Darkened Understanding

This passage of prophecy from the book of Daniel also helps us understand the meaning of prophecy from the book of Revelation. "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy (Daniel 9:24). The passage is broken down in the paragraphs that follow to explain its meaning.

"Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city,
A “week” in this prophecy represents seven (7) years. There would be 70 “weeks” (70 x 7 = 490 years) upon the people and the holy city (Jerusalem): for the restraint of transgression.

To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins,
These 490 years were a time of desolation and suffering to end their idolatry and to end the committing of sin by transgressing the Mosaic Law. Committing sin by transgressing the Mosaic Law was ended, because born again believers have died to the authority of the Mosaic Law by being joined together with Jesus Christ into His death. The Law has no authority to condemn us under the grace of God for our faith in Jesus Christ. Sin is transgression of the Law, but where there is no law, there is no transgression.

Those who are baptized into Jesus Christ by the Spirit (not water) are baptized into His death and have died with Christ to the authority of the Law of sin and death. We have died to the Law by the body of Christ because Jesus Christ tasted death for every man, so when we are joined together with His Spirit, we are joined together with Him into His death and raised to life; and the Law has no power to condemn us as we walk with the Spirit because Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Mosaic Law.

To make reconciliation for iniquity,
Jesus Christ died as a final sacrifice for sins (once for all) to redeem us from the curse of the Mosaic Law. Our trespasses are forgiven by the grace of God for our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins as we repent and confess our sins. Because the Father and the Son are one, by receiving the Spirit of the Son of God we also receive God the Father, Who is eternal life.

To bring in everlasting righteousness,
Jesus Christ brought in everlasting righteousness when He took the curse of the Mosaic Law upon Himself by dying on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the Law. Believers are made righteous when we are born again by receiving His Spirit because Christ (the Righteous One) is the life within us.

To seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
The meaning of the vision and fulfilment of the prophecy was sealed for 490 years, until the coming of the most holy (Christ), Who was anointed by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God (Eternal Life).

"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times (Daniel 9:25). This is saying Messiah would come seven and sixty-two weeks (7 + 62 = 69 “weeks” or 69 x 7 = 483 years) after the command was given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. From the year of the command to rebuild Jerusalem in about 457 B.C., until the coming of Messiah 483 years later, was about the year 26 A.D. (-457 + 483 = 26).

"And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined (Daniel 9:26). Sixty-two (62) “weeks” (62 x 7 = 434 years) after the coming of the Messiah (Jesus Christ), the Spirit of Christ was cut-off from being received by the grace of God through faith. This happened when Law-like doctrine entered to “destroy” sin in the life of the holy people that took pleasure in unrighteousness rather than receive the love of the truth so they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:12). These 434 years after the coming of Messiah in 26 A.D. brought us to about the year 460 A.D. (26 + 434 = 460 A.D.). Pope Leo I (the Great) is believed to have fulfilled this prophecy by exalting himself up to the prince of the host (Jesus Christ), by declaring himself to be head of the church (Daniel 8:10-12, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12).

The rest of the dead in trespasses and sins did not live again (were not born again) for about 1000 years (Revelation 20:5). This is because Law-like doctrine (catechism) was used to constrain the transgressions of the people which hindered them from being reconciled to God and born again by the grace of God for their faith. Those who took pleasure in unrighteousness were damned for not receiving the love of the truth (Jesus Christ) so they might be saved. This is similar to Israel being cast into outer darkness (Matthew 8:12) when they were blinded to Christ as the Messiah (Romans 11:7 33) because of unbelief. Darkened doctrine was accepted as truth, and truth was seen as darkness. When the sacraments, and the laws and traditions of men became doctrine for righteousness and salvation, rather than the grace of God by faith in Christ, the world went into perdition by living under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church (Romans 7:6, 9). Returning to Law-like doctrine was like changing time and laws (Daniel 7:25).

The Apostle Peter wrote they would bring in damnable heresies and speak evil of the way of truth (2 Peter 2:1 2). The Apostle Paul wrote, they would not endure sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3); and God sent a strong delusion so they should believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Even in the early church there were some that tried to lead the church into doing works of the Law again (Galatians 2:4); and some, who did not understand what they were saying, desired to be teachers of the Law (1 Timothy 1:7).

The Mosaic Law is our schoolmaster to make us aware of our sin and need of salvation so we might be forgiven and saved by the grace of God for our faith in the name of Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24). When we see our sin as revealed by the Commandments and realize our need, we can trust in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and repent to be born again as a child of God by being reconciled to God when forgiven of all trespasses. When forgiven, our fellowship with God our Father is restored and we are relieved of our burden of guilt from sin. We grow in grace and wisdom as God purifies us of sin to make us in the image of Jesus Christ. We can know we are saved and a child of God by the witness of the Spirit of Christ within us (Romans 8:9, 16, 2 Corinthians 13:5). When a believer is truly saved, we not only believe we are saved, we know we have been saved by the witness of the Spirit within us.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Eternal life is a gift from God; and His gifts and calling are without repentance (Romans 11:29). When God gives a gift, such as eternal life, He does not take it away. As the will of God, excommunication was a means of restraining the sin of those who took pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Prophecy and this verse forbidding marriage (such as priests and nuns), and the command to abstain from eating meats (such as
fish on Friday) were fulfilled by the old Roman Catholic Church.

God bless