be seen clearly from space. I say “almost” out of control, because, though it took awhile, every one of those fires was extinguished.

The point is this: The method used to extinguish those fires illustrates the first and second of these prophesied events:

1. First the fires had to be capped. It would be ridiculous to put out fires while they were still being fed at the source, while fuel was still pouring out. So the firefighters stopped the fire, by means of a momentary explosion, arrested the pouring out of fuel (both liquid and oxygen). They then capped the well before it could re-ignite.

This is what Jesus did. First he took care of sin (singular) at its source. As far as we are concerned, He capped sin. This is the principle of sin, and Satan as the arch Fire-Starter. In Christ’s perfect life, death on the Cross and resurrection we have the strong man overcome by the Stronger Man (Mark 3:27, Luke 11:21– 22), Satan bound (Rev. 20:1- 3). He triumphed openly over him by the Cross (Col. 2:13- 15). This is that “shutting up” of transgression.

2. Then the individual fires (plural) could be put out. The Gulf War firefighters may not have used foam, but I will use it for this part of the illustration, since it fits the Hebrew word used here fairly well. (KJV “make an end of”) really means “to cover up” – and because it is covered up, to hide from view. (Song of Sol. 4:12 is a good example). This is where God casts our sins behind His back because of Christ’s death for us. This happened only at Calvary and will never be repeated. Once again – it did not happen at AD 70 nor will it some time in the future.

I suspect that, like in the previous clause, a definition is forced into the words, and not drawn out of the words. And, like in the previous clause, the assumption is that this clause (“make an end of sins”) is referring to the end times, and not to the times of Christ, since clearly, sin has not been made an end of. No, that is true: Sin still exists to afflict, at times, the best of Christians – yet they are covered up. That is why the saint doesn’t lose his salvation by an act of sin. For that matter, that is also why Old Testament saints like David did not lose theirs. Psalm 32:1.
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

John Owen says this about this part of Daniel 9:24:

“And the most proper sense of the word [CHATHAM] is “to cover or conceal,” and thence “seal,” because thereby a thing is hidden…Now, to hide sin or transgression, in the Old Testament, is to pardon it, to forgive it. As, then, the former expression (KALA) respected the stop that was put to the power and progress of sin by the grace of the gospel, as Titus 2:11, 12, so does this the pardon and removal of the guilt of it by the mercy proclaimed and tendered in the gospel.”

To Make Reconciliation for Iniquity
We now come to the third event of Christ’s ministry for His people. We are told in this passage that He will come “to make reconciliation for iniquity”. This reconciliation had occurred at the cross. This is when reconciliation was effected, by the perfect life and sinless death of the God-man, Christ Jesus, the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God. Because there was (is) no blemish in His sacrifice, or fault in His life of demonstrated holiness, we too, who believe in Christ’s sacrifice for us, are totally accepted in Christ (Eph. 1:6).

“Reconciliation” means to “hide”, “cover” or “pardon”. This is what God does with our sins in view of Christ’s payment for them. It is not as though, strictly speaking they cease to exist. We are pardoned because of the peace attained for us by Christ (Eph. 2:14- 22; especially verses 13- 17). Christ is our peace. Matthew Henry writes:

“He is not only the peace-maker, but the peace. He is the atonement.”

He is our reconciliation, our ongoing means of acceptance with God. This prophesied reconciliation is not only found here in Dan. 9, but was promised as far back as Genesis 3:15, when our first parents were first encouraged with the good news of a coming Savior.

Where else do we read of this reconciliation that we have through Christ Jesus? Here are just some of the many verses that could be quoted:

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. - Rom. 5:11

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; - 2 Cor. 5:18

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. - Col. 1:20

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. - Heb. 2:17

Think of it! How greatly this doctrine magnifies Jesus Christ, our great High Priest! Approaching the altar as the Priest without blemish He presented the perfect sacrifice – Himself! Who among the godliest of the Old Testament Priests could have foreseen that they were, in their persons and vocation, types of such an astounding act of God? Christ is the High Priest who puts an end to all other priests – and to the Levitical priesthood altogether. Jesus Christ was at the same time “Priest of the most high God” (Heb. 7:1), “holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners” (verse 26) and the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), both sacrificer and sacrifice, pure and unblemished.

