12/7/23
Confirming The Covenant:
Two questions need to be answered,
1. Who will confirm the covenant with many for one week, seven seven years?
2. When will the seven years of confirming the covenant end?
Before Jesus was crucified, his earthly ministry lasted for 3 ½ years, and, at the end of this period, He was betrayed and crucified by the people he came to save.
Let’s back up for a moment; in Daniel 9:24-26-27, we are told in verse 24 that the LORD would scatter the Jews for a period of 70 weeks or 490 years to finish their transgressions. The time begins when the daily sacrifice was taken away. That happened in 599 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar removed the sacred vessels from the temple, see 2 Chronicles 36:7. When we move forward 483 years, we find ourselves at the river Jordan, where Christ is being baptized by both John and the Holy Spirit. Finding out John had been arrested, and the Pharisees and Sadducees were looking for him, Jesus goes to Galilee the land of the gentiles. It was at that time he was cut off by the people, and when he began to confirm his new covenant with the people.
Daniel 9:26, “After threescore and two weeks (434 years) shall Messiah be cut off.” “After (is a word of time) three and two weeks, Messiah (Jesus) will be cut off.” But were told the covenant had to be confirmed for seven years, not three-and-one-half years. So, 3 1/2 years remain.
Daniel 9:27, “He (???) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (7 years): and in the midst of the week (3 ½ years) he shall cause the sacrifice and 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.”
If the Jews had received Jesus, he would have been the last sacrifice the Jews would have ever needed to obtain forgiveness. So, upon Jesus’ death, any further sacrifices and offerings in the temple would be without merit to the Jews.
After his rejection, the whole house of Israel was left desolate, meaning God took his hand of protection, blessings, and mercies from the people and the land. The rejection of Messiah set the stage for the future destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Roman armies, followed by many desolations coming from the Gentile nations in the hundreds of years that followed.
The first question is, who is the He in Verse 27? Who is to confirm the covenant with Israel? Some say it’s Titus, others say anti-Christ, and others claim it’s Jesus. Let’s see if the Bible can answer this question for us.
Isaiah 42:6, “I the LORD (the Father) have called thee (Jesus) in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a COVENANT of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.”
The covenant was the Son of God a gift to the Israelites, coming from the Father is personally expressed.
Luke 22:20, Jesus said, “This cup is the New Testament (covenant) in my blood, which is shed for you.”
Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I will send my messenger (John the Baptist) and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord (Jesus) whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34 describes the Messianic covenant in full. And if you read Daniel 11:30-32, you will read about those who oppose the confirmation of the covenant, those who will “Forsake the covenant,” and “Do wickedly against the covenant.”
Considering the above, it should be evident that Jesus is the one who will confirm the covenant spoken of in Daniel. Second question:
Now we know that it was written that the covenant would have to be confirmed for one week, (seven years.) So, the question remains: when and who will finish confirming this new covenant?
Let’s step back 2000 years! Jesus said, Matthew 26:28-29, “Take, eat, this is my body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them (the apostles,) saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament (covenant,) —- But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
It would be the last time He would be with the 11 who remained with him; Judas had already left to betray him. When the last supper ended, Jesus went into the garden with the eleven and prayed. Soon after, Judas returned with the chief priests and elders of the people to arrest him.
At that time, Jesus had already confirmed the covenant for 3 ½ years, this ending after the breaking of bread and drinking of the wine. Within a few hours, He would cut off the people, and be separated from his disciples, then arrested; this explains the word (after) in Daniel 9:26.
Now, there remains 3 ½ years for the covenant to be confirmed; this last 3 ½ years, when finished, will end Daniel’s prophesy of 490 years.
Daniel 9:24, “An end of sins, — reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness — and to anoint the most Holy (meaning Holy place).” Jesus is the anti-type of the most holy place; see John 2:19-22.
Jesus began to confirm his new covenant with the Jews in October of 27 A.D., ending on Passover (April) of 31 A.D. So, to this point, 486.5 years of the 490 years have been fulfilled, leaving three-and-a-half years remain.
So, the question has been raised: who will finish confirming the covenant? It will be the two Witnesses of God, see Revelation 11. They will finish confirming the covenant for 3 ½ years, see Revelation 11. Verse 7, “When they shall have finished their testimony,” they will be killed, their blood sealing their work. Now the seven years will be finished, fulfilling the 490 years. Now the great tribulation begins, lasting for 3 1/2 years under the rule of the antichrist and his high priest, the second best of Revelation 13.
Phil LaSpino wwwseekfirstwisdom.com