Our scripture reading, to which I invite you to turn with me at this time, is found once again in the Old Testament prophecy of Daniel, Daniel chapter 9. In the Old Testament, after the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, you'll soon come to the so-called major prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel. If you were with us a few Lord's Day evenings ago, you may recall that we looked at the first 19 verses of Daniel chapter nine, and we considered those verses under the theme when Daniel was driven to prayer. I will not recount any of the substance or the context of that passage at this time. I simply remind you that that is where we left off in our study of the prophecy of Daniel. and that we begin this evening in Daniel 9, verse 20, reading through the end of the chapter, and those verses will in fact also constitute our text for tonight. Daniel 9, beginning in verse 20, let us hear then the word of the Lord. While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for His holy hill. While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision. 77s are decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. Know and understand this, from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed one, the ruler comes, there will be seven sevens and 62 sevens. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the 62 sevens, the anointed one will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. In the middle of the seven, He will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple, He will set up an abomination that causes desolation until the end that is decreed is poured out on Him. Thus far, the reading of God's holy word. And as always, brothers and sisters, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as we look to God's word together this evening. Dear congregation of Jesus Christ, as we turn to our study, once again, of Daniel chapter nine, focusing in especially on the words of our text, verses 20 through 27, I draw your attention to a quotation of the late Dr. Edward Young, a former Old Testament professor at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. A quotation taken from his very excellent commentary entitled simply, The Prophecy of Daniel. Here in Dr. Young's states concerning the words of our text for tonight, listen carefully please. He writes, this passage is one of the most difficult in all the Old Testament, and the interpretations which have been offered are almost legion, end of quote. Similarly, but perhaps in a bit more sobering fashion, the great reformer John Calvin writes this concerning this passage, and again I quote. He says, this passage has been variously treated and so distracted and almost torn to pieces by the various opinions of interpreters that it might be considered nearly useless on account of its obscurity. Calvin continues, when the assurance that no prediction is really in vain, we may hope to understand this prophecy provided only we are attentive and teachable according to the angel's admonition and the prophet's example, end of quote. And so as we seek to heed Calvin's counsel tonight concerning this passage of scripture, we will desire and seek to do so according to another quotation by the late Dr. Ed Young who said this. He said, the passage is messianic. Boys and girls, young people, to be messianic means it is of or relating to the Messiah, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Dr. Young writes, the passage is messianic through and through. Well will it be for us if we too, in our study of this supremely important prophecy, place our emphasis not upon dates and mathematical calculations, but upon the central figure who was both anointed and a prince, who by being cut off has made reconciliation for iniquity Brought in the only righteousness that is acceptable to God even his own eternal righteousness end of quote And my dear friends in the Lord that is true. Those words are exceedingly true And so consequently as we turn to our study of Daniel chapter 9 verses 20 and following this evening we do so rejoicing and we do so with a great deal of comfort and And we rejoice because here we find that the angel Gabriel assures Daniel that his very fervent and personal and passionate prayers have been heard in heaven. And that answers are already being spent and sent on their way. He assures us as God's people even today that the answers to these many precious promises which God has made to His people will all be fulfilled in their entirety in God's timing. And they will be fulfilled according to God's sovereign decree concerning the 77s. They will be fulfilled according to God's sovereign decree of the 77s. Now, brothers and sisters, please know that as we begin to work our way through the words of our text, I am not going to do something which I normally do. I am not going to be breaking this passage out into various points or sub-points. I am simply going to begin our reading and study of the passage. We're going to allow the passage to flow. I'm going to try to expound the various texts as we go along without, again, setting out or separating any various points. But as I do that, I will be praying fervently that by the end of our time together this evening, you do not conclude that this was a pointless message. I pray that the Lord will