Continued below

 

The next phrase (“bring in everlasting righteousness”) is a positive statement of what is here stated negatively. The two phrases go together. In fact, some see these next three events as being chiastic to the first three. A chiasm is an inverted structure that God’s Word often uses, as in ABCCBA. But I am not sure, however, if there truly is a chiasm here.

GENERAL COMMENTS ON THE FINAL THREE EVENTS
These last three prophesied events confirm the Messiah as Priest, Prophet and King:

1. His Priesthood is shown by his bringing in everlasting righteousness. He did this by living a righteous – perfect – life, and by being the spotless Lamb, sacrificed for our sin. His death, as well as His life, pleads for us. Charles Wesley expresses it well:

“Five bleeding wounds He bears,
Sustained on Calvary.
They pour effectual prayers.
They strongly plead for me,”.

What has this to do with “everlasting righteousness”? Everything. It is at the Cross that Christ is able to be, as our Perfect Priest 2, “both just and justifier of him who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). In Christ we are declared righteous by imputation so that we can be increasingly righteous in experience. This is having “Christ formed in us”.

2. His office as Prophet is shown by his sealing up of vision and prophecy. God spoke before to us in various ways, but from the time of the unveiling of the Gospel He has now spoken to us through the Son. Christ is the Prophet who puts an end to all prophets and prophecy (Heb. 1:1- 2).

3. His Kingship is shown by his anointing of the Most Holy. Some versions imply that the anointing is of the most holy PLACE, yet that word is not in the original. Textually, either “place” or “person” is a possible recipient of “anoint”. Scripturally, I believe the case is much stronger for a person, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ .

This will have to do for now. But please notice that these blessed events all happen through the agency of Christ fulfilling His Messianic mission. They all happened at the Cross. All six of these tremendous benefits for saints everywhere – because the city and people of Daniel’s concern have now expanded worldwide – these can all be nailed down at Calvary, all six of them. There are no loose ends that require fulfillment in AD 66 or 70 or – God forbid – way off in our future.

More later.


Note
1. A good side-study is the question of why the first temple was not abominated. The answer is that the Jews of the New Testament sinned against a greater Light, that light being Christ. See John 15:22. What makes the “last days” last is precisely this rejection of a most irrefutable personal testimony and demonstration of Messiah Himself. This, also, is why there could never be any future “last days”.
2. And each of these passages in Daniel give us descriptions of their coming Messiah, each time with additional insights:

In 2:34, 44 He is the “Stone ... cut out of the mountain without hands” which “broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold”. (Many commentaries that I came across refer this to the Kingdom, not the Person, of Christ, but the Patristic consensus favors more the personal application.)

In 7:13 – 14 He is “One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!”
In 8:25 He is the “Prince of princes”.
Here in chapter 9 He is named two or three times, depending on interpretation.
9:25 “Messiah the Prince”,
9:26 “Messiah” and (according to some) “the Prince who will come”, an interpretation I agree with.
10:13 lit. “Michael, first of the chief princes” (see Gill, Pool, Henry) and again in verse 21, “Michael your Prince”.

And, lastly, in 12:1 He is “Michael ... The great Prince who stands watch over the sons of your people.”

 

I finally finished the second part of this article yesterday, two months after this first half. Because it has grown pretty long I think the best thing to do is just to give two excerpts and then a link to the original on my WordPress site. A lot of the secondary text I relegated to notes at the end.

The whole article is here:
Six Promises of Christ to His People and City: Daniel 9:24

Two excerpts:
Hopefully I have shown, having gone through all of the six prophesied actions of the Messiah in Daniel 9:24, that these were all fulfilled in the time of Christ’s first coming. To understand that these all relate to Calvary is to gain greater insight into what Christ has done for us, His elect. It actually magnifies Christ and encourages faith in Him. It not only proves that we will be, but that we already are overcomers through Him and in Him. The more these truths sink in, the more you will see the alternate view (a supposed future fulfillment of some or all of these events) as greatly devaluing Messiah’s redemption on the Cross.

The people that the writer of Hebrews speaks of are those same people of God that Daniel prays for in Dan. 9. The more we go over these verses in Daniel 9:24 ff., the more we will see how the New testament has the cross-references that enable us to make sense of them. We have no desire of, nor need for, “newspaper theology” when it comes to parsing out this passage. By nailing down the New Testament fulfillment, we make more sure the present application to us: We can rest that much more securely in our salvation in Christ.

All of these six promises were fulfilled at the time of Christ’s incarnation.