Chapter 2: The 70 Weeks - Part 2

This division into 2 groups of 3 is supported by the Hebrew text. The first 3 are all made up of 2-word units in Hebrew, whereas the 2nd 3 all use 3-word phrases.

Let’s look at each phrase in turn: The first 3 describe God’s answer to sin, using the 3 words that cover all 3 dimensions of the problem of sin: (1) Adam’s Original Sin, causing us all to be in a State of Sin, by virtue of being in Adam, (2) our personal sins, (3) our sin-nature in the flesh inherited from Adam (we were all born ‘in sin’ making us sinners by nature).

(1) ‘To Finish THE Transgression.’ The word means to bring something to its culmination or end. ‘Transgression’ is derived from a Hebrew root with the basic meaning of ‘rebel, revolt, transgress.’ It emphasises man’s rebellion against God and disobedience to His will.
‘The Transgression’ is not just sin in general, but a specific outstanding sin, since the definite article is attached to this word. This can only be Adam’s original sin. This is the root of the whole problem of sin facing mankind and so must be dealt with first. In Christ’s Death, He brought this Adamic sin to its end, so that rather than being sinners IN ADAM, we might be righteous IN CHRIST.

(2) ‘To Make an End of Sins.’ The word for ‘sins’ is the most commonly used word for personal sin, meaning: ‘to miss the mark.’ It is used in Daniel 9:20: “my sin and the sin of my people.” Since it does not have the definite article, and since it is plural, it refers to people’s personal sins. The word: ‘to make an end of’ means to bring a matter to a conclusion. It was used to indicate the closing of an official document. When the scribe had finished his work, the king placed his royal seal upon it, showing that it was brought to a close. Jesus Christ accomplished this on the Cross, when He bore all the sins of the whole world upon Himself, thus dealing with them once and for all. Jesus paid the price in full for ALL our personal Sins!

(3) ‘To Make Atonement for Iniquity.’ The word ‘iniquity’ has the core idea of twisting or defacing something beyond its intended

purpose. This word looks beyond the act of sin to its cause. The reason we commit sin is due to the perverted sinful nature (‘iniquity’) we inherited from Adam’s fall. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘iniquity’ means the quality of being unrighteous as well
as unrighteous conduct. Its core meaning is ‘unequal, wrong, wicked.’

God’s answer to SIN (the sinful nature of man) is to provide an ATONEMENT for it. Jesus bore our SIN (Sin-Nature) on the Cross, not just our SINS (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 8:4). No animal could possibly provide such an all-encompassing Atonement for SIN. Only the Blood of the God-man Messiah could suffice, as Isaiah 53 confirms.

Although the Messiah is not mentioned in v24, it is clear that only He could accomplish all the 6 Purposes listed there, which is why v25,26 describes the Coming of the Messiah. The Biblical revelation makes it clear that sin can only be put away by a sacrificial death (blood). Therefore, the first 3 Purposes, which involve the putting away of sin can only be fulfilled by the Sacrificial Death of the Messiah, before the end of the 70 Weeks.

This is confirmed by v26, which indicates He would be the One making this Atonement: “(sometime) after the 62 Weeks, Messiah shall be cut off (capital punishment), but not for Himself (He will not die for His own sins, but rather to atone for our sins).”

It is clear that the reference in these first 3 items is to Christ's 1st Coming, when all sin was brought to an end and paid for at the Cross.

Daniel 9:24b perfectly describes Christ’s completed work of Salvation:
“(1) To finish the Transgression

(2) To make an End of Sins

(3) To make Reconciliation (Atonement) for Iniquity.”

These first 3 Purposes were all fulfilled by Jesus Christ when He died on the Cross, bearing the Judgement for all our sins, laying the basis for us to be part of His Kingdom. As Christ declared: “It is finished - the Price is paid in full.” He was claiming the fulfilment of this first Stage towards the establishing of His Kingdom.

Daniel 9:24c then describes the next 3 Purposes, which have not yet been fulfilled. They involve the Messianic Kingdom being established on the basis of Christ’s Death, to be fulfilled at Christ’s 2nd Coming.

“(4) To bring in Everlasting Righteousness
(or literally: ‘the Age of Righteousness’).

(5) To seal up Vision and Prophecy (to bring all Old Testament Prophecy to fulfilment. This will only be true in the Millennium).

(6) To anoint the Most Holy (the establishing and anointing of the Millennial Temple for the Messianic Kingdom - see Ezekiel 41-46).”