open the truths of this glorious but very difficult passage to us and apply it to our hearts, to our minds, to our souls. All right, are you ready? Well, here we go. Look at verse 20 of Daniel 9 with me, if you would. Daniel says, while I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and making my request to the Lord my God for His holy hill, and that is what we studied previously in the first 19 verses of Daniel chapter 9, While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. If you're taking notes, you may wish to jot down that the name Gabriel means the mighty one of God or God is mighty. The mighty one of God or God is mighty or something like that. It's interesting to note that the angel Gabriel is mentioned four times throughout the scriptures in both the Old and New Testament. Again, if you're taking notes, those four times are Daniel 8, verse 16, Daniel 9, 21, here in these words of our text, Daniel 8, 16, Daniel 9, 21, and then in the New Testament, Gabriel is also mentioned in Luke 1, verse 19, and in Luke 1, verse 26. And so, he comes to Daniel while he is in prayer, at the time of the evening sacrifice, verse 22, he instructed me and said to me, Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed." And brothers and sisters, isn't that comforting to know that many times then, even while we are praying, God is already sending answers to our prayers. And we worry and express anxiety, and we may commiserate about a certain situation. God is the only true God. He is in heaven. He hears the prayers of His people. Romans 8 says that the Lord Jesus is interceding for us at His right hand, mingling His prayers with ours. And there are many times that we may not even realize that the answer, before we are even done praying, may have already be sent on its way. Glory be to God. Therefore, the end of verse 23, look with me, therefore consider the message and understand the vision. Verse 24. Seventy-sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city. The holy city, of course, being a reference to the city of Jerusalem. Seventy-sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city. Now, friends, I have a footnote here in my study Bible, for which I'm very grateful, and concerning the sevens, it says this. quote, probably seven-year periods of time. In other words, the sevens probably are seven-year periods of time. Probably seven-year periods of time, making a total, for the mathematically minded, of 490 years. And then it says, but the numbers may be symbolic. And that is indeed the problem. When we read of these 77s, they may simply be symbolic or they may be very literal, referring to 490 literal years. Now to show you the way in which we have to wrestle with these texts very sincerely and earnestly, turn back to the Old Testament with me, if you would, just for a moment. And turn back to the book of Leviticus, the 26th chapter. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, chapter 26. And drop down with me, please, to verse 18. If you wanna just listen, that's okay, but I think if you can follow along, it'll help prove the point a bit more clearly. Leviticus 26, 18, we read. If after all this you will not listen to me, God is speaking, I will punish you for your sins, notice, seven times over. Drop down to verse 21. If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over as your sins deserve. Verse 24, same chapter. I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. Verses 27, 28. If in spite of this, you still do not listen to me, but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over." So friends, you see this number seven can be symbolic. And so when we read in the scriptures of 77's, this could very well symbolically be a reference to the 70 years captivity in Babylon, which God's people were experiencing. And so when Daniel speaks of the 70 sevens, it may just simply be another way of figuratively referring to the literal 70 years that God's people were captive in Babylon due to the punishment of God for their sins. But again, that is not necessarily the case. Now, go back to Daniel 9 with me again, if you would please, and focus again on that portion of the text we read in the beginning of verse 24. And as you are turning, I am going to turn for us to a couple of footnotes in my Reformation Study Bible. And this will, I pray, shed further illumination on the text that we are considering together. For example, here in the Reformation Study Bible footnotes, it says, and I'm reading it to you because it says it a lot more clearly than I can just say it to you. It says, for example, the interpretation of these verses is disputed at many points. There are two fundamental approaches to the interpretation of the weeks, literally the sevens. Number one, symbolic periods of time, or literal periods of time. In the symbolic view, the 70 years of punishment are multiplied seven times in accordance with the covenantal curses. And it references here Leviticus 26, the verses that we just looked at together. But then it continues. Most interpreters view the units of 70 weeks as representing 490 years. Now just stay with me, it's going to get a little technical, but I want to show you the difficulty of interpreting this passage. But try to stay with me, some of you will probably get this very easily. Most