Final Countdown: Chapter 16, The Last Temple Sacrifice
In the following, all verses are quoted from the King James Bible.
When the LORD speaks directly to or sends one of his angels (messengers) to deliver his word, and in that word we read either, “And it shall come to pass …” or “thus said the LORD,” we can trust this word will come to pass.
Even though the prophecies in Daniel were written some 26 hundred years ago, portions of them are yet to be fulfilled.
This chapter in Daniel 9 under review, was written in the year 539 B.C. Daniel had been released from Babylonian captivity and was now in the hands of the Medio Persians, they ruled by king Darius. At that time, Daniel would have been in his early eighties.
This change of power provoked Daniel to search the Scriptures to determine the prophetic significance of the defeat of the Babylonians by the Persians. Daniel began to search the book of Jeremiah which had been written between the years 627 and 586 B.C. He realized Jeremiah had prophesied concerning the 70 years of captivity, Jeremiah 25:11-12. He also realized the 70 years was almost over.
In verses 20-23 of Daniel 9, we read, it was the angel Gabriel who came to Daniel in a vision, he bringing a message to Daniel from the LORD. Gabriel said; at the beginning of your (Daniel’s) prayer, a commandment from God came forth to give you the skill to understand the matter and the vision which I am about to reveal to you.
We will examine certain words contained in that message. Keep in mind, when the Bible reads, “He, or it shall come to pass,” these words can also be understood as, “thus said the LORD.” This give to us the surety, they will come to pass.
We must also pay close attention to the use of periods, commas, and colons in these particular verses. Let’s go back to your high school days and review colons and commas.
A comma (,) with or without the conjunction and, is used to connect two independent clauses.
The main task of the semicolon (;) is to mark a break that is stronger than a comma but not as final as a full stop (meaning a period). A semi-colon is used between two main clauses that balance each other and are too closely linked to be made into separate sentences.
A colon (:) is used because the second unit of information expands on the first unit of information. This makes the relationship between the two units more obvious, and, it alerts us to regard the second unit as significant to the former.
A period (.) is a punctuation mark that represents a full stop of a declarative sentence from that of another declarative sentence.
Now the verse under discussion will be the message Gabriel gives Daniel from the LORD.
Daniel 9:27, “And HE SHALL confirm the covenant with many for one week: (colon) and in the midst of the week HE SHALL cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, (comma) and for the overspreading of abominations HE SHALL make It desolate, (comma) even until the consummation, and (connective) that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Other Bibles have changed the punctuation marks, thus causing error in the interpretation of these verses.
In the above verse Gabriel had declared four events:
1. “He (the LORD) SHALL confirm (His new covenant) with many for one week (7 years): (colon).” This 7 years shall be confirmed!
What is the new covenant to be? Jeremiah 31:31-34 explains the new messianic covenant in full.
2. but, “in the middle of the week he SHALL cause the (Temple) sacrifices and oblation to cease,” (comma).
When 3 ½ years of the 7 Years is completed, “He” (Jesus) will cause the temple (animal) sacrifices and gift offerings to end, leaving 3 ½ years to fulfill God’s declaration of confirming his new covenant for 7 full years.
This had also been prophesied in,
Hosea 3:4, “For the children of Israel shall abide many days (almost 2000 Years now) without a king (Jesus Rev.19:16), and without a prince (Rev.1:5, Jesus is, “the prince of the kings of the earth), and without a (blood) sacrifice and without an image (idols), and without an ephod, and without teraphim (household idols.)”
During Jesus earthly ministry, he had confirmed his new covenant for 3 ½ years before being cut off at the cross, he being crucified on April 5th 30 A.D., taking his last breath at 3 P.M.
It was at that moment in time the Jews and the land would be given over to the enemies of the people. The line of antichrists, those who hate Jesus and the Jews began with Rome, followed by the barbarian tribes, then by the Roman Catholic church ruled by the popes; then the Muslims, Germans, English, Spanish, these, followed by the Arab world, and most every member nation of the United Nations. The only people in all the world that support Israel, are Christians.
And when all true believers are raptured up before the tribulation begins, it leaves the sheep (Israel), without a Shepard (Jesus) and surround literally by a very large pack of wolves waiting to devour them.
The moment Jesus died, the tearing of the veil in the temple would mark the cessation of sacrifices. Why? because it is written,
Leviticus 4:6, “The (High) priest shall dip his finger in the blood (of the sacrificed animal), and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary (meaning the Holy of Holies).”
And besides the veil being torn in two, there was no Ark of the Covenant or Mercy Seat where the Shekinah glory of the LORD would appear.
There cannot be a covenant without a sacrifice! Jesus’s sacrifice would forever terminate all, and any other sacrifices. Read Hebrews 10:5-9, verse 10 follows:
Verse 10, “By which will we (the Jews) are sanctified (set apart) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
So, upon Jesus death in April of 30 A.D. at 3 P.M., the Levitical rites had come to a close, making any further temple sacrifices and offering worthless. The High Priest of Israel, Jesus who is after the order of Melchizedek had been rejected and crucified.
Matthew 23:38, Jesus said, “Behold, your house (the temple) is left unto you desolate (deserted and laid waste).”
Let’s continue with the conclusion of the verse in Daniel 9:27:
3. “and (is a connective to what has just been said) for the overspreading of abominations HE (Jesus) SHALL make it desolate, (comma)”
Because of the abomination of the Jewish people against their Christ, He (Jesus the prince) shall not only have Jerusalem, the temple, and the sanctuary destroyed, but He would continue its desolation until the time determined, almost 2000 Years now.
4. “even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate (the desolators).”
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com