*Let us now examine each of these in turn:

(4) ‘To Bring in Everlasting Righteousness.’ This has the sense that: ‘everlasting righteousness’ will be caused to come in, and be established upon the earth. ‘Everlasting’ indicates ‘long duration.’ A literal translation is: ‘the Age of Righteousness.’ Therefore, when the 490 years on Israel’s Clock are completed the Almighty will bring in His great Governmental Regime of Righteousness. This is a Prophecy of the future Messianic Kingdom, the Millennial Reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1-9). This means that it is still future to our own day.

(5) ‘To Seal up Vision and Prophecy.’ These speak of everything prophesied in the Old Testament, some of which has already been fulfilled by Messiah’s First Coming, but the remainder will only be fulfilled at His Second Coming when He establishes His Kingdom. The Hebrew word ‘to seal up’ means completion. The last thing done by a writer as he completes a document is to seal it up. This speaks of the future complete fulfilment of all Old Testament Prophecy, especially in regard to Israel. When fulfilled, Prophecy is sealed up.

(6) ‘To Anoint the most Holy.’ The Hebrew verb translated ‘anoint’ means to pour oil on something or someone to consecrate it for God’s service. This phrase ‘most holy’ is ‘a most holy place.’ The exact same phrase is used in Ezekiel 45:3 of the future Millennial Temple. Thus this refers to the anointing of a new Sanctuary, Temple, or Holy Place. The phrase: “holy of holies” (qodesh qadashîm) occurs, with or without the article, 39 times, always in reference to

the Tabernacle or Temple, or to the holy articles used in them. It is never used of a person. When referring to the most Holy Place, where the Ark was kept, the article is used, but it is not when referring to the holy articles or the whole Temple complex. Therefore in Daniel 9:24, the phrase must also refer to a future Temple that the Messiah will anoint (as the Centre of Millennial Worship); and, since the phrase is used without the article, it must refer to the whole Temple Complex, rather than just to its Most Holy Place (Holy-of-Holies).

These final three things will only be fulfilled by Christ when He comes again and establishes the Kingdom on earth. Together the six describe God’s whole Program to bring Israel into all the blessings promised in the Covenants. This includes personal Salvation through the New-Covenant and the establishment of the Kingdom on earth
under the personal rule of the Son of David from Jerusalem. When Israel accepts the Work of Christ in fulfilling the first three, Christ can complete God's Plan to restore Israel by fulfilling the next three.

This division of Christ’s Work into 2 Stages is a classic prophetic division which often appears in Messianic Prophecy. It corresponds to the Messiah coming first as the Suffering Lamb of God, and then as the Kingly conquering Lion; first the Suffering and then the Glory. Many prophecies show Him as both the Suffering Saviour and as the conquering King, but they are not clear about the time in-between (1Peter 1:10,11). However, as Jesus Himself pointed out, Messiah’s Sacrificial Sufferings had to come before His Kingly Glory: “Foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have SUFFERED these things and (then) to enter into His GLORY?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

By the nature of things, He first had to shed His Blood for our Salvation, establishing the New Covenant, thus providing a spiritual basis for His Kingdom.

Although the first 3 Purposes have been fulfilled in the Atonement of Christ, the 2nd 3 Purposes are a forecast of the future establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth in all its glory. This means the final (70th) Week must still be future, since all of these Purposes must be brought to completion by the end of the prescribed time period. Clearly certain aspects of this Prophecy can and will only be fulfilled by Christ’s 2nd Coming. These include the full restoration of the physical City of Jerusalem and its Temple, which will then be delivered by Christ from the destructive oppression of the Antichrist.

Thus this amazing Prophecy says that God has set aside 490 years for Israel to be fully restored: for her Salvation to be procured through the ultimate Sacrifice, and for the prophesied Messianic Kingdom of God to be established on earth. It predicts that the Messiah would come and accomplish man’s Salvation and also establish His Kingdom at the end of a period of time measured as 70 ‘Sevens’ or 490 years. This meant that from the initial point, there were only 490 years left ‘on Israel’s clock’ for the great Atonement to be made and for Israel to possess the Kingdom. At first glance, it would seem that the 490 years have come and gone, and although Atonement for sin has been made by Christ, the Kingdom aspect of the Prophecy has not been fulfilled. However, before we jump to conclusions we need to study the rest of the Prophecy. The next verse (v25) gives the starting point, and a breakdown of the first 69 Weeks (483 years):

Daniel 9:25: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the Command (Decree, Hebrew: ‘dabar’) to restore and build Jerusalem UNTIL (the time of) Messiah the Prince (Jesus), there shall be 7 Weeks (49 years) and 62 Weeks (434 Years). The Street shall be built again, and the Wall (fulfilled in the rebuilding of Jerusalem recorded in Ezra-Nehemiah), even in troublesome (literally: ‘narrow’) times (in the first 49 years).”