interpreters view the units of 70 weeks as representing 490 years. These so-called 70 weeks of years are then divided into three sub-units of, and this is in the text, of 49 years, the 7 weeks of verse 25, 434 years, 62 weeks of verse 26, the 62 times 7, and 7 years of 1 week, verse 27. Interpreters differ over whether these subunits are to be viewed as a continuous sequence or as having time intervals between them." End of quote. Well friends, whatever the meaning of these various numbers may be, whatever their time sequences may be, whether there is an interval between them or not, whether they are to be taken figuratively or literally, the fact of the matter is that whatever that case may be, God goes on to make very, very clear what the meaning of these time periods are. and the tremendous spiritual blessings which they will bestow upon His people as time goes on and as they are historically, literally, personally fulfilled. For example, as we go on in verse 24, you will notice that six different items or implications of those 77's are mentioned. Three of them, we could say, are set forth in a negative fashion. Three of them, we could say, are set forth in a positive fashion. Look with me at the text again in verse 24, if you would. Seventy-sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city. Number one, to finish transgression. Now, some translations have what's called the definite article in the translation, because the Hebrew does have a the there, and it says in the Hebrew, literally, to finish the transgression. I don't know if that's significant or not. I'm just sharing that with you for factual information. To finish transgression. It's an interesting word in the original, by the way. It's a word which contains two implications. It's a word which refers to apostasy. Apostasy is taken from two Greek words, apostasis, which means to stand away from. So if you have the truth of God's word here, apostasis, to stand away from that is to apostasize. You are standing away from the truth of God's word. And so apostasy is a critical part of that term, transgression. It also conveys a sense of rebellion, of shaking your fist, as it were, in the face of God, and refusing to repent, refusing to bow before Him, refusing to worship and acknowledge Him, and to live according to His will as revealed in His Word. Transgression. To finish transgression, To put an end to sin and to atone for wickedness. Now my young friends, remember when you see that word atone or atonement, notice that you could draw a line after the T and it would read at one. Atonement can literally be read to read at-one-ment. And that's what atonement really means. It means being brought into a oneness with God. Our sins are forgiven. Our rebellion is over. There is no more separation due to our sin. We are at one with the God who created us through the Christ who died for us. 77's are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, and then three things are stated kind of positively as the impact of these 77's. To bring in everlasting righteousness. Now this is so important. To bring in everlasting righteousness. Dr. R.C. Sproul passed away just a few months ago. Great teacher of the faith, great preacher of the faith. I was down in Orlando several years ago due to your generosity. I was able to go to a pastor's conference at Ligonier in Orlando. Dr. Sproul made a very interesting comment and I had heard him say it since. He says, we are saved by what he called an alien righteousness. That is a righteousness from outside of ourselves. We cannot be righteous. The Bible says there is no one righteous, not even one. All have turned away. Together we have become worthless. There is no one who seeks God, not even one. And so we need an alien righteousness. We need a righteousness or a right standingness with God that comes outside of ourselves. An alien righteousness. And that is why, for example, in Romans 1 verse 17, the Apostle Paul says, For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. And many of us know that that was the passage that the Lord sovereignly used to save Martin Luther. He was a Roman Catholic monk trying to earn his salvation, doing enough good works, doing enough penance, and his soul was tormented day and night for many years. And he said, when I came to understand that we have an alien righteousness, that in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, that is by faith from first to last, Luther said it was like the very gates of paradise opened before me and I was born again. And so, We praise God for this righteousness that we could say is brought in to bring in an everlasting righteousness, and now stay with me again in verse 24, to seal up vision and prophecy. That's the second thing stated in a positive way, to seal up vision and prophecy. Now what does that mean? It can mean two things. To seal up can mean to validate or authenticate. You know when we read in the scriptures of the king's signet ring or his seal? That is to validate or authenticate the validity of a document that is really from the King. And so we could say that one of the blessings of these 77s is that the result is that the division in prophecy is sealed up. You think of, for example, 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20. This would convey the idea of that kind of sealing up. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20 says, For no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ. And so through Him, the Amen is spoken for us to the glory of God. And so it could be meaning that this One to Come is going to authenticate or validate or seal unto us the promises of God. Ah! But sealing up the vision and the prophecy can also have another meaning. It can also mean that it's sealed up in the sense that it is no longer needed. It is no longer effective. It is no longer applicable or necessary for you and me. In other words, it's over with. It's sealed up. You can seal it up. Now that sense of seal up, brothers and sisters, is conveyed, for example, in Hebrews chapter 1. If you want to turn with me, I'm just going to read the first two verses. If you want to just listen, that's okay. But in Hebrews 1, 1 and 2, it says, In the past God spoke to our forefathers. Notice we're talking past. In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. But, contrast, in these last days, the period of time between Christ's first and second coming, the last days, we are living in the last days, But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. And so those are the two different possible interpretations of what Daniel is saying here concerning the sealing up of vision and prophecy. And then the third thing stated positively, and to anoint the most holy, and to anoint the most holy. Now friends, you may have a footnote in your Bible, as I do, that says, or the most holy place, or the most holy one. The Hebrew does not specify and so the interpreters try to make a judgment as to what it what it may be And and if you have that in your Bible, it may be italicized because it's not in the original And so this is the way the original reads a little bit indefinite to anoint the most holy Whether that's a reference to the most holy one or the most holy place. We do not know for sure Okay, and now now things get very interesting Drop down to verse 25 with me where the text says, know and understand this. And I am praying that God will enable us to know and understand this. From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed one, the ruler comes, there will be seven sevens and 62 sevens. Now, To show you again how and why this text is so difficult, look at the beginning of verse 25 where it says, know and understand this from the issuing of the decree. Focus in on that word decree. That word in the original can also be translated as word, just as word. In other words, you could read it and say, know and understand this from the issuing of the word. to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, et cetera. It can be translated either way, and whichever way you translate it has profound implications on how you interpret it in relation to the rest of the text. For example, I'm gonna try to walk you through this, and again, if you have kind of a mathematical brain, you'll probably get this quicker than I did. I'm just gonna try to make it as clear as I can. If we refer or interpret that decree, that's there in verse 25, as referencing the decree of Cyrus, and if you're taking notes, please write this down. If we interpret that decree as referencing the decree of Cyrus, issued in 538 BC, recorded for us in Ezra 1, 1-4. The decree of Cyrus, 538 BC, Ezra 1, 1-4, it has various implications. If we interpret that term as the Word, the Word which speaks of the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem, if we interpret it that way, for example, if we interpret it as the prophecy, the Word of Jeremiah, which he spoke in 587 B.C., the Word of Jeremiah in 587 B.C., that Jerusalem would be rebuilt, as is recorded for us in Jeremiah 31, verse 38, and Jeremiah 32, verse 15. It has various implications. Or, thirdly, please stay with me, this may be a reference to the decree of Artaxerxes in the seventh year of his reign, a decree which Artaxerxes issued in 457 B.C., and that is recorded for us in Ezra 7, verses 12-26. Ezra 7, 12-26 was the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. Now, without committing myself to any particular interpretation, I do point out to you that that reference, historically, would prove to be very, very interesting for this reason. As the text goes on to read, and just you can look at it with me in verse 25, from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed one, and just please stay with me, the ESV says an anointed one, leaving it indefinite. I believe the King James in the New American Standard says not only the anointed one, it says the Mashiach, the Messiah, because that's who I believe it's a reference to, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed one of the Mashiach, the ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens. Now here again, please stay with me. Remember, if we are using the date of 457 B.C., when Artaxerxes issued his decree in his seventh year, as recorded for us in Ezra 7, verses 12-26, And then we take the seven sevens and the 62 sevens and we add them together. How much is 62 and seven, young people? It's not a trick question. 