Från: PowerfulChoices [PowerfulChoices@gmail.com]
Skickat: Saturday, June 19, 2010 8:00 PM
Till: 'Toby Joreteg'
Ämne: VB: Daniel's Messiah: Newsletter #12 - Updated with an added PS
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5930± 03 21 2026
Written with a beginning on the Seventh Day
Sabbath,
the 21st day of month #3, Sivan
21
in the 5930th year, more or
less, following the beginning recorded in Genesis 1
and in the 2026th year following
the beginning recorded in Luke 1:26-33
[Saturday, the 6th day of the week, June 5
in the 2010th year
of Caesar Tiberius
(per current Gregorian reckoning.)]
Dear Toby, my Brother in Daniel’s Messiah and my old time Friend,
It is with mixed feelings and with increasing hesitancy that I continue
reading and commenting on these Newsletters of yours. Yes, I am very much
interested in pursuing an ongoing Bible study with you. But no, I am not quite
as interested in pursuing an ongoing study into what seems to be more and more
of a sandcastle of yours being built upon yesterday’s present truths, such
“truths” as are now being replaced with much more solidly based insights… It is
true that each and all of us are free to build anything out of nothing and that
in so doing it is possible to build quite harmonious and beautiful pieces of
art, not excluding much mathematical precision and awesome beauty. Yet, if the
foundation of such art of ours is not solidly founded upon the reality created
by that same Creator whose work is being recorded for us in the Holy Scriptures
as well as in all of His creations, there will, by necessity, exist no true or
reliable correlation between the two creations, will there?
As Seventh-day Adventists we are brought up in a congregation
waiting for the Second Coming of Christ. As a child in children’s Sabbath
School I learned to associate that Second Coming of Christ with certain
impressive works of art where Jesus is seen sitting upon his throne in the
clouds surrounded by many angels, while some people, standing upon the Earth
amidst burning cities, are welcoming him with open arms. No doubt you are quite
familiar with the artworks I am talking about, are you not?
As Seventh-day Adventists we like to identify ourselves as the
People of God’s own choosing. Indeed, we may at times so much identify
ourselves as the carriers of ‘the Truth’ that, in effect, we may count
ourselves among the tens of thousands of angels surrounding Jesus upon the
clouds of heaven at his Second coming that we forget that we ourselves are yet
on the receiving end of the messages of those tens of thousands of angelic
messengers… Do you see that? Do you perceive the reality in that suggestion of
mine?
As Seventh-day Adventists I believe many of us are feeling
frustrated when being confronted by Jehovah’s Witnesses who seem unwilling or
unable to think outside of the box being painted for them by the top heavy
leadership of their organization. Yet, their organization stems out of the same
historical Millerite roots as do our own beloved Seventh-day Adventist churches
worldwide. Could it be, that they too suffer from a very similar syndrome as do
we? Could it be that they too are forgetting who they are while perceiving
themselves all too much as angels of God and all too little as recipients of the
messages being sent to each and all of us by those “ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands” of angels being spoken of in Revelation
5:11?
Perhaps you will be willing to consider those thoughts while you
are yet continuing to build upon that sandcastle of your own making? Will you?
Would you be willing to be willing to consider once again your
true identity as a humble and teachable recipient of God’s corrections as He
does His best in cleansing each of us from the errors of thought that are still
staining each our thoughts as well as the teachings recognizable to each and
all of us as yesterday’s present truths?
. . . . . . .
Yet, I shall pursue, to some extent, my comments below as I have
before…
Shalom, yes, may the peace of God rest upon each of our families
and homes,
Gunnar Anders Smårs Jr ©
PS. A couple of weeks ago I entered a response to your posted
comment of December 12, 2008 at SpectrumMagazine.org
in which I also added a link to this dialogue of ours. I hope you don’t mind
too much? You may notice also that, in the spring of this year, David Gates as
well as his father have both also entered posts of their own into that blog of
Spectrum.