Daniel 9:25a: "Know therefore and understand that...”
This is a hard Prophecy that demands an effort on our part to study and understand it, as Jesus confirmed in Matthew 24:15, when He was talking about it, saying: “whoever reads, let him understand.”

This verse gives: (1) the starting point of the 70 Weeks, followed by (2) a short-term fulfilment of what would be accomplished by the end of the first 7 Weeks (at the end of a 49 year Jubilee Cycle), and then (3) a prediction that the Presentation of ‘Messiah the Prince’ to Israel would take place at the end of 69 (7+62) Weeks (that is: 483 years).

Daniel 9:25b gives the Starting Point for the Countdown: “Know therefore and understand that FROM the going forth of the Commandment (Decree) to restore and to build Jerusalem …”

In the next Chapter, I give the evidence that this official Starting Point for the 70 Weeks must be the Decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra in 458 BC (recorded with great emphasis and accuracy in Ezra 7).

Daniel 9:25 is clear that the countdown will start with a “Decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.” The Hebrew word for Decree is ‘dâbâr’, which means a spoken word or instruction. In this context, it is an urgent and authoritative Decree, made by the ruling king, yet ultimately having a Divine Origin (as a ‘dabar’ often has in Scripture).

Daniel 9:25c tells us what will happen near the end of the 70 Weeks:
“...UNTIL MESSIAH THE PRINCE."

*The 490 years close with the time of: ‘Messiah the Prince.’

Notice that He is not described as ‘Messiah the King’ at this stage, but ‘Messiah the Prince’ (the King in waiting), for His Ministry

first of all must be to do what is necessary for His Kingdom to be established on earth. In particular He must achieve the spiritual restoration of Israel (for the Messianic Kingdom must be centred upon Israel). Then He can reign as Messiah the King.

v25 reveals that the full Restoration described in v24 will be fulfilled by the MESSIAH, for it is He who must establish the Kingdom. He will come first to Israel as their Prince, and when they receive Him, He will become their King and He will establish His Kingdom on earth, centred on Israel in fulfilment of the covenants, promises and prophecies (Acts 1:6). He will reign from Jerusalem.

The end-point of the Prophecy (490 years from 458 BC) is therefore AD 33 - the very year of the Cross and Resurrection (see Chapter 4, and Appendices 4 and 5)! This implies that Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies of making the final Atonement for sin, and was also ready to establish the Messianic Kingdom that same year.

The Charts opposite give an overview of how God was faithful to perfectly fulfil the 70 Weeks at Christ’s First Coming, with the lower Chart giving a close-up look at the 70th Week. God was faithful to fully do His part to fulfil the 70 Weeks on time, so that if Israel had done their part and received Christ, the Prophecy would have been fulfilled in AD 33. However, since Israel rejected Him, He cancelled the last 7 years, rewinding her Clock by 7 years, in order to rerun the 70th Week again as the future Tribulation, giving Israel a 2nd chance.

"Daniel's 70 Weeks" chart

*Next Daniel gives us a breakdown of the 490 years from 458 BC:

“Know therefore and understand that FROM the going forth
of the Commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem (458 BC)
UNTIL (the Time of) MESSIAH THE PRINCE, there shall be:

7 Weeks (7 Sevens = 49 years, from 458 - 409 BC),
and 62 Weeks (62 x 7 = 434 years, from 409 BC to AD 26).

The Street shall be rebuilt again and the Wall even in troublesome times (or 'the narrow time').” This was fulfilled in the first 49 years (see the fulfilment in the Book of Ezra-Nehemiah).

The 490 Years (Seventy Sevens), are divided up into 3 Parts:
(1) 7 Weeks (49 years).
(2) 62 Weeks (434 years). These add up to 69 Weeks (483 years) leaving just 1 Week to complete the 70 Weeks (490 years). Thus, the Time of Messiah begins 7 years before the end of the 490 years.
(3) 1 Week (7 years) - the 70th Week.

