“FROM the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks;” this makes sixty-nine weeks, and leaves only one week to complete the seventy weeks.
In searching where the last week is to be found, two things should first be considered. In Messiah’s time here, what point answers to “unto Messiah the Prince”? His birth? The beginning of His ministry and presentation to Israel? His public entry into Jerusalem? The cross? or what?
Also where comes the break in the course of the seventy weeks, for seventy weeks are not yet completed, and sixty-nine weeks transpired when Christ was here. This break undoubtedly may be seen at the cross. There Christ was definitely rejected, and there Jehovah breaks with Israel, and their house is left unto them desolate “till” by-and-bye (Matt. 23:38, 3938Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23:38‑39)).
At the beginning of His ministry we find in Matthew 3., He identifies Himself with the godly remnant, or those who answered to John the Baptist’s call to repentance — the forerunner of Messiah. These, we read, “were baptized of him, confessing their sins.... Then cometh Jesus... to be baptized of him.” Notice, He was not leading them to be baptized — as though He was an example for them. This He could not be, seeing He had no sins to confess, but He identifies Himself with the godly remnant, “the excellent of the earth, in whom is all My delight.” (Psalm 16:3, 43But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. 4Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. (Psalm 16:3‑4), refers to the unbelieving mass of the nation, who hasten after Antichrist by-and-bye, when “he that believeth shall not make haste” or “hasten away; as Isaiah 28:1616Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (Isaiah 28:16) believing remnant who reject Antichrist.)
At this moment “when He was baptized,” “the heavens were opened unto Him,” and He is accredited by the voice from heaven — “This is My beloved Son, in whom I have found My delight.” Compare Matthew 3, Mark 1, and Luke 3.
In Matthew, the gospel of the Messiah, — “this,” marking His presentation to Israel.
In Mark, — “Thou,” the personal acknowledgment of the servant about to take up service.
In Luke, — “Thou,” the Man in lowly grace among men.
Is not this moment of His identification with those Jews, who were taking their true place in “confessing their sins,” a most important and definite point in Messiah’s time here, and answering to “unto Messiah the Prince”? Then, it was, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and constituted Messiah officially, while, of course, from His birth He was personally such. Besides, His being the Messiah was preached by the Twelve, and received by some, and confessed by Peter (Matt. 16.). If, then, Matthew 3. marks the moment “unto Messiah the Prince,” when sixty-nine weeks are expired, then His three and a half years’ ministry following is seen to be the first half of the last or seventieth week, and the last half is all future, and begins with the abomination (idols) that makes desolate standing in the holy place (Dan. 9:2727And 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. (Daniel 9:27), and Matt. 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15)).
But, it may be objected, are we not told of “one week” at the end by-and-bye? Yes, but notice the connection of “one week” in the context. Some seeing “one week” yet to come, have been forced to conclude that no more than sixty-nine weeks can be found up to the cross. “He shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week.” Here “one week” is found in connection with “the many” or mass of the unbelieving nation. For them, they having rejected their Messiah, His three and a half years of patient service and presentation of Himself goes for nothing, and for them “one week” is found yet future and in connection with the infidel “beast,” showing awful departure from Jehovah (Isa. 28:15-1915Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 16Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. 19From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. (Isaiah 28:15‑19)).
The Antichrist is not seen here, and in all this connection the remnant are not found. Possibly Antichrist would favor this covenant till the “midst of the week” when the covenant is broken; then, he establishes idolatry “in the holy place.” This may be when he is definitely accepted by the nation. But this point of idolatry established is what the Lord directs His disciples to, saying, “When ye shall see the abomination that makes desolate stand in the holy place, then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matt. 24.). This appears to be morally, and in God’s estimate, the recontinuation of the course of the seventy weeks. It had been broken off at the cross. “I am come in My Father’s name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (John 5:4343I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43)). Notice, “Ye” (Matt. 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15)) — the then Jewish remnant, and looked at as the one remnant going on to the end — the Church parenthesis which we know does not belong to Israel’s history, is here, in Matthew 24, not noticed.
In accordance with the foregoing it has been noticed: there are two great crises in Israel’s history, viz., their rejection of Messiah at the cross, and their acceptance of Antichrist: these points morally coalesce in their history (John 5:4343I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43)). These points looked at historically and extended in time would show the present parenthesis of Church calling and history.
And now we should consider what “the chronologer” says, who would fix the point of “unto Messiah the Prince” or the expiration of sixty-nine weeks “to the very day,” at the Lord’s public entry into Jerusalem. Chronologers might differ about this. However this may be, an interpretation of where “unto Messiah the Prince” is found, if the chronologer so trusts his chronology as to disregard the time of Messiah’s ministry to Israel beginning at Matthew 3 and also His being accredited by the voice from heaven, and also His being anointed by the Holy Spirit, &c., — the literal counting of the sixty-nine weeks “to the very day” may be distrusted. Is it known when the seventy weeks began “to the very day?” Also, when the public entry into Jerusalem “to the very day?” The occasion of the public entry was, no doubt, a fulfilling of Scripture (Zech. 9:99Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9)), which testified to Messiah, but did it testify to the occasion being that of “unto Messiah the Prince?” Again, we should remember that God’s dates are moral dates, and apart from this consideration, the chronologer would fail to interpret the seventy weeks, e.g., mere chronology would fail to fix when is “unto” and “after” of Daniel 9:25, 2625Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26And 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. (Daniel 9:25‑26). W. J. C.