Från: tobyjoreteg@gmail.com [mailto:tobyjoreteg@gmail.com] För Toby
Joreteg
Skickat: Friday, June 04, 2010 3:55 PM
Ämne: Daniel's Messiah: Newsletter #12
Dear Friends,
Here comes the last newsletter concerning Daniel 9. My prayer is that God's
Name will be glorified. [ But will it really??? Notice:
Except for the links to Toby’s web site, all links and brackets within are
added / 5930± 04 06 2026 by ToL© ]
For the newcomers who wants to catch up, you can go to my website: www.TobyJoreteg.com, click on "Articles"
and then read/print the previous ones. (The chart in the newsletter below will
only be seen if you download the article)
May the Lord BLESS you!
Toby Joreteg MD, PhD
www.TobyJoreteg.com
Newsletter #12
City and Sanctuary Destroyed
Background
It is now time to look into the issue of the destruction of the City and the Sanctuary. Daniel 9:26 says that “the people of the ruler will destroy the city.” As we studied Daniel 9:25, we understood that the Hebrew word for “ruler” or “Prince” refers to the “Anointed One,” which is the Messiah. Therefore, the “people” of the ruler must refer to Daniel’s people, God’s Old Covenant people, Daniel 9:26:
After the sixty-two “sevens,” the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. (NIV)
[ - Now, suppose for a moment that we apply these words of
yours and this passage of Daniel to ourselves and, in particular, that we think
of that ‘city’ as being one with that ‘sandcastle’ of yours as I’ve been
referencing before. Could it be that while in the process of making clear to
us, each our own errors of thought, Messiah, and his people, that is, “the
people of the ruler… will destroy the city…,” that is, this city/sandcastle of
our own making?
[ - Is that thought being applicable today, here and now, in
very much the same manner as it has been, over and over again, applicable to
the city of Jerusalem? And for much the same reasons? That is, building upon
castles of air, building upon sandcastles on the beach, building our thoughts
and our actions upon concepts and thoughts without firm support in the laws of
Nature and of Nature’s God?
[ - What do you think? Is there a message in these words of
Daniel to me - and to you - re the particulars of this very dialogue of ours?
[Notice: Except for the links to Toby’s web site, all
links and brackets within are added / 5930± 04 06 2026 by ToL© ]
Now you might say, “But it was not Daniel’s people who destroyed Jerusalem – it was the Romans!” That is very true! But consider the following. In Daniel 9:24 we read that a total of 490 years was given to the Jews and their holy city to “finish transgression, to put an end to sin,” etc. “The city” is a symbol that primarily refers to Jerusalem. It also includes the House of Judah. Since a city cannot “sin” or put an end to sin, it of course refers to the people in it. The 490 years was the extended period of grace that God gave Daniel’s people.
If Daniel’s people would not put an end to their sin, they would lose their status as God’s chosen nation. Since this repentance did not take place, Jerusalem ceased to be the chosen city of God when Jesus died on the cross in 31 A.D. As a consequence the favored status of Daniel’s people as God’s chosen nation was also taken away. This was the reason for the destruction of the city and the sanctuary. Jesus confirmed this in Luke 19:41-44:
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (NIV)
As a nation the Israelites “did not recognize the time of God’s coming.” In other words; they did not accept the Messiah. Therefore, Jerusalem was destroyed because of their own choices. Jesus foretold that the Roman army would “not leave one stone on another.” Thus, the consummation of Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 19:41-44 was literally fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Sanctuary.
[ - Again Toby, as you keep on building upon those flawed
cornerstones recognizable as by the words ’31 A.D.’ and ’70 A.D.,’ how could it
not be true that, as per your own quote, “They will not leave one
stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to
you…?”]
The next sentence in Daniel 9:26 tells us that “the end will come like a flood.” If something comes like a flood it usually means it comes suddenly. According to some dictionaries the word for “flood,” figuratively also refers to “judgment.”
[ - Or, “the end will come like a flood” very much like the waves of the beach that wipe away the
beautiful sandcastles that each of us have been building there - for ourselves
and for our little ones?”]