The Time of Messiah covers the last (70th) Week (from AD 26-33). The phrase: “UNTIL Messiah the Prince” refers to the start of something. If I say: “There is one hour UNTIL the film”, I mean that there is an hour until the start of the film, not the middle and not the end of it. Thus: “UNTIL Messiah the Prince” refers to the time when the Messiah is first announced to the Nation as being at hand. This was done by His forerunner, John the Baptist. Therefore the Time of Messiah’s Presentation to Israel should have started after the 49 + 434 =483 years from 458 BC. This is in AD 26. Therefore the end of the first 483 years (AD 26) marks the start of the time of Messiah’s Presentation to Israel. This means that the 70th Week, the Time of Messiah’s Presentation to Israel, was prophesied to be from AD 26-33.

Thus Daniel’s 70 Weeks predicts that 7 years before the Kingdom was established there would be a 7-year preparatory Time of Messiah. This was fulfilled in the Ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. This leaves the MESSIAH just 7 years to fulfil the Prophecy, which predicts that after 490 years have been fulfilled, the Kingdom Age should be established, which will be the time of ‘Messiah the King.’

These 7 final years of Daniel’s Prophecy, the time of Messiah the Prince and His Ministry to Israel, should begin in AD 26 and end in AD 33 (according to Daniel’s 70 Weeks). The New Testament consistently regards John’s Ministry to Israel as the start of the Time of Messiah. John was the official herald of the Messiah. Thus, the Gospels all start the story of Christ’s Presentation to Israel with the Ministry of John the Baptist, and not with the Ministry of Jesus.

Mark 1:1-4: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your Face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one (John) crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the Way of the Lord; make His paths straight.” John

came baptising in the wilderness, preaching a Baptism of repentance...” (See also Matthew 3:1-12, John 1:19, Luke 3:1-20).

Jesus Himself confirmed that John brought in the Time of the Messiah in Matthew 11:9-13: “What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’ Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women (before the New Covenant) there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.”

Notice: "all the prophets prophesied UNTIL John." John’s Ministry signalled the start of the fulfilment of Messianic Prophecy, the Appearance of the Messiah (Isaiah 40:3-5, Matthew 3:3). It was starting with his Ministry that: “the Kingdom of God was at hand” (Matthew 3:2). John’s Role and Ministry is not to be underestimated!

Moreover, Acts 1:21,22 defines the time of Messiah as: “the Time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us’, as: ‘beginning from the Baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us (the Ascension).” The ‘Baptism of John’ refers to his whole Ministry (Matthew 21:25). Thus the fulfilment of Daniel’s Prophecy requires the start of John the Baptist’s Ministry to be in AD 26. This significant date is confirmed by the New Testament record. In fact the start of John’s Ministry is the most strongly emphasised date of the New Testament:

Luke 3:1,2: “Now in the 15th year of the reign (‘hegemonia’) of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea (AD 26-36), Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the Word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”

This is the key date, marking a new Phase in God’s Plan. Bible Chronology hinges on this date because it marks the close of Daniel’s 69th Week and the opening of the Ministry of Messiah when the Kingdom of God was declared to be ‘at hand’.

Now Tiberius Caesar began ruling as co-emperor with Augustus in AD 12 and ruled alone from AD 14-37. Now the word used for his ‘reign’ is ‘hegemonia’ (‘rulership’ or ‘leadership’), not ‘basileia’ (the word that is usually used for a king’s ‘reign’, which certainly would have been used to describe his sole-reign from AD 14). Thus his ‘hegemonia’ began in AD 12, and his 15th year was AD 26. So, John the Baptist started announcing the Messiah at the very time the 70 Weeks had predicted for the start of Messiah’s Presentation to Israel!

Often people assume Luke 3:1,2 also gives the year of Jesus’ Baptism, as if John’s Ministry was merely a matter of months before Jesus came to Him for Baptism. This is not realistic, as it would have required a few years (especially then) for John to become a nationally known prophet and centre of controversy - with all of Israel coming out to see and hear him. In fact, 3.5 years is a far more realistic time frame for John to be able to build a sufficient national platform to adequately prepare the way for Messiah. This is confirmed by Elijah’s 3.5 year Ministry (1Kings 18:1, Luke 4:25, James 5:17), since the prophet to whom John the Baptist is compared is always Elijah (Luke 1:17, Malachi 4:5,6; Matthew 17:10-13, 11:9-14, Mark 9:11-13).

