Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
Daniel 9:27 (NET Bible)
27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of that week, he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt. On the wing[ of abominations will come[c] one who destroys until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys.”
1/ Which covenant was confirmed, "with the many" for one week? (Daniel 9:27)
2/Who does the many (people) refer to, and why did God extend the period?
3/ Is the covenant in force today?
Jesus confirmed his covenant, the New Covenant, for one week. In the middle of the week (3 ½ years into his ministry) he was “cut off” thus, putting an end to the sacrifices and offerings of the old covenant. The Jews would still continue in vain to offer sacrifices that had been rendered null and void by the crucifixion of Christ for another 40 years until the destruction of the temple. It would still be another 3 ½ years from the crucifixion until the completion of the covenant week when the Samaritans and the Gentiles were brought in with the conversion of the Samaritans and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8. The covenant is now fulfilled.
In Matthew 24:15-16, Jesus applies the Daniel 9:27 and the “abomination of desolation” to the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, an event that would be witnessed by that generation. He warns them,
“Therefore, when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
This is a reference to the “abomination of desolation” of Daniel 9, not that of Daniel 12. The “abomination of desolation” of which Jesus spoke would be the standards of the Roman army that would be placed in the “holy place.” When that generation saw the Roman army coming to surround Jerusalem, they were to flee to the mountains in order to escape the judgment that God was sending upon Jerusalem.
When you read the text of verse 25-26 it is describing 2 prince Messiah the prince And the prince of the people that is to come. In the middle of the 3 1/2 years the Messiah was cut off the veil of the Temple was Torn into by the power of God. This signified no more blood sacrifices. And that God will no longer dwell in temples made by hands. And the prince of the people that is to come desolations are determined that happened in 70Ad when the Roman Emperor Titus desecrated the temple and The Roman Army destroyed the city and over a million people were killed. The Covenant is about the fulfillment of the New Covenant through Jesus Christ and in 37AD Apostle Peter preached to the Gentiles and Cornelius received the Holy Spirit and this completed the 70th week. The Angel came to Daniel to bring good news and it was about the fulfillment of righteousness. Not about some man that is going to sign a peace treaty. Also the Bible gives as a reference scripture Isaiah 42:6 To confirm that it is Christ that Confirms the Covenant . Also Galatians 3:14 .
According to Daniel 9:27, “he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” This is the last of the 70 weeks; the last seven years. The "he" must refer to somebody mentioned in the previous verse. That verse refers to two people:
In Dispensationalism, the first 69 weeks came to an end in the year when Jesus died but the 70th week will be the last seven years before Christ returns. The “he” is then interpreted as the “prince” of verse 26 and as an end-time Antichrist that will make a covenant with "many."
In contrast, I would like to argue that “he” is the Messiah (Jesus Christ) and that it is God’s covenant with Israel that “he” will "make."
Firstly, I offer the following objections to the view that “he” refers to an end-time Antichrist:
(1) “The people of the prince,” who destroy the city (v26), are the first century Roman Empire. If the prince is an end-time Antichrist, then the people and their prince live 2000 years apart.
(2) The wording of the text of Daniel in no way indicates a gap between the 70th and the previous 69 weeks.
(3) To allocate the last seven years to an end-time Antichrist divides the prophecy into two unrelated prophecies; one about Christ 2000 years ago, and one about an end-time Antichrist.
(4) If the last “week” is the seven years before Christ returns, then it ends with Christ’s return but the prophecy gives no indication of His return.
(5) In Dispensationalism, the Roman Empire will be revived in the end-time. But how can the Roman Empire be revived 1500 years after it has ceased to exist?
(6) Dispensationalism also requires the temple to be rebuilt twice; firstly, a few hundred years before Christ and, secondly, in the end-time. But the prophecy promises only one rebuilding.
Secondly, I would like to argue as follows that the covenant of the 70th week is God’s covenant with Israel:
(1) The 490 years are an extension or renewal of God's covenant with Israel. Therefore, the seven-year covenant in 9:27 must be the last seven years of that 490-year covenant.
(2) As that article also shows, God’s covenant with Israel is the central theme in Daniel 9 that unites the prayer and the prophecy.
(3) Of the six times that the word “covenant” appears in Daniel, four times it is explicitly God’s covenant with Israel (Dan 9:4; 11:28, 30, 32).
