Luke 3:1-2 says, “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.” Tiberius Caesar ruled from September 18th A.D.14-to A.D.37. So, his 15th year would be A.D.28/29. John the Baptist began his ministry in the month Tishri 10th (September 18th A.D.28 but the new year of the Civil calendar of A.D.29). Jesus the Messiah is Baptized by him during that time. Jesus then reads Isaiah 61 a few months after in the Synagogue. Luke 4:18, says “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord…” But let’s look at the rest of this verse in Isaiah 61:2, which says “…and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;” Jesus purposefully didn’t say this because he knew it wasn’t time for this to be fulfilled. This part of the verse was going to be fulfilled in A.D. 70. Jesus was crucified in middle of the 69th week (after 62 weeks) of Daniel. So, immediately after Christ is crucified shouldn’t the 70th week begin? The 70th week doesn’t begin in 30 A.D. But it began in 65 A.D to 72 A.D. Luke 21:20 says “…when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” Daniel makes it seem as though the destruction of the temple is before the 70th week of Daniel. But Luke places the destruction of the temple in the last 3 ½ years of the seven-year Sabbatical cycle of 68 A.D. to 72 A.D.
Daniel 9:26 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.” The Sabbatical week of seven years that began the 62nd week began in 29/30 A.D. (Daniel 9:25). Christ’s ministry was 3 ½ years of the 62nd week. Remember that there were seven weeks, and then 62 weeks, together that makes 69 weeks. The people of the prince that shall come were the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem under Titus the prince that was coming, but that would be the last 3 ½ years of the 70th week. Verse 26 combines events that happen in both the 69th week and 70th week. Between the 69th week and the 70th week is a generation. A Biblical generation was forty years. Verse 27 is one of the most problematic scripture passages, because many believe this to be speaking of the Antichrist, and many of us believed that. But as we look more closely at verse 27, we find an amazing parallel to verse 26. Let’s deal with each verse line upon line to get a better understanding of what is in view here. 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…” The one week is a sabbatical week of seven years, but who confirms the covenant? Let’s look at the oldest translation of the Hebrew Old Testament being that of the Greek translation called the Septuagint. Daniel 9:26 says “After the sixty-two weeks, the Anointed One shall be put to death, yet there shall be no upright judgment for Him; and he shall destroy the city and the sanctuary with the prince who is coming, and they shall be cut off with a flood, and to the end of the war, which will be cut short, he shall appoint the city to desolations. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week, and in the middle of the week, My sacrifice and drink-offering will be taken away; and there shall be in the temple the abomination of desolations, and to the end of the time, an end to the desolation shall be appointed.” If we closely look at the context, the He in verse 26, and 27 seems to indicate that Messiah is letting the desolation happen. Jesus prophesied the desolation that came to pass in A.D.70. The confirmation of the covenant is explained to us by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:15-17 which says “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 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.” Paul says that the Covenant was confirmed in Christ. Only the Messiah can confirm the covenant. Romans 15:8 says “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:” What is very key in the ancient text is that we see Jesus fulfilled the covenant: Psalms 40:6-8 says (KJV) “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” In Hebrews 10:9-10 the Hebrew writer says (KJV) “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” A will is a Covenant, an agreement. Jesus satisfied the old agreement to establish the new agreement! The Hebrew Tanach says in Daniel 9:27 “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease, and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.” It is very important that we break the verse into parts: Daniel 9:27a says “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease…” What happened? The Messiah confirmed the Abrahamic covenant with many for one prophetic week which is seven years, but Daniel 9:26 let’s us know that in the middle of the week which was 3 ½ years the Messiah was cut off through his death on the cross. And by his death on the cross, he became that once and for all sacrifice to end all temporary sacrifices by the levitical priesthood. We must understand that verses 26 and 27 run parallel together. NOW, we must NOT confuse chapter 8 of Daniel with chapter 9 of Daniel, because it’s talking about Antiochus IV. This is why Yeshua says in Matthew 24:15 which says “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” Let’s review, the 62nd week of years (69th week) began in A.D.29/30 and was supposed to last to A.D.37, however it lasted to A.D.33 when the Messiah was crucified. Notice how the Tanach makes a difference from the one who makes the covenant from the one who makes desolate: Daniel 9:27b “…and upon the wing of abominations shall come ONE who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator. Titus brought his legions against Jerusalem and besieged it and destroyed the temple and the city.
-Anthony D. Booker
The GATHERING Place 