The phrase “war will continue until the end,” will be studied in detail when we come to Daniel 10-12. It is a very interesting study but too long for this newsletter.
[ - Yes indeed, the “war [the Great Controversy between
Christ and Satan within each our own mind] will continue until the end,” that
is, until we humbly ‘fess up’ to each our own errors of thought and begin each
our journey upon the path characterized by strict attention to the real truths
and to the real foundations being revealed to us step by little step by the
Comforter and by our Savior, Daniel’s Messiah, and in accordance to each our
willingness and readiness to accept His instructions along the Way.]
Confirm a Covenant
Many accused Jesus of “breaking” rules and regulations. He was accused of breaking the Sabbath which He actually never did. He never broke the 4th Commandment, but He certainly broke the traditions of men! The reason is obvious. The traditions of men had become a higher authority than the Law itself. Jesus never sinned, and consequently never broke the Ten Commandments. If He would have sinned, He could not be the perfect sacrifice for our sins, Hebrews 4:14-15, 2 Cor. 5:21.
[ - Yes, and I do not ever perceive Yeshua as saying,
teaching or doing anything he knew was error. Not even because he perceived his
followers or the people around him as not being ready or prepared to accept the
full or the best available truth. Do you?
[ - To what extent are we, I and/or you, building upon
traditions of men, traditions of Seventh-day Adventism, while making such
traditions of men a higher authority than the Law of God and the realities of
times past?
[ - Yes, Yeshua did not shy away from situations forced upon
him such as would put him into very tight and trying situations. When that
happened he fully relied upon his heavenly Father’s guiding him quickly and
effectively through those tight spots. I am thinking of 1) the time when his
parents accepted the offer of signing up for being taxed in Bethlehem, 2)
Peter’s consent to the tax collector re his Master paying taxes, and 3) Judas’
selling the title to Yeshua’s body to the priests and the manmade authorities
then in power.]
When Jesus was accused of breaking the law which in fact was traditions of men, He always lifted up the true meaning of the Word. According to Jesus, the keeping of traditions of men is only a superficial ritual. Furthermore, Jesus was often accused of blaspheming God. But, He never did! He made it very clear that everything He did came from the Father. Jesus and the Father were one! He was fully obedient to His Father! The reason I bring this up is because of the next issue. Listen to why Jesus came as the Messiah, Matthew 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. (NIV)
That was His mission! Not to break the Commandments, the Covenant, or the prophecies – but to fulfill them. I am certainly glad that Jesus mentioned the “Prophets” in this list and I am convinced that Daniel was in His mind. Let us read how the prophecy clearly says what the Messiah would do, Daniel 9:27:
He will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven.” In the middle of the “seven” he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (NIV)
The NIV puts brackets around [of the temple]. If the “Anointed One” in 9:26 is the Messiah, then “he” in 9:27 must refer to the Messiah as well. In that case, the Messiah came to confirm the Covenant with His people during the last seven years of the 490-year prophecy. His hope was that many would receive Him. Please look at the chart shown below.
[ - It becomes pretty obvious that the interpretations of
this 27th verse will be very much formed and shaped in terms of
whatever one may have perceived in verse 26. Given that yesteryear’s present
truth will lead to one interpretation, given that your own sandcastle
application will lead to another interpretation, and given that the
applications I’ve discovered for the Hebrew words behind the “seventy weeks”
there are yet
other
interpretations…
Given all of that, I might ask myself, though, which of all those
interpretations are most loaded with valuable lessons and with blessings in
character of that God who is very much identifying Himself by the words of
Exodus 20:2 as well as by the words found in Genesis 1:26-27.]
[ - Toby, in case you’re still having trouble inserting pictures into your emails. This is how I do it: I write and edit my emails using my MS Office Word 2007 software into which I simply copy/paste any images I wish. I then finally copy/paste my entire Word document into MS Office Outlook… And then I send it, and voila, it works!]
