first part of reply to Omega
Dear Omega,
Yes, "the *people* of the prince that shall come" in Dan 9:26 is the Romans.
But the key question is this:
Who is "he" of Dan 9:27?
Dan 9:24 speaks of anointing the most Holy (Jesus!)
Dan 9:25 speaks of the Messiah the Prince (Jesus!)
Dan 9:26 speaks of the Messiah the Prince (Jesus!) *and* "the people of the prince that shall come".
So who does the word "he" in Dan 9:27 refer to?
Messiah the Prince (Jesus!) like the previous 2 verses?
Or "the people of the prince that shall come"?
One could "guess" and say that "he" refers to "the people of the prince that shall come". But what reason would we have to think that the focus shifted from Jesus to this other prince?
There is no mention of this other prince before Dan 9:26 and no mention of him afterward either.
The best indication we have of who "he" in Dan 9:27 is, is by what "he" does.
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.
Dan 9:27 (KJV)
"He" shall confirm "the covenant". OK. What covenant? If we read Dan 9 from the beginning to find out what covenant Dan 9:27 is talking about, we find this in Dan 9:4:
4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping *the covenant* and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Dan 9:4 (KJV)
If "the covenant" in Dan 9:27 is the same "the covenant" mentioned in Dan 9:4 (and we have no reason to think otherwise), then God made "the covenant"! Now who would confirm the covenant that God made, Jesus or "the prince that shall come"? Obviously, Jesus.
And "he" in Dan 9:27 also caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. One could say that the Romans caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. Or one could say that Jesus caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease by His perfect sacrifice. The question is did the Romans thwart God's plans? Did God really want to continue the sacrifice and the oblation after Jesus made His sacrifice but the Romans caused it to cease? (I doubt that.) Or did God use the Romans to destroy the temple because He wanted the sacrifice and the oblation to cease? In that case, who really caused it? The Romans who were an instrument of God's will? Or was it God's will that caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease?
And we have "and *for the overspreading of abominations* he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation".
"for the overspreading of abominations" means "because of the overspreading of abominations".
Did the Roman general make it desolate *because of* the overspreading of abominations? Or did God (Jesus) make it desolate *because of* the overspreading of abominations?
Could the Roman general make it desolate "even until the consummation"? Or would it have to be Jesus who would make it desolate "even until the consummation"?
When was it made desolate? And by whom?
38 Behold, *your house is left unto you desolate*.
39 For 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.
Matt 23:38-39 (KJV)
1 *And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple*: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
Matt 24:1 (KJV)
So, let's put all this together and see who "he" in Dan 9:27 is.
1. Jesus is definitely the One who will confirm the covenant of Dan 9:4 with many for one week.
2. In the midst of the week Jesus caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease by His perfect sacrifice. (I understand that His ministry lasted 3 1/2 years. There remains 3 1/2 years which will be the great tribulation during which He will confirm the covenant for 3 1/2 years more.)
3. Based on Matt 23:38-39 and Matt 24:1 we *know* that Jesus made it desolate. And He did it *because of* the overspreading of abominations. And He will see to it that it remains desolate until the consummation. This is something that no Roman general could do.
You could insist that the Romans caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. But remember, whoever "he" in Dan 9:27 is, has to do all of those things. From Matt 23:38-39 and Matt 24:1 we know that it (their house) became "desolate" when Jesus left it. It was *already desolate* before the Romans destroyed it. Therefore the Romans did not make it desolate. Jesus did. And Jesus will see to it that it stays desolate until the consummation. And that is something that the Romans could not do.
Yours in Christ,
John Reno