“WHICH COVENANT DID HE CONFIRM”?

Daniel 9:27 “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 was not the law covenant; Jesus went to the cross, for the sake of the law (Colossians 2:14).

So what really happened is that, in the course of His preaching, death, resurrection and His

confirmation of the gospel through the early Disciples before the death of Stephen, He was confirming the covenant that He offered to all, even the Gentiles (Galatians 3:13, 14), such that through His death, we might become partakers of the blessings thereof.

Just as we found that, the conversion of Cornelius and his household took place after the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, which took place, between 34 AD and 35 AD.

Thereafter, the church had peace and was built up (Acts 9:1–16, 31). It is believed that, Cornelius came or joined the congregation of believers at 36 AD, which would be the end of the Seventieth “week”, 490 years from 455 BC.

SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS TO CEASE (Daniel 9:27b)

“And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease” KJV.

“But after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings” TLB

The common belief of this portion of scriptures by most Christian theologians alike, is that the supposed Anti-Christ will make a “false treaty” with the Jews regarding peace which he will suddenly break after three and half years. This is the way it is phrased: “In the middle of the week (half of seven years or the 70th week) he (the Anti-Christ) shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease” Daniel 9:27.

But who could this Scripture actually be referring to? Was he the Anti-Christ or Jesus Himself? What sacrifices were therein referred to? Who in the first place, was this passage of Scripture (i.e., Daniel 9) referring to?

Remember the words of the man Gabriel that was sent to Daniel “Seventy weeks (490 years) are determined (or set aside) upon THY PEOPLE and upon THY HOLY CITY” Daniel 9:24.

Two things are obvious in this passage: It was an address to the people of Daniel, “the Jews” and their holy city “Jerusalem”.

Going by what we said earlier on, after reading the book of Jeremiah, Daniel understood that God has a time frame for the Jews in Babylon which was the 70 Years of captivity. With this understanding that the time was up, he went into fasting and prayer, not even rising to wash his face or comb his hair.

And the reply came to him after 21 days of such a state of repentance and supplication, to the effect that Gabriel came to inform him that, another 70 weeks or 490 years are set aside for more of God’s Judgment to come upon his people, the Jews. But that within this next 70 weeks or 490 years, certain things will happen, which are;

1. The rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem

2. The coming of the messiah

3. The end of sin and sin sacrifices

4. The Total destruction of the magnificent Temple, leading to

5. The putting to an end of the Judaistic worship, and the animal sacrifices that was then the order of the day.

“Putting away the sacrifices” were the Jewish worship of Animal sacrifices by the sacrifice of Himself.

Hence we read;

Hebrews 9:26 “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world (Jewish ceremonial order of worship) hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (KJV)

Next will be “WHAT WERE THE SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS TO CEASE?” – Daniel 9:27

To be continued…