69, okay, thank you. You end up with 69. And if you multiply the 69 by seven, because these are supposedly years, you end up with 483 years. Now again, stay with me. If we date this from 457 B.C. and the decree of Artaxerxes, we add the 62 and seven for 69, multiply it by seven and come up with 483 years, and we add 483 years to the 457 B.C. date, you know what we come up with? We come up with about the mid-20s or so A.D., the time of the arrival in His public ministry of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For whatever it's worth, That just seems to be sort of a cool, possible, interpretive scenario. Now, stay with me again. Some other commentators build on this. And they lay it out this way. If you're taking notes, still using the date of Artaxerxes decree recorded in Ezra 7, 12 and following, 457 BC. They say if we start with that date, 457 BC, And we add the seven sevens, the 49 years coming down through B.C., we come to the date 408. Because those dates are separated, the sevens and the 62. You end up with 408 B.C., and that is about the time the temple was rebuilt, that the work was finished in about 408 B.C. And then if they add to that the 62 sevens, which is 434 years, You come up to almost exactly the same time of about 26 AD, the time, generally speaking, of the public arrival of the ministry of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now that is simply all possible interpretations, and I leave that for your own consideration. But if you're into this, I share one more little caveat with you. Just in my devotional life, I came across, during while I was studying this, John 2, verse 20. Just jot it down if you're taking notes. John 2, verse 20. Interestingly enough, in John 2, verse 20, after Jesus said, destroy this temple and I'll rebuild it in three days, the Jews say to him, how can you possibly do that? It took our fathers 46 years to build this temple. Calvin says, add to those 46 years, three years for the laying of the foundation, and you end up with 49 years. Just throw it out for your prayerful consideration, introspection. Ultimately, it's not extremely significant other than it's a possible way of interpreting this particular difficult portion of God's word. But even with all that having been said, believe it or not, the plot thickens. The plot thickens. I'm gonna pick it up again in verse 26, and I pray that you'll stay with me. Let's go back to verse 25, because I wanna, I think, single something else out. Know and understand this, verse 25, from the issuing of the decree, try to think what we just studied, to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, Until the anointed one I'm saying our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the ruler comes there will be seven sevens and Sixty-two sevens and we talked about some ways to possibly interpret that it that is the city of Jerusalem Will be rebuilt with streets and a trench but in times of trouble but in times of trouble did you ever read through the prophecies of Ezra and Nehemiah and And notice the incredible opposition which they faced in the rebuilding of the temple. They were mocked, they were stopped, they were under attack. Especially if you're taking notes, jot down Nehemiah 4. It talks about that opposition by two men especially, Sanballat and Tobiah. And it kind of typifies brothers and sisters and symbolizes the persecution of the church of Christ and the opposition we continually face in this life, not only as individual Christians, but corporately as congregations of our Lord Jesus Christ and of course of his church universal, a holy Catholic church. It will be rebuilt, but in times of trouble. A prophecy of God's word for what his people are going to endure after they return to the promised land. Look at verse 26 with me again if you would please. After the 62 sevens, the Anointed One, the Hebrew says the Mashiach, so the NAS and the King James Version say the Messiah. I believe that's exactly correct. After the 62 sevens, the Anointed One, the Messiah, will be cut off and have nothing. Now what do you suppose that phraseology means, to be cut off? I wasn't sure. So I did some cross-referencing in the scriptures. For example, turn back with me, if you would, please, once again to the prophecy, to the books, I'm sorry, of Leviticus. But this time, we are going back to the seventh chapter, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, chapter seven. And drop down with me, please, to verses 19 and 20. Leviticus 7, 19 and 20. God says, His Word says, "...meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten, it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it." Here's the punchline. But if anyone who is unclean eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, that person must be cut off, there's the terminology, from his people. What does that mean? Again, in my study Bible, for which I'm very grateful, the footnote says this. To be cut off means removed from the covenant people through direct divine judgment, and some texts are listed. through execution, some texts are listed, or possibly sometimes through banishment that is from the covenant community. Now think of those definitions, bring it back to our text in Daniel 9, speaking of the anointed one, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and it says after these 62 sevens, the anointed one will be cut off and will have nothing. What do you think that refers to? I think it refers to the crucifixion. I think it refers to