Sacrifice and Offerings
With this chart the next phrase is easy to understand. “In the middle of the “seven” he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.” The middle of the last seven years is 31 A.D. when Christ died on the cross. It truly makes sense! The perfect Lamb was slain on the cross “once for all” and no more sacrifices were needed, Hebrews 9:12. The fact is, however, that the people continued to sacrifice until 70 A.D. when the temple was destroyed. But that was not according to God’s plan.
[ - Yes, in terms of yesteryear’s Present Truth and the best
available understanding of these things until recently, that truly did make
sense, did it not?!
[ - Yet, it is true nevertheless that yesteryear’s Present
Truth re the details of that diagram of yours do not hold up to the light now
shining clearly upon the pertinent reality being associated with those ‘seventy
weeks’ of Daniel Chapter 9!]
The curtain between the Holy and the Most Holy was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross, Matthew 27:51. That is a strong indication that the final atonement for mankind was done! But what happened in the Temple after Jesus’ death on the cross?
[ - I very much believe that this message through Ellen White
is pertinent here:
[ I saw a throne, and on it sat the
Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus' countenance and admired His lovely
person. The Father's person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light
covered Him. I asked Jesus if His Father had a form like Himself. He said He
had, but I could not behold it, for said He, "If you should once behold
the glory of His person, you would cease to exist." Before the throne I
saw the Advent people--the church and the world. I saw two companies, one bowed
down before the throne, deeply interested, while the other stood uninterested
and careless. Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their
prayers and look to Jesus; then He would look to His Father, and appear to be
pleading with Him. A light would come from the Father to the Son and from the
Son to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the
Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne.
But few would receive this great light. Many came out from under it and immediately
resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved
off from them. Some cherished it, and went and bowed down with the little
praying company. This company all received the light and rejoiced in it, and
their countenances shone with its glory. {EW 54.2}
[ I saw the Father rise from the
throne, [SEE PAGE 92.] and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies
within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most
of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light
pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in
perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him
as He left the throne and led them out a little way. Then He raised His right
arm, and we heard His lovely voice saying, "Wait here; I am going to My
Father to receive the kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little
while I will return from the wedding and receive you to Myself." Then a
cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to
where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest,
where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before
the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and
a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in
the holiest, and pray, "My Father, give us Thy Spirit." Then Jesus
would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and
much love, joy, and peace. {EW 55.1}
[ I turned to look at the company who
were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it.
Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw
them look up to the throne, and pray, "Father, give us Thy Spirit."
Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light
and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan's object was to keep
them deceived and to draw back and deceive God's children. {EW 56.1}]
There are Jewish writings where Rabbis give some very interesting details regarding this. I will only mention one here.
On the Day of Atonement a crimson-colored strap was tied between the two horns of the bullock. If the strap changed color and became white, it signified that God had forgiven their sin. The strap normally turned white on this day. However, after Christ’s death until the destruction of the temple, this crimson-colored strap never turned white. It remained red.[1] In other words, after the cross God did not accept this type of sacrifice anymore! Jesus was the true Sacrifice.
Desolation Because of Rebellion
The last part of Daniel 9:27 is very much the same as Daniel 12:11. We have already concluded that it was the rebellion that caused the desolation and that desolation is the same as divorce or separation from God. We have also found that the leaders of the Old Covenant people separated themselves from God at the time of the cross.
[ - Yes, I see much light in realizing “that it was
the rebellion that caused the desolation and that desolation is the same as
divorce or separation from God…”
[ - Furthermore, I am seeing this sad reality being very much
reflected, that is, mirrored, in the very personal image God has provided each
of us through each our families… And not only my very own! Cf. Genesis
1:26-27!]
But here is an interesting dilemma. They were divorced at the cross but according to Daniel 9:24 the end for the Old Covenant people was determined to be at the end of the last week, i.e. in 34 A.D. What about the last 3½ years of this prophecy, the 3½ after the cross? What role did the Old Covenant people have during this period of time? Technically they divorced themselves at the cross but the prophecy tells us that their “time” ended in 34 A.D.