(4) The verb translated as "confirm" (the covenant) is not a verb for the making of a new covenant but for maintaining an existing covenant. Then, it can only be God's covenant with Israel.
(5) “The many,” with whom “he” confirms the covenant, most often refers to God’s people (e.g., Isa 53:11; Dan 11:33). Then it must be God’s covenant.
Thirdly, by showing that the "he," who confirms the covenant, is the "Messiah" (Jesus Christ), and not the Antichrist, this section confirms that the covenant of the last "week" is God's covenant:
(1) The poetic pattern of the prophecy shifts the focus back and forth between Jerusalem and the Messiah. In this pattern, it is the Messiah who confirms the covenant for seven years. (See Sequence of Events for a discussion of the poetic pattern.)
(2) That article also shows that the prophecy is structured as a chiasm. In a chiasm, the first item corresponds to the last, the second to the second last, etc. In Daniel 9, in this chiasm, the "one week" in verse 27 corresponds to the Messiah.
(3) In verse 26, the subject is “the people of the prince;” not the prince. The main person in verse 26 is the "Messiah." He is, therefore, the appropriate antecedent for “he” in verse 27.
(4) Verse 26 describes the prince as “to come.” “The prince of Greece” is also “to come” (Dan 10:20). But he is a supernatural being representing the Greek Empire (Dan 10:16, 18). This implies that “the prince” of 9:26 is also a supernatural being; representing the Roman Empire. The “he” of verse 27, who is a human being, therefore, cannot refer back to the prince in verse 26.
(5) The Messiah arrives at the end of the 69th week (v25). Given the goals in verse 24, this causes us to expect great things. This implies that it is the Messiah who does the great things in the 70th week.
(6) The “he” of verse 27 also “put a stop to sacrifice.” Given that the purpose of the 490 years includes “to make atonement for iniquity” (v24) through killing the messiah (v26), “he” is the Messiah. His death solved the sin problem of the world. The Jewish sacrifices did not stop immediately but did point forward to the Lamb of God and lost their meaning when He died.
During those last seven years, Jesus confirmed God’s covenant with Israel: Never before or after in human history has God appealed so strongly for the heart of any nation as He did, firstly, through Christ's personal ministry on earth for 3½ years and, secondly, through the Holy Spirit during the 2 to 4 years after He died.
For a further discussion, see here.
At the start of the 70th week (483 years), Christ started His ministry on earth to fulfill the covenant He made with Abraham:
Matt 3:13-15
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Gal 3:17-18
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
At this time, the final 7-year week of Daniel’s Seventy weeks of years commenced. When this last week of years is completed, Christ will bring an end to sin, make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness for all mankind.
To complete this mission, Christ willingly went to the cross at the 3 ½ year mark and was cut off.
This event at the cross stopped the literal countdown of the last 7 years remaining of Daniel’s prophecy. The remaining 3 ½ years will be fulfilled spiritually under the New Covenant of Grace through Faith.
At the cross, Christ’s sacrifice provided the Pathway to Salvation for mankind. As a result of Christ’s death and resurrection, the Old Covenant of Law was fulfilled and the New Covenant of Grace through Faith began.
This change is shown to us in verse 27:
Dan 9:27
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.
Christ’s death on the cross caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. No longer can mankind approach God through the Old Covenant of Law (man’s works). Now the only approach to God is under the New Covenant of Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ who will perform all the necessary works for mankind’s salvation.
The New Covenant is also a spiritual covenant. In other words, all the works which Christ will perform are done within mankind. To be saved, we all must be spiritually converted from being a child of the Devil to being a child of God.
With this change from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, God will longer dwell in a physical temple. His new temple will be made without hands. This new temple is mankind.
Mark 14:58
We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
1Cor 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
THE REMAINING 3 ½ YEARS (1260 DAYS)
The last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s prophecy are also presented in scripture as Time, Times and half a time, 1260 days, and 42 months. These terms are spiritual symbols and do not represent literal time.
At the end of the final age, when the last person of mankind is saved, the remaining 3 ½ years of Daniel’s prophecy will be fulfilled and Christ will have put an end to sin and will have brought in everlasting righteousness.
Christ will accomplish this goal by causing all mankind to travel the Pathway to Salvation that He has established. Since it is 100% His work, He will not fail to save even one person.
At the core of the Pathway to Salvation is the Early and Latter Rains. The time in between these two events is the remaining 3 1/2 years. It is not literal time. When a person makes it to the Latter Rain, they are saved and the 3 1/2 years come to an end for them. This is repeated for each person who has ever lived.
