He Shall Confirm the Covenant?

Daniel 9:27 says “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.” This “Week” is talking about the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy. 70 weeks of years are what’s in view here. One prophetic week equals 7 years. If you read the context of chapter 9, it shows you 7 weeks (7×7), 62 weeks (62×7), and one week (1×7) = 490 years. Over the centuries many have said the last week or the 70th week is yet to come. The events happening in Israel look to be of significance. But we must understand that the 70 weeks prophecy is contained within Sabbatical years. We can only understand Sabbatical years based on Ezekiel’s understanding of when Sabbatical years were counted. Jubilee years were counted by cycles of 49, years from Tishri the 10th, and not cycles of 50. The next year after the 49th year would be hallowed the 50th year, even though it was the first year of the next 49-year cycle (Lev.25:8-10). How we should determine the Sabbatical or Jubilee years is based on the book of Ezekiel Chapter 1:1, and 2 says: “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity.” We know the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s captivity is based on the history of Nebuchadnezzar’s first year. Nebuchadnezzar’s first year began in 605 B.C. 2 Kings 24:12 says: “And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.” We know this ‘eighth year’ is referring to Nebuchadnezzar because Jehoiachin only reigned 3 months. 597 B.C. would have been Nebuchadnezzar’s 8th year. The phrase “…in the thirtieth year…” is key for understanding Jubilee years. Ezekiel is saying thirty years have passed since a Jubilee year could have been observed (The Jews were negligent in their Jubilee observance.) Jehoiachin’s 5th year was in 592 B.C. So, in twenty more years, which would be 572 B.C, it would’ve been a Jubilee year. Ezek.40:1 says “In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was upon me and brought me thither.” The first year of their captivity was in 597 B.C. 597 minus 25 years equals 572 B.C. He also says it was 14 years after the city was smitten: 572 plus 14 years equals 586 B.C. the same year Jerusalem was destroyed. Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy begin when they released by Cyrus in 537 B.C. Which was a Sabbatical year. The years were not consistent because under different Kong’s it stopped and started again, but it started in a Sabbatical year. 62 sevens began in 404 B.C. And ended A.D.29/30 when Christ appeared. Christ was crucified in A.D.33. These next points are critical to understanding or being deceived. The next time a Sabbatical year that the covenant could be confirmed would have been while the temple stood, which happened in the first century from A.D.65-A.D.72. Notice Daniel 9:26 which says “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” We know this to be Titus, and the people that destroyed the city and the sanctuary were the Romans. Now verse 27 is key which says “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.” This can only be understood with verses like Daniel 8:11-12 Which says “Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.” And Daniel 11:31 which also says “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” These give understanding to verse 27. There must be sacrifices and oblations in place in order for a covenant to be confirmed that would cause it to continue until it would be taken away. Luke says this happened in Luke 21:20 saying “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” AGAIN, we know this to mean Titus. The changing of Jubilee years with the founding of Jerusalem in the 20th century is a total deception. The Sabbatical and Jubilee years have remained the same since the first time Joshua entered the promised land after the exodus. Many say that 1967 established a new counting of Jubilee and Sabbatical years based on the Six day war which is also not accurate. We must not be deceived in this time nor anytime. So will there be tribulations beside the 70th week of Daniel? Of course. Notice Matthew 24:29 says “Immediately after the tribulation of those days…” MEANING there will be a tribulation before the coming of the Lord, but there were many in history as well. Keeping the same counting system of jubilee years as Ezekiel we find that A.D.65/66 would have been a Jubilee year. In the year A.D.135 The false Messiah Bar Kochba and his army were slaughtered at the Betar fortress by the Romans. This was also a Sabbatical year. 1492/93 was a Sabbatical year, do you know what happened that year? The Jews were expelled from Spain. 1619/20 was also a Sabbatical year, do you know what happened that year? The first Slaves were brought to America. 1948 was also a Sabbatical year. That was the year Israel was founded once again. The peace deal made with Israel, the UAE and Bahrain is not to be taken lightly though: 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 says “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” The day of the Lord is not the Tribulation period, it is the second coming of the Lord Himself to Judge the world.

-Anthony D. Booker