The answer is that God took care of them as His Covenant people for another 3½ years! He did it according to His promise in Daniel 9:24. God loved them and still loves them just as much as before. The time from the cross until 34 A.D. is three and a half years or 1,260 days. Without going too deep into the book of Revelation, we will read about God’s intention for the Old Covenant people during this critical time. “She” in the text below refers to the woman and is a symbol for God’s Old Covenant people. Please notice God’s wonderful care, Revelation 12:6:
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. (NIV)
The Male Child, Jesus Christ, was born and later on “snatched up to God.” This expression refers to His ascension. Then the “woman” fled into the “desert.” The word for “desert” can also be translated to “wilderness” or “desolation.” The word “fled” literally means “shun,” “avoid deliberately” or “run away.” All these examples imply a willful act of the woman and not an act of God
Now comes the marvelous statement: God prepared “a place” for her and took care of this desolate woman for another 1,260 days (3½ years). According to the 490-year promise in Daniel 9, God took care of the Israelites, even after she became desolate and divorced. The Bible emphasizes this important character of God, His taking care of His people, a second time in Revelation 12:13-14:
When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. (NIV)
In this passage we see the exact same story. The same words are used. The only difference is that this passage uses 3½ times (3½ years) instead of 1,260 days. The two time periods both signify literal time and correlate perfectly. The last 3½ years of the 490-year prophecy pictures a God who cares for His people, even after they “messed up” their relationship with Him.
[ - But don’t you realize that this interpretation of yours
re the last 1,260 is very much a creation of well intentioned men without any
solid foundation in any certain or verifiable, date at all! If the events being
thus associated with the stoning of Stephen would have been of any importance
at all for understanding the “seventy weeks” of Daniel, then surely God would
have also provided an accurate and confirmable date for that event in the Holy
Scriptures and/or elsewhere! But He didn’t, did he?!! As He as preserved so very
many other dates – albeit heretofore hidden to most of us…]
Wing of the Temple
The Bible prophecy continues to amaze us. There are so many expressions that need to be understood and they all reveal blessings. First, how should we understand “the wing of the temple?” This expression seems to take the price of confusion! I don’t know if you have ever seen a model of the temple in Jerusalem. I have and I have never seen a “wing of the temple.” Not only that; but this wing seems to have something to do with the phrase “set up an abomination,” which we already understood to be the acceptance of the Gentiles. Let us read the text again to get the context, Daniel 9:27:
He will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven.” In the middle of the “seven” he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (NIV)
(Again, the NIV added the brackets.) So what does the expression “wing of the temple” mean?
[ - Toby, here you are making a very serious mistake, and
more than likely your mistake is based upon your ignorance of some these facts:
1) The Hebrew behind these quoted words of yours (!) is
only one word, which means “From H3670; an edge
or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a
garment or bed clothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a
building) a pinnacle” (Strong’s H3671.)
2) “Brackets
Brackets, in pairs, are used_ 8.19. In transcripts, congressional hearings, the
Congressional Record, testimony in courtwork, etc., to
enclose interpolations that are not specifically a part of the original
quotation, corrections, explanations, omissions, editorial comments, or a
caution that an error is reproduced literally.” (Style Manual, From the
U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access, p. 125.)
3) Thus, not only are the brackets themselves added by
NIV, but also each and every word and letter of the bracketed text.
4) By removing those brackets while still retaining
the text within the brackets you (!) - and none other - are adding words to the
passage that weren’t there before! This is a most serious error indeed!
Especially upon considering these words from the Holy Writ:
Matthew 5:18 KJV For verily I say
unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Revelation 22:18 KJV
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book:
Revelation 22:19 KJV
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are written in
this book.]
I believe that God has given an explanation or an interpretation for every “mystery” in the Bible. Of course, that is a thing I cannot prove. Let’s look at the word “wing” and go to Ephesians chapter 2. In this passage Paul compares the Gentiles and the Jews and, of course, he comes to the conclusion that they both are one in Christ.