John (who came in the spirit, power and place of Elijah) ministered for 3.5 years before Jesus’ Baptism, typified by Elijah’s Ministry of 3.5 years (Luke 4:25, James 5:17). There is more confirmation in the 3.5 year Tribulation Ministry of the 2 Witnesses (Revelation 11:3), one of whom is Elijah (fulfilling Malachi 4:5,6), for as we will see, the 7 year Tribulation is a re-run of the 70th Week, with Elijah’s Ministry during the first 3.5 years of the re-run corresponding to John’s Ministry (the first 3.5 years of the initial 70th Week).

Thus, Daniel predicted that the time of ‘Messiah the Prince’ starts after 483 years (fulfilled in the Ministry of John starting in AD 26) and ends after 490 years (fulfilled in the death of the Messiah Jesus in AD 33). Since we know (from the Feasts and Seasons described in John’s Gospel and from Luke 13:7) that Jesus’ Ministry lasted 3.5 years (AD 29-33), we can conclude that John’s Ministry was also 3.5 years (AD 26-29). This is also confirmed by the 7 years of the Tribulation (likewise divided in 2 halves) which as we will see, is a re-run of these 7 years. (This pattern of the 70th Week being divided into two halves is confirmed when we see it repeated in the future 7-year Tribulation, when the 70th Week will be re-run).

The Death of Christ in AD 33 is widely accepted, and is also confirmed by secular historical writings that describe the supernatural darkness that covered the world at that time. Moreover, only AD 30 and 33 satisfy the criterion of a Friday full moon as required for the Passover in the Year of the Cross. However, some prefer AD 30 because it has been popular to believe that Christ was born in 4 BC, because it was thought that Josephus gave this date for Herod’s death.

Since Jesus was about 30 when He started His Ministry of 3.5 years, this would give AD 30 as the year of the Cross. However recent scholarship has shown that Josephus has been misinterpreted, and that Herod’s death was in 1 BC, and Christ’s birth was in 2 BC (which confirms 33 AD for the Cross, since there is no year 0). This agrees with the consistent witness of the Church Fathers who had access to better information. This is all well documented in the revised edition of Finegan’s ‘Handbook of Biblical Chronology.’ For more information on the Birth and Life of Christ see Appendix 8).

In conclusion, we have good evidence that John the Baptist’s Ministry began in AD 26, and that the Cross was in AD 33. This means that the 7 years predicted by Daniel as the time of ‘Messiah the Prince’ (AD 26-33) were fulfilled in the 7 Years of the Messianic Ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.

Daniel’s Prophecy does not just predict the final year of Messiah’s Ministry (AD 33), but the very day! The starting point was the Decree on Nisan 1 (April 3rd) 458 BC (Ezra 7:9). So, 490 years from then ends on April 3rd, 33 AD, the day of Christ’s Resurrection!

Thus v25 accounts for a total of 69 Weeks (483 Years) which came to an end in April AD 26. Then the last Week (7 years) ran until April 33 AD. This final Week (7 years) is the time of the Messiah Who would bring all things to pass. The Week of Messiah was indeed AD 26-33! John the Baptist ministered for the first half (3.5 years) and then Jesus ministered for the 2nd half of 3.5 years. However, the Prophecy is strangely silent about these 7 years (of the 70th Week), simply predicting Messiah’s Sacrificial Death in the 70th Week:

Daniel 9:26a: “And (sometime) AFTER the 62 Weeks, Messiah shall be cut off (by capital punishment), but not for Himself.”

Even then, it dates this climactic event without reference to the 70th Week, but simply as being sometime after the end of the 69th Week. Clearly there is something unusual going on with the 70th Week. Later, I explain the mystery of why v26 seems to pass over it.

So v26 tells us that sometime after the 69th Week (483 years) is over, after the start of Messiah’s Presentation, He is to be killed for us. We saw that at the end of the 62 Weeks, the Messianic Ministry would begin. Now we are told that sometime later, at the end of this Time of Ministry, the Messiah would be killed, not for His own sins, but for ours. Although v26 does not tell us how long after the end of the 69th Week Messiah would be killed, the implication of v24 is that His death would be 7 years afterwards, at the end of the 70th Week.

According to v24, by the end of the 70th Week, Messiah would purchase our Salvation by His Atoning Death and so: “finish the transgression, make an end of sins, and make reconciliation for iniquity.” History confirms He indeed died for our sins in AD 33 at the end of the 70 Weeks, 7 years after the 69th Week ended in AD 26.