the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When he was forsaken by God, he cried from the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And of course we also read when Jesus was arrested, all of his disciples left him and fled. He was utterly abandoned. He was utterly alone, paying the penalty for your sins and mine. He was cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler, stay with me now again in verse 26, the people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Virtually every commentator that I read, and myself, I'm not a commentator but I'm just myself, believe that that is a reference to the Roman General Titus, the son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, who laid siege to the city of Jerusalem historically in 70 A.D., he destroyed the city and he burned the temple to the ground. I firmly believe that that reference at the end of verse 26, this ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, is a reference to the Roman general Titus. He became emperor when his father died, Vespasian. But at that time he was a general. 70 A.D. I believe that that prophecy was fulfilled. And my young friends remember, Daniel is prophesying here several hundred years B.C. And we see the inspiration, the Holy Spirit inspired word of the living God. And then the text continues. The end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end. And desolations have been decreed. Now we need to pause here for a second because even though we only have one verse left, there are profound and extensive differing interpretations, especially at this point, between those of us in the Reformed community and our dispensational brothers and sisters who, although not exclusively, largely make up our Baptist friends, our Baptist brothers and sisters, the Baptist community. And please, please know that whatever I'm about to say, I'm saying with love. I'm saying with respect for those brothers and sisters. I'm saying it with humility, but we have differences of doctrine and of biblical interpretation. I just want to share a couple of things briefly because of how critically important they are for our proper understanding of this text. Our Baptist brothers and sisters, our dispensational brothers and sisters put a great, what they call a gap. between verse 26 and verse 27. In fact, they have a name for it. They call it the great parentheses. As they are interpreting verses 26 and 27, they put a huge indefinite gap or parentheses between the historical fulfillment of verse 26 and verse 27. One which I might say with respect and love for them, there is no biblical warrant for. The text is just kind of flowing on and it's carrying on, and there really is no hermeneutical reason to say, well, at that point, there's an indefinite gap, a parentheses that goes on, we don't know how long, but that's what they say. You say, why do they say that? Well, I'm glad you asked. The reason they say that is because of their eschatology, which means the doctrine of the last things. Our Baptist dispensational brothers and sisters, many of them, and I know I need to be careful, it's not all of them, but many of them are what you call premillennial dispensationalists. And by the way, I went to the King's College. I mean, I was steeped in premillennial dispensationalism in their eschatology. It was a Baptist school primarily. I had a couple great Reformed professors up there, and even the Baptist professors were really good. But anyway, here's what they say. They say in their eschatological view, I'm not being facetious here. They say that the second coming of Christ is broken into two parts. This is critically important. You talk to any of your Baptist friends, this is what they're gonna tell you. I had the honor of being in on some, I won't name the area, Baptist pastors, many of you know them, over my long term here. I was in on what they call their ordination council. I was invited by those churches to sit in on their ordination council, which was basically their test for ordination. And so I know many of them and I know what they believe and so on. But they believe that the second coming of Christ is broken into two parts. The first part they call the parousia or the parousia, which is a secret coming. If you're taking notes, jot down 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 13 through 18. 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 through 18. That's where it says, you know, the Lord will come. He will descend from heaven with a shout, with a loud command, the voice of the archangel, the trumpet call of God and all that. We believe that. But we believe that's the second coming. When the dead in Christ will rise first and we who are left will be caught up with them in the clouds, all that. Our Baptist dispensational friends say that is only the first part of the second coming. It's what they call the parousia or the parousia, and they believe it is a secret coming. This is critically important. That's why you see bumper stickers on the cars of our Baptist friends which say, in the event of rapture, this car is unmanned. I saw a bumper sticker once that said, in the event of rapture, you can have my car. That's why I always pray that nobody will pick the song in our family of God, hymnal, the king is coming. It's a premillennial