He starts his exegesis in Ephesians 2:11 and it continues to verse 22. He talks about the dividing wall of hostility that now has been broken down through the blood of Christ; how both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled through the cross and how the Gentiles no longer are foreigners and aliens to salvation. Then Paul summarizes the passage with these verses, Ephesians 2:20-22:
...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (NIV)
In other words, the believing Gentiles represent a “building” that has been “joined together” with the believing Jews to become one “holy temple in the Lord.” That must be the “wing of the temple” that Daniel is speaking about! This means; a “wing” that wasn’t there from the beginning would at a certain time be added to God’s house. The text above speaks of an addition or adoption. Romans 11:11-24 uses similar language and Paul talks about how wild branches (the Gentiles) have been grafted into the tree that represents the kingdom of God.
Therefore, the “wing of the temple” is best understood as a symbol of the acceptance of the Gentiles. If that is the correct interpretation of the phrase “and on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination” in Daniel 9:27, we are truly in harmony with our previous study. The “wing” refers to the Gentiles that were “set up” or accepted when they were grafted into God’s Kingdom in 34 A.D.
[ - Toby, this section of yours, “Wing of the
Temple,” is obviously little more than yet another
wing of your very own sandcastle upon the beach! That is, a fiction built upon
little more than your very own imaginations! This is not a good thing – and is
certainly not a thing representing the truth and reality of God, the Creator of
the Universe! I do not see “that God's
Name will be glorified” (your words above) by
such words and actions of your own making… That is, in the face of such added
light that God is now providing for each our benefit and growth! To be sure, I
do not intend to make reference to any work of my own, only to the foundations
upon which my studies stand!]
Who Is “He”?
But who is the “he” in Daniel 9:27? This personal pronoun is mentioned several times in this verse. Let us read it again and try to understand who it refers to. I made the word “he” or “him” bold every time it shows up to make it easy for you to see. Daniel 9:27:
He will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven.” In the middle of the “seven” he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (NIV)
We have as a matter of fact already come to the conclusion that the first “He” refers to Christ since He did everything possible to confirm the covenant during the last week of this prophecy. We have also understood that “he” who put an end to sacrifice and offerings was the Messiah, when He died on the cross. He was the true Lamb that was slain!
We just have realized that Christ our Lord was the One who “set up” the Gentiles who chose to believe in Him. He made sure that they were accepted together with the faithful ones from the Old Covenant people. So, these first three times the “he” refers to the Messiah. But how should we understand the last phrase with the pronoun “him?”
[ - Toby, this section of yours, “Who Is “He”?,” represents little more than your very own continued
efforts of building a sandcastle upon the beach! That is, a fiction built upon
little more than your very own imaginations! This is not a good thing – and is
certainly not a thing representing the truth and reality of God, the Creator of
the Universe!]
The End that Is Decreed
There are several interpretations of this phrase. Many scholars do not think the last phrase refers to Jesus. Other bible versions use other expressions instead of “on him.” Here are some examples: “on the desolate,” “upon the desolator,” “on the desolate one,” “on the one who makes desolate,” etc. But – do you see it? With the interpretation that we have spoken about here, where Christ is the center and fulfillment, it truly does not matter which translation you use. They all point to Christ – to Daniel’s Messiah! The “desolate one” can also be translated the “forsaken one.” Yes, Jesus was “forsaken” as He was crucified.
A word-by-word translation of the Hebrew text of this phrase reads as follows: “even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (KJV). The word “consummation” means that “destruction” is poured out “on him.” That also fits to the Messiah who was slain on the cross.
The same verse mentions “the end.” It is important for us to see that this expression refers to Christ’s death on the cross. This is in harmony with our previous study of Daniel 8. “The end” in the Book of Daniel most of the time does NOT refer to Jesus’ second coming but to “the end” of Daniel’s people as God’s Old Covenant people.