Thus at the end of the 70th Week, as predicted in v24, the Messiah purchased our Salvation by His atoning Death. He fulfilled the first 3 things named in v24 to be accomplished at this time: “to (1) finish the transgression, (2) to make an end of sins, (3) to make reconciliation for iniquity.” But the other 3 things in v24, describing the establishment of His Kingdom were not fulfilled at that time: “to (4) bring in Everlasting (the Age of) Righteousness, (5) to seal up Vision and Prophecy and (6) to anoint the Most Holy (Temple).”

So there is a problem. According to v24, by the end of the 70th Week (AD 33), the Messiah should have died as the ultimate sacrifice to atone for our sins, and have established the Messianic Kingdom. Although He did die, establishing the New Covenant in His Blood, the Messianic Kingdom was not established at that time, but instead the Mystery Kingdom (Church-Age) came in. Thus it would seem that the Prophecy of the 490 Years (in v24) was not completely fulfilled.

However even this (complicating) development was anticipated by the Prophecy in v26. First of all: “Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself” (KJV) could also be translated: “the Anointed One will be cut off, and shall have nothing” (NIV). This prophesies the Messiah will come to establish and possess His Messianic Kingdom, but He will not receive it at that time. (Indeed, it will come, but not at the time in which He was cut off). As the Living Bible puts it: “the Anointed One will be killed, His Kingdom still unrealised” (v26a). So, for some reason, the Prophecy itself indicates that the Kingdom does not come after the 490 years, in apparent contradiction to v24!

It is because of Israel’s rejection of Jesus as their Messiah that the Kingdom could not be brought in at that time. When His own people rejected Him (John 1:11), He did not receive what rightly belonged to Him. The Coming of the Kingdom requires Israel’s acceptance of Jesus as their Messiah-King, in order for it to be established. The Messianic Kingdom must come at the completion of the final (70th) Week (v24). But it has not yet arrived, which means that Daniel’s 70th Week must still be in the future, as v27 confirms. In this way, God has set up a PROPHETIC PARADOX. On the one hand, the 70 Weeks, as a single Unit of time, have run their course, ending in AD 33. Yet on the other hand, the 70th Week has yet to run in the future. We will discover the amazing resolution of this Paradox in due course.

Then, as the Prophecy in v26 continues, there is another strange development. Instead of Messiah establishing the Kingdom through Israel in AD 33, we find that a worse Judgement will fall upon Israel:

Daniel 9:26b: “and the people of the prince who is to come
(the Romans) shall destroy the City (Jerusalem) and the Sanctuary (the Temple, fulfilled in AD 70). The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war, desolations are determined.”

This was fulfilled in the Jewish War of AD 66-73, when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and scattered Israel to the nations for 2000 years. Notice the order of events: (1) the Messiah would come to Israel, then (2) be cut off (executed by capital punishment), and then (3) Israel, including Jerusalem and the Temple, would be destroyed by invading armies (since they rejected the King and His Kingdom).

This all came to pass with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in AD 70, which is an amazing fulfilment of Prophecy!
Therefore, the Messiah must have come to Israel and been ‘cut off’ (by Capital Punishment) BEFORE AD 70. Therefore, according to Daniel’s 70 Weeks, the only viable candidate for the promised Messiah is Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth! It is now impossible (too late) for anyone else to make a rightful claim to be the Messiah, because the Temple has already been destroyed!

In v26, the Prophecy has taken a surprising turn. It started full of promise with the Coming of the Messiah, but ends with Judgement! Something has gone terribly wrong! Such devastating destruction must be a Divine Judgement on Israel, and the only sufficient reason is that she will reject her Messiah! (This could not have been said explicitly otherwise it would have spoilt her freedom of choice).

In v25, the Messiah is presented to Israel, but then in v26 instead of His Kingdom being established, Israel comes under Judgement. The implication is clear - Israel rejects the Kingdom, and as a result, the Kingdom could not be established at the end of the 490 years!

What is going on? Jesus had come to bring Salvation through His Death, and to establish His Kingdom upon His Resurrection. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus Christ came to Israel proclaiming that the (Messianic) Kingdom was at hand, He was clearly ready to establish the Kingdom as promised at the end of the 70th Week.

Through His Death, He accomplished that aspect that depended on Him alone, and He did it right on time (purchasing our Salvation). Moreover, the New-Covenant in His Blood provided the spiritual basis for the Kingdom. However, the Establishment of the Kingdom also depended on Israel receiving the King and the Kingdom, for according to the promises and covenants it had to be established through Israel. For Israel to qualify to receive the Kingdom, she must receive the Messiah and the Salvation He offered through the New Covenant. But Israel rejected Him as her King and so rejected the Kingdom, so He could not establish the Kingdom at that time.