dispensational eschatological song. The marketplace is empty, no more traffic in the streets, all the builders' tools are silent, no more time to harvest wheat, all the planes veer off their courses, no one sits at the control, the king of all the ages has come to claim eternal souls. That's because they believe all the Christians poof out of here, secretly, but the world goes on, the world goes on. That's only the first part of Christ's second coming, they say. They put this big gap between verse 26 and 27 because they say, during what they call the interim period, this parenthesis period, this gap period, is the time when God is going to bring the gospel to the Gentiles and not to the Jews. Now please stay with me, this is so important. When I was at King's, it was the first time I was really exposed to this doctrine, They said that the church, and I'm saying this again with love and respect for these brothers and sisters, they said that the church is God's plan B. That's what they call it. God's plan A is the Jews, the physical, literal Jews in Israel. But the Jews crucified Christ. And so they said God instituted plan B during this parenthesis period where the gospel is brought to the Gentiles, okay, just again they call it plan B, until the time God resumes His mission to His real people Israel, the Jews. Now friends, I probably shouldn't take the time, but just real quickly, you cannot underestimate the implications of that doctrinal position. Meaning, who is Israel? Our Baptist friends say, well, Israel is Israel, and the church is the church. We say, no, you had national Israel. All the promises to national Israel were fulfilled in God's people, the church, consisting of Jew and Gentile. And that's why our sacraments include baptismal, what's called paedo-baptism, baptism to infants, because it's the same covenant. The children were included in the Old Testament covenant by the sign of circumcision. Our children are included in the covenant by the sign of baptism because we are Israel. If you read Exodus 19 and you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, then you go to 1 Peter 2, 9 and 10, you are a chosen race, a holy people, a holy nation. It's the same thing. I can't expound upon this more, I'm sorry, we don't have time, but just get that. And so our Baptist friends don't see that. They make this big demarcation between Israel and the church. And they say then that the 70th week, remember, we only added 62 and seven, which is how much? 69. But we're talking about 70 weeks. Where's that 70th week? Ah, the plasticans again. Our Baptist friends say that that 70th week is when God resumes his mission or ministry to the Jewish, physical Jewish people, and that lasts for seven years. physical, literal years. Then they say, now you gotta go into verse 27 with me. He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. Now I have a footnote here which says, in fact, I think the King James and New American Standard might translate it as or for one, not for one seven, but for one week, for one week. Our Baptist premillennial dispensational friends say that that he is a reference to the Antichrist. They say that whenever that time period is, the Antichrist is gonna come to earth or reveal himself, and he is going to make a covenant with the Jews. I'll be your friend. Then they say, at the halfway point of that week, seven years, three and a half years, he's going to betray the Jews. And then that will be what they call the Great Tribulation will take place. At the end of that Great Tribulation, they say, now we have the second part of Christ's second coming. And they call it the revelation of Jesus Christ. When he returns in the clouds of glory, he establishes, listen, a physical, literal 1,000-year millennial kingdom in Jerusalem with a rebuilt temple, by the way. And he reigns on the earth for 1,000 years after the defeat of the Antichrist and his forces at the Battle of Armageddon. I study this like crazy again this week. Calvin goes nuts on the fact, when they talk about the rebuilt temple, do you know what that implies? The rebuilt temple? Yeah, that implies the reinstituting of sacrifice. Wow. And when our dispensational friends go to Ezekiel, where it talks about the rebuilt temple and the sacrifice, I used to debate some friends at King's about this all the time, They would say, well, we just don't take that part literally. Well, you're taking all the rest of it literally. You gotta take that literally too. That's probably the biggest argument against it because of the reinstitution of sacrifice that that would necessarily entail unless they don't want to be truly consistent with themselves and they just ignore it. So, what do we say? I say, we say, that he, at the beginning of verse 27, is a reference to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He will confirm a covenant with many. Think of Jesus with the Lord's Supper. My blood is poured out for many. I give my life for many. He confirms a covenant. What covenant? Brothers and sisters, the covenant that's spoken of in Jeremiah chapter 31. If you're taking notes, jot down Jeremiah 31 verses 31 through 34. I'll just read it real quickly. Jeremiah 31, 31 through 34. The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the old covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time