For a more detailed answer, please see my website "greatmysteryofchrist.com"
The Hebrew word for "covenant" is berith. And the Old Testament spoke of the making of a covenant in the future several times.
The LORD you are seeking will come to His temple, the Messenger of the covenant whom you desire will come. (Malachi 3:1)
I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel... (Jeremiah 31:31)
He shall confirm the covenant with "many." (Daniel 9:27)
The word for "confirm" is gabar and it basically means "to strengthen." (hithp.Heb.) The Hebrew word for "many" is rab, and is used in chapter 12 of Daniel (vss. 3, 10, many purified), as well.
The definitive answer to which covenant this prophecy referred to is that given by Jesus Himself. It is recorded in Matthew 26:28 and Mark 14:24: "This is the blood of the new covenant which is poured out for the many." (The Greek words are (1) kuines diathekes, new covenant, and (2) pollon, the many.)
There are a plethora of references to this covenant throughout the N.T. (1 cor. 11:25, 2 Cor. 3:6, Hebrews 8:8-10, et al.) The writer of Hebrews repeatedly called Jesus the "mediator of the covenant." And emphasized the superiority of this New Covenant over the Old Mosaic one (Heb. 8:10).
That this covenant is for "the many," to use Daniel's vernacular, is manifest in the use of this word by the Apostles. (polus, Gk.)
To help understand the phrases of Daniel 9 note that there is a Hebraic parallelism in these verses: A B A' B'. This ties the making of the covenant with the "cutting off of the Anointed One." This was done in the middle of the week, or at the end of the three and a half years of the final week of the Seventy Weeks. We recall that Jesus' ministry lasted these three and a half years! Then He was crucified after being convicted of "love in the first degree"!
The short answer to this question is that Daniel's covenant was a reference to the new amazing covenant of grace made possible by the shed blood of the Anointed One, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
In an essay I wrote, in my addendum (1,a) I said the following:
"While the Mosaic/Sinai (non everlasting) OLD COVENANT, which was, figuratively, nailed to the CROSS, at JESUS' death in 33 AD, was broken, contributing to the devastation for the Jews, the Abrahamic covenant, at least for the circumcised Jew, one would surmise, was to be still in effect for one further week (66 AD thru 73 AD), even though 70 AD saw the end of SACRIFICE AND GRAIN OFFERING. The NEW COVENANT (everlasting) through Jesus, which superseded the Abrahamic covenant and which was to include the Gentiles (after the gospel was taken to them by Peter...Acts Ch. 10), and be a covenant to all showing true FAITH in Jesus and his RANSOM SACRIFICE (sacrificial death of Jesus, made in order to reconcile sinners to a holy God...Mark, 10:45), takes center stage, after 73 AD, particularly benefiting those who will ultimately rule with Christ (144,000). The OC was based on promises to God, and was non everlasting, whereas the NC is based on God's promises to us, and God's word lasts forever.
(Daniel 9:26 NIV); "After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death 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. "
Then Daniel 9:27 described the final seven: "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 at the temple[j] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
As there is a long period of time in between 9:26 and 9:27, the pronoun "He" has no connection to anyone in 9:26. We have to go to the Book of Revelation, the happenings in end time to find the answer.
In chapter 12, there is an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. It is Satan. In chapter 13, there is a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns. It is Satan again but disguise in another form. The dragon give his authority to the beast for 42 months, which is half of the last 7. In chapter 17, there is a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns, carrying a woman bearing the name "Babylon the Great, the mother of Prostitutes". This particular beast the angel had given an explanation, recorded in Revelation 17:8-14
8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.
11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.
13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.
14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (NIV)
Explanation of Revelation 17:8-14
With this background, now get back to the questions of Daniel 9:27;
1. Which covenant was confirmed, "with the many" for one week?
It is the covenant between the seventh king with the beast and his ten vassals. They are against the Christians and will succeed in the first half of the 70th week (In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering - Daniel 9:27).
2/Who does the many (people) refer to, and why did God extend the period?
The many refers to the ten vassals. God have not extended the period. It is said the beast will succeed to oppress the Christians (or the righteous) in the first half (three and a half years), and the tribulation comes at the second half then Christ returns.
3/ Is the covenant in force today?
It depends on whether today is within the 70th week.