We also read about a “decree” that is “poured out on him.” The word for “decreed” or “determined” as many translations put it, primarily means “to point sharply” or if taken literally, “to wound.” Tell me, was not Christ pierced and wounded for our sake on the cross? So a better translation would read; until the end when He was wounded on the cross.
[ - Toby, again, this section of yours, “The End
that Is Decreed,” represents little more than your
very own continued efforts of building a sandcastle upon the beach! That is, a
fiction built upon little more than your very own imaginations! This is not a
good thing – and is certainly not a thing representing the truth and reality of
God, the Creator of the Universe!]
Poured Out
The expression “poured out” is also significant. The word is well translated and means what it says. It is interesting to see under what circumstances it is used. If we study this phrase in the Bible, we will find that it is used when God pours out something, either good things, like His Spirit or bad things like His anger or wrath. Daniel 9:11 also uses the same expression: God’s “curses and sworn judgments” had been “poured out” on Daniel’s people.
The conclusion of the matter is that even if the expression “poured out” is non-specific in itself, it is often used to indicate God’s curse, anger or wrath. Well, you might ask, “was God’s curse or wrath really poured out on Christ?” Let us read from Galatians 3:13:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (NIV)
Jesus took the curse on Himself to save us from the curse that we deserve. To save us, He took upon Himself the consequences of sin that we deserve, Romans 5:9:
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! (NIV)
Yes, “God’s wrath” was “poured out on him” on the cross. Thus, Daniel’s Messiah is the fulfillment of every word, every phrase and every sentence in Daniel 9:27. The good news is that Christ took upon Himself the wrath we deserve. If Christ took our wrath, we will not receive it again sometime in the future!!! Consider this when you study the Book of Revelation! Whatever the Bible defines as God’s wrath – will not come upon His believers. Praise the Lord!
[ - Toby, my old friend, please recognize what you are doing
here! Aren’t you using the apparent strengths of your very own sandcastle upon
the beach in support of other important teachings of the New Testament? By thus
weaving two unrelated things together into one thing, aren’t you risking
eventually “throwing out the baby with the bath water,” that is, once you begin
realizing the weaknesses of your very own sandcastle upon the beach?]
Summary
·
When the last seven years
of the 490-year prophecy were about to start, the Messiah or “the Anointed One”
came to confirm His Covenant with His people. This time began with His baptism
in 27 A.D.
·
In the middle of the
last seven years, in 31 A.D., Christ died on the cross to put an end to
sacrifice and offerings. In reality people continued to sacrifice until 70
A.D. when the Temple was destroyed.
·
The acceptance of the
Gentiles was confirmed as a consequence of Christ’s death on the cross and
expressed with the symbol of a wing that was added to the temple. Because of
this both Jews and Gentiles are saved by God’s grace.
· The prophecies in Daniel 8 and 9 both focus on the Messiah and His first coming.
[ - Toby, I’ve taken the liberty of crossing out the most
flagrant errors within the above Summary of yours! Unfortunately there isn’t
much of yours that remain, is there?
[ - Please
do consider carefully, under serious prayer to our Savior and to God our
Father, what you may do to remedy this situation such that the end result won’t
be for you very much in terms so well illustrated by the story recognized by
H.C. Andersen’s fairy tale The
Emperor’s New Suit!]
I am eager to study the last prophecy of the Book of Daniel with you in the next few newsletters. This prophecy is found in Daniel 10-12.
[ - Toby, I truly wish you’d provided a more solid support
than the above while building towards a better understanding of Daniel 11! Even
so I do find your connecting the era of Ceasar Tiberius’ with Daniel 11 a most
significant and valuable contribution indeed! Yet, it certainly cannot be built
upon your above thought structures… That is, lest that too will topple over
very quickly and be erased in the rising tide upon the beach!]
Toby Joreteg MD, PhD
[1] “The Fall Feast of Israel,” Mitch and Zhava Glaser, (ISBN 0-8024-2539-9)
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