declares the Lord I will put my law in their minds and I will write it on their hearts I will be their God and they will be my people No longer will a man teach his neighbor or a man his brother saying know the Lord Because they will all know me from the least of them to the greatest declares the Lord for I will forgive their wickedness And we'll remember their sin no more all glory be to God now remember that when we read here in Daniel chapter 9 Verse 27, he, I believe it's a reference to the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. And again, many of the translations correctly translate that as one week. Remember, we need 70 weeks. We've only had 69 so far. He will confirm the covenant for one week. Our Baptist friends say that's the seven years of tribulation. You know what I think, and I've only found a few commentators that hint, like maybe they think it, I'm not even sure they do, but I'll tell you what I think, and I pray that this is from God. I think that that week is Passion Week. I think that week is Passion Week. Do you know why? Look at how the text goes on further. He will confirm a covenant with many for one week, one seven. In the middle of the seven, if you've got a week, and I'll picture about in the middle of the week, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. Calvin says that that sacrifice and offering just refers generally to all of the Old Testament ceremonies and sacrifices of the law. In the middle of that week, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. How did our Lord Jesus put an end to the Old Testament sacrifices and offering? He did it about in the middle of the week toward the end, but in about in the middle of the week on Calvary's cross. In fact, Hebrews 10 talks about that. Turn there with me if you would, otherwise just listen, that's fine. Hebrews 10, one through four, the law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Verse 11. Day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duties. Again and again, he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time, he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. I believe that that is a reference to to what we are speaking of here in Daniel chapter 9 that Christ came He confirmed a new covenant with many for one week in the middle of that week He put an end to sacrifice and offerings and he did it by the sacrifice of himself And then finally this if you'll just skim over silently the last part of verse 27 For how difficult this entire passage has been, the end of verse 27 is the most difficult of the most difficult. You cannot believe the interpretations of that portion of the text. And part of the reason is because some of the terminology that's used in the Hebrew, some of it is because the various manuscripts, the way it's punctuated in the Hebrew, some of it is because of the different vowel points that are assigned to the terms in the Hebrew. I mean, you could go on forever, but here are the three final things. It'll just take a few seconds. Our dispensational brothers and sisters say that this last text is a reference to the Antichrist. And I'll read the text. And on a wing of the temple, he, they say the Antichrist, will set up an abomination that causes desolation until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. Now, if you have an NAS, I think that's the best translation, actually. I don't have an NAS with me. That, I think, is the best translation of the text. If you have a New American Standard or look it up, I think that's the best. I do not believe this refers to the Antichrist. Many people believe this refers to Antiochus IV, Antiochus Epiphanes. We studied him previously. Please do not get confused. He is referenced in Daniel 8, verse 13, unequivocally. That is a reference in Daniel 8, 13 to Antiochus IV, Antiochus Epiphanes, about 168, 167 BC, when he did, in fact, defile the temple. Recall, he set up a statue of Zeus in the temple, and he sacrificed pigs on the altar. So that was then, this is now. I believe that this is a reference to, once again, Titus, that he would come and defile the temple because that would just be included in the sweep of the 77s, in the sweep of history, without what I am calling an illegitimate gap or parentheses put in between. In fact, I close with this statement, and you have all been very gracious trying to follow this. Here's what Calvin says. Referencing the second part of verse 27, I close with this. Calvin says, without the slightest doubt, This prophecy was fulfilled when the city was captured and overthrown and the temple utterly destroyed by Titus, the son of Vespasian. This satisfactorily explains the events here predicted." End of quote. And amen. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together in prayer. My heart is not proud, O Lord, penned the sacred psalmist David. My eyes are not haughty. I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother. Like a weaned child is my soul within me. Consequently, O Lord, in the midst of all of the joys and sorrows and puzzling providences of life, grant us the grace and the faith to simply place all of our hope in Christ, even concerning the many truths conveyed in Gabriel's declaration of the 77s. Hear us, O faithful father, we pray and we plead, in Jesus' name, amen.